EPPING
Epping is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States.lies 29 miles S.E. from Concord, 20 W. from Portsmouth, and 8 N.W. from Exeter. It was formerly a part of Exeter, and was incorporated Feb. 12, 1741. The town contains 12,760 acres, being nearly 20 square miles. The town was originally part of Exeter, one of the four original New Hampshire townships. To encourage settlement, as early as 1710 Exeter awarded free wood lots in the area. In 1741, Epping was granted a charter and incorporated as a town, the last New Hampshire town chartered by Massachusetts Governor Jonathan Belcher before the Province of New Hampshire separated from Massachusetts. Epping was named for Epping Forest, a suburb of London, England.
Following the American Revolution, many residents of the town moved to Monmouth, Maine, when General Henry Dearborn offered free land to his soldiers. Through the 1800s, farming was a principal occupation in Epping. The town also had substantial reserves of clay, long used by local residents to make bricks, and in 1840, the first commercial brickyard was established in Epping.
It was formerly said in jest: "Epping -- the center of the universe." Now, due to its strategic position at the crossroads of Route 101 and Route 125, the community is indeed becoming a retail center, as chain stores locate here. But because the traditional town center is clustered around Route 27, an older road connecting Exeter with Hooksett and Manchester, Epping's antique architectural charm has been spared from redevelopment.
The community was named for Epping Forest, England. The latitude of Epping is 43.033N. The longitude is -71.074W. It is in the Eastern Standard time zone. Elevation is 207 feet. The population, at the time of the 2000 census, was 5,476.
FREMONT
Settled in the 1720s, Fremont was originally part of Exeter. The area was once famous for its heavy growth of high-quality eastern white pine trees, reserved for use as masts of the Royal Navy. But residents began to use the wood for home construction. When in 1734 David Dunbar, surveyor-general, visited the Copyhold Mill to inspect fallen lumber, local citizens assembled, discharged firearms, and convinced Dunbar to leave. Returning with 10 men, Dunbar's group was attacked, and dispersed to a local tavern, by citizens disguised as Indians. This insurrection would be known as the Mast Tree Riot.
The town was granted in 1764 by Colonial Governor Benning Wentworth as Poplin, after an English mill town. In 1853, Poplin petitioned the state legislature to change the name. In 1854, it became Fremont after General John C. Fremont, the first candidate of the Republican Party in the presidential election of 1856. Benton in Grafton County bears the name of Fremont's father-in-law, Senator Thomas Hart.
Square miles: 17.16, The latitude of Fremont is 42.990N. The longitude is -71.143W. It is in the Eastern Standard time zone. Elevation is 180 feet. The population, at the time of the 2000 census, was 3,510.
For those who describe Fremont as just another boondocks bedroom community near the Massachusetts border, take a gander at these facts:
Fremont is the only known town with two one-room schoolhouses built side-by-side in the 19th century.
The Fremont Mast Tree Riot of 1734 pit locals against representatives of the King of England. In this very early colonial revolt, roughly three dozen locals dressed as Indians attacked and beat up surveyors sent to cut massive old growth trees to deliver to England.
In 1861 locals rioted against the Civil War and took pot shots at the American flag.
The last wooden barrel company, Spaulding and Frost, was active in Fremont a century after its competition had disappeared. It has since closed. The company created "the world’s biggest wooden barrel" that still stands outside Redhook Brewery in Portsmouth.
The famous UFO that inspired the best selling book "Incident at Exeter" was actually seen hovering over a field in Fremont.
Two Fremont pirates reportedly buried their treasure in the town’s Spruce Swamp. It has not been recovered.
The only nonfatal B-52 crash in history occurred in 1959 when a bomber on its way to Newfoundland smashed into Spruce Swamp after the crew had safely ejected.
The largest brickyard in the state was in Fremont producing 5 million bricks a year. It had its own boarding house, barber shop, saloon, company store and bakery in the late 1880s. A spark from a passing train set the adjoining field on fire and the buildings burned in 1912.
Per capita, Fremont citizens raised more in Liberty Bonds during World War II than even the biggest, richest towns in the county.
Fremont is home to the super-strange all-girl band The Shaggs (see related story). An obscure 1969 album by the three Wiggin sisters was discovered and rereleased in the 1980s by the band NRBQ. Favorable reviews in Rolling Stone and The New Yorker kicked off a cult following.
Written By J. Dennis Robinson, SeacoastNH.com. 2003
