HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF BRISTOL GRAFTON COUNTY NEW HAMPSHIRE Volume 1

–INTRODUCTION– The History of Bristol is here presented with no apology for its appearance. It was called into being by the conviction that it ought to be. This conviction first took shape in June, 1879. At that time the building at the corner of Central square and Spring street was being remodeled, and a brick was discovered in the chimney marked “1795.” This was thought to be the date when the building was erected. To gather some light on this point, we sought an interview with two venerable residents of the village, Mrs. Solomon Cavis and Miss Jane Bartlett, and listened with great interest to a narrative of what they knew of the subject, and to their description of the people and the village when they were young. This interview impressed us with the importance of preserving the facts learned, and the same day a record was made. From that time dates the work on this history, and from that time interviews with the old people of the town constituted a source of great delight which grew with the passing years, until a desire to write the history of our native town took possession of our very being and was an ever present incentive to work. Every hour that could be spared from the regular routine of life has been gladly devoted to this end. –Richard W. Musgrove March, 1904 –The work for which Captain Musgrove will be the longest remembered is the History of Bristol, which he compiled, and which was published in 1904 after a painstaking research of twenty-five years. This history was pronounced by good judges the best town history in the state up to that time.––