History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 176

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 176

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).

638

HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

childhood's lips delighted to cord with the hum of the spinning-wheel. We have a vivid remembrance of the little wheel for linen and the big wheel for wool, but the clatter of the loom, that so deftly ar- ranged the warp and woof was a home-thrumming hardly so late as our day. The weaver's thrums are now supplauted by a noisy, profitless thrumming of the piano.

WOOLEN-MILL-Dr. John Manning, in 1792, was granted a lot of land, fifty by thirty feet, at the north- west corner of Choate Bridge, for a woolen factory. In 1794 he had a further grant for the same purpose, and July 8, 1795, a full and complete title was given. The mill went into operation in 1794, and manufac- tured cloths and blankets. The enterprise was not a success, and the business was closed in 1800. The site was afterwards occupied by "Coburn's Block," the structure now there is called " Caldwell's Block."

LACE MANUFACTURE .- This product was made in families. The manufacture probably had a small beginning,-was confined to a few families, but grew till "almost every family" was engaged in it. It particularly suited the employment of women and children, for profit and leisure. "The lace was formed," says Mr. Felt, " on a lap-pillow, which had a piece of parchment round it with the particular figure, represented by pins stuck up straight, around which the work was done and the lace wrought." Black and white laces, in silk and thread, and of all widths and qualities, were made. It was considerably exported in 1797. In 1790 nearly forty-two thou- sand yards were made, and the business was then rather increasing. It continued till about 1821 or '22, when a Boston lace company removed to this town and set up their machinery. They located on South Main Street, near the Foot-bridge, and Feb- ruary 4, 1824, were incorporated as the " Boston and Ipswich Lace Company." Joseph Farley, William H. Sumner, Augustine Heard and George W. Heard, were the proprietors; and could hold real estate to the value of fifty thousand dollars, and personal to the value of one hundred thousand dollars, and could manufacture "lace and other articles made of linen, silk, cotton and woolen material." The company, of course, achieved success for a number of years ; but the deepest streams are not always smooth. It is said the company "split," and occasioned the forma- tion of another. "Thomas Manning, Ammi Smith, John Clark, their associates, successors and assigns, were incorporated the "New England Lace Com- pany," January 17, 1827, and could hold thirty thou- sand dollars in real estate, and fifty thousand dollars in personal. The factory was located on High Street, on the site of Mr. Joseph Ross' residence. In some way, by English competition or interference, the busi- ness became unprofitable, and the factories closed,- the former in 1828, and the latter soon after 1833.

COTTON MANUFACTURE .- Joseph Farley had leave, June 19, 1827, to close a town way, then used as a

watering-place, between the lace-factory and his saw- mill, that he might construct a new dam and erect a factory in the place of the saw-mill. In due time the preparation was completed, and the factory was built of stone in 1828 and '29. Augustine Heard, Joseph Farley and George W. Heard, were incorporated the "Ipswich Manufacturing Company," June 11, 1828, with a capital of fifty thousand dollars in real, and one hundred thousand dollars in personal estate, for manufacturing from cotton and woolen materials. The manufacture was begun in 1830. James H. Oliver, of Boston, was the treasurer, and in 1834 Otis Holmes was superintendent. Samuel Davis was overseer of carding, Barnum Leonard of spinning, Calvin Locke of weaving. Joseph Farley, Jr., was clerk and paymaster, and Joseph Kendall was master- mechanic. "The machinery of the mill," says a correspondent of the American Journal of Fabrics, " consisted of one conical willow for cleaning the cot- ton; one picker twenty-four inches wide, with two beaters, without lapper; fourteen breaker and four- teen finisher cards, eighteen inches wide, with wooden cylinders, thirty-six inches in diameter ; four drawing frames with three heads each; four Taunton tube speeders. The most of the warp-spinning were the English live spindle frames,-part of them had circu- lar and some of them straight fronts. The flyers were screwed to the top of the spindles, and must be unscrewed at each doffing. There were two dead spindle frames in the room, built by a Mr. Derby, of Exeter, N. H. Two cradle warpers, two dressers, two pairs of hand mules, sixty Scotch looms, with the crank motion or sweep outside of the ends; speed of the looms one hundred and twenty per minute, speed of the front rollers on the live spindle running fifty per minute, speed of the card cylinders one hun- dred and twenty. The cotton was weighed and spread on a cloth, about ten feet long by eighteen inches wide, was rolled on a stick, placed on the hreaker card, the cloth dropping slowly to the floor, while the cotton, as it was carded, passed on to a light drum thirty inches in diameter, by twenty inch- es wide. The thickness of one lap was the product of one weighing. The lap was folded wheu taken from the drum and placed in a box back of the finish- er-card, and then fed to the card. The mill ran nearly fourteen hours per day to ten hours of the pres- ent time; but the speed of the spinning has been in- creased about forty turns of the front roller, and looms in many places are now running from one hun- dred and sixty to one hundred and eighty picks per minute on similar numbers of yarn. In place of card cylinders, eighteen inches wide by thirty-six inches in diameter, may be seen the colossal English carding engine, forty-two by sixty; but cards thirty- six by thirty-six and forty-two by forty-eight inches are generally in use in this country. The doublings of this mill were very limited, and were confined to the drawing. The first head doubled four to one, the

639

IPSWICH.

second head the same and the third head two to one, equal to sixty-four doublings. (A mill in Lowell to- day on about the same number of yarn doubled twenty-seven thousand six hundred and forty-eight times.") The cloth they made sold for nine and one- half and ten cents per yard ; the same quality to-day would bring only three and one-half and four cents. Notwithstanding this seeming disparity, the mill was a peer in its day, and was run for many years with a fair degree of success. It was au exponent of the en- ergy and enterprise mainly of Captain Joseph Farley.

The Census of 1880 reported three clothing, hosiery, etc., manufactories, employing 452 operatives, 210 males, 241 females, and one child, at a yearly pay of $147,466, and a capital of $254,500, and producing goods valued at $441,312 from stock valued at $204, 890 ; two boot and shoe shops, employing 49 persons, 35 males and 14 males, and a capital of $21,000, and producing goods valued at $77,900; one box fac- tory, employing eight men and a capital of $25,000, and yielding products valued at $12,000; and one brickyard, employing 12 men and a capital of $5000, and producing bricks worth $3000. No woven fabrics were reported. None are reported in the latest official returns. The principal manufactures, in the order of their value, are knit goods (chiefly hosiery), boots and shoes, buildings, isinglass, butcher- ing, carriages and wagons, clothing, bread and pastry. The manufactories use five steam engines, of three hundred and fifty-five actual horse-power ; nine water-wheels of 162 nominal horse-power. Ofthe 631 employes in 1875, 444 were males and 187 were females, of whom six males and five females were under fifteen years of age. Of the nine hundred em- ployees in 1885, 600 worked by the piece and 300 by the day. This tabulation is self-explaining :

Items.

1875.

1885,

No. of manufactories.

Employes

631

896

Wages for the year

$267,216

$264,551

Capital invested.

423,004

1,107,203

Value of raw material.

435,730

512,473

Goods made

858,532

1,018,532

This table shows a decrease in the number of man- factories of more than thirty per centum in ten years. The disparity is due to various causes, but chiefly, probably to the concentration of capital. It shows, on the other hand, a greater number of employes by more than forty-two per centum ; but though they do, per capita, the same amount of work, their per-capita pay is much less. To be definitely instructed herein, however, would require a complete statement, but the general showing of growing industries, employing a greater number of persons at fair remuneration is in- teresting and gratifying.

MONEY .- For about twenty years the town had no money. Trade was carried on mainly by way of barter. The medium of exchange was mnsket-bul- lets, wampum and latterly some English coins. In

1652 silver was coined in Boston. Rogues soon be- gan to clip and counterfeit the pieces, which occa- sioned the appointments of "searchers of coins." Massachusetts coined copper, silver and gold from 1786 to 1789, and the United States began to coin them in 1793 and 1794. Paper money was issued as early as 1690, and has continued meanwhile. The bills at first were expedient to meet the great expense of the government in prosecuting the wars and other necessary expenses. Though serviceable at first, they proved hurtful ultimately. The people lost confidence in government paper, and great and wide-spread dis- tress ensued. In 1781 seventy-five dollars in paper would only equal one in silver. In 1794 a tax of £1 meant £1 17s. 6d., in new emission, and 12s. 6d. in hard money. In this century, besides the national coinage, a system of State banking obtained till the war of the Rebellion. The banks facilitated local ex- change. Their service was circumscribed, because their ability was seldom known beyond their respec- tive precincts. In many instances, on the other hand, they continued to serve for the same reason.

An institution of this kind was chartered here March 25, 1833, when Thomas Manning, Michael Browu, Ephraim F. Miller, Charles Kimball, Samuel N. Baker, and Samuel S. Farrington became "the president, directors and company of the Ipswich Bank," to continue till October 1, 1851. The capital was one hundred thousand dollars. It continued a number of years with indifferent success. The bank- ing-house stood nearly opposite the present new Sav- ings Bank building.

"Joseph Ross, Aaron Cogswell, Frederick Will- comb and their associates and successors" were in- corporated March 20, 1869, the "Ipswich Savings Bank." It began business in the following year, and has proved very opportune and serviceable. Theo. F. Cogswell is the clerk and the treasurer.

BENEFACTIONS AND CHARITIES.

THE POOR .- " The poor ye have always with you," said the Greatest of earth ; and in accordance with the suggestion, the benefactions and amenities of home and neighborhood are commended hy the wise and good always and everywhere. "Liberality of disposition and conduct," says Cogan, "give the highest zest and relish to social intercourse." To tithe onr incomes, and give as God has prospered us, is a fundamental law of all honest living. The man who does not plan and work with both heart and head is likely to learn in the end that he has ignored the most ennobling zest of labor, and the most ennobling joy of life. Beneficence and charity are business, and a part of business is beneficence and charity. Our ancestors early provided for the needy. There was one snch in 1666. Twelve years later there was one, -probably others. In 1688 the bill for doctoring the poor was £2. 1s. In 1701-02, was voted some "con- venient building for the entertainment of the widow

640

HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

Dent, or any of the poor of the town." In 1717 a con- venient honse for the poor was to be built of logs. Its length was forty feet, width sixteen, stud six and its roof " flat as may be suitable." In 1738 the town paid £400 for the poor. In 1740 the poor were let out. In 1742 a hundred bushels of corn were pur- chased to be distributed among the poor, and there was talk of building a " work-house." In 1760 there was voted £66. 13s. 4d. to purchase a house for two men who had become reduced to poverty. In 1784 it was voted to sell the old almshouse,-that stood near the county-house, and which in 1770 was much decayed,-for the most it would bring. The same year they talked of erecting an almshouse, and the next year instructed a committee to furnish one. In 1786 the cost of the poor was £300, and in 1792 it was more than £500. In 1795 John Harris' farm was purchased for a poor-farm, for £250. In 1796 the whole number of the poor was twenty-eight, twenty of whom were supplied in part. The present poor-farm, formerly the estate of Hon. Thomas Berry, M. D., was purchased April 10, 1818, of Billy Emer- son, of Topsfield, three hundred and twenty-one acres for $9,500. There are fifty acres of marsh. The soil is excellent for hay and grain, yielding one hundred and fifty tons of the former, and six hundred bushels of the latter in a year. The old farm was sold in 1819, and the proceeds were expended in improve- ments upon the new farm. The present almshouse of brick was built in 1838 or '39.

The town September 3, 1766, instructed Captain Farley, the representative, " to oppose paying money out of the treasury to relieve the suffering occasioned by the riot of the stamp-act, but to move that the Governor call for subscriptions as in case of fire." Such plan was adopted, and Ipswich promptly voted to raise by subscription £100. To the sufferers by fire at Portsmouth in 1803, she gave $100; and to similar sufferers at Newburyport in 1811, she gave $1.000. In 1825 she contributed $200 for the Bunker Hill monument.

As early as about 1640, subscriptions from the pro- vince towns were requested in aid of Harvard College. The general court advised liberal contributions. De- puties and' elders were enlisted in the cause ; grain or money, or both would be gladly received. The rates for Ipswich in 1664-65 were £7. 68. 7d., and in 1681 her contribution in grain was valued at £192.

COMMONS .- The town lands were held and man- aged by the freemen of the town, as if they were a company for that purpose. In 1644, moved by gene- rosity and public spirit, they set apart a tract on the north side of the river, containing by estimation three thousand two hundred and forty-four acres, and gave and granted it "to the inhabitants of the town with themselves, their heirs and successors for- ever." In 1788 the commoners of Ipswich " make an absolute grant of all their interest, both real and per- sonal, lying within the town of Ipswich unto the in-

habitants of said town, to be sold to pay the town debt." The grant yielded £600. 2s. 2d.

SOCIETIES .- The various societies have exerted a powerful influence in collecting resources, assisting the worthy and fostering social amenities. The Gen- eral James Appleton Post, No. 128, of the Grand Army of the Republic, and the Woman's Relief Corps, connected with the posts, have exercised a watchful and most beneficent care, exhibiting a mutual devo- tion equal to their patriotism. They meet weekly. The post has about one hundred members, and a fund of some three hundred and fifty dollars. The Relief Corps fund is some two hundred and fifty dollars. Both expend about one hundred dollars a year in money, besides oft-repeated personal attention and assistance. Another earnest worker in the general field is the Woman's Christian Temperance Union. It meets weekly, and conducts a temperance school. Its work upon the pliant mind of our youth is wor- thy the sincerest prayer of faith and a generous ma- terial support. The object of the "Ipswich Mutual Benefit Society " is to render monetary and personal assistance in sickness and death. The society was organized in March, 1879, and has about eighty-five members in full benefit. About a year ago Bay-View Lodge, No. 2, of the International Order of Odd Fel- lows, was organized. The Masons were represented here more than a hundred years ago. Unity Lodge was organized March 9, 1779. It was the ninth char- ter granted in the State. It held no meetings after 1829. The present John T. Heard Lodge was char- tered August 26, 1864. It meets monthly, and has a membership of about a hundred. It has a fund of a few huudred dollars, and is otherwise a strong society. The Independent Order of Odd Fellows is represented by the Agawam Lodge, No. 52, and the Daughters of Rebecca, who compose Martha Washington Lodge, No. 5, and a Mutual Benefit Association. Agawam has a membership of about one hundred and ten, a fund of a few hundred dollars and is harmonious and efficacious in her peculiar work.

Here, too, we find the church. It is one of her twin fields of labor, and with her powerful ally-the Sunday-school-might crush out error with the force of an avalanche. In seven years, about 1830, the First Church gave $2100 to religious charities, and the South Church more than $1500. The First Church last year gave about $600.

RESULT OF BUSINESS.

Valuation .- The capital invested at the beginning was determination, energy and perseverance. The struggle has been long and vigorous ; it has not yet ended and is not likely soon to end. In 1831 the assessors valued the town property at $505,995; in 1886, at $2,120,017, of which $527,621 was personal estate and $1,592,396 real, and $107,426, an increase over the previous year's valuation. The following table of Province taxation is interesting in showing

641

IPSWICH.

the increase of expense during the periods of war, and the relative valuation and growth of several old towns compared with this :

Yeurs.

Ірн-

wich.

Salem.

News-

bury-

New-

bury-

port.

Years.

Ipg.

wich.

Salem.

New-

bury.

New-

bury-

port

1694-95 ....

854

579

589

1747-48 ...

1133

1204

1036

1696.

290

270

220

1748-49 ...

2560

27 .: 9

2380

1697

2215

200

150

1752-53 ...

567

746

736

1700-1

267

239

184

175 1-54 ...

280

$159

272

1705-6

950

814

698

1754-55

426

305

572

1710-11

1000

814

69S

1756-57.

1249

887

15931

1715-16.

465

378

325

1757-58 ...

1854

1308

2579

1718-19

249

269

232

1759-60 ...

2174

1642

2937

1723-24

171

159

143

1761-62 ...

1406

1422

1937

1724-25.

400

372

334

1762-63 ...

1418

1439

1921

1725-26 ...

571

532

477

1764-65 ...

932

948

787

530

1728-29.

301

291

224

1770-71 ...

487

517

379

303

1733-34

208

219

177

1773-74 ...

36S

675

350

336

1:34-35 ...

568

556

418

1775-76 ...

731

1372

681

701

1736-37.

908:

924

741

1776-77 ...

1651

2985

1489

1544

1738-39

387

391

354

1777-78 ...

4543|

8391

4243

4331

1740-41.

711

702

649

1778-79 ...

3685. 6884

3919

3518

1742-13

588

632

530

1779-80 ... 35573 46685 32530 37810

* Danvers, £30, set off. Before 1765 Newbury included Newbury- port.

The town grows as much in five years now as it grew in the first two hundred ; and by opening streets along the river margin and inviting the tourists and summer residents to our beaches, and coast, and mounts, unsur- passed for picturesque beauty and interesting moun- tain and ocean views, we may achieve still greater ad- vances, instill a new and vigorous life, and so ennoble and embalm the cherished, quaint, weird and hoary past.

ABSENT NATIVES.

BIOGRAPHICAL .- " And what shall I say more ? for the time would fail me to tell of the Gideons, the Jephthas, the Davids, the Samuels, who," having lef: their nativity and engaged in other towns, and in cit- ies and other States, " have wrought righteousness, obtained promises, escaped the edge of the sword, ou; of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens, and have obtained a good report." The influence of Ipswich homes is felt abroad for good in the professions and every honorable vocation. We have had opportuni- ties to gather but few names.

REV. WILLIAM ADAMS was son of William, of this town, and boru May 27, 1650. For want of funds he was obliged to make several attempts to en- ter Harvard College, where he graduated August 8, 1671. The first pastor of the Dedham Church died the 26th of the same month, and the society at once determined upon Mr. Adams as his successor. He declined several calls, but at last accepted, and was ordained pastor December 3, 1673. He married, first, Mary Manning, of Cambridge, in 1674; second, Alice Bradford, daughter of Major William Bradford, of Plymouth. He was a devout and fervent man and public-spirited. He died August 17, 1685, at the age of thirty-six years, and after a pastorate of twelve years.

REV. NATHANIEL APPLETON was born December 9, 1693. He graduated at Harvard in 1712, was or- dained pastor at Cambridge October 9, 1717, where he died February 9, 1784, at the great age of ninety- one years, and after a pastorate of sixty-two. His daughters married,-Elizabeth, Rev. Jabez Fitch ; Margaret, President Holoyke; Priscilla, Rev. Robert Ward, of Wenham, as his first wife.

JOHN B. BROWN was born December 10, 1837, in Argilla District, Ipswich. His father, Manasseh Brown, was a farmer, owning the Castle Hill-or Governor Winthrop-Farm, and here young Brown spent his early years, working upon the farm sum- mers, attending the district school, and High School winters. This, with a few terms at Phillips Acad- emy, comprised his educational opportunities.

At the age of seventeen he entered the employ of Blanchard, Converse & Co., Boston, who were at that time the leading dry-goods merchants. Here, hegin- ning as a boy, he received his mercantile training, and rose through the various departments. At the opening of the war he entered the service, going into the field with the Sixteenth Massachusetts Volun- teers, Colonel Powell T. Wyman, as first lieuten- ant. He was appointed aide-de-camp to General Cuvier Grover, of the regular army (at that time commanding one of Hooker's brigades) while before Richmond, and served upon the staff of that general during the Seven Days' Battles of the "Peninsula Campaign," ending at Malvern Hills; and later through the " Virginia Campaign " under Pope, end- ing at Second Bull Run; afterwards in the battles of the "Louisiana Campaign " under Banks. In order that he might remain with General Grover, to whom he was greatly attached, he declined all promotions, and leaving the service with the same rank with which he entered at the beginning of the war, he was commended in general orders for gallant conduct in the battles of Burker's Farm, Savage Station, Glen- dale, Malvern Hills, (first and second battles), Bull Run (second) Irish Bend (La.) and in the battles of the siege of Port Hudson-being one of the officers who volunteered to lead the storming party in the preparation for the last grand assault on the date of the capitulation.

On returning to civil life, he married Lucy, the daughter of George J. Tenney, an extensive shoe manufacturer in Georgetown, Massachusetts, and entering the employ of ex-Governor Gardner, in the dry-goods commission business, he shortly after- wards became a partner with his former employer, James C. Converse, aud removed to New York, re- maining in charge of the New York branch of that house till 1869.

The rapid growth of railroads in that period af- fording such an attraction, he left mercantile life, and, with his brother Leverett, was engaged in rail- road construction for many years in the Western States.

The most important work accomplished by him was the organizing and building of the Chicago and Western Indiana Railroad (of which he was presi- dent), a trunk line road into the city of Chicago, which to-day gives entrance into that city to five or six railways, among the most important of which are the Grand Trunk, Wabash and the Erie.

Leaving railroad-building on the completion of that work, he has since been engaged in the develop ment of the Grape Creek coal-fields in Illinois, and in the construction of an extensive system of docks on the Calumet River, in South Chicago. Though actively engaged in the development of important enterprises in the West, he still retains his interest and affection for his native place, and the Castle Hill

642

HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

Farm, on which his boyhood years were spent, claims much of his time and contributes much to his pleasure in its improvement.

CHILDREN OF EZEKIEL CHEEVER .- Thomas was born in Ipswich, was minister of Malden from Feb- ruary 14, 1679-80, till dismissed in 1686. He was then at Chelsea, where he settled October 19, 1715. He graduated at Harvard College in 1677. He died November 27, 1749, at the great age of ninety-one years. Samuel was also born in Ipswich, did not lose a single Sabbath in forty-eight years' preaching, and "died without pain, with no disease but mere age," in his eighty-fifth year and the fifty-sixth of his ministry. Mr. Hammatt says he was a student at Harvard in 1656.

DR. JOSEPH GREEN COGSWELL .- John Cogswell, the doctor's progenitor, a merchant in London, Eng- land, sailed from [Bristol May 23, 1635. The cargo, mostly his own, was shipwrecked off the coast of Maine August 15th, and he lost in cash about five thousand pounds. Chartering a bark, he brought his family, furniture, silver-plate, etc., saved from the wreck, to Ipswich. He left English opulence for a log hut, "that the ancient faith and true worship might be found inseparahle companions in their practice, and that their posterity might be undefiled in religion."

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History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 176

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