Monadnock Moment No. 182

Era 4: Expansion and Reform - 1800 to 1860

Justus Tozer

We hear about the homeless in our country and in Keene, but they were not uncommon in the nineteenth century. Keene's best known homeless character was probably Justus Tozer who roamed the streets here during the first half of the 19th century.

Tozer was a harmless and good natured old man. He was popular with the children for his quick wit and his ability to make up rhymes on a moments notice. One day when asked to make up a rhyme about himself he immediately responded:

Old Tozer had no home and during the summer he would sleep in barns, deserted houses or large boxes outside of one of the general stores. During the winter he would find lodging with a local family, paying his way by cutting wood or doing chores. When he passed away at age 70 in 1858, one local fellow remarked that Old Tozer had not drawn a sober breath for forty years, but the local residents sadly missed his wit, his rhymes, and seeing Old Justus Tozer's face on the streets of Keene.