Yester-Heroes: Midnight Marauders and the Night Watch

Stories from the History of Nashua’s Police and Fire-Rescue Departments

In 1820, the sleepy burg of Nashua Village consisted of five stores, six taverns, three grist mills, one clothing mill, one carding machine, two bark mills, and three tanneries. But things would begin to change drastically, and rapidly. Over the next five years, Nashua would become a thriving mill town. With the advent of railroads in 1838, Nashua would become a transportation hub bringing more people and commerce. The need for police protection changed dramatically as well.

The area around the Nashua Manufacturing factory began to grow, basically around Water and Factory streets and businesses began to pop up around what was then Union Square, becoming Railroad Square in 1838, Not realizing how far or how fast the city would grow, many well-to-do businessmen began building grand houses on Main St. Unfortunately, many of these would be razed to make room for stores and other commercial enterprises as business continued to grow and creep southward.

An early view of Railroad Square. Prior to this point there were several buildings in the square. The land was then owned by Nashua Manufacturing who sold the land to the city, some buildings were then razed or moved and the “square” was formed, destined to be a center of commerce and, no doubt, one of the earliest beats walked by Nashua police.

In accordance with an act passed by the legislature in June, 1823, on June 4, 1827, three Nashua police officers were appointed. They were Thomas Chase, George Wilson, and Willard Marshall. This was the first appointment of a police force in the city.

On November 8, 1828, the town voted to purchase a farm and on November 24th appointed a committee of five to look at area farms and select one and “run the town into debt for it” if need be. On March 10, 1829, the committee unanimously chose the Benjamin Cutler Farm and purchased it for $2,649.14. For years, this facility would be the poor farm and house of correction for the town. Persons could be (and were) committed to the House of Corrections for up to six months of hard labor. Today, this property is known as … the Nashua Country Club.

In 1829, Nashua residents voted to adopt a state statute that had been enacted in 1823 permitting towns to establish a permanent police force of no more than seven persons. Thus, six men including Caleb Person, Franklin Foster, Adin Gay, John Dickerman, Oliver Lund and Jacob Hall were appointed police officers to serve one year. These men were commissioned by the selectmen. Thus began a system of political influence that would haunt the department for the next 62 years.

Also, during the 1829 town meeting, those present chose to adopt laws known as “Offenses Against the Police.” These included brawling, stealing fruits, robbing gardens, drunkenness, singing lewd songs, and undressing for bathing within sixty rods (330 yards) of the Nashua River Bridge. Conviction of such laws were punishable by fines of not less than one dollar and no more than five dollars. If the fine could not be paid, the offender would have to remain in jail until the fine could be paid.

Prior to 1829 the poor and vagrant were either run out of town, or sold to the lowest bidder. The low bidder was required to feed and clothe those persons and educate their children. In return, the vagrants became servants of the purchaser.

The Nashua Police Department has gone through many iterations and variations throughout its history. According to The Nashua Experience: History of the City of Nashua 1673-1978, around 1830, Nashua citizens formed the “Society for the Detection of Thieves and Midnight Marauders.” It goes on to say that the “night watch” patrolled the city streets, lantern in hand, looking for suspicious activities. It was considered such an important force that it had its own budget of funds allocation and expenses, separate from the conventional police force. Eventually, it cost the city considerably more for the “Watch” than the regular police force. By 1879 the Watch employed six regular watchmen and more than 20 reserve men while the Nashua Police Department consisted of only a City Marshal and his Assistant. By the early 1890s, the Night Watch was eliminated and replaced with a special force called Night Patrolmen.

On January 1, 1837, Dunstable officially becomes Nashua prompting the need for an official town hall. Residents south of the Nashua River thought the center of city government should be in their area. Those north of the river felt the honor should go to them. Acrimonious spats broke out during town meetings on the subject. The northerners decided to secede from the city proper and became a sovereign city called Nashville. Although it is known that Nashville had one hand pumper for fire suppression, it is unknown if they had any sort of police force.

Josephus Baldwin, first Nashua Mayor / Photo courtesy of Nashua History.com

Around 1843, the first Nashua City Hall was built on the east side of Main Street just south of the river between Temple Street and what is today known as the Library Walk.

Civic leaders of both Nashua and Nashville finally realized the folly and confusion of having two separate towns and decided to merge. On June 27, 1853, the two joined and the City of Nashua was incorporated. The first mayor was Josephus Baldwin, elected October 8, 1853 whose house was said to be right across the street from City Hall. (This would have been slightly south of what most Nashua’s will remember as the F.W. Woolworth store.) Baldwin was a major player in Nashua’s political, business, and civic development. He was also a Fire Chief and Police Chief.

Excerpted from “Nashua’s Finest: The History of Law Enforcement in Nashua NH”
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Caption: An early view of Railroad Square. Prior to this point there were several buildings in the square. The land was then owned by Nashua Manufacturing who sold the land to the city, some buildings were then razed or moved and the “square” was formed, destined to be a center of commerce and, no doubt, one of the earliest beats walked by Nashua police.

About the Author: Yester-Heros” author Gary Ledoux grew up in Nashua’s Crown Hill area, attending Nashua schools and graduating from Nashua High in 1970. He attended NH Vo-Tech for a time, then moved to Amherst, then Manchester, and Weare. He served as a volunteer on the Amherst Fire Dept from 1974 to 1977. A career in the automotive business took him to Florida and then to southern California. After 48 years, he retired in 2017, moving back to Florida with his wife, Rachel, and two dogs. He has published seven books, including two about Nashua history, and has been a contributing editor or contributor to 10 different magazines.