History of East Boston; with biographical sketches of its early proprietors, and an appendix, Part 41

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 41
USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > East Boston > History of East Boston : with biographical sketches of its early proprietors, and an appendix. > Part 41


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Peter Dunbar


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459


LOCATION OF STREETS.


1833.]


laying out of straight streets, and the extension of wharves into the channel. H. Cummisky and P. McManus made a contract with the company to fill in and make the street and wharf from Maverick square to the ferry, by removing earth from the garden and the hill north-west of Maverick square. This work was commenced on the 9th of July.


It has been mentioned, that a loan was authorized by the company on the 23d of May. Up to the 6th of August, no application had been made ; by a vote on that day, the direc- tors as individuals were directed to endorse the treasurer's notes for such sums as might be necessary to carry into effect the votes of the corporation, and the company would hold the endorsers harmless from any danger which might result from such a mode of procedure; in this way, individual credit effected what a corporate body could not.


One of the first and most important subjects demanding the attention and action of the company was the location of streets. The narrow and crooked streets of Boston were a continual and sufficient warning to the proprietors to lay out wide and straight streets on the Island before houses and stores were built, for in this way only could regularity and convenience be secured. The old parts of New York and Boston are most per- plexing instances of building according to individual fancy, without the slightest regard to appearance, system, or the pro- spective growth and consequent demands of a large city. A systematic arrangement of streets, squares, and lots on the Island would secure immediate advantages, and make provision for future wants, while at the same time such a course would eventually be the most profitable one for the company. On the 6th of August, an examination of the southern part of the Island was made with reference to the location of streets. Bel- mont square, and sundry streets, had been named prior to this (May 30th). The very day previous, Mr. Guy C. Haynes had raised his house at the corner of Webster and Cottage streets, now lot No. 94. Mr. Haynes had selected this spot in June, and on the 29th of that month raised his barn, into which he moved his furniture on the 25th of July. This was some months before the company were prepared to give their deeds. On the 3d of September, and when the house was about half


460


HISTORY.


[1833.


finished, Mr. Haynes moved into it from Boston. His family then consisted of himself, his wife, and her sister, and was the first family which moved to the Island after the incorporation of the East Boston Company. This house was the first one built


Residence of Guy C. Haynes, First House erected in East Boston, August, 1833.


in East Boston, and is still occupied by Mr. Haynes.1 His appreciation of the future prospects of the Island was in strik- ing contrast to the views held by Mr. Williams. Mr. Williams, as we have seen, who had been for many years a resident upon the Island, refused to accept the gift of an acre of land on condition that he would erect a house upon it for his residence ; while Mr. Haynes, with a speculative turn of mind, not only purchased a lot and erected a house, but made early application for the purchase of East Wood Island, so called, consisting of about eighteen acres ! This proposal, which eventually would have proved a most lucrative one to Mr. Haynes, was not accepted by the company, as it did not sell land by the acre.


On the 13th of September, Mr. Fuller's plan of streets was adopted, and it was voted that reference should be had to this plan in the deeds made by the corporation.2 The streets were


1 The author acknowledges his indebtedness to Mr. Haynes, who has kindly furnished him with the accompanying picture of the house.


2 For a description of this and other plans of East Boston, see particular de- tails near the close of this chapter.


461


LOCATION OF STREETS.


1833.]


laid out wide and straight, regardless of the expense required to secure regularity and uniformity by crossing low grounds and filling up the marshes.


To those who looked only at present requirements, this appeared to be a needless outlay of money. So it seemed when Sumner Street was laid out over the creek. Mr. Wil- liams came to General Sumner, and with great solicitude inquired if he knew what Mr. Saunders the surveyor was doing. Upon being asked to what he referred, he answered, " He is laying out the street from the house to Camp hill, lengthwise of the creek ; the filling up of which will involve the expenditure of a great sum of money, which may be saved by a curve over the beach." The general answered that it was done in a straight line in accordance with the wishes of his associates, who thought, that, although the street would be made at great cost, the future benefits would more than compensate for it ; and that, by making straight and wide streets, disregard- ing small obstacles, the money would be well spent, for the lots would bring greater prices. Mr. Williams listened in astonish- ment to hear that this seeming extravagance was authorized, and said, " Why, General Sumner! you don't tell me that you agreed to it!" Upon being answered in the affirmative, Mr. Williams replied, " Well! I always thought you knew some- thing before !"


By the plan adopted, the streets were located in straight lines and of generous width, and their regularity and excellent adap- tation to business, and an increasing population, add very much to the beauty of the Island and the value of the property.


At this time the subject of land transportation by steam power was the principal topic of conversation. Public curiosity was excited in reference to the newly invented means of con- veyance, and every one took a deep interest in an experiment which, if practically successful, would be of inestimable im- portance to the travelling and business community, and revolu- tionize the whole system of intercourse and trade. Propulsion by steam power had already been successfully tried in England, while the laying of iron rails for loaded cars drawn by horses had been in use there since the iron railway at Whitehaven in 1738; and as early as 1801 the Surrey iron railway for horses


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462


HISTORY.


[1833.


was sanctioned by act of parliament. The first locomotive which was successful was constructed in 1824, and attained a speed of six miles an hour. The Stockton and Darlington road, opened in England in 1825, and the Liverpool and Manchester (Eng.), finished in 1829, fully demonstrated the feasibility of this mode of transportation, and thinking men inquired why the experiment could not be as easily and as successfully tried in this country. Indeed, already at Quincy, rail-cars ran from the granite quarries to tide water upon a road built in 1827, and thus the whole subject had been brought nearer home, and in its most practical light. The public mind was awake to the importance of the enterprise, and scientific and practical men turned their attention to this new motive power with that inter- est which every valuable invention secures. Various projects were suggested, and plans proposed ; and of these the ingenious but unfeasible plan invented by Col. Henry Sargent demands a notice here, as he made the Island the site of his experiment. His invention was called " the suspension railroad," and had cars to be propelled by steam power, but the running construc- tion differed from any road then proposed. Its peculiarity con- sisted in the use of one rail instead of two, and by this construc- tion with cars especially adapted for the purpose, the inventor claimed that the same results could be obtained as with the use of two rails, and at a great saving of expense.


At this early period in the history of the East Boston Com- pany, the permanent establishment of a ferry to the city was a matter of vital importance to the interests of the Island; and although the regular running of a boat was attended with con- siderable expense to the company, as the passengers were of necessity very few, the prosperity of the Island depended in a great measure upon its maintenance, - a sure means of inter- course with the city being required by the mechanics and labor- ers upon the Island.


Taking advantage of this state of affairs, Col. Sargent rightly conjectured that the company would favor any plan which would tend to increase the passengers over the ferry and make it at least a self-supporting concern, and that he would be per- mitted to locate his road upon the Island on very favorable terms. Consequently, with all the enthusiasm of an inventor, he laid his


463


SUSPENSION RAILROAD.


1833.]


plans before the company, fully impressed with the value of his in- vention, and with the idea that when the road should commence operation, crowds of people would flock to the Island to witness and enjoy this novel and much talked of means of conveyance, especially his peculiar adaptation of the new motive power. Thus he argued the receipts of the ferry would be very much increased, and his invention would make the Island a centre of attraction to a multitude of people. Although the company had no great confidence in the ultimate success of the experi- ment, still, wishing to give encouragement to all plans which in any way, however indirect, would benefit their property, they permitted him to construct his rail upon their land, and in May, 1833, appointed Messrs. White and. Oliver a committee to con- fer with him on its location. The rail was erected in the sum- mer of 1834, and extended in nearly a northerly direction from Hotel square to Bennington street, across the marsh, and par- allel with Meridian street. The cars were constructed with seats for half a dozen persons each, and hung on both sides of the rail on which they ran, and from which they were sus- pended. The rail was supported by posts sunk in the marsh ; and the cars, which hung from both ends of a bar, which by means of wheels ran upon the rail and at right angles to it, were kept in position by lateral wheels, and, from their appear- ance, were waggishly and not inappropriately called " saddle bags."


A small engine commenced running with a passenger car on the 22d of August, but although this was in the infancy of rail- roads, when the subject was the theme of general conversation, and indeed this was the first attempt in this vicinity to carry passengers by means of steam power, the experiment failed. The fare was quite low, but the passengers were few; and after being a nine days' wonder, it was discontinued. The standing rail remained a year or two, and some of the posts are even now met with under ground in the building operations on the line of the road.


Col. Sargent applied to the company for indemnity for his loss in this unfortunate enterprise, although he alone was re- sponsible for its plan and its expenses. He preferred a claim against them, and a committee was appointed to settle with


464


HISTORY.


[1833.


him. They agreed that if he purchased a lot of land at a pub- lic sale which was to take place on the 2d of June, 1836, what- ever sum was allowed him in the adjustment of his claim against the company for his railroad should be received on ac- count of his purchase-money. It does not appear, however, that he ever made any such purchase, or ever received any in- demnity from the company.


The sale of the choice of lots on Belmont (as specified in the subscription paper given on a previous page) took place on the 25th of October, 1833. This first public sale was remarkably successful, amounting, according to the treasurer's report made on the 30th of October, to $54,000. The same report gives the amount of sales on other parts of the Island at $32,000, making $86,000 in the whole, or $6,000 more than the whole cost of the Island. The success of this sale shows that confidence was secured for the company, and in its satisfactory results well illustrated Campbell's oft-quoted line, that


" Coming events cast their shadow before."


The sale of land on the Island was of course of the first im- portance to the company, and any proposals to purchase lots secured immediate attention.


One day in September, 1833, as the directors were crossing in the ferry-boat from the Island to the city, Mr. Lewis, the superintendent, informed them that he had received an offer for certain lots of land, and wished to know whether he should accept it. Interest was immediately awakened, and the inquiry was quickly made where the lots were situated, and how much had been offered. Mr. Lewis answered that the land was the block of six lots directly in front of the Maverick House, lying between Hotel Square and Sumner streets, - the same land on which the Maverick church was subsequently built, - and twenty cents a foot had been offered for the whole. Such an unlooked for price gave the highest satisfaction to the gentle- men, and showed them in the most gratifying light the future prospects of their enterprise. Before their first pleasing thoughts at the favorable proposal had passed away, to the surprise of all, General Sumner said, " Gentlemen, you shall not sell the lots for twenty cents, for I will give you twenty-five." He at


465


SALE OF LOTS.


1833.]


the same time expressed his opinion that the land in question should not be sold, but be kept open, as the sale and subsequent improvements upon it would interrupt the view from the hotel, and make that less desirable as a place of fashionable resort, which should be one of their first objects; that the location was such that it must constantly increase in value, and that true policy would dictate the keeping of the lots open until some future time; yet, if the directors thought best to sell, he would give five cents per foot more than had been offered, and would keep the offer open until eleven o'clock on the fol- lowing morning; in the mean time he wished the directors to consult together upon the expediency of the sale, and let him know the decision at the appointed time. At this point in the conversation, F. J. Oliver remarked that he would share the purchase with General Sumner at that price. The question was left undecided until the next day, when the directors, think- ing the offer too good to be resisted, accepted General Sumner's proposition. Two reasons influenced him in giving this high price for the land; one was that the lots were among the most valuable of any possessed by the company on the Island, and were so centrally situated that all improvements upon the Island, wherever made, would tend to increase their value, so that their purchase at even a high price would be a good specula- tion ; the other reason was, that, by an actual sale at a full price, the sale of other lots would be increased, and from the fact that those best acquainted with the Island property paid the highest prices, a confidence would be imparted to the community that the lands would be a remunerative purchase to those who early entered into the project. In accordance with the original prop- osition, Mr. Oliver shared in the purchase to the extent of one fourth.


The Maverick House, the raising of which was completed on the 13th of this month, was set back of these lots, so as to leave a large open area in front, and in this way the prospect from the house was left unobstructed, and the value of the adjacent land was very much increased. After the hotel was opened and became a place of fashionable resort, the company saw that a mistake had been made in selling this property. Cen- trally located, in front of a large and elegant hotel, the land


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466


HISTORY.


[1833.


was a kind of exchange for the Island. The shade of the great willow tree in the centre, under which seats were conveniently arranged, invited knots of persons, who discussed land specula- tion or politics, as the occasion dictated. The company did not wish to buy back the land, as the purchase-money was of more immediate use to them. But perceiving that buildings were be- ing erected around it, and that the Maverick House was thronged with fashionable visitors and boarders, they did not think it advisable to have the land closed up, and, in order to keep it open, on the 2d of November, leased it of Messrs. Sumner and Oliver for five years, with the condition that it should be used as a public area, and for that purpose only, and at the annual rent of $324, being the amount of interest on the purchase- money ($5,333.33). No taxes were levied on this land, as it lay open for public use. To show that a proper estimate was placed on the prospective value of these lots, it may be stated that the proprietor of three fourths realized in the sale, after de- ducting the first cost and the interest upon it for twelve years, when the last sale was made, and incidental expenses, a net gain of $10,970, an advance almost without parallel in the his- tory of land speculation in this vicinity.


On the 21st of November, Dr. John Jeffries erected his house, the second one built in East Boston, and occupied it as a sum- mer residence in 1834. This house was on lot No. 64, at the south-eastern extremity of the Island.


Within the limits of East Boston, and belonging to the com- pany, were included East and West Wood islands, containing about forty acres. Wishing to bring as much of the property as possible into a productive state, the superintendent was au- thorized, in December, to lease Wood island to Dr. Benjamin Shurtleff, on such terms as he considered best for the company. Afterward, about ninety acres of flats were enclosed by a per- manent sea-wall, extending from Maverick street in section No. 1 to West Wood island, a distance of three thousand feet.


During this year the old barracks which remained in the fort in Belmont square 1 were removed to the third section, and


1 Fort Strong. For description, etc., see Chapter XIII., Military History of the Island.


467


THE FIRST YEAR'S OPERATIONS.


1833.]


fitted up for a house for Thomas Williams's farmer, Mr. Haley.


The year 1833 was a busy one for the company ; surveys and plans were to be made, projects of various kinds to be considered, streets to be located, wharves to be built, a ferry to be estab- lished, buildings to be erected, loans to be made and debts to be paid, land to be sold, provision to be made for future demands, and, indeed, the whole system of operation was to be put in motion, by which sufficient inducements should be offered to secure the settlement and prosperity of the Island. It was im- portant to start right; to avoid extravagance on the one hand, or a disastrous parsimony on the other, either of which would make shipwreck of the whole undertaking; to know the boun- dary line between sound enterprise and rashness, between pru- dence and treacherous caution; to anticipate future prospects and wants, while providing for immediate necessities ; to secure, by prompt and vigorous action, an early realization of some of their designs ; and, in short, to pursue such a policy that the community would feel a confidence in the company, and public opinion favor the undertaking.


To secure this, the first year's operations must be comprehen- sive and at the same time safe, and these two essential qualities seem to have been most happily combined; it would be difficult to find a corporation whose duties were so multiform that made so few mistakes. The close of 1833 found the East Boston Company in a prosperous condition. In many respects the most difficult point had been passed, a systematic plan of oper- ations had been commenced, and an energetic and executive management controlled the whole.


During this year the company had been incorporated and or- ganized ; streets, squares, and lots had been laid out for dwell- ings, public purposes, mechanical establishments, and wharves ; two dwelling-houses had been built, and a large and elegant hotel commenced; the East Boston Wharf Company had been incorporated, and had commenced operations ; a ferry had been established ; a petition had been prepared for a free bridge to Chelsea; land had been sold to the amount of eighty thousand feet for the East Boston Timber Company (and, in seven months, land had been sold on the Island to the amount of


468


HISTORY.


[1834.


$86,000) ; the subject of the Eastern Railroad had been raised and vigorously prosecuted, and a series of undertakings had been started, which would ultimately develop the capabilities and resources of the Island. Careful and prospective action and a generous outlay of money characterized this first year's work of the company, and a basis was thus laid the results of which will always be seen.


The census of the Island for 1833 was as follows : -


Male.


'Female.


Guy C. Haynes, wife and sister


1


2


Mr. Haley and wife 1


1


1


Chas. M. Taft, housekeeper and daughter 2


1


2


-


3


5


Total


.


. 8 persons.


If the year 1833 was a busy one, the year 1834 was emphatically so for the company, and for others who had deter- mined to make the Island a place of business and profit. As the spring opened, various plans and enterprises began to take a definite form. An important measure, secured in the early part of this year, was an act of incorporation for the proprietors of the Chelsea Free Bridge; 3 for, of necessity, the prosperity of the Island must in a great measure be dependent upon the facilities of communication between it and the main land. This bridge would open a new and valuable public thorough- fare, and by increasing the means of intercourse, would render the Island more desirable as a place of residence or of busi- ness.


In the spring a ferry landing was secured on the Boston side at Lewis's wharf; but it was not until September that a suitable place could be obtained on the East Boston side. This same month, in order to meet the demands of the rapidly increasing business, a new ferry-boat-the " Maverick " - was contracted for. The "East Boston," contracted for in October, 1833, was


1 Left in 1834.


2 Left in 1835.


3 See " Chelsea Free Bridge," Chap. XVI. The name is now altered by the city government to Chelsea Street Bridge.


469


BUSINESS OPERATIONS.


1834.]


launched in August, 1834; the " Maverick" was launched in January, 1835. The Sugar Refinery was built in 1834, and continues its works of refinement to the present time, and with greatly increased capabilities. In the spring of this year also the Timber Company, in aid of the grand object of establish- ing a ship-building interest at the Island, went into operation ; other projects were started, and the Island was animate with planners and workers. Buildings went up with astonishing rapidity ; wharves ran out into the sea; steamboats were built and launched; the first ship, the Niagara, was on the stocks, being built of timber brought from Grand island in Niagara river, by a company even younger than the East Boston Com- pany ; streets were laid out, hills dug down, and valleys filled up ; and every thing showed that an experiment was being tried on a very large scale, and directed by enterprising men, among whom Mr. Lewis, the superintendent, was a man remarkable for energy and for skill as a projector. The result of so great an undertaking would be, for all engaged in it, either unparalleled success or a proportionate loss.


On the 21st day of April of this year, a schooner, laden with plaster, discharged her cargo at East Boston, and thus was com- menced the line of vessels which, from that time to the present, has been filling the shore with merchandise. The first ship which discharged a cargo here was the "Seaman," in May, 1835; she was a Charlestown packet, owned by Mr. A. C. Lombard, and brought a cargo of sugar to the refinery.


The business operations of the company were now so extensive, and involved so many important points, that F. J. Oliver and S. S. Lewis were made a committee to consider the expediency of appointing a solicitor of the company. The committee reported favorably to such an appointment (26th August, 1834), and recommended John R. Adan, Esq., who was accordingly chosen the same day, for a year, at a salary of $400. His duty, as specified in the records, was to prepare deeds, mortgages, and other legal papers and instruments, and to keep a copy of the deeds in the company's record book, to give his advice when called for by the officers of the company, and perform all other duties usually devolving upon the solic- itor of a corporation, except prosecuting or defending suits in


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470


HISTORY.


[1834.


court, for which he was to charge an additional fee. As the duties of his office increased in proportion to the enlarged operations of the company, it was afterwards voted to raise his salary to $1,200 a year from the 26th of August, 1836.


The early acts of the company were characterized by liber- ality and public spirit, and in many instances demonstrated, that, contrary to the prevalent idea, corporations can have souls. The company had certain claims on the estate of Thomas Williams, deceased, the late tenant of the Island. Long before this, it had offered to him an acre of land on the Island in consideration of his services; and now a committee, consisting of Messrs. Sumner and Oliver, were appointed to settle the claims against his estate " on principles of equity and liberality."




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