History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 143

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 143

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But the new engine for the Plains was not imme- diately forthcoming. At the March meeting of 1837 one of the articles was "To inquire of the Fire De- partment what they have done towards obtaining a Fire-Engine to be located at the Plains, agreeable to the request of Eben Putnam." At an adjournment a committee which had been appointed to consider the report of the fire-wards reported "that it is expedient to procure a middling-sized engine of good construc- tion to be located at the Plains, provided an efficient company of thirty men can he found in that vicinity ready to take charge of the same; that, in case an engine is procured, a suitable house should be built for the accommodation of the same." These recom- mendations were adopted, and eight hundred dollars appropriated. But the committee added in their re- port,-" It is worse than useless to expend a thousand dollars for an engine and to have it, when the alarm of fire is given on a cold night, frozen up and unfit to be used." Two hundred dollars was soon after added to the appropriation of eight hundred dollars.

The election for fire-wards in 1840 resulted as follows, the number of votes each received being given :

Miles Osborne 297

Henry Fowler . . 299

Francis Baker 300

George Porter . 296

Amos Osborne, Jr 300

Simeon Putnam 190

Jere L. Kimball . . 297

John Hart . 190

Benjamin Wheeler . 298

William H. Little . 189

Edwin F. Putnam 299

Eben Sutton . 186

E. F. Putnam and Simeon Putnam declined, and

Daniel Richards and Ezra Batchelder were chosen to fill the vacancy.

In 1842 Otis Mudge and one hundred and twenty- eight others petitioned for an engine and house, "to be located near the North Parish Meeting-House (Rev. Mr. Braman's); " the matter was referred to Mr. Mudge, Miles Osborne and W. J. C. Kenney, but when a vote was taken-this was a meeting held in the South Parish-only 51 voted for the measure, and 59 voted against it. It was " tried again." Mr. Mudge and John W. Proctor were appointed tellers. They reported 65 in the affirmative and 65 in the negative. Then the house was polled, and the tell- ers having reported "68 for locating an engine, and 78 against it," it was then voted that the subject be dismissed. In 1843 the engine at New Mills was re- placed by a new machine, called the "Ocean," at a cost not exceeding a thousand dollars; and what be- came of the old Niagara appears in this item of the fire-wards' report for 1844:

" No. 2 .- This engine, with its apparatus, is in good order, it having been removed from the Neck to the Tapley Village, and is now under the charge of Per- ley Tapley, who has engaged to furnish a house for it at his own expense."

In this report the story is told at length of the great fire which swept through what is now Peabody Square, burning the South Meeting-House, the old Essex Coffee-House and many other principal build- ings in the vicinity. "The sun, this morning, rose upon a scene of desolation never before witnessed in our town, disclosing more fully to view crumbling walls and smouldering ruins in the place of those buildings which the devouring element had swept from our view. The destruction of property was very large." Further details will doubtless appear under the sketch of the history of Peabody.

Perley Tapley soon requested the town to purchase his engine-house, and the fire-wards were directed to buy it unless they could do better otherwise. In 1849 Tapleyville was given a new engine, and the "Niagara " was finally disposed of.

The number and value of the several fire-engines, houses and apparatus belonging to the town at the time South Danvers was set off as a separate town, will be found in the inventory of town property in this sketch, where the history of the division of the town is given. A few days after the act was passed which incorporated South Danvers, the Legislature amended the act of 1829, which established the Dan- vers Fire Department, so that the town of Danvers was required thenceforth to choose five fire-wards an- nually instead of twelve.

The men elected as the first fire-wards of Danvers, after the division of the town, were Winthrop An- drews, R. B. Hood, A. G. Allen, W. B. Richardson and Josiah Ross.

The rising generation knows little of the glory which once surrounded the country fire department.

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HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS

Only certain grandfathers remember the halcyon days. Now and then an item in old newspaper files recall them, days of reception or visitation, the carefully polished machine, the well-drilled company of choicest young manhood, rivalry not a little, ad- miration unbounded. There was such a day in the fall of 1849, when a great event happened in Wen- liam,-its first new engine came. On the shore of the big pond where Hugh Peters preached in the wilderness of Enon, there was a grand exhibition of prowess, and Danvers was there by her board of fire- wards, and the " General Putnam, No. 4;" the com- pany dressed in uniform of white frocks, dark pants and glazed caps.

" They marched under the direction of that pattern of directors, William J. C. Kenney, to the music of Osgood's excellent band, and the way they performed the military evolutions would have done honor to a company of veteran soldiers."

The idea of having a "steamer " first came up in town-meeting in 1866, on the petition of Henry F. Putnam and others. It was then referred and indefi- mitely postponed. Two years later George W. Bell headed a similar petition, and on the last day of March, 1868, a series of votes were taken on the motion, "that the town purchase a steam fire engine." The first hand vote was declared lost; it was then voted to poll the house; the motion was again put and declared carried, eighty to forty; the minority, not satisfied, doubted the count; the voters passed in front of the moderator, and were counted as they passed, and the motion was finally declared carried, seventy-six to twenty-five. No money was immedi- ately appropriated, but at the annual meeting of 1869 it was voted, after another close fight, sixty-seven to sixty-five, to appropriate five thousand dollars, and the fire-wards, namely, Timothy Hawkes, George W. Bell, Charles T. Stickney, Wyatt B. Woodman and John C. Putnam, together with Winthrop Andrews, William L. Weston, R. B. Hood, H. A. Perkins and Nathan Tapley were entrusted with the weighty bus- iness of buying the only "steamer " which the town ever indulged in. Three thousand dollars more was appropriated for apparatus for the new engine and fifteen hundred dollars for accommodations. And, at a final adjournment, each of these votes were re- considered, and the whole matter indefinitely post- poned. Thus it is ever with town-meetings. But the next year and the next the steamer agitation was re- newed, three self-acting extinguishers, "soda foun- tains," having heen purchased in the meantime, and so on until in 1873, the first and only steam fire engine came to stay-but a short time. The fire- wards, who were entrusted with its purchase, were G. W. Bell, George Kimhall, J. C. Putnam, Thomas Curtis and William J. Murphy. The basement of the building known as Bell's hall, on Maple Street, was fitted up as a steamer-house.

sentiment had been laboring to bring up the rank and file to the belief that Danvers was ready to in- dulge in the metropolitan luxury, nay, necessity, of a water-supply system. It is now some eleven years since the pure water of Middleton Pond first appeared in our streets and kitchens. Who would part with it? Yet it came only after much agitation and much honest opposition. The matter of water supply was first brought up in town-meeting in 1870, and was re- ferred to S. P. Fowler, Daniel Richards, Oliver Rob- erts, C. T. Stickney and W. L. Weston. They reported next year, recommending acceptance of certain terms offered by the city of Salem for supply for five years, keeping an eye to Middleton and Swan's Ponds for an ultimate supply. Nothing further until November 17, 1873, when another committee of consideration was appointed. They reported at the annual meet- ing of 1874 in favor of building a reservoir on Will's Hill, in Middleton, at an estimated cost, with pipes, etc., of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. The following April, 24th, the Legislature passed the Danvers Water Act, authorizing the town to take water from Middleton and Swan's Ponds, to issue bonds to three hundred thousand dollars, payable in not exceeding thirty years, to choose three water commissioners, and to provide for a sinking fund. The validity of the act depended upon its acceptance by the town within two years. In the meantime another factor entered into the water question. The State needed a new insane asylum ; sites were exam- ined here and there ; finally the summit of Hathorne Hill, in Danvers, was fixed upon as the most eligible. The asylum commissioners wanted water and were willing to co-operate with the town. Their hill lay almost in a direct line from the square to Middleton Pond and about midway. They offered the town a part of the bill for a reservoir, thirty thousand dol- lars towards the cost of works and one thousand dollars annually for their supply. The proposition gave new energy to the water men. A motion to raise two hundred thousand dollars June 15, 1875, received 364 yeas to 314 nays, but, two days before, a law went into effect requiring a two-thirds vote for such extra- ordinary appropriations, and the proposition thus failed of being carried. They tried again very soon, July 2nd. Then the Water Act was accepted, 506 to 290, but a motion to proceed with construction still failed of two-thirds,-512 to 336.

George H. Norman, the great contractor, in Sep- tember, 1875, made this offer; to put in the works, including a five million gallon reservoir, twenty miles of pipes and one hundred and fifty hydrants, and keep them as a private speculation or sell them to the town for two hundred thousand dollars. The offer was accepted September 13th. The first water commissioners were elected September 21st; they were John R. Langley, Otis F. Putnam, Harrison O. Warren. Then the question arose as to the authority

But now for some time the advance guard of public ! of the town to transfer its rights under the act to

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Mr. Norman, and the matter was dropped. The next month the town of Beverly made a proposition to supply Danvers, and a vote was passed to take water from this source provided a fair bargain could be made, but no bargain was made. In the mean- time the asylum people would wait but little longer for further action on their offer. The question was put to vote April 28, 1876, on proceeding to intro- duce water, in connection with the State, at an ex- pense to the town, not exceeding one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Yeas, 409, nays, 230,-not two-thirds. The water men kept at work. May 13, 1876, they were successful. Then, on the same ques tion, the whole number of votes-the largest number ever cast up to that time-were 933. Of these 637 were yeas; 296 nays. Samuel Waitt, an old man of eighty-four, threw the last vote, a yea.

Early in July following, the water commissioners closed a contract with G. H. Norman for complete works and twenty-one miles of street pipes for one hundred and sixty-two thousand five hundred dollars. The State built the reservoir, paid twelve thousand five hundred dollars, and agreed to pay one thousand dollars annually for twenty years. Thus the net first cost of the water-works to the town was one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, which was met by the issue of five per cent. bonds. The principal main was completed to the square August 17, 1876, and water first appeared, direct from the pond, the reser- voir not being completed, Wednesday, November 8th. Early in December the reservoir was ready for use, and on Thursday, December 23d, the entire system was in working order and opened by a formal trial. The head was found to be strong enough to throw a 1g-inch stream, not only over the highest buildings, but well over the flag-staff to a hight of over one hun- dred and twenty-five feet. Fire-engines were im- mediately at a discount. At the annual meeting of 1877 it was recommended that the steamer be sold, and notices of its sale at auction were sent broadcast to towns and cities. Hose companies have taken the place of the engine companies. Nine of these com- panies and one hook-and-ladder company comprise the present fire department. Fires have happily been comparatively infrequent, but on more than one occasion the ready presence of Middleton water has prevented what otherwise threatened to the square a repetition of the ruin of '45. Two lamentable and disastrous conflagrations have within a few years oc- curred in spite of the water.

Benjamin E. Newhall was appointed superintend- ent of the water-works in September, 1876, while they were in process of construction, and held the office efficiently to his resignation, July 1, 1883. The duties of the office were then divided. Henry New- hall was appointed registrar; David J. Harrigan, superintendent of pipes, and no change has since been made.

In December, 1880, the commissioners were obliged

to defend a suit brought by the Ipswich mills for damages alleged to have been sustained by the diver- sion of water from Ipswich River by lowering Mid- dleton and Swan's Ponds, they being tributary to the river. The commissioners who heard the evi- dence, Judge Choate of the Probate Court and Messrs. Frances and Darrascott, engineers, reported in favor of the mills, and awarded five thousand four hundred and ninety-five dollars for the diversion of water from Middleton Pond, and two thousand and five dollars for Swan's Pond, "if in the latter case the petitioners are entitled to an assessment under this award." The Superior Court at the October term, ISS1, ruled against the Swan Pond assessment. An- other law-suit was the result of a ballot for water commissioner at the annual meeting of 1881. Josiah Ross was declared elected by one vote, five citizens having been appointed to count the votes, and having so reported to the moderator. A motion thereupon made that the votes be recounted by a new committee was carried. The new committee reported that the opposing candidate, Otis F. Putnam, was elected by one vote, and the moderator so declared the vote, stating it so appeared on recount. These are all the facts of record. But it seems that the moder- ator and town clerk subsequently counted the ballots which had been preserved, and their results coin- cided with the original count. Under the circum- stances the two members of the board recognized Mr. Ross as having been elected. Presently Mr. Put- nam brought a petition to the Supreme Court for a writ of mandamus, compelling the two commissioners to recognize him and to refrain from recognizing Mr. Ross. The question was practically the legality of the recount, important and hitherto undecided. Judge Endicott, before whom was the original hearing, dis- missed the petition, but by request reported the case to the full court. The case was argued at the bar in November, 1881, and the judges present not agreeing, the court afterwards directed it to be submitted on briefs to all the judges. The final decision reported in One Hundred and Thirty-third Massachusetts Re- ports was " by a majority of the court" in favor of the petitioner, Mr. Putnam.

At the expiration of Jobn R. Langley's term in 1882, resolutions were passed in recognition of his efficient and valuable services as chairman of the board from its establishment. He was one of the earliest and most zealous advocates of water. The full list of water commissioners is,-

1875-82. John R. Langley.

1882-85. George H. Peabody.

1875-90. Otis F. Putnam. 1883-86. G. A. Tapley.

1875-81. Harrison O. Warren.

1885-88. C H. Giles.

1880-83. Daniel Richards. 1886-89. C. S. Richarda.

LAW-SUITS .- The early records of the town give evidence that the inhabitants in their corporate capacity not infrequently indulged in law-suits, and as usual this species of entertainment seems to have

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HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

been rather expensive, especially as the town was ; now to understand. Prince was committed to Salem commonly at the unsuccessful end of the verdict.

In March, 1767, this action was taken,-

"Voted, Thomas Porter and Gideon Putnam be agents in behalf of the Town and they or either of them bo fully Impowered to defend and settle the actions or Pleas of the Case which Benj. Sawyer & Gilbord Tapley has brought against the Town as Surveyors of Highways for the year 1766."

In the following May, this,-

"To see if the inhabitants will prosecute their appeal ugaiust Benja- min Sawyer at the next Superior Court to be holden at Ipswich.

" Voted that the appeal shall be prosecuted."

The town was beaten, but in that prime fighting condition when it hated to let go. An article was in- serted in the warrant of 1768, "to see if it be the minds of the Inhabitants to Petition the General Court for a Rehearing at the Superior Court on the case of Deacon Benja. Sawyer, and in another County if it can be obtained." But moderation prevailed : it was voted "to dismiss the claws," and-perhaps with no reflection on their efficiency-" also the agents."

In March, 1769, Samuel Holten, Jr., and William Shillaber were appointed agents " to answer at the next Court of General Sessions of the Peace for the County of Essex to a presentment carryed into said Court against sd Town of Danvers."

Two years later the two men just named and Gid- eon Putnam, Jona. Buxton, Benj. Porter, William Putnam and Robert Shillaber were chosen " to take legal advice respecting Mess. Aaron and Enoch Putnam with regard to their taking timber which the town provided to repair the bridge over Water's River and to prosecute them in their discretion." They did prosecute, with what disastrous result the following document shows :

" DANVERS, December 23, 1771.

"Then received of Mr. Gideon Putnam and Samuel Holten, Jun'r. (two of the Select-men of Danvers), the sum of Two Hundred and Fifty- eight pounds fourteen shillings and two pence Lawfull money in full of a judgment of the Superior Conrt & costs in favour of Mr. Aaron Put- nam and Enoch Putnam (two of the Surveyors of Highways in the Town of Danvers for the present year), against the Inhabitants of the said Town of Danvers. " Witness : pr. us, GIDEON PUTNAM, "JEREMIAH PAGE, " ENOCH PUTNAM,

"ISAAC DEMPSEY."

For some time after this law-suits were at a dis- count. When next the town was sued, by Archelaus Dale, in 1781, he seems to have been satisfied by a conference committee, and when, in 1783, the inhabit- ants were asked what they would do respecting an action commenced against them by Major Caleb Low, they voted to pay the cost of the action upon his with- drawing it.

Commencing in 1784 and extending over a period of two years there was a long and obstinate series of encounters at law and otherwise between the town and Daniel Prince, on account of taxes collected by him. Concerning the merits of the case it is difficult

gaol, where the town clerk was sent to desire him to send proposals as to his release, but " no proposals were sent by Mr. Daniel Prince in writing." His real estate was taken on execution and agents were appointed to bid off the same for the use of the town. In 1814 the town was indicted for not being suffi- ciently provided with powder. Several indictments for not conforming to the school laws have been mentioned in connection with the schools.

" The inhabitants of the town of Danvers " have been parties to a number of cases which have gone to the Supreme Court upon points of law. The first, reported, 10 Mass., 514, was on a question of taxing the Iron Foundry Company. In 6 Pickering, 20, there was a question between the town and the county commissioners on a highway matter; in the same volume the case of Joseph Osborne against the town to recover money paid for taxes is reported. A ques- tion of a pauper's settlement which arose between Danvers and Boston was decided in 10 Pickering, 513. Another case in which the town and the county commissioners were parties arose on the laying out of a new highway from Haverhill to Salem, through Box- ford, Topsfield and Danvers, 2 Metcalf, 185. A case in which John Page was plaintiff, 7 Metcalf, 326, on a question of damages from the laying out of a road over his land, involved the validity of the action of a Topsfield town meeting in selecting a jury-list. In 1860 Gilbert Tapley was sued by School District, No. 6, for "taking and carrying away a school house," a case in which the real defendant was the new district, No. 7-1 Allen, 49. The injunction to restrain the payment of fifty thousand dollars, voted for bounty, reported 8 Allen, 80, is spoken of in the war history ; as the case of Gustin vs. School District No. 5, is spoken of in the School History. Putnam vs. Langley et. al., involving a disputed election, has been referred to in connection with the water department.

BURYING GROUNDS .- When Salem filled the North River basin in the summer of 1885, gravel was taken from West Danvers (West Peabody) and on the farm which was owned in witchcraft times by the widow of Joseph Pope, neighbor of old Giles Corey and of the Flints, the steam shovel unearthed some ancient graves, and before the work went on, the remains were carefully removed to a new resting-place. It was one of the many family or neighborhood burying-grounds which are to be seen here and there all over the town, the time-worn head-stones relieved now and then by a fresh marble, signifying that one of the later gene- ration had gone to sleep with the fathers. Over on the old "Boston path " is a lot in which the Popes buried their dead from the earliest times. Here lies Caleb Oakes, his wife, Mehitable Pope, and their son, William, the distinguished botanist; Sarah, "relict of Nathaniel Pope & daughter of the Rev. Peter Clarke, who was more than 50 years the worthy minister of this Parish," 1802, and many others,-the

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familiar "Jasper," of which the Popes have been fond, several times appearing.

On the summit of Hog Hill, well worthy of the modern name of Mount Pleasant, the Proctors and Needhams, families from the first occupying the heights, have a private ground. A short distance back of Governor Endicott's old resideuee, plainly to be seen from the passing train, in a quiet, secluded spot, rest the remains of many of the great pioneer's early and late descendants.

Of the larger, more public burial-grounds, that on Summer Street, known as the Wadsworth Cemetery, is the oldest. It was an ancient burial-place, origin- ally set apart by the Putnam family and purchased by Rev. Dr. Wadsworth of Jonathan Perry, and by him conveyed to the First Parish, to whom it still belongs. The most interesting stone here is that of Elizabeth, wife of Rev. Samuel Parris, the "witch minister," who died July 14, 1696. Judge Holten is buried in the old ground on Holten Street, near his home, as are many others who were honored in their day and generation. The High Street Burying- ground, at the Plains, contains stones a hundred years old or more, many of which are of prominent citi- zens of New Mills in the earlier part of the century, the Pages, Captain Benjamin Porter, Deacon Benja- min Kent and many others.

These old grounds are now seldom used. By the foresight of certain men whose names, hereafter ap- pearing, are worthy of all honor, a large tract of land, originally twelve acres, and subsequently much increased, was purchased of Judge Samuel Putnam, and laid out as Walnut Grove Cemetery. This tract, extending from Sylvan to Ash Streets, embracing the valley of the two brooks which by their union make Crane River, and the sloping hills on either side, well wooded with walnut, beech and other trees, is of rare natural beauty, and is prized inestimably by the town. The movement for a new cemetery was initiated at a meeting held May 5, 1843, at the Plains school-house. Captain Eben Putnam was chosen chairman; Henry Fowler, secretary. Another meet- ing was held October 17th, Elias Putnam, chairman. A committee reported a form of organization with by-laws, and recommended the names of fifteen men as trustees : Elias Putnam, Gilbert Tapley, Moses Black, Joshua Silvester, Henry Fowler, Nathaniel Boardman, Thomas Cheever, Eben G. Berry, William J. C. Kenney, Daniel Richards, Nathan Tapley, Samuel P. Fowler, A. A. Edgerton, John Bates and Samuel Preston. The first regular officers were chosen at a meeting held the next day at Joshua Silvester's shoe factory, and Elias Putnam was elected president ; Henry Fowler, clerk; Joshna Silvester, treasurer. Samuel P. Fowler was chairman of this meeting. He is now both president and treasurer, and his brother, Henry, has been the clerk from the beginning.

Incorporation was granted at this time. The

grounds were consecrated Sunday afternoon, June 23, 1844. The exercises, beginning at five o'clock, were, ---

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History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 143

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