USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > A History of Bristol County, Massachusetts, vol 2 > Part 4
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The first newspaper, "The Medley, or New Bedford Marine Journal," made its first appearance November 27, 1792, edited and printed by John Spooner, near Rotch Wharf. In 1793 a post route was established by Samuel Sprague from New Bedford to Barnstable, via Rochester, Wareham and Sandwich, returning through Plymouth and Middleboro. Weekly communication with Boston was maintained by William Henshaw's stage line that left New Bedford at nine o'clock in the morning, arriving at Taunton the evening of the same day. The fare was three pence per mile. Abraham Russell ran a stage to Boston in 1794, at three dollars for each
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passenger. The street was opened over the mill-dam in Fairhaven in 1795, the record saying of New Bedford at that date, that it contained 454 houses and 1,313 inhabitants. In 1796 the New Bedford and Fairhaven bridge was incorporated. This so altered the current of the river that it washed the channel full of sand, and compeltely ruined the business of the. town. The bridge was washed away in a very high tide in 1807, was rebuilt, and again destroyed in the gale of September, 1815; then again rebuilt in 1819, and also has been rebuilt many times since that date. In 1800 the toll charge was: Each foot passenger, 4 cents; each horse and person, 12 cents; each chaise or sulkey, 25 cents; each sleigh drawn by one horse, 18 cents; and 6 cents for each additional horse. For each coach, phaeton, curricle or four-wheeled carriage of burthen drawn by two beasts, 25 cents. For the privilege of rolling a wheelbarrow or handcart over the bridge, 6 cents. For droves of sheep, swine, cattle or horses with one driver, per dozen, 6 cents.
The twentieth anniversary of American independence was celebrated in New Bedford with great rejoicing, the artillery company under Captain Ayers taking an important part. The celebration included an oration by Rev. Samuel West, D. D., an eloquent divine, and a public dinner was served.
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Upon the death of President Washington, December 14, 1799, news did not reach New Bedford until December 22. On the day of the memorial services a procession was formed by Colonels Pope, Kempton, Claghorn, and Captain Bryant. The procession was composed of the artillery and militia companies; Washington Remembrance Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons; the orator of the day was Rev. John Briggs, of Trenton; the clergy and choir of singers; civil officers; and school children, each with a black ribbon on the left arm. While the procession moved, the bells tolled and minute guns were discharged. In the harbor the vessels all placed their flags at halfmast.
A fatal fever swept the town during September and October, 1801, exciting much alarm and causing eleven deaths. The Bedford Bank was incorporated April 2, 1903, by Thomas Hazzard, Jr., Edward Pope and Seth Russell, Jr. On September 26, 1804, Joseph Willard, D. D., LL.D., presi- dent of Harvard University, died here, at the home of Edward Pope. The years until 1812 seem to have been years of plenty and prosperity and patriotic development. Each succeeding Fourth of July was loyally cele- brated, and military organizations continued a lively existence.
The town of New Bedford had been set off from Dartmouth and incor- porated in 1787, and the first town meeting was held March 2, in the Congregational church. The town was divided into four districts, separated north and south by the harbor and the river, and east and west by the highway beginning in the line between this town and that of Dartmouth at the bridge about twenty rods eastward of the house of James Peckham, deceased, last built, and leading easterly to the bridge at the head of the harbor, and thence still easterly by the dwelling house of Hannaniah Cor- nish to Rochester line. The town cast its first vote for governor as fol- lows: James Bowdoin, 41; John Hancock, 171. Selectmen were at first : John West, Isaac Pope, William Tallman; clerk and treasurer, John Pick- ens ; assessors : Bartholomew Aiken, Joseph Taber, Thomas Kempton ; sur-
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veyors of lumber: Benjamin Taber, Benjamin Dillingham, Bartholomew Aiken, Jethro Allen; inspector of fish, Peleg Huttleson.
CHAPTER V.
EARLY LANDED PROPRIETORS
From an account written for county history purposes by Henry B. Worth, the subjoined facts concerning the early land owners and farmers of New Bedford, two centuries ago, have been here relied upon as accurate. The details he gives have necessarily been shortened for lack of space in this work.
All New Bedford was divided into eleven farms two hundred years ago. For half a century its wealth was gained by tilling the soil, and the tracts from Clark's cove to the head of the Acushnet river, then a part of the town of Dartmouth, were opened by primitive farmers. There is no record of any commerce or whaling, and the only cloth manufacturing was the product of the hand-spinning wheels and hand-looms. Benjamin Allen owned the southwestern tract, including Clark's Point, valuable on account of its long shore front. The Ward family owned a thousand acres north and south of the Allen property, sixteen hundred acres at the head of the river, and a part of the Cuttyhunk and Nashawena. The homestead of the first Joseph Russell was the farm between Thompson and Grinnell streets. John Russell was a member of the Dartmouth Society of Friends. John Russell, Jr., owned the property between Russell and Spring streets, with his dwelling near the head of Walnut street. His son Joseph, the third of the name, was accounted the richest man in the village; his estate showed £5200 real estate, and £1200 personal. Ephraim Kempton settled in 1737, and built a one-story three-room dwelling. About this time settled Captain Seth Pope, Samuel Willis, Stephen Peckham, Samuel Jenney, John Hatha- way; a little later came what are sometimes styled the settlers of 1760, including Russell and Colonel Willis, two wealthy men who owned farms and mills. The only traces of affluence are to be discovered in the probate records, where there may be occasional mention of bonds, notes, a few books, or some other household luxury. A new order of things had been ushered in. The people were soon to engage in another industry for gain- ing their livelihood. Wealth no longer came from the soil, but from the riches found in the briny deep. Joseph Russell, grandson of the American ancestor of that name, inherited the homestead farm, and he also purchased a part of the Kempton tract. Russell decided to engage in the fishing industry, and especially in whaling. On the shore, near the foot of Union street, he sold off lots of land, and the village was first called New Settle- ment, and a few years later, Bedford, still later changed to New Bedford. With the money received from the sale of his lands, Joseph Russell pos- sessed about $8,000. Just before the War for Independence he had sold all his shore front north of Madison except a small tract. In these days blubber was brought by whaling vessels to the home port and tried out on shore. The Russell candle works was located between Centre street and
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Rose alley, west of Front street, and the try-works a short distance to the north. Before his death in 1806, Russell had sold in house lots all of his farm east of County street and north of Madison. Like most merchants in his day, he had a license to sell liquors, the same being granted from 1773 to 1775.
Bedford Village received among its residents just before 1770, three men who were of the Society of Friends, who exerted a powerful influence financially. These men included Joseph Rotch and Captain Isaac Howland. Rotch had much ability as a man to gain wealth. He appeared on the scene of activity first at Nantucket, about 1725, and in 1733 married Love Macy, in Friends' meeting. It was once written of Rotch by F. E. Sanford that "Rotch cobbled shoes in the front shop and sold West Indies goods in the other." In 1784, at his death, he was counted the wealthiest of all the settlers. His dwelling stood on the southwest corner of Water and Williams streets, and it was burned by the British in 1778. He next built at the corner of Union and Bethel. Captain Isaac Howland came from Round Hill, Dartmouth, at the end of Smith's Neck. He had been a cap- tain on the seas, but he changed for business on land; two of his daugh- ters married sons of Joseph Russell. In 1770 he must have been a well-to- do man, for he had in 1774, as a member of the Society of Friends, to free his slaves. Others of his class had to do the same; these men were William Sanford, Peleg Slocum, John and Joseph Russell. Howland conducted a distillery on the north side of Commercial street, where the stone block now stands. Benjamin Taber, boat-builder and block-maker, in 1765 bought the lot on the north side of Union street, between Water street and the river. He built the wharf named for him, now owned by the city.
The Revolutionary War almost destroyed all industries; losses up to 1778 were estimated at near a half million dollars. Between the two con- flicts with England, New Bedford not only regained all loss incurred, but grew in importance almost to become a rival of Nantucket, the center of the whale fisheries of the world. It was during this period that the foun- dations for the many subsequent fortunes were laid. The leaders in finance and enterprise generally were then John and Isaac Howland. Also Joseph Russell and the Kemptons were forehanded, ,and whenever they saw a chance to invest they took advantage of it and were usually highly success- ful. Others of financial far-seeing vision were George Tyson, who married a daughter of Seth Russell; and Captain Cornelius Grinnell, one of the incorporators of the Bedford Bank in 1803. But, towering over all others, were William Rotch and son William and the allied families of Samuel Rodman and Thomas Hazzard. The last named settled in New Bedford in 1792, engaged in whaling, and became rich. He was elected first presi- dent of the Bedford Bank, and was one of the six incorporators of the New Bedford and Fairhaven Bridge Company. Shortly after the close of the Revolution, Hazzard removed to New York City. Gilbert Russell was another successful whaling merchant, but his name seems not to have been flaunted as was the case of others engaged in like business. At his death, after having given lavishly to his children, he left an estate valued at more than $70,000.
Near 1800 there appeared in New Bedford several young men who later
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came to be known as financial leaders, among whom was John Avery Parker. In 1816 he was one of the directors of the Bedford Commercial Bank. In 1825 he organized the Merchants' Bank, and was its president until his death in 1854. His estate was valued at $1,200,000, making him the richest man in New Bedford at that date. He made his wealth largely by whaling. At first he was associated with Seth Russell & Sons. George Howland came from Long Plain as a clerk in the counting room of William Rotch, but soon forged to the front and at the age of thirty-five was presi- dent of the Bedford Bank, and serving till his death. At one time he owned ten whaling ships, was connected with many enterprises, and was possessed of wealth sufficient at death to be classed among the few mil- lionaires. Another important factor was James Arnold, who came from Rhode Island and married a daughter of. William Rotch, Jr. He became wealthy as a member in the William Rotch, Jr. & Company concern. He was broad-minded and sound in financial judgment, resulting in his becom- ing rich, and was also noted for his philanthropy. His improvements con- sisted in creating "Arnold Garden," a famous point for sight-seers. His estate was estimated at his passing to be $1,400,000.
The increase of population following the Revolutionary War resulted in the building of two meeting houses. The Dartmouth Monthly Meeting of the Friends on the north side of Spring street, including New Bedford, had its meeting house at the head of the Acushnet, on the hill east of the village. Dr. Samuel West was the minister.
The public house was an important feature in every colonial village, especially on the seaboard. Then liquor was as much an article of necessity in a grocery store as molasses, and in old-time advertisements both articles are quoted together. It was then no discredit to deal out rum to customers, and as a matter of fact, its use was not abused as it has been since that time. Captain Seth Pope, Richard Pierce, minister of the gospel; Colonel Samuel Willis and his son, Colonel Ebenezer; John Wady and Samuel Sprague, were licensed retailers of liquor. John Garrish opened an inn in 1780 and continued to conduct it for thirty years; it carried the sign of the Swan. Under the sign of the Golden Ball, the large hotel at the corner of Union and Water streets was conducted as long ago as a half century ; Joshua Crocker was landlord in 1810, Joseph B. Peabody had it later and changed its name to that of the New Bedford Hotel; in 1824 it was called the Washington House. The Eagle House dated back to 1807; in 1824 Barney Corey took the house over and made it very successful. On the east side of the river were also numerous hotels, then known as inns, how- ever.
The War of 1812 being largely a naval contest, checked all business for the time being. Abraham Russell seems to have been the only man who lost all by reason of that struggle with the Mother Country. In 1822 a local surveyor named John Pickens recorded that there were fifteen wharves and eight spermaceti factories, and the same number of wharves, at New Bedford. There were two rope-walks in the south part of town. The for- tunes begun before the War of 1812 were greatly increased before the opening of the Civil War. The whaling industry was the money-maker of all others the most successfully operated. Shipbuilding never produced
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much in way of fortunes at this point. Ships were owned by several indi- viduals. The agent or managing owner generally had the largest share, and he was usually a grocer or clothier. Then the sail-boat and spar-worker, cordage manufacturer and nautical men of every line, owned a fraction, and each was patronized in his particular business. One of the wealthiest men of the present century, Rodolphus Beetle, until a few years ago had a spar-yard. A few years ago Richard Curtis, a rigger, startled his friends by having an estate of $185,000, and in a few years later James D. Driggs, a ship blacksmith, left a snug fortune. Within a few years John R. Shurt- leff, a sail-maker, died leaving $250,000.
After the War of 1812 one of the important events was the recharter- ing of the Bedford Commercial Bank, in 1816. This bank and its successor, the Bank of Commerce, had a building on the west side of Water street that occupied the south part of the lot now covered by the new Bank building that was given to the Old Dartmouth Historical Society. From 1825 on, New Bedford capital was combined in all sorts of corporations, and for a city of its size there was more wealth than in any locality in the world.
CHAPTER VI.
FROM 1812 TO 1830
The city of New Bedford of today (1923) as compared to the village of a century ago, seems to bear but little relationship. Even the river front has so materially changed that if a pioneer should be allowed to view it now, he would not think it possible that he had ever looked upon the same locality. The village of then is now the sprightly city of more than 125,000 souls. The fields, meadows and dense forests of then have been transformed into mammoth mills and factory plants, fine stores, solid busi- ness blocks, and beautifully paved streets. In 1815 the entire town con- tained only five hundred and six houses. Walnut street was its southern border; beyond was all woods, only broken by the County road, which led to Clark's cove.
A fearful wind-storm of September 29, 1815, was the severest and most violent ever witnessed in the place, before or since. The tide rose ten feet above normal high water and four feet higher than there had ever been record of there before. So rapid was the rise that occupants in stores and shops situated along the river front were obliged to leave them, aban- doning all of their contents; several merchants lost all merchandise and their books and papers of value. Several lives were lost. The New Bed- ford salt-works were swept away, and the rope-walks were partly destroyed. A carding mill and boat-loading shop were destroyed, together with Can- non's tallow chandlery, a row of stores at Rotch's wharf, besides many les- ser pieces of property. The Bedford-Fairhaven bridge was carried away ; sixteen vessels moored at the wharves were blown adrift. War and the elements seemed to conspire against Bedford and New Bedford, but in five years it had well picked up. There was no bank in operation then, but in 1812 the Bedford Bank was established. In 1816 the Bedford Commercial
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Bank was chartered, with George Howland as president. This was the first strong evidence of the revival of confidence. In 1818 there were reg- istered at the U. S. Custom House fifteen ships, eleven brigs, ten schooners and fourteen sloops.
In 1819 a vigorous temperance movement sought to suppress the sale of "cider and other intoxicating liquors to minors, so that their morals may not be corrupted and their future prospects blasted by habits they have acquired in youth."
A stage route was established from Newport to Providence via Stone Bridge in November, 1820. Daniel Whitaker's Classical School was opened April 22, 1821. The "Cold Day" memorable in the place was January 19, 1821, when the thermometer registered twelve degrees below zero. A market-house was opened to the public December 14, 1822; the building was later used for the Central police station. June 6, 1825, Benjamin Lindsay opened a reading room that for sixty years continued to be head- quarters for the business men of the town. In the summer and autumn of 1826, in days of prosperity, a lawless element sought to "run the town." What is styled the Ark riots took place at about that date. There were two notorious resorts within the limits of the town, one known as the "Ark," from its having been constructed from parts of an abandoned vessel ; the other was styled the "Hard Dig." Both were destroyed by crowbar and flames, and thus ended for a time the work of lawless men and women in New Bedford. In the spring of 1829 the Elm Street Methodist Episcopal Church was burned. The basement was filled with casks of oil, which had they taken fire would have spread the conflagration to all parts of the town. It was believed that the frequenters of the "Ark" thus retaliated for the burning of their resort. Another "Ark" was constructed, but met with about the same fate as the first. The town was placed voluntarily under a "Committee of Vigilance," for some time after these fires. At the annual town meeting in 1830 the boundaries of streets and roads were fixed and monuments placed permanently. The quantity of oil brought to town in 1830 was 41,000 barrels of sperm, and 43,135 barrels of whale oil, and ten spermaceti candle factories were in operation. In 1795 the place had a population of 1,000; in 1830 it was 7,695.
From 1830 to 1840 was a period of general prosperity, although marked by a number of disasters, including the "second great fire," which started on Sunday morning, July 25, 1830, in the dwelling house of William H. Allen, now the corner of School and Seventh streets. The loss fell heavily on Dudley Davenport, whose large wood-working shop was totally de- stroyed. It was during 1830 that vigorous action was taken to prevent so much liquor being consumed in the place; the selectmen were asked to refuse permits to more than five grogshops. The first flagged streets appeared in 1832. Penny-post-delivery for letters began in 1832, Richard Williams being postmaster. Asiatic cholera that swept over the United States that year, was kept away from New Bedford by very strict rules of precaution. The "Courier" of August 17, 1832, published a record of the facts concerning the raising of the North Christian Church building, which was ninety feet long, seventy feet wide and one hundred and forty-five feet to the top of the spire; this work was accomplished in three days by twenty
-
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men under the direction of the Messrs. Davenport. This was the largest piece of work in Bristol county up to that date, and strange to relate (for those days), not a drop of liquor was used in the "raising". Another destructive fire occurred in November, 1834.
An anti-slavery society was formed at Lyceum Hall in June, 1834. The temperance question kept lively, and the local paper stated that "the favor- able state of affairs in New Bedford today as concerns grogshops and liquor elements, is due undeniably to the earnest efforts of the citizens a genera- tion ago to suppress intemperance and the sale of ardent spirits." Doubtless it never entered into the dreams of any mortal along the Atlantic coast at that early date that in three-quarters of a century every legalized saloon in the United States would be closed by authority of the people's voice, working through a contsitutional amendment.
The Fourth of July, 1836, was celebrated with unusual ceremony. All vessels in the harbor were brilliant with flags; the U. S. revenue cutter "McLean" fired sunrise salute, and in the evening was gayly illuminated ; a procession marched through the streets, and listened to an oration from that wonderful anti-slavery advocate, Wendell Phillips. The same year (1837) the first directory of the town was published by J. C. Parmenter, edited by Henry H. Crapo; subscription price fifty cents; extra binding seventy-five cents. Subscription books were opened in 1838 for New Bed- ford's first railroad project-the New Bedford & Taunton railroad, and in less than eighteen months trains were running into New Bedford. In 1838-39 much street paving was done.
CHAPTER VII.
MILITARY HISTORY.
Preceding chapters have given the important facts concerning the War for Independence; also much concerning the privateer system of American warfare, and now the reader is referred to the second war with Great Britain, the War of 1812-14. It was on June 18, 1812, that war was de- clared by Congress, and the following day President Madison made public proclamation of the fact. Bedford was then strongly allied with the Feder- alists, Fairhaven being equally pronounced in its loyalty to the party of which Jefferson and Madison were the great leaders. The Federal party opposed the war, and so did New Bedford; Fairhaven supported the war. The two villages held many a fierce debate in the old town hall situated at the Parting of the Ways. But in 1812 the town of Bedford was divided, and Fairhaven was set off from her olden and long-time rival. The senti- ment in New Bedford may be understood by the following resolution passed by the town meeting in May, 1812: "We view with extreme regret and apprehension an impending war with Great Britain, which in our opin- ion will be disturbing and ruinous to our country, destructive to our com- merce, and cause a heavy increase in direct taxation. Ruinous, as it would lead to an alliance with France, to which nation has hitherto acceded with- out loss of its liberty and independence."
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War of 1812-14 .- As soon as the news of war was made known, the "New Bedford Mercury" expressed itself: "The awful calamity is at length officially announced. A war which has so long been predicted by the wise, ridiculed by the weak, deprecated by the honest, and courted by the wicked, is officially announced. Never have we seen dismay so generally and forc- ibly depicted on the features of our fellow-citizens as at this portentious moment. The hand of enterprise is withered and the heart is sickened, the hard-earned treasures of industry are dissolved, and the business of life seems to pause in awful suspense." Without doubt this expressed the honest opinion of a majority living in New England. New Bedford's fears were well grounded. During the first three months after war commenced, eight vessels belonging to this port were captured by the English, the total cargo of these boats being $218,000. The entire period of this war was fraught with terror and privation in all the coast towns of New England, but New Bedford, although often threatened, escaped attack. England did not believe America could muster much of a navy, but in this she was dis- appointed, for America had a strong fleet that swept the seas and captured more than fifteen hundred vessels. The harbor of New Bedford was ideal as a rendezvous for privateers, as privateer boats in this port were frequent in 1813 and 1814. During 1814 the British naval force in the United States waters was greatly increased and the New England coast swarmed with English frigates, gun-zoats or bun-brigs, as well as privateers. The sea- board towns were helpless, the troops all having been withdrawn for ser- vice in Canada. Later in the year a thousand soldiers were stationed along the harbor shores. How New Bedford was affected is shown in the many captures of her ships. While her losses from naval and privateering vessels was great, it remained for the British brig "Nimrod" to be the reigning terror of New Bedford, and the whole southern coast. She mounted six- teen 34-pounders, two long nines and one eighteen-pounder. January 28, 1814, the "Nimrod" bombarded Falmouth, injuring thirty houses, though no lives were lost. New Bedford was in a state of contsant dread and alarm. April 15, 1814, the British war vessels, "Victorious," "Endymion" and "Peacock," made their appearance in Vineyard Sound, and it was said were to attack New Bedford, but this proved a false alarm. The guns at Phoenix, June 13, 1814, gave notice of the approach of seven or eight barges. The weather was hazy, the barges were not discovered until close to the fort, but the preparation for their reception was so evident that they withdrew. Twelve vessels were set on fire, five of which were totally con- sumed. The cotton factory was also fired, but the flames were extinguished ' after the departure of the invaders. On September 27 and 28, 1814, five hundred soldiers marched into the village from towns in the northern part of Bristol county on their way to assigned stations along the seacoast. The village was under strict military rule for several months, and on August 12, 1814, Charles Gilbert was shot dead by a sentry on duty near the gun-house at the corner of South Sixth and Spring streets. Gilbert did not respond when the sentry asked for the countersign, although he was loyal and in possession of it, his intention no doubt being to test the fidelity of the sentry.
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