History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 145

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 145

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Who managed the caucuses forty years ago ? was a question put to Mr. Black. " I can't tell," he writes, " who ran the Whig and Democratic caucuses. The Free-Soil caucuses had such young men as John A. Putnam, J. R. Langley, Alfred Fellows, Winthrop and I. W. Andrews, Ira Clough, E. F. Putnam, Rich- ard and John Hood, E. T. Waldron and the writer." A clipping from a newspaper of the day gives some hint of the prominent Whigs :

NOTICE.

" The Whigs of Danvers are requested to meet in Union Hall on Men- day Evening, August 28th, at 712 o'clock, for the purpose of forming a Taylor Club, and to adopt such other measures as may be necessary for the thorough organization of the party for the coming election ; and to choose six delegates to the Whig Convention at Worcester, Sept. 13.

" A full attendance of Whigs from all sections of the town is earnestly requested.

"WM. D. NORTHEND,

HENRY FOWLER,

"SAMUEL PRESTON,

JOSHUA SILVESTER,

" EBEN S. POOR,

A. A. EDGERTON,

" GEORGE R. CARLETON,

ELIJAH W. UPTON.

" Danvers, August 26, 1848."

At this meeting A. A. Edgerton was chosen secre- tary ; George W. French and Joel Putnam, delegates from the north parish; town committee from No. 2, H. Fowler, William Endicott; No. 3, I. P. Board- man, Joseph S. Black; No. 4, Albert Bradstreet, Charles P. Preston; No. 5, Nathaniel Pope, Edwin Mudge; No. 6, Aaron C. Proctor, Jesse Tapley ; No. 13, N. Silvester, Dr. Osgood ; No. 14, G. W. French, Augustus Tapley. The vote of Danvers at the election of 1848 resulted, 560 for Taylor, 503 for Van Buren, 146 for Cass.

With the formation of the Republican party Dan- vers promptly wheeled into line. Out of a total vote of 1382 cast in 1856, 1076 were for electors represent- ing the candidates of that party. In 1860 John G. Whittier, elector for this district, received 564 out of 769 votes ; in 1864 Mr. Whittier received 592 votes to 125 for S. Endicott Peabody, of Salem. Subse- quent presidential elections have resulted as follows :

Republicae.

Democratic.

1868

720 (Grant.)

204

1872

545 (Grant.)

195

1876

701 (Hayes)

335 (Tilden.)

1880

637 (Garfield.)

295 (Hancock.)

1884

565 (Blaine.)

276 (Cleveland.)

In 1880 there were also 227 "Greenback votes ;" in 1884, 254 Greenback and 34 Prohibition. The

508

HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

Greenback party held its first caucus in Danvers in the fall of 1878, when a local committee and dele- gates to conventions were elected. The party grew with surprising rapidity, enlisting great numbers of active and earnest young men, who developed great skill in political organization, and succeeded in controlling the Legislative elections in 1879, '82 and '83. See lists of Representatives. This party lost much of its cohesive strength after the disappearance of General Butler from politics, and a number of the leaders openly returned to the Republican fold this past spring, 1887.

RAILROADS .- One day in the summer of 1847 two men might have been seen on the summit of the hill which is now crowned by the asylum, eagerly scan- ning the winding valleys to the south and to the north. Presently they went on, and climbing one of the high hills of Andover followed again the course of the lowland to the great mills in the new manufacturing town on the Merrimac. These two men, Elias Putnam and Joshua Silvester, always pro- gressive, were full of the new idea of steam and iron, which had already begun to revolutionize travel. Following closely the old stage route from Boston, east, were laid the rails of the Eastern Railroad. These men on the hill-tops saw in the valleys the course of an iron highway, which uniting Lawrence to the main line at Salem, would " bring the railroad to Danvers."

And soon it came, but not while Mr. Putnam lived. Cutting through the high ridge south of Water's River, it crossed the stream almost at the little cove, where Governor Endicott is said to have landed from his shallop ; passed within a gun-shot of the ancient pear-tree which the Governor planted; bridged the river down which was brought, in a little shop, the genesis of Danversport ; entered Parson Skelton's grant close by the old home of the Revolutionary Colonel Hutchinson ; pushed on across the old Ips- wich road through Porter's Plains; beyond Beaver Dam, almost under the windows of that little room where " Old Put" was born, and so on northward. But the railroad did not come all at once. It seems to have halted on the way. This letter which ap- peared June 9, 1848, signed "North Danvers," is a sample of other communications :

" Why cannot the inhabitants of North Danvers be accommodated with two or three trains on the Essex Railroad per day ? The rails are laid and seem to be in good condition to run upon. The engine and cars Low have to remain at South Danvers doing nothing-waiting for time. Cars have been running to accommodate Sonth Danvere for a year aud a half while we have waited patiently until now. The people of this part of Danvers labored and toiled, aud did what they could to have this road built. The time has been designated repeatedly by one or more of the directors when we should have this accommodation, but thus far we have not seen it."

On the 1st day of July, 1848, the road was formally declared open to North Danvers. There were on the first time-table three trains a day, each way, to and from Salem. On the Fourth of July three thousand !

persons passed over the road. Before the end of the summer trains were running to Andover, On the 4th of September the whole line was opened and a train of eight cars filled with stockholders and guests took a trial-trip to Lawrence. It has been recorded that during the passage up a canvass was taken for presidential preferences. While General Taylor was the choice of 401, Van Buren 62, and Cass 41, the in- ference is somewhat amusing from the fact that on the return-trip, after a first-rate dinner, the number of Taylor's adherents was reduced by 51, while those of his rivals were increased.

The first station-agent at the Plains was Samuel W. Spaulding. He came here, a young man, from Merrimac, N. H., and worked for John Grout, coach- ing between Danvers and Salem. Spaulding bought out Grout, and was running the line himself when appointed on the railroad. Not being willing to re- linquish the coaching business, he soon gave up the other. About twenty years ago Parker Webber took a half interest in the coach-line, and a few years later Spaulding sold out his interest to Webber, who car- ried on the business until the latest competitor for publie travel-the horse-car-made this business un- profitable. In November, 1878, Benjamin Henderson resigned the position of station-agent, which he had then held twenty-eight years and more. He is still living, approaching his ninetieth year; he was chorister of the First Church, and a famous singer in days gone by.

Danvers has long been provided with double rail- road facilities to Boston. Both lines are, by the recent consolidation of the Eastern with the Boston and Maine, under the control of the latter company, and the " know-nothing" has become an important junction. Instead of the " Eastern " and the " Maine," it is now "the eastern division " and " the western division." The latter was originally built and in- corporated in several pieces : Haverhill to George- town, Newburyport to Georgetown, Georgetown to Danvers, Danvers to Wakefield, and the main line of the present western division of the Boston and Maine. Travel was opened through Danvers in 1854, and by successive changes and consolidations the entire branch became the property of the Bos- ton and Maine.

In 1841 the subject of town clocks was brought be- fore the town. Petitions for clocks, one at South Parish, and one on the Baptist Church at New Mills, met with indefinite postponement.

About ten years later a subscription paper, which had its origin in the grocery-store of Gould and Em- erson, dated December 24, 1852, was circulated to raise money " for the purpose of defraying the ex- pense of placing a clock upon the meeting-house (Rev. Mr. Fletcher's), at the plains." These items of expense are summarized on the original paper :

Paid Perkins & Cressey. .. $ 83.73

Paid Putnam & Kenney's bill, freight 3.37

509

DANVERS.

November 19th, paid Howard & Davis, cash. 1.5.00

Eben Putnam's bill. 2.00

Paid balance to Howard & Davis .. 150.00

$414.10

The town-clock thns established was soon trans- ferred to the Maple Street Society, and has ever since been maintained by the society. Once only, 1861, a petition was introduced for the town to keep the clock in repair, but the subject was indefinitely post- poned.

The "gold-fever" of '48-49 struck Essex County and did not leave Danvers nntouched. The local pa- pers devoted much space to the subject, and many heads were filled with dreams of sudden wealth. " At present," so run a sample letter, credited to the Alcalde of Monterey and copied into the Danvers Courier, "the people are running over the country and picking gold out of the earth here and there, just as a thousand hogs, let loose in the forrest, root np ground-nuts." An item of January 13, 1849, speaks of several yonng men of this town who will leave for San Francisco in a day or two. About the same time twenty-one members of the Nanmkeag Mining and Trading Company embarked in the ship "Capitol," for San Francisco, among them two Danvers men, George K. Radcliffe and Franklin Ward. Early in March following, some thirty men from Salem and vicinity, comprising the "Essex Mining and Trading Company," left Boston for Cor- pus Christi on the schooner "John W. Herbert." Of this number was Mr. Henry Fowler, whose remi- niscences are of experiences far at variance from those depicted by that alluring old Alcalde.

Those who paid the largest taxes forty years ago in North Danvers may be found in the following list, 1848 :

TAX OF OVER $100 :

WFm. A. Lander $ 322.38

Ebenezer G. Berry 69.82 Nancy Oaks 100.80

Moses Putnam. 382.30

Samuel Putnam 122.48

Est. Elias Putnam 113.68

Charles Lawrence. 71.50

James A. Putnam 75,98

Asa Tapley 54,14

Jonas Warren 88.30

Stephen Wilkins 57.50

John Bates 58.62

THE CENTENNIAL .- With the year 1852 a ronnd century had passed since the farmers of Salem Village and the settlers of the Middle Precinct separated from Salem and began their corporate existence as the district of Danvers. Early in the previous fall those spirits who never allow such anniversaries to pass unforgotten were on the alert. At a town-meet- ing held in Granite Hall, September 22, 1851, a com- mittee of nineteen,-five at large and one from each school district,-were chosen with full authority, to make such arrangements and adopt such measures as in their judgment should seem most appropriate to

the occasion. This centennial committee consisted of the following persons :

AT LARGE.

Fitch Poole.

John W. Proctor.

Andrew Nichols.

Rev. Milton P. Bramen.

Ebenezer Hunt.

FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

1. Robert S. Daniels. 8. Samnel Brown, Jr.

2. Samuel P. Fowler. 9. Joseph Brown.

3. Aaron Putnam. 10. Leonard Cross.

4. Albert G. Bradstreet. 11. Francis Baker.

5. Nathaniel Pope. 12. Miles Osborne.

6. Moses Preston.

13. John Page.

7. Francis Phelps. 14. Gilbert Tapley.

The day chosen for the celebration was Wednesday, June 16th. The scene of the festivities was the Mid - dle Precinct, South Parish, through whose streets a procession a mile and a half long moved amid a very large and enthusiastic throng and beneath a very warm snn. The committee had half a thousand dol- lars at their disposal, and this, together with private enterprise in the way of decorations, gave the town a gala-like appearance. There are plenty of men still in their prime who were in that procession ; but it was thirty-five years ago; a new generation has sprung np since then and the fathers will pardon a smile as their children read of the pride and pomp of that day. It was the day of days for the engine com- panies. The choicest young manhood of Danvers tugged at the ropes of their polished machines. Com- ing at the very head of the line, after the escorting military was General Scott, No. 2, of Tapleyville-ah, Fame, where is the old tnb now ?- drawn by Captain Calvin Upton's forty-eight men, dressed in fire hats, plaided sacks and black pants. Next the Torrent, and next General Putnam No. 4, of Danvers Plains, Captain Albert G. Allen, with forty men, likewise in plaided frocks and black pants, and carrying a ban- ner on which was emblazoned "General Putnam-I never surrender." This engine also appeared well, says the record. Of course it did ; it appeared well on that little occasion already referred to, when Cap- tain Kenney took it over to pump ont Wenham pond, and that occasion to this was but a candle to a comet.

After the "Eagle" came the "Ocean," No. 6, of Danversport, Captain Welch, whose thirty-five men, clad in white shirts, black pants and Kossuth hats, were assisted by a pair of roan horses. Seven com- panies in all there were, nearly four hundred strong.

Then came the civic division headed by Chief Mar- shall, Dr. S. A. Lord and his assistants. In a long line of open baronches the people saw a live Governor and many distinguished guests. Then came old School Master Epps and other representatives of his time. A " Blind Hole Shoe Shop of 1789," and an ancient np-in-the-lane pottery were both in active operation.

Next followed the schools. Sylvanus Dodge was chief of this division, aided by Jeremiah Chapman,

John Page. 112.38

Benj. Porter. 176.22

Gilbert Tapley. 194.14

Gilbert Tapley, in trust .. 84.00

Matthew Hooper 119.66

TAX OF OVER $50:

Nathaniel Boardman $ 59.74

Peter Cross. 53.20

Daniel Goodhne 50.78

510

HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

Edward W. Jacobs, Augustus Varney, Alden Demp- sey, James P. Hutchinson, Dr. J. W. Snow, George Tapley, Albert J. Silvester, Loring Dempsey, Abner Mead and Gilbert A. Tapley. Fifteen hundred pu- pils presented a most beautiful feature of the occasion, but no adequate description-the record again-can be given of the ingenious and admirable designs they displayed. The Peabody High School came first, then the Holten High School, followed by the schools from the different districts.

The last division of the procession was a cavalcade of three hundred horsemen. After great exertions on the part of the chief-marshal and his assistants the streets were so far cleared of the multitude of people and vehicles that the procession was put in motion. Moving down Main Street it countermarched at the Salem line, near the Great Tree," but, alas, the streets then spanned with arches and gay with ban- ners and bunting are not now Danvers streets. At noon the line reached the Square again. The schools moved np Lowell Street to a large tent provided for them, and the rest of the procession entered the Old South, in which the following exercises had been ap- pointed.

1. VOLUNTARY By the organ,

2. INVOCATION. .By Rev. James W. Putnam.

3. ANTHEM.

4. READING THE SCRIPTURES ............ By Rev. James Fletcher

5. PRAYER .... by Rev. Israel P. Putnam, of Middleborough.

6. ORIGINAL HYMN .By Fitch Poole.

7. ADDRESS By John W. Proctor.

8. Music .By the band.

9. POEM By Andrew Nichols.

10. PSALM, selected from a collection in use one hundred years ago, "Faithfully translated into English metre ; for tbe Use, Edification and Comfort of the Saints in Publick and Private, especially in New England."

PSALM Ixvii.

To the Musician, Neginoth, A Psalm of Song.

11. PRAYER.

.By the Rev. F. A. Willard.

12. OLD HUNDRED, .. Sung by the whole congregation.

13. BENEDICTION.

On account of the heat Mr. Proctor's address was abridged, and Dr. Nichols' poem was entirely omitted. At a full town-meeting held shortly after, however, the Doctor was cordially invited to read his poem on an occasion to be specially appoint- ed, and such an arrangement was carried out.

Dinner was served after the exercises at the church in a large canvas pavilion erected near Buxton's hill on the Crowninshield estate. After the feast the Chief Marshal introduced as President of the Day, Rev. Milton P. Braman, and after the Doctor's own remarks there was enough talking, both from men prominent in local affairs and from others of wider renown, to last perhaps another hundred years. The Commonwealth was represented by its Governor, George S. Boutwell, and its Secretary, Amasa Walker. Salem, the mother-town, sent her mayor, Charles W. Upham, afterwards author of "Salem Witchcraft ;" Daniel A. White, Judge of Probate for Essex County ;

William D. Northend, Esq., who begun his practice in South Danvers; and another young lawyer who to-day sits in the Cabinet as Secretary of War, Wil- liam C. Endicott. The historian of New England, John G. Palfrey ; the annalist of Salem, Rev. J. B. Felt, at this time of Boston; Rev. Messrs. Thayer, of Beverly ; Stone, of Providence; Sewall, of Medfield ; and Putnam, of Middleboro'; Allen Putnam, of Rox- bnry ; Lilley Eaton, of South Reading; John Web- ster, of Newmarket, N. H .; and George G. Smith, of Boston, were nearly all present and delivered the contributions which are credited to them. Alfred A. Abbott, Esq., P. R. Sonthwick, R. S. Daniels, S. P. Fowler, J. W. Proctor, Rev. F. P. Appleton and Dr. Hunt were called upon as representative citizens of the town. Letters were received from the Hon. Rob- ert C. Winthrop, Rufus Choate, Robert Rautoul, Jr., Daniel Webster, Edward Everett, Jared Sparks and others.

In the meantime the school children were enjoy- ing themselves at a feast of their own, prepared by a committee on which William L. Weston and Henry Fowler represented the northern districts. William R. Putnam, of the school committee, pre- sided, and to his own remarks and those of the toast- master, Augustns Mudge, were added addresses from Charles Northend, then recently elected superintend- ent of schools, and John D. Philbrick, then of the Quincy School of Boston.

The printed volume of something over two hun- dred pages, containing a full record of the Centennial Celebration, forms an important contribution to the material for local history.

These books are seen here and there iu family book-cases, but they are not popular reading. There remain, however, as constant and conspicuous re- minders of the day thus celebrated, certain memori- als of another sort.

The biography of George Peabody properly belongs to that part of old Danvers which now for nearly twenty years has borne his honored name, and there it will undoubtedly be found. Let a few meagre facts and dates appear here.

He was born February 18, 1795, in a house still standing near the junction of Washington and Fos- ter Streets, on the old Lynn Road, in Peabody. His earliest business experience was as a store-boy for the man whose friendship he cherished to the last, Capt. Sylvester Proctor. At sixteen he became a clerk for his oldest brother, David, in a dry-goods store at Newburyport. Before he attained his majority he was taken into partnership by Elisha Riggs, a wealthy New York dry-goods merchant. In 1815 Riggs and Peabody moved their business to Baltimore and sub- sequently established branch honses in Philadelphia and New York. In 1827 he made his first voyage to Enrope in furtherance of his business. During the next ten years he often repeated the trip, and at

511

DANVERS.

times the United States Government, taking advan- tage of his business sagacity, entrusted him with in- portant financial negotiations. He went to Eogland for a permanent residence in February, 1837, at the age of forty-five. In 1843 he retired from the Amer- ican house of Peabody, Riggs & Co., and thencefortlı was George Peabody, Banker and Merchant, of Lon- don.

It was for fifteen years then, when Danvers cele- brated her Centennial, that her illustrious son had been a stranger to his native land, and nearly twice that time since the sixteen-year-old boy went away from the place of his birth to seek and find his for- tune.

An invitation had been sent to him. When John W. Proctor arose to respond to the toast in his honor, it was somehow generally expected that something of especial interest was about to be made known. Mr. Proctor held np to the view of all a sealed envelope, and, in explanation thereof, read a letter from Mr. Peabody, regretting his inability to be present, con- cluding in these words,-

"I enclose a sentiment, which I ask may remain sealed cill this letter is read on the day of celebration, when it is to be opened according to the direction on the envelope."

This direction was as follows,-

[" The Seal of this envelope is not to be broken till the toasts are be- ing proposed by the Chairman at the dinner, 16th June, at Danvers, in commemoration of the one hundredth year since its severance from Sa- lem. It contains a sentiment for the occasion from George Peabody, of London."]

The seal was broken and the sentiment disclosed, which has long since become as household words,- " Education, a debt due from present to future gener- ations." It was followed by the announcement of a gift of twenty thousand dollars for the purpose of erecting and maintaining a public library and lyceum.

Among the conditions annexed to the gift was one that the town should accept the gift and choose a committee of not less than twelve to carry out its por- poses. Both of these things were done at a town- meeting, June 28, 1852, the action of the town being embodied in a series of resolutions submitted by Dr. Andrew Nichols. The committee of twelve were chosen on such tenure that two vacancies were to be filled by election each year. The committee thus first chosen and their terms of office decided by lot were as follows,-Eben King, Joseph S. Black, one year, to 1853; William L. Weston, Aaron F. Clark, two years, to 1854; Francis Baker, Joseph Poor, three years, to 1855; Elijah W. Upton, Miles Os- borne, four years, to 1856; Joseph Osgood, Eben Sut- ton, five years, to 1857 ; Robert S. Dauiels, Samuel P. Fowler, six years, to 1858. Subsequent elections for terms of six years were as follows,-In 1853, Henry Poor, Joel Putnam; 1854, Philemon Putnam, John B. Peabody ; 1855, Francis Dane, Israel W. Andrews ; 1856, Franklin Osborne, Isaac Hardy, Jr.

Dr. Nichols' resolves provided also that the com- mittee or trustees should themselves annually ap- point a lyceum and library committee from the town at large. The trustees made this latter committee equal to their own number. The first appointees were Dr. Andrew Nichols, who died during his first year of service, Fitch Poole, George A. Oshorne, Ben- jamin C. Perkins, Ebenezer Hunt, John B. Peabody, W. N. Lord, Eben S. Poor, Wm. L. Weston, A. A. Abbott, Philemon Putnam, Eugene B. Hinkley, Wm. F. Poole. The latter is now widely known as the author of " Poole's Index of Periodical Literature."

The corner-stone of the new building was laid August 20,-1853, and after its completion was dedi- cated September 29, 1854-a substantial brick edifice, eighty-two feet by fifty, bearing on its front the words PEABODY INSTITUTE, situate on the main street from the South Meeting-liouse to Salem, on the opposite side and a little northwest of the Lexington monu- ment.

Division of the Town .- It is the intention to speak particularly of the Peabody Institute, not of Peabody but of Danvers. It is necessary, therefore, here, as the sequence of events will show, to speak of no less an important matter than the dismemberment of the old town, which had celebrated its hundredth anni- versary, and the separation of the southern half of its territory into a new town, leaving to the upper half alone the name of the old town. The separation was no sudden movement. From the very first, the com- munities north and south of Waters River and the long chain of hills, separated, as they were, by natu- ral barriers, found themselves possessed of different interests and associations. There was no common centre. Town-meetings were held, as has been seen, one year at a meeting-house in the North Parish, the next at the South Parish, and each parish made hay for itself when the time came. A recent letter from a former resident contains something of this sort : " No. Danvers was rich in oratorical talents, while So. Danvers was exceedingly deficient in that material. They had money and votes, but no orators, and when the town-meetings were held at So. Danvers, there all the appropriations in that part of the town could easily pass the ordeal ; and when the town-meeting was held at No. Danvers, that was the golden oppor- tunity for appropriations for that part of the town." Before division was finally accomplished the anomaly was presented of two town-houses in one town. The history of the agitation which brought this about goes back to 1772, when Ebenezer Goodale and others prayed that the inhabitants might assemble and make known their minds as to whether meetings for the future should be held alternately in the Village and Mid- dle parishes according to the agreement made between the parishes before incorporation, and "also to see if it be their minds to Erect a House near the Centre of the Town, to hold their Town-Meetings and other Publick Meetings in, &c." "The question was put to

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History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 145

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