How Occom Pond Came Into Being

FOREWORD

Among the man-made features of the Hanover scene, perhaps one of the foremost, as well as one of the most likely to be taken for granted, is Occom Pond. For that reason the following first-hand report of its origin and early development may be of interest. The report was written by my father, Professor T. W. D. ("Tute") Worthen '72, at my mother's wise suggestion, some 25 years after the incidents described.

A few words from my own recollection to supplement the statement may be excused. My father's house was the first completed on Webster Avenue. The land to the west and north, including what is now Occom Ridge and the GOLF links, was used largely as a cow pasture. (In compensation for the services of my brother and myself in locating and collecting the five cows from this unfenced area — extending all the way to "Rope Ferry," where the miserable critters were usually to be found and for driving them back to the Morse farm for the milking, our family milk bill was reduced from five cents to four cents per quart. My recollection is that the liquid was over-priced. The Worthens took five quarts. The "Young Tutes" got the nickel.)

The area covered by the pond is described below. The only water, some 30 by 15 feet over-all, covered a "bottomless" deposit of muck, frequented by snakes, frogs, turtles and dirty boys. Round about were several acres of alders and marsh grass, chiefly noteworthy for redwinged blackbirds, bobolinks and mosquitoes. After surveying and staking the boundaries of the area to be flooded, my father hired red-bearded "Old John" Scott with his horserake to gather the marsh grass felled by the Professor's scythe. Joe G. Washington Worthen, aged eleven, went along to demolish sundry alders with his little hatchet.

Vividly also I remember the talk referred to below, with irascible "Old Man Kibbie," about selling a few feet off the foot of his little garden, which would be flooded by the proposed pond. The Professor's argument which clinched the deal was that, with a pond at hand, Kibbie could add a few ducks to his lousy poultry. The turtles got the ducks before the year was out.

But now read what the Professor has to say about this one of the numberless services by which, throughout his long life, he enriched the College and the community. As many will remember, he had a lot a very, very big lot - on the ball.

JOSEPH W. WORTHEN '09

THE idea of a pond in the valley northwest of the village of Hanover as then limited, originated with Elizabeth Washburn Worthen (Mrs. T. W. D. Worthen) in 1897 not long after the completion and occupancy of the house on Webster Avenue. In the fall of 1899, Mr. Worthen began active operations toward a materialization of that idea. He first obtained permission of Mr. C. P. Chase to flood five or six acres of his land, and then found nine other men who were willing to put five dollars apiece into the experiment to determine whether water would remain there when a dam was built. It was conjectured that it would filter through the gravel bank into the river only a few hundred feet away. Some doubted whether there would be water enough from rainfall to fill a five-acre pond.

The valley ended in a ravine at the, north end across which was a road with a culvert. This was utilized by constructing a plank dam in front with a spillway and a considerable earth embankment. A large part of the land to be flowed was covered with a growth of coarse weeds and alder bushes which were cut, dried and burned. The preparations for the pond were completed pleted early in January, 1900. The spectacle of a dam and spillway with not a drop of water in sight afforded considerable amusement to a not-over-credulous public.

A midwinter thaw filled the pond to overflowing. The maximum depth was about eight feet near the outlet and the southern half was very shallow. The pond remained practically full until July 4 when due to the borings of muskrats around the side of the planking the water all ran out. However it was demonstrated that the rainfall would supply abundant water and that it would not run out through the bank. The dam was repaired, a considerable amount of dirt was added and it was faced with cobble stones.

The contributions to June 1, 1901 were five dollars each from President Tucker, Profs. Bartlett, Hazen, Patten and Worthen, Drs. Gile, Poole and Smith, Messrs. N. A. Frost and Weston; total, Fifty Dollars ($50). The expenditures were for clearing ground $22.30, constructing dam $37.01, total $59.31.

Mr. Chase originally gave permission to flow five or six acres of land for five years and in July 1901 he granted flowage rights for five years from date with three feet additional height of dam. (It was assumed that if the pond could be secured five years it would never be given up.) This increased the pond area to about eight acres, including a strip about 17 feet wide across the west end of the house lot of C. M. and H. L. Kibbie. This was bought with a margin of about eight feet. The strip purchased was 88 feet by 25½ feet. A stone and cement core was put in by S. D. Tilton, who put in the first hard surface road in the streets of Hanover, at the end of his job at very small cost. The core is about 50 feet long, ranging in depth from about 5 feet at the ends to about 12½ feet in the center for a short distance. .. . The pond was connected with the Precinct water system, with equipment for a water supply and a hose attachment for surfacing the ice for skating. Water was taken during the last part of 1901 and in 1902 but it was found to be unnecessary and it was discontinued on account of expense.

The ten contributors before mentioned raised their subscriptions to $15 each and fifteen dollars each were paid in by Profs. C. D. Adams, Burton, Dow, Emerson, Emery, G. D. Lord, C. F. Richardson, Sherman, Wells, Dr. Kingsford, Messrs. Kibbie Bugbee, F. P. Davison, E. P. Storrs, W. H. White. The total receipts to Jan. 1, 1902 were $375, and the total expenditures, $382.96 distributed approximately as follows: land $55, dam $160, clearing ground and edge work $105, water connection and supply $60, incorporation, record book, and postal $3.

The scheme was undertaken and managed throughout by Mr. Worthen who did the planning, overseeing, paid the bills, and collected funds.

On Nov. 23, 1901 a meeting of the contributors was held at the call of Mr. Worthen who reported somewhat as above with more financial details. The question of the deed of the land bought of the Kibbles was raised and it seemed best to have an organization to hold the title. Messrs. Bugbee and Worthen were appointed a committee to prepare papers of organization, which they did and reported at an adjourned meeting held on Dec. 2, 1901. Papers for a voluntary corporation under Chapter, 147 of the Public Statutes of New Hampshire were filed with the Secretary of State on Dec. 5, 1901. The name taken was "Occom Pond Association" (suggested by "Occom Ridge" which had recently been named) and its object was stated to be "the construction and maintenance of an artificial pond in the northwest portion of the village of Hanover and to make such improvements as shall be necessary to beautify the locality and render the pond available for fishing, skating and other purposes." The usual preliminaries were carried out and a permanent organization was effected with Profs. Worthen and Burton as President and Secretary respectively, at a meeting held on Dec. 23, 1901. No meeting has been held since.

The dam has since required some attention, especially in additions to the stone facings of the dam and around the spillway. Additional funds received 1902-1908 were as follows: $15 each from Profs. J. K. Lord, J. H. Smith, C. K. Young, Dr. Carlton, D. S. Bridgman, and $16.40 (a balance of account) from Prof. Foster making the total receipts to Jan. 1, 1909, $466.40. The expenditures during 1902-1908 were cement and labor on dam $23.33, drawing stones $24.35, water supply $30, clearing border $2.75, miscellaneous $4.35; total expenditures to Jan. 1, 1909, $467.74.

Various items of expense have not been charged up to the pond account. A considerable number of willows was set along the eastern shore of the pond by the Grange under the leadership of John Fuller. An attempt was made to secure revenue to provide a water supply by using the pond as a skating rink with admission fee. Suitable equipment was obtained for clearing off the snow, but it ended in financial failure, due to the frequency and intensity of thaws and snow storm, and other loss was borne by the individuals who managed the undertaking. A considerable number of loads of stone were picked up from time to time as buildings were being removed, and were drawn to the dam for a permanent spillway and additional facing of the earthwork. Prof. C. A. Holden constructed the permanent spillway and paid the bills, reporting "no record of expenditures," thereby making a substantial contribution to the pond investment. The principal stone in the bottom of the spillway was formerly a doorstep at the Prof. Ira Young house.

From the beginning Dr. Kingsford has been a faithful and efficient guardian of the pond in general and in particular in minimizing the mosquito supply by two or three timely applications of kerosene oil per season, at his own expense for the first few years and since aided by a collection taken up by the border residents. An occasional treatment for algae has also been necessary.

It is an open question whether a supply of water from the Precinct system, perhaps in fountain form, is worth while.

Mr. and Mrs. Charles P. Chase have been by far the largest contributors, hav- ing given the use of all the land, with the exception of about 1/20 of an acre bought of the Kibbies. A large part of this land was valuable, either for growing grass or for tillage, some of it having a rather thin layer of soil underlaid by a peat bog.

This pond with the slight exception above noted is the legal property of Mrs. Charles P. Chase, with no conditions attached, and it is expected that it will continue to be controlled in the public interest.

All of the above statements are true according to the best of my knowledge and belief.

THOMAS W. D. WORTHEN

Concord, New Hampshire January 20, 1926.

OCCOM POND IN SPRING IS ONE OF HANOVER'S CHOICE SPOTS

An account of how Hanover'sman-made pond was planned andcreated comes to light in the papersof the late Thomas W. D. Worthen'72, Cheney Professor of Mathematics. It was written the year beforehis death in 1927. A foreword hasbeen contributed by his son, JosephW. Worthen '09, Boston attorney.