The Lisbon NH World War I monument sits on
the lawn at 48 Dartmouth College Road in front
of the Shared Ministry’s White Church.
In 1910 the town of Lisbon in Grafton County New Hampshire had a population of 2,460 people. Following World War I, and similar to other small New Hampshire towns, in 1920 that census would drop to 2,288 (-7%). The number of citizenry did not limit the town’s sacrifice. Lisbon sent its full quota to serve in the military, along with several young women who served in the nursing corps.
My thanks to Andrea M. Fitzgerald of the Lisbon Area Historical Society for her help with this project.
“Are the folks at home backing
us up?” Liberty bond
advertisement, lithograph,
color. Poster showing a soldier
writing a letter by candlelight.
WWI, 1918. Library of
Congress, Prints and
Photographs Division.
On the home front Liberty Gardens were cultivated and women were active in promoting the government and military. The Equal Suffrage League of Lisbon had 30 members with Mrs. Fred (Blanche E. Marston) Jones and Mrs. B.S. (Vida C.) Webb as President and Secretary respectively. That group sold Liberty Bonds, contributed to both local and national Red Cross Organizations, and sewed and knitted items for soldiers and sailors. Another group, the Friends in Council of Lisbon met every other week and their work included buying a Liberty Bond, creating Christmas Boxes for soldiers, and donating to the Red Cross.
When WWI finally ended the town of Lisbon began to make plans to honor those who had served in any capacity. A monument was created and today a memorial monument can be found on the lawn of the Shared Ministry’s White Church, Main Street, Lisbon. The names are the soldiers from Lisbon who served are inscribed there. The 1919 Lisbon Annual Report listed on those so honored.
THE HONOR ROLL
Lisbon Men Who Paid the Supreme Sacrifice. The List Includes
Those Killed in Action, Died of Wounds, or Died of Disease
Corp. Timothy F. Dickinson
Priv. Percy Bergin
Priv. Clark A. Goudie
Priv. Merrill Clough
Priv. Howard A. Towle
Priv. Wm. H. Barrett
Priv. Howard S. Brooks
-MEN IN SERVICE –
Mr. and Mrs. K.J. Brummer, Historians
NURSES
Marion McKay
Beatrice Foster
Jane Weston
Ivy Dickinson
COMMISSIONED OFFICERS
Maj. Carl C. Oakes
Capt. Charles C. Bond
Capt. James Eddy Blake
Capt. Tupper McDonald
Lieut. Gordon Fox
Lieut. George E. Clark
Lieut. Edgar Crossman
Lieut. Paul W. Glover
Ensign Reginald C. Brummer
NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS
Sergt. Melville F. Chamberlin
Sergt. Carroll S. Elliott
Sergt. Clarke B. Frost
Sergt. Forrest D. Bronson
Sergt.-Bugler Emery L. Beino
Bandmaster Alden S. Martin
Corp. John Cuddihy
Corp. A. Roy Forbes
Corp. Earl Clough
Corp. Jerry T. Fox
Corp. Dwight M. Goddard
Corp. Elmer Gilman
Corp. Thomas Kennedy
Corp. Francis Smith
Engineer Lee H. Kincaid
PRIVATES AND SEAMEN
George Homer Aldrich
Charles I. Austin
Ray S. Bedell
William H. Brooks
Charles J. Bishop
George F. Bernatchy
Albert Bernatchy
Henry C. Burt
Fred Bott
William Bailey
Cecil Coates
Levi Currier
Edward Clough
Rolland A. Chase
Lyman W. Chamberlin
George Dempster
Joseph E. Donnelly
Harry Dickinson
Frank Dickinson
Fred Dunbar
Paul Fissette
A. Roy Forbes
Walter M. Fox
Ray W. Gordon
Adelard Gervais
Almedos J. Guilmette
Howard M. Gould
Joseph Guilmette
Frank E. Howe
Anton Haggroth
Everett S. Hersey
Carroll Jesseman
George B. Kincaid
Fred Labarre
Fay Land
Earl Larue
Ralph F. Morton
Ralph O. Merrill
George E. Mitchell
J. Lionel Mulavey
Wacili Ostraskie
Ray E. Palmer
Murray Plant
Edward Plant
Ernest J. Powers
Harold Ritchie
Fred O. Snell
Carlisle J. Smith
Earl Smith
Winford T. Smith
Eli W. Swinyer
Elywood Towle
Alvin R. Thurber
Clyde H. Treworgy
Charles Varney
Ralph H. Varney
Percy Veino
Eldred Veino
Herbert D. Walker
Fred W. Weston
STUDENTS’ ARMY TRAINING CORPS
Sergt. Fred H. Eastman
Forrest T. Bangs
Paul T. Blood
Arthur Bond
Walter Chamberlin
Douglas Dexter
Francis Moulton
Roscoe Northey
Stephen M. Simonds
Rand Stevens
Edward Snyder
From Book of Salutations to the 26th Yankee
Division. American soldier graves in France.
✫★✫★✫★✫★✪🌟✪✫★✫★✫★✫★
Heroes of LISBON NH
Died In Service During WWI
✫★✫★✫★✫★✪🌟✪✫★✫★✫★✫★
Wm. H. Barrett | Private |Died of disease (lobar pneumonia due to influenza) 27 September 1918 Base Hospital, Camp Devens MA | Training Camp soldier | Grove Hill Cemetery, Lisbon NH. | [1] .
Percy Bergin | Private | Died of Disease (pneumonia) 12 June 1918 France | Co. L, 103rd Infantry (Yankee Division) | Grove Hill Cemetery, Lisbon NH |[2]
Howard S. Brooks | Private |unknown service and details.|[3]
Merrill Clough | Private |Died of Disease (pneumonia) 22 Sep 1918 Camp Devens MA| 2nd Co, 151 Depot Brigade, Training Camp | Elmwood Cemetery, Franconia NH | [4]
Timothy F. Dickinson | Corporal | Died of Wounds 4 Nov 1918 France |Grove Hill Cemetery, Lisbon NH | American Legion Post named in his honor|[5]
Clark A. Goudie | Private | Died of Disease 5 August 1918 Evacuation Hospital No. 7, France | Co. A., 29th Engineers | Grove Hill Cemetery, Lisbon NH |[6]
Howard A,. Towle | Private/Bugler | Died of Diease (pneumonia) 27 September 1918, Base Hospital, Camp Devens MA |Co B 36th M.G. Bn | Pleasant View Cemetery, Orleans VT |[7]
✫★✫★✫★✫★✪🌟✪✫★✫★✫★✫★
B I O G R A P H I E S
✫★✫★✫★✫★✪🌟✪✫★✫★✫★✫★
[1] William Harry Barrett was born 18 July 1894 in Lyman, New Hampshire, son of Elbridge G. & Minnie G. (Judd) Barrett. [See prior story published in June 2018 about him]
Photograph courtesy of
Findagrave volunteer,
BJW.
[2] Percy Edward Bergin was born 13 March 1894 in Lisbon, NH son and 2nd child of John Irving & Lois Josephine (Clough) Bergin. He had one sibling stillborn on 30 March 1890 Lisbon NH. His WWI Registration from 5 June 1917 in Lisbon NH shows his occupation as mill man, employed by the Parker Young Co.,Lisbon. He was single and had previously served as a private 8 months in the NH State National Guard. He describes himself as being tall, of medium stature with dark brown eyes and dark brown hair. He enlisted in the U.S. Army and on 27 September 1917 he departed for Europe aboard the ship Lapland, a Private in Co. L, 103rd Infantry. On 21 June 1918 the BOSTON POST carried this story: “Private Percy Bergin, a member of L Company, 103rd Infantry, died on June 12 of pneumonia. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. J.I. Bergin of Lisbon, N.H. and had seen service on the Mexican border with L. Company, New Hampshire Infantry. While attending Lisbon High School he acquired a reputation as an athlete. Private Begin trained and Camp Bartlett and went overseas in September. Percy was at first, like other soldiers, buried near the hospital where he died. 
When the war ended his remains were returned to the United States, departing Antwep Belgium and arriving in Hoboken NJ on the ship Wheaton on 2 July 1921. His service number was noted as 96322. Percy was buried in his family plot beside his parents in Grove Hill Cemetery, Lisbon NH. His name appears on the Roll of Honor, Doric Hall, in the New Hampshire State House, and on the Lisbon NH WWI honor roll plaque.
[3] Private Howard S. Brooks is a complete mystery. If any readers know of such a person with connections to Lisbon NH please comment.
[4] Merrill Clough was born 20 Sep 1892 in Lisbon NH, son of Chester C. & Julia (Warden) Clough. In the 1900 U.S. Census he was living in Lisbon NH with his parents, and siblings Cleveland, Landon Lee, Mable, Edward “Eddie,” and Edith. During WWI he served in the 2nd Company, 151st Depot Brigade, stationed at Camp Devens in Harvard MA. There he contracted influenza, which resulted in broncho-pneumonia and his death on 22 September 1918. His body was returned to New Hampshire where he was buried in his family’s plot, Elmwood Cemetery, Franconia NH.
[5] Timothy Felt Dickinson was born 21 June 1890/91 in Lisbon NH son of Edwin L. & Hattie L. (Howe) Dickinson. He completed his WWI Registration form on 5 June 1917 stating he was single, a farmer working for N.B. Dixon of Littleton NH. He was of medium height and stature with blue eyes and black hair. In the 1900 and 1910 U.S. Census records he was living in Lisbon NH with his parents and siblings William C, Harriet W., Frank H. Hattie P., Paul, Harry, Ivy L., and Gertrude R. He was a Private in Co. M, 128th Infantry, departing NY City for Europe on 27 September 1917 aboard the ship 
Lapland. As a Corporal he died of wounds received in battle in France on 4 Nov 1918, just a few days before the Armistice would be declared. At first buried in Europe, when the war ended his remains were returned to the United States arriving in Hoboken NJ on 6 August 1921, transported on the ship Wheaton. His service number was 69325. Lisbon NH’s American Legion Post was named for Dickinson and later the Sweet name was added to the Post after the Sweet brothers lost their lives in WWII. Timothy F. Dickinson is buried in Grove Hill Cemetery, Lisbon NH. His name appears on the Roll of Honor in Doric Hall of the New Hampshire State House, and on the Lisbon NH WWI monument.
[6] Clark Aaron Goudie was born 11 September 1895 in Lisbon NH son of Lawrence w. & eMMA (Clark) Goudie. [See story in a separate post]. Buried Grove Hill Cemetery, Lisbon NH.
[7] Howard A. Towle was born 6 Sep 1891 in Vermont, son of Ezra A. & Idella M. (Carter) Towle. In the 1910 U.S. Census he was a laborer living with the Bean family of Lisbon NH. He married 30 Aug 1917 in Lisbon NH to Mildred Ellen Fichett, daughter of Ernest A. & Fannie M. (Nichols) Fichett. They had a child, Ardella Sophia May Towle, born 10 Dec 1918 in Newbury VT. He was a Private/Bugler assigned to Co. B, 36th Machine Gun Battalion. While at Fort Devens he contracted influenza which caused lobar pneumonia and his death on 27 September 1918. He was buried at Pleasant View Cemetery in Orleans, Vermont and he has a military headstone. His name appears on the Honor Roll in the New Hampshire State House’s Doric Hall.
[Editor’s Note: this story is part of an on-going series about heroic New Hampshire men and women of World War I. Look here for the entire listing].
Very interesting. My grandparents had a farm in Landaff, N.H. Nathan and Mabel Kidder. My grandfather’s Mother was an Indian. My uncle, Thomas Kidder, was in World War II where he received a Purple Heart. He never spoke of the war. My Mom, Gertrude Kidder Howland DeGrandmaison and her siblings grew up on the farm. My siblings and I spent summers on the farm, away from the BIG city of Manchester. We had awesome summers! My sons and my nephews spent the summers with my parents in a trailer on the land where my Mom grew up. They loved the animals, haying, picking berries, swimming and fishing. My Mom graduated from Lisbon High School. She took her horse and buggy to school everyday as it was five long miles from her home.
I enjoy your columns very much, thank you.
Shirley Howland Dominy
Shirley, sounds like you have a fascinating family history. Have you ever thought of writing about it?
Shirley…I was looking up family names and just so happened to come across this info….my Great Grandparents were Nathan and Mabel Kidder. My Grandmother was Clara Kidder Boutin your mother’s sister…my mother Alice Boutin Avery. Although I was very young I do remember the farm in Landaff and also Uncle Tom… never expected to see this post….. your cousin Deborah Jean Avery May
Pingback: New Hampshire World War I Military: Heroes of The Great War | Cow Hampshire
Just awful to read how many died from the flu/pneumonia. I wonder if the percentage of soldiers who died was greater than that of the civilian population.
More civilians worldwide died. “The influenza pandemic of 1918-1919 killed more people than the Great War, known today as World War I (WWI), at somewhere between 20 and 40 million people. It has been cited as the most devastating epidemic in recorded world history.”
Yes, but I was wondering proportionately. Did more civilians die per capita or more soldiers per capita?
More civilians died overall from influenza than did soldiers. More than 50% of deaths of U.S. soldiers during WWI was due to disease (the main disease being influenza).
Amazing.