USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Lynnfield > History of Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts, including Lynnfield, Saugus, Swampscot, and Nahant, 1629-1864 > Part 45
USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Swampscott > History of Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts, including Lynnfield, Saugus, Swampscot, and Nahant, 1629-1864 > Part 45
USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Lynn > History of Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts, including Lynnfield, Saugus, Swampscot, and Nahant, 1629-1864 > Part 45
USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Saugus > History of Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts, including Lynnfield, Saugus, Swampscot, and Nahant, 1629-1864 > Part 45
USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Nahant > History of Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts, including Lynnfield, Saugus, Swampscot, and Nahant, 1629-1864 > Part 45
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In September, James C. Lamphier, of Swampscot, discovered floating off Swampscot beach, a turtle, of the enormous weight of six hundred pounds. Its length, from the end of the nose to the end of the tail, was eight feet and six inches, and its shell was six feet long and three and a half wide. The animal was dead when discovered. After being towed ashore a bullet hole was found in the body.
Rev. Theobold Matthew, of Ireland, a distinguished advocate of temperance, visited Lynn on the afternoon of Monday, 17 September. He held a levee at Lyceum Hall, and several hun- dreds, mostly his own countrymen, took the temperance pledge. On the 7th and 8th of October, he again visited Lynn and administered the pledge to others.
A great storm occurred on the 6th and 7th of October. The sea was driven in with such fury that in several places it made breaches entirely over Long Beach.
The Bay State, a weekly newspaper, advocating democratic principles, was commenced 11 October, by Lewis Josselyn.
On the evening of 19 October a party of Ojibway Indians gave an entertainment at Lyceum Hall. They had traveled in Europe under the guidance of George Catlin, the accom- plished Indian delineator.
The new grammar school-house, at Swampscot, was dedicated on the 20th of December.
A large number left Lynn, this year, to seek their fortunes in California, the excitement respecting the gold discoveries on the Pacific coast having set people almost beside themselves.
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Nearly two hundred went, some by water and some by land. And there was as much diversity in their success as in their characters and habits. Some returned in poverty and with broken health, others with well-filled purses and good health ; others still remained, preferring to make new homes in that distant region.
The grammar school-house at Tower Hill was built this year.
1850.
A curious discussion, which in some instances waxed quite warm, arose at the beginning of this year. It was on the ques- tion whether 1850 was the last year of the first half of the cen- tury, or the first year of the last half.
Fifteen cases of small-pox occurred in January in one house on Spring street; only one, however, proved fatal. All the patients were colored persons.
At the beginning of this year there were in Lynn thirty-four public schools, employing nine male and thirty-four female teachers. The whole number of pupils was 3.379.
A two story building on Centre street, between North Com. mon street and the Turnpike, occupied by Peter C. Downing, as a boarding-house, was destroyed by fire on Sunday night, March 31.
Lynn adopted the city form of government this year. The legislature granted the charter on the 10th of April, and on the 19th the inhabitants voted to accept it. The organization of the first city government took place on Tuesday forenoon, the 14th of May, at Lyceum Hall. The day was pleasant, and a large number, some of whom were ladies, were present to wit- ness the ceremonies. George Hood took the oath of office as mayor, Daniel C. Baker as president of the common council, and William Bassett as city clerk. In the evening the new city government, together with a large company of citizens, partook of a collation, in the old Town Hall.
A great fire raged in the woods on Sunday, 21 April. Sev- eral hundred acres, chiefly in Dungeon Pasture, were burned over.
Col. Samuel Brimblecom died 24 April, aged 81. He was for many years an enterprising shoe manufacturer, and did a great deal towards establishing the business on a firm basis. Before his time the whole trade was so loosely conducted that few realized any thing beyond a bare maintenance from unre- mitted toil and perplexity ; but many of his suggestions tended greatly to systematize the business and render it profitable. In common with all the manufacturers of that period he met with reverses in early life, though before the infirmities of age had settled upon him he had secured a competency. He was a man
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of philosophical turn of mind, and estimable social qualities ; fond of reading, and ready to aid in all efforts to improve the mind. He was a member of the Unitarian Society at its forma- tion, and continued steadfast in the faith. He had seven chil- dren, namely, Mary, Samuel, Mary Ann, two Williams, Lucy, and Ellen. His first wife was Mary Mansfield, whom he married 4 June, 1794; and his second, Nelly Copp, whom he married 1 June, 1817. Ellen was the only child by the second marriage. His residence was on the south side of the Turnpike, a few rods west of Franklin street. He was a native of Marblehead.
At about midnight, on Sunday, 26 May, two buildings on the wharf at the foot of Commercial street, were destroyed by fire, with a considerable quantity of lumber and lime. On the morning of the same day, a store-house in the rear of Caleb Wiley's store, corner of the Turnpike and Federal street, was burned.
Down to the last day of May, the easterly wind had been the prevailing one for a hundred successive days, an occurrence quite uncommon even here where our springs are so marked by easterly winds.
The physicians of Lynn, by mutual agreement, commenced charging seventy-five cents for each professional visit, June 15. The most common fee, previous to that, had been fifty cents. It was a time of great prosperity, and wages in almost every craft and profession took an upward course.
On the afternoon of Thursday, 20 June, during a thunder shower, the lightning struck the clothing store of Roland G. Usher, on Market street. James W. Ingalls, who was standing in the door way, was knocked down. The lightning passed between his legs, tearing one of his boots, and burning his person somewhat.
The " ten hour system," as it was called - that is, the reckon- ing of ten hours' labor as a day's work -- was very generally adopted this year. The church bells were rung at six in the afternoon, and then labor, for the most part, ceased, in field and shop. Mayor Hood took a lively interest in the movement.
On the night of the 18th of July, the morocco manufactory of James Tibbets, on Sutton street, was destroyed by fire.
On the afternoon of Wednesday, 24 July, Pine Grove Ceme- tery was consecrated. The weather was pleasant, though very warm, and a great concourse attended. The address was deliv- ered by Rev. Charles C. Shackford, of the Unitarian Society.
A son of Joseph Ramsdell, of Lynnfield, aged 10, killed a rattlesnake, in July, which was five feet in length and had eleven rattles.
In the summer of this year, the Salem and Lowell rail-road, running through the northerly part of Lynnfield, was opened. J2*
.
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A tornado passed through the westerly part of Lynnfield, on the 1st of August, at about three in the afternoon, sweeping every thing before it. Its track was but a few rods in width, and fortunately no buildings were in it.
On Thursday, August 15, a sad disaster occurred at Humfrey's pond, in Lynnfield. A company, connected for the most part with the First Christian Society of Lynn, were holding a pic-nic on the border of the pond. In the course of the afternoon a party of twenty-five, chiefly ladies, rowed out in a large flat bottomed boat, about a hundred yards from the shore. As some of them shifted from side to side, the boat was made to careen ; and several becoming alarmed threw their weight in a manner to completely capsize it. Before aid could reach them thirteen were drowned.
The Salem and South Reading rail-road, passing through Lynnfield, was opened for travel, 31 Angust.
The dry goods store of Charles B. Holmes, on Market street, was broken into on the night of 5 October, and robbed to the amount of some $500. Several other robberies were committed at about the same time, in different parts of the town.
This year the potato rot was very destructive to the crops in and about Lynn.
The first burial in Pine Grove Cemetery took place on Sun- day, October 13. It was on Myrtle path and in lot number 212. The stone bears this inscription: "Harriet Newell, wife of George W. Stocker, died Oct. 11, 1850, aged 27 years. Faith- ful while below, she did her duty well. The first interment and the first stone erected in this Cemetery."
The planet Venus was visible to the naked eye, on clear after- noons, for several days during the early part of November.
On the evening of 28 November, George Thompson, the dis- tinguished abolition lecturer and member of the British parlia- ment, being again in the country, had a public reception by his friends in Lynn, and delivered an address. The meeting was at Lyceum Hall, which was well filled, though the weather was stormy. James N. Buffum presided. For notice of Mr. Thomp- son's earlier visits see under date 1835.
The law passed by Congress, this year, intended to facilitate the rendition of slaves escaping into the free states, and known as the "Fugitive Slave Law," met with strong opposition in Lynn. Several largely attended meetings were held, at which it was warmly denounced. At Lyceum Hall, on Saturday evening, 5 October, a full and enthusiastic meeting convened, at which Mayor Hood presided, Jonathan Buffum, Daniel C. Baker, Charles Merritt, and William Bassett, being vice presidents, and George Foster and Benjamin F. Mudge secretaries. One or two prominent speakers from abroad made stirring addresses,
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and the following resolutions were unanimously adopted. They are certainly characteristic of the people of Lynn, in the ani- mated spirit of freedom they breathe though the exceeding fervor of one or two seems to savor somewhat of nullification :
RESOLVED, That the Fugitive Slave Bill, recently enacted by Congress, violates the plain intent and the strict letter of the United States constitution, which secures to every citizen, except in cases of martial law, the right of trial by jury on all important questions ; further, said bill outrages justice, since it does not secure to the fugitive, or to the free man mistaken for a fugitive, due notice beforehand of the charge made against him, and opportunity for cross- examining the witnesses against him on their oath, gives him no time to get counsel or gather testimony in his own behalf-rights which our fathers secured by the struggle of two hundred years, and which are too dear to be sacrificed to the convenience of slave hunters, afraid or ashamed to linger amid a community whose institutions and moral sense they are outraging.
Again, said bill tramples on the most sacred principles of the common law ; and even if men could be property, no property, however sacred, can claim the right to be protected in such a way as endangers the rights and safety of free men, therefore -
RESOLVED, That we protest against it as grossly unconstitutional, as fraught with danger to the safety of a large portion of our fellow citizens, and capable of being easily perverted to the ruin of any one, white or black; we denounce it as infamous, and we proclaim our determination that it shall not be executed.
RESOLVED, That we rejoice to believe that there are not prisons enough at the North to hold the men and women who stand ready to succor and protect the panting fugitive slave, and baffle and resist the slave hunter, who shall dare to pollute our soil.
RESOLVED, That every man who voted for this atrocious bill, every one who avows his readiness to execute it, and every one who justifies it on any ground, is a traitor to the rights of the free states, and a criminal of the deepest die; at the head of whom stands Millard Fillmore, who from party, or even baser motives, has set his name to a law, the provisions of which, so far from being fitted for a christian republic, remind one only of the court of Jeffries, or the camp of Haynau.
RESOLVED, That Samuel A. Eliot, of Boston, in giving his vote for this blood-hound bill, dishonored and betrayed Massachusetts ; and low as is often the moral sense of a great city, cankered by wealth, we rejoice to know that he misrepresented his immediate constituents : and we demand of them, in the name of our old commonwealth, to save us from the infamy of his presence in another Congress.
RESOLVED, That since God hath commanded us to "bewray not him that wandereth," and since, our fathers being witnesses, every man's right to lib- erty is self-evident, we see no way of avoiding the conclusion of Senator Seward, that "it is a violation of the divine law to surrender the fugitive slave who takes refuge at our firesides from his relentless pursuers;" and in view of this, as well as of the notorious fact that the slave power has constantly trampled under foot the Constitution of the United States to secure its own extension or safety, and especially of the open, undisguised, and acknowledged contempt of that instrument, with which the slave states kidnap our colored citizens traveling south, and imprison our colored seamen, we, in obedience to God's law, and in self-defense, declare that, constitution or no constitution, law or no law, with jury trial or without, the slave who has once breathed the air and touched the soil of Massachusetts, shall never be dragged back to bondage.
RESOLVED, That Lewis Cass and Daniel Webster, Senator Foote and Sen- ator Clay, and each and every one of the " compromise committee of thirteen,"
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who reported and urged the passage of this bill, as well as every one who voted for its passage, are unworthy the votes of a free people for any office for which they may be hereafter named.
In the course of a few months other large meetings were held, attended by prominent individuals of the several political parties, and similar resolutions adopted. Other places in the common- wealth were quite as much in a ferment as Lynn, and public opinion soon became so moulded that a legislature was elected which made such provisions that the operation of the law was seriously obstructed ; and the southerners grew rampant under what they declared to be Massachusetts nullification. Some very bad seeds were sown at this time.
George Thompson, member of the British parliament, deliv- ered the introductory lecture before the Lynn Lyceum, on the 21st of November. There was a very large attendance. His subject was Reforms in England.
The Central Congregational meeting-house, Silsbe street, was dedicated on the 11th of December.
Rev. Elbridge G. Brooks was installed minister of the First Universalist Society, on Sunday evening, December 22.
The valuation of the real estate in Lynn, for this year, was $3.160.515; of personal, $1.674.328 - total, 4.834.843. Rate of taxation, $9 on $1.000. Number of polls, 3.215. City debt, $56.960.55. By turning to date 1860, the reader will have an opportunity to determine what progress had been made in these particulars in ten years.
The whole number of deaths in Lynn, this year, was 262; of consumption, 43. Aggregate population, 14.257. Many have an impression that Lynn is an especially unfavorable locality for such as are liable to pulmonary diseases. But it is thought that a careful study of the bills of mortality will show that a smaller number of deaths, from all diseases, occur in Lynn, in a given period, than in almost any place of equal population, in New England; and that though the consumptives here bear a greater proportion, they are yet less in the whole number than the consumptives in those other places.
1851
On Wednesday, 8 January, the commodious structure, erected on High street, for the use of the High School, was dedicated. The school was commenced 28 May, 1849, in the wooden school- honse on Franklin street, under the charge of Jacob Batchelder, as principal.
The carpenter shop of Thomas Taylor, on Sagamore street, was destroyed by fire, on the night of 4 February. And on Monday night, 17 February, the two story wooden building on Market street. corner of Essex, was nearly burned up. The
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lower story was occupied as a crockery ware, grocery, and provision store. The Freemasons and two temperance societies had their rooms above.
On Sunday evening, March 11, a barn near the Dr. Cheever place, in Saugus, was burned, with about twelve tons of hay.
On Tuesday, 18 March, a tremendous storm occurred. The tide was driven entirely over Long Beach, at several points, so that Nahant was literally an island. The new road, on the harbor side was much damaged, the marshes were submerged, and considerable injury was done to the rail-road bed.
The second City Government was organized April ?- George Hood, mayor, James R. Newhall, president of the common coun- cil, William Bassett, city clerk.
On the 15th of April, another violent easterly storm com- menced, continuing two days. The wind was terrific, and much rain fell. A higher tide was occasioned than any since that driven in by the great gale of 1815. The sea again swept over Long Beach, to such an extent that a continuous sheet of raging water lay between Lynn and Nahant. Two men, on horseback, attempted to cross the Beach, but the horses were thrown down by a wave, and they were in great danger of losing their lives. The lower part of Beach street was submerged, and much lumber, wood, and other property floated off. This storm was more severe than that of the 18th of March. Seven successive tides rushed over the Beach, badly gullying the road so lately built, and rendering it almost impassable. At Breed's mill, on Oak street, a part of the dam was carried away and much damage done, a more particular statement whereof may be found on page 411. But the most serious disaster on the coast was the destruction of the light-house on Minot's Ledge, and the loss of two faithful assistant keepers. The height of the building was seventy-five feet, and it was supposed to have been so strongly built as to survive any storm. It was seen to fall, a few minutes after midnight, by persons on board an inward bound vessel.
After these two severe storms it became apparent that some- thing must speedily be done for the protection of the Beach or it would entirely disappear leaving the town exposed to the unobstructed inroads of the ocean. As the cheapest plan, it was concluded to place a line of red cedars along the ridge, working stones, sand, and sea debris as compactly as possible among them. A guard was thus formed, answering a very good pur- pose. The city appropriated $5.000 to the object. There should, however, be a substantial wall of stone; and it is hoped that government will one day supply the need; though there is not much prospect that they will do so at present.
On Friday afternoon, May 2, Miss Sarah Churchill, aged 19,
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a daughter of Ivory Churchill, of Vine street, while on a pleas- ure ride with a young man named Davis, visited the Fort, at Marblehead. They rode on an embankment, and Mr. Davis step- ped from the chaise to turn the horse, when the animal suddenly backed the carriage over the embankment, at a perpendicular descent of some nine feet, and Miss Churchill was instantly killed, her neck being broken. She was buried from St. Ste- phen's church, on the following Sunday, and a great concourse attended the solemn service.
On Sunday evening, 4 May, a barn on the Ballard estate, in Saugus, was destroyed by fire. An ox and a cow perished in the flames.
At about noon, on Saturday, 28 June, Charles Furbush killed John J. Perdy, at the boarding house of Mr. Bailey, on Market street, near the rail-road crossing. Furbush and Perdy were both journeymen shoemakers, boarding with Mr. Bailey. They had come home to dinner, and immediately after the meal was ended, Furbush went to his room, and Perdy went out, but soon returned, and went into the chamber where Furbush was. Presently two discharges of a pistol were heard, and some ex- cited ejaculations. The people below rushed to the chamber and found that Perdy had been shot; and he immediately ex- pired. Furbush was tried for murder, but acquitted on the ground of insanity.
A petition was this year presented to the city council, by Hiram Marble, for leave to excavate Dungeon Rock. Leave was granted, in July, and then commenced those labors of Mr. Marble in that romantic locality, which will remain forever, evidence of his faith and perseverance. For a somewhat ex- tended notice of the whole subject see under date 1658.
An effort was made this year, by a considerable number of ladies, to bring into fashion the Turkish costume, or, as it was called, the Bloomer-dress, from a lady of the name of Bloomer, who strongly urged its adoption. They however had but small success in inducing the sex generally to lay aside their graceful flowing robes for those which, though more picturesque and perhaps more convenient, have always, among the more fastidi- ous at least, been deemed less appropriate if not less modest. On a pleasant afternoon in July, a bevy of young ladies from Boston, richly and gaily habited in the new costume, left the cars at the Central Station, creating considerable observation if not admiration by their short tunics, full trowsers, bright sashes and jaunty hats. Quite a number of the young ladies of Lynn arrayed themselves in the new style, but such a strong prejudice against the innovation began to manifest itself, that they soon laid aside the unappreciated garments.
On the afternoon of Wednesday, 13 August, during a thunder
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shower, the lightning struck the house of Mr. Conner, on River street ; and in a description of the singular effects, given by one who soon after visited the premises it is stated that the light- ning descended the chimney, bursting it all to pieces as far down as the attic floor. Then it passed down a stove funnel to the chamber floor, bursting the cook stove, passing along the floor into a room adjoining, where two persons were taking tea. In its course here it tore up a large piece of the floor, upsetting the table, bursting out two whole windows in the room, break- ing the very chairs on which the persons sat, and throwing table, dishes, food, broken chairs, splinters of wood, and broken plastering, on all sides. Pieces of the broken iron and shivered wood were afterward to be seen sticking in the casings of the room, having been driven in, endwise, with much violence. From this room it could be traced to the basement, and off into the ground. And what is most wonderful of all, out of seven persons who were in the house at the time, none were seriously injured. The curious fact appeared, that pieces of the broken stove were so highly magnetized, that in one instance a piece about six inches square had strength enough to take board nails from the floor and hold them by the point. At about the same time that Mr. Conner's house was struck the lightning also struck the store of Mr. Vickary, in Gravesend village, somewhat injur- ing it, and knocking down one person.
On Friday afternoon, 22 August, a fierce tornado visited this region. It was felt, however, to but a small extent in Lynn. At Woodend, a boat was thrown out of the pond, and an apple tree eight or ten inches in diameter torn up by the roots. In Gravesend, the lightning which accompanied the tornado, in one instance descended the chimney of a house and went out through the front door, taking the side-lights. But it was terrific in some of the adjacent places ; tearing up lofty trees, demolishing out buildings and fences, wrenching off roofs, and more or less injuring many persons who were exposed to its fury.
The new grammar school-house at Nahant, was dedicated on Tuesday afternoon, 16 September.
On Sunday, 21 September, a great fire raged in the woods. Some streets were filled with smoke, and much damage was done.
The Independent Methodist meeting-house, at Nahant, was dedicated on Thursday afternoon, 25 September.
The Methodist meeting-house in Saugus, east village, was broken into on the night of Thursday, October 23, and the mis sionary box robbed of six dollars, and some thirty yards of carpet stolen from the floor.
On Sunday night, October 26, the British schooner Brothers, Captain Clark, was wrecked by striking on the outer ledge, off
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Swampscot. The crew, seven in number, were landed in safety, about midnight, by the assistance of Edward C. Bates and his men, who heard their outcries and hastened to their succor. The wreck drifted over to the Nahant rocks, near Mr. Tudor's.
The new grammar school-house in Woodend, was dedicated on Wednesday afternoon, 29 October. It was destroyed by fire, 21 January, 1859, being then valued at $6.000.
A new religious society, called the Central Unitarian Society, was formed in Lynn this year. They commenced worship in a hall, on Sunday, 9 November. This society was afterward dis- tinguished as the Free Church.
Sagamore Building, near the Central Depot, was again nearly destroyed by fire, 14 November.
The new grammar school-house in Gravesend was dedicated 19 November.
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