On account of a recent fire, and no proper protection of property against the same, a special town meeting was called May 12, 1885, to see what action the town would take towards purchasing a fire-engine and provide other security against fire, and make appropriation therefor A resolution was adopted raising the sum of $1,500, to be appropriated out of the money in the treasury, for the purchase of one or more fire-engines and other fire apparatus, provided a fire precinct was formed at the west village, and proper reservoirs and other needed appurtenances were provided by the precinct.
The selectmen were immediately petitioned to establish, by proper metes and bounds, a village fire precinct to include the village, and be known as the “Goffstown Village Fire Precinct.” This they immediately proceeded to do, and laid out the territory comprehended within the following described lines as the precinct: Beginning at the northeast corner of land owned by Henry Hutchinson (now J. Ellis Tibbetts); thence in a southerly direction across the Mast Road to the northeast corner of land owned by David M. Taggart; thence southerly on said Taggart’s east line about twenty-five rods; thence westerly across said Taggart’s land and two highways to the southeasterly corner of land owned by W. A. Parker; thence westerly by said Parker’s south line to land of C. E. Morse; thence west by said Morse’s south line to land of Eliphalet Richards, 2nd; thence westerly by said Richards’ south line to land of Orrin Moore; thence west on said Moore’s south line to the highway; thence across said highway to the south line of Franklin Hadley’s land; thence in a westerly direction by said Franklin Hadley’s south line to land owned by A. F. Carr; thence west across said Carr’s land to said Carr’s west line; thence in a northerly direction by said Carr’s west line to the bog road, across said bod road to the west line of land owned by Nelson Richards; thence north by said Richards’ west line to the New Boston Road; thence westerly by said New Boston Road to Jesse Nichols’ west line; thence northerly by said Nichols’ west line to land of J. B. and D. W. Hoit; thence in a westerly direction by said Hoit’s south line to their west line; thence northerly by said Hoit’s west line to land of George P. and William Hadley; thence in an easterly direction by said Hoit’s north line to the south line of land of Horace Richards; thence east by said Richards’ south line to land of J. B. Pattee; thence southerly by said Pattee’s west line to land of A. J. Sargent and in an easterly direction by said Sargent’s north line to the northeast corner of Wm. A. Holt’s land; thence in a southerly direction by said Holt’s east line to the Piscataquog River.
At the annual meeting of the precinct in 1890 the sum of $250 was raised to defray the expense of a preliminary survey, to ascertain the most available source of a supply of water for protection against fire, and water for domestic purposes, and an engineer was employed, who later in the season reported favorably a location upon the Whittle Brook upon land of Joseph Cram, upon the site of an ancient gristmill southerly of the stone causeway.
On the 10th of April, 1891, an act was procured from the legislature authorizing the Goffstown Fire Precinct to establish waterworks. This act authorized and empowered the precinct to issue bonds to the amount of $30,000, and on the 22nd of February, 1903, an act was passed by the legislature authorizing the precinct to further increase its indebtedness not to exceed $50,000.
On the 22nd of March, 1911, an act was passed authorizing the reissue of the water bonds on or after August 1, 1911, and on the 15th of April, 1915, the act was further amended allowing the precinct to issue bonds to the amount of $70,000.
On the 6th day of May, 1891, work was begun for the construction of a system of waterworks which had been previously voted by the precinct, and the site selected by the engineer the preceding year was decided as the most available. A dam was constructed across the brook 272 1/2 feet long and 27 1/4 feet high at its greatest depth; 26,574 feet of pipe was laid, and forty hydrants were set, with a pressure of 88 pounds to the square inch at the town house. The expense of construction was in round numbers $42,000, and the firm of Bartlett, Gay and Young were the contractors, the Donaldson Iron Company of Emaus, Pa., furnishing the pipe. The water commissioners were George W. Colby, Samuel Upton, Charles G. Barnard, James H. Conner and John G. Dodge. George P. Hadley was the engineer in charge.
The plant was completed November 23, 1891, and on the 28th instant a special test was made of the hydrants in the presence of a committee from the insurance agencies, members of the Fire Department, Manchester, fire precinct wardens and a large concourse of visitors and citizens, and the result was satisfactory.
January and February, 1893, was attended with intense cold, and the water froze in some of the lateral pipes in the precinct, causing considerable inconvenience, but when taken into consideration with the severity of the season, and the loss entailed by services in other towns, the precinct considered themselves fortunate.
On the 29th of October, 1892, the boundary line of the precinct was changed upon the westerly side, and the farm of Joseph B. and Daniel W. Hoit was disannexed from the precinct; the easterly line of said farm became the western bound of the precinct.
