USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Everett > Everett souvenir. 1870-1893 > Part 7
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Among the prom- inent speakers who participated in this debate were Wm. Woodwell, Thomas J.Gargan, of Boston, and T. H. Sweetser of Lowell (the ablest lawyer of his day at the Middlesex bar, B. F. Butler ex- cepted), in favor of Everett, and General Cogswell and S. Z. Bowman, against the substitute bill.
A singular fact in relation to the con- test at this session was that, while the bounds of the new town asked for in the principal peti- tion were those of the substitute bill of the previous session, the act actually passed followed the bounds asked for in 1868, thus in- cluding a considerable additional area.
The bill was engrossed in the House February 26, and sent to the Senate, where, after passing through prior stages, it was, on the third day of March, ordered to a third reading by a vote of 21 yeas to 10 nays, among the
yeas being Messrs. George M. Buttrick, (now a resident of Everett), C. R. Ladd (afterwards auditor), and Patrick A. Collins (late member of Congress), who also strongly supported the bill in the debate in the senate. The bill was engrossed in the Senate on the following day, and on March 9 it
To Alonzo H. Evans of Everett, in the County of Middlesex, and Commonwealth of Massa- chusetts.
GREETING
In the name of the Commonwealth of Massachu. setts, you are hereby required to notify and warn the inhabitants of said Everett, qualified to vote in town affairs, to meet at the Vestry of the Con- gregational Meeting House in said Everett, on MONDAY, the twenty-first day of March, instant, at eleven o'clock in the forenoon, then and there to act on the following articles :
ART. I. To choose a Moderator.
ART. II. To choose all such town officers as towns are by law authorized ard required to choose at their annual meetings.
ART. III. To see if the town of Everett will appoint a committee to confer with the town of Malden, respecting the division of the public prop- erty, debts, town paupers, and state and county taxes; and to adjust all matters between said towns of Malden and Everett.
ART. IV. To transact such other business as may legally come before them.
And you are hereby directed to serve this warrant, by publishing a copy thereof in some Newspaper, printed or published in the town of Malden, and by posting up copies thereof, all attested by you, in three public places in said Everett, seven days at least before such time of meeting.
Hereof fail not and make due return of this warrant, with your doings thereon to me, at the time and place of meeting as aforesaid.
Given under my hand this ninth day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventy.
JAMES G. FOSTER,
Justice of the Peace within and for the County of Middlesex.
A true copy-attest : ALONZO H. EVANS,
of Everett.
Fac simile of the first Everett town meeting warrant. (From a copy kindly loaned by J. H. Cannell, town and city clerk, 1870-93.)
was enacted in both Houses and signed by the Governor.
The achievement of this victory after so protracted a struggle was signalized by great rejoicings in Everett. On the evening of the day on which the bill was signed, the people gathered in the public square and in the vestry of the Congregational Church, speeches of
congratulation were delivered, and a salute of 100 guns fired, with other demonstrations of rejoicing. In May the organization of the new town was celebrated by a sumptuous collation under one of Yale's largest tents, in which some six hundred people parti- cipated. Alonzo H. Evans presided, and, after a short address of welcome, read letters from the Governor of Mass- achusetts, the Mayor of Boston, and other distinguished per- sons. Interesting speeches were also made by Lieut .- Colonel Parker, Rev. Albert Bryant, Pat- rick A. Collins, A. O. Brewster, and others. Among those prominent in the contest for the incorporation of the new town were A. HI. Evans, Hawes Atwood, William Johnson, Anthony Waterman, Stephen HI. Kimball, Henry S. Whitmore, Col- umbus Corey, Will- iam E. Titcomb, and .Thomas Leavitt.
The struggle for the incorporation of Everett was one of the hottest division contests on record. The case for the petitioners was con- ducted before the Committee on Towns by George O. Shat- tuck, while Hon. Daniel W. Gooch, representative in in Congress 1873-75, was employed by the town of Malden. The women of South Malden manifested great interest in the result, and large numbers of them at- tended the debates in the legislature.
While the general sentiment was strongly in favor of separation, there was a small but respectable minority in opposition ; among whom may be mentioned, Manson L. Mills, who was a remonstrant also in 1857, Deacon Calvin Hosmer, Seth S. Lynde, Uriah Oakes, Josiah Oakes, David N. Badger, John Lewis, Henry L. Chase, Lewis P. True, George W. Peirce, and others.
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Edward Everett,
In honor of whom the town was named.
XV.
FIRST YEARS OF THE NEW TOWN.
The first town-meeting warrant was issued by James G. Foster, justice of the peace, March 9, 1870, and the first town meeting was held March 21, 1870, in the vestry of the Congregational Church, where the town meetings con- tinued to be held during the first year after the town was incorporated. At this town meeting, Alonzo II. Evans was chosen Moderator, and Joseph H. Cannell, Clerk, by 119 votes over J. F. Wakefield, who had 104 votes, Mr. Cannell having served by successive re-elections to the incorporation of the town as a city, and being unanimously elected city clerk. Hawes Atwood cast the first vote. Hawes Atwood, A. H. Evans, Columbus Corey, Anthony. Waterman, and Elisha B. Loring were appointed a committee on the division of debts, public property, &c., with Malden. It was voted to have five Selectmen, and the first board elected, who were also Overseers of the Poor, consisted of Henry W. Van Voorhis, William H. Lounsbury, Elisha B. Lor- ing, George W. Peirce, and P. Rich- mond Pratt. Of these, George W. Peirce, William H. Lounsbury, and Elisha B. Loring have since deceased. James G. Foster, William Johnson, and Otis Merriam were elected Assess- ors, Daniel Emmons was chosen Treas- urer by 116 votes, against 104 for P. P. P. Ware, and served by successive re- elections, until Jan. 1, 1880. For School Committee, George S. Marshall and Charles F. Atwood were elected for three years, J. H. Whitman and Wilson Quint, for two years, and James G. Foster and H. M. Currier, for one
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year. Mr. Quint declined to serve on the School Committee, and the joint convention of the Selectmen and School Committee elected Dr. J. F. Wakefield. Solomon Shute, Benjamin Corey, E. B. Edmester, Thomas Leavitt, George Sargent, and Timothy Murphy, were elected Constables. The number of ballots cast at the first town-meeting was 232. A code of by-laws was adopted May 17, 1870. The first Auditors, chosen November 8, 1870, were Col- umbus Corey and Joseph HI. Cannell.
On the fourth of April the following appropriations were made : for schools, including contingent, $8000.00; high- ways, $3500.00 ; salaries of town offi- cers, $835.00; poor, $500.00 ; fire department, $200.00; contingent, $3,- 000.00 ; street lamps, $500.00 ; bridges, $500.00 ; interest on town debt, $3000.00. These, with the State tax, $2726.40 ; county tax, $1109.91 ; over- lays, $974.53, made a total tax levied the first year of $24,845.84, as com- pared with $147, 146.70 in 1892.
The number of dwelling-houses in the town May 1, 1870, was 414; the number of acres of land taxed, 1959, or 145 acres greater than it is at pres- ent. The number of children between five and fifteen years of age, was 432.
In the division of the town property the town of Everett received all the real estate located within its limits, with some personal property valued in all at $37,606.99, and in consideration of same, it assumed $38,500.00 of the debt of the old town. As showing the changes in the rates of interest, it may be remarked that the first loan procur- ed by the town of Everett bore seven per cent interest, and this rate was paid for several years. A report made to the Secretary of the Board of Agricul- ture, by the Town Clerk, October 17, 1870, states that there were at that time twenty-six miles of streets, four having been laid out and accepted the first year; viz., Lincoln Street, Fremont Avenue, Garland Street, and Oak Street, now called Central Avenue. statement as to the length of the streets This does not correspond with statistics furnished on the excellent authority of Mr. A. F. Sargent, in 1869 (fourteen miles) as the additions and the change of boundaries would fall far short of making up the difference between the two statements.
Among the first things that came up for consideration by the new town was that of providing a town house, which was indefinitely postponed, and certain proposed alterations in the old Centre schoolhouse met the same fate. At a town meeting held Jan. 11, 1871, it was voted to lease the hall and offices in the Masonic building for town pur- poses. The first town meeting in Ev-
erett Hall was held March 28, 1871, where all subsequent town meetings were held.
The incorporation of the town gave a marked impetus to all kinds of local improvement. Several additional tracts of land were laid out into house lots and opened to settlement, and the in- crease in population and wealth in the first five years was very rapid, the pop- ulation increasing from 2220 in 1870, to 3651 in 1875, and the valuation from $1,736,379.00 to $4,404,650.00 in the same time.
For three years real estate advanced rapidly, and real estate operators and builders realized large profits. It is said that a single real estate venture netted its projectors $15,000, within about sixty days. The prices of lots sometimes doubled and trebled within a very short time.
Mr. Paschal P. P. Ware
Was born in Wrentham, Mass., June 12, 1820. His parents were Mr. James Ware and Eliza Pope. He was educated in the public schools of Medfield, came to Boston early in life and was employed in the dry goods, afterwards in the grocery trade. He finally became connected with the house of N. W. Turner & Co., who did an extensive and almost exclusive business in the gas fixture business of Boston. He was in after life connected with the Boston Lead Co., where he was engaged at the time of his decease. He was a genial, courteous gentleman, respected and beloved by the entire community in which he lived and was known. He served the town of Malden as one of its selectmen, in 1861 and in 1870, was strongly supported as a candidate for the first town treasurer in the new town of Everett - a position for which he was pre- eminently qualified - receiving 104 votes, the successful candidate receiving 116. He was a member of the Masonic Order, belonging to Mount Vernon Lodge of Malden, the Royal Arch Chapter of the Shekinah, and of Palestine Commandery of Chelsea, and had taken the 32nd degree in Free Masonry. He was a representative man of South Malden and Everett. He married, on June 27, 1850, Lucy Danforth Lewis, a daughter of John Lewis, who still resides in the beautiful home which for many years they enjoyed together. He died October 20, 1882, leaving besides a widow, a son of the same name and a daughter, Mrs. Lucy E. Peirce.
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Methodist Church (about 1873).
(From a stereoscopic view, kindly loaned by Mrs. A. P. Potter.)
ATI. RELIGIOUS 111STORY.
The moral progress of the town kept pace with its material prosperity. Two religious societies. the Baptist and Methodist. came into existence within the first two years after the town was incorporated. The Methodist Church originated in a class meeting held at the house of Joseph Ladd. April 12. 1870. The society was formally organ- ized Oct. 11, 1870, and ground was broken for their church on the same day. The church had sixteen constit- uent members. The first pastor was Rev. W. F. Mallalieu, D.D. The cor- ner stone of the new edifice was laid Dec. 19. 1870. and the completed structure was dedicated May 24, 1871, the cost of the building and land being $14,000.00. Rev. Wm. Cheney was pastor from April. 1871, until April. 1872; Rev. Edward W. Virgin from April, 1872, to April, 1875; Rev. Edward P. King from April, 1875, to April, 1878; Rev. Edward R. Thorn- dike from April, 1878, to April, 1881 ; Rev. Thomas Corwin Watkins from April, ISS1. to April, ISS4 ; Rev. J. W. Dearbon from April, 1881, to April. 1887 : Rev. F. T. Pomeroy from April, 1887. to April. 1890; and Rev. Charles Young from April, 1890. with Rev. H. L. Wriston as substitute to April, 1892 ; Rev. A. W. Mills from April, 1892 to January 8. 1893.
The Sunday School, which num- bered 356 in December, 1892, as com- pared with 200 in 1879, was organized May 28. 1871. and the number of vol- umes in the SundaySchool library in
December, 1892, was 470. Charles W. John- son was the first super- intendent, and served four years. The par- sonage was built in 1875. The member- ship of the church in December, 1892, was 390, as compared with 134 members and 14 probationers in 1879. The receipts of the society the past year reached $2258.83, and its expenses $2248.03. The church was in 1 886 seated with pews in place of settees, which had been pre- viously used, at a cost of $500.00. Until 1882 this church was bur- dened with a heavy debt. Sunday, June 4, 1 882, was set apart for raising the debt, and voluntary subscrip- tions were asked for, and some $4000.00 were pledged, to be paid in two years in four payments. The pastor, Rev. T. C. Watkins, labored indefatigably to make up the remainder, and. his efforts were finally crowned with suc- cess. To him belongs the honor of being the pioneer in the movement for raising the church debts in Everett, and within a very few years every other church in town, stimulated by the example of the Methodists, had likewise paid its church debt. On
Tuesday, July 4, 1882, subscriptions having been made covering the total amount of the church debt of $Sooo, the event was commemorated by a jubilee in Library (now Odd Fellows) Hall.
During the past year the church, having out- grown its original house of worship, removed it, and is now erecting, at a cost estimated at $20,000, what bids fair to be the tinest church edifice erected in Everett, up to the present time. The architect of the new building is John C. Spof- ford, and the contractors are Mead, Mason & Co. The new building is to have a seating capacity of 700. With the completion of its new church, the society will have church property, including par- sonage, worth $30,000.
BAPTIST CHURCH.
The Baptist church started about a year later than the Methodist. The first meeting was held at the house of Levi Brown, on Charlestown Street, now on the corner of Paris Street, April 5, 1871, at which it was ascer- tained that there were some forty resi- dents of Everett who were members of Baptist churches, besides others of Baptist sentiments. On Sunday, April 9, 1871, the first public religious ser- vice was held, consisting of a prayer meeting in Everett Hall, followed by the organization of a Sunday School. Levi Pierce was Moderator, and Mr. J. H. Parker, of Malden, was the first Superintendent, and S. H. Kimball, the first Treasurer.
On June 8, 1871, at a meeting held at Levi Brown's house, the church was organized with thirty-two constituent members. The church was formally recognized by a council, July 3, 1871, the 32 original members having increased to 40. Of this Council, Rev. G. W. Gardner, D. D., was Moderator. The sermon was preached by Rev. S. W. Foljambe, of Malden. W. O. Dodge was elected first Clerk, and Dr. Levi Pierce, Treasurer, who resigned and was succeeded by G. L. Packard. P. F. Packard and Levi Pierce were the first Deacons. For several months, Mr. J. H. Arthur, a student in the Newton Theological Seminary, after- wards a Missionary in Japan, and since deceased, labored with great success, and gathered in a large number of converts. Rev. W. F. Stubbert was
View of Chelsea Street, looking westerly, and showing Methodist Church (about 1873). (From a stereoscopic view, in the collection of the late George F. Wallis.)
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EVERETT SOUVENIR.
Baptist Church (about 1875).
(From a photograph in the collection of the late Geo. F. Wallis.)
called to the pastorate, October 10, 1871, but declined. On January 22, 1872, a unanimous call was extended to Rev. Wm. B. Smith, who accepted the call and commenced his labors on the first Sunday in February, 1872. He was installed May 9, 1872. This pastorate was of short duration, as dis- sensions soon sprang up in the church. Mr. Smith resigned, and his resigna- tion was accepted April 11, 1873, to take effect May Ist. For several months afterwards the pulpit was sup- plied by students from Newton Theo- logical Seminary, Rev. J. R. Stubbert serving most of the time.
On the 24th of September, 1873, the church was formally organized as a corporation, and on the 15th of Octo- ber following, purchased the lot of land on which its church edifice stands, from David N. Badger, containing 11,594 square feet, for $4,637.60 or 40 cents per foot. The corner stone of the church was laid June 24, 1874, by Rev. S. W. Foljambe.
On the 22d day of September, 1874, the church was formally dedicated, and Rev. Frank B. Sleeper, who had been called to the pastorate, July 8, 1874, was installed. The first Sunday Service in the new Church was held September 27, 1874. There were seventy-three members at the date of the dedication, and eighty-three in the Sunday School.
The land, building, and furnishing cost about $13,000. The building had a seating capacity of about 280 in the main part and 75 in the vestry. Mr. Sleeper continued pastor until Novem- ber 25, 1877, when he resigned and accepted a call to the First Baptist Church in Gardner. For some time after this the church was without a pastor, but depended upon supplies for . preaching, among whom Rev. L. G. Barrett deserves mention as one whose labors were especially fruitful. Sep- tember 9, 1878, a call was extended to Rev. W. F. Stubbert, D. D., of Bloomfield, N. J., who had been preach- ing for the church since May. He consented to remain for a time, but closed his labors January 25, 1879, after a short but most useful pastorate, in which he did much to restore and encourage the church, which he found in a somewhat depressed condition. Rev. L. L. Potter, then a student, was employed for six months, April 7th, 1879. The church then numbered 135. Mr. Potter was later called as a perma- nent pastor, and was formally installed October 9th, 1879. His pastorate lasted less than a year, as he resigned September 5th, 1880, and closed his labors September 30th, following. The pulpit was then supplied for sometime by Rev. A. N. Dary, who was called to the pastorate February 25th, while
still a student at Newton, and ordained August 4th, 1881. He resigned Sep- tember 23rd, 1883, and closed liis labors October ist, following. Rev. Wm. O. Ayer was called January Ist, 1884, began his labors with the church February roth, and was installed Feb- ruary 26th, 1884. During his pastorate, stimulated by the example of the Metho- dists, the church resolved to pay off its debt, which amounted to upwards of $5,200.00. The day chosen to invite pledges for this purpose was Easter Sunday, April 13th, 1884, when, after a sermon appropriate to the occasion, pledges were invited, and in less than one hour the whole amount was guar- anteed, the final payment being made in March, 1887. During the year 1886 extensive repairs were made on the church. The Sunday School has had besides Mr. John H. Parker, of Malden, four superintendents, viz : -- Wm. O. Dodge, N. J. Mead, R. A. Edwards, Amos E. Hall and Fred S. Snyder. There are about 500 volumes in the Sunday School library. Rev. W. O. Ayer resigned June 20th, and closed his labors June 29th, 1890, after a useful and successful pastorate of nearly six . and one-half years, during which the membership of the church was increased from 174 to 271, a net gain of 97. The number of persons baptized was 85. During this pasto- rate, in 1888, the Glendale Mission was established, which in 1891 became the Glendale Baptist Church.
In November, 1890, Rev. George B. Titus was called to the pastorate, com- menced his labors December Ist, 1890 and was installed December 22d, 1890, the sermon being preached by Prof. J.
Baptist Church (1893). Broadway, Everett Square.
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M. English, of Newton Seminary. In 1891 the church commenced the work of remodeling its house of worship. The contractors for the work were Mead, Mason & Co., the firm which built the original edifice. The building was raised so as to provide a vestry in the basement, the seating capacity of the main auditorium was increased about 700, and a new organ, con- structed by Mr. J. H. Sole, of Reading, was procured. During the progress of the work, the church worshiped in Y. M. C. A. Hall. The vestry was fitted for occupancy in the fall of the same year, and the re-constructed edifice was dedi- cated on Thursday evening, January 28, 1892, the sermon being preached by Rev. A. J. Gordon, who preached the sermon at the first dedication in 1874. The cost of the changes made, including the furnishing, was about $18,000, and the present value of the church property of this society is about $30,000. The number of members of
William Oliver Ayer
Was born June 25, 1845, at Sangerville, Me., where his father kept a grocery store. The latter moved to Bangor two years later, where his son received his education, graduating from the Bangor High School in 1865; from Colby University in 1868; and from Newton Theological Seminary in 1871. In 1864 he served two months as a soldier in Company A, Maine State Guards, in which Company Vice President Hannibal Hamlin was a private. On August 9th, 1871 he married Miss Ella M. Stevens, of Waterville. They had one son, who died when only five years of age. He was pastor of the Baptist Church in Peterboro, N. H., from 1871 to 1874 and of the Baptist Church in the flourishing town of Skowhe. gan, Maine, ten years, from 1874 to 1884. On February 10, 1884 he became pastor of the First Baptist Church in Everett, in which position he remained until June 30, 1890; since which date he has been pastor of the Baptist Church at Livermore Falls, Maine. Mr. Ayer was a mem- ber of James A. Perkins Post, G. A. R., and took an active interest in temperance and all other matters affecting the public welfare of the town. He was an earnest and efficient pastor, and his ministry was especially fruitful in addit- ions to the Church in Everett. He enjoyed in an exceptional degree the confidence and esteem of all classes in the community.
Rev. George B. Titus,
Son of Thomas C. and Abigail A. (Potter) Titus, was born at West Port, Nova Scotia, December 4, 1849. He entered Arcadia College, but was prevented by sickness from completing the regular course of study. He preached his first sermon August 2, 1871, and was ordained at Osborne, Nova Scotia, March 26, 1874. He was pastor of the First Baptist Church of Beaver River, Nova Scotia, from September 1, 1877 to September 1, 1882. In 1882 he entered Newton Theological Seminary, from which he graduated in 1885. He was pastor of the Main Street Baptist Church of Saco, Maine, from July Ist, 1885 until November 30, 1890. He has been, since December Ist, 1890, the pastor of the First Baptist Church, in Everett. He married Adelaide C. Parker, daughter of Peter and Maria A. (Chipman) Parker, of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, on November 15, 1877. Mr. Titus is a man of fine presence, a good organizer, an able pulpit orator, and preaches a strong, uncom- promising theology. One of the earliest, as it was one of the most important events in his pastorate at Everett, was the enlargement and remodeling of the Baptist Church edifice. Into this matter, projected during the previous pas- torate, he entered with great earnestness, and at the Sabbath services, on June 21, 1891, presented the subject in an eloquent sermon, with so much effect, that about $9,000 were pledged for the purpose on that day.
the Church, December 31, 1892, was 289. The number in the Sunday School was 433. In 1891 the church gave nine of its members to the New Glendale Baptist Church. The bell in the new church was given by Dea. Calvin Hosmer ; the pulpit furniture by Mrs. C. E. Mead ; and a memorial window has been placed in it by Mr. E. C. Mead.
ST. MARY'S SOCIETY OF EVERETT.
Up to the year 1876 the large Catholic population residing in Everett enjoyed no local place of religious worship. On July 9, 1876, the Catholics of Everett attended their first public ser- vices in the Town, Rev. James McGlew, of Chelsea, on that day offering Mass for them in Everett. They numbered then about 600, and they were assembled by Father McGlew, who had been aided by the services of Messrs. Joseph C. Finn, Thomas Dorsey and
William J. Powers. On July 13, 1877 Father McGlew purchased for them the lot of land at the corner of Broadway and Mansfield Place, now Mansfield Street, containing 12,160 square feet. On this lot was erected, and now stands, St. Mary's Church.
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