History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 146

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 146

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512

HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY. MASSACHUSETTS.

, see whether the inhabitants would act anything re- specting the holding the Town-Meetings for the fu- ture, and, a Poll being demanded, it was determined that way, Ninety-four for acting and Ninety-three against. Voted, not to act upon the paragraph in the warrant respecting the erecting of a House near the Centre of the Town."

At the annual meeting of 1828 a committee was chosen to consider the building of "one or more Town Houses," but whatever their report may have been, it was gently but effectively disposed of by a motion that "the subject subside for the Present."

The matter next came up in 1834. Another large and representative committee was appointed, who were instructed to make estimates for "one or more, designating the place of location of the same." But their report met no better fate than the one of 1828. It was " deferred,-" just twenty years.

In the warrant for the annual town-meeting of 1854 were two articles,-one for the erection of a town-house " near the centre of the population and business of Danvers South Parish," another for the erection of "two school-houses for the accommoda- tion of the Peabody and Holten High Schools."

After much discussion and several special meetings, these two propositions were combined. The High School buildings were a necessity. It was voted " to construct them so as to make each building suitable to convene the town-meetings," and twenty-two thousand dollars was appropriated in all. The report of the building committee was accepted in 1856, and ordered " placed on the file." From this oblivion a part is here brought back to the light of day. It is interesting to know what hands helped to build our temple of democracy and how much it cost :

Net cost of land $1350 00

Benjamin Moor's bill, contract and extrae 7800 00

Architect's bill

85 00

John Rollin'e hill for well .. 26 25

Perkine & Cressy, building fence, etc

115 63

Clark & Blether, stone gate-poste ..

18 50

Hezekiah Dwinell, gate.

28 00

Smith & Wallis, chestnut rails for fence.

42 09

William H. Walcott, teaming.

2 50

Simeon Putnam, freight. 12 22

Benjamin Turner, building fence 49 84

E. T. Waldron, turning-poste and furnishing ezme

87 00

Calvin Putnam, lumber

43 70

Eben Putnam, painting.

61 40

Eliot & Kimball, mason8. 8 85

Stephen Granville, furniture, curtaine, etc.

174 49

Joseph W. Ropes, furnace

380 00

Joseph L. Ross, furniture 445 00

William O. Haskell, Sutteee.

125 47

Total

.$11,148 05

Total cost, South Danvers. .$11,803 48

The building committee were Fitch Poole, Joseph Poor, Nathan Tapley, Calvin Putnam, E. T. Waldron, Josiah Mudge. In the summer of 1883 the Danvers town-house was enlarged to its present proportions.

Thus much of the town-house. To take up the broken thread of the division of the town : in Feb-

rnary 16, 1855, a warrant was issued under the hands of Lewis Allen, Leonard Poole and Nathan H. Poor- the names of Benjamin F. Hutchinson and Joel Put- nam, North Parish members of the board of select- men, did not appear-warning the voters to meet at Union Hall, in the South Parish, " to see what action the Town will take on the order of Notice from the Legislature on the petition of Benjamin Goodridge and others, relstive to a division of the Town."

Lewis Allen was chosen moderator. Alfred A. Abbott presented the following resolution :

" Resolved, That the time has arrived when the true interests of all portione of the Town of Danvere, and the convenience and well-being of its citizens imperatively demand a division of its extended territory and numerous population into two separate and independent municipalities- that an equitable and convenient division would be made by a dividing- line drawn from the mouth ef Water's River on the East, thence westerly through the centre of said River, to Pine Street, and thence straight, in a northwesterly course, to the hend in Ipswich River, the point of inter- section of the stream running from Phelp's Mill ; all remaining on one side of said line to constitute a town by itself ; and all remaining on the other side of said line to coustitute another and separate town ; and that our Representatives in the Legislature be hereby requested, and a committee of Ten to be appointed by this meeting be and they are hereby iostructed to use all fair and honourable means in aid of the prayer of the petition of Beojamin Goodridge and others, and to secure by an Act of the Legislature, the division of the Town substantially in sc- cordance with the plan above indicated."

An adverse amendment offered by Samuel Preston was voted upon four different times, and each time the amendment was declared lost.

Messrs. Hardy and Andrews polled the house, but could not agree in their count.

The South people had the advantage of position. As the day wore away the northern farmers had to think of the cows and the chores. To take off the keen edge of the contest, a motion was interpolated that a committee of ten-five from each section-be chosen " to take into consideration the subject as to see what names shall be applied should a division take place, aud report at the next annual meeting." It would take a long time to choose ten men ; it was getting really dark ; the cows would be suffering, and then the committee just elected were to report at the next annual meeting. So some went-enough to de- cide the contest against the non-divisionists, for the South people had no idea of deferring the matter. They had come to stay. The main question was put, and this time the work of the tellers was not difficult. At five minutes past seven o'clock the moderator de- clared the result : one hundred and forty-one opposed to the resolution and two hundred and thirty-five in favor.

By vote of the meeting the chairman nominated as the committee called for by the resolution : Dr. George Osborne, R. S. Daniels, Winthrop Andrews, Henry Poor, Moses Black, Jr., Eben Sutton, Philemon Put- nam, Joseph S. Needham, Amos Merrill and Francis Dane.

Within a very short time, March 8, 1855, a special meeting was held in the new town-hall in North Parish, to vote by ballot on the question : " Is it ex-

513

DANVERS.

pedieut to have the Town divided agreeably to the petition of Benjamin Goodridge and others? "

Though the polls were kept open from nine o'clock to five, the advocates of division, relying on the vote already secured, wisely let the day go by default, and the count showed but four yeas to four hundred and thirty-six nays. The clerk was instructed to send to the Legislature on the next day a copy of the record of this meeting, and Kendall Osborne, Samuel Pres- ton, Andrew Torr, Daniel Richards, Joseph Poor and Henry Fowler were appointed to remonstrate against division. James D. Black was in the Senate, and Israel W. Andrews was in the house. The latter was the champion of the opposition to division, and by a great effort he succeeded in obtaining an adverse vote in oue of the earlier stages of the bill; but on May 18, 1855, the Legislature finally passed "An Act to Incorporate the Town of South Danvers." This act established a division line, but provided that if a majority of the voters of Danvers should by vote ex- press within thirty days their desire to have the line changed, that the Governor should appoint three commissioners to consider, and finally determine the same. The present line was in this manner estab- lished by commissioners.

An examination of this line as shown on any good map shows that instead of following the channel of Water's River to the Salem line, it leaves the river and turns southerly, so as to include about fifty acres south of the bridge. Upon this territory is a part of Hanson's Grain-Mill, the large brick-house built by Matthew Hooper, a three-story hrick tenement house now owned by Johu Bates, the old witchcraft house of the Jacobs' family, and several other dwellings. Mat- thew Hooper and some, if not all, of his neighbors petitioned the Legislature to be set off from Danvers to South Danvers, but Danvers was nnwilling to let them go, and nothing came of their petition.

A special meeting of that part of the inhabitants of the territory which still retained the name of Dan- vers, was called on 28th of May, to take such steps ås the new phase of their muncipal career demanded. Certain vacancies in offices formerly held by citizens of the new town were filled. In the place of Francis Baker, William L. Weston was chosen treasurer, a position to which he was annually re-elected for eighteen years. Samuel Preston and Zephaniah Pope were elected overseers of the poor in the places of Wingate Merrill and Andrew Torr. Daniel P. Pope was added to the health committee; Aaron Putnam was chosen auditor. There were already three Dan- vers men on the old board of selectmen, and seven out of twelve on the school committee, and in each case it was voted "to dispense with choosing any more." It was here voted that the chairmen of the several boards and the clerk procure all the books and records remaining in South Danvers, and that the Danvers members of the town-hall building commit- tee provide a suitable place for them.

Another very important subject was considered at this first meeting of Dauvers after division. It is sufficiently explained in the vote passed, namely, " that a committee of - persons be chosen to con- fer with a committee of the town of South Danvers for the purpose of adjusting the division of town paupers, town property; town debts, State and county taxes, the government of the Peabody Institute, the expenses of the bridges now existing in the town of Danvers, and any other matters arising from the divi- sion of the town, and if the said committee shall dis- agree they are directed to apply to the Court of Com- mon Pleas for the County of Essex for the appoint- ment of three disinterested persons to hear the parties. aud award thereon." At an adjournment a week later the blank in the vote was filled by the appointment of one from each of the old school districts remaining in Danvers, as follows : No. 13, William Dodge, Jr. ; No. 2, Henry Fowler; No. 3, Aaron Putnam ; No. 4, Francis Dodge ; No. 5, Nathaniel Pope ; No. 6, Nathan Tapley ; No. 14, George Tapley.

South Danvers was represented by George Osborne, Henry Poor, Robert S. Daniels, Francis Baker, Eben King and Abel Preston.

The two committees, acting in conference, first met on June 25, 1855, and proceeded then, aud at suc- cessive adjournments, to a very systematic appraisal and adjustment of accounts between the two towns. The report, which was accepted in all particulars save that part which referred to the government of the Peabody Institute, on March 2, 1857, and which was finally accepted as a whole on February 1, 1858, covers nearly twenty large-sized pages of record, and, though very interesting reading, is too long to insert here. A few general items may be culled from the report, how- ever. The footing of the appraisal of the property of the old town, on May 18, 1855, the day of division, exclusive of the two town houses, the Surplus Revenue and the Massachusetts School Fund, was $39,184.50.

The assessors' valuation, 1854, of property north of the division line was $1,444,900; south of the line, $2,732,600. Danvers was, therefore, entitled to 3458% per cent. of the corporate property, or the value of $13,553.14, and South Danvers to 65188% per cent., $25,691.36.

To the town of Dauvers was assigned property scheduled as follows :

Engine General Scott, fixtures and hose. $814 00

Engine General Putnam, fixtures and hose 586 50

Engine Ocean, fixtures and hose 657 00

Sail car at Danversport. 15 00

Engine House No. 2. 275 00

Engine House No. 4.

300 00

Engine House No 6.

350 00

Hearse House at Cemetery

45 00

Hearse House at Braman's 120 00

Two new hearses, $440; one old hearse, $20. 460 00

Liquors and fixtures at J. W. Snows.

100 50

Iron safe, 1400 lbs. at 8c. 112 00

Case for weights and measures.

5 00

Bookcase, 7, Pound at Whipple's Brook, 33 40 00

Five ballot hoxes, 3, stereotype maps of Danvers, 1. 4 00

514

HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

Reservoir near E. Putnam's .

89 25

Reservoir near C. Putnam's

164 00

Reservoir nenr Village Bank 89 25

Reservoir near Baptist Church (interest in) ... 1 00

looks-and-Indders near Baptist Church ...... 25 00

Hooks-and-ladders near Fox Hill. 5 00

look-and-Judders near Berry's Stable. 15 00

Hooks-and-ladders near P. Tapley's honse

25 00

Total ....

.84297 50

The residue of town property, including the town tarm and almshouse (appraised at $22,050, and per- sonal property thereon, $5,519), the whole valued at $34,887, was assigned to South Danvers.

The Surplus Revenue Fund ($10,000), by the terms of the act was to be apportioned according to the number of children between five and fifteen years of age, on May 1, 1855, on either side of the line. The number of children was ascertained to be as follows:

District. Danvers. S. Danvers.

District

Danvers

S. Danvers.

......

359

......

239

......

359

...

228

...

181

4-4

Totals .

... 930

1170

...

125

Grand Total.

2107

To Danvers was, therefore, assigned $4,413.85; to Sonth Danvers, $5,586.15. The amount of the Mas- sachusetts School Fund, $862.72, was, on the same basis, apportioned, $383.45 to Danvers, and $485.27 to South Danvers.

The cost of the two new town houses was found, as has been already noticed, to be $22,951.53. The north building cost $11,148.05. On the basis of valuation, Danvers was entitled only to the 34787, per cent. of the value of both buildings, namely, $7,938.24; there- fore, Danvers was indebted to South Danvers in this matter, $3,209.81.

The total tax for 1855 was found to be $44,698, of which $15,460.15 was due Danvers, and $29,237.85 South Danvers; and the balance of accounts showed that Danvers owed South Danvers, $9,016.98.

The total indebtedness of the old town, on May 18, 1855, was $65,167.38, of which $20,000 was held by the Salem Savings Bank, about $19,000 by the Warren Bank, $10,000 by the Trustees of the Surplus Revenne Fund, and $3,500 by the Danvers Savings Bank ; and the total assets, $4,829.18-leaving the balance of in- debtedness, $60,338.20. Of this balance, Danvers was holden to pay, according to the fixed ratio, $20,869.78; South Danvers, $39,468.42. And it was decided that South Danvers pay to Danvers this latter amount in full discharge of its proportion of indebtedness, with interest from May 15, 1855, and that Danvers, retain- ing all the assets, continue liable for the whole amount of indebtedness.

One point the joint committee could not agree up- on1. The Danvers men claimed that South Danvers was liable to pay its proportion of two roads, Town's

road and Endicott Street ; the South Danvers men refused to allow the claim, and the matter was passed nusettled.

After a careful examination of all the bridges in the old town, the committee awarded eight hundred and seventy-five dollars to be paid by South Danvers to Danvers as an indemnity to the latter for the greater burden thenceforth to be borne by reason of their maintenance.

The final balance of all accounts passed upon showed that South Danvers was indebted to Danvers in the sum of $33,931.86.

It was found that of the thirty-seven paupers at the almshouse, seven had gained or derived a settle- ment within the limits of Danvers, and the remainder within the new town and mutual releases were re- commended from each town to the other from liability for support of those paupers not found to belong to the respective towns.

The relative interests of the two towns in the gov- ernment of the Peabody Institute were adjusted so that South Danvers should have nine of the twelve trustees, a lion's share, and inasmuch as four of the board were already residents of Danvers, it was provided that the first vacancy occurring among these four should be filled from South Danvers.

Finally, as a matter of conrtesy, it was agreed that Danvers should pay its proportional expense of the cost (two hundred dollars), of copying the records for South Danvers, and that the latter town should pay its proportion of J. C. Stickney's bill of one hundred and fifty dollars, for services in behalf of the North people before the Legislature.

And so, now for more than thirty years, there have been two towns where there was but one. Those who went out are richer and more populous than those who are left; but to the latter, within narrowed limits, belong the name and fame of the old town. The question of division gave rise to much bitter feel- ing, but the fact of division was sooner or later one of necessity. It is only strange that it did not come earlier. Traces of this feeling, it must be acknowl- edged, might still reward patient research, but the younger generation know it not. While there is little mutually attractive between the towns, but each looks to Salem as a centre, there is nothing re- pellant between them, and with increased traveling facilities the people are learning to know each other better to the end of a more perfect cordiality and unity.

And, now, to return to the broken thread of the story of George Peabody's benefactions. In the latter part of the summer of 1856 it was known that the man whose name had become so widely honored intended presently to leave London for a visit to this country. On the petition of the trustees of the insti- tute the selectmen of South Danvers called a town- meeting, August 21, 1856, at which resolutions of

......

170

126

515

DANVERS.

welcome were passed, and a committee of twenty, together with the selectmen, were appointed to meet Mr. Peabody on his arrival at New York "to invite him to the home of his youth, and the seat of his noble benefactions; and, if he shall accept their in- vitation, to adopt such measures for his reception and entertainment as, in their judgment, will best express the love and honor which we bear him." An attested copy of the action of South Danvers was sent to Danvers, with an invitation to unite in the proposed reception.

On September 10th a Danvers town-meeting passed a series of resolutions, thanking "our sister town of South Danvers for the invitation to co-operate with them in the reception and entertainment of Mr. Pea- body," heartily concurring in the sentiments of the res- olutions adopted by them, and a committee of twenty- one were chosen to act with the South Danvers com- mittee. The gentlemen chosen were,-

Joshua Silvester, chairman. .

Samuel Preston.

Philemon Putnam.

Ebenezer Hunt.

Levi Merrill.

Samuel P. Fowler.

Charles Page.

William L. Weston.

Reuben Wilkins.

Matthew Hooper.

William Endicott.

Israel H. Putnam.

William Green.

Augustus Mudge.

Charles P. Preston.

James D. Black.

Benjamin F. Hutchinson.

John A. Learoyd.

George A. Tapley.

Nathan Tapley.

Arthur A. Putnam, secretary.

The committees of the two towns henceforth acted as a joint committee, and the general expenses of the celebration were borne by the inhabitants of both towns in due proportion, as if no division had taken place. Delegations from the joint committee were sent to New York to welcome Mr. Peabody on his ar- rival, and, despite numerous invitations to accept of metropolitan honors, he declined to accept any pub- lic demonstration except from the hands of his own townsmen. And so on the 9th of October, 1856, the old town gave her son a royal welcome. Because of Mr. Peabody's modest refusal to be honored elsewhere, those who wished to show him their respect were obliged to come to him. "From being simply a vil- lage festival, it became almost national in its char- acter."

The day of the reception opened auspiciously- one of the fine Indian summer days. Mr. Peabody had come from Georgetown, driving over the road in a private carriage with his two sisters and a nephew. A salute of a hundred guns announced his arrival at the Maple Street Church, Danvers Plains. Here he was met hy the committee, and was seated in an ele- gant barouche, drawn by six horses, accompanied by Robert S. Daniels, Joshua Silvester and Rev. Milton P. Braman.

" The scene here was very beautiful. The spire of the church and private buildings were gayly dressed with flags and streamers, and in full view was an ele- gant three-fold arch spanning the wide street, the cen- tre arch rising high above the others, and being

adorned with evergreens, wreaths, medalions, flowers and flags." This arch deserves more than passing notice. One cannot easily imagine its imposing and graceful proportions. It was designed and executed by Mr. Silvester, and coming first in the long series of decorations with which the streets of both towns were adorned, Mr. Peahody personally expressed his surprise and grateful admiration to its designer at his side.

Two cavalcades were drawn up just below the arch; one wholly of ladies, added greatly to the at- tractiveness of the escort. Each lady threw into Mr. Peabody's carriage, as he passed, a bonqnet of flowers. The procession moved on through High Street to Danversport, and so on to South Danvers, " through streets lined with decorated houses and under way- ing flags and triumphal arches, attended by the boom- ing of cannon and strains of martial music. The shouts and salutations of the people were gracefully acknowledged by Mr. Peabody as he howed to the throng on either side." The cavalcades and car- riages forming as escort about half a mile long, pro- ceeded thus through and out of Danvers and into South Danvers.

At Wilson's Corner Mr. Peabody and his escort found drawn up to receive them the main body of a large and notable procession.

It is unnecessary to enter into the details of the day. The pageant of joy was equalled only by the pageant of sorrow, when through the same streets the great benefactor was years later borne to his grave. On the day following the reception Mr. Peabody went back in company with his sisters to George- town. A large crowd was gathered in Danvers Square, intent on having a last hand-shaking. Tired, as he must have been, it was evidently his intention to proceed with only a passing greeting, but he found his way blocked by a barrier he could not re- sist. A chain of little children stretched, hand in hand, clear across the wide street. He stopped, and the informal reception held from the open carriage, and his expression of pleasure at the enthusiastic welcome accorded him, made a pleasing close of the great reception.

BRANCH LIBRARY AND PEABODY INSTITUTE .- Reference has been made to the fact that Joshua Silvester had partaken of Mr. Peabody's hospitalities in London. Mr. Silvester went to England in the latter part of 1846, the year after the disastrous fire which swept away his business on Danvers Plains. He took with him his brother-in-law, J. M. C. Noyes, and Jacob Cross, Samuel Knights, Chas. Wait, and one Story, of Essex, and introduced the business of making pegged shoes in Manchester. Mr. Silvester came back within a year, the others soon following, except Noyes, who remained and carried on the busi- ness until his death, about ten years ago. Between 1850 and 1855 Mr. Silvester made four other trips to England. On one of these, in '53, he took letters to

516

HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

Mr. Peabody, was invited to attend his annual Fourth of July dinner, and being the only Danvers man in London, was asked much by him concerning the progress of the Institute he had then recently given. This acquaintance thus formed, ripened with later visits.

It was to Mr. Silvester that, soon after the recep- tion here in 1856, Mr. Peabody wrote from George- town, requesting a meeting on the arrival of a certain train at the Danvers station. While walking to- gether on the station platform, Mr. Peabody first made known his intention to give ten thousand dol- lars to establish a Branch Library for Danvers, so that the citizens of this part of the old town would not be obliged to depend on the Institute at South Danvers. He asked Mr. Silvester to bring to him at the Revere House, Boston, a list of suitable persons to receive the gift. Mr. Silvester found him enjoying buckwheat cakes at a late breakfast; and over an in- formal cup of coffee the list was accepted, with Mr. Silvester's name, which Mr. Peabody insisted upon adding. This letter, soon written, is self explana- tory.

" REVERE HOUSE, BOSTON, Dec. 22, 1856.

" GENTLEMEN :- During my recent visit to the old town of Danvers, I had opportunities of examining into and understanding the operations of the Institute, and of ascertaining to some extent the comparative ud- vantages derived from it by different portions of the town.

"In compliance with my original directions the Institute was located within one-third of a mile of the site of the meeting house formerly uu- der the pastoral care of Rev. Mr. Walker; Rud while thus the popula- tion ot South Danvers is within a reasonable distance of the Institute, the population of Danvers is mostly too remote therefrom, and cannot very conveniently share fully in its privileges. It has occurred to me that a Branch Library might be established in Danvers, in some central position, probably the Plains, which would remedy the existing difficul- ty and would secure to the inhabitants a more equal participation in the benefits which it was my design to confer upon all.

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History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 146

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