History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II, Part 64

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 64

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It is to-day a model town. It is supplied with nearly all modern conveniences, numbering among them the steam and street-cars, telegraph and tele- phone, churches, a town hall, public library and stores of various kinds ; and its excellent roads pass- ing across the shady plain and over gracefully curv- ing hills, to the peaceful crystal lakes, present scenery that is rarely surpassed in beauty. The principal features of its topography are Lord's Hill, which is the highest elevation in the town, furnishing a grand view of sea and land; and Moulton's Hill, which gives a less extended but more charming picture of Cedar Pond and the dark-green foliage above the swamp beyond. Wenham Lake, with its reputation for purity, gained in all the continents, is the distin- guishing natural feature of the town. It contains about three hundred and twenty acres, two-thirds of which lie in Wenham, and the remaining third in Beverly. Wenham Lake ice is so pure that a news- paper can be read through a cake of it two feet thick ; and its preserving qualities have been famous from its borders to all tropical lands. Wenham Great Swamp, covering about two thousand acres, about fif- teen hundred of which are in Wenham and the re- mainder in Topsfield and Ilamilton, is a notorious variation in the natural formation of the surface of the town. Its proprietors held it in common, and, Jan. 13, 1755, were incorporated by an act of the General Court for the securing of the growth of wood and timber thereon. By several legislative acts the corporate hody existed until 1779. It was again in- corporated March 21, 1836, the act of incorporation containing regulations in reference to fences and field drivers.

The territory of Wenham is mentioned for the first time in 1637. John Williams, a ship-carpenter by trade, was arrested in Ipswich for theft same time before, and imprisoned for his crime. He broke out of the jail with one John Hoddy, and they traveled together in the way to Ipswich. When they had

1 Portsmouth-Strawberry-bauks.

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HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

reached the valley by the border of the lake, near where the bound-stone between Beverly and Wenham stands, by the highway leading from Wenham C'eu- tre to North Beverly, Williams murdered hi- com- panion, and took away what he had, even his cloth- ing, which was bloody. He put on the clothing, and went in it to Ipswich. He was there apprehended, but would make no confession until a week after Hody's body was found. He was tried, convicted and executed, by hanging, in Boston September 28, 1637. This is said to have been the first murder which occurred among the European settlers of the colony.

The next mention that we find made of this re- gion is that of the preaching of Hugh l'eters' ser- mon, abont 1638, on a small conical hill, which for- merly stood between the highway and the lake, where the ice-houses of Addison Gage & Company stand. To the few original settlers, the notorious Hugh Peters preached the Gospel here from the text, "Enon, near Salim, for there was much water there."-John iii. 23. This settlement was then called Enon, and Peters was the pastor of the church in Salem, a part of which town Wenham then was. lle had particular friends among the carly settlers of Wenham, one of whom Dea. Charles Gott, became his agent here after he had returned to England to become involved in the commonwealth and to suffer a terrible death as a regicide.

There is a tradition in the Killam family that the first three settlers of Wenham were one of the carly Fiske settlers, Austin Killam and Richard Gold- smith. The first settlement must have been made about 1655. It was at first known as Salem village as well as Enon, and was incorporated as a distinct town May 10, 1643, in the following words : " It is ordered that Enou shalbee called Wennam. Wen- nam is granted to bee a towne, & hath liberty to send a deputy." The name is supposed to have been taken from one of the two parishes near lps- wich, in England, of the same name, from whence probably some of the early settlers came. The fol- lowing is a list of the settlers of the town down to 1700. John Abby, 1641; Mr. Auditor, 1646; John Badger, 1645; John Barr, 1679; Joseph Batchelder, trom Canterbury, England, 1644; John Beaman, 1669; John Berry, 1696; John Bette, 1666; Good- non Abber, 1692; Richard Braybrook, 1674; Ed- wod Bridges, 1661, John Browne, 1695; George Byato, Iols; John Carpenter, 1676; John Clarke, 1065 Richard Cos, 1650; Robert Que, 1696 ; John Done, 1699, Richard Dodge, 1614; Elijah Duble-

Jul 1 ; John Flwards, 1663; Rice Elwards, 1653; is in the year 1681; and tradition says that many June Ph-, 1601; Daniel Epps 1699; John Fair- | years ago there was a gravestone in existence in the freld, 161ly John Fiske, IGDe. Phineas Fiske, 1642; yard bearing date 1642. The oldest stone now stand- Wohin 1ikke, fr m Boston, 16B; Samuel Foster, "ing there bears the following inscription :-

1000, houph Fowler, from Ipswich, 1670; James 1 rue 166_, William tr are, 1641; Joseph Gerrish. from Wwbury, 174; Richard Goldsmith, 1644;

Charles Gott, from Salem, 1644; Robert Gowen, 1650; Joseph Hacker, 1696; Henry Haggett, 1657; Robert llawes, 1654; Joseph Herrick, 1691; Robert Hib- bert, 1674; Thomas Hobbs, 1672; Mr. Hubbard, 1642; William Hulitt, 1659; Isaae Hull, from "Bass River," 1GS1 ; John Hunkin, 1674; Richard Hutton, 1653; Alice Jones, 1651; William Jones, 1687 ; Ed- ward Kemp, from Dedham, 1652; Austin Killam, from Dedham, 1649; Richard Kimball, from lps- wich, 1656; John Knowlton, 1679; William Knowl- ton, 1678; Mordecai Lircom, 1682 ; John Leach, 1681 ; Robert Maekclifflin, 1661 ; Alexander Maxey, 1659; James Moulton, 1644; Antipas Newman, from Rehoboth, 1657; Abner Ordway, 1659; Edmund Patch, 1654; John Perkins, 1679; Richard Pettingell, 1649; John Poland, 1656; Samuel Porter, from Sa- Jem, 1657 ; Esdras Reade, 1643 ; Nicholas Rich, 1687 ; Theophilus Rix, 1688; John Rogers, 1653; William Sawyer, 1643; John Severett, 1695; John Shepley, 1655; Samuel Smith, 1642; John Soolard, a French- man, 1652; Mr. Sparrowhawk, 1645; Edward Spauld- ing, 1654; Robert Symonds, 1685; Peter Tompson, 1695; Francis Urselton. 1655; Edward Waldron, 1653; Joshua Wallis, 1698; Jeremiah Watts, 1665; Philip Welsh, 1675 ; Thomas White, 1654; Edward Whittington, 1687; William Williams, 1673; Eze- kiel Woodward, 1672; and Christopher Young, 1644.1

A church was organized the year following the incorporation of the town, a militia company was soon afterward formed, and the town government was begun. Highways were early laid out. What was, much later, the turnpike from Salem to Ipswich, was laid out in 1644 or 1645. November 13, 1644, the General Court ordered " that the comission's for laying out the roade way between Ipswich & Salem shall have power to alter the way layde out beneath Wenham towards the cast, & to lay it through ye towne if they shall iudge it meete."

The people of Wenham obtained a decd of their territory from the Indians, bearing date December 10, 1700. The aborigines who claimed a title to the soil were Samuel English, Joseph English and John Umpee, heirs of Masconomet, the late sagamore of Agawam. The Indians were paid for their interest in the land four pounds and sixteen shillings. The early settlers were forbidden to sell arms and ammu- nition to the savages; and Robert Gowing was, in 1650, fined ten pounds for selling a gun to an In- dian.

The burial-place of the first settlers was the same that is now used as the cemetery of the town. The earliest mention of this cemetery made in the records

1 These are the years of the first mention of the settlers' names on the recorde.

1231

WENHAM.

HERE LYES YE BODY OF SARAH FAIRFIELD WIFE TO WALTER FAIRFIELD DECD DECR TE 18th 1710 IN YE 71ST YEAR OF HER AGE.

The cemetery was originally probably a part of Rev. Mr. Fiske's farm. It has been enlarged several times. The first grave-digger, as far as the records show, was John Severett, who was chosen by the town in 1694-95. In 1863, Rev. David O. Allen, the mission- ary, gave in his will five hundred dollars as a fund, the income of which to be applied to keeping the cemetery in proper condition. In the westerly part of the town is a private cemetery belonging to the Fairfield family,

" A place where all things mournful meet, And yet the sweetest of the sweet, The stillest of the still."

Dodge's Row Cemetery in Beverly, a part of which is thought to be in Wenham, has been used by Wen- ham people for one hundred and fifty years.

Extravaganee was not tolerated in the early days, even in Wenham, where Thomas Fiske's wife was presented to court for wearing a tiffany, in the tenth month of 1652. Her sentence was ten shillings fine and two shillings and sixpence fees of court. Even rich men's wives could not wear silks more freely than others. It was self-evident that a tiffany could not be put on for its warmth, and there might have been moral reasons forbidding its being worn.

The little settlement had its inn from its earliest days. The town-meetings were usually held in the church, and adjournments to the tavern sometimes occurred.

Wenham never gave sufficient inducement to a lawyer to settle there in practice; but physicians have been residents of the town nearly all the years that have passed since the settlement was begun. The first minister, Rev. John Fiske, was the first medical man here. He went to Chelmsford with a portion of his church in 1654. Dr. John Fiske, a distant relative of the minister, was born here in 1654, and remained here in the practice of both physic and surgery. He removed in 1694 to Milford, Conn., where he practiced until 1715, when he died. He was somewhat eminent in his day. Dr. Jolin New- man was here in 1695 and 1696, and Dr. Gott in 1704. No physician is again mentioned until Dr. William Fairfield began practice about 1760. He was born in Wenham September 4, 1732, and first practiced physic and surgery with good success in the French War. He resided on the William Porter place, at length removing to Salem, where he was noted for his proficiency and skill, and the excellence of his private character. He died of the small-pox October 10, 1773, at the age of forty-one years. Dr.

Isaac Spofford, who was born in Georgetown, then a part of Rowley, April 10, 1752, having studied medi- cine with Dr. Brickett, of Haverhill, settled in the practice of his profession in Wenham, but soon re- moved to Beverly, and finally became a surgeon in the army of the Revolution. Dr. Barnard Tucker, a native of Newbury, graduated at Harvard College in 1789, and, after practicing medicine for several years in Beverly, removed to Wenham, where he lived upon the place lately occupied by Charles Brown. He was familiar with the French and Span- ish languages, which he taught; and had a kind heart, gentle disposition and simple manners. He paid but little attention to medicine, and at length removed to his native town. Dr. Samuel Dodge, by invitation of the town, settled here as a physician and surgeon in 1826. He was born in Wenham February 23, 1800. He remained here with general satisfaction to the people until October 30, 1833, when he died at the age of thirty-three years. While Dr. Dodge was practicing medicine here Dr. Sylvanus Brown came and stayed two years- 1830 and 1831, and doubtless finding that the town could not support two physicians, removed to and died in Derry, N. H. After Dr. Dodge's decease, the next physician who settled here was Dr. Nathan Jones, who was a native of Lyndeborough, N. H., having been born April 25, 1794. He removed to Beverly in April, 1858, and died there March 11, 1860, at the age of sixty-five years, being interred in Wenham. A few years contemporary with Dr. Jones was Dr. Myron O. Allen, son of Rev. David O. Allen, missionary to India. Dr. Allen was born in Bom- bay in 1831, and graduated at Yale College in 1852, subsequently graduating at the Pennsylvania Medical College at Philadelphia. He commenced practice here in July, 1855, and removed to Lowell in 1860, dying there of a cancer August 1, 1861, at the age of thirty years. The next physician to settle here was Dr. John L. Robinson, who was born in Pembroke, N. H., January 3, 1835, came here from Manchester, N. H., in 1859, and remained here until 1879, when he sold out his practice to Dr. Samuel Ezra Thayer, and moved back to Manchester. Dr. Thayer was born in Trumansburgh, N. Y., in 1844, and graduated at Buffalo University in 1869. Hle practiced first in Southampton, Mass., seven and one-half years, then in Williamsburg about one year, and came to Weu- ham January 29, 1879. He removed to Hamilton some three or four months later, but continued his practice in Wenham until February, 1884. Dr. Frank A. Cowles, the present resident physician, was born in Elmira, N. Y., July 20, 1859, and graduated from the medical department of New York University in 1881. He practiced medicine at first in New York City. After staying there two years he came to Wenham, in January, 1884, and has since practiced here.

In connection with the physicians of the town are the apothecaries. Calvin B. Dodge, the first apothe-

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HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

cary in Wenham, began business in 1862 or 1>63, in is an account of his son being carried under the a shop which he erected on land of Henry Perkins mill-wheel, when it was in motion, and coming out with not a bone broken. This was his son John, who was, June 6, 1647, when the accident occurred, in his ninth year. The journal says, that he " es- caped a gte danger at Wenhã in passing with ye streame under ye mill wheele, when ye mill was agoing, An. 1647, 6th of 3d, at wh time he recoj'd (as twere) a new life, not a bone broke, &c." Richard Goldsmith was killed by lightning at the house of Rev. Mr. Newman, who had lately died, on Sunday, May 18, 1673, in the presence of the Rev. Mr. Higgin- son of Salem, who had preached in Wenham that day, and, having but a few moments before returned from the service, was sitting engaged in conversation with Mr. Goldsmith, under whose chair was a dog, which was also killed. George W. Kimball, a lad of eight years, was killed by lightning here July 25, 1821. Samuel Ober, who was in his seventy-second year, was killed by lightning on the evening of May 22, 1876, while sitting with his wife in the house in West Wenham. Thomas Goodwin, who was proba- bły a boy from Gloucester, was killed March 5, 1700-1, by " being catcht by the whell of a saw-mill & so killed, att John Leeches." April 19, 1754, Wil- liam Dodge, aged about two years, was drowned.in a brook. On the town records is found the following : for that purpose. In 1864 he sold out to Benjamin F. Johnson, who), after a few years, removed the shop to it- present location, opposite the engine house, and continued the business until 1873, when he removed from town. Procter K. Brown continued the business in the same building until 1885. In the spring of 1-73, George E. Morgan of Beverly commenced the apothecary business in the Union Block, and ran it until 1575 or 1876, when he sold out to Andrew tieyer of Ipswich who had already opened a similar store here. Mr. Geyer sold out his store soon after- wards to Charles W. Batchelder, a dealer in dry goods, boots and shoes, ete., on Main street, who, atter fitting up a portion of his store for the apothecary business, removed it therereto. Hle sold out January 5, 1877, to Mr. Benton, his clerk, who removed it back to its former place in Union Block. October 19, 1878, Mr. Benton sold out to John C. Gray, who sold to James 11. Perkins and Dr. Samuel E. Thayer November 10, 1-79. James II. Perkins, Jr., attended the store as clerk, as he had done for the previous proprietors. Dr. Thayer withdrew after about one year, leaving James Il. Perkins, Sr., sole proprietor until August 1. 1\\2, when the business was transferred to his son, James Il. Perkins, Jr., who still continues it at the store built and formerly occupied by Charles W. "William Batcheller the son of Peter Dodge's wife Batchelder, of which we have already spoken. Mr. fell into y" Mill Pond and died Jany. 18th, 1771, Perkins removed from the old stand in Union Block to this store in the fall of 1885.

Wenham presents an appearance of neatness and comfort ; and the village and country around it are alike noticeable for their quiet rural scenes and healthfulness. About a score of persons have died here at an age upwards of ninety years ; and the large majority of them were of the gentler and, generally understood, weaker sex. The throat distemper, which prevailed so disastrously all through this section of the country from 1736 to 1738, visited Wenham and took away many of the younger portion of the inhab- itants. John Gott and Richard Dodge lost all their (blleren, the first five and the last four. About wenty per-ons died here in the course of three 0;ot ths in 1797, from the epidemic. A public fast was helhat which time Rev. Mr. Champney preached in the morning from Jer. ix. 24; and Rev. Mr. Chip- man in the afternoon from Jer. ii. 30. Small-pox has prevailed bere several times, resulting in 1760 in the desh of Daniel Porter, at the age of thirty-eight Years. In 1576 it broke out again, and continued at intervals for several years, terrorizing the people. At Just a post-house was provided, and vaccination in- treduced. In Is05 the dysentery carried away a con- « derable number of the citizens. From September foth to October 20th, of that year, eleven persons da Fot that compaint A few accidents and deaths by Fandals are found recorded. In the journal of Ry John locke, the first pastor of the church here,

Ætatis 12." Benjamin Porter, aged fifteen years, was drowned in Wenham Pond Oct. 14, 1773. Joseph P. Cook, aged nineteen years, while skating on l'leas- ant Pond with other boys, broke through the thin ice, and was drowned December 10, 1856. April 15, 1876, Austin Morrill of Wenham, aged thirteen years, and his cousin, Clarence Henry Peirce of Beverly Farms, aged eighteen years, were accidentally drowned in Coy's Pond. May 8, 1731, Pompey, a negro-boy of Lieutenant William Dodge, was killed by a cart. lle was fourteen years old. In 1789 a girl named Wyatt, four years old, was burned to death. Benjamin Steele Parsons, aged fourteen years, was killed by a horse-eart May 2, 1870. He lived thirty minutes after the accident. July 21, 1839, Lebbeus Dodge, aged seventeen months, was killed by a stage. John Baker, at the age of ten years, was killed by a sled February 17, 1841. Annie F. Alley was bitten in one of her hands by a white Spitz dog, which was kept in the neighborhood, March 4th, and died of hydrophobia May 3, 1876. She was ten years old.

The population of Wenham in 1885 was eight hnn- dred and seventy-one. The town then had two hun- dred and ninety-three ratable polls, and two hundred and seventy legal voters, only ten of whom were naturalized. There were two hundred and nineteen families, and one hundred and ninety dwelling- houses, one of which being constructed of brick, the others of wood. The town debt is now (1887) $6,465.02.

1233

WENHAM.

Emigration has reduced the size of many of the country towns, and, as with Wenham, a century ago their population was greater than now. The first ex- tensive emigration from Wenham occurred in 1655, when the pastor of the church, with a large and in- fluential portion of his parishioners went to the new settlement of Chelmsford. This removal took from the little town its minister and physician, and its main strength. Yet those left behind pushed for- ward in their work, settled another minister, added to their number of planters and throve. After the com meneement of the eighteenth century it seemed to be customary for one of the sons of the family to remain at home and inherit the farm, and the others to seek their fortunes in the newer towns. Many of the young men from Wenham reared homes in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, the central and western portions of Massachusetts and Connecticut, and later in settlements farther away. Jonathan Porter and his family removed to Ellington, Conn., in 1740, and John Porter and his family to Littleton, Mass., about 1745. The settlement of Marietta, Ohio, in 1787, projected and carried out by Dr. Manasseh Cutler of Hamilton, who, with his little colony, in "a long, ark-like wagon, covered with black canvas," on the outside of which was inscribed, in large letters, the name of the place of their destination, journeyed overland, was partially constituted by Wenham people. This was the first town settled in the State of Ohio.

The old turnpike from Ipswich to Boston ran through Wenham, causing taverns to be kept here constantly. In 1833 the steam-cars began to run through the centre of the town over the Eastern Railroad, which was completed as far east as Ipswich that year. The Wenham station is situated a few rods over the town line in Hamilton, and the North Beverly station is in Beverly near the Wenham line. The Newburyport and Wakefield branch of the Bos- ton & Maine Railroad passes across the western end of the town, but there is no station on that road nearer than the Putnamville flag-station in Danvers. The latter road was built in 1853. The street-ears were first run from Gloucester crossing iu Beverly to the soldiers' monument in Wenham, May 26, 1886. Later in the same season the lines were extended, in one direction to the Wenham station in Hamilton, and also to the camp-meeting grounds at Asbury Grove, also in Hamilton.

The post-office was established here in 1809. The first postmaster was Thomas Barnes, who was ap- pointed April 21, 1809. His successors, with dates of their original appointments, follow : Uzziel Dodge, July 6, 1812; John Thorn Dodge, March 20, 1818; Ezra Lummus, August 19, 1830 ; Adoniram J. Dodge, March 24, 1837 ; John A. Putnam, June 25, 1846; Benjamin C. Putnam, August 3, 1857 ; Nathaniel S. Gould, April 25, 1862 ; Elisha P. Chapman, June 26, 1866; William W. Fowler, January 16, 1867; Ilenry

Hobbs, September 19, 1870; John W. Curtis, Sep- tember 25, 1878; Andrew D. Trowt, November 5, 1880; Miss Kate M. Kavanagh, December 23, 1885; and Fred. P. Stanton, November 26, 1886. The post- office was, at first, in the old tavern, formerly the resi- dence of Rev. Joseph Gerrish, which stood where the horse-railroad stable is situated. It was kept here until August, 1830, the first three postmasters being the tavern-keepers. On Mr. Lummus' appointment, it was removed to his tavern in the brick house, and there remained until Mr. Dodge's appointment in March, 1837, when it was removed to his wheelwright shop which stood near the western end of the house now owned and occupied by Mr. James H. Perkins. It remained here until John A. Putnam became the postmaster in June, 1846, when it was removed to his store, which was built at about that time, and burnt with the barn and shed connected therewith, a small dwelling-house, and the large barn and sheds standing near by, belonging to the late Dr. John Porter, early on Monday morning, May 23, 1870. When Mr. Hobbs was appointed, September 19, 1870, he kept it for six months at his harness shop, and then removed it to the new Union block, where it bas been kept to the present time, except while Miss Kavanagh was postmistress, from Deeember, 1885, to November, 1886, when it was in the house on Arbor street, built by B. C. Putnam, for one month, and afterwards at P. K. Brown's shop.

The Town Ifall was erected in 1854, by a vote of the town which was passed by seventy-nine yeas to sixty- one nays. The committee to erect the building con- sisted of John Porter, C. A. Kilham, A. Dodge, F. Hadley, J. Cook, Benjamin C. Putnam and Moses Mildram. The hall was erected where it now stands, the pond hole that formerly occupied the site being filled up. The edifice is fifty-four feet long and thirty- eight feet wide, with a projection on the front sixteen feet by twenty-five. It is two stories in height, be- sides a large and convenient basement. It contains a hall, school-rooms and selectmen's room, besides ante- rooms. The cupola on it affords an extensive and beautiful view of the surrounding country. The hall will seat about four hundred persons.

The fire department of Wenham was established quite early. In 1821, the town ordered the selectmen to "proeure six ladders and three fire-looks for the use of the town, to be equally divided among the three separate districts." In 1835 a fire company of twenty-five members was organized ; and the town voted to build an engine-house and to procure the necessary apparatus. An engine, costing two hundred dollars, was purchased by subscription. It was quite small, and had to be filled by hand. After several years of efficient service, the company disbanded, and the engine was sold. In 1849 another fire company was formed, and a new engine, "Enon, No. 1," built in Newburyport by Edward Leslie, in the same year, costing nine hundred dollars, was purchased by the

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History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II, Part 64

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