History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 85

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 85

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).

Extending along the rear of the settlement is a line of dark woodland hills, with here and there cropping out a gigantic porphyry cliff, overlooking many miles of sea and land. In front lies the ocean, ever rising and falling like a thing of life, expand- ing quietly upon the glistening beaches or dashing sullenly against the huge bnttresses of storm-scarred rock, every marine craft known to these waters skim- ming hither and thither upon its surface.

Directing his eye to the settlement itself, the be- holder would observe white suburban dwellings scat- tered about in picturesque niches with gardens and groves. Then come the central portions, with pond- erous business structures, the tall smoke-ejecting chimnies proclaiming the reign of industry and thrift, and in every neighborhood some lofty steeple or graceful tower, testifying to a realization of the higher dnties of life.

This is Lynn. And probably no place upon the New England coast can present more attractive fea- tures and such varied scenery. It is one of the old- est settlements of Massachusetts, as distinguished from Plymouth, and has always maintained a steady, though not rapid, growth, till, at the present time, it has reached a population of very near 50,000. It is on the northern shore of the great bay which is entered from the Atlantic through the gateway formed by Cape Ann, so named by Prince Charles in filial re-

spect for his mother, and Cape Cod, so named by the notable English navigator, Bartholomew Gosnold, from the circumstance of finding multitudes of cod- fish sporting about there. It was the central one of the three important settlements commenced at nearly the same time,-namely, Salem, Lynn and Boston ; is five miles southwest of the former, and ten miles northeast of the latter. It is not now very extensive, territorially, but as regards population is the largest city in the United States, east of Boston.

THE INDIANS.

" Where now the poor Indian scatters the sod With offerings hurnt to an unknown god, By gospel light shall the path be trod To the courts of the Prince of Peace.

" And here will commerce appoint her mart ; The marble will yield to the hand of art ; From the sun of science the rays will dart ; And the darkness of Nature cease ! "

-H. F. GOULD.

Before proceeding to other topics, a few words re- garding the Indian race found here may not be inap- propriate. But of that race we are almost entirely destitute of substantial or illustrative details. Enough, however, is known to show that they were not a supe- rior people, but rather a poor specimen of the human family, though the poet and sentimentalist have clothed them in glowing drapery, and awarded them singular nobleness of character. It is natural to feel a deep interest in those who before us occupied the soil we inherit, whether they were of our own kindred or of other tribes, and it is hard not to assign to them ideal virtues. But yet it is unaccountable that so many writers, notwithstanding the anthentic ac- connts of the horrid barbarities of the red men, as a people, of their ignorance and depravity, should persist in giving them such an elevated sense of honor and such refinement of sensibility. From com- parisons made by some enthusiasts it would seem as if these "children of nature" were thought to be superior to all other people of all time. But in es- timating the character of these, onr predecessors up- on the soil, would it not be well to call to mind some of the incidents that roughly touched our own Essex Connty-the barbarities experienced by the Dustin and Rolfe families, in the terrible attacks on Haver- hill, and the fate of the "Flower of Essex " at Bloody Brook, for instance ?

There is abundant evidence that there were indi- viduals of the Indian tribes of lofty character. Gratitude is a noble trait, and of its possession they furnish tonching examples. With unwavering con- stancy they would cleave to their friends; bnt with delight and remorseless vigor they would cleave down their enemies. Of physical courage, endurance of pain, and contempt of death they present conspic- nous examples. But these would not be offered as evidence of true exaltation. That here and there an individual of exceptional magnanimity appeared is not denied ; but the great body were degraded in the

164

250

HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

extreme. It would be unjust to assume that they, as a people, were destitute of the innate sense of right that distinguishes human nature wherever found, or that there were not many endowed with those finer feelings which, under favoring circumstances, can modify and redeem.

To the honor of the people of the Bay settlements it may be said that their conduct towards the natives was generally marked by justice, if not generosity, and, hence, but little hostility was experienced till they had become strong enough to dismiss their fears. It was not till the great struggle of 1675, known as King Philip's War, that much occurred hereabout to cause real alarm.

The unmeasured censure that some have bestowed upon the settlers for what is termed their unjust seizure of lands, in giveu instances, may have been well merited, for it is sad to believe that some came with very different motives from those popularly ascribed to them, and which they professed. These were un- scrupulous in their dealings with the Indians, and overreached and wronged them in every possible way ; but there were comparatively few of such unworthy ones.

In treating of Indian land titles, and their absorp- tion by the settlers, an important fact is usually left out of view,-namely, the fact that the Indians were themselves but land robbers. They boastingly as- serted that the country did not originally belong to them, but that their brave fathers wrested it by bloody war from the former possessors; defiantly endeavoring to strike terror into the settlers by thus claiming to be a race of conquerors, who might, in good time, rally and drive the pale-faced usurpers into the sea over which they had intrusively ven- tured. Yes, they and their fathers were brave ; but their bravery was far too generally that of violence and lust for blood.

And another thing: the Indians did not cultivate the soil, at least to any extent, for they were by no means an agricultural people. The great command to "till the soil" they did not obey, but remained unfaithful stewards; and there is, perhaps, room for the casuist to assume that as they would not perform their duty, there was no wrong in replacing them by those more faithful.

To follow some writers, one might imagine that the dusky dames and damsels had remarkably refined ideas and graceful accomplishments; that in music espe- cially they were really proficient; and, though desti- tute of guitars and pianos, had a felicitous way of modulating their voices by the songs of birds or purling of mountain rills. And they would lead us in imagination to listen to melodious strains ringing through the forest aisles as thrilling as the song of the old Spanish troubadour and as inspiring as a cathedral symphony. That many of them had musi- cal voices and a perception of true rhythm may not be questioned ; nor need it be doubted that they had

ability to express the natural feelings in song and significant action. Says the poet,-

"The Indian maid danced on the smooth curving shore, And mingled her song with the wild ocean roar."

But that she danced " scientifically " or had what we understand to be trained musical powers, is hardly to be believed. Most certainly the musical instru- ments of our red brethren did not produce peculiarly harmonious sounds. And if the war-songs were mod- ulated by the notes of birds, they must have been birds of rasping cry, like the crow or hawk.

To conclude : the Indian population hereabout was quite small at the time the whites came. The exact number cannot of course be known; but there could not have been above a few hundreds. They were a degraded people, but brethren of our own race, pos- sessing in some degree every quality that goes to make up the human being. They were unrefined and governed chiefly by the lower instincts of our nature, with undisciplined minds and nnawakened moral sensibilities.

THE SETTLERS.

" Deep-minded and anstere they were, With hearts of graver throbs, , And their few errors but appear As spots on vestal robes."

It was in the autumn of 1626 that the sturdy Roger Conant broke up the unsuccessful fishing and planting station at Cape Ann, and led his little company, among whom was the clerical mischief-maker Lyford, some fifteen miles inland and located at Naumkeag, where, though subject to many privations, their " utter deniall to goe away " resulted in permanent occupation. Two years afterwards, in 1628, Endicott arrived with his large company. Presently the old Indian name Naumkeag was dropped, and that of Salem, or Peace, adopted ; and the settlement soou began to be noted for its business activity, its political and ethical in- fluence.

Some of the new-comers had hardly remained long enough to recover from the excitement attendant on the emigration, and the fatigues of the passage, when they became restless and desirous of trying their for- tunes in other and, as they conceived, more promising localities. Permission seems to have been readily obtained for little companies to sit down almost any where within the Patent. Indeed, the authoritative Endicott allowed them the broad privilege to " goe where they would."

Now let us, by the light of tradition, behold, on a bright day in the early part of the summer of that eventful year 1629, a little company of white men, prospectors from Naunikeag, coming over the rocky hills into the fair Saugus territory. They pause now upon a sunny hill-top, then upon a pleasant plain ; they traverse the woodland precinct, view the ponds and water-courses ; but above all, delight to gaze upon the ocean, beyond which lies their native isle. But all is done with an eye to the practicability of perma-

251

LYNN.

nently pitching their tents. A few skulking Indians, perhaps, followed them unseen, filled with wonder and apprehension, because it had been foretold by the dusky prophets that men of fair complexion would one day come and occupy the land. But no hostile demonstrations were made, and the prospectors re- turned safe, and so well satisfied that it was deter- mined to immediately commence a settlement.

"Over the eastern hills they came, A sturdy, grave and godly band. A band then all unknown to fame, But destined to redeem the land."

And thus it was, that in June. 1629, the settlement of Lynn was commenced-three years after that of Salem, and one year before that of Boston.

The Indian population, as just intimated, was then so small as to be really insignificant; and not being a pastoral or an agricultural people, the land itself was to them of little value, excepting that the woods yield- ed a fair amount of game, and a few vegetable products afforded some little addition to their limited variety of food. But the sea was a never-failing source of supply; and it is not to be wondered at that the thought of being driven away to some unknown land, where its bright expanse could no more be seen, nor its winsome voice heard, and especially where its store of dainty food could no more be drawn upon, must have been depressing in the extreme. Nor is it to be supposed that, nomadic as to some extent they were, they had not local attachments ; that, homely as were their rustic abodes, they were not loved with all the ardor felt hy the more cultured of our race, such at- tachments not being governed by intellectual or moral sentiments. Yet they do not appear to have received the strangers in anything like a hostile attitude.

The names of all who composed the first little com- pany of settlers do not seem to have been anywhere pre- served. But EDMUND INGALLS and FRANCIS, his brother, were certainly prominent among them. Edmund Ingalls was a maltster, and established the first malt-house hereabout, though he undoubtedly turned his hand to other employments as exigency required. The industrial portion of the settlers neces- ·sarily pursued various occupations in different sea- sons. The death of Mr. Ingalls, which took place nearly twenty years after, was tragical. He was pro- ceeding on horseback homeward from a short journey westward, when, on reaching the frail little bridge that crossed the Saugus River, he was precipitated into the stream and drowned. The General Court expressed their regrets at the untoward accident, and their willingness to do something indicative of their appreciation of the good services of the deceased by voting the sum of a hundred pounds to his children.

FRANCIS INGALLS, brother of the foregoing, was a tanner, and established a tannery just within the pres- ent limits of Swampscott. Mr. Lewis says this was the first tannery in New England; and Mr. Thompson says the same. But it is a mistake. There were tan-

uers in Plymouth several years before. Mr. Ingalls tannery was no doubt the first in Massachusetts, as distinguished from Plymouth. He died at the age of seventy-oue years, leaving a will dated August 12, 1672. The inventory of his estate was filed soon after his decease, and the following enumeration of assets will give something of an idea of the estate and honse- hold equipment of a fairly well-to-do denizen of that primitive period :

" 5 acres of medow, at Lyn, at 5 pounds, £25. A piece of land in ye wilderness at Lyn, 2 coats, 2 pairs of breeches, 1 pair draws, and a leather dublet, and a wes- coat, 1 hat and a pair of stockens, 1 pr. shoes, 3 prs. pillows,3 napkins, 8 pieces of old pewter, 1 Iron Kittoll, a frying pan, 1 Bible and another book, a warming pan, and dripping pan, 3 chairs, 4 cushons, a spining wheele, 2 silver spoons. Dues to his estate from Nicholas Rich, 17£ 17s. Dues to his estate from Thomas Taylor, 11£."

With the Ingalls brothers appear to have come three others, namely, WILLIAM DIXEY, JOHN WOOD and WILLIAM WOOD, the two latter supposed to be father and son. The father, John, seems to have been a good, common-sense, plodding settler, industrious, but with little ambition. William, the son, was evident- ly an active, aspiring young man, something of a rover, a keen observer and one desirous of making a mark. And he did make a mark, which remains conspicu- ons at this day. He may well be called the first his- torian of Lynn, or indeed of New England. He was the author of " New England's Prospect," which was printed in London in 1634. It was a work evidently inspired by a love for his new home, and gives graphic accounts of the different settlements, their condition, advantages and prospects, with shrewd suggestions and honest deductions, but withal tinged by crude conceptions, more or less attributable to the peculiar views and circumstances of the settlers, and the con- ceits of the time. His quaint descriptions will continue to be quoted so long as our early history continnes to interest. He also, in 1635, published a map of New England, engraved on wood.

The William Dixey who came in company with the Ingalls brothers and the Woods appears to have been a common laborer rather than a handicraftsman. He had been for a short time a servant to Isaac Johnson, of Salem,-very likely a farm laborer, as such em. ployees were in those days called servants. In a de- position made by him some twenty-eight years after- ward he speaks of others having come with him, but does not give their names, and says they kept their "cattell in Nahant the sumer following." He sub- segnently removed to Salem, where he kept the ferry over North River.

Thus we find that during this year-1629-at least five settlers appeared, some of them heads of families, with wives and children no doubt. We have seen, too, by their occupations, that they must have be- longed to the classes accustomed to labor, and conse-

252

HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

quently best fitted to endure the hardships attendant on such an enterprise.

Details regarding memorable events are always in- teresting, and the introduction of the actors in them renders them doubly so. And surely it is but a meet act of gratitude to endeavor to preserve the names of such as are fully entitled to live forever in the mem- ory of those who continue to enjoy the blessings of institutions founded by them in toil and privation, even though those names may not yet have been heard beyond the circumscribed limits of their ancient home. A conviction like this may often gov- ern in the present sketeh.

During the year 1630 some fifty additional male settlers appeared. These, however, were not all heads of families. Among them are found several names still prevalent among us,-a fact indicative of their primary design to make this a permanent home. They settled in all parts of the town, which was then territorially much more extensive than it is now, some locating as many as ten miles from others. They brought with them considerable farm stock, such as neat cattle, sheep and goats, for they were chiefly husbandmen or such as at some portions of the year could turn their attention to farming. Their names are here inserted in alphabetical order, for it is well thus to preserve their memory, as many now living can trace their lineage directly to them. Occasion, however, may be taken elsewhere in this sketch to say something further concerning several of them who, for various reasons, are entitled to more than a pass- ing notice.

Armitage, Godfrey.

Howe, Daniel.

Armitage, Joseph.

Howe, Edward.

Axey, James.

Hubbard, Thomas.

Baker, Edward.

Hudson, Thomas.

Ballard, William.

Hussey, Christopher.

Bancroft, John.

Keyser, George.

Bennet, Samuel.

Lindsey, Christopher.

Breed, Allen.

Negus, Jonathan.

Burrill, George.

Burton, Boniface.

Ramsdell, John.

Chadwell, Thomas.

Rednap, Joseph.

Coldam, Thomas.

Salmon, Daniel.

Cowdry, William.

Smith, John.

Dexter, Thomas.

Smith, Samuel.

Driver, Robert.

Talmadge, Thomas.

Edmunds, William.

Taylor, John.

Farr, George.

Tomlins, Edward.

Feake, Henry.

Tomlins, Timothy.

Fitch, Jeremiah.

Turner, Nathaniel.

Graves, Samuel.

Walker, Richard.

Hall, John.

White, John.

Hathorne, William.

Wilkins, Bray.

Hawkes, Adam.

Willis, Thomas.

llawkes, John.

Holyoke, Edward.

Witter, William. Wright, Richard.

After 1630 the population steadily increased. Among the new-comers were some of established rep- utation in public life and some of high social stand- ing; so the place began to be of note and influence. It will probably be in our way as we proceed to intro-

duce many who, at different periods and in various ways, added to the prosperity and fame of this their adopted home.

NAME, NATURAL FEATURES, PRODUCTIONS, EMBAR- RASSMENTS AND SUCCESSES.

"In sooth, your honor, it was a goodly placo ; but rich domains at- tract evil eyes."

The original or Indian name of the territory com- posing the present city of Lynn and the adjacent towns which once formed a part of her domain was Saugus, an Indian word said to signify great or ex- tended ; and by that name it was known till 1637, when the General Court passed this concise order : "SAUGUST IS CALLED LIN." The name Lynn was adopted from Lynn Regis, or King's Lyun, Norfolk, England, which is a venerable borough upon the river Ouse, near where it falls into the German Ocean. It has been a seaport of some importance for centu- ries, and has a peculiarly interesting history, having, apparently, maintained its loyalty to the sovereign through all the political agitations and civil wars from the time of King John, which monarch pre- sented to the corporation a sword, a mace and one or two other regal gifts, which are still treasured there with chivalrous fidelity. In Doomsday Book, A. D. 1086, Lynn Regis is called Lenne, which means, in the ancient language of Britain, " spreading waters." The name here was adopted through courtesy to Rev. Mr. Whiting, the second minister, who had been a resident of King's Lynn. He was much beloved, being eminent for learning, piety and serenity of temper. He ministered here for the long period of forty-three years.

The extensive Saugus territory, having thus received the name of Lynn, remained intact but few years before it began to be shorn of outlying portions. But down to 1814 no very extensive tract had been severed. In that year Lynnfield, which had been called Lynn End, and having been incorporated as a district in 1782, was set off as a separate town under its present name. Another portion was, by legisla- tive action, taken from the mother town in 1815, and incorporated under the name Saugus, thus re- viving the old name in that detached portion of the territory. In 1852 still another portion was set off, and the new town of Swampscott came into being. The next year, 1853, the pleasant little peninsula of Nahant was unbound and made a separate munici- pality. By these facts it will be seen that it is very difficult to treat those municipal children of Lynn as having any separate early history.

Along the inland border of Lynn rise extensive ranges of rocky, wooded hills, never attaining a height of more than two hundred and twenty-five feet, though appearing, from the water or from the shoreward levels, to be much higher, which overlook the city and its village environs, with meadows, lake- lets and low, level marshes, the latter sometimes

Brown, Nicholas.

Newhall, Thomas. Potter, Robert.

Coldam, Clement.

Richards, Edward.

253

LYNN.

entirely submerged by the storm-impelled sea which relentlessly floats off the lahoriously raised stacks of salt hay, and afford the strange sight of railroad trains apparently gliding upon the ocean's surface. This marsh hay, it may he remarked, though by no means so highly esteemed for fodder as English or upland hay, is yet well worth the labor of storing. For stock, though not very palatable, it is healthful, and for some purposes quite valuable.

Away beyond, lies the great expanse of Massachus- etts Bay, with numerous greeu isles and headlands, the shores at night illuminated by innumerable lights, confusing, one might suppose, to the mariner, though picturesque to the beholder. Almost the whole of Massachusetts Bay is within the range of vision from the hills of Lynn. And glistening in the sunshine may likewise be seen the gilded dome of the State House, in Boston, some of the architectural piles of the city and the blue hills of Norfolk, Middlesex and Worces- ter. And the writer dares predict that these hills, so picturesque and pleasant in themselves, so airy and affording such charming views, and withal furnish- ing such abundance of substantial and handsome building material, will, ere many years have passed, be occupied by structures rivaling in grandeur and romantic conceit many that crown the famed steeps of the Old World. True, in some parts the ascents and descents are such that, for the infirm and sluggish, sidewalk stairs, such as are seen in the beautiful Medi- terranean isle of Malta, might be required,-incentives to maledictions like those attributed to the impetuous Byron :

"Adieu, ye cursed streets of stairs, How surely he who mounts yon ewears."

But to such as are enraptured with nature in her more untamed aspect, the hope will long remain that such desolating improvements may never come. But it is enough for the good people of this generation that they may yet, upon the sunny heights, enjoy the budding beauties of spring, in the sequestered glens find retreats for summer's fervid hours, and every- where, as the year draws towards its close, witness the indescribable glow of autumn foliage. Yes, and winter, too, has its charms. What more enchanting than the frosted trees? Suddenly, as if by some celes- tial alchemy, every limb and twig seems swaying with the weight of brilliant gems. No wonder that poets have so often celebrated the charms of such fairy scenes. Our own Lewis has commemorated, in lines perhaps the most inspiring that he ever wrote, the striking display on the brilliant morning of Jan- uary 29, 1829. But ours is not the only land in which may be witnessed these radiant exhibitions of Nature's scenic power. In Philip's "Epistle to the Earl of Dorset," written at Copenhagen in 1709, is this graphic passage, which may well be quoted as descrip- tive of the scene sometimes presented here :

"And yet but lately have I seen, even here,

The winter in a lovely dress appear ;

Ere yet the clouds let fall the treasured snow, Or winds begun through hazy skies to blow. At evening a keen eastern breeze arose, And the descending ruin unsully'd froze. Soon as the silent shades of night withdrew, The ruddy morn disclosed at once to view The face of Nature in a rich disguise, And brightened every object to my eyes ; For every shrub and every blade of grass,

Andevery pointed thorn seemed wrought in glass ;

In pearle and rubies rich the haw thorns ehow,

While though the ice the crimson berries glow.

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 85

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