History of Bristol County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 80

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1818

USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > History of Bristol County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 80

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The Second National Bank is a successor of the Wamsutta Bank, which was incorporated as a State bank June 4, 1856, with a capital of $100,000. The first board of directors were S. A. Chace, Hale Rem- ington, James B. Luther, Brownell W. Woodman, E. C. Kilburn, Thomas F. Eddy, and Thomas AAlmy. S. A. Chace was chosen president, and officiated in that capacity until 1878, when he resigned, and Thomas F. Eddy was elected to that position. Charles J. Holmes was elected cashier, and has continued to the present time. In May, 1864, the bank was reorgan- ized as the Second National Bank of Fall River, and the following year the capital was increased to $150,000. The present board of directors are Thomas F. Eddy, E. C. Kilburn, C. J. Holmes, C. E. Fisher, Leontine Lincoln, Albert Winslow, and A. B. Sandford. Cap- ital, $150,000; undivided earnings, $34,000.

The Fall River Savings-Bank was incorporated March 11, 1828, and Oliver Chace, James Ford, Henry Chace, Bradford Durfee, John C. Borden, Clark Shove, and Hezekiah Battelle were constituted a cor- poration by the name of the Fall River Institution for Savings.

The organization of the institution was completed by the election of Micah H. Ruggles as president, Harvey Chace secretary, and James Ford treasurer. The first board of trustees were as follows: David Anthony, Samuel Chace, Nathaniel B. Borden, John C. Borden, Harvey Chace, Joseph Gooding, James

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Ford, Bradford Durfee, Richard Borden, John S. Cotton, Clark Shove, Philip R. Bennett, Joseph C. Luther, Jesse Eddy, Enoch French, Hezekiah Bat- telle, Matthew C. Durfee, and William H. Hawkins. Enoch French, David Anthony, Matthew C. Durfee, Jesse Eddy, and Harvey Chace were constituted a board of investment.

May 28, 1828, the bank was opened for business, and sixty-five dollars was deposited on that day by four depositors. During the first year there was three thousand two hundred and twenty-four dollars received from fifty-eight depositors, but of this amount five hundred and eighteen dollars was withdrawn. The first dividend was made in October, 1828, amount- ing to thirteen dollars and four cents.

The act of incorporation provided for its continu- ance for a term of twenty years. In April, 1847, by special vote of the Legislature, the act was continued without limitation. In April, 1855, the name of the bank was changed to " The Fall River Savings-Bank."

The bank has had but four presidents, viz., Micah H. Ruggles, from 1828 to 1857 ; Nathaniel B. Borden, from 1857 to 1865 ; Job B. French, from 1865 to 1882; and William Lindsey, from 1882 to the present time. Its original place of business was in the office of James Ford, the first treasurer. In 1830 it was re- moved to the store of Hawkins & Fish, southeast corner of Main and Bedford Streets, Mr. William H. Hawkins having succeeded Mr. Ford in the office of treasurer. In July, 1833, Mr. Hawkins was succeeded by Mr. Henry H. Fish, who was in turn succeeded in 1836 by Mr. Joseph F. Lindsey. Mr. Lindsey de- voted the best years of his life to the interests of the bank, and upon his retirement in 1877, after forty years' service in an office which he had conducted with marked honesty, ability, and courtesy, was com- plimented with the appointment of vice-president of the corporation. His successor as treasurer was Mr. Charles A. Bassett, who has continued to the present time. Mr. Bassett had been cashier of the First National Bank of Fall River for thirteen years.

The bank continued in Mr. Fish's store till some time in 1841, when an increase of business demanded more room, and a small building in the rear of the old post-office on Poeasset Street was procured. It remained here about a year, and was then removed to the basement of a house on North Main Street, owned and occupied by Dr. Nathan Durfee. This house was destroyed in the great fire of July, 1843, and a private dwelling was occupied by the bank until the next January, when the Mount Hope House Block was completed on the site of the former office. The bank was then moved into the office in the southwest cor- ner of this block, where it remained until the erection of its own banking-house on North Main Street in March, 1869, which is one of the most complete in the State.

The bank has paid dividends regularly every year, excepting 1879. In 1882, however, an extra dividend

of four and a half per cent. was paid, which made good to the depositors the deficiency of 1879. The total dividends from organization up to and including October, 1882, amount to three hundred and thirty- three and a half per cent., making an average of six per cent. since its organization.

Previous to the spring of 1878 the bank had con- tinuously increased its deposits, until the amount reaclted an excess of $6,000,000. The well-known local financial irregularities of that and the following year caused universal distrust, and it was deemed ex- pedient that the bank should take the benefit of the restrictive act limiting payments, known as the " Pay Law." It was first applied to the bank in July, 1878, and continued in force until April 1, 1880, when the bank resumed payment under its by-laws, and has since paid upon demand all sums desired by the de- positors, and the managers can now confidently say that in their opinion it is as sound and safe as never before. The present deposits amount to over $4,400,000.

The present officers are as follows : William Lind- sey, president ; A. S. Tripp, vice-president; Isaac B. Chace, clerk ; Trustees, J. B. French, A. S. Tripp, Caleb B. Vickery, Robert C. Brown, Guilford H. Hathaway, Benjamin Earl, William Lindsey, Isaac B. Chace, Thomas J. Borden, James C. Eddy, Brad- ford D. Davol, Newton R. Earl, Crawford E. Lindsey, Samuel R. Buffinton, Henry C. Hawkins, Henry K. Braley, Clark Shove, Ferdinand H. Gifford, Robert Henry ; C. A. Bassett, treasurer; N. R. Earl, secre- tary board of trustees ; Board of Investment, William Lindsey, Guilford H. Hathaway, Robert C. Brown, James C. Eddy, Henry C. Hawkins.

Citizens' Savings-Bank .- "In 1851 the October session of the General Assembly of the State of Rhode Island passed an act incorporating 'The Savings-Bank,' to be located in Tiverton. Oliver Chace, Jr., Cook Borden, Thomas Borden, Clark S. Manchester, and their associates and successors, were created a body politic, under the name and style of 'The Savings-Bank,' with perpetual succession. The amount of deposits to be received was limited to four hundred thousand dollars.

"The bank was organized Nov. 15, 1851, by the election of Joseph Osborn, president ; Charles F. Searle, secretary ; William H. Brackett, treasurer ; and a board of fifteen trustees. Cook Borden, Oliver Chace, Jr., Weaver Osborn, William C. Chapin, and Samuel Hathaway were chosen a board of invest- ment. The bank was opened for business Dec. 1, 1851, at the office of the Fall River Union Bank, and on that day the first deposit was made.

"In June, 1854, the bank was removed to the office in the southwest corner of the Fall River Union Bank building, on South Main Street, corner of Rodman Street, and continued there until the change in the boundary line between Rhode Island and Massachu- setts, March 15, 1862, when it became a Massachu-

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HISTORY OF BRISTOL COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

setts institution, under the name of the Citizens' Savings-Bank, and was removed with the Pocasset Bank to the northwest corner of the market building, now City Hall. In January, 1873, the bank was again removed to the office prepared for it, in connection with the Pocasset National Bank, in the latter's new building, erected for a banking-house and other pur- poses, on the corner of Main and Bedford Streets.

"In December, 1862, William H. Brackett resigned the office of treasurer on account of removal to an- other eity, and Edward E. Hathaway was elected to fill the vacancy.

"The first dividend was declared June 4, 1852, viz., three per cent. for the preceding six months."

The present deposits, February 9th, are $2,216,- 183.02; undivided profits, $47,993.95; guarantee fund, $39,702.75. President, Joseph Osborn; Vice- Presidents, Linden Cook and Danforth Horton ; Secretary, John C. Milne; Treasurer, E. E. Hatha- way ; Assistant Treasurer, E. F. Borden ; Second As- sistant Treasurer, William F. Winter; Clerk, William B. Shove ; Book-keeper, F. O. Dwelly ; Trustees, Jo- seph Osborn, L. S. Earle, Linden Cook, Charles P. Dring, J. C. Milne, Weaver Osborn, B. F. Winslow, F. H. Stafford, Joseph Healy, George O. Fairbanks, Samuel W. Hathaway, Danforth Horton, Joseph U. Carr, George H. Eddy, M. G. B. Swift, P. I. Conant, John B. Marvel, F. L. Almy, James W. Henry, Je- rome Dwelly ; Board of Investment, Weaver Osborn, Charles P. Dring, John C. Milne, Linden Cook, Lloyd S. Earle.

Weaver Osborn was a member of the first board of trustees, and has remained a trustee to the present time.

The Fall River Five-Cent Savings-Bank was in- corporated April 10, 1855, with the following incorpo- rators : S. Angier Chace, Hale Remington, Walter C. Durfee, James Buffinton, E. P. Buffinton, B. H. Davis, Asa P. French, and Alvan S. Ballard. The institution was organized on the 25th of the following October, with S. Angier Chace, president ; Hale Remington, secretary ; Charles J. Holmes, Jr., treasurer; and S. Angier Chace, Asa Eames, E. P. Buffinton, Abner L. Westgate, and Robert K. Remington, a board of investment. Mr. Chace remained president until 1878, when he resigned, and was succeeded by Walter C. Durfee. Mr. Remington continued as secretary until October, 1856, when John P. Slade was elected to that position. There has been no change in the office of treasurer, Mr. Holmes having officiated dur- ing the twenty-seven years of the bank's existence. The present deposits amount to $1,100,000 ; surplus, $30,000. The present board of investment is as fol- lows: Walter C. Durfee, E. C. Kilburn, Iram Smith, S. M. Brown, and Edwin Shaw.

The Union Savings-Bank was incorporated April 24, 1869, with Gardner T. Dean, Edwin Shaw, and Lafayette Nichols as corporators. An organization was immediately effected by the choice of Augustus

Chace, president ; James M. Morton, Jr., secretary ; D. A. Chapin, treasurer ; and a board of twenty-five trustees. The board of investment consisted of Cook Borden, William B. Durfee, Gardner T. Dean, Lafay- ette Nichols, and Alphonso S. Covel. The bank opened for business in May, 1869.

Its present officers are as follows : President, Augustus Chace; Secretary, Abraham G. Hart; Treasurer, Daniel A. Chapin ; Board of Investment, Nathan Chace, William B. Durfee, Gardner T. Dean, Lafayette Nichols, A. S. Covel.

CHAPTER XXVII. FALL RIVER .- (Continued.) MISCELLANEOUS.

THE PRESS, CIVIL HISTORY, ETC.

The Fall River Monitor-The Moral Envoy-The Village Recorder -- The Patriot-The Archetype-The Gazette-The Argus-The Flint and Steel-The Mechanic-The Wampanoag-All Sorts-Journal- People's Press-The Labor Journal-L'Echo du Canada-The Spark- The Fall River News-The Daily Evening News-The Fall Daily Herald-The Advance-The Daily Record-The Daily Sun-The First Stage Line Between Fall River and Providence-The Fall River Line of Steamers-The Clyde Line-Volers in 1830-The Fire of 1843-List of Buildings Destroyed-Custom-House and Post-Office- The City Hall-Educational-Schools in 1703-Present Condition of Schools-Mrs. Mary B. Young's Gift-The Public Library1 -- The Skeleton in Armor-Water-Works-Fire Department-Oak Grove Cemetery-The North Cemetery-Civil History -- Incorporation of Town-Name Changed to Troy-Subsequently to Fall River-Incor- poration of the City-First Officers-Mayors from 1854 to 1884- Members of Congress Residents of Fall River-State Senators-Rep- resentatives from 1803 to 1884-Town Clerks from 1803 to 1854-City Clerks from 1854 to 1884-Present City Officers-Valuation from 1854 to 1882-Population from 1810 to 1882.

The Fall River Monitor .- The pioneer in Fall River journalism was the Monitor, first issued Jan. 6, 1826, by Nathan Hall. The office of publication was on Bedford Street, in a brick building which stood where is situated the block now occupied by Messrs. Allen, Slade & Co., for their wholesale grocery busi- ness. The size of the paper was nineteen by twenty- four inches, four pages, and four columns to a page.

The paper was printed on a Ramage press, similar to the one used by Franklin. The ink was distributed upon the type by balls, the very ancient style of the art.

The number of advertisements, though quite lim- ited, was respectable for this early period of our history as a town. Among these we note that John S. Cotton offers a variety of goods at his store, at the old stand at the corner formerly occupied by the Fall River Manufactory, viz., dry-goods, groceries, crock- ery, glassware, and hardware. John Southwick was also a dealer in the same articles. J. & D. Leonard supplied the people with paints and oil, but as no-

1 See Appendix.

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thing is said about paper hangings, we infer that Fall River people had not attained to the style necessary to make them a profitable commodity. Bennett & Jacobs were prominent dealers in West India goods and groceries, as also did Hiram Bliss. Enoch French & Sons supplied the people with boots, shoes, and leather, which, by the way, is the only store which has remained till this day, the same being continued by one of the sons and a grandson under the firm-name of Job B. French & Son, at or near the old stand, but with greatly increased facilities. Samuel Shove & Son were engaged in the dry-goods business, and also including in his stock crockery, earthen- and glass- ware. Blake & Nichols were dealers in staple goods. Pcleg H. Earl was the merchant tailor. James Ford dispensed the law. Joseph Luther and J. Ames taught private schools. Benjamin Anthony and John Southwick were the auctioneers. James G. Bowen was the postmaster. Matthew C. Durfee was the only bank cashier. Susan Jennings was the tailoress, and Mrs. Hannah Allen the mantuamaker. David An- thony was agent for a Boston insurance company. John C. Borden and David Anthony were among the principal owners of real estate, and the former as justice of the peace, his name appearing occasionally as officiating at marriage ceremonies. A Masonic lodge was in being here at this early day, of which Rt. W. Leander P. Lovell was Master, and John C. Borden was Secretary and Tyler, with Rev. A. B. Read as Chaplain.

B. Earl entered the office of the Monitor as an ap- prentice late in the fall of 1826. After serving three years, and continuing labor in the office some six months longer, he purchased the office with all its materials, the good-will, and list of subscribers to the Monitor, and commenced its publication on the 1st of July, 1829, continuing its publication until 1838, when it was sold out to Tripp & Pearce. During the last year or two of Mr. Earl's connection with the office, J. S. Hammond was associated with him in that and other business.

James Ford, Esq., officiated as editor of the Monitor during most of the period of its publication by Mr. Earl.

During the publication of the Monitor by Mr. Earl, the Morgan excitement on Masonry and anti-Masonry sprung up, and waxed hot and bitter between the contending adherents on either side; and also the " great Hodges and Ruggles' contest," as it was after- wards called, for Congressional appointment, which finally terminated in the election of Hodges on the seventh ballot. The Monitor took the Masonic side of question in controversy, and this gave to its publisher the cognomen of "Jack-mason."

In March, 1838, Earl & Hammond sold out their interest in the paper to Mr. N. A. Tripp and Alfred Pearce. Their partnership continued but three months, when Mr. Henry Pratt assumed the obliga- tions which Mr. Pearce had thrown off. Thus for

many years the publishers were Messrs. Tripp & Pratt. In 1850, Mr. Tripp went out of the firm, and in 1857 engaged in the publication of the Daily Star, which soon after came into existence.

The senior publisher, Mr. Noel A. Tripp, still sur- vives, and is an attaché of this office. He is probably the oldest printer in the county, and still wears his honors bravely, receiving to himself, very justly, the credit of establishing the first daily newspaper which became a permanent institution. Mr. Alfred Pearce died in Providence, March 12, 1871.

For many years previons to the fire of 1843 the paper was published in the Exchange Building which stood where the City Hall building is now located. After the fire it sought temporary quarters in the rear of Mrs. Young's residence, ou North Main Street, until the Borden block, which stood where the new one is now erected, was finished, when it was removed thither. When the Pocasset House was rebuilt the office was removed to its present quarters, where it has remained ever since.

In 1841 the present proprietor entered the office to serve an apprenticeship, after concluding which he continued in the employ of Mr. Henry Pratt, the pub- lisher, most of the time till about 1855, when he en- gaged in business himself. In December, 1868, he assumed the publication of the Monitor, which had been suspended for some months. For two years it was run as a free paper. Jan. 1, 1871, it was enlarged to its present dimensions and issued at one dollar per annum. It continued at this price one year, and Jan. 1, 1872, the subscription was raised to one dollar and fifty cents per annum. Its subscription is larger, and it has, undoubtedly, now a far wider circulation than at any period in its history.

The names of those who at various times previous to Mr. Robertson's connection with the Monitor wielded the editorial pen in its columns are in their order as follows: Joseph Hathaway, Esq., Charles F. Town- send, Matthew C. Durfee, James Ford, Esq., and Hon. Joseph E. Dawley. Mr. Dawley is the only one now living.

The first editor, Mr. Hathaway, was a native of Fall River, which then embraced Freetown, where Mr. Hathaway was born. He was probably one of the most brilliant members of the Bristol County bar. As a platform speaker he had few equals, and as an incisive writer he could wield a lance which cut to the quick.

Charles F. Townsend, Esq., of "Townsend Hill"' notoriety, became an early contributor to the columns of the Monitor, more especially in its poetical depart- ment, and continued in that capacity many years.

Matthew C. Durfee was its editor from 1828 to 1830. He was a man of fine talents, a cashier of the first bank ever started here, and possessed good business abilities. He was a good writer, a person of conscien- tions principles, and wielded a trenchant pen. He died in December, 1841.

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HISTORY OF BRISTOL COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

James Ford, Esq., assumed the editorial chair in 1830 and continued till 1858. As a writer, he was honest in statement and an ardent advocate of his political party,-the Whigs. During a good portion of this time the Democracy were in the ascendant in the nation, but Fall River usually was carried by the Whigs, and it was generally conceded that the paper was a powerful motor in the accomplishment of this work. Political controversy raged high in those days, much hotter than in modern times. The editor was not peculiarly mild in his denunciation of the policy of the Democratic party, whom he generally styled " Locofocos," a term quite commonly applied to them in those days. Various attempts were made to sustain a newspaper again by the Democratic party, but with indifferent success. Failure after failure followed until the Weekly News got a foothold. In the mean time the editor of the Monitor was continually pouring hot shot, metaphorically speaking, into the enemy's camp. Generally the opposition papers were edited by various persons, hence arose a term of "forty fathers," which Judge Ford applied to the authors of their editorials. The first objective point seemed to be the demolition of the theories of the Monitor, against which they battled long and earnestly. The controversy was long continued, the excitement ran high, and epithets of a harmless nature were freely applied on both sides. Though for a while these afforded considerable amusement to the patrons of the papers, yet they were carried to such an extent as to become tedious to the readers and unprofitable to the publishers. In those days newspaper controversy was more popular than it is now, but as they gener- ally degenerate into personal abuse, they detract from the character and profitableness of the paper, and please few but those whose belligerent propensities are superior to the mental. Mr. Ford lived to a ripe old age, being only a few days short of eighty-nine years at his death, retaining his mental faculties till the last.

Hon. Joseph E. Dawley became a contributor to the Monitor as early as 1847, and upon the retirement of Mr. Ford, in 1858, he assumed the sole editorial charge, and continued to discharge those duties until ahout 1861, when, in consequence of the war of the Rebellion, the paper was suspended for several months.

The Monitor is now published by Mr. William S. Robertson, editor and proprietor.

The Moral Envoy (anti-Masonic) was started in 1830 by George Wheaton Allen, a native of Batavia, N. Y. This journal continued to be published about a year, when in 1831 it was succeeded by the Village Recorder, Noel A. Tripp publisher. This was issued once a fortnight from the same office as the Monitor for a short time until 1832, when it came out weekly. After running nearly three years, the Recorder was merged in the Monitor.

In 1836 there was started the first Democratic paper, a weekly, called the Patriot. The publisher was William N. Canfield. It was edited a few months

by B. Ellery Hale, after which the editorial work was mostly performed by a coterie of writers, among whom were the late Dr. P. W. Leland, Dr. Foster Hooper, Jonathan Slade, and Louis Lapham, Esq. These were the " forty fathers," so termed by James Ford, Esq., who at this time edited the Monitor. The Patriot was a journal of considerable ability, and did good service for the Democracy. It lived four or five years, and was succeeded by the Archetype, which was started in 1841 under the management of Messrs. Thomas Almy and Louis Lapham. After one year it was discontinued, and was followed by the Gazette, published by Abraham Bowen, and edited by Stephen Hart. This was also short-lived, when the Argus sprung up under the editorial supervision of Jonathan Slade, with Thomas Almy as publisher. The office being destroyed in the great fire of 1843, the paper was suspended. About this time was issued the Flint and Steel, a small weekly sheet edited by the late Dr. P. W. Leland. It was in the interest of the Democ- racy, and gave full scope to the talent possessed by the doctor in making the sparks of criticism and sar- casm fly thick and fast.

At its demise various ventures in journalism were made, among them The Mechanic, by Mr. Thomas Almy, assisted by Mr. John C. Milne, the Wam- panoag, and some others. Since 1845 there have been the All Sorts, by Abraham Bowen, published occa- sionally ; Journal, weekly, by George Robertson ; People's Press, tri-weekly, by Noel A. Tripp. The All Sorts and Journal lived for a season. The Press was published five years, and then in 1865 was merged into the Monitor.

The Labor Journal, published by Henry Seavey, was started in 1873, now discontinued. The L' Echo du Canada, an organ of the French Canadians, was started in 1873, and lived about two years.

The first daily paper was The Spark, published in 1848, a small campaign paper, edited by Louis Lap- ham, Esq., which lived but a few weeks.

The Fall River Weekly News was established April 3, 1845, by Thomas Almy and John C. Milne, as a Democratic paper, and continued as such till 1853, when it espoused the principles of the Repub- lican party, which it has continued to advocate ever since. In June, 1859, the publication of the Daily Evening News was commenced, in connection with the Weekly. In 1864, Mr. Frank L. Almy, who had entered the office as an apprentice during the first year of the Weekly News, was admitted as a partner.

In 1882 the firm of Almy, Milne & Co. was dissolved by the death of the senior partner, Mr. Thomas Almy, after a business connection with Mr. Milne of more than thirty-seven years, and the publication of the two papers has been continued since that time by Mr. John C. Milne and Mr. Frank L. Almy, under the original firm-name of Almy & Milne.

Both the Daily and Weekly News have been enlarged from time to time, until they are now among the

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largest papers in the State, each containing thirty-six columns. The Evening News is the largest daily pub- lished in the city, and it has a large and increasing circulation, and its value as an advertising medium is well understood by business men. It is an able, high- toned, and influential journal, and in the days of the anti-slavery agitation was noted for its zeal and efli- ciency in the cause of human freedom. It occupies a bold and fearless position on the great moral ques- tions of the day, is a prominent advocate of the tem- perance cause, allows no liquor advertisements in its columns, and gives its aid to advance in every way the best interests of the community.

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History of Bristol County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 80

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1818

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1818