History of Amesbury - Merrill.org

314 HISTORY OF AMESBURY.
Rev. Ebenezer Cleaveland's ministry terminated the latter
part of last year or the early part of this.
In July Rev. Elias Hull received $6 for preaching one day.
Rev. Mr. Tappan, James Thurston of Exeter, N. H., Nathan
Tilton and Stephen Hull preached during the season. Stephen
Hull was settled in the course of the year.
Oct. 29th. A parish meeting was held and it was decided
to repair the East parish meeting-house.
1800.
At the beginning of the century it may be well to pause and
briefly note the progress made during the last hundred years.
One hundred and forty-six years have passed since the famous
Agreement of 1654 was signed, and many and great have been
the changes during that long period. Within the last century
many of the dangers which surrounded our ancestors at its
beginning have disappeared, and many difficulties, deprivations
and hardships attendant on pioneer life have vanished and
peace and plenty everywhere prevails.
The revengeful red man has died out and the fear of the
tomahawk and scalping knife no longer terrifies the peaceful
inhabitants, nor are they compelled to flee to forts and garrisons
for safety and protection. Tradition perpetuates the mem-
ory of their atrocious deeds and heartless cruelties. As
mementos of that "reign of terror" we have numerous stone
implements of their time and, also, the Indian ground at the
river, where they loved to build their wigwams. We have the
" Willows " near Tappan Emery's :
their famous workshop, where
their arrow heads were made and, perhaps, many of their tools.
Their relics and traditions linger, but the race has gone to the
"happy hunting ground" and no one mourns their departure.
New branches of business are becoming prominent and will,
eventually, rank as the leading industries of the town. The
steady progress of the last century has accomplished much,
physically and morally, but only the initiatory step has been
taken, leaving much for the present century to complete. Edu-
cation has been established upon a firm basis, being provided
for among the annual appropriations of the town, as other indi-
spensable items.