The people of Warner have been principally engaged in agriculture, but there has always been more or less manufacturing carried on in town and it is an important and growing interest of the people here at the present time. Nathaniel Bean was from Amesbury. He came to Warner about 1775 and settled on Pumpkin Hill. Mr. Bean built the first mills that were erected at the great falls of Waterloo. There was a day when the little village could boast of a tannery, a clothing mill, a trip hammer and a paper mill. Daniel Bean, Jr. carried on the bakery business for a year or two at Waterloo. There was a saw mill and a grist mill there a little later. At Warner village John Ela came up from Derry in 1844 and established the business where the Ela Box shop is now located. There was once an iron foundry at Davisville, also a woolen mill. The tannery business was carried on at Willow Brook. Deacon Ezra Barrett made schythe snaths in the village. David Foster manufactured rakes on Bartlett Brook. There was once a brick yard on Silver Brook and another near Pleasant Pond. There was a grist mill on Willow Brook near A. D. Farnum's, now owned by the Wiggetts. Later the mill was used by Fred Clark for a shingle mill and cider press. John Morgan had a shop on the river at Newmarket where he made wooden bowls, mortars, trays, etc. Earthen ware was manufactured at Dimonds Corner and the corner was at one time quite a business center. W. Scott Davis went into partnership with Samuel Dow and they dealt in wood and lumber for about ten years. In more recent years Tappan Melvin operated a grist mill and a saw mill. The Melvin post office was located in a corner of the mill. The mill finally fell into the hands of Frank Sawtelle, who just recently sold it to parties who will rebuild the dam and establish a business. The building now known as Sawtelle Hall was used as an apple evaporator, employing many men and women. A little farther down the stream John Rodgers made wooden stopples for milk cans. The buildings fell down and there is no trace of them. Next, down the stream, Bartlett Bros. operated a pail, butter tub, and sap bucket factory about 1872. Later they engaged in the manufacture of excelsior, which business they followed more than thirty years, Just below the Bartletts, Chapin Pierce had a factory where chairs and bedsteads were made. I have a chair in my home that Mr. Pierce made. The pages operated a woolen mill in this vicinity which was destroyed by fire. My father worked in this mill at one time. A little farther down the Warner river, William Little manufactured clothespins, employing both men and women. Later John Keyes operated the plant which was eventually destroyed by fire. O.P. and C.W. Redington engaged in the manufacturing of wooden bowls and later made hubs and clothespins, fanally making hubs exclusively. They exported them to Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Etc., besides selling to Abbott and Downing in Conccrd. The business was very successful. This building was destroyed by fire twice to my knowledge and has been rebuilt and occupied recently as a crutch factory. The Merrimack Glove Co. established a thriving business in 1883 where the crutch factory operates. The glove factory building was destroyed by fire - in fact twice fire terminated the glove industry. The residence of Charles Blake was once a glove factory and there was at one time a tannery in back of the Whytock residence. A.C. and E.H. Carroll were successfully engaged in the lumber business for many years, besides conducting a general store in the block that burned in October 1939. Before the Colonial Inn came into being, Andrew Hook had a grain store in the building. Later Mr. Hook was postmaster where Walter Miner is now located. There was once a meat market near Kearsarge Inn, Mr. Corcum was the owner, I believe. The building was burned. Myra Yuill was engaged in the millinery business for more than 40 years - for a time where the Independent is printed and later in the block. A drug store also was located at the present newspaper office. Mr. Wheeler moved then to the present location. There was a thriving bakery where the Legion Hall is located. This bakery was much enjoyed and patronized. Lewis Shaw conducted the grain store for some time. This is changed now to the Merrimack Farmer's Exchange. As long ago as I can remember, Upton & Upton were merchants in the Danforth Store building. George Martin was in business in the block as a prosperous store keeper, and later his son Horace took up duties in the same store, then moving to his present location when the block was destroyed. Orrin crutch factory. building, but the following Cogswell, Dr. whose names I In 1927, Carl Herbert Lewis Sawyer was a plumber and Herbert Sawyer was engaged in the meat business for some time. There was once a Kearsarge Creamery near the site of the present crutch factory. And Warner once had its own moving picture house, a small building, this form of recreation was well patronized. I well remember physicians: Dr. John Cogswell, Dr. Samuel Cogswell, Dr Lloyd Cogswell, Dr. Oliver, Dr. Joy, and Dr. Abbott. There were others, I presume, whose names I don’t recall. In 1927, Carl Cutting and the Harris brothers were engaged in wood turning. Herbert Lewis was engaged in the plumbing and heating business. Charles Dow was a meat cutter. Edward Hartz dealt in antiques. Mrs. May also had a nice shop at the North Village. Fred Bean was engaged in the grain business for some time at Kearsarge street. Numerous chain stores have come to Warner for a time and their places have been filled in some manner. The A&P store was here for some time. There was also a chain store for a time at the Kearsarge Independent office. Blacksmiths have supplanted by garages. Philip Clough and Frank Turner were very successful for many years as blacksmiths, one down by the bridge and the other near the cannery. B.F. Heath lived where Uhler Gray now lives and carried on the grocery business for years. Also old Fred and young Fred Savory, as they were called, had a general store and also sold grain. When I was in High school, I remember buying candy, pencils, etc. in a variety store in the Masonic building where the Red Cross rooms are located. Mr. Hardy was the proprietor I think. Of course Mr. E.C. Cole, and then Mr. Fish and now John P.H. Chandler, Jr., were publishers, past and present. Alice Hardy once had a studio where John Farrell resides. She was a photographer. Mr. Ralph Pratt is an artist and photographer of note. Hotels, barber shops and other places of business have changed hands from time to time.

   Coming nearer to the preset time in 1939 had listed as follows: Automobile dealer, Cloues & Sawyer; Auto accessories, Warner Garage; boxes and spooks, Ela Box Co.; Dentist, E.H. Cummings; drug store, Leon Wheeler; electricians, Carl Flag and Charles Harriman; feed, grain and fertilizer, Merrimack Farmers Exchange; fuel oil and ice, Orton Hill; funeral directors, Leon Gage and L. Waldo Bigelow, Jr.; general stores, Horace Martin and T. Scott Danforth, C.R. Carey in Melvins, and Webbers store in Davisville. insurance and bank, Walter P. Miner; lumber, Orton Hill and John Hill; Kearsarge Lumber Co., David C. Dow, Pres., E.H. Carroll & Son, James Carroll, manager; meats, Leon Annis; newspaper, Kearsarge Independent, A.G. Fish; photographer, R.F. Pratt.

   For any errors or omissions; I stand corrected.

Mrs. Edward G. Flanders