Source: White Mountains National Forest.
In 1831, Thomas Russell in the then Burton, NH (which would later become Albany) acquired five 100 acre lots for a total of $5.25. One lot was numbered 13 in the Fourth Range of the North Division of the town. On lot 13, Thomas, assisted by his second son, Amzi (pronounced aim-zee), built the frame structure that stands today. In 1832, Thomas and his wife, Ruth, sold lot 13 and the house to Amzi. On December 3, 1834, Amzi Russell married Eliza Morse George, after which they moved to the house. Eliza and Amzi raised five daughters here; one of who was Ruth Priscilla Russell. The family subsided on the meager garden crops they were able to grow, supplemented by wild game as well as fruits of the field, forest, and stream. They received a moderate income from a sawmill and from a store that they ran in their home at one time. During the years from 1834 through 1877, Amzi acquired thousands of acres of virgin timberland. He was certain that the railroad would eventually come into the valley and transport his prized timber to the mills in Conway and Bartlett. The logging railroads did eventually arrive, unfortunately too late in 1877, Amzi Russell died, leaving a mortgage and unpaid taxes on approximately 8,700 acres, all but the home lot of 100 acres and an additional 192 acres in three separate lots were sold to meet the family’s financial obligations. In 1887, Eliza Russell deeded the property to her daughter, Ruth Priscilla, and Ruth’s husband,
Thomas Alden Colbath, who continued to farm the land and care for the aging Eliza. In the late 1880s, the population of the valley had grown. There were 20 or more farms, two schoolhouses, and a small hotel. During the summer, many visitors came to enjoy the clean air and the relaxing surroundings. In 1890, the first Passaconaway Post Office was set up in the house and Ruth Priscilla Colbath became the first postmistress. She held the position until 1906 or 1907. One day in 1891, Thomas Colbath left the house, saying he would be back “in a little while.” Ruth never saw him again. She remained in the house where she had been born, eking out a meager living. It is told that she placed a light in her window each night, expecting Thomas to return. On November 15, 1930. Mrs. Colbath died at the age of 80, still believing that her husband would eventually return. Three years later, Thomas Alden Colbath did indeed return to the deserted house and heard the story about his wife, now deceased, and a light that shone each night for 39 years in the darkness of the Passaconaway Valley. Thomas indicated that he had no quarrel with his wife. He had remained in the area for at least a year after which he began wandering farther and farther away. After a time, he said that he was too ashamed to return to his wife and home. What prompted his return? It is anyone’s guess. Thomas discovered upon his arrival that he had no home, as the estate of his wife had been settled the previous year. The proceeds from the sale of the land and home had been divided among Mrs. Colbath’s closet known living relatives; four cousins. Thomas remained for a short time before he once again wandered away. Buried in the village cemetery, just east of the house, are Thomas and Ruth Russell, Amzi and Eliza Russell, and Ruth Priscilla Colbath, in addition to other family members. Ruth Priscilla’s grave is the sole family member’s stone to be marked. It is situated where, in death, she can continue to view her home and the mountains she loved so dearly in life. New owners, who used the place as a summer residence, renovated the house in 1935. The barn and shed were torn down at that time. In 1848, extensive repairs were made to preserve the aging house. It is fortunate that the owners did little to change the original setting as was feasible and is open to the public as a historic site. For more information, cal
One fall afternoon in 1891, 41-year-old Thomas Colbath left the farm to run some errands. He told his wife, “I’ll be back in a little while,” and headed down the road. When it started to get dark, Ruth lit an oil lamp and put it in the window to help him find his way in. But Thomas Colbath didn’t return that night, or the next day. Friends searched the roads for him in vain. Did he get lost? Mauled by a bear? Suffer a heart attack? Robbed and murdered? Perhaps he had some dementia event and lost his memory? Or had he simply walked out on his wife?
Ruth never saw him again. She remained alone in the house where she was born, eking out a living, waiting for her husband to return. Ruth lit the oil lamp in the window every night for the next 39 years, hoping for Thomas to find his way home.
83-year-old Thomas Colbath back home again after 39 years of “running errands.” Courtesy White Mountain National Forest Visitor Information Services
Ruth died in 1930 at the age of 80. Three years after she died, 83-year-old Thomas returned. He offered conflicting explanations for why he had left and where he had been the previous 42 years. Thomas indicated that he had no quarrel with his wife. He had remained in the area for about a year, and then began wandering farther away. Some versions of the story suggest he made his way to Cuba and then on to Panama, where he worked digging the Panama Canal. Other versions have him in California or out west building railroads. After being gone for a while, Thomas was too embarrassed and ashamed to return to his wife and home.
What inspired his eventual return is unknown. Perhaps he wanted to face his sins and ask forgiveness before he died. But that didn’t happen. Thomas was told by neighbors that his wife had died, and the home had been sold. Ruth’s estate had been settled, and the proceeds from the sale divided among her cousins. Ruth was buried in a small cemetery within sight of the house she was born in and had never ventured far from. Thomas wandered away and was never seen again.
When my tour of the homestead completed, I resumed on my way running errands, only now with the story of Ruth and Thomas Colbath on my mind. His concept of “be back in a little while” was very different from mine when I said something similar this morning … and I don’t think my wife will keep the porch light on for the next 39 years either.
Recognizing the historical significance of the Russell-Colbath homestead, the U.S. Forest Service purchased the property in 1961, preserving the house and running a museum there ever since. In 1987, the Russell-Colbath House was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.