Faces of Stratham
FACES OF STRATHAM
Stratham residents recently had the pleasure of learning about Richard Montgomery Scammon, his wonderful farm and family during the Stratham Heritage Commission’s 2024 spring program presented by Nate Merrill and Jeff Hyland, Richard Montgomery Scammon’s great, great nephew. Nate described the development of the farm dating back to the earliest Stratham Scammons. Eight generations of Scammons lived on land west of Portsmouth Avenue and east of the Squamscott River for nearly 300 years. An earlier Richard Scammon settled here with his wife Prudence Waldron Scammon in 1665. In 1740, William and Rachel Scammon acquired 226 acres and buildings on the Main Road fka the King’s Great Highway and later known as Portsmouth Avenue. The parcel included land on Quaboag Lane, now known as River Road. This is where Richard Montgomery Scammon and his wife Annie Wiggin Scammon dwelled in a house built by James and Lydia Scammon in 1812. Richard Montgomery Scammon added the Farm Manager’s house in 1910, and Jeff’s family added a contemporary shingled home.
These properties along with barns, family cemetery, open farmland and a permanently-protected forest area of 103 acres comprise the newly-designated Scammon Farm National Historic District on the National Register of Historical Places. Today, Jeff, a tenth generation Scammon, and his wife Donna Jensen live just beyond the new district on a parcel of the original Scammon property held continuously by the family. A great challenge Jeff faced in introducing us to his ancestors was that nearly every male predecessor had “Richard” as his first or middle name.
Distinguished among Scammon family members who lived on the River Road farm is Richard Montgomery Scammon (1859-1914). He was born in Stratham and, educated in local schools, he would grow up a student of history and a servant of the town. He was Town Treasurer, Superintendent of Schools, Town Moderator and elected to chair the Select Board. He served in the State Legislature and was elected to the State Senate. With all of his public service, he is the focus of this article mainly because of his extraordinary contribution to documenting the history of Stratham. He drafted an article that was published in the March, 1899 issue of the widely read The Granite Monthly. His article “Down the King’s Great Highway, A Sketch of Stratham” is arguably the basis of Charles Nelson’s History of Stratham New Hampshire first published in 1965. In fact, Nelson dedicated the book to Richard M. Scammon. The Granite Monthly piece addressed early times of the Swamscot Patent, Great Bay, the importance of the rivers and creeks, surrounding communities and the arrival of the first Wiggin settlers. Richard M. Scammon’s article included photos of impressive family homesteads of his day, farms, orchards and mills as well as portraits of some of Stratham’s most accomplished residents. From innovative agriculture to seed science and the emergence of market gardeners and farm stands, the evolution Stratham’s agrarian economy was told. Schoolhouses, libraries, churches and the impressive list of Stratham residents who gave of themselves to local and national government, to the judicial system and to military service were proudly displayed. Richard M. Scammon’s masterpiece published in The Granite Monthly is available for viewing at the Stratham Historical Society. You may also view his earlier article from the July, 1898 issue of The Granite Monthly titled “A Country Town in the Revolution”.
Donations of Stratham materials related to town history are of great interest to us and our fellow current, past and future residents. They enable important research and entertainment. For many, they keep the past alive. Please consider donating Stratham heirlooms, artifacts and photos, scans and copies of Stratham items with which you may not be ready to part, to the Stratham Historical Society. We are committed to respectfully preserving such items, and to sharing them with people who share enthusiasm for Stratham.
Faces of Stratham are brought to you by the Stratham Historical Society. The Stratham Historical Society Museum & Library is now open on Tuesdays from 9 am to 11:30 am or by appointment. We hope to expand our open hours in the coming months. Anyone with an interest in Stratham and local history is invited to stop by, become a member, donate or volunteer. We are actively seeking to expand membership and identify those with an interest in volunteering time to advance and share their learning of Stratham history. We can best be contacted by emailing info@strathamhistsoc.org or by telephone at 603-778-0434