The Milliner, the Writer, the Cobbler, and the Colonel: Four Figures from Lebanon’s Past

Editor’s Note: The following article was inspired in part by an annual tradition in my hometown hosted by our own historical society, which we call a “ghost walk”. Every October, our community and historical society come together to bring stories of town residents from our past to life again, with the help of some amazing volunteer actors. Dressed in period clothing and standing near their respective headstones (in a different local cemetery each year), the “ghosts” tell the tales of the lives they once lived, embellished with some fun comparisons to the modern-day.

Lebanon, too, has its own amazing history full of vibrant individuals, and as this article highlights, sometimes the stories from lesser-known, “simple” folk can be some of the most interesting, and they’ve played a great role in the development of our communities. When inspiration strikes, Lebanon takes action, and so, it’s my pleasure to give you something to look forward to for next October: keep an eye out for more information on a Ghost Walk with the Lebanon Historical Society!

Many of Lebanon’s modern residents are familiar with the most famous of Lebanon’s historic residents: renowned neuroscience subject Phineas Gage, founder of Mormonism Joseph Smith, or Senator Norris Cotton. However, Lebanon’s history is full of individuals who, in their day, would have been known to all their contemporaries – but today, their names are largely forgotten. In this article, I’d like to introduce four such Lebanonians, and offer a snapshot of their lives and contributions to the town that they called home.

Elbridge Thompson, c. 1898

Elbridge Thompson

If you were in Lebanon looking for a fine hat, a new cloak, or repairs to your fur coat between 1863 and 1928, your first stop might have been E. H. Thompson’s millinery (hat-making) shop. Conveniently located next to the town hall on the site where Dutille’s stands today, Elbridge Thompson’s shop was a Lebanon institution for 65 years – but not so great an institution as Elbridge himself.

Born in Lebanon in 1840, Elbridge was the older brother of the more famous Brigadier General, John Milton Thompson. Elbridge went into millinery early, and by 1868, he had already established a shop facing Colburn Park. Though he held a lifelong passion for hats and clothing, continuing to repair fur garments into his 90th year, Elbridge was a man of many interests. For 60 years, he served as the choirmaster of the Lebanon Methodist Church and taught singing lessons. When the new Methodist chapel in East Lebanon was dedicated in 1893, Elbridge’s musical arrangements accompanied the event. In 1925, the 85-year-old Elbridge performed his first vocal solo at a church fundraiser.

Elbridge was a lifelong member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and was, as his obituary reported, “active in all civic affairs and intensely interested in the welfare of the town.” Elbridge passed away in 1931 at the age of 91, and his gravestone can be seen at the School Street Cemetery.

Harriet Nickerson Thompson

While you’re visiting Elbridge’s burial site, you may wish to say hello to his wife, Harriet Nickerson Thompson. Harriet was born in South Dennis, Massachusetts, in 1846, the daughter of a sea captain. She traveled the 200 miles to Lebanon to attend the Tilden Ladies’ Seminary on Seminary Hill in 1866, which is how she met Elbridge. They married in 1870.

Harriet was a central figure in numerous community organizations: she founded the Twelfth Night Club – a women’s civic group – and hosted the first meeting of the Lebanon Mothers’ Club. She was also a writer; after an overseas tour with her sister’s family in 1884, Harriet compiled a series of 50 travel guides to various European cities. In 1890, she published From the Thames to the Trossachs, a book about traveling through England for readers to enjoy from the comfort of their own homes.

Harriet’s extensive travel and research informed her civic work, and she regularly gave talks and lectures throughout New Hampshire and Vermont. She was the guest speaker at the 1889 dedication of Lebanon’s new town library; she lectured the Enfield Shakers about the sights of Washington, D.C.; in Hartford, she spoke about the slums and missions of Boston; and in Royalton, she spoke about the abolition movement. Harriet died in 1915 at the age of 68, and is buried next to her husband in School Street Cemetery.

Napoleon Jette

While you were visiting Elbridge Thompson’s shop for a new hat in 1922, you may also have visited Napoleon Jette’s store for new shoes. Like Harriet, Napoleon wasn’t a Lebanon native; he was born to a farming family in Sherbrooke, Quebec, in 1874. Napoleon moved to Lebanon at the age of 18, and married a fellow Quebec native, Albina LaLiberte, in 1895. Albina’s father William was a cobbler, and Napoleon joined him in the shoe business, first operating shops on North Park Street and Hanover Street, and then constructing his own commercial block – the Jette Block – at 55 Hanover Street in 1921.

Napoleon ran his cobbler shop for decades, maintaining a reputation as one of the best shoemakers in the region. Upon his retirement in 1939, Napoleon passed his store on to his son Ted, who carried on the business for several more decades. Napoleon’s retirement from the shoe business, however, signaled merely a change in direction; in 1940, he was elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives.

Napoleon and Albina had 14 children. 11 of their children and 26 of their grandchildren attended the Sacred Heart School, and from the school’s 1909 founding until 1961, there was always a Jette in the classroom. Napoleon died in 1948, six years after Albina, but many of their descendants still live in and around Lebanon.

Constant Storrs

Another notable Lebanon family is the Storrs family, who were among the first European colonists to settle in Lebanon. Even within this notable family, however, Constant Storrs stands out. Constant was born in Mansfield, Connecticut, in 1752, the fifth of eight children. Before following his older brother Nathaniel to Lebanon in the late 1770s, Constant served in the Revolutionary War, ultimately rising to the rank of Colonel, producing and maintaining wheels as a wheelwright in the Continental Army.

Nathaniel had moved to Lebanon in 1769, settling on the King’s Highway on top of what is now Storrs Hill. Constant joined him a decade later, and quickly became a central figure in the town’s development. He was part of the committee to construct a new meeting house in 1792, and in 1804, Constant, Elisha Payne, and Russell Freeman formed a corporation to create the Fourth New Hampshire Turnpike, connecting Lebanon with Boscawen and the central part of the state. At the same time, Constant was busy helping to found Lebanon’s first library, the Lebanon Social Library.

Back on Storrs Hill, Constant managed his farm and a small gristmill or sawmill. Aside from the usual produce and livestock, Constant also cultivated an apple orchard. Writing many decades later, Charles Downs recalled Constant’s grove: “If in the center village and vicinity, go by all means to Constant Storrs, for he has the largest orchard in town, six acres.” Constant died in 1828, leaving four sons to carry on his legacy.

Our History

Though perhaps less flashy than their more famous compatriots, the lives and contributions of these four Lebanonians were significant parts of Lebanon’s history, the echoes of which can still be felt today. I hope you’ll think of Elbridge, Harriet, Napoleon, and Constant as you travel on Route 4, visit the shops in the Jette Block, don a fancy hat, or daydream about traveling overseas.