Windhaven

The property was purchased by Paulus Tenney in 1825. He built the house on the hill and was the first doctor in Wilmot. He left Wilmot in 1835 and moved to Ohio. Dr. Mason lived and practiced in the house after Dr. Tenney. David and Mary purchased the property from Daniel and Marilla Laine on December 1, 1875 for $600.00.

The Tewksburys moved to the farm on May 1, 1877. Seldon remembers that there was not a bush of any size growing over the top of the hill in the pasture across the road from the house and none by the roadside going from the dooryard towards the top of the hill. There was an oak tree that was four feet tall by the well house.

The family grew potatoes, corn and beans. They had oxen for the farm work and when the team got to be a good size they were sold to get a little cash and a young team acquired. Every spring David and Uncle Cyrus (Mary’s brother) would take a neighbor’s sugar place to work on shares. Each had ⅓ of the crop.

The family would dry corn, India wheat and some regular wheat upstairs in the house. After it got dry enough to grind they would bag it and load in an ox cart to take the seven mile trip to Cilleysville where Uncle Cyrus had a grist mill. The family had chickens and eggs would be taken to the store in Wilmot Center to trade for soda or sugar or tobacco for David.

David cut railroad ties in the woods and four foot wood to burn in the engines. According to local lore, black powder was first used in Wilmot for the dug well at Windhaven.

Electricity was turned on for the first time on July 4, 1958.

Homes of David and Mary Tewksbury

by Blanche Allen

The newlyweds began housekeeping in a small house on the road from the N. Wilmot church by way of the old Thompson farm known as Little Breezy.  The property was sold by Henry Tewksbury in 1835 and repurchased in 1840. Henry sold it to his son Stephen in 1841. He rented it to David and Mary from 1866 until 1869 when they purchased the home.  Seldon, Gertrude and Carl were born in Little Breezy. They sold Little Breezy in 1874.  

The family moved to Fowler City for a short time and then to Potter Place in the spring of 1872 into a house just across the railroad tracks on the Cilleyville Road.  Roy was born in this house. Next the family moved to West Andover in 1874. Here Maud (Winnie) was born. It was this place Roy strolled one day to fall asleep on the railroad track.  Mother found him with his head on the rails not long before train time. It was here that the same little lad wandered with potatoes our hard working father had brought in and amused himself by rolling them down the hill on to the track.  Here was where the family lived when the farm in N. Wilmot was bought on December 1, 1875.

The question used to come up as to what should be done during the winter evenings, season 1875-1876 and some of the youngsters would say, “Let’s talk about the farm”.  It was an exciting time for Seldon, Gertrude, Carl and Roy. I dare say father and mother looked forward to moving too. During the two years the family did not live on the farm they rented out the pastures and sold the standing grass.

Therefore the next move on May 1, 1877 was to the farm and the house which was first called The Breezes but the name later changed by mother to Windhaven.  Here May, Harry and Bertha first saw the light of day. But what about Blanche?

Father and Mother carried on the Thompson farm for Charles Hildreth Thompson in 1883 when Mr. Thompson moved to Stratham and during the period moved to Breezy Cottage.  It was at that time that the stork flew over with a baby girl in the blanket and dropped her into the arms of Mary Frances Tewksbury. The parents agreed to name her Blanche Agnes.

After a year’s time the family were all back to the shelter of Windhaven.  Many interesting tales can be told by each and all of us of life with its pleasures and its hardships during the years since the farm became the possession of the David H. Tewksburys.

Little Breezy in 2024