- On the morning of Sunday, July 7, 1833, Lettuce Hanaford, an unusually delicate, clear minded, and refined girl about twelve years old, said to her parents, as she came down to breakfast, "I dreamed last night that uncle Peter's house was struck by lightning, and that uncle, and aunt, and Hibbard (the second son) were killed."
On the following Sunday, Hibbard, the son, went to the Free-Will Baptist meeting, stopping on his way home at his grandmother's house, where Lettuce lived. He had been there but a short time, when a messenger came, in great haste, announcing that uncle Peter's house had been struck, that several persons had been badly injured, and that three, Mr. and Mrs. Hanaford and a boarder by the name of Hobbs, were dead. Mr. Hobbs was one of six boarders, students in the academy. The shower was terrific, two seeming to meet overhead. Mrs. Hanaford, hearing an unusually noise and hilarity in one of the boarders' rooms, admonished the inmates of the impropriety of such merriment at that time, expressing her conviction of danger. As she stood in the doorway, with her hand elevated, two bolts descended, which struck the poplar trees in front of the house, and, leaving them, entered the roof, and passed down through two different rooms. Mr. Hobbs was in one of these, reading aloud, when the bolt struck him. He was reading the dying speech of some one, and the last words heard from his lips were, "My time has come;" which were verified in a moment. He remained sitting in the chair, which led some one to ask if he were hurt; there was no reply, and it was soon discovered that he was dead.
Mr. Hanaford was in the room below with an infant daughter in his arms, also reading, as was his wont. The infant was apparently unharmed, and is now living in Manchester, N.H. The whole scene was one of terrific import; and consternation and grief fell on the community like a portentous pall.
A sermon of unusually impressive character was preached for the occasion by Elder Dana. Husband and wife were buried in one grave (a single stone marking the spot in the family yard), about one mile north of their residence. Their house was at the time partially occupied by the Rev. Salmon Hibbard, pastor of the First Congregational Church; and it was for him that Hibbard, the son referred to, who is now Dr. J. H. Hanaford, of Reading, Mass., was named.
Six children, all under sixteen years of age, were, by this catastrophe, left orphans in the twinkling of an eye. Five of them are still living. The eldest is Prof. Lyman B. Hanaford, of Brooklyn, N. Y., Superintendent of Public Schools. He led in the idea of getting an education; all of the others attended the academy of their native town, — all became teachers, for a time, at least, as one of the means of being able to study, mainly sustaining themselves by their own efforts. Dr. J. H. Hanaford is referred to at length in another place. A sister, Martha Ann Hanaford, went west with the first company of teachers in charge of Gov. Slade of Vermont, and afterwards married Rev. Amasa Lord. She lives now at Elgin, Illinois. The next son, Charles R. Hanaford, is also at the west, while the youngest is at Manchester, N. H. They have survived their parents more than fifty years, and have been remarkably prosperous and successful.
- LINK BACK to Smith Family Vital Records
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