History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 223

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 223

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).

The Sunday-school was founded in June, 1820, and Deacon Solomon Nelson and wife were especially in- terested in its organization. The Sunday-school Cou- vention of the Merrimac River Association, with George S. Merrill, of Lawrence, secretary, met with this church in June, 1870, to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of their school. For many years prior to 1840 the ladies of this church had a mission organiza- tion known as the Female Mite Society.

The Universalist Society held services about one- fourth of the time, as speakers could be obtained, until the spring of 1835, when Rev. Joseph B. Morse was engaged for one-half of the time, aud this en- gagement was renewed for 1836. The three following years their meeting-house was opened about one-half of the Sundays of the year, with a frequent change of ministers, until 1840, when Rev. D. P. Livermore, afterwards the husband of the now famous Mrs. Mary

In November, 1855, Rev. William Read, of Rayn- ham, was settled, resigning in March, 1857. Both Mr. Read and wife were of literary tastes, a gift which is inherited by their children. Rev. Joseph H. Seaver, of Salem, Mass., was settled in November, 1858, re- signing in April, 1862. Rev. Joseph M. Burtt suc- ceeded, assuming the pastoral office in March, 1863, | A. Livermore, was engaged and the Society had his

840

HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

services regularly for that year. The next year he preached one half of the time. In 1842 some im- provements in the meeting-house and various speak- ers as before. In 1843 Rev. George Hastings supplied regularly for that year, but the next year but one-half of the Sundays. Mr. Hastings was a practical ma- chinist, working at his trade when not employed in pastoral duty. He also served as school committee.

James T. Dunbar, then the hotel-keeper in the house now the residence of Dr. R. C. Huse, was quite active in the affairs of this Society at this date, and for several years afterwards. After Mr. Hastings, who had married a daughter of Jonathan Harriman, left town, services were not held regularly, and Mr. Dunbar, who was the financial representative of the Society, had authority to hire whom he pleased. In December, 1849, Rev. Henry H. Baker, from Essex, Mass., was engaged for three months, and the engage- ment successively renewed for the two following years, retiring in the spring of 1852. He was the represent- ative of the town in the legislature in 1852.

Charles H. Webster, whose name was changed from Kent, born in the Merrill House on East Street, was from 1840 one of the active and talented young men of this Society. He became a Universalist minister, had several pastorates in this State, was once pastor at Dedham, was a chaplain in a Massachusetts regi- ment during the Rebellion, and died some years ago in Maryland.

Samuel Chase was another Universalist minister who attended service here. So did his brothers, John K. and James Chase, for a time; both afterwards be- came Baptist ministers of considerable note, of whom John K. is still living. These young men were all shoemakers, working in the cozy home shops and in the old-fashioned manner, debating and studying while their hands were employed. After Mr. Baker left, and Spiritualism making inroads into this So- ciety, the interest in sustaining religious meetings of the denomination gradually lessened, until the Pro- prietors decided to sell their property.

March 27, 1855, a committee reported the sale of the meeting-house and lot to the town of Georgetown, for two thousand dollars. The church building was sold by the town for about three hundred dollars, removed to land owned by William Boynton, made into a dwel- ling-house, is at present occupied in part by Edward S. Fickett, Principal of the High School. The So- ciety held an occasional preaching service, and much of the time a Sunday-school. W. H. Harriman, the successor of Sylvanus Nelson as Society clerk, was more prominent than any other person in sustaining the school. After the sale of the meeting-house and erection of the Town Hall on the site, all meetings held were in the hall and those supplying were gen- erally of high denominational talent, as Drs. Patter- son, Miner, St. John Chambre, Rev. Willard Spaul- ding and others equally noted. This appointment of Mr. Fickett as teacher of the High School, with his

known religious views, encouraged the members of the school to renewed efforts, and for a time while he was superintendent there was a large membership, but since about 1872 or 73, all meetings of the denomina- tion have been discontinued.

This Society never had a church organization, al- though at times the question was under favorable consideration. There was fine musical talent among them and the services of the choir were always of a high order. Their observance of Christmas, with decorated house, sermons, songs and choruses, now general in all denominations, was then regarded as, a dangerous innovation, almost heathenish even, by the other churches. Perhaps the last service of local im- portance, held in the church, was that of the funeral of Mr. Nathaniel Nelson, in March, 1853.

The first Roman Catholic service held in this town was in 1849, in Mr. Nathaniel Nelson's house on An- dover Street, now the residence of J. P. Jones, Esq., with Rev. Mr. Lannen of Newburyport, as officiating priest. The Newburyport parish included at that time all Northern Essex. This celebration of mass was in the part of the house then occupied by James McLain, now living on West Street. Several Irish emigrant families, antedate Mr. McLain by many years. Mr. Delaney, a Connaught-man, Mr. Dorney, the harness-maker, who it is said began a course of study for the priesthood, Timothy O'Brien, and per- haps two or three others, were in town as early as 1842 or 43, but Nicholas Reynolds, who returned to Ireland and whom L. H. Bateman afterwards visited, was perhaps the first Irish born resident of this town.

From 1840 to 50, Mr. Nathaniel Nelson had several farm laborers of Irish birth transiently employed. In 1850, Father Lannen officiated in the service of the mass several times in the Brocklebank house on Central Street, then occupied by James Molloy. The opening of the Newburyport Railroad, led to the permanent location of several Catholics in town, who had been employed, among them Michael and Dennis Buckley. Three brothers of the same name of Mol- loy, cousins of James, one of whom had arrived in 1849, were settled here 1852. The families of Hughes, Haley, Barry, with Gauley, O'Doyle, Monaghan, ap- pear at about this date, some before and others'a little later, most of whom remained and are per- manent residents. Several young men also arrived and located, as Donaghue, Moan, Kane and others, and but little time elapsed before the Catholic popu- lation was sufficiently numerous to require a frequent service of their church.

The attic hall, known as Tammany, in the Boyn- ton building, burned in the October fire of 1874, was temporarily engaged, afterwards an upper room in the Masonic building, and at a later date, the Town Hall. Haverhill was then a parish centre, and Georgetown was attached to it, with Rev. John Mc- Donald in charge of the service here, continuing to about 1870. The next appointment was that of Rev.

841

GEORGETOWN.

Richard Cummings, who was recalled from the pa- rochial oversight in 1871, and Rev. John Cummings appointed, who soon located here, living at first in the family of Dennis Donaghue, afterwards renting the house at the head of Clark Street, near the carriage factory. In 1870 the Congregational Chapel. which the Memorial Church had vacated four years before, was purchased for the Catholics, of Mr. G. J. Tenney, by Mr. Donaghue, at a cost of one thousand dollars. It was soon made ready for occupancy, and the first mass was celebrated in what was then known as St. Mary's Church, in October of that year. In ad- dition to the original cost, there has been expended on improvements, before and since entering, an esti- mated sum of not less than another thousand of dol- lars. Rev. John Cummings was removed ahout 1876, and Rev. Thomas O'Brien, of Somerville, was the priest, until about 1878, when Rev. Edward L. McClure, who had been very successful in general parochial work in Woburn, Mass., was assigned the care of this parish.

About 1881 the very attractive dwelling-house and grounds of Mrs. G. W. Boynton, on Central Street, was purchased for a parochial residence, at a cost of about four thousand dollars. About one-fifth of the Catholic population at present, are of French Cana- dian descent. For many years there were but two families of this race in the town, and not until six or seven years ago, were they sufficiently numerous to be. noticeable.

Most of the prominent divisions of the religious world have had their representatives in this town. The Mormon faith, while strongly entrenched in Groveland, had an outpost here on Main Street, and some converts. In 1846 Elder Nathaniel Holmes was a firm believer and zealous worker for the doc- trines of that church, as preached by the pioneers, but a strong opposer of the spiritual wifehood or polygamy views, as was then advocated. It has been said that they had a church organization for a time.

The opinions of Wm. Miller, and the excitement of 1843, were not popular here. As far as is known, there was but one person in town, who practically ac- knowledged faith in the speedy closing of all things earthly.

Late in December, 1840, a movement toward Church Union, led to the founding of an organiza- tion, composed of some previously connected with both the Congregationalist and Baptist churches, and the engaging of the Universalist meeting-house for services, when it was not wanted by the Universalists. These were known as "Christian Unionists, " and regular services were held in Savory's Hall, when the meeting-house could not be had. Their minister who was an "Oherlin Perfectionist, " founded a church, and claimed that all the true element in town would eventually rally under their name.

After 1841 or 42, they suspended all meetings. The "Comeouterism" which soon rocked the churches here

like a whirlwind, was to some extent the outgrowth of this union movement, and was also the result of the abolition agitation of the preceding year. Shut out from the mecting-houses, as Henry C. Wright, Parker Pillsbury, S. S. Foster, Abby Kelly, Rev. Mr. Beach and the other earnest enthusiasts claimed they began to gather audiences in the open air. Their cry was " come out from the churches, " and from this they derived their name. Addresses were made in this town from the Central Street front of Little's shoe factory, the barn belonging to T. J. Elliott, in Little's grove, and elsewhere. The Sunday question was soon brought in, and that all days were alike holy, and that there was no especially holy time. The believers claimed that this Gospel of Liberty, was taught by Jesus, when he plucked the ears of corn on the Sabbath day, and for a sign to their en- slaved neighbors, they conspicuously performed un- necessary labor on Sunday, seeking persecution in so doing. One sister carried her knitting to the Baptist Church, the click of her needles, keeping time with the exhortations of the speaker. Practi- cal non-resistant as she was (and as they all were), and refusing voluntarily to leave the meeting-house, she was forcibly carried out, the next day. She was carried up the narrow stair-way at Savory's Hall for trial on the charge of disturbing religious worship. Immensely corpulent as she was she gave another severe burden to the officers, in carrying her to the vehicle which conveyed her to the Ipswich House of Correction.

Physical reforms were also made a religious duty, and a vegetarian and Graham diet with daily ablu- tions and shower baths were supplemented by open discussions on the delicate questions of Heredity, Marriages and congenital topics.

At one of the grove meetings, while a speaker was fluently denouncing the eating of meat and applaud- ing the use of Graham flour, the audience were elec- trified by a facetions listener shouting, as a poser, "Peter was commanded to slay and eat. Could he slay bread ?" It was a queer period, and Georgetown more than most towns in the county was a sort of a battle-ground. There was but little persecution here, only legal correction, when some of the most earnest persisted in invading the churches and interrupting meetings, but much undisguised dislike and scorn. Their radical crusade against Southern Slavery is now endorsed, and the statue of Garrison, their grand pio- neer, is one of the glories to-day of that mammon- worshipping Boston, that sought his death. Spiritu- alism had many disciples in this town at an early pe- riod of the manifestations, but while public services are rarely held, there are many who still hold to this belief embraced a score or more of years ago. Frank Baxter has spoken in town, as have several others equally celebrated, and until recently private seances were occasionally held. A Methodist class-meeting was established some twenty years ago, in the hope

53}

842

HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

that it would result in a permanent interest of that denomination, but it soon died out. The Seventh-day Adventists held a series of tent-meetings in the sum- mer of 1877 or '78, at the easterly end of Lincoln Park. Elder Haskell, prominent in the denomina- tion, was the active spirit. For a time there were a few persons who adhered to the distinctive tenets of their faith and observed Saturday as the Sabbath, but with but one or two exceptions, they returned to their former views. About 1881-82 Episcopal services were held in town ; at first in Grand Army Hall in the ho- tel building and afterwards in Library Hall. These services were the result of the efforts of the Misses De Wolf, young ladies residing in the town. The rectors of Sonth Groveland and Trinity Church, Hav- erhill, officiated, and the diocesan missionary was here several times, but there was not sufficient interest aroused to give permanency to the movement, and, after a few weeks, meetings were suspended. The Bible-readings of Mr. Charles in 1877 and '78 were popular at Byfield depot village, and several families living on North Street, near the Newbury line, became believers. Dwelling-house services are still held in that locality. A few open-air meetings were held at Georgetown Corner, with but little encouragement. The Salvationists, with Haverhill as headquarters, are the latest attempt of a new religious organization to secure a hold in this town. Two or three short campaigns have already seemed abortive. The pres- ent may be more of a success than any that have pre- ceded it.

CEMETERIES .- Union Cemetery, for more than one hundred years the only public burial-ground, is loca- cated in the Marlboro' district. The original part, at the extreme easterly end, of one-fourth acre, was purchased of Joseph Nelson, March 6, 1732-33. Mr. Nelson's wife, Hannah, who was the grand-daughter of Captain Brocklebank, killed, as has been said, many years before, by the Indians at Sudbury, had been already buried there, dying in June of the pre- vious year, and during the following antumn and winter, several others who had also died in the parish, had been buried beside her. In 1755 the first enlargement was made, and the following year, the ground was enclosed by a close board fence, colored with "Spanish brown " (as reads the record) in front, and a substantial stone wall, four feet in height, in the rear. In 1769 a stone wall was built along the road, replacing the fence of some years before. The entire fence was rebuilt in 1783. A further enlarge- ment in 1805, of land bought of Job Brocklebank. Dr. Amos Spofford, one of the committee chosen by the parish to purchase this land, was the first person who died in the parish after it was made. His death occurred December 20, 1805, and he was buried in the new ground. The following year a faced wall was built along the front, which continued until the erec- tion of the present iron fence, which was set upwards of forty years ago, and was a gift to the town by David

Pingree, of Salem. A burial-cloth was purchased by the parish in 1836, another in 1800, and a hearse in 1819. Mrs. Huldah Harriman was the oldest person ever buried there. She died March 5, 1848, aged one hundred years, five months and twenty-six days. By the last enlargement, now many years ago, this upland knoll was then entirely enclosed for the purpose for which the first quarter of an acre was selected more than a century and a half ago, and no further increase of suitable land was possible, consequently, nearly a half century ago, the selection of another locality for a cemetery began to be agitated. In 1845, the opening of the "New Yard," as it was at first called, awakened an intense interest throughout the commu- nity.

The first interment in the new yard, now known as Harmony Cemetery was that of a lady named Mrs. Cram. The father of J. M. Clark was the second person buried. As we think of some who are buried there, we recall events peculiarly painful in the history of the town, as that of the Beecher sisters, Esther and Hattie, younger daughters of Rev. Charles Beecher, who, with their cousin, a son of Rev. Edward Beech- er, were drowned by the capsizing of a boat on Lake Pentucket, at noon-day, Angust 27, 1867. Lieuten- ant Frederick Beecher, who was killed with General Custer, is also remembered by a stone near by. Here were also laid, during the Christmas season of 1885, George A. Chase and Joseph A. Illsey, the two young men who were almost instantly killed in the service of the town, while battling against the incipient fire that then raged, threatening to destroy the village, and a few weeks later their comrade, Clarence M. Clark, who was spared for but a few weeks of suffering. Captain George W. Boynton, chief constable of the State, who died March 23, 1877, is also buried here. John Perley, who bequeathed the fund for the Pros- pective Free School, has a memorial of Italian mar- ble, said to have cost upwards of three thousand dol- lars, an exact copy of that erected to the memory of Sir Walter Scott. This in a central position, and on the highest part of the ground, probably covers the spot upon which the ancient watch-house stood.

The burial of the Catholic dead of the town is in the cemetery at Haverhill. Twice, at least, some steps have been taken by some of that faith towards the pur- chasing of ground for a Catholic cemetery in this town. At one time the lot at the corner of Mill and North Streets was suggested, and at a later day land of Sylvanus Nelson's, on Elm Street, but nothing re- sulted, and for some years the matter has not been considered.

The only family burial ground ever in the town was many years ago on North Street. This was used for the interment of several persons. The removal of those buried there to the public cemeteries, was in harmony with the almost universal sentiment in North- ern Essex, as regards the burial of the dead.

843

GEORGETOWN.

CHAPTER LVIII.

GEORGETOWN-(Continued).

THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES.

THE colonists, at their first settlement in New Eng- land, were alive to the importance of encouraging home industries. Burr-stones, for milling use, were shipped here as early as 1628, and the emigration of coopers, millers and all artisaus, was especially urged. In 1639, millers, ship-carpenters and others, were ex- empted from the burden of training-day. As soon as Thomas Nelson had taken a survey of the out-lands around the village of Rowley, he found a good loca- tion for a mill; and but a year or two elapsed before a grist-mill was in operation. A fulling-mill and clothiers' works soon followed. Many of the early settlers of Rowley were skilful cloth-makers, having a celebrity throughout the colony for skill in this par- ticular industry.

One of the first mills built to accommodate what was afterwards the west parish, was by Sergt. Jere- miah Pearson. The town granted him authority in 1697, to build a mill, provided a convenient place could be found. In January, 1699-1700, a lot of land, which had been granted to Samuel Platts, Jr., was returned to the town, Platts receiving other land in exchange; and on this convenient site Pearson erected a grist-mill, which was in use about one hundred years. This was situated near the afterwards some- what famous Stickney mills. How long a time the Harriman mill on Rock Brook was run is not known, but, whatever the length of time, it was unques- tionably the first to be built within the limits of Georgetown.

Some, if not all, the earlier-built houses in this west parish, were of logs. Pine trees were scarce down to a late day in this locality. A severe penalty was imposed by special statute, in Massachusetts, for unnecessary injury to pine trees, as late as 1790 ; and this species were so rare where now they are almost the exclusive growth, that Capt. Solomon Dodge has been known to say that, when a boy, a pine tree was something of which but few could be seen for a long distance around his home in Dodgeville. The board- ing of the houses was of oak, as well as the frames, until past the middle of the last century ; and whether originally the boards were sawed or split, with a shaved surface afterward, is uncertain. There was a class of mechanics known as sawyers at a very early day, and perhaps the boards may have been worked out by hand with pit-saws. The shingles were split, and the durable ones are said to have been from trees killed by burning, while in a growing, vigorous condition.

The Harriman mill was doubtless a saw as well as grist-mill, for, at the time it was first projected, there were several houses in contemplation, and evidently much enterprise in the eighteen mill-owners. Deacon

Abner Spofford had a saw-mill in operation, in 1734, on the stream which finds its outlet at Parker River, above Scrag Pond. Forty years afterward, his half- brother, Col. Daniel Spofford and his sons, run a grist-mill at the same site, and three thousand bushels of grain, grown in the neighborhood, have been ground there in a single year. The same mill- stones, no doubt, had been previously used in another grist-mill, a sort of an improvised affair, on a dry spot originally, the only power being what water was con- veyed by several uncertain streams. This mill was in the rear of William B. Howe's house, and was run by Jolin Spofford, another of this Spofford family.

About 1740 Daniel Pierce, perhaps the grandfather of the late Major Daniel Pierce, commenced digging a canal below Pentucket Pond, preparatory to the erection, or possible enlargement, of a mill already in operation, and at the site now occupied by the Parker Woolen Mills. The interest that Pierce had was soon sold by him, the purchaser running a grist- mill, which, for a century, was in use from the mid- dle of October to the middle of April of each year.

In 1807 John Wood, who lived near by, was the owner, and added a saw-mill. Paul Stickney was at one time the proprietor, and also Major Paul Dole, for more than twenty years. About 1851 or '52, money was raised by subscription, land damage paid ; the meadow around Pentucket Pond flowed through the year, and the mill was run constantly during the summer months. This made a precedent ; the result of which has been the permanent flowage of these lands, or sufficiently so, as to make them valueless.

About 1863 Hon. Moses Tenney bought and en- larged the mills, adding improved machinery at a large expense. Many were hoping when the pur- chase was made, that the intentions were to remove the entire structure, and thus give unobstructed pas- sage to the vast body of water which flowed, or would flow, if unchecked, through the central and southern part of the town; but their hopes were doomed to disappointment. About five years ago, the property changed owners, and the manufacture of blankets was begun, with an enlargement of the buildings. Under the present competent manage- ment, the production is largely cassimeres. There are about fifty employees, with Edward C. Aldrich as superintendent, and the corporation name is the "Parker River Mills." Returning to the last cen- tury, we find other industries. The iron works have been referred to, and the Hazen Saw-mill at J. S. Kimball's place. All the little streams, only available for one-half of the year, were utilized.

Eleazar Spofford, the son of Deacon Abner, began about 1775 the work of wire-drawing near his father's saw-mill. Jonathan Chaplin, the father of Captain Eliphalet, built a rope-walk where the road now is, just north of Wilfred S. Chaplin's house. Deacon Stephen Mighill, like his predecessors, manufactured malt. The Burpy family dammed a swift-running

844

HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

little brook that coursed through their land, and made a rude mill for breaking flax. Jeremiah, the father of Dr. Jeremiah Spofford, had a mill for the making of snuff in operation during the Revolution. Molasses was made from Indian corn-stalks and water- melons during this war. Saltpetre was made from the dried earth found under old buildings. A part of the house of the late Deacon Moses Merrill was the workshop of Deacon Thomas Merrill, in which his cldest sons were employed during the Revolution- ary War in making nails with forge and hammer.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 223

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