We recently moved to Manchester, New Hampshire. Nearby, almost next door except for a sliver of Goffstown, is the small town of Dunbarton. We had never been there, and enjoyed our visit very much. It was a lovely fall day, and just barely warm enough for a ride in the little red convertible with the top down. We found this statue on the common next to the town hall (the white building in the background).
MAJOR CALEB STARK
In 1759 Major Caleb Stark, the first child of General John and
Molly Stark, was born in Dunbarton at the home of his
grandfather now known as the Molly Stark House. At age 15,
he left this house and his grandfather, Capt. Caleb Page, on
the eve of the battle of Bunker Hill to join in the American
Revolution. He represents Dunbarton's own minuteman and
his likeness is embossed on the Town Seal. He was wounded
at the Battle of Saratoga and, during the closing stages of the
conflict, served as an adjutant to his famous father. After the
war, he married Sarah McKinstry and built the Stark Mansion
where he entertained General Lafayette in 1825. He was tireless
in his pursuit to arrange for payments for service of Revolutionary
War officers and his efforts suceeded when lands in Ohio were
granted as compensation. He died in Ohio in 1838 and is buried
at the Stark Cemetery on Mansion Road in Dunbarton.
Statue donated by Laraine and Herbert Allen
Pedestal donated by Marion Crosby from land formerly
part of the estate of Capt. Caleb Page
Memorial Day 2002
This is the Dunbarton, New Hampshire town seal mentioned on the plaque above.
The Molly Stark House is located just a few miles away from the center of Dunbarton, where the statue and town hall are found.
MOLLY STARK HOUSE
Built by her father, Capt. Caleb Page, c. 1759,
this was Molly Page's home in her youth and
as the wife of Gen. John Stark. Their first
son, Caleb, who served with his illustrious
father during the Revolution, was born here,
as was Molly's brother, Jeremiah Page, later
a Superior Court Justice and delgate to
the first Constitutional Convention (1778).
This structure also housed the first Dunbarton
Post office (1834).
This sign is on the corner across from the Molly Stark House, on the intersection of the Stark Highway (which leads to the center of Dunbarton and the statue) and the road to Concord, New Hampshire.
General John Stark was born in Londonderry, New Hampshire, and he was a member of Roger's Rangers. He became an officer in 1757, just before the French and Indian War. He married Molly Page and had eleven children. He joined the Revolutionary War right after the Battle of Lexington, and saw action at Bunker Hill, the Battle of Trenton, the Battle of Bennington, all the way to the end of the war when he returned to Manchester, New Hampshire. General Stark is famous for the phrase "Live Free or Die", which now the New Hampshire State motto. He lived to the age of 94, and was the last surviving Revolutionary War general.
Click here to read a previous blog post about General John Stark:
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http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2014/10/an-autumn-visit-to-dunbarton-new.html
Copyright (c) 2014, Heather Wilkinson Rojo
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