Indian Stream Republic: Settling a New England Frontier, 1785-1842

Doan, who died in 1993, wrote 50 Hikes in New Hampshire's White Mountains and 50 More Hikes in New Hampshire (1973 and 1978, both still in print), plus two novels published in the 1950s. This study of a backwoods community on the Canadian border, written from 1965 to 1967, depicts an era of uncertain international boundaries, loose law enforcement, rampant land speculation and public and private events lubricated with whiskey and rum. In 1796, the Native American chief, King Phillip, placed his mark on a paper deeding his land to three New Hampshire wheeler-dealers. Debtors, adventurers, farmers and woodsmen moved in, and in 1832, the inhabitants proclaimed their settlement the Indian Stream Republic, with a constitution guaranteeing the right to religious freedom, life, liberty, property and happiness. Cruel and unusual punishment was banned, and the ""necessities of life"" (including books) were exempt from attachment for nonpayment of taxes. The republic's golden age ended in 1835, when the state of New Hampshire sent in the militia, and in 1840 the territory was incorporated as the town of Pittsburg, N.H. Scholars will appreciate the abundant specifics about laws, taxation, land use, terrain and material conditions of life, but a stronger theoretical framework would have made the narrative more compelling. For the casual reader, the sheer density of proper names per square inch makes this hike an uphill slog. (Jan.)