Good horses in the early days, were too expensive for the average town resident. Well to do ministers, innkeepers, or professional men were probably content to have one or two horses but then there was the constant problem of keeping them from becoming sick, lame or halt. The town's crude roads were filled with potholes, roots and mud that could become crippling hazards. Residents used oxen for their farm work because ordinary horses were poorly suited for hard work and rough footing. Oxen were less fussy and less apt to injure themselves accidentally or through overwork. They did the plodding heavy work, excelled in hauling and carrying, but they were stubborn and intellectually modified.   A little horse 14.1hands helped to change the scene. The incomparable Justin Morgan horse "Figure" came to Randolph, Vermont in 1791. He had been a payment for a debt from a man in Springfield, Mass. Figure was an unusual colt, different from other horses. He had one less rib giving him a shorter stronger back and the ability to take more weight, he also had short sturdy legs and a strong arched neck that gave him short distance speed and durability. The horse became very useful for hill farms and travel because many farmers could not afford a workhorse and a transportation horse. The Morgan horse could work from dawn to dusk pulling a plow or doing other farm work. It had the strength at the end of the day to be hitched to a carriage or wagon and be off for the evening. They also had the enviable reputation for being easy keepers. (1)   A few years ago we received a phone call from Elizabeth Curler at the National Morgan Horse Museum in Shelburne, Vermont. She wanted to know if we had men living in town around 1840-50 by the names of David Wood or Woods (2) or Hiram Fuller and if they owned horses. Town records showed that David Wood had paid taxes on horses since 1836. That and all other information found was sent to her. She replied, "Good, David Wood's horse was one of UVM Morgan Horse Farm's foundation horses and we wanted to ascertain that he lived in Hancock, N.H." In her article in the July 1998 issue of the Morgan Horse Magazine Ms. Curler wrote in part, "The Wood Horse 402 was sired by Hale's Green Mountain 42 and out of a handsome mare said to be by a horse owned by Deacon Simonds of Hancock (L. Symonds on map, now Artie Cernota). His foal Peter's Vermont 403 known as "Old Vermont" was also bred by David Wood of Hancock, and was foaled in 1850. He was sold as a young horse and in 1855 "Old Vermont" was claimed to be "the most thoroughbred Morgan now living of his age." He became renowned for passing on his typey characteristics to a remarkable degree and his offspring were invariably fine roadsters. David Wood's farm was on Cavender Rd. (D. Wood on map, now cellar hole.) The present day Morgan is bred to be larger to accommodate today's bigger, taller people.   Bill Weston recalled a story his grandfather told him about Mr. Whitaker a resident of Norway Hill, who had a Morgan Horse. The horse was a fast stepper and his owner would wait at the bottom of Norway Hill and challenge anyone with a horse and wagon to a race down the length of Main Street at anytime. Pity the poor hapless pedestrians of that time who had to cross the unpaved street which had already been compromised by transportation horses and droves of cattle.   Hiram Fuller, an orphan, was adopted about 1818 at three years of age by his aunt and uncle Mr. and Mrs. John Brooks. He inherited the Brook's farm on Main Street (H. Fuller on map, now Califf ) that extended back to Norway Pond and occupied what is now the left side of School Street. He raised and trained horses, had a training track, barns, outbuildings and paddocks and would sometimes winter 30-40 horses on the site. By 1879 when the first history of Hancock was written he had long been an extensive dealer and trainer of horses and he retired by 1890. School Street was laid out in 1901. (1) Vermont, New Hampshire "Perspectives 76" Bicentennial Resources   (2) Wood(s), Hill(s), Moore(s), Moor(s) Moers have been popular but confusing surnames in Hancock's history. A Moors descendant visited the Society and said a spelling change in the name was necessitated at one time by misdirected mail. Letters were "opened and read by mistake" by a relative and the town knew his affairs before he did.

 

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