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Grantham was the second town to receive a charter in what
is now Sullivan County, the first being Charlestown. The first
charter was granted in 1761; however, because the proprietors
did not fulfill the conditions in it, a second one was regranted
under its present name, Grantham, in 1767. In 1788, upon petition,
the name was changed to New Grantham - a name which it retained
until 1818, when its original name was restored.
Orininally, the town was about six miles square, and Grantham
Mountain ran northerly and southerly midway through the town.
Later, portions of the town were severed and joined to Enfield,
Cornish, Plainfield, Croydon and Springfield reducing the
town to about two-thirds its original size.
The first settlement in 1767 was on the west side of the
mountain. Settlement on the east side was not until a few
years later.
A turnpike was built on the east side of the mountain which
was the main route from Boston to points north. The route
was traveled with six-horse teams and stages. In those days
all provisions were brought from Boston by horse teams. The
settlement centered around this road with the main settlement
at the point where the Meriden Road crossed the turnpike.
There was a church, store, schoolhouse and a blacksmith shop.
John Quimby opened the first public house on the top of the
mountain. As rum was an indispensable article for hotels in
that day, the selectmen gave him a license to sell spirituous
liquors and to entertain travelers. A second public house
was opened soon after. After the houses were closed, no hotel
was kept in town until about 1860 when one was opened in the
Village only to be closed in fire in 1877.
Gradually the settlement moved from the mountaintop to the
valley where it is today. This settlement in the valley was
known at one time as Fowler's Mill. Leavitt Hill was settled
in 1793 by the very large Leavitt families. Howe Hill was
settled in 1813 by Ezekial Howe. Dinbar Hill, named after
its first settler, John Dunbar, came to be the center of business
in town by 1828 with a store (Francis Howard, storekeeper),
church, blacksmith shop, tavern and school located there.
At this time (1830), the population of the town was 1,036.
Grantham's first town meeting was held on March 12, 1776,
at the house of Abel Stevens. In 1826, the first meeting houses
were built on Dunbar Hill (used until 1860 and then moved
to the village where it is still used today) and on the Mountain
at the four-corners of the turnpike and the Meriden Road (later
moved to North Grantham in 1855 where it remained until being
torn down around 1920).
Although the town was only a few years old at the time of
the Revolution, it furnished men for the Continental Army,
pay for military stores and beef.
In 1784, Grantham voted for the first time for President
of the Colony of New Hampshire and for Senators to the General
Court. Later Grantham was classed with Protectworth (Springfield)
and Cornish in electing and sending representatives to the
General Court.
Grantham has had its ups and downs over the years. at the
time the Eastman Community started (1972) the population was
about 375.
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