Editing Rindge, New Hampshire (section)

===Settlement by European colonists===
In the eighteenth century, [[Province of Massachusetts Bay|Massachusetts]] granted unappropriated land to veterans of [[William Phips|Sir William Phipps]]' [[Battle of Quebec (1690)|1690 expedition]] against [[New France|French-held Canada]] as compensation for services. Whole townships were granted to certain military companies and became known as "Canada" townships. Granted in 1736 by Governor [[Jonathan Belcher]] to soldiers from [[Rowley, Massachusetts]], Rindge was first known as "Rowley-Canada".<ref name=Coolidge>{{Cite book | last = Coolidge | first = Austin J.|author2=John B. Mansfield  | title = A History and Description of New England| publisher = A.J. Coolidge | year = 1859| location = Boston, Massachusetts| pages = [https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_OcoMAAAAYAAJ/page/n675 632]–633| url = https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_OcoMAAAAYAAJ| quote = coolidge mansfield history description new england 1859. }}</ref> But the [[John Mason (governor)|Masonian proprietors]] were making competing claims to the area, and in 1740 commissioners of [[the Crown]] decided that the boundary between Massachusetts and [[Province of New Hampshire|New Hampshire]] lay south of Rowley-Canada.<ref>Stearns, Ezra. ''History of the Town of Rindge.'' Boston: George Ellis, 1875, Reprinted by Phoenix Publishing, 1988. p. 37.</ref> Consequently, it was re-granted in 1749 by Governor [[Benning Wentworth]] as "Monadnock No. 1", or "South Monadnock". The town was incorporated in 1768 by Governor [[Sir John Wentworth, 1st Baronet|John Wentworth]] as "Rindge", in honor of Captain Daniel Rindge of [[Portsmouth, New Hampshire]], one of the original grant holders, and the one who represented New Hampshire's claim to the land before the king.<ref>Stearns, p. 35.</ref>

Captain Abel Platts is credited as being Rindge's first temporary settler, arriving in 1738 to take possession of his family's land grant.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.nh.searchroots.com/documents/History_Rindge_NH.txt| title=HISTORY OF RINDGE, CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE| publisher=www.nh.searchroots.com| access-date=March 7, 2008}}</ref> But disputes about the grants, combined with the outbreak in 1744 of [[King George's War]], made it untenable to remain in Rindge, so early settlers abandoned it. Platts and others returned in 1752, and starting in 1758, settlement increased steadily.<ref>Stearns, p. 66–67.</ref> There were 1,274 residents by 1859, when [[water power]]ed industries included three [[gristmill]]s, thirteen [[sawmill]]s, thirteen [[roof shingle|shingle]] mills, six [[barrel|stave]] mills, two [[planing mill]]s, and several [[Clapboard (architecture)|clapboard]] mills.<ref name="Coolidge"/>

<gallery>
Image:Congregational Church and Common, Rindge Center, NH.jpg|The Common in 1906
Image:View of the Square, West Rindge, NH.jpg|West Rindge in 1910
Image:Pinecroft Inn, East Rindge, NH.jpg|Pinecroft Inn {{circa|1915}}
Image:RindgeNH ShedsAndStables.jpg|Historic horse sheds behind the meeting house
</gallery>