History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II, Part 261

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1672

USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II > Part 261

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).

Immediately on arriving in New York, Mr. Spof- ford secured a store in Fulton Street while Mr. Tile-

2060

HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

ston continued on as far as Philadelphia, and, I think, Baltimore, to see which of the three cities would be best for their permanent establishment.

The next day (Sunday), Mr. Spofford obeyed his father's injunctions by attending the Brick Church, of which Dr. Gardiner Spring, son of the Rev. Dr. Samuel Spring, of Newburyport, was pastor. From that day until his death, in 1869, he was a regular at- tendant of that church, and eventually became a member of it.

His partner, when he returned, a few days after, from Philadelphia, found him in full swing of busi- ness, and they wisely determined that New York was the place for them. Among their earliest cus- tomers were Spaniards, for at that time a low rate of duty permitted the shipment of shoes to Havana and Matanzas. They paid cash, and this young house of but small means saw that they should use every effort to keep and increase their custom by selling at small profit, and hy great care in packing their goods. They soon won the confidence of their Spanish friends, and, on their return from Cuba, with their proceeds in produce, they were entrusted with the sale of coffee, sugar and molasses on commission. Having thus the control of considerable freight, they were induced, within a year ortwo, to place vessels in the Cuba trade. This, and the agency of the Boston packets, which they obtained about this time, was the begin- ning of a long and successful career as shipowners.

They boarded at Mrs. Street's, 115 Pearl Street, and at Bunkers'. Among their fellow-boarders were Jos. Kernochan, Henry and Dauiel Parish and others who afterwards became very prominent in New York.

During this time Mr. Spofford and his partner had not neglected our Southern country, but they had found a large market for their goods in that direc- tion, and with the like result of cotton, rice and other produce being consigned to them.

Their receipts of goods from Massachusetts on commission soon drifted into purchases for their own account, often paid for in leather. The frequent purchase of leather led them to importing hides from South America, and in a very few years they had six packets running regularly to Buenos Ayres and Mon- tevideo. Meanwhile Spain had laid a heavy duty on American manufactures, so that the goods they for- merly sold for Cuba could no longer be sent thither, but the firm had become fully established as import- ers of sugar and coffee. Their packets-the " Dromo," " Pharos," " Havana," "Cristobal Colon," "Ade- laide," "Hellespont," "Caspar Hauser," " James Drake," and many others; and their captains, Benja- min Smith, Richard II. Ellis, Lane, Doughty, Rich- ard Adams and others -were favorably known. For many years they did a very large business with that island. Sugar being an article of great consumption, and bearing a very heavy duty, it happened several times that the greatest amount of duty paid during

the year at the New York Custom-Honse by any one importer was paid by Spotford & Tileston.

In 1845 Captain Michael Berry proposed to them the building an ocean steamship to run to Charles- ton, S. C. His many efforts to this end, with his owners and with all the other houses in that trade, had been in vain. They said that their fine packet- ships had handsome cabins, more than sufficient for all the travel. Only once or twice a year would they go full ; generally, they could not get one-quarter of what they could accommodate. Why build a vessel that could carry every fortnight four times as many passengers as one of their largest ships? Where could he expect to get enough of them for even a small part of his room? And, as to freight, how could coal compete with wind. The steamship would cost more than five times as much as one of their packets, and every trip there would be a heavy bill for engineers, coal, wages and wear and tear on the machinery. Lastly, but by no means least, who in this country could build sea-going engines ? This last really had great force. No marine engines and no sea-going steamers up to this time had ever been built in the United States. In building steamboats for river and inland navigation we excelled. In pleasant weather they could venture along the coast, prepared in case of storm to seek the first harbor. Years before this, a few trips had been made by steam- boats between New York and Charleston, but the ex- periments ended in shipwreck and fearful loss of life. Once, many years before, a steamboat from a South- ern port had succeeded in crossing the Atlantic, but none dare a second voyage.

Mr. Spofford and his partner considered the mat- ter carefully. They could not see why marine-en- gines could not be built in the United States if ma- chinists would inform themselves, and were well paid for their work. They saw at once that the uncer- tainty of the sailing vessel, which, even with good winds, was four or five days on the trip, and with calms or storms, might be twenty days, when con- trasted with sixty hours, in which the steamship would make the run, would give them all the passen- gers that went by sea and a large number of those who then went by land. But they also saw that it would be useless to attempt it unless they were ready to spend money enough to build a stanch ship with powerful marine-engines that, regardless of weather, would go out af her appointed hour, and that would safely hold her way through the terrific storms that sometimes rage upon our coast.

In 1846 they built the "Southerner; " the contract for machinery was with Stillman, Allen & Co., of the Novelty Works, and for the hull with William H. Brown. The first trip was a success. On the second the "Southerner " encountered one of the worst storms that there had been for many years. Many persons were in great fear for her ; but she passed through unscathed, lauded her passengers safely and

2061

HAVERIIILL.

delivered her eargo in good order. She proved a very buoyant, easy ship, and then all felt that Ameri- cans had shown that they, as well as the English, could build marine-engines and ocean steamships that would stand the roughest weather. In a few months they contracted for a larger steamship, the "Northerner."

Aspinwall, Law, Sloo, Vanderbilt, Collins, Living- ston and others, who afterwards became so promi- nent in the steam annals of the country, were upon the trial trips of the "Southerner " and "Northern- er. When they saw the regularity of their trips, and the success that had attended the enterprise of Spof- ford & Tileston, they also built steamships for Liver- pool, Havre, Aspinwall and other ports.

It shows how facilities for travel tend to its in- crease, when we see Spofford & Tileston commenc- ing with a steamship of one thousand tons, trips once in two weeks, and schedule time of sixty hours, and find them at the outbreak of the Civil War with four splendid steamships, each of one thousand six hundred tons, so that twice a week they despatch a vessel with a schedule time of forty-eight to fifty hours. Besides which, on the south of Charleston, Savannah, and Norfolk on her north, each had their lines of steamships, and the travel by rail, also had greatly increased.

It was always a source of great gratification that during all this time not a single life was lost, none of their steamships were wrecked, nor, in fact, met with any mishap of moment. We think, therefore, that we may fairly claim for Haverhill the honor of hav- ing two of her former citizens the first in this coun- try to build ocean steamships, and to run them successfully ; and also that the enterprise of persons whose business education was commenced in Ilaver- hill, immediately began a steamship development in the United States which soon threatened to wrest the supremacy from England, and which, had it received from our government aid similar to that be- stowed by England upon her people, would make us to-day, at least her powerful rival, instead of being almost driven from the ocean.

In 1848, they bought the splendid line of Liverpool packets, "Sheridan," "Roscius,""Garrick," and "Sid- dons," ships of fine model, and when built considered very large. The line was profitable, but they were quick to see that larger ships could be run at about the same expense. They supplied their places with the " Webster," "Calhoun," "Henry Clay," " Orient," " Energy," and others, most of which they built. These were the largest ships in the Liverpool trade. When the great rush for California occurred in 1849, they were among the first to fit-up and send ships thither.

During the Civil War they were staunch support- ers of the North, and contributed liberally to the cause. One of their steamships, the " Nashville," was seized by the Confederates, and, as a privateer,

did much mischief. Some of their steamers entered the United States service. With the others they established a line to Havana, and when New Orleans was taken by our forces, their steamers were among the first to visit that city. They sent thither, as their agent, William J. Reid, a young man brought up in their employ, son of the Captain Reid of the "Gen- eral Armstrong," who, in the War of 1812, so bravely defended his ship against an overwhelming British force.

On a trip ;to a neighboring plantation for a lot of sugar he had bought, a party of rebels attacked the steamer just as she was leaving. Reid was hit in sev- eral places, and a bullet passed through his neck, but being like his father, a man of great courage, he con- tinned for a few moments to give orders, and succeed- ed io getting the vessel free. It was a terrible wound and it was many months before he recovered. Soon after the close of the war, Reid, having made a hand- some property, came North, and the agency was dis- continued.

Thus, besides the large inland and banking business of Spofford and Tileston, their shipping business was very extensive. In it, their flag, yellow, on a blue cross, the letters S T, white, was borne unsullied in the four quarters of the globe, and it always flew as the flag of American citizens, for they never yielded to the temptation of putting any of their vessels under a foreign flag, not even during the Civil War. On the contrary, they armed their Havana steamers, and obtained commissions in the United States Navy for the captains; and as for their other vessels, they trusted to the skill and prudence of their command- ers,-Hill, Eldridge, Joseph J. Lawrence, Caulkins, De Peyster, French, Truman and others. Fortunate- ly, with the exception of the Nashville, they all escaped capture.

In 1844, Mr. Spofford bought Elmwood, a beautiful country-place on the Sound, three miles from Harlem. There he passed half the year, and after a hard day's work in town, he would rest himself by hard work in the hay field, and the superintendence of his farm. I say rest, because, to him, the complete change of occupation, and the bringing back many of the asso- ciations of his boyhood, proved a rest, and without doubt prolonged his life, which, though it attained to seventy-seven, would probably have been yet greater had he not met with a severe accident in 1857. He was accompanying the daughters of his partner to the Italian opera, where for many years they had owned a box, and, as usual, together.

In his care for his young charges, he was struck down by a pair of horses which came rushing round the corner at a furious rate. Ile received a terrible blow on the back of the head. The young ladies for- tunately escaped har m, and could aid him to his residence, which was near. Dr. Willard Parker, his family physician, congratulated him in his cheerful manner on his skull not being fractured, but enjoined

2062

HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

rest and quiet. He avoided alarming the family, but he well knew that no one eould then tell what danger there might be of internal injury. The next morning, Mr. Spofford felt so much better, that he insisted on going to his office, but by mid-day he became unwell and returned home. For weeks his life trembled in the balance.

Every particle of his scalp sloughed off. To meet this tremendous drain upon the system, it was neces- sary at first to give him nourishment every two hours regardless of breaking his rest, or of the suffer- ing, a change of position entailed. After a time minute red spots upon the skull, and then very min- ute filaments radiating from them, and by degrees a web of blood vessels, and then a new skin, and then a new head of hair was formed. Dr. Parker watched this development day by day, and to his professional eye it was most beautiful. Within three months Mr. Spofford was out, as active and apparently as well as ever. It was a most wonderful recovery. The Doctor attributed it to his having always lived a prudent, moderate life, and in no way, having im- paired his splendid natural constitution ; and to the most careful nursing of his devoted wife, aided after- wards by his sister, Mrs. Hersey, a resident of this city, and Miller, a nurse who had served in the Cri- mea under Florence Nightingale.

In 1864, Mr. Spofford had the great sorrow to lose his partner Mr. Thomas Tileston, his life-long friend. It was a sudden and terrible blow, but lie bore up under it nobly, and continued actively engaged in business until his death, five years later. Then he had a stroke of paralysis, which in a few days ended in his death, October 28, 1869, at Elmwood. The funeral services took place on the 31st at his town residence. The Rev. Drs. Shedd, Murray, and Adams, and the Rev. Mr. Nixon officiated. Richard M. Blatchford, Jonathan Thorne, Shepherd Knapp, Levi A. Dowley, Thomas H. Faile, John David Wolfe, Robert L. Stuart, Jonathan Sturges, John D. Jones and William M. Evarts acted as pall-bearers. Ile was buried in Greenwood in his family vault which adjoins that of his partner Thomas Tileston.

The intimacy between the two partners was un- usually close, and contributed much to their success. When they first came to New York they boarded together. On Mr. Tileston's marriage, Mr. Spofford was a member of his family until his own marriage. Then they took houses adjoining and exactly alike 522 and 524 Broadway. In the same block, three or four houses distant, one of their neighbors was John Jacob Astor. Fearing that their business would suf- fer by reason of their distance from their store, they in 1826 built two houses 37 and 39 Barclay Street, side by side exactly alike, and drew lots for a choice. The situtation was beautiful; the lots were decp enough for pleasant gardeus and in their immediate rear were the grounds of Columbia College, with their fine old buttonwoods. There they remained

until 1840, when they moved to two houses, side by side, and exactly alike, which they had built at 733 and 735 Broadway. They occupied them for ten years, and then built at 2 and 4 East Fourteenth Street, at the corner of Fifth Avenue, two houses side by side and exactly alike, for which they again drew lots, and which they occupied until their deaths.

Mr. Spofford was for many years one of the council and treasurer of the New York University. Ile had been a director in the Erie, the Harlem and other railroads and companies ; he was also director in va- rious banks, fire and marine insurance companies and other institutions.

Both he and his partner were elected members of the Union Club, but the tastes of both were domestic, and they never accepted. They were, however, for many years members of the celebrated Hone Club, composed of a few gentlemen who dined once a fort- night at each other's houses. Amongst them were Philip Hone (their president), Moses H. Grinnell, Simeon Draper, J. Prescott Hall, Richard M. Blatch- ford, John Ward, George Curtis, Samuel Jaudon, James Watson Webb, Dr. J. W. Francis, Roswell L. Colt and A. C. Kingsland. There were a few honor- ary members - Daniel Webster. Thurlow Weed, Thomas Butler King, William II. Seward and one or two others-who dined with them when in town. Being very intelligent men, highly intellectual and leaders in their various pursuits, these reunions were very pleasant, and, though neither Mr. Spofford nor his partner ever held political office, at these meetings, they aided in shaping the course of political parties.

Mr. Spofford was a man of great coolness and nerve. When over seventy, while driving to Elm- wood, one of his neighbors tried to pass him, but he maintained the lead until he came to where he was to turn from the main road into the one which led to his place. In order to turn he slackened his pace. His friend, but a few yards behind, was going at full speed, when his horse suddenly shied and brought one of his wheels in contact with the wheel of Mr. Spofford's light wagon, throwing it with great force high into the air, pitching him out on the other side. He picked himself up, and, calling to his horse, the well-trained animal stopped. His friend was greatly alarmed, and wished to take him home, but Mr. Spof- ford assured him that he could drive himself. He felt that something was wrong with one hand, but the other was all right; so he jumped into his wagon and drove home, a mile or so. His friend, however, would not be put off, but followed in his own wagon until he saw him at his gate all right. Mr. Spofford stopped at the stable to order a man to go for the doctor, and at his farmer's to give some directions about his erops, and then went to the house. He told his wife that he had met with an accident, and, though slight, had sent for the doctor.

His manner was so unconcerned she could not sup-

B. F. Hus foru

2063

HAVERHILL.

pose that it was serious. The doctor found that both bones of his arm, at the wrist, were broken off short, and set them. The next day, Sunday, his family had hard work to prevent his going to church. On Mon- day he went to business at the nsual hour, stopping at Doctor Parker's, who said that his arm was doing well, and that he would recover the full use of it; but that, while as strong as ever, the wrist would be slightly crooked, from the haste with which it had been set. Ile added that by resetting the difficulty could be overcome, but that it would be very painful, and was not necessary. Mr. Spofford thought other- wise, and then and there made the doctor perform the operation, and bore the pain, which was very great, without flinching. Then, with his arm in splints, well bandaged and in a sling, he went to his office, where, to his great surprise, his friend found him when he called to inquire how he was progressing.

Mr. Spofford's first wife was the niece and ward of the HIon. Jeremiah Nelson, member of Congress, from Newburyport. After her death he remained a widower for more than ten years, and then married a daughter of the Rev. Dr. Gardiner Spring. IIe left one daughter and five sons.

In manner he was very unassuming, quiet and retiring, very pleasant, rather slow of speech, but very witty, and quick to see the bearing of a remark. His judgment was excellent. He was a man of very kind, deep feelings, and very considerate of the feel- ings and welfare of those under him. IIe would at any time put himself to great personal inconvenience to do them a favor. He was always neat in dress and person, slightly under the average height, of spare wiry build, very healthy, and capable of great endur- ance, very quick and active in his movements, of dark complexion, very bright, sparkling black eyes and a pleasant smile that lit up his whole counten- ance. Until fifty years began to sprinkle his hair with grey, it was jet black, very glossy, fine and silk- like in texture, clustering around his head in beauti- ful curls. From early manhood he always wore whiskers, but never moustache nor beard.

REV. B. F. HOSFORD.

Among all the influences which, from the earliest period, have contributed to the moulding of institu- tions and the development of character in New Eng- land, none have been more powerful than that of its clergy. These, from the beginning, were noted as men of learning, ability and piety. They were the founders of schools and colleges; they left their im- press upon Church and State; they were leaders in thought and action during times of peace and times of war.

A fit successor and representative of these worthies was the subject of this sketch, in whose character and career an old and a new era seemed to blend their elements. His boyhood was spent amidst the quiet

of a new England country home. His early man- hood brought him into contact with the activities of a growing manufacturing community. The period of his pastorate over the Centre Church in Haverhill extended from 1843 to 1865, the mid-period of the nineteenth century, an epoch marked by intellectual quickening, great inventions and stirring events in our national history. In all the movements of the age to which he belonged, he shared through a wide range of sympathies and a keen and vigorous intel- leet. Thus, while he had drunk of the mental and religious influences of the New England of the past, he was fully alive with the progressive spirit of a later day, and was peculiarly fitted for that othce of spir- itual teacher and leader which he held among the same people for nearly the space of a generation.

Benjamin Franklin HIosford was born in Thetford, Vt., November 11, 1817. The youngest of twelve children, he was reared with careful tenderness in the simplicity of his rural home, the remembrance of which he always held dear.

The beautiful associations of mountain and wood- land, of orchard, meadow and river, of birds and flowers, became a part of his inner life, never to be outgrown. Still more was his character affceted by the conscientious training of parents of intelligence and piety, and by the profound metaphysical preach- ing of a revered theologian, in the square-pewed meeting-house on Thetford IIill, in which families were seated according to rank or seniority, with the boys and girls occupying their respective galleries, guarded by a force of tithing men.

He fitted for college at the Academy of his native town, showing from the first the qualities which marked him through life. His school-mates bore witness to his quickness of apprehension, his enthu- siasm for study, his fine tastes, ready powers of observation and quick sense of the ludicrous. The child was, in almost every respect, the father of the man.

He entered Dartmouth College, at Hanover, N. H. in 1834, and directly after his graduation there, began his theological course at Andover Seminary, which covered the usual period of three years, besides an additional year of post-graduate study.

He was ordained pastor of the Center Church in Haverhill May 21, 1845, and on July 28, 1845, was married to Mary Elizabeth Stone, of Saxonville, Mass.

Thus began his life-work, concentrated in one home and one parish, and carried on with all the force of a nature which knew nothing of self-seeking, while through it, like a beam of pure white flight, shone the consciousness of the greatness of his high office.

His congregation was made up of varied elements. It contained many families endowed with a heritage of standing, wealth and culture, while there also came into church relations, more or less intimate, representatives of a more restless and less thoughtful

2064

HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

class, which the growth of manufacturing interests was attracting to Ilaverhill. It required no ordinary tact and wisdom so to adjust pulpit and social minis- trations that all should be instructed and won.

It was not so much owing to any direct effort, as to a unity of feeling centering in affection for the pastor and confidence in the consistency of his life and teaching, that the difficult task was accomplished. Social distinctions were little mentioned or thought of, and a sympathy of interest existed, which has been largely perpetuated to the present day.

Into all the general interests of the thriving town the uew minister entered enthusiastically. He be- came a member of the school committee while the public school was still in a formative state, and took a deep interest in their success, as well as in the individual advance of pupils of promise. In those days, the "Lyceum " was at its height of popularity, and Mr Hosford's lectures on astronomy, carefully prepared and illustrated by digrams, were a revelation of wonders to many hearers. In other departments of science he was almost equally an enthusiast; so that every ramble through field or forest revealed something to awaken his eager curiosity and suggest apt illustrations of truth, for lecture, sermon or in- formal talk. The love of nature, in general, was with him a passion, and his visits to the mountains or sea-shore were always fruitful in helpfulness and delight, both to himself and his people.

Ile found intense enjoyment, too, in classical music, for which he was endowed with exquisitely delicate susceptibilities, and it was largely through his instru- mentality that Haverhill was favored with many fiue concerts of the highest order of excellence.

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. II, Part 261

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed Publication date: 1888 Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1672

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1672