History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 48

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 48

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For some time after Salem ceased to be a port to which vessels from foreign countries brought their cargoes, Salem merchants continued to own a large amount of tonnage, but they transacted their busi- ness mainly in Boston and New York. At the pres- ent time (1887) there are hardly a dozen vessels hail- ing from Salem engaged in the foreign trade. The ship " Highlander," 1352 tons, owned by Benjamin W. Stone ; the ships "Sooloo," 963 tons ; "Mindoro," 1021 tons; and "Panay," 1190 tons, owned by Sils- bee, Pickman & Allen ; the barks "Glide," 493 tons, and "Taria Topan," 631 tons, owned by Ropes, Em- merton & Co .; the three-masted schooners " Benja- min Fabens," 687 tons; "Charles H. Fabens," 301 tons; and "George K. Hatch," 378 tons, owned by C. E. & B. H. Fabens; and the bark "Fury," 310 tons, owned by Henry O. Roberts, are all that are left to carry the name of Salem to foreign lands, and none of these ever enter the port of Salem.

Where once vessels were arriving-sometimes two in a single day-from India or other remote ports, but a solitary schooner found her way into Salem harbor from a foreign port, other than those from the British provinces, during the year ending Juue 30, 1878, and she brought a cargo of coal from England. At the custom-house, where, in the week ending Sep- tember 15, 1798, seven Salem vessels-three ships, one bark and three brigs-cleared for Copenhagen, there

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was cleared, during the year ending June 30, 1878, one vessel to the West Indies and one to Liverpool, the single entry and the two clearances being in the month of December. The whole number of foreign entries for that year was seventy-nine, of which eight were Amer- ican vessels and the total tonnage was 8183. The number of foreign clearances was ninety six, of which nine were American vessels, the total tonnage being 10,090.

THE WHALE FISHERY .- After the decline of the foreign commerce of Salem it was hoped that the whale fishery might be successfully prosecuted, and for a short time there was quite a flect of whalers hailing from this port. Stephen C. Phillips was agent, in 1841, for the ships "Elizabeth," 398 tons, and "Sapphire," 365 tons; and the barks " Emerald," 271 tons; "Eliza," 240 tons; "Henry," 262 tons; and " Malay," 268 tons. John B. Osgood was agent in the same year for the ships " Bengal," 300 tons ; " Izette," 280 tons ; "James Maury," 395 tons; and " Mount Wollaston," 325 tons ; and the barks "Reaper," 230 tons, and "Statesman," 258 tons. Nathaniel Weston was agent for the bark "Palestine," 248 tons. The " Malay " was lost July 27, 1842, on Europa Rocks, in Mozambique Channel. The " Eliza" was con- demned at Tahiti, June 15, 1843, and the "States- man " at Talcahuana, November 3, 1844.

During the year ending April 1, 1837, sperm oil to the value of $124,440 and 108,065 gallons of whale oil, valued at $40,866, were landed at Salem. There were 432 hands employed in this business. During the year ending April 1, 1845, there was landed at Salem 45,705 gallons of sperm oil, valued at $39,306, and 18,345 gallons of whale oil, valued at $5686, the number of hands employed being 110. The hopes entertained at the outset in regard to the whale fish- ery were destined never to be realized.

Felt says, in 1847, " There are two whalers from Salem. The prospect is that this perilous employ- ment, recommenced in hope as to its increase, contin- nance and profit, will soon terminate in disappoint- ment." Benjamin Webb had some vessels engaged in this fishery, and John C. Osgood was agent of the last whalers that hailed from the port of Salem. This business was abandoned several years ago, and to-day no whalers are owned in Salem.

THE COASTING TRADE .- While Salem has lost her foreign trade, the harbor of Salem is not entirely bar- ren of vessels, for a large amount of tonnage-larger even than when she was at the height of her com- mercial prosperity-now engaged in the coasting trade, brings coal to Salem for distribution to the mills of Lowell and Lawrence, In 1870 there entered the harbor 1812 coasting-vessels, having an aggregate tonnage of 213,514, and 1237 vessels measuring 203,- 798 tons entered during the year ending June 30, 1878. In 1885 there arrived at Salem 1599 vessels, with a tonnage of 270,000. The Salem and New York Steamship Company maintained a line of steam pack-

cts between Salem and New York from July, 1871, to June, 1872.

The " Massachusetts," the first steamboat to enter Salem harbor, arrived from New York in July, 1817, and was employed for a short time in making excur- sions in the bay. She was regarded at the time as a great curiosity, and attracted considerable notice from the towns-people. In this connection the fact is worthy of mention that Dr. Nathan Reed, of Salem, was the actual inventor of the first steamboat with paddle-wheels in American waters. Dr. Reed was certainly a most versatile genius. He was successively a student of medicine, apothecary, inventor, member of Congress, and finally chief justice of the Court of Common Pieas of Maine. He was born in Warren, Mass, in 1759, and graduated at Harvard in 1781. He studied medicine with Dr. E. A. Holyoke, of Salem, and afterwards kept an apothecary shop in that place.

While keeping store in Salem he presented a peti- tion to Congress in 1790, stating, among other discov- eries, that he had made one "of the application of steam to the purposes of navigation and land car- riages."' This petition was accompanied by a recom- mendation from a select committee of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He was also the in- ventor of a patent for the manufacture of nails, which originated the building of the Danvers Iron Works. The trial-trip of his newly-invented steamboat was in the summer of 1789, and he had on board such dis- tinguished guests as Governor Hancock, Hon. Nathan Dane, Dr. E. A. Holyoke and the Rev. Dr. Prince. His trip was from his iron works, at Danversport, to the Essex Bridge, at Beverly. Fulton's success on the Hudson was sixteen or eighteen years later. So Salem has not been behind her neighbors in naviga- tion, whether under steam or canvas.

Dr. Reed represented this district in Congress, and in 1807 removed to Maine, where he was for many years chief justice of the Court of Common Pleas. He died at Belfast in 1790. His housein Salem stood on the site now occupied by Plummer Hall.

THE CUSTOM-HOUSE .- Hand-in-hand with com- merce come the collectors and officers of the customs revenue. Before 1819, and during the palmy days of Salem commerce, there was no government building for the accommodation of such officers. Salem has been established as a port of entry at least since 1658. In 1663 Hilliard Veren was collector, and in 1683 Marblehead, Beverly, Gloucester, Ipswich, Row- ley, Newbury and Salisbury are annexed to the port of Salem by order of the Court of Assistants, and it is decreed that this port and Boston shall be lawful ports in this Colony, where " all ships and other ves- sels shall lade or unlade any of the plantations' enu- merated goods, or other goods from foreign ports, and nowhere else, on penalty of the confiscation of such ship or vessel, with her goods and tackle, as shall lade or unlade elsewhere."

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HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

At an early period commerce seems to have cen- tred about Creek Street and the locality of the present Granite Railroad Station. This is the supposed lo- cation of the "Port House on the South river," men- tioned in an order of the Quarterly Court in 1636. All the "cannowes of the South Syde are to be brought before the Port House att the same time, to be viewed by the Surveiors." These "cannowes " were used for transporting passengers to North and South Salem before the days of bridges, and in them they sometimes went fowling "two leagues to sea." There was another port-house on North River, and much business was done in former years on that side . of the town.

The custom-house for thirty-four years was in a building on the corner of Gedney Court, erected in 1645, and known as the French house, having been tenanted at some time by French families. In 1774 the custom-house seems to have been on Essex Street, between Washington (then School) and North Streets, and to have been burnt in the great fire of October 6, 1774, which destroyed the Rev. Dr. Whit- aker's meeting-house, eight dwellings and fourteen stores. It is not unlikely that the custom-house rec- ords were also destroyed in this fire, thus accounting for the lack of any such records prior to the Revo- lution.

In 1789 it was on the site of the present bank building in Central Street. Major Hiller was then collector. In 1805 it was removed, under Colonel Lee, to the Central Building, on the opposite side of the street, where a carved eagle and shield, lately restored, still mark the spot. In 1807 it was in Essex Street for a time, opposite Plummer Hall; in 1811 it was on the corner of Essex and Newbury Streets, and, in 1813, in the Central Building again, where Colonel Lee resided, and whence, in 1819, it was removed to the government building erected for the purpose at the head of Derby Wharf, where it now remains. This building stands upon land bought of the heirs of George Crowninshield, and was the site of the Crowninshield mansion-house, which was removed to make way for the present structure. It was, says Hawthorne, "intended to accommodate a hoped-for increase in the commercial prosperity of the place-hopes destined never to be realized-and was built a world too large for any necessary pur- pose, even at the time when India was a new region, and only Salem knew the way thither." This cus- tom-house is a substantial, two-story, brick building, with a large warehouse in the rear, the whole sur- mounted by a cupola, from which the inspectors can watch for incoming vessels. It is now out of all pro- portion to the business of the port, and the time is not far distant when it will be abandoned for some smaller quarters.

There has been collected in imposts at the port of Salem, since the organization of the Union in 1789, more than twenty-five millions of dollars. From

August 15, 1789, to 1791, the amount collected was $108,064.48, and the number of foreign entries was 205. From 1791 to 1800, inclusive, the duties were $2,949,817.19, and the foreign entries 1508. From 1801 to 1810, inclusive, the duties were $7,272,633.31, and the foreign entries 1758. From 1811 to 1820, inclusive, the duties were $3,832,894.81, and the for- eign entries 835. From 1821 to 1830, inclusive, the duties were $4,685,139.58, and the foreign entries 1226. From 1831 to 1840 the duties were $1,987,- 509.12, and the foreign entries 903. From 1841 to 1850 the duties were $1,534,558.58, and the foreign entries 2327. From 1851 to 1860, inclusive, the du- ties were $1,816,676.42, and the foreign entries 3693. From 1861 to 1870, inclusive, the duties were $846,- 741.74, and the foreigu entries 1,420. The large in- crease in the number of foreign entries since 1841 is due to the large trade then carried on between Salem and Nova Scotia. From 1871 to 1878, inclusive, the duties were about $223,911.96. The duties for the quarter ending December 31, 1807, when the embargo was officially announced in Salem, were $511,000, which is the largest amount ever collected at Salem in a single quarter. The goods were imported in twenty-two ships, three barks, nineteen brigs and twenty-three schooners. In 1868 there was collected in duties $118,114.37, of which $30,000 was paid in a single month. In 1878 the whole amount collected was only about $11,000, of which only about $3600 was for direct imports. In 1886 the amount collected was about $28,767.

Collectors of Customs .- The successive collectors since the Revolution have been Warwick Palfray (born October, 1715; died October 10, 1797), from 1776 to 1784; Joseph 1Tiller (born March 26, 1748 ; died February 9, 1814), 1784 to 1802; William R. Lee (born 1744; died in office, October 26, 1824), 1802 to 1824; James Miller, 1825 to 1849 ; Ephraim F. Miller, 1849 to 1857; William B. Pike, 1857 to 1861 ; Wil- lard P. Phillips, 1861 to 1865; Robert S. Rantoul, 1865 to 1869 ; Charlee W. P'alfray, 1869 to 1873 ; Charles H. Odell, 1873 to 1885 ; Richard F. Dodge, 1885 to the present time.

Deputy Collectors .- The deputy collectors, under the present organiza- tion, have been : Charles Cleveland, from 1789 to 1802; William W. Oliver, 1803 to 1839 ; John B. Knight, 1839 to 1843; Ephraim F. Miller, 1843 to 1849 ; J. Linton Waters, 1849 to 1854; Henry E. Jenks, 1854 to 1857; Chipman Ward, 1857 to 1859; Henry Derby, 1859 to 1861 ; Eph- raim F. Miller, 1861 to 1864; Charles S. Osgood, 1804 to 1873 ; J. Frank Dalton, 1873 to 1881 ; A. Frank Hitchings, 1881 to the present time.

Surveyors .- The surveyors during the same period have been Bar- tholomew Putnam, from 1789 to 1809; George Hodges, 1809 to 1817 ; John Saunders, 1818 to 1830 ; James Dalrymple, 1830 to 1834 ; Joseph Noble, 1834 to 1838; Edward Palfray, 1838 to 1841; Stephen Daniels, 1841 to 1843 ; Nehemiah Brown, 1843 to 1846; Nathaniel Hawthorne, 1846 to 1849 ; Allen Putnam, 1849 to 1854; Lewis Josselyn, 1854 to 1857 ; Ebenezer Dodge, 1857 to 1861 ; William C. Waters, 1861 to 1863 ; Charles F. Williams, 1863 to 1865; Joseph Moseley, 1865 to 1871 ; Charles D. lloward, 1871 to 1875, when the office was abolished.

Naval Officers .- The naval officers have been William Pickman, from 1789 to 1803; Samnel Ward, 1803 to 1812 ; Ilenry Elkins, 1812 to 1829; John Swasey, 1829 to 1842; Abraham True, 1842 to 1846; John D. lloward, 1846 to 1849 ; William Brown, 1849 to 1853 ; Charles Millett, 1853 to 1858 ; John Ryan, 1858 to 1860 ; Joseph A. Dalton, 1861 to 1865, when the office was abolished.

The two most prominent names in this list are those of Nathaniel Hawthorne and James Miller, -the one, the unequaled master of romance; the

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other, "New England's most distinguished soldier." Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in Salem July 4, 1804, in the house now unmbered twenty-one, on Union Street. He was a descendant of Major Wil- liam Hathorne, who came with Governor Win- throp, in the "Arbella." The name is an old and honored one in Salem, and prominently connected with its early history. On the death of his father, in ISOS, he lived for a time with his maternal grand- father, Richard Manning, on Herbert Street. For a year he lived in Raymond, Me., and then returned to Salem. He was graduated at Bowdoin College in 1825, in the same class with the poet Longfellow. He was appointed weigher and gauger at Boston in 1838, and was removed in IS41 for political reasons; he was surveyor at Salem from 1846 to 1849; and consul of the United States at Liverpool from 1852 to 1856.

The growing interest in Hawthorne as a writer brings to the Custom-House a crowd of curious travelers from far and wide. The room he occupied, the desk on which he wrote, the stencil-plate with which he put his name on packages, the room in which he tells us he found the manuscript, telling the sad, strange story of Hester Prynne, were, until a few years since, preserved and examined with in- terest by tourists. The Custom-Honse was re- furnished in 1873, and his desk was deposited by his successor in office with the Essex Institute. He died in Plymouth, N. H., May 19, 1864, while making a short journey, in the company of his friend and class- mate, President Franklin Pierce.

James Miller was born in Peterboro', N. H., in 1776. He was bred to the law, and left the courts for the camp, on being appointed by Jefferson, in 1808, a major in the Fourth United States Infantry. He was with General Harrison throughout his fa- mons western campaign of 1811 ; after this followed Brownstown, Chippewa and Lundy's Lane, and from the last dates his national fame and his briga- dier's commission. At that battle Major-General Brown was in command, and was disabled; and Scott, of the First Brigade, was also disabled. It was plain that a certain hill, whose frowning front bris- tled with artillery, was the key to victory. At this juncture, Colonel Miller was called on to storm the work. "I'll try, sir ! " was Miller's reply, and as he says, with his regiment reduced to less than three hundred men, he at once obeyed the order. Two regiments ordered to his support quailed and turned back. "Colonel Miller," says the official record, "without regard to this occurrence, advanced steadily and carried the height." "Not one man at the can- non," says he, in writing to his wife, " was left to put fire to them." The memorable words, "I'll try, sir !" were at once embossed upon the buttons of his shattered regiment, which was presented with a cap- tured gun, for distinguished gallantry. On the fol- lowing November, Congress voted him a gold medal

bearing his likeness, his famous words, and the names of Chippewa, Niagara and Fort Erie. He was also presented with a sword by the State of New York. General Miller was Governor of Arkansas Territory in 1819. He died July 7, 1851, in Temple, N. H.

Mr. Cleveland and Mr. Oliver are remarkable among the deputy collectors. The former was born in Norwich, Conn., June 21, 1772, and died June 5, 1872, coming within sixteen days of living out the century. At the age of ninety-eight he attended Mr. Oliver's funeral, who died at ninety-one. Mr. Oliver was connected with the Custom-House forty-six years. He was born in Salem December 10, 1778, and died December 29, 1869.

Jonathan Pne, now immortalized in "The Scarlet Letter," became "searcher and surveyor" in 1752, and died suddenly in office, March 24, 1760. In 1734 William Fairfax, whose name was afterwards pleasantly associated with that of Washington, left the collectorship of this port and removed to Vir- ginia.

MARINE INSURANCE COMPANIES .- The rapid in- crease in the shipping at this port which took place, after trade was opened between Salem and the East Indies led to the organization of a number of insur- ance companies where the merchants could insure ship and cargo. At the different offices of these com- panies the merchants assembled in the evening to transact their business, to read the papers and to hear the general gossip of the day. Here the shipmasters recounted the perils they had encountered, and com- pared notes with each other regarding the voyages from which they had just returned ; and here, in the busy days of Salem's commerce, all was bustle and activity and life. Many of the offices were retained long after the business had greatly diminished, and became a place where the retired shipmasters of Sa- lem resorted to discuss the news of the day, and re- count the departed glories of the past.

The Essex Fire and Marine Insurance Company was incorporated March 7, 1803, William Gray and others incorporators, and was located in the building on Essex Street, facing Central Street; Nathaniel Bowditch was its president for many years. The Merchants' Insurance Company, Peter Lander, presi- dent, was located in the store now occupied by Thomas B. Nichols, on the west side of Essex Honse yard. The Salem Commercial Insurance Company was incorporated in 1818, N. Silsbee, Joseph Story and others incorporators; George Cleveland, for many years, president. The Mercantile Insurance Company, incorporated in 1825, John Winn, Jr., pres- ident, was located on the western corner of Essex and St. Peter's Streets. After that company gave up bus- iness the Essex Insurance Company was formed and occupied the same location. The Oriental Insurance Company, incorporated in 1824, was located in the East India Marine building, and subsequently re- moved to Asiatic Bank building. The Social Insur-

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ance Company was incorporated March 1, 1808, and revived June 5, 1830, for ten years, to settle old claims. The Salem Marine Insurance Company, which was incorporated in February, 1856, and com- menced business in February, 1857, is the only ma- rine insurance company now doing business in Salem. William Northey is president, and F. P. Richardson secretary.

SHIP-BUILDING .- It was natural that early atten- tion should have been given to ship-building in a settlement where the staple article of trade was the product of the fisheries. In 1629 the Home Company sent six ship-builders to Salem, of whom Robert Moulton was chief. Salem Neck was used for ship- building from the very earliest period. So many peo- ple were located in that vicinity in 1679 that John Clifford was licensed to keep a victualling house for their convenience. In 1636 Richard Hollingworth, a ship-builder, who came to Salem in 1635, gets a grant of land on the neck from the town, and builds a ship of three hundred tons there in 1641. It is most probable that prior to 1637 Robert Moulton and his shipwrights built several small decked vessels for the fisheries and for trading. The Home Company ordered three shallops to be built in Salem in 1629, doubtless for fishing purposes. From 1629 to 1640 Salem had not much shipping of her own; but in the latter year the Rev. Hugh Peters, of the First Church, a man of great energy and sagacity, inter- ested the people in ship-building, and in a few years an abundant supply of vessels were built. Salem be- came noted as one of the principal places in the col- ony for building vessels.

From 1659 to 1677 there appear to be four noted ship-builders in Salem, one of whom, Jonathan Pick- ering, gets a grant of land about Hardy's Cove from the town, to himself and heirs forever, to build ves- sels upon. From 1692 to 1718 seven ship-builders appear prominent in Salem, among whom are Joseph Hardy and William Becket. In 1662 the town au- thorities endeavor to accommodate, at Burying Point, near the foot of Liberty Street, those desirous of graving vessels. In 1676 Salem is said to be one of the principal places for building vessels, at four pounds per ton. Of the twenty-six vessels belonging to Salem in 1698-99, seventeen were built here. From 1700 to 1714, inclusive, registers were granted to four ships, three barks, nine brigs, twenty-four sloops and nineteen ketches belonging to Salem. They ranged from fifteen to ninety tons, and forty of them were built here. In 1705 the ship "Unity," of two hundred and seventy tons, was built in Salem, for Boston and Lon- don merchants, and in 1709 Joseph Hardy built the brig "American Merchant," of one hundred and sixty tons burden. In 1712 a sale is recorded by Ebenezer Lambert, shipwright, of Salem, of ye good sloop " Betty," lately built, of about eighty tons bur- den, to Benjamin Marston, of Salem, for two hundred and forty pounds, or three pounds per ton.

Vessels were built or repaired in Salem on the neck, including Winter Island ; on the creek running into South River, near the foot of Norman Street; at the Burying Point near the foot of Liberty Street, and at other places on the South River; at Frye's Mills on the North River; and at Hardy's Cove. Referring to the creek running into the South River, Felt says, writing in 1842, that "its course was from the South River, below the mills, and up between Norman and High Streets. A century since boys would go in boats from its waters to a swamp in Crombie Street, and collect eggs from blackbirds' nests. Britton's Hill, running from Summer Street, formerly had a ship-yard, whence vessels were launched into the creek. An octogenarian vividly remembers a brig of one hundred and fifty tons, which was built on the margin of the same waters." It seems hardly credible that the principal ship-building of the town was at one time carried on in this locality, for scarcely a vestige remains to-day of the creek or cove, and the South River is gradually disappearing from view, and at this point runs through a covered culvert.

The Beckets have been famous as ship-builders in Salem. The ship-yard of the Beckets was situated between Phillips' Wharf and Webb's Wharf. This place has been known as Becket's Beach, and is di- rectly in front of the old mansion-house built by John Becket about 1655. It was occupied by the Beckets as a ship-yard from 1655 to 1800, a period of one hundred and forty-five years. After 1800 Retire Becket built his vessels on land farther to the east- ward.

The most famous vessel built by Retire Becket was the yacht "Cleopatra's Barge," of one hundred and ninety-one tons burden, whose owner, Captain George Crowninshield, spared no expense in her con- struction or in her appointments. She was built for a pleasure-trip to the Mediterranean, and excited wonder, even at Genoa, for her beauty, luxury and magnificence. She was launched October 21, 1816, in the presence of an immense concourse of people. During the winter of 1817 the harbor was frozen over to the Haste and Coney Island, and this vessel having returned from her voyage, a great many people drove over the ice in sleighs to visit her. Retire Becket also built, in 1799, the brig " Active," of two hundred and six tons, in which William P. Richardson made the first trading voyage from Salem to the Feejee Is- lands, in 1810 ; and in 1800 the ship "Margaret," of two hundred and ninety-five tons, which made the first voyage from Salem to Japan, leaving Salem No- vember 10, 1800, under command of Samuel Derby ; and in 1794, for Elias H. Derby, the ship " Recovery," of two hundred and eighty-four tons, which, under the command of Joseph Ropes, first displayed the stars and stripes at Mocha. He also built for Elias H. Derby, in 1798, the ship "Mount Vernon," of three hundred and fifty-six tons ; for George Crowninshield & Sons, 1804, the ship " America," of four hundred

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History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 48

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