USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Watertown > Historical sketches of Watertown, Massachusetts > Part 19
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The furniture atore of Luther Bent, established in 1835, in a small building now within the foundry- yard, then moved to a building now occupied by Page's paint-shop, then to the building he and his son now occupy, when it was on Galen Street, over Mill Creek, where F. H. Martin carries on a similar business. Mr. Leathe, before the great fire of 1841, had a bakery on the corner of Church and Main Streets. After that lamentable fire which destroyed the First Parish Church and much valuable private property besides his own, he put up the building now
standing, and a part of which has since his death soon after its erection, been occupied by his successor, Charles H. Bright, for the same purpose. At the present time there are several other places where bread and other bakers' supplies are furnished to a growing population. Mr. Bright's memory of dates of past events is rather remarkable. In one part of this building, a room is occupied by Charles Lenox, the barber, whose father lived in a small house which stood where the Town Hall now stands, and who was, like the son, a mine of story of the early part of the century. This notice should not close without mention of the office and jewelry store of Hiram Whitney, with its coins and other antiquities in the same building of which he is now the owner.
Builders .- Among the builders whose honora- ble record has been made during the past fifty years should be mentioned H. W. Macurday, who has erected in this and the adjoining towns more than a hundred buildings of the best class, the first of which is now occupied by some of the heirs of John Coolidge, near the old cemetery at Mount Auburn.
The house of Albert O. Davidson, on the beautiful site of the old David Bemis house, at Bemis, was also one of his construction, as were nearly all of the houses along that parkway called Garfield Street. So also the houses, beautiful for design and beauti- ful for situation, occupied by the Pierces, father and son, on the descent of Mt. Auburn Street, and the house of the miller, James W. Magee, opposite the cemetery, on the corner of Chester Street.
Chester Sprague, an active builder, has recently built up nearly the whole of "Otisville," antl of Ir- ving Park and vicinity, and has begun on a large scale to build on Whiting Park, of which he is part owner, a large number of modern houses, at moderate cost. The beautiful location, the nearness to steam aod horse-cars, the desirable neighborhood, have al- ready secured the success of the Watertown Land Company in this enlargement of the residential por- tion of our town. This company, composed of four persons only-Horace W. Otis, Ward M. Otis, Chester Sprague and Samuel S. Gleason, the real estate agent-has laid out about one hundred lots, of which about one-half are sold; and has reserved several acres of beautiful woodland, on the slope and summit of White's Hill, up which the estate extends. This wooded hill is a pleasant feature of every Water- town landscape. It is to be hoped that this may be joined with some of the land already belonging to the town, and which gay groups of tennis-players occupy every pleasant afternoon, and be converted into a public park for the continued healthy out-door exer- cises of future generations.
In naming the prominent builders who have done and are doing so much to develop the town, one should not omit the plumber, Charles H. Rollins.
There are several architects in town. Most promi- nent among these is Mr. Charles Brigham, who,
1 As we go to press, we bear that Congress has appropriated $20,000 for this purpose, on certain conditions.
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HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.
although yet a young man, has done the town good service by designing many of the public and private buildings, while chiefly engaged in much larger un- dertakings in Boston and other cities. While erect- ing such structures, for instance, as the Maine State- House, the great extension of the Massachusetts State-House, and other similar buildings, he has found time to serve as chairman of the Board of Selectmen for a number of years, has been a member of the School Committee, is chairman of the Board of Trus- tees of the Free Public Library, a director of the Union Market National Bank, and is the president of the Watertown Co-operative Bank. His own resi- dence is a model of good taste.
Alberto F. Haynes has also designed many of the better houses of the town, nearly all in "Otisville" and Irving Park, the new Otis Building, and the Church of the Good Shepherd, which, with its walls of field-stone and its beautiful stained-glass windows of delightful tones, is an ornament to one of the best parts of the town. Sanford Phipps has designed houses on Green Street, the new Almshouse, and the Grant Grammar School-house which stands in the Park.
Henry Russell, Sr., now the Jr. of the same name, Geo. A. Page, and B. T. Rundlett, are each ready to paint the new houses that are to be built, in as good style as they have for many years done their work in this and adjoining towns.
Provisions .- One need not go to the city for pro- visions, for Wm. H. Lyman, and Hackett Bros., and N. B. Hartford, and Field and Melvin are to be found with well-stocked stores near the square, and others will visit your houses with well-filled wagons. James H. Snow will serve you with fish, Howard Bros. with ice, Thomas Gavin or W. H. Pevear & Co., or George H. Sleeper will bring you coal or other fuel, so that life in this beautiful town can hardly be called a bur- den.
Building Materials .- If one needs to enlarge his buildings or erect new, Gilkey & Stone, as for very many years, have a large stock of lumber and other building materials always on hand. Geo. E. Teel and Rich. H. Paine have each a generous supply of all kinds of building and other hardware in stock. When one's house is done, or before, Wm. H. In- graham, or Wm. E. Farwell the collector, or S. T. Sharpe, or even Geo. H. Tarleton will give you choice of companies in which to place the risk of loss from fire, thus dividing, at a moderate expense, the anxiety which valuable possessions bring.
Dentists .- In another place will be found a sketch of the physicians of the past and present. This might include the dentists also, whose services are so important in our modern civilization. The name of Dr. D. T. Huckins is found there, and in several other connections among the town officers of the past forty years, and should be given here. His office is in the new Otis Building. Dr. R. H. Horne occu-
pies the second story over the National Bank, while for a short time since J. P. Niles has had a room in Noyes' Block.
Streets and Sidewalks .- The streets of the town have been greatly improved during the past twenty years, partly under suggestions of N. Henry Crafts, the civil engineer, a native of the town, who made a most thorough and exhaustivereport on a system of streets, " drainage and sewerage" in 1878, as he had on water supply and drainage in 1874 and in 1875; and part- ly by his assistants of that time, who have followed up the work as they have had opportunity. Credit is due to the Learned brothers, Waldo and Wilbur, in this direction ; as also to Charles F. Jackson, a na- tive resident civil engineer, who served the town and his country in the late war.
The town published a large edition of the valuable reports of Mr. Crafts, and these will furnish the basis of future comprehensive drainage works, which must, in the course of time, be undertaken for the proper disposal of sewage and in the preservation of the good name which the town has ever had,-especially when its population was more scattered, -for healthi- ness as a place of residence.
The Town Improvement Society has set out trees and called attention to the general appearance of the streets. The town, with the hearty co-operation of individual owners, has, with their assistance, mainly through David F. Tripp and his helpers, put down on almost every street not furnished with brick side- walks, as on Main Street, good walks of concrete, so that one can walk, even in a rain-storm, from Cam- bridge to Newton or Bemis, with less danger than even a few rods the other way, to that neat appear- ance of one's foot-wear, which it is said that George Washington prized so much.
Ship-building and the Navigation of the River .- William Wood, who was here in 1633, says, in his "New-Englands Prospect " (chap. x.), "On the east side (of the Mistick River) is Mr. Cradock's plantation, where he hath impaled a park. . . . Here, like- wise, he is at charges of building ships. The last year one was on the stocks of 100 tons. That being finished, they are to build one twice her burden."
That was said of Medford, not of Watertown where Matthew Cradock had, with William How, built a mill. We do not know that any vessels of any con- siderable size had ever been built in Watertown until 1890. Indeed, most of those living in town have almost forgotten that the river is navigable, or should be, as far as the bridge. Some remember the wharves on the south side, spoken of by Mr. Ensign ; some re- member when, as boys or girls, they rode in the boats or on the freight flat-boats of Mr. Sanger, who, by propelling by poles with the help of the inflowing and outflowing tides, continued to move the heavier freight up and down the river to and from Boston and Charlestown. At least one remembers when, about the year 1821 or 1822, a vessel laden with lumber
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came up to the wharf below the buildings of the Walker Pratt Company, and discharged her cargo on the wharf. This lumber was from trees cut on the farm'of Mr. Simon Barrett, of Hope, Maine. This was taken over to Camden, Maine, put into this ves- sel, under the command of Captain Pendleton, and brought to Boston, and up the Charles River to the bridge, and discharged upon the wharf and land of Mr. Luther Barrett. With this lumber, Mr. Barrett built the large shop on what is now Beacon Square, which he occupied as a paint-shop, the lower story being for the storage of carriages, the painting being done in the second-story to which the usual inclined plane led. (This shop, having been accidentally burned after the death of Mr. Barrett, was replaced by the present structure, which we have said was oc- cupied by Luther Bent in the early days of his furni- ture business).
A little dredging would make the whole river navi- gable to the bridge, and be of very great value to the town.
It is hoped that a new era in the navigation of the river has begun. The old condition of the river may be restored and improved.
On the 30th of July, 1890, the first steam vessel was launched by Mr. John Cassidy, from his land, which was once, as shown by specimens found, an old Indian camping-ground, just above the United States Arsenal. This may be followed immediately by the building of others. To make these of such use as they should be, the river, of course, should be cleared of impediments, the draws should be improved, and in the course of time we may hope to see the beautiful scenery along the banks, as in the days of our fathers, enjoyed by those passing up and down, more rapidly now and more easily, by the aid of steam, to where the terraced slopes of Newton and Watertown greet the eye.
This vessel of Mr. Cassidy's, of about 400 tons bur- den, a double-propellor, named the " Watertown," was Launched in the presence of over five thousand people, including the officials of Newton, Waltham, Belmont and Watertown, with a band of music, with speeches and congratulations, and a banquet, to the delight of all. So far, your historian can go. May some future writer record the success of an experiment begun two hundred and sixty years after that of Cradock near his "impaled park " on the Mistick.
Wood, in 1633, said "Ships of small burthen may come up to these two towns (Cambridge and Water- town), but the oyster banks do bar out the bigger ships." It will be possible to avoid the oyster banks, if only the general government do what it should to clear the channel and encourage the formation and maintenance of that commerce that would bless not only the old town of Watertown and the immediate neighborhood of Boston and Massachusetts Bay, but the entire country as well.
Doubtless the policy of England in dredging out and improving the mouths of her rivers and estuaries,
-fitting training courses for supplying her navy with skilled men,-helps to keep alive the spirit of emula- tion in naval improvements as well as to furnish the practical education required to enable her in any time of need to man her navies with an irresistible force. It is dictated by wisdom and practical economy. It would be pleasant to behold, with the improved con- dition of usefulness of the Charles River for naviga- tion, also that condition of wholesomeness of its waters, indicated by the presence of the multitudes of fishes found by our fathers. The testimony of science is that this desirable condition is only a question of the application of the proper means, with energy.
BANKS AND BANKING .- The banks, although among the most important agencies through which the busi- ness is conducted, have, as a matter of evolution, come late in the growth of the old town. The town of Water- town is now very well accommodated with institutions for the deposit and safe keeping as well as for the loans and collections of money, and the ordinary trans- action of monetary affairs.
The Union Market National Bank was organized in 1873. The first meeting of the association for organization was on the 9th of April, 1873. It was voted at first to call the bank the Watertown National Bank, but it afterwards was decided to call it the Union Market National Bank, and that the capital should be $100,000, with the privilege of increasing to $300,000.
Those who signed the certificate of organization were John H. Conant, Charles J. Barry, Royal Gilkey, George K. Snow, George N. March, Thomas L. French and James S. Allison.
It was voted that there should be seven directors, and the following were chosen : George N. March, George K. Snow, Royal Gilkey, Thomas L. French, Charles J. Barry, John H. Conant and James S. Alli- 9011.
In the choice of president there was at first a tie between Charles J. Barry and George N. March, but at the next meeting one of the directors having re- turned from Washington, Geo. N. March was elected.
Capt. J. K. Stickney was made cashier. On May 23d, Messrs. Barry and French resigned from the board, and S. F. Woodbridge, of Cambridge, and N. E. Hollis, of Boston, were elected.
A code of by-laws was adopted in June, and on the 7th of July, 1878, the bank opened for business, the board of directors met in their room, and notes were discounted.
George N. March continued to occupy the presi- dent's chair till the fall of 1883, when Oliver Shaw took his place.
Tilden G. Abbott was elected assistant cashier in July, 1873. Before 1880 Capt. Stickney resigned his post as cashier, and was elected vice-president, which position he continues to hold. T. G. Abbott was made cashier, which position he held until January, 1884, when he left suddenly with loss to the bank.
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HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.
Capt. Stickney, as vice-president, performed the duties of eashier until Mr. Noah Swett was appointed cashier on the 20th of February, 1884.
George S. Parker was made assistant cashier in January, 1887, and Harry Brigham clerk in October of the same year.
The capital stock was fixed in 1873 at $100,000; in May, 1874, increased to $200,000; December 30, 1876, reduced to $150,000; May 17, 1881, increased again to 8200,000, and March 5, 1884, decreased again to 8100,000. At this last amount it still stands, although there appears from the books to be a large surplus.
The stockholders were originally wholly in the town, although now probably more than one-half of the stock is held out of town.
The history of the bank was in its earlier days one of varying fortane, but for the past few years, under the conservative management of its present officers, of promise for the future. The bank has proved a great convenience to the business men of the town, never refusing small loans to citizens of the town who can furnish good security, allows more ready transfers, and facilitates the accumulation of ready funds for building purposes, and for the general uses of business.
Its stock is seldom offered in the market ; the last sale noticed, which was in 1889, was at about $140, the par value being $100. It has paid dividends of five per cent. semi-annually for several years.
The Watertown Savings Bank was incorporated by act of the Legislature, April 18, 1870. The persons uamed in the act of incorporation were Nathaniel Whiting, Charles J. Barry and Joshna Coolidge. The first meeting of the incorporators was held September 1, 1870, when the charter was accepted and twelve associate members were elected. The bank was opened for business in a room on the second floor of Noyes' Block, November 10, 1870, when the deposits of the first day amounted to $924. At the expiration of five years, the bank was removed to the first floor of McMasters' Block, and opened for business every day in the week from one to four P.M., and on Thurs day evenings from seven to nine o'clock. This caused a great increase in its deposits. During the first six years of its existence, before the new law went into effect, dividends of six per cent., computed from the first day of each month, were earned and paid.
With regard to the management of its affairs, it may be said that depositors have never been required to give the legal notice of intention to withdraw funds, not even in the panics of 1873 and 1878. Of all the loans made, the only direct loss sustained from its commencement has been the sum of $204, and only one foreclosure of a mortgage has been made, and in this the auction sale brought nearly three times the loan claimed by the bank. The interest on every outstanding loan has been paid in full to October, 1889.
This is a record of which the investment committee of the bank should have full credit, their only reward. The unpaid service of successful business men is ren-
dered to the bank as an encouragement to small in- vestments, which may be spared by those earning small amounts, for the building of homes and for pro- vision against the days when sickness or old age re- quire aid.
The number of persons holding books is 3054. The amount on deposit is $367,781.79.
In 1850 the bank was removed to the Union Market National Bank Building, and in 1887 the bank was removed to the first floor of Barnard's Block, where in the summer of 1890 the room was refitted and im- proved in appearance. After the death of the presi- dent, Charles J. Barry, Dr. Alfred Hosmer accepted the post of president, which he held until March 25, 1830, when Albert O. Davidson was elected to the position.
In Dr. Hosmer'a presidency the by-laws were thor- oughly revised, a work in which Dr. Hosmer took great interest, and was untiring in establishing the best possible forms of doing business, including a new and model deposit-book for the use of depositors.
A statement of the condition of the bank June 30, 1.00, is as follows :
Deposits . 8.368,447.03 Undivided Earnings 11,542.42
Guarantee Fund .
9,092.00
Real Estate Loans
. $227,510.71
Personal Loans
10,000.00
Railroad Bonds .
72,262.50
Municipal Securities
34,315.00
Bank Stock
35,718,87
Expense Arconnt 761.42
Cash
8,482.95
1890-91-OFFICERS.
President, Albert O. Davidson ; Vice-President, John K. Stickney ; C'er's, Ward MI. Otis; Trustees, John K. Stickney, Oliver Shaw, S. S. Ulesson. A. O Davidson, Wm. H. Ingraham, Geo. E. Priest, Wurd M. Otis, Chester Sprague, J. B. Woodward, E. B. Eaton, C. D. Crawford, R. P. Stack, C. Q. Pierce, C. W. Stone ; Board of Investment, Albert O. Davidson, Wm. H. Ingraham, Calvin D. Crawford ; Treasurer, George E. Priest ; Book-keeper aod Cashier, Wm. E. Farwell ; Corporators, Joshua Coolidge, Jobn K. Stickney, Oliver Shaw, D. B. Flint, Francia Kendall, S. S. Gleason, A. O. Davidson, Alfred Hosmer, Wm. II. Ingra- ham, George E. Priest, Ward M. Otis, J. B. Woodward, T. P. Emerson, Las, B Gardner, E. B. Eaton, C. D. Crawford, R. P. Stack, O. Q. Pierce, J. J. Sullivan, Moses Faller, W. A. Learned, C. W. Stone, Fred. G. Barker, H. W. Otis, F. H. Edgcomb, A. H. Hartwell, A. A. L. Gordon, Julian A. Mead, Chester Sprague, Fred. E. Crawford.
The Watertown Co-Operative Bank was organized June 5, 1888; chartered June 23, 1888 ; began busi- ness June 28th, with an authorized capital of $1,000,- 000, with regular monthly meetings on each fourth Thursday.
It has already entered on its fifth series of shares, has invested its money among its own shareholders, enabling some to build houses for themselves and pro- viding them a systematic and easy mode of payment, while earning for the shareholders a good rate of interest. The dividends earned so far are at the rate of six per cent., while all the necessary expenses of starting such an institution have been paid, and there is a small surplus in the treasury.
The present officers are Charles Brigham, president ; A. H. Hartwell, vice-president ; S. S. Gleason, secre-
-
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WATERTOWN.
tary and treasurer ; with a board of fourteen direc- tors, including besides the above, G. C. Holt, L. B. Porter, L. S. Frost, H. H. Powell, J. E. Hackett, J. H. Norcross, H. W. Otis, L. S. Cleveland, H. D. Skinuer, T. P. Emerson and A. B. Cole. The auditors are G. F. Robinson, J. H. Perkins and E. J. Smith. At- torney, F. E. Crawford.
The purpose of this bank is to help wage-earners to become investors and real property-owners, at least owners of their own houses. The system has a strong advocate in the present Governor of the State, Gov. Brackett, and has proved its capacity for good in many places, notably in Philadelphia, where thou- sands of houses have been built by its aid.
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CHAPTER XXXIV.
WATERTOWN-(Continued).
MANUFACTURING AND MECHANICAL INDUSTRIES. -For a place of the size of Watertown, its industries are numerous and varied. Situated at the head ol tide-water on the Charles River,-a river that might better bear its ancient and appropriate and more sug- gestive name, Massachusetts River,-it was. when first discovered by our English ancestors, the scene of ac- tivity, the home and fishing-ground of a considerable tribe of Indians. Gathered about its fall, where " the sweet waters mingled with the tide " from the ocean were the more intelligent and active of the red men, busy, at certain times in the year, in harvesting the abundance of fishes that, following the law of nature, were on their way through the rapids or over the dam to their spawning-grounds, or rather waters, in the upper courses of the river and its tributaries.
Civilization and the progress of the arts have brought great changes in the kind of industries here pursued. The abundant supply of water, soft and clear, except when polluted by the increase of popu- lation and of manufactures, is still available for other uses. It furnishes by gravity, in its flow to the sea, abundance of power, and when roused to greater ac- tivity by Pennsylvania coal, is capable to an almost unlimited extent of turning the wheels of machinery, or of performing those other uses which the inven- tive genius of man is making so helpful in the life of the world.
The situation of Watertown, so near the sea and so near Boston, now the great centre of trade and man- ufactures and wealth, the metropolis of New Eng- land, and with such abundant facilities for communi- cation with all parts of the country, is particularly favorable for all kinds of manufactures which require to be distributed by railroad or by steam-boat to other parts of the country.
fair amount of help from government in dredging the stream, steamers or sailing vessels bearing freight could come to or go from the bridge or the river banks. Consideratious of health, as well as the re- quirements of the aesthetic sense of a half million of people, will demand also that such improvements of very valuable natural advantages of river bed, with its double flow of tides, and its constant outflow of the rain-fall of a large district, shall at no distant day be accomplished.
Thus, all the natural facilities for large manufact- uring industries have been furnished, and the natural and beneficial growth in the demands of a large and rapidly increasing people, in the direction of utility and health and beauty, promise constant iu- crease in these facilities. Why should capital be so timid in developing what capital will eventually find so necessary for its own interests in this particular lo- cation.
Enterprise here would hasten those changes for the better which the experience of older places has shown to be wise, and which the natural growth of population makes so desirable as to become inevitable, and which could be early made at far less expense than later.
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