Around the year 1920 Bert E. Gilmore moved to Merrimack with his wife Margery and stepson Roland Hill. Roland was the father of Connie Heath, Lucille Bernaiche and Bert Hill. At first they (the Roland Hill Family) rented a place on McElwain Street, then called “ Greeke Hill” and after that bought a small farm on Amherst Road which is now the site of the Fairfield Inn.

Bert Gilmore (Connie’s grandfather) worked on a farm on Naticook Road and traveled to and from work by horse and wagon. He took care of his own cows before and after work. Rolland Hill ( Connie’s father) often recalled that “Dad” (Bert Gilmore,Connie’s grandfather) bought a cow in Ponemah and her father (Roland Hill) walked the cow all the way home.

Rolland decided high school was not for him and he went to work for Gregg and Sons in Nashua and rode a bicycle to and from work. At one time both Bert and Rolland worked in the tannery on Rt. 3. Roland also worked in what was called the table shop.

The farm grew and Bert Gilmore bought more land along what is now called Old Camp Sargent Road. Bert Gilmore was elected to Road Agent and Roland Hill went to work for him driving truck and whatever else he was needed for.

Bert Gilmore bought more land along Green’s Pond Road. The piece of land we called the “meadow” is now occupied by the Water Dept. garage. The 25 acres given to the town for conservation in December 1997 was purchased around the same time. Bert Gilmore remained road agent until his death in 1944.

Roland Hill did the farming until he went to work driving truck for Blue Line Express. His wife, Cora, helped him with the farm work. Together they ran the farm for Margery until her death in 1965. They continued farming, now for themselves, until 1967 or 1968. Continental Blvd. runs through what was once pastureland.

Roland Hill continued to drive truck to New York City for J.E. Faltin until his retirement around 1970. He passed away Feb. 10, 1995.

As children, their memories of their grandfather (Bert Gilmore) taking them swimming in the brook on a hot summer day or riding in the dump truck with Connie’s father when he hauled gravel out of the pit for road work or going up to the top of the hill to gather wood for the winter or just to walk in the woods and admire all that nature had to offer makes them thankful they were able to enjoy all those things. Their children always had a story to tell when they came home from walks through the pit or up on the hill, about the animals such as deer, fox and lots of birds they had seen.

They felt there is a need to conserve such land because if they did not, there will be none left for others to enjoy. This memorial is a thank you from us and future generations always.

When the land was dedicated to the town Mrs. Heath had the following comments: They first thought of donating the land to the Merrimack Village District but decided against it because they would put up a fence around the property. This would not allow wild life to pass through so they decided to donate it to the conservation commission instead so it would be left for future generations to enjoy as they have in the past.

Mrs. Heath’s son used to live in the house on this property and she can recall he called her down to watch the fox play out back near the gravel pit.

The logging road to the left of the house is the road used by Mrs. Heath’s father and grandfather to bring the fire wood back to their farm.

Mrs. Heath recalls a time in the lawyer’s office when her grandmother in her 80’s was deeding over a piece of land to her and that her grandmother had an excellent memory. The lawyer asked who the chain of owners were on the partial and her grandmother told the lawyer for 10 years it was owned by Mr. Graham, the previous 40 years it was owned by Mr. Greeke, the previous 40 years to that it was owned by Brad Jones. The lawyer, recognizing her excellent memory jokingly asked her “well who owned it before Brand Jones?” Her grandmother spoke up in a harsh voice and said (before that it was owned by the British).

In September of 1999 there was a plan to put a sewer line across the Gilmore Hill Memorial Forest. Connie found out about it and was very upset. She sent the Conservation Commission a letter of protest and the project never got approved.

In a letter sent to the commission she was very appreciative of the pride and care the commission has shown since receiving this property.

This gift was given to the town out of pure generosity from the heart, no compensation was asked for or given to them. We hope you respect and appreciate this gift.

The Merrimack Conservation Commission