USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Lawrence > History of Lawrence, Massachusetts : with portraits and biographical sketches of ex-mayors up to 1880 and other distinguished citizens, including many business and professional men now living > Part 1
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Gc 974.402 L435wa 1779196
M. LT G
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01068 1135
HISTORY
OF
LAWRENCE, MASSACHUSETTS,
-WITH -
PORTRAITS AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES
-OF-
EX-MAYORS UP TO 1880 AND OTHER DISTINGUISHED CITIZENS, INCLUD- ING MANY BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL MEN NOW LIVING.
COMPILED BY H. A. WADSWORTH.
PRINTED BY
HAMMON REED ; LAWRENCE EAGLE STEAM JOB PRINTING OFFICE.
For Sale by Albert Colby's Sons, 415 Essex Street, Lawrence, and 21 Merrimack Street, Lowell, Massachusetts.
1880.
563
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1.79196
HELIOTYPE PRINTING CO., Boston.
Photographed by FRANK RUSSELL.
BIRD'S-EYE VIEW OF THE CITY OF LAWRENCE. MASS .- 1878.
F 844415 .8
Wadsworth, Horace Andrew, 18:7-1590, comp.
History of Lawrence, Massachusetts, with portraits and biographical sketches of ex-mayors up to 1550 and other distinguished citizens ... Comp. by H. A. Wads- worth. Lawrence, Printed by H. Rood. 150.
v, 71-179, 12., Axxxiii .- xxxiv p. front., illus. (incl. plan ) ports 201cm.
First issued, 1878, under title: Quarter centennial history of Lawrence, Massachusetts.
BHRLF CARO
1. Lawrence, Mass .- Hist. 2. Lawrence, Mass .- Biog.
1-11461 Revised
Library of Congress
F:74.1,4W2
Recat 92524
Copy 2.
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015
https://archive.org/details/historyoflawrenc00wads_0
F844415.8
MAYOR AND OTHER OFFICIALS of the City of Lawrence for the Year 1879.
Mayor, JAMES R. SIMPSON. Aldermen,
Ward 1 .- H. P. DANFORTH, Ward 2 .- JAMES G. ABBOTT,
Ward 5 .- JOHN ABERCROMBIE,
Ward 3 .- JOHN F. COGSWELL., Ward 4 .- GEORGE SANBORN, Ward 6 .- WM. T. MCALPINE.
Common Council. HENRY K. WEBSTER, PRESIDENT.
Ward One.
Ward Four.
JAMES MOOREHOUSE,
MARCUS W. COPPS,
GEORGE W. STAFFORD.
CHARLES H. DAVIS.
Ward Tivo.
Ward Five.
ANDREW SHARPE,
JOHN PHILLIPS,
CHARLES MORRISON,
CHARLES A. MCCARTHY. Ward Three.
JOHN PAISLEY, JR., CHARLES H. BEAN. Ward Six.
DANIEL F. MCCARTHY, FRANCIS GORMAN, JAMES MURPHY.
M. A. MCCORMICK, GEORGE S. WILLIAMS, TIMOTHY BUCKLEY.
City Clerk, JAMES E. SHEPARD. Treasurer and Collector of Taxes, A. V. BUGBEE. Auditor, JOHN E. CUSHING. Superintendent of Schools, GEO. A. LITTLEFIELD).
92524
HENRY K. WEBSTER, MERRILL N. HOWE,
PREFATORY.
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In the preparation of this work, the author has sought to picture a fleeting phase of our city's life. And let it be remembered that every point of time, each year, each month, each passing moment, mark's some era begun, some event completed.
In the history of our city we this year pass the mile stone which marks the quarter of a century. The motto is : "Go forward," but in doing so it is always well, at important turning points, to take a retrospec- tive view, for there is much to be gained for the future through the ex- periences of the past.
A history is a record of deeds completed, but this book is not wholly that ; it is something more. It is a record book of the present. The student of the next century will conceive the active men of to-day, in connection with our city's history, as contemporaneous with those who were indeed the pioneers of our vast manufacturing enterprises. A record of to-day is but the record of our birth ; and it is fitting, it is well, before those who were first upon the scene shall have passed away, to put in tangible form for preservation, as near as possible their personal appearance, the battles they fought, and the victories they won in the van of progress and material growth.
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PREFATORY.
The idea of showing by portrait so many familiar faces is some- what novel, but is one that has been heartily endorsed by a large number of worthy and esteemed citizens. The portraits represent no particular class. The men of the finest broadcloth were not especi- ally sought. They honestly delineate all classes, and are a noble representation of the men who are furnishing the brains and muscle which make our city what it is.
For the historical portion of the book no literary merit is claimed. A book form was adopted so as to put into the hands of the people many facts which were gleaned for publication in the Essex Weekly Eagle, in order that they might be better preserved. A newspaper, at best, in a few years grows yellow and illegible, while a book, with good usage, will last for generations. To what was thus published much has been added, although the limited time spent in its com- pilation has admitted of but a recital of the more important events.
In the preparation much freedom has been used in copying from a short history of Methuen, published in 1876, by Hon. JOSEPH S. HOWE, and also from the history of Andover compiled by ABIEL ABBOT, A. M., in 1829. Besides these, the book on "The Merrimack River and its Tributaries," by J. W. MEADER, and published by B. B. Russell, Boston, 1872, has proved a valuable auxiliary for information. And some passages that are quoted are couched in as beautiful and im- pressive language as pen could indite. To some of our citizens, whose names are mentioned further on, we extend sincere thanks for invaluable aid and assistance.
That perfect accuracy will be found we do not claim. "To err is human," but we have sought accuracy in the aggregate and in detail.
.J.
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PREFATORY.
Much has been left unsaid in connection with our young and growing city that deserves a place in history. It is hoped that the OLD RESI- DEN'TS' ASSOCIATION, which, though young in organization, has already collected much valuable historic material, will ere long employ a com- piler, and give to us and to posterity a work complete in the fullest detail. With all its imperfections our effort is submitted to the char- itable consideration of the public, with the hope that what has been done, regardless of what has been omitted, will be kindly received.
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HISTORY.
I.
GEOGRAPHY AND TOPOGRAPHY.
The city of Lawrence is the sixth city in population in the State of Massachusetts. In the year 1875 there were 34,916, and it is safe to presume that at the present writing, (1878) were a census taken, it would show in excess of 38,000 persons. It lies in latitude 42 degrees, 42 minutes, 57.67 seconds, longitude 71 degrees, 9 minutes, 5.85 seconds west from Greenwich. Situated on the Merrimack River, twenty-six miles from its mouth, and is bounded as follows : North, by Methuen ; East, by North Andover ; South, by Andover ; West, by Andover and Methuen. Its area is 4, 185 acres, of which 2,173 acres are situated on the north side, and 2012 acres on the south side of the river. It is twenty-six miles north from Boston ; ten miles northeast from Lowell, and eight miles west from Haverhill. The Spicket River crosses the northern portion of the city and falls into the Mer- rimack within the city limits, while the Shawsheen, another important tributary, forms a portion of the southeast boundary, and unites its waters with the Merrimack in the town of North Andover. So much of the city as lies on the north side of the Merrimack River, was for- merly a part of the town of Methuen, and that on the south side was formerly a part of Andover.
SPICKET R.
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MERRIMAC
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SHAWSHINE R.
PLAN OF THE
STREAMS, ROADS & HOUSES, $ AS THEY WERE IN 1845, ON THE TERRITORY WHERE NOW STANDS THE CITY OF LAWRENCE
PHOTO- ELECTROTYPE CO, BOSTON
HAB
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QUARTER-CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF LAWRENCE, MASS.
The town of Lawrence was created by an Act of the Legislature, approved March 20, 1845, as follows :
SECT. I. All the territory now within the towns of Methuen and Andover, in the county. of Essex, comprised within the following limits-that is to say, by a line beginning at the mouth of Shawsheen River, at its easterly bank, thence running southerly by said easterly bank to a stake at the bend in said river, a few rods westerly of the bridge, where it is crossed by the Salem Turnpike; thence in a straight line westerly to a marked stone in the wall at the easterly cor- ner of the intersection of roads, by Jacob Barnard's house ; thence northerly in a straight line across Merrimack River, passing between the house of Asa Barker and that of Ebenezer Barker, on the Tower- Hill Road, leading from Methuen to Lowell, to a stake about 2, 150 feet northerly from where the line crosses said road ; thence north- easterly to a monument on the easterly side of Londonderry Turn- pike, passing a line northerly of the house of Abiel Stevens ; thence easterly in a straight line to a monument at the intersection of Law- rence street with the old road which runs easterly from Stevens' fac- tory towards Haverhill ; thence in a straight line easterly, passing north of William Swan's house through a monument about 400 feet south of the intersection of the roads near said Swan's house, to the line of the town of Andover, in Merrimack River ; thence running by the said line of Andover westerly, to the easterly bank of Shaw- sheen River, at the point of starting ;- is hereby incorporated into a town by the name of Lawrence : and the said town of Lawrence is hereby invested with all the privileges, powers, rights and immuni- ties, and subject to all the duties and requisitions to which other towns are entitled and subject, by the constitution and laws of this Commonwealth.
SECT. 2. The town of Lawrence shall make and maintain all bridges for public highways over the Shawsheen River, so far as the easterly bank of said river is a boundary of the said town, including the ma- sonry of said bridges on the easterly bank thereof.
SECT. 3. The inhabitants of the said town of Lawrence shall be holden to pay all arrears of taxes which have been legally assessed upon them by the towns of Methuen and Andover, respectively ; and all taxes heretofore assessed and not collected, shall be collected
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QUARTER-CENTENNIAL
and paid to the treasurers of the towns of Methuen and Andover, respectively ; in the same manner as if this act had not been passed ; and also their proportion of county and state taxes that may be as- sessed upon them previously to the next state valuation-that is to say, two-thirds of the state and county taxes that may be assessed upon the town of Methuen, and one-eighth of the state and county taxes that may be assessed on the town of Andover, till the next state valuation.
SECT. 4. The parts of the said town of Lawrence now belonging to the towns of Methuen and Andover for the purpose of electing state officers, senators, representatives to congress, and electors of president and vice president of the United States, until the next de- cennial census shall be taken, in pursuance of the 13th article of amendment to the constitution ; and the meetings for the choice of such representatives, and the other officers aforesaid, shall be called by the selectmen of the said towns, respectively ; the selectmen of Lawrence shall make a true list of persons belonging to the territory of each of said towns hereby incorporated into the town of Law- rence, qualified to vote at every such election, and the same shall be taken and used by the selectmen of said respective towns for such elections, in the same manner as if prepared by themselves.
SECT. 5. The said towns of Methuen, Andover and Lawrence shall be respectively liable for the support of all who now do, or shall hereafter, stand in need of relief as paupers, whose settlement was gained by, or derived from, a residence within their respective limits ; and the said town of Lawrence shall, within one year from the time of its organization under this act pay to the town of Me- thuen one thousand dollars as and for their just proportion of the debts of the town of Methuen, owing at the time of the passage of this act, exclusive of the amount of the surplus revenue of the United States in the treasury of the town of Methuen ; and the town of Lawrence shall also pay two-thirds of the amount of said surplus revenue whenever its repayment shall be demanded by the United States according to law ; and shall also pay to the town of Methuen the amount that said town shall pay for building Haverhill street, so called, within the limits of said town of Lawrence, as ordered by the county commissioners for the county of Essex.
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HISTORY OF LAWRENCE, MASS.
SECT. 6 Any justice of the peace in the county of Essex is here- by authorized to issue his warrant directed to any principal inhabi- tant of the town of Lawrence, requiring him to notify and warn the inhabitants thereof, qualified to vote in town affairs to meet at the time and place appointed, for the purpose of choosing all such town officers as towns are by law authorized and required to choose at their annual meetings ; and such justice, or, in his absence, such principal inhabitant shall preside till the choice of a moderator in said meeting.
SECT. 7. This act shall take effect from and after its passage.
Shortly after this act went into effect the necessary steps were taken to give it force, and on the 27th of April, 1847, the new town was ushered in, and officers elected to discharge the duties of the same, as provided by law. The rapid increase of population soon demand- ed further legislation, and in the year 1853, May 10th, the voters of the then town of Lawrence accepted and put in force a city charter, which, with slight changes, remains the same to the present time. -
II. THE MERRIMACK RIVER.
The Merrimack River from its source to the sea has a fall of some- thing over 5,000 feet. It affords therefore a vast system of mill powers, and gives aid to many kinds of industries, the chief being the manufacture of cotton and woolen fabrics. The amount of manu- facturing along this river is not equalled by that upon any other stream in the world. The Merrimack River was known and appre- ciated far and wide by the aborigines long before the white man bridled and harnessed its majestic falls. Nor is it to be wondered that they prized the numerous advantages it afforded. Capt. John Smith is given credit as being its discoverer, but it appears that DeChamplain, a French navigator, on the seventeenth of July 1605, with a crew of twenty sailors and several French gentlemen were first to enter the bay near where Newburyport now stands, and were therefore really the discoverers of the river. No permanent settle- ment was made, however, until about twenty years subsequent to this.
The Merrimack River has its source far up in the White Moun- tain region. The head waters are known as the eastern, western and middle branches, which unite in the town of Woodstock, N. H. The eastern branch is the largest, extending back from this place nearly fifty miles. Few people have undertaken to explore its head waters, and indeed they have their beginning in a wilderness of mountains and forests very little frequented. A score of important
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QUARTER-CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF LAWRENCE, MASS.
tributaries find their way into it in its flow to the sea, several of which have a history of their own of no mean significance. How long the Merrimack River has flowed substantially in its present channel to the sea, of course it is impossible to conjecture. J. W. Meader, in his book on the " Merrimack River," says : "Certain it is, that at some period, far in the dim, distant past, the river was one continu- ous chain of lakes, whose barriers being worn by water, ice, and drifting wood, have successively given way, until this whole system of collected waters was drained and ultimately reduced to and con- fined within its present banks. Extensive alluvial deposits indicate the former character of these waters, and their location and dimen- sions can still be distinctly traced, while far below the surface are found well-defined vegetable deposits, logs and other foreign mat- ter brought here and left, perhaps for evidence of these facts, far away from the present channel of the river. If more proof were needed, it is supplied by the peculiar stratification of the soil, which is regarded by scientific men and geologists as conclusive on this point." But when the Merrimack first occupied the river bed substantially as at present, geologists do not attempt to say.
Far beyond the memory of man or historic date, the Indians held full sway upon its banks, but civilization at last found a foothold here. The first partial survey of the Merrimack River, disclosing its inestimable value and importance for manufacturing purposes, it may, perhaps, be said cast the die. From this time forth the red man made his compulsory bow to the inexorable logic of events, and facing westward with steady advance,-his speed frequently acceler- ated by the uncomfortable and dangerous proximity of the white man, his last remaining hope to reach the land of the sunset,-he left this river and this land, the home of his boyhood and his man- hood, his only patrimony, and the sacred resting place of ancestral dust. It was useless for him to struggle against the decree of fate ; and so he left all of these, and the sceptre of his wilderness empire
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QUARTER-CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF LAWRENCE, MASS.
fell from his grasp, his crown tumbled, his ancient power and heredi- tary rule and supreme kingly prerogatives were stripped from him, and he was sent forth a beggar, an outcast and a vagabond, to be a stranger in a strange land. Thus departed the aboriginal proprietor, and the march of intellect, enterprise, skill, industry and progress supplanted him.
With the white man came cultivation and improvement. The vig- orous stroke of the woodman's axe resounded through the forests, roads were made, the log-house and the school-house sprung into ex- istence almost together, the little church reared its tapering spire, as if pointing out to sinful man the way to heaven, to God. The sawmill creaked and grated in harsh, unmusical cadence in many localities along the lesser tributaries of the Merrimack. Hamlets grew to vil- lages, villages to towns and towns to cities. Skill, labor and capital, that all-powerful triumvirate, united their fortunes and inter- ests for the mutual benefit of all. The pioneers pushed steadily up the river, transforming nature's bounties into wealth on every hand. Even the rough uninviting localities at length became the most fruit- . ful vineyards. Enterprises sprung up involving the employment of millions of capital and thousands of people, as if by magic. Every valley and hill within the radius of this river's salutary influence pro- duced its complement of beautiful and noble women, as well as great, good and brave men ; and this river gave to the manufacturers along its course an opulence of fame for the unequalled variety, quality and value of their products, which is the property and just pride of the nation.
III THE INDIANS.
The Indians at the time of their discovery by the Europeans were a race different from any people then known. They were wandering everywhere through the length and breadth of the country. No ac- curate statement can be given of their numbers, though the best authenticated accounts compute the number in New England at the time of the settlement in Jamestown, Va., 1607, at 123,000, but in the winter of 1617, three years before the landing of the Pilgrims, the plague or some other mortal disease, broke out among them and almost depop- ulated the country. When the Pilgrims landed in 1620, they saw but few Indians for some days and they were flying from them. Greatly to their comfort and convenience they found deserted wigwams and some corn, which was in good demand among the immigrants. The plague that had two or three years previous depopulated the country seems to have been providential to the early settlers. The number of Indians however left scattered about in what is now Massachu- setts was not much less than 10,000 or 12,000. In Rhode Island about 8,000 and in New Hampshire about 4,000. The whole num- ber of warriors in New England is estimated at 12,000 at the time of the arrival of our ancestors. The features of these New England Indians were good, especially those of the women ; their hair bright and straight, their limbs clean, straight, and well proportioned. They were quite ingenious in their way ; were quick of apprehension ; sud- den in despatch ; subtle in their dealings ; ready in invention, and in labor assiduous. They had wigwams, or cabins, to protect them from the weather. These were built by uniting poles at the top, and in- serting them in the ground at suitable distance. These were covered
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with bark, boughs of trees, or skins except an aperture at the top for smoke, and a small place for entrance at the sides. The fire was built in the centre ; the ground around the fire was covered with mats, skins or boughs, as they could afford. They used no chairs, but sat on this covering, and had no need for a table. They slept with their feet towards the fire. A whole family, and sometimes more, were accommodated in one of these cabins, which had but one room. They were commonly located near good water. They had skins for clothing when the English came among them, from which they made moccasins for their feet. They often caught fish with a kind of spear. They used bows and arrows for hunting and for defence. The end of the arrow was pointed with flint stone. These points have been frequently found in the fields in this vicinity long since the Indians departed. They made canoes of bark taken from large birch trees. This was sewed together with fibres or roots. It was put in proper shape and strengthened by ribs or thin pieces of wood, and a rim, like the top of a basket, was fastened all around it and bound with tough bark or fibres of roots. It was daubed with pitch to prevent leaking. With these canoes they could pass up and down or across the rivers, and they were large enough to carry several per- sons. They were light and might be carried with ease around water falls, or from one stream to another.
The Merrimack River, (Called Menomack by the Indians, from Mena, an island, and awke, a place, from the number of beautiful islands in the river), furnished a locality greatly admired by the In- dians. They were certainly great admirers of the beautiful and grand in nature, and the numerously settled localities and names of tribes upon the river and its tributaries, give incontestible proof of this, " As the artisan, mechanic, maufacturer and capitalist of modern times learned the adaptation and capacity of this river as a motive power and congregated about its falls,-constructing dams to catch the water on its journey down, erecting monster mills with massive
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HISTORY OF LAWRENCE, MASS.
six-story brick walls, building populous cities and beautiful villages, fabricating unsurpassed cotton and woolen goods, machinery and implements,- so did the red man of primitive days learn the pecu- liar fitness of this river for supplying his necessities and wants, equal- ly. as pressing and urgent as those of his more civilized successors." Along the banks of the river in this vicinity especially on the Andover side was a favorable resort for their mode of life. There was plenty of fish in the river and numerous streams running into it ; the light land near the water was suitable for the cultivation of corn and beans, and the forests afforded abundant game. In the fishing sea- son the Indians caught a great many fish by a sort of scoop net ; only the salmon were kept for food while the remainder were used for manure on the land. It was a festival season with them; the squaws preparing fish for the repast, for preservation, and for barter, while the night was passed in feasting and dancing. At these fishing- seasons, lovers' vows were plighted, marriages were consummated, speeches made and treaties formed. Particular periods and impor- tant events were noted and celebrated among them with great cere- mony. Among the established institutions or customs may be men- tioned the Recruiting, or Fire Brand Dance. When the declaration of war had been announced by the chief, a great fire was built of brushwood, pine knots, and sticks near the wigwam, and-
By the red sun's parting glance, They gathered for the warrior's dance ; First in a circle wide they stand, Each with an arrow in his hand ; Then crouching, and with bended bow,
They step to measure light and slow ; Now quicker with a savage flurry, They circle round and hurry, hurry,
Now the ring breaks, and leaping, yelling, In one discordant chorus swelling ; Then tomahawks are brandished high ; Their shouts re-echo from the sky ; Their blood stained nostrils opened wide, Their foaming lips all dark and gory, Make up the red man's scene of glory .- Stark.
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At the time of the first settlements on the Merrimack River, the most powerful and important tribe along its banks were the Penna- cooks. Their headquarters were on the river near where Concord, New Hampshire, is now built. Their great chief was Passaconnaway. He had conquered and subdued all the tribes on the river, and all in some manner paid tribute to him. The Agawams inhabited the river East below tide water, having their homes from the Merrimack to the Cape. The Pentucket; owned and occupied the Merrimack from " Little River " in Haverhill to Pawtucket Falls at Lowell, then came the Wamesits, Nashua, Souhegan, Namoskeag, Winnipesaukee, and several other tribes. There is no evidence showing that any particular tribe had a home in Methuen, but it is certain that Bodwells Falls, now Lawrence dam, and the shores of the Spicket were favorite resorts, especially in the fishing season. On the An- dover side, a company of the Pentuckets with a chief known as Roger, had a settlement near Cochickewick Brook. Some writers have located the ancient seat of the Agawams at Bodwells Falls, and at this place came to reside the Princess of the House of Penna- cook, the daughter of Passaconnaway, who was wedded to Winne- purket, a sachem of Saugus. "The Poet of the Merrimack " has commemorated this event by a poem in which he characterizes the groom as the " dog of the marshes." The union was not a happy one, and an estrangement soon sprung up which came near resulting in war, and likely would, had not the " pale faces " appeared upon the stage about this time.
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