USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Saugus > History of Lynn, Essex county, Massachusetts: including Lynnfield, Saugus, Swampscott, and Nahant, Vol. II. 1864-1893 > Part 1
USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Swampscott > History of Lynn, Essex county, Massachusetts: including Lynnfield, Saugus, Swampscott, and Nahant, Vol. II. 1864-1893 > Part 1
USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Lynnfield > History of Lynn, Essex county, Massachusetts: including Lynnfield, Saugus, Swampscott, and Nahant, Vol. II. 1864-1893 > Part 1
USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Nahant > History of Lynn, Essex county, Massachusetts: including Lynnfield, Saugus, Swampscott, and Nahant, Vol. II. 1864-1893 > Part 1
USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Lynn > History of Lynn, Essex county, Massachusetts: including Lynnfield, Saugus, Swampscott, and Nahant, Vol. II. 1864-1893 > Part 1
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35
UMASS/AMHERST
OF LYNN
IME II 312066 0004 0141 6
James R. Newhall
20763
LIBRARY
OF THE
ENSE PETI
QVIETEM
MA
A
U
DATE DUE
UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AT AMHERST
F 74
L98 L 5
1890
V.2
-80
ALONZO LEWIS - At age of 37. ALONZO LEWIS - At age of 63. Poet and Historian.
CHARLES F. LUMMUSS - At age of 32. First Lynn Printer. [See page viii.]
JAMES R. NEWHALL - At age of 38.
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ST. MARGARET'S CHURCH, KING'S LYNN, ENGLAND,
0000
--
[See page vii.] ST. STEPHEN'S CHURCH, LYNN, MASS.
(« 5)
RUSSELL- PROMOTION SO.
CITY HALL, LYNN, MASS.
[See page vii.] TOWN HALL, KING'S LYNN, ENGLAND.
(a 3)
I
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
II
12
13
1. Now Sea st. 2. Timothy Alley.
Newhall's tannery. 7. Water trough. 8. Benj. Alley. 9 and 10. Solomon Alley. 11. Richard Pratt.
14
15
16
I 7
18
19
20
21
22
23
24 25
14. Now Summer st.
15. James Alley.
16. Simcon Breed. 17. Dr. Lummus.
18. Capt. Jos. Mudge. 19. Jerusha Williams. 20 and 21. Ste-
phen Smith. 22. Gamaliel W. Oliver.
23. J. B. Ingalls. 24. Rev. Enoch Mudge. 25. Methodist meeting-house.
[Sce tage vii.]
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.3. Wm. Richards. 4. Viall's slaughter-house, 5. F. S. & H. Newhall's morocco factory. 6. Winthrop 12. Pelatiah Purinton. 13. John Alley, jr.
MARKET STREET, LYNN, IN 1820. (South-west Side.)
1
HISTORY
OF
LYNN,
ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS :
INCLUDING
LYNNFIELD, SAUGUS, SWAMPSCOTT, AND NAHANT.
VOLUME II.
1864-1893.
James Newhall. BY
PUBLISHED BY ISRAEL AUGUSTUS NEWHALL and HOWARD MUDGE NEWHALL.
LYNN, MASS. : THE NICHOLS PRESS-THOS. P. NICHOLS.
1897.
175 M38ZL99 1898-97 NOTE.
THE volume of the HISTORY OF LYNN, by Alonzo Lewis and James R. Newhall, known as the 1865 Edition, embodies our history from the first settlement, in 1629, to 1864. . . An- other volume, by the last-named writer, bringing the history down to 1883, was published. . . The main body of the volume now in hand is this last-named work - with a Supplement con- tinuing the Annals on to 1890 - thus furnishing what is believed to be a complete HISTORY OF LYNN from its first settlement, in 1629 to 1890 - two hundred and sixty-one years.
INDEXES. - On page 295 commences a full Index of the preceding pages. On page 310 is the Index to the Pictorial Addenda. And at the close of the Supplement is the Index to that department.
LYNN, 1890.
J. R. N.
THE present book, Volume II. HISTORY OF LYNN, is the same work described in the note above, with the addition of Annals to January 1,1893, notes having been left by the author, prepared to that date before his decease.
This volume is published, as left by its author, and in the same form as the 1890 book, bringing the HISTORY to 1893, a period of two hundred and sixty-four years. His preface is left intact, and if the reader will substitute 1892 for 1882 on page iii, it will serve for this book.
The Supplement begins on page 329, continuing the Annals from page 96. Its Index is on page 379.
LYNN, 1897.
1. A. N. and II. M. N.
Copyright, 1897, by ISRAEL AUGUSTUS and HOWARD MUDGE NEWHALL.
ERRATA.
On page 57, line 8, read 20,000,000 instead of 2,000,000.
On page 107, line 12, read Thos. Hudson instead of Godson.
On page 132, line 7, read eight instead of one.
On page 134, last line. read July instead of June.
On page 162, line 8, read January instead of March.
25783
PREFACE.
IT may properly be remarked that the volume now in the reader's hand, is intended in one sense to be complete in itself ; that is, to embody a general view of our history, from the begin- ning of the settlement to the present time. Yet, so far as its record is in the form of annals, it is supplementary to the 1865 edition of the History of Lynn ; and the reader as he proceeds will find many references to that work. This course was adopted for the purpose of economising in the matter of space, by avoiding repetition, and at the same time apprising the reader where further information upon a given topic might be found. For the same general purpose, also, occasional reference is made to the " Cen- tennial Memorial." And the writer is, on the whole, prepared to claim, with some confidence, that this volume, in connection with that of 1865, embodies a full and reliable history of the place from the first settlement, in 1629 down to 1882, with as few repetitions, reviews, or recapitulations as would be consistent with an intelligent and comprehensive view.
There has been no waste space to be provided for ; and some things have been omitted with hesitancy, where the press of matter upon the writer's attention allowed him only the privilege of choice ; a privilege that he has always exercised in a manner that seemed most desirable for the reader.
There is, in a work of this kind, far more danger of omission than redundancy. And it is almost certain that the reader will
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iv
PREFACE.
think of some topic which it appears to him has not been set forth with desirable fullness. But before concluding that there is an omission, accidental or intentional, it would be well to consider whether the matter is of general interest or of interest only to himself and perhaps a few others, or to any limited or particular class.
While it has not been thought expedient, when speaking of persons, to extenuate in a degree to give false coloring to character, nothing has been set down in malice. The endeavor has been to give an honest and fair account of whoever and whatever has come under notice.
With the reception of his former imperfect works by those whose opinions are of value, the writer has had abundant reason to be pleased ; and all courteous and well-intended suggestions have been gratefully received and duly considered. Whether his escape from criticism is attributable to excellence or insig- nificance is a question about which he need not trouble himself. The unfledged critic, as every writer knows, often fancies that he has demolished an author when he has only amused him. And it is well for both writer and reviewer to bear in mind that no author can be written down by any pen but his own - nor written up, as to that matter.
That the book is entirely free from error, is beyond the bound of expectation, though much care has been taken to have all the statements correct. It would be extreme arrogance to claim for it what perhaps no other printed book ever yet possessed - perfect accuracy. A word is said, on page 253, touching the duties and perplexities of authorship. And on page 251 an account is given of the different editions of the History of Lynn. The pres- ent volume corresponds in the size of page and general style with that of 1865, and both are stereotyped.
CONTENTS
I. INTRODUCTION : beginning on page 9 :
This Section embraces remarks concerning the Northmen, and their supposed early visits to our coast, together with a brief notice of the Indians found here.
II. ANNALS : beginning on page 17 :
In this Section our history is brought forward, in the form of Annals, from 1864 to 1882, the 1865 edition having, in the same form, recorded events from the time of the first settlement, in 1629, to said year 1864.
III. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES : beginning on page 97 :
In this Section appear, alphabetically arranged, the names of more than two hundred individuals, some deceased, and some now living, who have been residents of Lynn, with sketches, more or less extended, of a large number who have in various ways become conspicuous.
IV. MISCELLANEOUS NOTES : beginning on page 221 :
This Section is devoted to a collection of detached topics connected with our history, chiefly illustrative of the condi- tion of things at various periods.
V. CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE : beginning on page 275 :
This summary is full, and intended of itself to give a com- prehensive glance at our whole history, comprising notices of remarkable events and interesting occurrences, with details sufficient for a clear understanding.
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vi
CONTENTS.
VI. CONCLUSION : beginning on page 285 :
In this Section appear compendious remarks of a somewhat desultory character, but pertinent and in accord with the general purpose of the volume.
VII. THE INDEX : occupying the closing pages of the volume : This contains all the personal names in the book, arranged alphabetically with the subjects.
VIII. PICTORIAL ADDENDA : page 31I.
Naumkeag
Lakes
of Lynn.
SAUGUS
Iron Works
I
Swamscot
Winnisimet
Sagamore Hill
OCEAN
Salt
Marsh
HARBOR
Egy Rock
NAHANT
TERRITORIAL DIAGRAM OF ANCIENT LYNN.
ILLUSTRATIONS.
PRECEDING the title-page are four pages of Illustrations, to wit :
I. Market street, Lynn, (south-west side,) as it appeared in 1820.
2. Town Hall, King's Lynn, England, and City Hall, Lynn, Mass.
3. St. Margaret's Church, King's Lynn, England, and St. Stephen's, Church, Lynn, Mass.
4. Two Portraits of Alonzo Lewis, one of Charles F. Lummus, and one of James R. Newhall.
Respecting each of these a word or two may properly be said :
The View in Market Street gives, in two sections, the entire south-westerly side, as it was sixty years ago. This drawing, and several others in the present volume, were made by the skillful young draughtsman, William T. Oliver, of course from details furnished by older persons. In his grandfather's shop-indicated by 22 - William Lloyd Garrison worked at shoemaking. The writer well remembers the street as it was at that period, and can confidently attest to the remarkable fidelity of the picture.
.
The Town Hall, and St. Margaret's Church, of Lynn, England, were carefully drawn, by Mr. Oliver, from photographs kindly sent to the writer by Solicitor J. J. Coulton. The Hall is ancient ; but the precise date of its erection seems doubtful. The style, in the main parts at least, will be recognized as early English; though additions have evidently been made, without a very careful eye to architectural unity. The front is composed of alternate squares of flint and freestone, the former beauti- fully squared and fitted. St. Margaret's was built about the year 1100, and hence is now near eight hundred years old. It was built by the first Bishop of Norwich, who also built the Cathedral at Norwich and Church of St. Nicholas at Yarmouth, to expiate his simony. It was from the wall of this ancient temple that the stone which with its friendly inscription rests in the vestibule of our St. Stephen's, was taken. See page 86; also page 76. Pictures of our own City Hall, and St. Stephen's Church
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viii
ILLUSTRATIONS.
accompany these, but it is unnecessary to go into details here, concerning them, and the reader is referred to pages 93 and 259.
The Portraits to some extent speak for themselves. The beardless one of Mr. Lewis represents him at the age of 37, and is copied from one of Pendleton's litho- graphs, executed in 1831. Mr. L. himself considered it a good likeness; and as he showed it to the writer on the eve of the publication of his volume of poems, in which it appeared, and elicited the innocent remark that it certainly did the subject no injustice in the matter of personal appearance, he rather sharply intimated that the critic's own discernment was not above criticism. The bearded one, which repre- sents him at the age of 63, will be recognized by many who well remember him, as very accurate. The likeness of Mr. Lummus represents him at the age of 32. It is from a painting by Wheeler, who for some time made his home in Lynn - a good artist, but in some respects an erratic character. Mr. L. thought it a good likeness ; and so thought his friends. The remaining one of the four is from a daguerreotype taken at the age of 38. These Portraits as they appear all on one page, seem a little crowded, to be sure; but then, in former years, the individuals not unfrequently stood " shoulder to shoulder " in their labors, though it will not be claimed that the air was invariably serene when the three met to make melody in the old Mirror office, fifty years ago.
The other Illustrations, being generally accompanied by expla- nations, seem to need nothing beyond mere enumeration here.
Autographs. A large number of fac-similes of interesting auto- graphs appear in our volume, any one of which may be readily found by referring to the index, under the head " Autographs." Autographs. (See Index, page 295.) Lewis, Alonzo, his birth-place, 166; the cottage in which he died, 167. Birth-place of Alonzo Lewis, 166. Burying-ground, first in Lynn, 291. Lover's Leap, 309. Comet of 1882, 283. Lyceum building, 30.
Cottage in which Mr. Lewis died, 167.
Cradle of Methodism - the old Johnson house, Market street, 315.
Diagram, territorial, of old Lynn, vi.
Dwelling-houses, early fashions of, 224, 318, 319, 320. Enoch R. Mudge's villa, 321.
Episcopal church, first in Lynn, 260. Exchange block, 317.
First Parish meeting-houses, 311, 312, 313.
Hart or Haven house, (ancient) 224.
Indian signatures to deed of Lynn, 16.
Odd Fellows' Hall, 55.
Old Tunnel meeting-house, 312.
Pumping engine house, 57.
Rail-road stations. First in Lynn, 316; one of 1848, 40.
Rebecca Nurse house, 318.
Soldiers' monument, 59.
Sweetser building, 317.
View at Forest Place, 323.
View at Lynnmere, (Mineral Spring) 325.
View at residence of Jas. R. Newhall, 327. Witch House, 320.
Witt's Rock, 309.
HISTORY OF LYNN.
INTRODUCTION.
IT has been a favorite custom with some New England histo- rical writers to claim that our coast was not only discovered but temporarily occupied, here and there, by the Northmen, or Vickings, not far from the year 1000. Mr. Bancroft, however, rather treats the idea as fanciful ; and his opinion is certainly sufficient to justify grave doubts. But without occupying space to review the grounds on which of late much earnest disputation has been indulged in, we will quote from Mr. Lewis a passage that most concerns ourselves, and append to it a remark or two which discoveries made since he wrote seem to require :
The Scandinavian manuscripts inform us that in the year 986, Eric the Red, an Icelandic prince, emigrated to Greenland. In his company was Bardson, whose son Biarne was then on a voyage to Norway. On his return, going in search of his father, he was driven far to sea, and discovered an unknown country. In the year 1000, Leif, a son of Eric, pursued the discovery of the new country, and sailed along the coast as far as Rhode Island, where he made a settlement ; and because he found grapes there, he called it Vineland. In 1002, Thorwald, his brother, went to Vine- land, where he remained two years.
It is very reasonable to suppose that these voyagers, in sailing along the coast, discovered Lynn, and it is even probable that they landed at Nahant. In 1004, we are informed that Thorwald, leaving Vineland, or Rhode Island, "sailed eastward, and then northward, past a remarkable headland, enclosing a bay, and which was opposite to another headland. They called it Kialarnes, or Keel-cape," from its resemblance to the keel of a ship. There is no doubt that this was Cape Cod. And as they had no map, and could not see Cape Ann, it is probable that the other head- land was the Gurnet. " From thence, they sailed along the eastern coast of the land to a promontory which there projected - probably Nahant - and which was every
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IO
INTRODUCTION.
where covered with wood. Here Thorwald went ashore, with all his companions He was so pleased with the place, that he exclaimed : 'Here it is beautiful ! and here I should like to fix my dwelling !' Afterwards, when they were prepared to go on board, they observed on the sandy beach, within the promontory, three hillocks. They repaired thither, and found three canoes, and under each three Skrellings - (Indians.) They came to blows with them. and killed eight of them, but the ninth escaped in his canoe. Afterwards a countless multitude of them came out from the interior of the bay against them. They endeavored to protect themselves by raising battle-screens on the ship's side. The Skrellings continued shooting at them for a while and then retired. Thorwald had been wounded by an arrow under the arm. When he found that the wound was mortal, he said, 'I now advise you to prepare for your departure as soon as possible ; but me ye shall bring to the promontory where I thought it good to dwell. It may be that it was a prophetic word which fell from my mouth, about my abiding there for a season. There ye shall bury me; and plant a cross at my head and also at my feet, and call the place Krossanes - [the Cape of the Cross]-in all time coming.' He died, and they did as he had ordered ; afterwards they returned." Antiquitates Americana. xxx.
The question has arisen whether Krossanes was Nahant or Gurnet Point. There is nothing remarkable about the latter place, and though so long a time has passed, no person has thought it desirable to dwell there, but it is used as a sheep pasture. It is far otherwise with Nahant, which answers to the description well. An early writer says that it was "well wooded with oaks, pines, and cedars ; " and it has a "sandy beach within the promontory." Thousands also, on visiting it, have borne witness to the appropriateness of Thorwald's exclamation -" Here it is beautiful ! and here I should like to fix my dwelling !"
This is pleasant reading, and it would be desirable to sustain the conclusions, or suppositions, if in honesty it could be done. It would be highly gratifying to our gentle neighbors of the peninsula to be assured that they have in keeping the dust of the distinguished Vicking chief, who was not only famous himself, but the head of a line which has given the world some of its most brilliant lights - among others the renowned sculptor Thor- wald. And the blissful faith, romantic and doubtful as it is, may, possibly, after all, be well founded, though if it should prove otherwise, the favored region has an abundance of other blessings to fall back upon. The authority on which the conclusions em- bodied in the above extract appear to rest, is a famous Danish work, published at Copenhagen, in 1837. It is a very learned work, but by an author who seems to have occasionally permitted his enthusiasm to get the better of his judgment ; for it is now generally conceded by the more keensighted class of antiquaries, that it advances theories that cannot be sustained.
That the Vickings did visit lands far to the south of Greenland, is quite certain ; but whether they came within Massachusetts
.
-
II
INTRODUCTION.
bay, Vineyard sound, or the Narragansett waters, is doubted. The Vicking lodgment that received the name Vineland, is, in the foregoing extract, unhesitatingly placed in Rhode Island ; but it should be remarked that intelligent authorities have given it a very different location. Some have placed it as far north as Nova Scotia, or even Labrador, in which latter country dwelt the Esquimaux, who, according to Hartwig, were called Skrellen .. gers, or screamers - not simply Indians, as the quotation has it. The evidence of the old mill at Newport, and the hieroglyphic rock at Dighton, has been ruled out; and with it has gone much of the authority that attached to the great work which so unwarily adopted them as monuments of Vicking genius and handiwork. The mill was undoubtedly erected by an early settler, for the worthy purpose of grinding his neighbors' grists ; and the hieroglyphic adornments were most probably the work of some Indian, proud of his artistic acquirements or an aspirant for historic fame. It has been supposed that the Indians had no mode of writing, no way of expressing an idea by visible char- acters ; but recent examinations and discoveries have proved that the fact is otherwise. And by the way, speaking of the Newport mill and the Dighton rock inscription, it seems remark- able that no one appears to have observed that the two so differ in mechanical expression, if the term is allowable, that it is hardly possible they could have been the work of the same people.
At all events, if these roving Northmen were here at the early period claimed it is evident that they did not brave the ocean terrors for any legitimate purposes of discovery, or with any tangible convictions touching the existence of unknown lands. They were adventurous freebooters, brave, reckless, barbarous ; bent on making themselves possessors of whatever they coveted, by force, fraud, or any other means suggested by their brutish genius. And so they pursued their savage career, occasionally driven from their contemplated course by the violence of the elements, but never from their purpose of rapine and murder by the gentler instincts of humanity. But yet it becomes us to be a little chary of our denunciations of these people, for they were our own forefathers. From their loins sprang the brave Saxons who have been so lauded as a race, and whose blood we so love to claim flows in our own veins.
12
INTRODUCTION.
A lively imagination will often make surprising discoveries, trace unexpected analogies, and form captivating theories, where we of the duller sort discern nothing unusual. And who that has reflected on the diversity of human minds has not felt almost hopelessly bewildered. There is as much difference among minds as among faces ; and would that there might be invented a mirror in which to trace our mental features as we do our physical, in the looking-glass. There is little difficulty in recog- nising leading characteristics. We know the mathematical mind by its preciseness ; the poetical by its ready discernment and love of the beautiful ; the semi-preternatural by its delight in things striking and marvellous. Now, in our friend Lewis's mind were combined, in a somewhat peculiar manner, the two latter qualities indicated. He had poetical conception and a love of the marvel- lous ; and under their prompting, stimulated by the fascinations of historic imagery, without doubt wrote the foregoing paragraphs.
It is quite interesting to observe with what avidity intelligent as well as untrained minds will accept any thing that tallies with their peculiar bent ; and quite as interesting to observe how the same minds will reject the most reasonable conclusions that do not accord with their ideal prepossessions. Then there are some who will believe any thing that requires the most feverish credu- lity to grasp, and others who will believe nothing that demands but a small degree of faith. We often treat with scorn and derision those much better and abler than ourselves simply be- cause we are incapable of comprehending their ideas, if ideas they have. As to that, however, most of us have ideas enough, such as they are, but fail to systematise and express them, when they happen to be of value, in a way to give force or even to be under- stood. Education helps to do something here. But then our gifts are various ; and with many the gift of slothfulness is so overwhelming that with the best of tools little work is done. It was not intended, however, to indulge in a sentimental strain, but rather, in a homely way, and as correlative to what has been said, to remark that it is really astonishing to observe how even accomplished scientists may be deceived and led to erroneous conclusions by baseless suggestions, adroitly made, in matters which they might be supposed constantly to hold in full survey.
13
INTRODUCTION.
In the writer's own experience there once occurred an incident so aptly illustrative of the point, that he would fain narrate it in this connection though he must do so with diffidence and morti- fication - diffidence lest he should be charged with vanity, and mortification at having been the apparent cause of disturbance in many worthy minds : When a young man, he one day hap- pened in the printing office of a friend, who saluted him with a " Come, write us something for tomorrow's paper." The reply was, " If you will hand me a stick and rule and show me to a case - [a request that all printers will understand] - I will set you up something without writing." The proposition was com- plied with, and a piece of perhaps half a column in length imme- diately set up and left without any further care. It purported to detail some wonderful changes going on among the heavenly bodies ; was simply in a sportive vein and expected to be so understood. Some of the statements were so glaringly inconsis- tent with established facts that it was astonishing to observe the manner in which it was received by even wary savants. It was copied throughout the country, and referred to in pulpit discourses ; and a New York paper - the Commercial Adver- tiser, if we were rightly informed -stated that it was trans- lated into various languages and published all over Europe. The editor of the paper among other letters received one from Professor Olmstead of Yale College urgently requesting informa- tion respecting its origin, and adding that he had been seriously annoyed by the numerous letters he had received asking for explanations which he could not give, notwithstanding he had twice given notice through the New Haven papers that he knew nothing about it. It was subsequently announced that at the National Observatory, in Washington, it had been declared a romance. The affair finally died away, much to the relief of the innocent author. Yet there were some amusing things about it. , One of the most scholarly men in town, remarked, on reading it, that he had for several nights observed that Venus presented the remarkable appearance spoken of. The ease with which even intelligent minds may be led astray, as illustrated by this incident, is instructive. However, it is claimed that every thing has its use ; and without the vein of credulity and habit of super- ficial observation the quack philosopher, the counterfeit philan-
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