History of East Boston; with biographical sketches of its early proprietors, and an appendix, Part 3

Author: Sumner, William H. (William Hyslop), 1780-1861. cn
Publication date: 1858
Publisher: Boston, J. E. Tilton
Number of Pages: 883


USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > East Boston > History of East Boston; with biographical sketches of its early proprietors, and an appendix > Part 3
USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > East Boston > History of East Boston : with biographical sketches of its early proprietors, and an appendix. > Part 3


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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72


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INTRODUCTORY LETTER.


her husband, was obliged to fly from her habitation, and the dead man was carried out of the house, now involved in flames. It is seldom that so many circumstances concur to render a scene so distressing; but they conclusively show that the fire was not set by design in the house in which it broke out, but was entirely accidental.


The object of my visit to Washington having been defeated, I returned home. Soon after, in March, 1801, the Jeffersonian administration came into power. The head of it gratified the public clamor against the navy by an order for the sale of the public ships, substituting gunboats for harbor defence in their stead. These seemed to afford to the public convincing proof, that, in the then existing state of public sentiment, no appro- priation would be made by congress for building a dock-yard at Charlestown, the whole democratic party being opposed to a navy. This sentiment was so general that the subject of a navy-yard in the harbor of Boston, which had so long been desired, was no longer a topic of conversation.


Some years before this, perhaps in 1795 or 1796, the building of a turnpike over the marshes to Salem had been agitated, as appears by a communication in the Mercury, dated May 30, 1796 (Appendix A) ; but it was too expensive an undertak- ing to be suddenly adopted, and it was not until about this time that surveys of the route were made. These were done under the supervision of a committee of the petitioners, of which Moses Brown, Esquire, of Beverly, was chairman. As it was for some years in contemplation before leave of the legis- lature could be obtained, the change of the national administra- tion took place, and " gunboat Jefferson," as he was sarcas- tically called, succeeded John Adams, who had made such ruinous expenditures in building mammoth frigates. The gun- boat system for a while received the public favor. The decla- ration of the friends of the new administration, not only of this section of the country, but constituting a majority in congress ; the debates in that body, and the official reports of the public functionaries fully showed, that in their opinion the support of a navy was not the policy of this country, and indicated that appropriations for it would hereafter be very limited.


I thought I would avail myself of this current of opinion,


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IMPROVEMENTS.


although not according with it ; and after several personal inter- views with the road committee, whose favorable ear I obtained, at their request I addressed a letter to their chairman, embody- ing my arguments at shorthand, and pointing out the advan- tages of laying out their turnpike-road across Noddle's Island, and building a bridge from Smith's head to the north battery in Boston.


However strange it may seem at this day, when the wharf frontage in Boston is all occupied, yet there are many living who can remember that half a century ago the wharves in Bos- ton above the north end ferry-ways, and those in Charlestown, were seldom visited, except by wood and lumber vessels, to which a draw in a bridge would be no greater obstruction than the bridge to Charlestown did to the same class of vessels which had to pass through it. Even the number of vessels at that time lying at the wharves in Charlestown and in Boston above the proposed bridge was less than that at the south end wharves above the Free bridge to South Boston, when the act authorizing its construction was passed in 1827.


No copy of my letter was kept. It was not even recollected to have been written until the original was recently shown and handed to the writer of it by Mr. Brown's son, Charles Brown, Esq., of this city, who found it among his father's papers. Its perusal will show that at that early date, even before the writer of it was twenty-one years old, he had formed a project of con- necting the Island more intimately with Boston than it then was. The objections to the place proposed for the bridge were thought to be no greater than those against Charlestown bridge when that was built, and the road committee so seriously enter- tained the proposition, that a survey of the route across the Island and a plan of it were made by William Taylor, Esq. This plan, which was given to George Peabody, Esq. when the railroad to Salem was petitioned for, fell into the hands of the surveyors, and is not now to be found.1 By this plan it is seen that the distance from Salem to Boston is nearly half a mile less than the route by Moreton's point in Charlestown.


1 Fortunately I have recently received from the civil engineer of the East Boston Company, Mr. Noble, a copy of the plan above referred to; and an engraving of it faces this letter.


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INTRODUCTORY LETTER.


But, in consequence of the administration changing its views and giving an order for proceeding with the work, originally contemplated, of building a dock-yard at Charlestown, my project had to be abandoned. For although a bridge across the channel from the Island to the north battery would have formed but little obstruction to the class of vessels which then would have had to pass through its draw, yet it would have formed so serious an obstacle to the passage of ships of war to the navy-yard above it, that the projected route over the Island was given up, and the original one by Moreton's point sub- stituted.


For several years no new or striking event occurred respect- ing the Island. David S. Greenough, Esq. directed the repairs and received and collected the rents, accounting with his cousin, Mrs. Sumner, or with her son as her attorney, for her proportion of the income, and with Mr. Hyslop for his. And happy were they in having a friend of such sagacity and incorruptible integrity to take charge of their interests, which he did gratuitously.


The gross rent of the Island at this time was one thousand dollars, and after deducting the tenant's charges for repairs, which often amounted to a third part of the rent, the balance was divided among the three proprietors according to their interests.


Mrs. Sumner died intestate, December 28th, 1810, and for myself, and as attorney and guardian to my sisters Mehitable and Eliza, I had the sole care both of my father's and mother's property until the 13th of May, 1815, when a division of her estate and that of her husband, of which she had been endowed, was made by the estimate and appraisal of three of the best judges of real estate in Boston, - William Brown, Uriah Cot- ting, and Ebenezer Francis, Esquires.


After the appointment of these gentlemen, I requested them to estimate the estates at their true cash value and submit their appraisement to me, when I would look it over and make such remarks upon their estimate of each article (whether it was too high or too low in my judgment) as occurred to me, and would request them, - after having given due consideration to the remarks, which, as an interested party, I should make, and


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DIVISION OF ESTATE.


altering their report or not according to their judgment upon a revision of their appraisement, -to divide the same into three parcels of equal value, marking them one, two, three, and then to draw these numbers by lot against the names of each heir, and thus make the division among them ; and this was so done.


These gentlemen appraised the Malden wood-lots and Chel- sea farm of 392 acres at $12,600, and Noddle's Island of 660 acres, as they called it, at $22,200. My remarks upon that appraisement were, that each of these two estates, in my opin- ion, was appraised too low, particularly the latter, as I should be willing to take it myself at even ten per cent. more than that. Upon a revision, they appraised them both higher, rais- ing the latter from $22,200 to $25,000.


As I had set my heart upon this Island ever since I came of age, I would have been willing to have taken it at that, or even a greater, sum; but as my sisters relied upon me to do them justice as well as myself, I did not see how an unobjectionable division could be made otherwise than by lot. To this mode of division there could be no objection now or hereafter; and it would obviate those feelings of jealousy which are often indulged by females, and frequently not without cause, against their male coheirs.


As I had it always in contemplation, if the Island should become mine, by the application of my other means, to make it the object of my speculation, I was greatly disappointed when that portion fell to the lot of my youngest sister; not that I was unwilling to do for her as I would for myself, but that my power as attorney and trustee would not allow me to apply her personal funds to speculative improvements. I kept my eye upon the object, however, in hopes that some oppor- tunity would present itself by which it might be accomplished.


In some preceding part of this relation, I have mentioned the fact, that the elder Mr. Greenough declined answering defi- nitely the inquiry of Mr. Binney, the navy agent of the United States, what he would take for a part of Noddle's Island, (he wanted Smith's hill,) by saying indignantly, that no man could buy it under a quarter of a dollar a foot.


Some years afterwards, I think it was in 1824 or 1825, in a conversation with his son, the late Col. D. S. Greenough, I 3


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INTRODUCTORY LETTER.


mentioned to him, that both Mrs. Gerard and myself thought it was a great pity that his father had not availed himself of the opportunity of making a grand sale to the government of the United States, as he might have done upon Mr. Binney's application, and thereby have converted unproductive real estate into cash, which the government of the United States always paid for their purchases. He answered that he con- curred with me in opinion, but that the old gentleman was fixed, and nothing would move him. I remarked that I was sorry, for that my sister's third part of the Island would lie idle, as it had done for years, unless the great proprietors could agree upon some plan for its more profitable improvement. " Never mind," said Colonel Greenough, "the time will come when you and I will have something more to do with it. When that happens, I will agree with you upon some plan of operation to bring it forward into public notice."


There was no movement nor proposition for improving the property other than as a farm until the period alluded to, which was nearly ten years after the division of my mother's estate. Meanwhile my sister Eliza, who had become the sole owner of my mother's interest in the Island, was married to James W. Gerard, Esq., of New York. This event took place in October, 1820; but, by their marriage settlement, the charge of my sister's property was continued in my hands as trustee. Her necessary expenses, from an increasing family, were greater from year to year, which seemed to me to be a reason why some steps should be taken to render her property more pro- ductive. Accordingly I suggested to Colonel Greenough, who was the only son and prospective heir of his father, that as he would not dispose of the Island to any stranger, but preferred to keep it solely for his (the son's) account, perhaps his father would let him commence operations for making it more valua- ble than it was. I told him if he would obtain his father's consent, I would endeavor to get my sister's, and make a com- pany of it, as we could then sell out what portion of it we pleased to part with, and turn it into productive property. He said he would consult his father about it. I addressed Mr. and Mrs. Gerard fully on the subject, and received their reply on the 23d of February, 1825, and 8th of March following. They


-


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MILITARY BOARD.


consented to a sale of half of her interest at the rate of $50,000 for the whole Island, but declined to spend any money upon it or to be connected with any company. The next year, in August, 1826, old Mr. Greenough died, and left all his estate, under certain restrictions, to the management of his son. In October of that year I married my first wife, Mrs. Perry, a daughter of the Honorable James De Wolf of Rhode Island. Soon afterward I went to Washington, having before my mar- riage been appointed a member of the military board, which was to consist of both army and militia officers, who were to convene at Washington for the purpose of devising a militia system, and a system of exercises and manœuvres of the cav- alry and light-infantry and riflemen of the United States. Of this board Major-General Winfield Scott was president, and Major-General Thomas Cadwallader of the Pennsylvania militia, Brigadier-General William H. Sumner, Adjutant-Gen- eral of Massachusetts, Beverly Daniel, Adjutant-General of North Carolina, Lieutenant-Colonel (afterwards Brigadier-Gen- eral) Abraham Eustis, 4th artillery United States, Lieutenant- Colonel Zachary Taylor, 1st regiment United States infantry (since president of the United States), Lieutenant-Colonel E. Cutler, 3d infantry, U. S., and Major Charles Nourse, U. S. A., were members. The board was in session several weeks. Ever mindful of my project regarding Noddle's Island, which I thought might now soon be commenced, I availed myself of the opportunity which my sojourn in Washington afforded me of examining the records of the navy department, to ascertain from the surveys what information they would furnish, and the depth of water between the city and the Island. This was found to be five fathoms, one fathom deeper than any other part of the channel.


In this report, among other more important matters, Mr. Humphrey remarks, that " Noddle's Island presents a west and north-west exposure, which is a very cold one." His son, who was then the first clerk in the bureau of construction of the navy department, very readily furnished such papers as he could find connected with the report of his father. This was unaccompanied by plans, and was otherwise by no means as complete as the modern reports from the different bureaus of the government.


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INTRODUCTORY LETTER.


These papers have before been referred to in the historical part of this relation, and there is now no occasion further to remark upon them.


Some time after my return I opened the subject again to my sister and to Colonel Greenough. In my conference with the colonel, as well as in my letter to my sister, the capacity of the Island for city improvement was again enlarged upon and fur- ther developed, in case it could be connected with the main land by a bridge, and have a ferry established direct from the city. The plan then was to run the ferry, from the north bat- tery to Smith's head, directly across the narrowest part of the channel. My sister's answer, dated 28th February, 1828, is before me. In this she said, that she did not dare to put the whole of her interest into corporate stock, even if a company should be formed, and that she wished every thing to be kept " safe, safe," as regarded the little property left her.


In my interview with Colonel Greenough above referred to, I reminded him of my conversation with him years before, when his father was living; and asked him if he was now ready to discuss the manner in which these improvements should be commenced. He replied (much to my surprise) that he believed he should let every thing lie as it was. He said his father thought it a valuable property to him, and he himself did not know of any estate he possessed which was so safe and valuable to leave to his own children.


It is needless to say that after this no further effort to com- bine the interests of the proprietors for speculative improvement was made. Every thing went on in the old way ; the third part of the rents of the Noddle's Island farm being credited to Mrs. Gerard.


Every door of improvement seemed now to be closed, and the building of a new city a vain imagination. Not exactly so, however, for the project of a railroad to Salem was soon talked of, which threw a gleam of light upon the subject, and which would . effect the long sought for project of connecting the Island with the city by a ferry, if it should take that course, without any effort on the part of the proprietors, or agreement or concert between them, and which they would receive the benefit of, as it seemed, in spite of themselves. At that time


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PROPOSED RAILROAD.


we had but little experience in railroads, and it was doubtful if subscribers could be found for the stock, even if the charter could be obtained. The expense of building the road on the Lynn marshes, and the bridges over their numerous creeks, and ferry-boats between the Island and Boston, it was thought, would make it too costly to yield an income to the proprietors, and there was but little spirit among interested persons to lead them to invest their money in so doubtful a project. Accord- ingly, the first object was to have a reconnoissance of the route, that some approximate estimate of the cost could be made ; and the next, to get the stock taken up. For if that could not be effected, there could be no use in petitioning for leave to build the road.


At that time, in July, 1831, I was deeply interested in behalf of two gentlemen, Messrs. Perkins and Talmadge, of New York, who were large subscribers to the stock of the Boston and Providence Railroad, which had been surveyed, and was so favorably thought of, it was difficult to get any stock in it. I told them that I did not wish to undervalue their railroad, but that I had a project in contemplation which was worth two of it. They wished to know what it was. I told them if they would get into a carriage with me I would show them. We drove down to the north battery, then called Leach's wharf, and I pointed out the route which the railroad to Salem would take if it went over Noddle's Island, which, as Smith's hill loomed up, seemed to us within the distance of a rifle shot. I told them that the route over the Island had been surveyed thirty years before for a turnpike-road, and that the distance to Salem would be within a few rods of half a mile less than any other that could be taken ; but that we intended to have a survey made for this distinct object, by which we could better judge of its practicability and cost. They viewed the subject in a favorable light, but said that they had their hands full then, and we parted.


But how uncertain are human events and the vicissitudes of life! Two years had hardly elapsed since the date of Mrs. Gerard's letter declining to join any company for improving the property, when Colonel Greenough was seized with an apo- plectic fit, which, on the 6th of August, 1830, suddenly termi-


3*


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INTRODUCTORY LETTER.


nated his earthly career. He left a widow and six children ; but as one of them died soon after the father, there were but five to divide the inheritance with his widow.


William D. Sohier, Esq., of Boston, who was Colonel Green- ough's classmate and intimate friend, was appointed the attor- ney of the widow, who administered upon her husband's estate. Her brother, James C. Doane, Esq., of Cohasset, assisted her in collecting the rents and taking charge of the Island and other real property which fell to her and her children, to whom she had been appointed guardian, the oldest, David S., then being but fourteen years of age.


Mr. Doane was a member of the general court from Cohas- set for the year 1831, and, meeting him one day in the State house, the question was put to him what his sister designed to do with Noddle's Island. He answered that her attorney, Mr. Sohier, had advised her to sell it, thinking that the interests of the minor children would be promoted by so doing; for there was too much property lying dead without any adequate inter- est for minors to hold. Mr. Greenough's estimate of the net annual income of the Island for twenty years was but $702.71. Mr. Doane also said, that the friends of the administratrix and guardian had advised her to apply to the court for leave to sell, and that they were going to do so. I told him at once if that was their determination, that I would buy it; that it had always been the object of my desire ; and by making a purchase I could unite their interests, if I owned it, with my sister's and uncle's, and thus accomplish something that might be of mutual advantage, which it was not in the power of any one else to do. It was further said by the applicant, that he had not the means to do this unless they would give him time and accommodation for the payment of so large a sum as it would probably be estimated at. To this, Mr. Doane thought, there would be no objection, on security. " What does your sister ask for it ?" said I. " She has no leave of court to sell," he replied, " and therefore cannot enter into any contract; but if she saw a prospect of making a good bargain for the heirs, I think she would be willing to apply for it." At an after inter- view, Mr. Doane thought if she could get one hundred dollars an acre for it, marsh and all, she would be induced to enter into


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NEGOTIATIONS.


a negotiation. "Now, if you want it," said he, " as we have discussed the subject, I think I might venture to sell it at that price," and on the 21st of December, 1831, he sent me the fol- lowing note : -


December 21, 1831.


DEAR SIR, - A few minutes only were allowed me to con- sult my friend, Mr. Sohier, owing to his indisposition. The result is not to vary from the proposition which has been made. If, therefore, a purchaser can be found for Colonel Greenough's part of Noddle's Island at one hundred dollars an acre for upland and marsh, I will engage, in behalf of the heirs, to con- vey their interest in the same.


Very respectfully yours, JAMES C. DOANE.


To this it was replied, that although Mr. Doane was Mrs. Greenough's brother and confidential friend, his promise of sale, even if the terms were acceded to, would not be obliga- tory. "Besides," said I, " your sister will want to confer with her legal adviser, Mr. Sohier, respecting the terms and condi- tions, before she makes any definite offer. Will you be kind enough to ask her to do so, and to name her price and terms in writing, and give me the offer of it?" He did so; and her friends, having further reflected on it for two or three weeks, and probably considering that a purchaser of an undivided half of a farm of 660 acres, as (excluding the mill-pond) they then reckoned at, was not often to be found, advised the following letter to be sent : -


Roxbury, January 12, 1832.


GENERAL WILLIAM H. SUMNER :


SIR, - I will dispose of the interest which the late Colonel Greenough had in Noddle's Island, and now belonging to his heirs, for $32,500, payable one fifth part upon delivery of the deed, the remainder secured by mortgage or otherwise to my satisfaction, payable at some distant day, paying interest at five per cent. - Provided the necessary power to sell can be obtained. - Reserving to myself the right to avail myself of


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INTRODUCTORY LETTER.


the first satisfactory offer to that effect made me, and to with- draw this upon six days' notice.


MARIA F. GREENOUGH.


This offer was accepted unhesitatingly ; and, on the 25th, a memorandum in writing was signed by the parties, specifying the terms of sale more particularly, as mutually agreed upon.


The terms, other than those specified, it was said, should be made easy, and no money demanded under six months. . Every inducement to purchase was kindly held out; but, now, when the great object of so many years' exertion was apparently obtained, obstacles to its accomplishment, which had always existed, but the weight of which was not forcibly felt until now, presented themselves. No time was to be lost in getting assist- ance towards enabling the contractor to fulfil his undertaking. His own pecuniary resources were limited ; and his experience in former speculations taught him, that ruin, instead of fortune, would attend every project without ample means to carry it through.


Early in the present century, about the time the South Bos- ton (then called Dorchester point) purchase was made, and a petition for a bridge from South street was presented, he was employed by the Roxbury canal corporation to oppose it. The plan, if effected, he saw, would enhance greatly the property of the projectors, although he was not willing to enter into a pro- ject individually which he was employed to oppose profession- ally. But, from this the spirit of speculation seized him, and he became a purchaser of one twentieth part of Paulus Hook, in New Jersey, opposite to New York, at a very advantageous price, with the intention to do, what has since been accom- plished, - build a city there. But the hard times of the embargo and war pressed so heavily upon the project, that he was obliged to sell out, and was glad in doing so to get his money back.


The same effect attended another speculation in Boston, in which he was the proprietor of sixty shares from the beginning to the end. This was the project of John Peck, to whom he acted as attorney, and for whom he drew the act of incorpora- tion called the Boston Mill Corporation, for filling up the mill-




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