USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > South Boston > Illustrated history of South Boston > Part 1
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Gc 974.402 B652g 1952020
M. L.
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01100 8981
Gc 974 B65 195
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015
https://archive.org/details/illustratedhisto00gill_0
Illustrated
HISTORY OF SOUTH BOSTON
ISSUED IN CONJUNCTION WITH AND UNDER AUSPICES OF
THE SOUTH BOSTON CITIZENS' ASSOCIATION
COMPRISING
AN HISTORIC RECORD AND PICTORIAL DESCRIPTION OF THE DISTRICT, PAST AND PRESENT
COMPILED BY
C. BANCROFT GILLESPIE
- -
1.65
-
CONTENTS
AUTHENTIC OUTLINE HISTORY ; EARLY SCENES AND LANDMARKS : CHURCHES ; SCHOOLS ; INSTITUTIONS ; NOTED EARLY AND PRESENT RESIDENTS, WITH PORTRAITS AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES : BUSINESS AND PRO- FESSIONAL MEN ; MANUFACTURING AND TRADE; SOUTH BOSTON IN ITS MOST FAVORABLE ASPECT AT BEGINNING OF TWENTIETH CENTURY. PRESENT PROSPECTS
SOUTH BOSTON:
INQUIRER PUBLISHING COMPANY
1900
0901
SOUTH BOSTON
A SKETCH of the EARLY PERIOD of ITS HISTORY
F ROM the counties of Devon, Dorset, and Somerset in England, came in 1630 a sturdy set of people to seek their future home on this side of the At- lantic. Long preparation had been made for this voyage, and after many discour- agements, incidental to a journey of this kind in those early years of the history of this continent, their hopes were at last partly gratified, when they set sail on the 20th of March in the ship " Mary and John." They were nearly sixty days on the deep. The coast of Massachusetts came to view on May 29, 1630. By an agreement with the captain of the above vessel, their place of landing was to be on the banks of the Charles River, but doubt- less, for some good reason, they touched the soil of the new country at Nantasket point. Three days after this, in coming up the old harbor, they sighted the pen- insula, now known as South Boston, and pronounced it a good place for the pas- turage of cattle. They erected, however, their tents and cabins in the locality now known as Dorchester, formerly called Mat- tapan, and recognized the adjoining pen- insula as Mattapannock. Hlad Dorehes- ter bay answered the commercial interests of these early settlers, there is good reason to believe, that Shawmut, the former name of Boston would never have superseded the other advantages of Dorchester. Soon after their arrival at this spot, not a few removed to the locality of Boston. Dor- chester likewise owes a debt to South Boston, for it was the attractive pasturage of the latter, that induced these adven- turers from the old country to make their first landing spot in this locality. They undoubtedly would soon have abandoned it, had not the advantages of the penin-
sular district appealed to them strongly in this direction.
These settlers toiled hard and long to make the rough places habitable. Trees were felled, soil was broken, and the Indians took unkindly to their appear- ance. Their hardships were increased by unfordable tidewater rivers and wet meadows. Everything appeared to be against them. The lesson of their en- durance looms up before us, as a precious legacy of their bravery, and their deter-
OLD HOUSE ON FOURTH STREET WHERE THE FIRST SERVICES OF THE PHILLIPS CHURCH WERE HELD.
mination to succeed. When threatened with hunger, Captain Clap tells us, " When I could have meal and water and salt boiled together, it was so good, who could wish better ? And it was not ac- counted a strange thing in these days to drink water, and to eat Samp or Hominy without Butter or Milk. Indeed it would have been a strange thing to see a piece of roast beef, mutton, or veal, though it was not long before there was roast goat."
In 1631 there was not a loaf of bread in anybody's house but the governor's. But there was no despair. Through the
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CITY POINT IN 1749. LOANED BY FRANCIS E. BLAKE.
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A Plan of James Blake's Ilomestall ; in the Town of Dorchester, at a place called Dorchester Neck, near Castle William. Containing besides the great Swamp & the point of Beach, about Forty- four Acres, one-half, and twenty-three Rods. Drawn by the Scale of two of Gunter's Chains to an inch.
James Blake, Sept. 20th, 1749.
Capt. Oliver Wiswell's Land
Capt. Oliver Wiswell's
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HISTORY OF SOUTH BOSTON.
request of the governor, Ireland was grass, its hills and meadows, its large and appealed to for a supply of food. A shady trees, and here and there scattered over the fields the cattle, standing and watching their turn at the closing of the day, to be taken back along that pathway, that so conspicuously marked the approach to the Neck, as it was commonly called in those days. Laws and regulations were introduced for the preservation of the pasturage, and in 1639 no swine could be kept at the great Neck. Every precaution was taken to keep up the appearance of the peninsula, and at a regular town meeting in 1657, it was ordered that the " proprietors of the Neck ship, known as the " Lion " brought over a good supply of provisions, and there was rejoicing everywhere. Care, fore- sight, wisdom in the details of managing the colony were rewarded. The next few years improvements appeared on every hand. Ships kept coming. New pros- pects kept opening. With the Rev. Richard Mather, who chose the lot of these colonists of Dorchester, came in the same ship with him, in the year 1635, one hundred passengers, twenty-three seamen, twenty-three cows and heifers, three
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MAP OF SOUTH BOSTON, DRAWN BY BRITISH OFFICER IN 1774. ( Generally considered incorrect.)
sucking calves, and eight mares. These were all pastured in South Boston.
Everyone had a right, up to 1637, to use the peninsular district for their live stock. A time came for some distinction to be made. This was rendered necessary for obvious reasons. The town records of Dorchester give the names of those persons who were entitled to this privi- lege. Among them, with many others, appear the names of William Blake, Ber- nard Capen, Roger Clap, Widow Foster, Christopher Gibson, Richard Hawes, George Minot and George Proctor.
Beautiful indeed was the South Boston of those days, with its rich growth of
be requested to repair the fence and causeway, and in default of so doing, they be prosecuted under the law in regard to roads and fences."
The time came for the Neck to be settled. Captain Hopestill Foster, who died in 1676, owned a large lot of land, known as Leek hill, near the present junction of Second and Dorchester streets. This eminence was fortified by the Ameri- cans during the Revolutionary war. His son came over to live at the Neck some- where near 1674. Besides other property owned by this Englishman, who came over in 1635, may be mentioned the " quarry " near the corner of E and Bower
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HISTORY OF SOUTH BOSTON.
streets. This yielded a good profit in its day. Many of the gravestones in the old burying ground at Dorchester were prepared here. A boat also plied between Boston and Charlestown and the Neck laden with the stone from this quarry. This industry was well known. It is probable that the first house erected in South Boston was on the site occupied in later years by the E Street Congrega- tional Church. Captain Foster set apart a lot in 1676 to be used for the erection of a meeting house. This was never carried out. His son, James Foster, in- herited lands which are now occupied by seven religious buildings. The Blake house, the property of Deacon James
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FIRST BAPTIST MEETING HOUSE. CORNER BROADWAY AND C STREET.
Blake, at the point, was not erected until 1680, and this was doubtless the second dwelling house, and not the first as often supposed. Mr. Abraham Gould, through marriage, inherited a large portion of the Foster estate.
Thirty-six acres lying between Dor- chester, Third, Old Harbour and Gstreets belonged to Oliver Wiswell. He lived on Fourth street, near the Bird school house, and plied the trade of cord winder. Dor- chester Heights were owned by Messrs. Wiswell and Bird, and before iSoo no families lived in this locality, except those represented by these names. The Bird brothers in 1677 purchased of Samuel Farnsworth eighteen acres of land upon the Neck for fifty-five pounds. Thomas
Bird purchased the rights of his other brothers a few years later, and his son Benjamin inherited his property, and other lands acquired by himself, in all thirty acres, which were bounded by the old road, or Emerson street on the north, and Old Harbor on the south, running from G to I street. The house erected, together with others, was afterwards destroyed by the British in 1776.
Twenty-four acres of ploughed land on the Neck fell through inheritance to Cap- tain John Withington. In all probability, upon his marriage, he built a house upon his land. In 1690 he was living there, and being of adventuresome spirit, he, with others, undertook an expedition under Sir William Phips against Quebec. It was not a success. No one ever re- turned to tell of his fate. After his relatives had waited four years to get some tidings of his whereabouts, and failed, it was decided that his death was no longer to be doubted, and an inventory of his estate would be made. This is in- teresting, for it is the earliest record of its kind. A dwelling house and barn, to- gether with forty-nine acres of land adjoining, is mentioned, and valued at £377. He owned also thirteen acres of land, and the same number in the salt marsh and meadows, making twenty-six in all. This did not include seventy acres of woodland, which is set down at £66.
Hle was, apparently, a land owner of recognized prominence in his time. His estate was on the south side of the road to Fort Independence. (This was re- ferred to in those days as Castle William, which was built in 1633.)
This road to the castle took the line of the present Dorchester street to Emerson, then passed into Fourth street unto the shore. His house stood somewhere be- tween I and K streets, near Sixth street, but the property went as far as Old Harbor on the south.
West of K street the road to Powwow point was found, and this allowed an en- trance to the large estate. The house had a garden in front, with a well near by, and in the background was a large orchard. Richard, the son of the captain,
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HISTORY OF SOUTH BOSTON.
came finally into the possession of this property, and his son, Hopestill, made many improvements in it. The British soldiers put the torch to it in 1776. Part of this property was afterwards purchased by the Rev. John Hawes, who erected a house upon it in 1805. or thereabouts, known afterwards as the ". Capen house."
Richard Mather owned thirty-two acres at the Neck in 1686. Ile often sent his bull to feed upon the very ground, where now stands a school bearing this name. His property was mortgaged in 1687, and was afterwards sold for £250 to Isaac Jones. This family held it for fifty years. Ebenezer, his son, worked upon this farm, and was a quiet inoffensive person.
estate. The wine at his funeral cost £5 128., and the gloves went up to £12. Husking parties were popular, and it re- quired some skill in making preparation for these. A charge was often made for admission. In this way, the Blakes, Wis- wells. Birds, Fosters, and Withingtons spent many a happy social hour together, and went around to one another's houses to drive dull care away.
James and Hopestill Foster afterwards purchased this property, and the house was one among the few, which escaped de- struction by the British in February, 1776. A larger part of the estate was sold in 1785 to Ephraim Mann, and as the Mann es- tate, it was familiarily known to many old
SOUTH BOSTON IN 1832
His humility marked itself upon his neigh- bors, and his care in the administration of his affairs is noticeable in the few family documents, which have come down to us.
The estate went north of the road to the castle, and was near the limits of I and K streets down to the shore.
The house stood some distance from the road, with a narrow path leading to it. The barn was nearly to the north. The house had two stories. The well was in front, and a pond for watering the cattle stood at the back of the barn. This water was like the spring of clear water which was at the foot of K street, at Powwow point.
The peculiar customs of the times are revealed in the inventory of Mr. Jones'
South Bostonians. The first wharf pro- jected from this property, westerly in the neighborhood of K street into the harbor.
Mr. Ebenezer Jones was very careful of his personal effects. When Messrs. Wiswell, Bird, and Blake took it upon themselves to make an inventory of his personal property, they valued one suit of clothes belonging to him at $12; a hat at £2 ; three old hats are down upon the list at os. The land of the salt marsh at Little Neck i.e., Washington village, over five acres, is valued at $176.
Mr. James White, another owner of Neck lands was fortunate in his marriages. Ilis first wife, Sarah Baker, put him into possession of thirteen acres with a dwell- ing house. Eight years after she died
IO
HISTORY OF SOUTH BOSTON.
he courted and won the hand of Captain John Withington's widow, and lived in her dwelling for many years. Before he died, he sold to James Blake a house and barn with seventeen acres of land, located on the northern side of the Neck, between M and N streets, which after- wards became known as the property of the city. East of Independence square in this neighborhood was the site of the dwelling. Oliver Wiswell, Jr., in 1738,
way leading to the castle, being about six and thirty acres," said Mr. James Blake, in his will, who died in 1700, " I give to my son James, and all my land at Dorchester Neck adjoining his house that he dwells in." This house was the second one erected at the Neck. It was located at the extreme end, near the southeastern corner of Broadway and P street. The house of Mr. Foster was a mile distant.
Such a site for a dwelling had an. un-
BROADWAY IN 1852, SHOWING PERKINS INSTITUTION.
became the owner of the property with seven acres additional. The house was not very substantial, and was taxed for £: 145. The barn was afterwards des- troyed, but nothing definite is known of the fate of the house. Probably the British soldiers spared it for their own use. Eventually, this whole estate was owned by the city and public buildings were erected here in later years.
" All my lands on both sides of the
obstructed view of the harbor, and was little frequented, except by a few neigh- bors and the soldiers, whose duties called them to Castle William. Along the main road, which was Dorchester street to Emerson, thence into Fourth, and then on to the shore, passed either to mill or meeting, Deacon Blake, as he was often called. He was well-known and highly respected. Not only did he till the ground, but he was an " all round man,"
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HISTORY OF SOUTH BOSTON.
and often consulted upon matters bearing upon the welfare of the town and country, and for nearly fifty years went in and out among his neighbors, as a wise coun- sellor and an upright townsman. He sleeps in the old cemetery in Dorchester. £43 were paid at his funeral for crape "siprus, handkerchiefs, hatband crape silk, qually binding, etc."
His son James acquired through in- heritance and purchase, the house and property on the road to Castle William, comprising forty-four acres. This was
improved during the lifetime of Mr. Blake by a new dwelling and barn. He made a popular public servant. As town clerk, for twenty - four years, he rendered admir- able assistance in keeping the rec- ords, which show care and faithful- ness,and it is evi- dent that his liv- ing so far from the centre of the town did not in any way detract from his popularity and use- fulness as a town officer. The presi- dent of Harvard college consulted him about the lands at the Neck, and he was a recognized authority upon this matter, and his services were often in demand as an executor, administrator, guardian, or compiler of public records. His death occurred in 1750. Samuel, his son, inherited all his property, but he died a few years after his father. Mrs. Patience Blake was left with nine children, and when the first school was started in 1762, she became the teacher. Mr. James Blake, the brother of Samuel, lived with her for many years. The British became troublesome, and in 1775 matters took the shape of warlike operations, and
many people at the Neck removed to safe quarters. When the son of Mr. James Blake was sent upon the mission of re- moving the window glass from the house, a shot from the fort opposite whizzed through the window in close proximity to where the young man was working. From this, he took the hint that the Britishers were bound to trouble anyone who came to protect their property. This house was burned, February 13, 1776. The family, from a slight elevation in Dorchester, afterwards saw the old homestead made
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OLD SUFFOLK GLASS WORKS IN 1849.
a prey to the flames. In 1784 a larger house was erected, and the property re- mained in the hands of the Blake family till 1866. Upon the original portion of the Blake estate, Mr. Adam Bent built a house near the corner of Q and Fourth streets in or near the year 1810.
'The few inhabitants of the peninsula in those days, did nothing, comparatively speaking, to warrant the unmerciful and cruel raids perpetrated by the British sol- diers, and it is much to their credit that they maintained their courage.
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HISTORY OF SOUTH BOSTON.
DORCHESTER HEIGHTS.
A map of the Revolutionary War, in representing the Neck, would give two hills, East and West hills, Twin hills as they were commonly called. Foster's hill was to the extreme west. Upon this spot now stands the Lawrence school and accepted as the place to mark the evacu- ation of Boston by the British troops. Independence square was called Bush Tree hill. Leek hill was at the north of Dorchester-street, on the water side. The extreme eastern hill was known as the Battery.
The British conspicuously blundered
The Heights were fortified in March, 1776, by the request of General Washington. Action like this rendered the British ner- vous, as their troops were in Boston. The Americans made a sharp and deci- sive move. England was watching, and pronounced it to be this. Lieutenant Leslie went with a detachment from Castle William, and his instructions were to destroy every house and barn on the Neck. Six of the American guards were taken prisoner, besides an old man. Six dwellings out of eleven, and ten barns and shops, or sheds, were burned.
Matters were getting warmer for a closer contact. General Washington had his
RESIDENCE OF NOAH BROOKS, IN 1825.
in not taking possession of Dorchester Heights. When the twelve families were forced to leave their dwellings upon the Neck, they did so for the reason that they thought all along this spot would have been seized and fortified by the British. The only road leading from the Neck to Dorchester was often flooded at high tide, and to be caught in the peninsular district by the tide, and by the tyranny and op- pression of the British soldiers was not very appetizing to the Yankee of those days. Consequently, in 1775, South Boston was deserted. The Americans were wise where the British were foolish.
eye upon fortifying Dorchester Heights. From Cambridge, shot and shell fell upon the British in Boston, and heavy firing. was kept up by both sides ..
On March 4, active preparations were under way. In silence, with not a word above a whisper, passed two thousand Americans, covered by a party of eight hundred not far away, up to Dorchester Heights. The night was favorable. The stars in their courses were fighting against the British. Even the moon, later on, crept silently over the horizon, and sent her silvery rays over the bended forms of laborers, farmers, soldiers, working with
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HISTORY OF SOUTH BOSTON.
ALGER'S IRON FOUNDRY IN 1854.
a will to make Dorchester Heights as for- midable as possible. The well-known engineer of Bunker Hill, Colonel Richard Gridley was there, superintending the de- tails of the work. Night wore away, amid the continued flash and booming of cannon in the distance. With reso- lute hearts, the Americans wel- comed the dawn with two strong for- tifications. 'Their work had brought forth fruit.
General Howe ate his breakfast March 5 with little relish. South Bos- ton had during the night become ag- gressive with American enter - prise. The Twin hills stared the British general with eyes of vengeance. No wonder his heart failed, for when he saw the forts he exclaimed,
"I know not what I shall do ! The rebels have done more in one night than my whole army would have done in a month."
"Drive the Americans from Dorchester Heights," this was the thought that rankled in his breast. The Americans saw events were hourly becoming more
INTERIOR OF ALGER'S IRON FOUNDRY IN 1850. CASTING 25,000 POUND CANNON.
14
HISTORY OF SOUTH BOSTON.
serious. Washington went in and out among the soldiers, saying " Remember it is the fifth of March, and avenge the death of your brethren." Over a hun- dred years after this, a similar cry " Re- member the Maine," went reverberating through this land. Both cries meant action. A violent storm beat upon the British troops embarking for the castle. Rain came down in sheets. Plan after plan was intercepted. The secluded Americans added piece to piece on the Heights. Their courage grew stronger, and the fortifications were frowning upon the enemy. The news got abroad that General Howe would not attempt any
the only persons who lost their lives in Mattanpannock during this exciting interval.
In all eight hundred shot were heard from the American side on March 10, which was Sunday. The action became demonstrative. Americans were over eager to make a more decisive opposition. The suspense was trying, and Washington was careful to save life, as well as to watch the hesitation of General Howe about evacuating the city. Hook's hill was more strongly fortified. There the mouths of the cannons were opened upon the very centre of the town. Noddle's Island was about to be crowned with
THIS TABLET IS
PLACED EY THE
SOCIETY OF SONSTOF THE REVOLUTION
CONNORWEALTHA
TO MARK THE SITE CE NOOK HILL.
DURING THE SIEGE OF EUSTON BY THE AMERICAN FORCES UNDER GENERAL WASHINGTON
ATTENET WAS MADE ON THE EVENING OF MAROR'S TO PLANTA BATTERY NEAR THIS EFOR
THE AMERICANS WERE DRIVEN ARRAY BY THE FIRE
FROM THE BRITISH CURS AND FIVE WERE KILLED THE WORK MAS REEUMEL MARCH IG COMPLETING THE LINE OF THE AMERICAN FORTIFICATIONS AND CAUSING THE BRITISH TROOPS TO EVACUATE THE TOWNOF GUETON
TABLET PLACED ON LAWRENCE SCHOOL BY SONS OF THE REVOLUTION.
attack. The Tories were crazed at the announcement of this decision and they beat a hasty retreat. Even his soldiers took advantage of this, and went to plun- dering the houses of Boston. South Bos- ton had terrorized British Boston. Boston must be destroyed, yelled the Americans, and they meant it. Batteries were placed upon Leak and Bird's hill, and these turned among the fleet in the harbor, if necessary. When the British saw a bat- tery on Hook's hill, their fear increased, and they poured their shot from the Green Store battery in it. On this hill four soldiers and a surgeon were killed,
guns. On March 17, 1776, the army of General Howe took the strong hint that had been given them for over a week. They left the wharves of Boston and eyed, as they sailed down the harbor, the silent fortifications that would have effectively answered any sort of opposition. England felt crestfallen at the departure of her troops. The beginning of the reverses had started, and other events were to follow in the wake of this one, which would proclaim for ever American inde- pendence.
To South Boston, as a locality, belongs rightly the honor of effectively dislodging the British from their stronghold in Bos- ton. The event by itself did more to
I This was located at the corner of Washington and Dover streets.
0911
15
HISTORY OF SOUTH BOSTON.
OLD ST. MATTHEW'S IN ISIS. BROADWAY BETWEEN D AND E STREETS.
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