USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Lawrence > History of Lawrence, Massachusetts : with portraits and biographical sketches of ex-mayors up to 1880 and other distinguished citizens, including many business and professional men now living > Part 10
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II3
HISTORY OF LAWRENCE, MASS.
Ham, T. C.,
Melvin, N. P. H.,
Howe, Merrill N.,
Moore, William H.,
Hardy, Daniel,
Morrison, Abiel,
Hamilton, O. B.,
Murphy, Patrick,
Hart, Michael D.,
McClure, William T.,
Herrick, J. D.,
McCarty, John,
James, Thomas,
Merrill, Charles R.,
Jordan, D. S.,
Minehan, Edward,
Joslyn, E. V.,
Moore, Larkin,
King, A. P. B.,
Morse, D. A.,
Knowles, Morris,
Noyes, Henry,
Knights, Samuel W.,
Noyes, B. C.,
Kempton, J. G.,
Ordway, Aaron,
Kendall, Thomas,
Osgood, Timothy,
Kimball, W. A.,
('Reilley, Thomas,
Knox, Otis,
Porter, David T.,
Kelley, Daniel H.,
Poulson, Alexander,
Lamb, William D.,
Parsons, Thomas A.,
Low, T. B.,
Page, Edward,
Lyford, W. S.,
Pearl, Oliver,
Littlefield, George,
Perkins, J. S.,
Ladd, Luther,
Pillsbury. C. K.,
Lewis, Rodney, A.,
Payson, Carleton,
Lindsay, Thomas L.,
Perkins, A. J.,
Leeman, Wellington,
Phelps, Augustus,
Massey, Joseph,
Phillips, H. H.,
Mallard, Lauren,
Pillsbury, Joshua,
Merriam, J. F.,
Pingree, William E.,
Merriam, Thatcher,
Poor, Edward P.,
McAllister, William,
Pedrick, William R.,
Miles, James,
Pearsons, A. G.,
Morrissey, John,
Perkins, Moses,
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QUARTER-CENTENNIAL
Plummer, H.,
Poor, Samuel,
Poor, George,
Salisbury, Geo. W ... Sargent, Edwin, Shattuck, Joseph,
Proctor, Moses,
Smith, John,
Putnam, Albert ME.,
Smith, William B.,
Reed, Rufus,
Stevens, Abiel,
Rollins, John R.,
Stevens, Warren,
Robinson, D. F.,
Stevens, Ivan,
Rossiter, Ambrose,
Stoddard, Alphonso,
Richardson, Eli,
Stokes, Joel,
Richardson, D. C.,
Stone, Thomas,
Robinson, Gilman B.,
Stone, John,
Rogers, Thomas C.,
Sibley, Kneeland,
Spalding, Wm. R.,
Tewksbury, Isaac,
Stratton, Lewis,
True, Ira,
Sullivan, William,
Tims, Henry,
Sutcliffe, Phillip,
Trull, Elijah,
Saunders, Daniel,
Valpey, D. S. A.,
Scott, Thomas,
Varnum, L. N.,
Smith, Charles,
Wadleigh, J. C.,
Sweeney, Patrick,
Webster, D. B.,
Sanborn, George,
Whitney, H. M.,
Sargent, L. D.,
Wright, W. H. P.,
Sargent, Moses.,
Wiley, W. A.,
Simmons, S. P.,
Wallace, S. Y.,
Stannard, James H.,
Webster, Abel,
Stearns, A. W.,
Wells, Nathan,
Stoddard, Leonard,
White, N. G.,
Stoddard, R. S.,
Wilson, Allen,
Stearns, Samuel,
Wood, James M.,
Stowell, Joseph,
Wright, A. S.,
Smith, Charles M.,
Wood, Emerson,
1
1 ₫
SAMUEL M. DAVIS,
Real Estate Broker. Office at North Depot ; residence, 36 Winter St. Born at Parsonsfield, Me., Feb. 24, 1820. Came to Lawrence in 1847. Was engineer on the Boston & Maine Railroad, running the first loco- motive into Lawrence over the railroad bridge, and also ran the first passenger train on the Manchester & Lawrence Railroad. Member of the common council in 1861, and of the board of alderman in 1867, 1868, 1869. Is a member of the board of health for the present year. Has been a justice of the peace since 1870. Mr. Davis has always taken an active part in municipal matters. Married Almedia C. Small of Limington, Me., in 1852 ; has three children. Attends the Baptist church.
115
HISTORY OF LAWRENCE, MASS.
Withington, Henry,
Weeks, Benjamin,
Wade, A. M.,
Wingate, Moses,
Williams, Cyrus,
Waterhouse, Gideon W.,
Walker, .A. J.,
Yeaton, Philip,
Warren, Albert,
Yates, Stephen D.
Webster, T. K.,
In the month of March, 1853, the legal voters were called to- gether to vote on the acceptance of the City Charter. The result was yeas, 659 ; nays, 143.
The election for Mayor was April 18th, when there were two ballots taken, and a third and final one May 7th, with the following result : Charles S. Storrow had 577 ; Dana Sargent, 484 ; scattering, 21.
At this election there was considerable interest felt. While many thought that to Mr. Storrow, the efficient agent of the Essex Company, who from the commencement of the new settlement had felt the deepest interest in everything relating to the material prosperity of the new enterprise, the compliment of the position of first Mayor properly belonged. Others feared that there was danger of corpora- tion influence having too complete predominance, and claimed. that the interests of the corporations and those of the city were diverse and conflicting, but the result showed that such fear was without cause, for a more acceptable Chief Magistrate the city has never en- joyed. Mr. Storrow was elected on the third ballot as the candidate of the Whig party. Mr. Sargent that of the Democratic.
1854. The second election was a spirited one, the third and last ballot resulting as follows : Enoch Bartlett received 651 votes, Geo. W. Benson, 529. James D. Herrick, 67, scattering, 12. Mr. Bartlett, candidate of the Democratic party, a young lawyer of considerable promise, was elected over Mr. Benson, the Whig candidate, also a promising lawyer universally esteemed, who the previous year had acted as City Clerk, and Mr. Herrick was the candidate of the Free * The election was held the December previous.
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QUARTER-CENTENNIAL
Soil party, which was then feebly working its way up with little pros- pect of ever assuming the power and strength and majesty of the great Republican party of United States. Mr. Bartlett unfortunately soon after his election had the misfortune to experience loss of health, and shortly after the end of his official term, went home to New Hampshire, his native State, to die.
During this year commenced the great Know Nothing uprising, and the worry and excitement attendant upon the popular demon- strations, at times threatening the peace of the community, taxed the waning energies of our Mayor to an extent beyond their capacity.
1855. This year the Know Nothings swept the city, Albert Warren Know Nothing candidate receiving 1037 votes, E. F. Bean, Demo- crat, 81, N. W. Harmon, Whig, 82, scattering, 7. There was no occasion for three ballots as heretofore, the election being "like the handle to a jug, all on one side." The Whig and Democratic parties having respectively dwindled down to a very few on either side who had little fear of the Pope of Rome making America his immediate headquarters. The sweep in Lawrence, however, was no more gen- eral than throughout the State, and Messrs. Harmon and Bean had no more cause to feel surprised or chagrined at their feeble follow- ing, than the Whig and Democratic candidates for public support had elsewhere throughout the Commonwealth.
1856. This year the vote stood, Albert Warren, 758 votes : John R. Rollins, 386. The election was a repetition of the year before, the Democrats making no nomination, and Mr. Rollins consequently received the support of all persons not in affiliation with the dominant party, which as yet showed no symptoms of dissolution, although in fact so near its end.
1857. This year John R. Rollins received 801 votes, Thomas Wright, 570, scattering, 6. Politics were not strictly defined. The Republican party had not yet assumed form and proportion. Both
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JAMES STUART BARRIE,
Grocer, 122 Essex St. ; residence, 63 High St: Has been in Lawrence twenty-nine years. Born in Stirlingshire, Scotland, 1837. Worked in the factories in his boyhood ; learned the trade of wool-sorting, at which he worked for seventeen years, using his evenings for self-education. Married Mary Adelaide Morrill of Amesbury in 1860 ; has two children. Attends the Garden St. Episcopal Methodist church. Mr. Barrie is an earnest worker in the labor interest, a member of the Labor Reform State Central Committee, and has been closely connected with all temperance movements, having been a candidate for the legislature on the prohibition ticket in 1873, since which he has affiliated with the republican party, holding various offices. Was president of the com- mon council in 1877, and is at present president of the board of health.
II7
HISTORY OF LAWRENCE, MASS.
Messrs. Rollins and Wright were Whigs, and supporters of'Gen. Win- field Scott in the Presidential election of this year, although many Whigs on this occasion refrained from voting at all, and not a few voted for his opponent, Gen. Pierce. The city at this time was strongly anti-democratic, and an outright Democratic nominee would have shown but a feeble following. Mr. Rollins was the nominee of the Whig party and Mr. Wright received the support of the disaf- fected, whatever their nation, kind or condition.
1858. John R. Rollins had 762 votes, N. G. White, 538, Nath- aniel G. White, 76, scattering, 11. This was almost a repetition of the preceding year, both Messrs. Rollins and White were members of the Whig party. Mr. Rollins being re-nominated by his party as be- fore, and Mr. White receiving the support of the Democratic party and disaffected generally.
1859. This was probably the most spirited municipal contest our city ever witnessed. Henry K. Oliver, the Republican nominee, re- ceived 886 votes, Daniel Saunders, Jr., 589, scattering, 5.
Republicanism had assumed somewhat fixed proportions and di- mensions, and Gen. Oliver was the nominee of that party, and Mr. Saunders of the Democratic, but politics were disregarded to quite a general extent. Mr. Saunders had the support of some of the most active Republicans, and Gen. Oliver the support of influential Demo- cratic Catholics and their followers. Feeling run high, but the Irish support being finally secured in favor of the latter, he was elected by quite a decided majority.
1860. This year the political pot was turned over. Daniel Saun- ders, Jr., the Democratic nominee having S10 votes, and John R. Rollins, the Republican, having 646. Mr. Rollins, yielding to the solicitation of his party made the dangerous experiment of running for a third time. During the first month of this year occurred the terrible disaster of the fall of the Pemberton Mill, thus throwing upon
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QUARTER-CENTENNIAL
the new Mayor a care, responsibility and duty such as no previous one had been called to assume.
1861. This year James K. Barker was the Republican candidate, and Benjamin F. Watson the Democratic, and the actual standing of the two respective parties at that time can be fairly judged by the result of this election. Mr. Barker had 967 votes, Mr. Watson, 567, scattering, 3. Mr. Watson was an active, energetic politician, promi- nent and popular in his party, and a lawyer of first rate standing, with personal friends in abundance in all quarters of the city. He conducted the campaign personally and infused into his followers his own individual energy, spirit and dash, but things looked ominous abroad. There was an angry spirit in the South, -Lincoln was just elected President of the United States, and men stuck rigidly to their party regardless of private personal feeling. This was the first year of the war and on that account is memorable.
1862. During the interim since last election, the Rebellion had broken out and with it came new responsibilities, new issues. The Republican party had become strongly cemented together, Mr. Wright was the popular war candidate, and in fact the better classes mostly rallied to his support. The vote stood, W. H. P. Wright, 805, N. G. White, 506, James K. Barker, 87.
1863. The same issues upon which the previous campaign was fought entered into this issue. The vote was, W. H. P. Wright, 719, N. P. H. Melvin, 474, Nathaniel H. P. Melvin, 158.
1864. This year the Republicans entered the campaign with Dr. A. J. French as standard bearer, while the opposition of all classes centered their strength upon John Beetle as a citizens' candidate. The vote was, A. J. French, 720, John Beetle, 615.
1865. The war party were early in the field for this campaign, and by selecting Mr. Bonney as candidate the opposition was feeble. The vote was, Milton Bonney, 762, N. Chapman, 270.
1
=
EUGENE S. YATES,
Physician and Surgeon, at 307 Essex St. ; residence, 28 Summer St. Has resided in Lawrence since 1847. Was born at Locke's Mills, Me., Oct. 22, 1845. Educated at the public schools of the city, graduating from the high school in class of '64. Enlisted May 10, 1864 in Capt. Hamilton's Company, 8th Unattached, for three months ; stationed at Galloupe's Island, Boston Harbor ; mustered out Aug. 11, 1864. Was letter-carrier at Lawrence Post Office for the remainder of the year. Re-enlisted Jan. 2, 1865 in Co. D, Frontier Cavalry, stationed at Og- densburg, N. Y. ; mustered out June 30, 1865. Worked for Dr. Aaron Ordway, as apothecary clerk, from Aug. 9, 1865 to Nov. 9, 1869, when he entered Harvard Medical College, graduating at Bellevue Hospital Medical College, New York City, class of '72 ; has practiced in this city since then. Married Miss Cora G. Elliott of Fisherville, N. H., May 6, 1872. Attends the First Baptist church. City Physician for 1878, and also a member of Lawrence Board of Health.
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HISTORY OF LAWRENCE, MASS.
1866. The "boys" had come marching home before this muni- cipal election. In the fall of 1865 when the election came off there was considerable dissatisfaction in municipal affairs, and many of the prominent so called leaders decided to support N. G. White upon a citizens' ticket. Mr. White refused to have his name used without some sort of assurance that such a step was desirable on the part of a large number of influential citizens. His friends therefore · circulated petitions requesting him to allow his name to be used. These were signed by over 800 voters, but for some cause the movement fell into disrepute, the poorer classes thinking it a move- ment in favor of the capitalist, and Pardon Armington was taken up as "Sam's" candidate, and with a short but vigorous campaign he was elected by a small majority. The year 1866 will be remembered as the most wasteful and improvident city government ever organized. The vote was, Pardon Armington, 894. N. G. White, 828.
1867. The Republican party and its manipulators had fallen into disrepute and the Democrats carried the city by a small majority. N. P. H. Melvin had 959, L. A. Bishop, 831.
1868. Mr. Melvin proving himself a most efficient public servant was elected without any determined opposition. N. P. H. Melvin had 1406 votes, Fred Butler, 668.
1869. By Mr. Melvin's square and straightforward action he had displeased many party adherents and the Republicans in the mean time having increased so that with a fair degree of unity they could succeed, rallied on Major Frank Davis as their candidate. The contest was lively and a full vote was polled. Frank Davis was elected, having 1551 votes, against 1396 for N. P. H. Melvin.
1870. Mr. Melvin was again the standard bearer of the Demo- cratic party, and his known ability gave him a goodly number of votes outside his party, securing his election. The vote stood, N. P. H. Melvin, 1518, John B. Atkinson, 1363.
,
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QUARTER-CENTENNIAL
Since that time the causes which have transpired to produce the results are quite familiar to most of the residents of to-day. A re- capitulation simply of the vote is therefore only appended for each municipal year.
1871. S. B. W. Davis, 1665, John J. Doland, 1522.
1872. S. B. W. Davis, 1726, John J. Doland, 1604, Daniel Hardy, 55.
1873. John K. Tarbox, 1959, S. B. W. Davis, 1685.
1874. John K. Tarbox, 2211, scattering, 24.
1875. R. H. Tewksbury, 2396, N. P. H. Melvin, 1555.
1876. Edmund R. Hayden, 2162, Wm. S. Knox, 1843.
1877. Caleb Saunders, 2283, A. A. Currier, 2010.
1878. James R. Simpson, 2365, Caleb Saunders, 1795.
The following tables will show the comparative increase in muni- cipal wealth :
Ratalle Polls.
Valuation.
1847,
23
$1,719,204
1848,
497
3,814,426
1849,
1,32I
5,730,710
1850,
2,318
5,902,741
1851,
2,249
6,407,926
1852,
2,542
6,374,355
1853,
2,514
6,937,160
1854,
3,096
8,842,915
1855,
3,366
9,954,041
1856,
3,689
10,483,725
1857,
3,525
10,227,310
1858,
3,688
10,249,009
1859,
2,932
10,022,947
1 860,
3,057
10,584,023
186 1,
3,609
10,269,615
1862,
3,906
10,777,920
EDWARD CAUFY,
Station Agent at Boston & Maine north depot. Residence, ro Morton St. Was born in St. Albans, Me., July 26th, 1831. Left home at the age of 16, and worked at lumbering in his native state till 1849, when he came to Lawrence and worked for the Essex Co. two years. En- tered the employ of the B. & M. Railroad in 1851, as conductor of shifting trains. Enlisted in Co. I, 6th Reg't, April 16, 1861, and was with the regiment in its "march through Baltimore." Enlisted in the 26th Regiment the same year, and was commissioned Ist lieutenant of Co. F, 1862. Four months after was commissioned captain of Co. B, and held that position until the close of the war. In 1873 was promoted to station agent by the Boston & Maine Company.
I21
HISTORY OF LAWRENCE, MASS.
Ratable Polls.
Valuation.
1863,
3,378
10,937,450
1864,
3,282
11,074,430
1865,
3,692
12,783,273 *
1866,
4,147
13,748,285
1867,
5,250
14,684,000
1 868,
5,714
15,569,500
1869,
5,960
16,647,000
1 870,
6,316
17,912,500
1871,
6,006
18,552,000
1872,
6,625
20,763,663
1873,
7,000
21,687,732
1874.
7,577
22,918,775
1875,
7,728
24, 117,475
1876,
8,120
23,902,599
1877,
8,026
23,902,537
1878,
8,540
23,714,017
1
X. C
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
In 1845, when the Essex Company commenced operations within the limits of the territory which now constitutes Lawrence, the por- tion north of the Merrimack River was a part of Methuen, and the por- tion south of the river was a part of Andover. There were in the territory three one-story schoolhouses, looking like those which were then to be seen in the sparsely populated districts of Massachusetts, one of the two in the Methuen portion giving no perceptible evidence that it had ever been painted ; the other showing that it had once been painted red, while the one on the south side still retained a yellowish tinge. Our fathers were nobly desirous that every child should be taught the rudiments of education, and they provided schools for them, but they seemed to think little of making the schoolhouse comfortable or attractive. In these houses, one upon Tower Hill, the second at the intersection of what are now Prospect and East Hav- erhill Streets, and the third on the south side, near the intersection of the Lowell road and the Turnpike, there were summer and winter schools of a few weeks' duration.
In the year 1846, the Essex Company erected a schoolhouse be- tween Haverhill and Tremont Streets, where a school was opened under the direction of the Methuen School Committee, on the 7th of November, by Nathaniel Ambrose as teacher. He commenced with
122
C
GILBERT EDWIN HOOD.
Was born in Chelsea, Vt., November 21st, 1824 ; lived upon his father's farm until he was 21 years old. Graduated at Dartmouth College in 1851. Taught school before, during and after his college course. Married Frances E. Herrick of Danvers, Mass., in 1852. Was admitted to the Bar in Boston in 1855. Commenced the prac- tice of law in Lawrence in 1859, and has resided here ever since. Has held the positions of Associate Justice of Lawrence Police Court, City Solicitor, Register of Deeds, Superintendent of Schools, for twelve years, and is at present Treasurer of the Broadway Savings Bank.
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QUARTER-CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF LAWRENCE, MASS.
twenty-five scholars, but before the expiration of its first year it num- bered one hundred and fifty scholars.
April 17th, 1847, the act of incorporation of the Town of Law- rence was signed by the Governor, and April 26th there was a town meeting for the choice of officers. The whole number of votes thrown was 164. A School Committee of three were chosen,-James D. Herrick, Dan Weed, and Wm. D. Lamb, M. D., two of whom are still residents of our city. At their second meeting it was voted that one male teacher and five female teachers be employed, Mr. Ambrose as male teacher in the Essex Company's house, Miss Rob- inson for the Durant District, Miss Ford for the Tower Hill District, Miss Brown and Miss Abbott for the Free Will Baptist Vestry, and Miss Odell on the south side of the river.
During this year, a story and a half schoolhouse was built on Jack- son street, where the Unitarian church now stands, and a similar one upon the Lowell road on the south side of the river.
At the annual town meeting held March 1848, a school committee of five were chosen, consisting of J. D. Herrick, of the previous committee, and Nathan W. Harmon, Henry F. Harrington, Lyman Whiting, and George Packard, two of whom are still residents of the city. The committee, early in the year, and after consultation with Hon. Horace Mann and other distinguished educators, adopted the system of schools, which with our small territorial area, was deemed the best for us, consisting of primary, intermediate or middle schools, scattered over the territory of the town ; one grammar school upon the North Side of the river in some central position, one Grammar School upon the South Side, and one High School for the whole town. At the first meeting of the Committee, held March 13th, a sub-committee was appointed to confer with the town's finance com- mittee upon the absolute necessity of additional room for four hundred scholars, and the obligation of the town by statute to provide a High
1
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QUARTER-CENTENNIAL
School. The finance committee reported in favor of an appropria- tion of $12,500 for the erection of an edifice of the capacity de- manded.
April 3d, a male teacher was placed over the Grammar School on South Side. April 13th, Geo. A. Walton was elected master of the Grammar School on the north side of the river, and which was then kept in the Jackson street house. Mr. Walton's connection with that school was commenced April 17th, 1848, and was continued without interruption until the summer of 1864; and during these more than sixteen years he was the earnest, devoted teacher, under whose man- agement the school was, what one of our reports said of it,-an ad- mirably ordered, well instructed and happy Grammar School.
At the School Committee meeting held November 14th, 1848, Rev. Mr. Harrington reported the gift of school apparatus from Gen. H. K. Oliver, and the following vote was passed : "That as General Oliver, had tendered to the committee the gift of a valuable philo- sophical and astronomical apparatus for the use of the High School of this town, his generous offer be gratefully accepted, and the chairman be authorized to receive the same agreeably to the wishes of the donor." At the meeting of the committee held November 21st, it was voted "That the upper rooms of the new School House be de- voted to the use of the Grammar School, and the front room of the lower story be devoted to the use of the High School."
1849, January 17, Mr. Thomas W. T. Curtis was examined, and elected teacher of the High School.
The time for dedicating the new School House on Haverhill Street, was fixed for January 30th, and at a meeting of the school committee the evening previous, it was voted, "To proceed to the choice of a name for the new School House." Voted, "That the School to be hereafter kept in the School House on Haverhill Street, in town of Lawrence, shall bear the name of the Oliver School, and
1
1
JOHN F. COGSWELL,
Cogswell & Co.'s Express, office, 5 Lawrence Street ; residence, 276 Haverhill St. Born at Dover, N. H., March, 1835. Educated at Phillips Academy, Andover. Came to Lawrence in 1853. He was employed at the Pacific Mills four years, and by the Boston & Maine Co. two years. Entered the express business in 1859, and has con- tinued in it since that time. Attends Grace Episcopal church. Was a member of common council in 1862-63, and is at present one of the trustees of the city library ; also a trustee of the Broadway Savings Bank. Married Esther M. Merrill in 1860 ; has two children.
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HISTORY OF LAWRENCE, MASS.
that this name shall be publicly announced by the chairman of the school committee in the words of the above vote."
January 31st, the Committee met at the Oliver School House, and after examination, seventeen were admitted to the High School. September 4th, of that same year, another examination of candidates took place, but none were admitted.
The High School continued under the sole charge of Mr. Curtis, with about twenty scholars, until that number was increased by the admission of twenty-two scholars, September 2d, 1850, seven only without qualification. October 24th Miss Sarah B. Hooker was elected assistant teacher, whose subsequent course fully sustained the high expectations formed from her appearance and examination.
During the municipal year ending March Ist, 1850, the Amesbury Street School House, the Newbury Street School House, and the School House on Tower Hill, which was called the Pine Grove School House, were built. During the year ending March, 1851, a better School House was built on the South Side of the river, opposite the residence of M. C. Andrews, and also the Cross Street House, and a one-story, and what was considered a temporary house on Oak Street, in the rear of the Oliver School House. A plan was also submitted by the School Committee for the enlargement of the Oliver School House, by building a transverse section, three stories in height, fur- nishing in the upper story a large and commodious hall, and in the second and first stories, eight rooms. At the close of the fourth municipal year there were seventeen distinct schools under the care of twenty-five teachers, and having an attendance of 1470 scholars.
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