Ferry Point House needed a quick Pillsbury History

Chuck- Replace photo with Ferry Point House photo

Pillsbury Family History

The following history is a rough recollection by Charles Lawrence, descendant of Mable Pillsbury.

The Pillsbury family settled in Newburyport MA in the early 1600’s. I assume they immigrated from England. There is an historic marker near where their house one stood in old town.

The Pillsbury migrated north to NH. Farming and establishing farm as they grew and move north. One branch of the family moved to the mid west and formed Pillsbury flour and goods that exists in name today (Pillsbury Dough Boy).

Enoch Hale Pillsbury married Eliza (Henry ? of Barrington NH) in the early 1800’s and had two sons and two daughters. They farmed in Northwood NH. Their cape style home still exists at the corner of RT202 and 202A.

The sons Alpa J and John both were educated, John earned a law degree. They founded as Shoe factory in Northwood in the mid 1800’s. They built several large factory buildings and specialized ladies dress shoes. Eventually they had an office on Washington Street in Boston and their shoes were distributed nationwide by railroad. The brothers married the Tucker sisters. John and ? Tucker had 2 daughters. Mable and ?

In the late 1860’s the Brothers had a tax dispute with the town of Northwood, and they decided to move the whole family and business to Tilton NH where they bought and existing mill building on the Winnepsaukee river (now it is Pillsbury park). They build many houses for their mill workers and two mansions for family.

Having had a family lake compound on a lake in Northwood, the family found a replacement for the lake tradition on Lake Winnisquam. In c.1869 Pillsburys purchased an existing cape style farm house at the point where the a ferry once crossed the lake to Laconia (before mosquito bridge was built). They added a two story building with a large front porch facing the lake.

Mable Pillsbury married William Moses of Meredith (they met at Tilton School). They had 2 daughters Hazel P Moses (b 1893) and Marjorie Moses (b 1895?). Both of these girls spent their summers at the lake house.

In 1911 the Moses built what we call the Bungalow and purchased much of the land on the lake and the old farm behind the houses. Stories of grand gatherings of glamorous friends and business colleagues from as far away as Boston (the train stopped in Winnisquam) were passed down to me. The Moses established many carriage trails through the wood behind the compound. There were rowboats and canoes and allegedly a motor boat of some sort.

In 1915 Hazel formed a Camp Fire Girls group . Every summer till 1919 they had two weeks of camping on the lake (now the Lawrence Camp). The group was called Washtakitchee Wachee. They slept in wall tents, cooked on a massive fire place, and had a stage for performances. They learned to swim and canoe as well as crafting baskets.

John Pillsbury died in a tragic horse drawn carriage accident in Tilton in the early 1900’s. Alpha J sister Jenny lived into till maybe the 1930’s. I assume the Ferry point house was sold when the last Pillsbury passed on. The Moses kept the bungalow until Mable Moses died in the early 1950’s.