History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 118

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed. n 85042884-1
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1538

USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I > Part 118

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

On the northern side of the felsite the formation has not been sufficiently studied. Much of it, bow- ever, is syenite, and the curved lamination in some portions of the rock indicate gneiss. Trappean dykes frequently occur in this rock and in the felsite. The dividing line between the two formations is very obscure, being generally covered by drift. On the hill one-half mile east of Pranker's mills, and at the railroad cut near the centre of the town, the junction of the two formations may be noticed. Also near the Lynn line, on Vinegar Hill, syenite is found obtrud- ing through the felsite, which is here composed of rounded felsite pebbles, cemented by a hardened matrix of the same material.

The jasper bed, near Round Hill, in the Centre,

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is undoubtedly a fine variety of felsite, the bauded variety of which furnishes very fine specimens.

Round Hill is a conspicuous object, and is of un- doubted volcanic origin. Hitchcock calls the com- position of the rock which forms the hill " Varioloid Wacke." The base of the rock is of a pleasant green color, and is filled in places with rounded nodules of quartz, varying in size from that of an ordinary shot to that of a pea. On the north side of the hill the base of the rock is of a chocolate color ; this, together with the white nodules of quartz, forms very pretty specimens.

But few minerals or metals have been found in Saugus. The jasper locality is well known and many specimens have been taken from the bed.

Epidote is common, but the crystals are too small and imperfect to be valued. Good specimens of as- bestos, associated with epidote, are found near East Saugus, and calcite (nail-head spar) has been found in the deep railroad cut near the Centre.

Hematite (specular) is found in the hill near the railroad cut, also in bowlders in the northwest part of the town. Pyrite has been found near the head of Birch Poud, but the specimens are poor.

Bog iron-ore was discovered soon after the first settlement, in different parts of the town, but mostly in North Saugus, where very good specimens can now be found. This was the ore used by the old Iron-Works From 1643 to 1680.

As heretofore stated, Saugus was set off from Lynn by act of Legislature passed February 17, 1815.

TOWN-MEETINGS. The first town-meeting was held in the parish church March 13, 1815, and sub- sequent ones continued to be held there until 1818, after which time the school-house in the Centre gen- erally served as the gathering-place for the town, al- though, occasionally, they were gathered at the Rock School-house, so-called, in the South District.

TOWN-HOUSE -- In 1837 a town-hall was built, ar- ranged for hall above and two school-rooms below. This building is still standing, and since 1875, wheu our new town-hall was built, it has been used for school purposes.

It may be interesting to notice some of the circum- stances of the building of this first hall.

Some two thousand dollars had been given to the town as their portion of the United States revenue surplus, distributed by General Jackson.

The question was, how this should be disposed of. Five town-meetings were held from May 12 to July 8, 1837, and as may well be imagined, very strong feelings swept the town. It was first voted to divide it among the inhabitants; then this was reconsidered, and it was voted to pay it over to the treasurer.

Then this was reconsidered, at a third meeting, and finally voted again to pay to the town treasurer.

At a subsequent meeting it was voted not to build a town-house; and, at a still later meeting, it was voted to build,-yeas, 90 ; nays, 74. Two thousand dollars

was appropriated, and a committee of seven chosen by ballot, to obtain a location and contract for and superintend the building of said town-house.

March 12, 1838, the town appropriated six hundred dollars more to finish the town-house.

ALMSHOUSE .- In 1823 the present almshouse, with farm formerly owned by Mr. Tudor, was pur- chased.

CEMETERY .- In 1844 the towu bought one acre of Salmon Snow, for a new cemetery. This proving too small was enlarged in 1858, by the purchase of adjoining property of Roswell Hitchings.

Again, in 1874, the two estates east were purchased of Henry Newhall and others, so as to further eularge the cemetery substantially as it is at present. Dur- ing these years the town has taken excellent care of the grounds, which have grown in attractiveness and beauty, year by year, through the interest of our towusmen and very much to their credit. Few things speak louder of the tenderness, sympathy and love of a people than its care for the resting-place of the departed.

In the most eligible part of the cemetery is the "Soldier's Lot," surrounded by hammered granite border fence and entrance-steps, ornamented with appropriate war emblems, all carved in solid granite. This was built by the town.

Our cemetery is beautifully situated on the sloping ground between Winter Street and Shute's Brook.

NEW TOWN-HALL .- In 1875 the town built their new town-hall, on the eastern side of Central Street, purchasing of Mr. Samuel A. Parker a low, wet piece of land, and at great expense filling up and grading the same. There was a great difference of opinion in the town in regard to the expediency of erecting such a building.

A number of town-meetings were held, in which adverse action was taken, but the building party finally prevailed, and the town was loaded with a debt of fifty thousand dollars in consequence. The first story is occupied for rooms for town officers, High School and public library, the second for as- sembly room.

EAST SAUGUS SET OFF .- While the new hall was building the inhabitants of East Saugus made a vig- orous effort before the Legislature to be set off from Saugus and annexed to the city of Lynn, but they did not succeed in getting a bill through both branches of the Legislature. Soon after this, in def- erence to the feelings and wishes of East Saugus, the town voted an appropriation of five thousand dollars for the laying of water-pipes through the village of East Saugus, connecting with the Lynn Water-Works for a supply. This work was done, and August 10, 1878, the water was let into the pipes and a public celebration made of it by the citizens of East Sau- gus.

WATER-PIPES .- The town has just voted, July 8, 1887, to extend this system of water-pipes through

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Cliftondale and the centre of the town, and for that purpose made an appropriation of thirty-five thousand dollars to lay seven miles of pipe, and chose Wilbur F. Newhall, Edward Pranker and Charles H. Bond, water commissioners, to carry out the action of the town, and said commissioners have just given the contract to Messrs. Goodhue & Birnie, of Springfield, for the laying of the cement pipes, the work to be commenced forthwith and completed this season.

TOWN CLERKS. - The following is a list of the town clerks, with their terms of office :

1815-18. Richard Mansfield.

1819-27. Thomas Mansfield, Jr.

1828-30. Zachons Stocker.

1848-51. Harmon Hall.

1831-33. Isaac Childs.

1852-87 Win. H. Newhall.

REPRESENTATIVES .- The following is a list of the Saugus Representatives to the General Court. Until about 1857 it required a majority of all the votes cast to elect a Representative, and this explains why of- tentimes no one was sent. In 1835 the town-meeting adjourned twice and balloted six times without mak- ing any choice :

1816, '17, '20. Joseph Cheever.

1821. Dr. Abijah Cheever.

1823. Jonathan Makepeace.

1826. John Shaw.

1846-47. Sewall Boardman. 1850. Charles Sweetser.

1827-28. Wm. Jackson.

1829, '30, '31. Dr. Abijalı Cheever.

1832-33. Zachens N. Stocker.

1852. John B. Hitchings.

1834. Joseph Cheever.

1853. Samuel Hawkes.

1836-37. Wm. W. Boardman.

1851. Richard Mansfield.

1838. Charles Sweetser.

1855. Win. H. Newhall.

1839. Francis Dizer.

1856. Jacob B. Calley.

I840. Benj. Hitchings, Jr.

In 1857 the district system went into operation, and Saugus was united with Lynnfield, Middleton and Topsfield. We give below the names of the Rep- resentatives from Saugus alone :

1857. Jonathan Newhall.

1872. Jacob B. Calley.

1860. Harmon Hall.

1875. Otis M. Hitchings.

1862. John Howlett.

1877. Joseph Whitehead.

1863. Charles W. Newhall.

1879. J. Allston Nowhall.

1866. S. S. Dunn.

1882. Albert II. Sweetser.

1869. John Armitage.

1885-86. Chas. S. Hitchings.

VALUATION AND TAXATION .- The valuation of the town this year (1887) is :

Real Estate .

$1,900,061

Personal Property 202,835

Total valuation $2,108,896 Rate of taxation per thousand . $13.50

Number of polls 852

POST-OFFICES .- The first post-office was established in the village of East Saugus in 1832. This remained the only post-office in town until 1858, when two others were established-one in Saugus Centre and one in Cliftondale. The following are the names of the postmasters of each office :

East Sangus .- 1832, Henry Slade ; 1832, George Newhall ; 1856, ller. bert B. Newhall ; 1863, Charlotte M. Hawkes ; 1873, Charles Mills ; 1885, Henry I. Mills.

Saugus Centre .- 1858, Julian D. Lawrence ; 1870, John E. Stocker.

Cliftondule .- 1858, Wm. Williams ; 1860, George H. Sweetser, A. H. Sweetser ; 1877, M. A. Putnam; 1883, M. S. Fisk.

CHAPTER XXV.

SAUGUS-(Continued).

Early Settlers-Indians-Fish-Marshes-William Bullard's Farm-Land- ing Road-Edward Baker-Nicholas Brown-Samuel Bennet-Thomas Dexter-Thomas Hudson-Captain Walker-Adam Hawkes-Richard Leader and Others -- Appleton's Pulpit.

EARLY SETTLERS .- The year 1630 brought a great many hundred people to our shores, and of this num- ber some found their way to our town either through the primeval forests or, more likely, by boats ; and it is not surprising that they should enter our river and select along its banks favorable spots for their rude houses, around which they were to commence their clearings.

INDIANS .- Long years before this the Indians had been attracted to this river, and upon its sunny banks and in its sheltered vales had built their wigwams, reared their families and cultivated their small fields of corn and pumpkins.

On the south side of the hills, in East Saugus, on' both banks of the river, are found the relics of their settlements, consisting of shell·heaps, pestles, hatch- ets, arrow-heads and bones.

FISH .- Our river at that time abounded with fish of many varieties, some of which, on account of our mills and their obstructions, are now no longer found in our waters ; but not the least attraction was the abundance of clams found in the sandy shores of our river, and, at low tide, accessible at all seasons of the year.

MARSHES .- Whatever may be the changes in the aspects of the country since those. early days, in con- sequence of the removal of forests and the incoming of civilization, yet we have one feature of our land- scape presenting substantially the same appearance as then, namely, our salt marshes.

Our early settlers looked very kindly on these marshes as furnishing a sure supply of food for their horses and cattle, while they were toiling to bring into arable condition the uplands then covered with timber. These marshes certainly afforded them abundance of fodder. And even to-day they still continue to yield their crops to our farmers, as shown by the numerous stacks of hay annually gathered in the summer, to be removed in the winter when the marshes are covered with ice and snow.

WILLIAM BALLARD was one of our early settlers. He was a farmer, and received sixty acres in the allotment of land4 in 1638. He was also admitted a freeman in 1638. His farm comprised what is now the village of East Saugus. His first house stood in the rear of the dwelling now owned by George Oli- ver. His two sons, John and Nathaniel, divided the farm in 1697.

It was sold to Dr. Oliver in 1710, and in 1720 to Colonel Jacob Wendell, and about 1760 to Zaccheus Norwood, who died about 1768, leaving a widow and

1834-40. Wm. W. Boardman. 18-11-47. Benj. F. Newhall.

1811. Stephen E. Hawkes. 1842-43. Benj. F. Newhall. 1844. Pickmore Jackson.

1851. George Il. Sweetser.

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three children. On this farm stood the Anchor Tav- ern, then kept by Mr. Norwood, and at his decease by his widow, until 1773, when Landlord Jacob New- hall took charge.

About 1725 a town way was laid out by the select- men through the farm from the old Boston road to the Lower Landing, so called.

After almost a hundred years of alienation from the Ballard family, one-half of this farm was bought back by William Ballard ; the other half continued in pos- session of the heirs of Norwood until ahout 1800, when this was hought by John Ballard, Esq., of Boston, who then became the owner of the entire farm. In 1802 he built a new hotel a few rods sonth of the old tay- ern, and from 1815 to 1822 he made this house bis residence.

During subsequent years the farm was partly cut up into house-lots and sold, making the present vil- lage of East Saugus,-and it was not till a few years ago that the remaining portion of the farm, on either side of Ballard Street, was sold by the Ballard family to Mrs. John Pike and Henry W. Johnson.

EDWARD BAKER was another early settler. In the allotment of 1638 he was given forty acres. His farm was on the south side of Baker's Hill, so called. He was admitted a freeman in 1638 and died in 1687.

NICHOLAS BROWN received in the allotment two hundred acres. His farm was on the road to North Saugns. He early removed to Reading.

SAMUEL BENNET, a carpenter and a member of the Ancient Artillery Company in 1639; he received in the allotment twenty acres. His farm was in the westerly part of the town.

THOMAS DEXTER, a farmer, was admitted a free- man in 1631, and in the allotment was given three hundred and fifty acres. He lived in the centre of the town, near the iron-works, aud was generally known as " Farmer Dexter." He was an active, stir- ring man in the plantation, although frequently get- ting into trouble with his neighbors, and even quar- reling with the Governor of the colony. He must have possessed an irritable disposition as well as fighting qualities.

He built a mill on the river, for the grinding of corn, and also a fish-weir in 1632, wherein were cap- tured large quantities of alewives and bass; one hnn- dred and fifty barrels were cured the first year.

THOMAS HUDSON lived on the westerly side of the river, near the iron-works. He received sixty acres in the allotment.

CAPTAIN RICHARD WALKER, a farmer, was lo- cated on the west side of the river, and in the allot- ment received two hundred acres. Born in 1593, ad- mitted a freeman in 1634 and died at the age of ninety-five years.

ADAM HAWKES, a farmer, settled in North Sangus about 1634. He landed in Salem with Endicott's company in 1630, and probably soon after went to

Charlestown, as his wife Sarah's name is there found on the church records. Undoubtedly he reached this remote section of land by following up the river in his boat, and his location was well selected.

In the allotment of 1638 he was given one hundred acres, but before his death, which occurred in 1671, he acquired a great deal more land, for in the division of his property, March 27, 1672, we find him possessed of five hundred and fifty acres, one-half of which was given to his son John, and one-half to his grand- son, Moses. A true inventory of his estate was made by Thomas Newhall and Jeremiah Sweyen, March 18, 1672, which contains many curious and interesting items, which we would like to give here, but for its length. The total value of his property, real and per- sonal, was £817 11s.

Adam Hawkes had only two children, John and Susannah. John married Rebecca Maverick, daughter of Moses Maverick, and what is very unusual, the homestead farm has continued in the Hawkes family, in an unbroken succession, down to the present time, and is now owned and occupied by Samuel and Louis P. Hawkes, and the family of Richard Hawkes.

Adam Hawkes built his first house on the hill, a few hundred feet north of the present house of Lonis P. Hawkes ; this house was burned down soon after it was built. Much of the iron-ore which was ob- tained by the old iron works, in the centre of the town, for forty years or more, was, without doubt, dug in the meadows. of Mr. Hawkes. And it seems he was troubled with the flowage of his lands by the iron works, the dam being raised much higher than the present one. He obtained damages for this flowage at several different times.

The above-mentioned early settlers were all farmers, and it is to be regretted that there is not more defi- nite knowledge of their locations and history. Could sufficient time be given, undoubtedly much more might be gleaned concerning them and others who have escaped notice.

But there were also many men connected with the iron works industry, in the Centre, some of whose names we have preserved to ns. Among these were Richard Leader (general agent till 1651, after which John Gifford was agent), Joseph Jenks, and Joseph Jenks, Jr., Henry Leonard, Henry Styche (who lived to the great age of one hundred and three), Arzbell Anderson, MacCallum More Downing, John Turner, John Vinton and Samuel Appleton, Jr., who owned the works after 1677.

APPLETON'S PULPIT. - An interesting incident in our early history is recorded on a bronze tablet fast- ened to the perpendicular face of a rocky cliff on Ap- pleton Street, in the centre of the town, a few years ago, by some of the descendants of the Appleton family. The tablet is about two and a half feet square, and firmly bolted to the rock just beneath the place where the stirring harangue is supposed to have

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HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

been made. This cliff forms the abrupt side of a prominent hill, known as Calemount or Catamount Hill.

Tradition says that in those tronblous times a watch was stationed on the hill to give alarm of any ap- proach of the Crown officers to arrest their man. The watch was to signal their approach by crying, "Caleb, mount !" and from this cry came the name of the hill.

The following is the inscription on the tablet :

" APPLETON'S PULPIT.

" In Septemhar, 1687, from this rock, tradition asserts that, resisting the tyranny of Sir Edmond Andros, Major Samuel Appleton, of Ipawich, spoke to the people in behalf of those principles which later were em- bodied in the Declaration of Independence."

CHAPTER XXVI. SAUGUS-(Continued).

FARMS, &C., A HUNDRED YEARS AGO.

East Saugus-Old Mill-Moore Furm-Tavern-Major Parker's-Thomas Florence-Amos Stocker-Lewis Place-Thomas Stocker Place-John Stocker Farm-Boynton Furm-Jacob Eustis Farm-Breeden Place- Allen Place-Colonel Abner Cheever-Dr. Cheever Place-Ezru Brown Farm-Tudor Farm-Jusich Rhodes Farm-Asa Rhodes Furm-Muster Hitchings Place-Samuel Boardman-Auron Bourdmun-Ivory Bourd- mun Farm-John Dumpney-Deacon Pratt Farm-Elkanah Hawkes Furm-Hitchings Place.

IT may be interesting to the reader to take a look at some parts of the town, but more especially at the farms as they appeared a hundred years ago or there- abouts.

EAST SAUGUS .- Let ns begin at the bridge in East Saugus, now compactly built and covering the entire slope from the hill to the river; but, one hundred years ago very few houses were standing here. In 1775 the old one-story shed-like mill building, then used as a grist-mill, was standing on the west side of the bridge, leaving a very narrow roadway over the bridge. Adjoining the mill on the south was a two- story dwelling-bouse, of good size, built by Joseph Gould, who having died the year previous, the house was then occupied by his widow.

Let us proceed southerly up the hill by the only road, and a few rods will bring us to a two-story dwelling, occupied by Colonel Ebenezer Stocker, of subsequent Revolutionary fame. This house was torn down in 1851 to give place to the present house, built and owned by H. W. Brackett.

A few rods farther south we find an old-fashioned two-story house, where now stands the house of Fales Newhall. Jacob Newhall, the grandfather of Fales Newhall, then lived there and he was a farmer and shoemaker.

This house was torn down about 1825.

Continuing up the hill, and near the tcp, we come to a two-story dwelling, which is still standing and owned by the heirs of the late Frederick Stocker. In

1775 it was owned by a Mr. Moore. His large barn then stood on the present site of the Methodist Church.

The road soon comes to the rocky hill, where it turns to the left, ard a few rods bring us to the fa- mous tavern kept by Landlord Jacob Newhall. It stood on the left or northerly side of the road, facing the south ; it was a two-story gambrel-roof house, with a long sloping roof in the rear covering the kitchen.

From the bridge we have found only five houses, in- cluding the tavern.

Should we continue along under the hill on the Boston road southerly a few rods, we should pass on the right, Major Parker's blacksmith-shop in full blast, and just beyond this his dwelling-house. This house has recently been torn down and a large two- story double dwelling built on the site.

Major David Parker came from Malden to Saugus when quite a young man-about 1760. Having mar- ried a Miss Hunnewell, of Charlestown, he settled him- self in a house which stood a few rods south of the old tavern. A short distance north of the house he built his long blacksmith-shop and carried on a brisk business. He was industrious, capable and enterpris- ing. He held an honorable rank among the people and was early honored with the office of captain of the West Parish Militia, one of the largest companies in Lynn. This was previous to the Revolutionary War, for we find that Captain David Parker mustered his company at an early hour on the day of the Con- cord fight and marched them with all speed to the scene of the conflict, where his company did gallant service. The courage and bravery shown by Captain Parker led immediately to his promotion as major. He was a man of great benevolence of feeling, kind and affable to strangers. He continued to work at his blacksmith-shop up to the period of his death, which occurred in the early part of this century.

The next house south of Major Parker's was Sam- uel Oliver's, a blacksmith who worked for Major Par- ker. In 1805 Solomon Brown purchased this house of Mr. Oliver and lived in it until his death. It was afterwards removed to the Centre.

Some rods still south we come to Thomas Florence's small one-story house standing on the side of a ledge to the right, just where it is to-day, in 1887.

Thomas Florence was a hero of the Revolutionary War. He was a gardener by trade, working most of the time for Landlord Newhall.

His great-grandson, Charles Florence, now lives in the house.

A few rods south of the Florence house we reach a large dwelling occupied by Amos Stocker, another Revolutionary soldier, and by trade a cooper. This honse is still standing.

Still going south a short distance, just where the road turns to the west, on our right is a large two- story dwelling, built as early as 1740; it was consid- ered in that day one of the best houses. It was the

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birth-place of John Ballard, Esq., he who built the new hotel on the Ballard farm. This house is still (1887) standing, and is owned and occupied by Wil- liam A. Trefethen, farmer.

Just opposite the last house there was a lane, some- times called " Lewis Lane," leading south; some rods down this lane there was an old dwelling-house, in front of which were noble ehns. This was the "Lewis Place," one of the earliest settled farms in this sec- tion.

In 1800 it passed to the ownership of Landlord Newhall.

The house was torn down a few years ago.

Coming back to the old Boston road and continu- ing westerly from the Trefetlien house, we soon come to a dwelling known in the Revolutionary times as the " Thomas Stocker Place," then occupied by him- self. This house is still standing, in 1887, and is owned by Charlotte M. Mills. Some forty rods far- ther on we find a large dwelling on the right hand side. It stood where now, in 1887, the "Sunnyside House " is found, and a part of the old house was un- doubtedly used in the erection of the new one.

In coming thus far from the tavern we have found nine dwellings, while from the bridge to the tavern we found only five.

The large tract of land lying west of Lincoln Ave- nue, in Cliftondale, extending down to the Revere line, and intersected by the Saugus Branch Railroad, and now very recently bought and laid out into town lots by C. H. Bond, Henry Wait and E. S. Kent, was formerly a noted farm.

Previous to the War of 1812 John Stocker owned this farm, and built himself a house. Subsequently it passed into the possession of Captain Daniel Bick- ford. In about 1826 Isaac Carleton became the owner. His native place was Andover. He culti- vated the farm until his death, in 1841.

Anthony Hatch became the owner in 1847, and continued such up to his death, in 1879.

Mr. Hatch, formerly a ship carpenter in Medford, did an extensive market gardening on his farm. A man of great industry ; his broad well-tilled acres always presented a pleasant sight to the passer-by.

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History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 118

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed. n 85042884-1 Publication date: 1888 Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1538

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed. n 85042884-1
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1538