During the early years when Concord was still known as the town of Rumford, there was constant concern for the safety and well being of our ancestors. A number of garrisons sheltered the early settlers and ushered in a brief period of tranquility before the revolution began with the British. Just prior to the revolution, the Seven Years War involved all of Europe and certainly affected the Americas until the conclusion in 1763. Our ancestors then witnessed aggressive action from England when the colonists stood firmly against taxation from the King. It was in 1765 that the town of Rumford was formally renamed Concord in an effort to invoke a peaceful harmony with their neighbors in Massachusetts as the road to war became apparent.
In the year 1760, the citizens of Rumford discovered their ability to harvest ore in the Soucook River along the First New Hampshire Turnpike and created a foundry to convert the ore to iron. The location where the ore was particularly good was in a small area that our ancestors referred to as “Egypt.” The ore would be hand dug and then loaded onto wagons for the journey to our present-day Ironworks Road. The iron foundry and rolling mill was initially established on Ironworks Road in 1760 by Dr. Phillip Carrigan, Blacksmith Daniel Gale and Farmer Daniel Carter. Iron Works Road began at Wheelers Corner, the site of the present-day intersection of South Street and Iron Works Road, and continued to Silk Farm Road. The foundry produced quality iron to manufacture early mills as well as other useful implements as the road to war was indeed followed.
With tension and concern rising, our ancestors heard the news from Boston of clashes with British Troops. They were concerned and willing to protect the little possessions that they had worked for. Some residents doubted war was on the horizon while others were quite sure that it was a necessary step to declare their freedom to prosper and enjoy a quality life. The people soon received solid evidence that war did in fact arrive. In the early summer of 1776, there was an armed British schooner named the “George” that was captured off the coast of New Hampshire. The ship was aggressive and a vessel of war. The people that still doubted war were finally convinced that war had indeed arrived at their own doorsteps here in Concord. On that summer day in 1776 a wagon arrived bearing five British officers, in their red uniforms, and traveled up Main Street Concord. The five officers had been captured and were considered to be prisoners of war. The people of Concord were quite concerned, not only did they now have evidence of war but they were holding five British officers as prisoners. After the warship was captured, the prisoners were brought inland to Concord and brought before a colonial court to face the charges brought. The people in our community decided to place all five officers on a parole based upon their honor. The prisoners were instructed that they would be paroled but must remain in the township of Concord, within six miles, during the current war. This ensured our ancestors that the officers would not combat the colonial forces while they resided in Concord for the duration. The names, living locations and ultimate fate of the five British men has been lost to history. The message to the people was quite clear, the war had arrived.
As word of the prisoners spread about the community there was much discussion relating to defending the colonies. Men enlisted in the army while the people in the community helped where they could.
It was during this period that the people turned their thoughts to the quality ore being harvested from the Soucook River. Ammunition was desperately needed by the troops, especially at this early stage of the war when the British aggression intensified as they tried to silence the colonist. It was during this period that the people of Concord increased the harvest of ore from the river and hauled the ore to Iron Works Road in desperation, for they were now producing cannon balls to be used against British Forces. The Concord ore from the Soucook River saved colonial troops and helped to win the Revolutionary War.
The iron foundry and the rolling mill are now long gone, reclaimed by the New Hampshire forest. A peaceful area now protecting wildlife and enjoyed by the citizens of Concord. The long-ago sound of the approaching ore wagons and burning forge are centuries behind us. Where our ancestors spoke of war and defending the colonies against the British troops as they produced cannon balls, we now hear the forlorn sound of the Canadian geese above amongst the cool late summer breeze.
There is peace on Iron Works Road.