History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : containing carefully prepared histories of every city and town in the county, Vol. II, Part 11

Author: Drake, Samuel Adams, 1833-1905
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Boston : Estes and Lauriat
Number of Pages: 650

USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : containing carefully prepared histories of every city and town in the county, Vol. II > Part 11

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December 4, the census showed the population of Lowell, males 2,392, females 4,085; total 6,477. Of these, 631 were aliens.

January 17, 1831, Joseph Tilden, Samuel Ap- pleton, William Appleton, George W. Lyman, and Henry Cabot were incorporated as the Suf- folk Manufacturing Company, with a capital of $600,000. Robert Means was the agent until 1842, and was succeeded by John Wright, who died in 1869. Mr. Wright was succeeded by Thomas F. Shaw, June 1, 1868.

March 19, Amos Lawrence, Abbott Lawrence, William Pratt, Thomas B. Wales, George Hallett, David Sears, William Appleton, and Benjamin R. Nichols were incorporated as the proprietors of the Tremont Mills, with a capital of $600,000. Israel Whitney was agent from 1831 to 1834, John Aiken from 1834 to 1837, Charles L. Til- den from 1837 to 1859; Charles F. Battles from 1859 to 1870. Thomas F. Shaw succeeded Mr. Battles when the Tremont and Suffolk were con- solidated.

During the war both the Suffolk and Tremont engaged in the manufacture of woollens, which proved to be a losing business.

At the town-meeting of May 11 it was voted " to hire a room for the high school "; and on Alpheus Smith's petition for the annexation of Belvidere, the vote stood, yeas 52, nays 224.

June 7, William Appleton, Benjamin R. Nich- ols, and Nathan Appleton were incorporated as the Lawrence Manufacturing Company, with a capi- tal of $1,500,000. William Austin was agent until 1837, John Aiken from 1837 to 1849, Wil- liam S. Southworth from 1849 to 1865, William F. Salmon from 1865 to 1869, Daniel Hussey from 1869 to 1878; John Kilburn is the present incumbent.

The canal that supplies the Suffolk, Tremont, and Lawrence companies was made this year.

John P. Robinson was the orator for the 4th of July. The Railroad Bank was incorporated, with a capital of $600,000. Luther Lawrence was chosen president, and Pelham W. Warren cashier.

Paul Moody died July 6, 1831. He was born in Byfield, a parish of Newbury, May 23, 1779, and was fifty-two years old at his death. He was de- scended from William Moody, who emigrated from England and settled in Newbury in 1634.

Jacob Perkins, having invented a machine for cutting nails, put up a small nail factory in Byfield, in which young Moody found employment. He continued with Mr. Perkins several years, and was intrusted by him with the charge of his machine- shop. Having learned to construct a carding-ma- chine, the greatest improvement in woollen manu- facture, he spent some months in Boscawen, N. H., and in Maine, making and putting these machines in operation. In September, 1798, he married Susan Morrill, daughter of Jonathan Morrill of Amesbury, to which place he had removed. Soon after, he entered into copartnership with Ezra Worthen and others, and erected and run a cotton mill in Amesbury. In this business he was suc- cessfully engaged until the War of 1812, about fourteen years. During this time he had become a thorough practical machinist, fully understand- ing what was then known of cotton spinning and weaving.

In 1814 the Waltham Company was incorpo- rated, and Francis C. Lowell was in search of a competent mechanic to take charge of their machine-shop. The situation was offered to Mr. Jacob Perkins, but, being on the point of starting for England, he declined, and recommended Paul Moody as the best man for the place. Mr. Moody was engaged, and, with his family, removed to Waltham. His success, during the ten years of his engagement at Waltham, fully sustained the expectations of his friends and employers. It was a position in which his genius could have full scope, and the improvements made by him have successfully stood the test of time and experi- ence.

December 20, 1820, he took out a patent for a double-speeder for roping cotton ; and January 17, 1821, another for frames for spinning cotton ; and January 19, the same year, two patents for roping or spinning cotton, one being the double-speeder. He is credited with the introduction of the " dead spindle," and the use of leather belts to drive machinery instead of iron gearing. These were con-

LOWELL.

sidered a great improvement. These, and other improvements introduced by him into the new fac- tories at Waltham and Lowell aided in establish- ing the cotton manufacture in the United States upon an improved and permanent basis.

Paul Moody came to Lowell in 1823, and su- perintended the building of the Merrimack Com- pany's machine-shop, which was completed iu 1825, at an expense of $150,000. He held the position of superintendent under the Merrimack Company, and, when the property was transferred to the Locks and Canals Company, also under that company until his death.

In 1832 the Lowell Bleachery was incorporated, with a capital of $50,000, since increased to $300,000. Jonathan Derby was agent for one year. He was succeeded by Joseph Hoyt from 1833 to 1835, Charles T. Appleton from 1835 to - 1846, Charles A. Babcock from 1846 to 1853, Frank P. Appleton from 1853 to the present time.

In 1821 Mr. Hurd sold the land and water privilege on the east side of Concord River, com- prising what was then the " island " in Belvidere, to Winthrop Howe, who built a mill, and disposed of the surplus power to other parties. This mill was sold to John Nesmith, who in turn sold to W. B. Park of Boston, in 1832. Mr. Park, lıav- ing obtained a charter, sold his privilege in 1834 to Eliphalet Barber, Walter Farnsworth, and George Hill of Boston, the Belvidere Manufacturing Com- pany. Having purchased the stone mill, they con- tinued the business until 1851, when Charles Stott and Walter Farnsworth bought out the company's interest. The stone mill was destroyed by fire in 1851, and the old flannel-mill in 1852. The company was reorganized in 1853; Messrs. Stott and Farnsworth conveyed one third of their interest to the new company. The brick mill on Lawrence Street, on the Wamesit Power Company's canal, was built in 1862. The capital stock is now $200,000. Charles Stott has been agent since 1835.

At the town-meeting, May 5, a committee was appointed to buy a poor-farm; and Gorham Street was laid out.

At the town-meeting, January 21, 1833, it was voted to petition for the establishment of a police court in Lowell. This petition was granted, and the police court, with Joseph Locke as justice, became one of the institutions of Lowell. April 1, measures were taken to commence a system of sew- erage. May 6, Chelmsford Street was laid out.

July 2, the subject of a market-house was referred to a committee ; and a petition to license theatrical exhibitions or entertainments was negatived ; yeas 356, nays 473. November 11, Tyler Street was laid out, and the question of licensing a theatre came up again, with the same result; yeas 392, nays 529. A building for a theatre had been erected on Lowell Street, in which a number of performances were held under the management of Mr. Barrett, of the Tremont Theatre, Boston. The building was eventually turned into a tenement- house, called the Theatre Building for a long time. At the adjourned meeting, November 25, the Belvi- dere people were highly gratified, for a short time, by the apparent success of a measure that they had so persistently advocated. The town voted on the question of annexation, yeas 597, nays 445; and instructed its representatives to vote for the annex- ation of Belvidere.

The Irish Benevolent Society was organized this year. It was incorporated in 1843.

In anticipation of the visit of the President of the United States, General Andrew Jackson, to Lowell, a meeting of the citizens, without distinc- tion of party, was held, May 20, to concert measures for receiving him with proper demonstrations of respect. This visit occurred on Thursday, June 27. The committee of arrangements, accompanied by a cavalcade, met the President near the Andover line in Tewksbury, and escorted him to Nesmith Street, where he was welcomed in a brief address by Joshua Swan, Esq., chairman of the board of selectmen. In the mean time the mill-girls, to the number of 2,500, " all dressed in a style of ele- gance and neatness," were formed on Jackson Street; thence they were escorted by the military to their position on Church Street. This street was the place assigned for the school-children also. The citizens on foot were formed on High Street ; the military and the cavalcade on Nesmith and Andover streets. The artillery was stationed on Chapel Hill, east of Central Street, near to and overlooking Concord River.

The President, who was accompanied by Messrs. Van Buren, Cass, Woodbury, and Donelson, his private secretary, was too ill to attend the banquet prepared for him. He, however, visited the Mer- rimack Corporation, and went through mill No. 2, where all the machinery had been put in operation. The girls belonging there, in their holiday attire, took charge of the work and exhibited the process of cotton manufacturing. The President was greatly

HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.

interested. He also visited the print-works, where he saw the process of printing calicoes.

Warren Colburn was born in Dedham, March 1, 1793, and was the son of Richard and Joanna (Eaton) Colburn. While a teacher he wrote and published his well-known work on Arithmetic, called the First Lessons. He finished the Sequel after he went to Waltham, during his leisure time. His First Lessons gradually worked its way to notice and favor, and enjoyed a more enviable suc- eess than any other school-book ever published in this country, and its merits were deservedly ac- knowledged. It has been stated that fifty thousand copies of Colburn's First Lessons are annually used in Great Britain. About two millions of copies had been sold in 1856.

June 18, 1824, the superintendent of the Merri- maek Manufacturing Company, Mr. Ezra Worthen, died instantly while engaged in his ordinary duties. Mr. Colburn was appointed his successor.

Mr. Samuel Batchelder says of Colburn : " His mathematical skill, and his knowledge of the prin- ciples of mechanies, gave him important advantages for the situation in which he was placed, and he was not less successful in his good judgment in the general management of business." He died Sep- tember 13, 1833.

October 25, Henry Clay, the eminent Kentuckian, visited Lowell. He visited the schools, and in the evening of that day held a reception in the old town-hall.

At the town-meeting, January 18, 1834, a motion to reconsider the vote of November 25, 1833, on the annexation of Belvidere, was carried (yeas 724, nays 1), and the representatives were instrueted to oppose the annexation. March 29, the legislature passed "an Act to set off a part of the town of Tewksbury and annex the same to the town of Lowell." This settled a long controversy. November 10, a committee appointed May 5, 1832, to consider the matter of a poor-farm, reported in favor of a house seventy-five feet long, thirty-seven feet wide, and three stories high in front, to be built of brick or stone.

Estimated cost, $6,000.

May 7, David Crockett, of Tennessee, visited the town, and was toted, toasted, and praised to his heart's content. He says of this visit : " I wanted to see how it was that these Northerners could buy our cotton and carry it home, manufacture it, bring it back, and sell it for half nothing; and, in the mean time, be well to live, and make money be- sides. We stopped at the large stone house at the

head of the falls of the Merrimack River, and having taken a little refreshment, went down among the factories. The dinner-bells were ringing and the folks pouring out of the houses like bees out of a gum. I looked at them as they passed, all well dressed, lively, and genteel in their appearance ; indeed, the girls looked as if they were coming from a quilting frolic."

May 31, 1834, a steamboat was launched above Pawtucket Falls, to run on the Merrimack River between Lowell and Nashua. This enterprise originated with Joel Stone of Lowell and J. P. Simpson of Boston. The first steamboat on the Merrimack is said to have come from Boston in 1819, and reached Coneord, N. H. Stone and Simpson's boat, ninety feet long and twenty wide, was named the Herald. Joel Stone was her first captain.

Thomas Hopkinson delivered the oration on the 4th of July.

October 4, George Thompson, a distinguished English antislavery orator, spoke in Lowell. Mis- siles were hurled at the building from behind the speaker. One of these, a large brickbat, came through the window with a startling crash, passed near Mr. Thompson's head, and fell upon the floor. This was preserved, and exhibited in the rooms of the New England Antislavery Society, Boston. On it was this inseription : ---

" While G. Thompson, from England, was pleading the canse of 2,300,000 human and immortal American born beings, held in brutal, unmitigated, and soul-destroying bondage, in this land of Republicanism and Christianity, this deadly missile was hurled with tremendous force at his head by one of the citizens of Low-hell. In the year of our Saviour Christ, 1834; of American Independence, 58."

The following placard was found posted up the next morning : -

" Citizens of Lowell, arise! Look well to your interests ! Will you suffer a question to be discussed in Lowell which will endanger the safety of the Union, - a question which we have not by our constitution a right to meddle with ? Fellow-citizens, shall Lowell be the first place to suffer an Englishman to disturb the peace and harmony of our coun- try ? Do you wish instruction from an Englishman ? If you are free-born sons of America, meet, one and all, at the town-hall, this evening, at half-past seven o'clock, and convince your Southern brethren that we will not interfere with their rights."

Mr. Thompson that day received an anonymous letter, a rare specimen of the literature of that day, telling him that "there is a plot in agitation to immerse you in a vat of indelible ink."

LOWELL.

The hour of the third meeting arrived. Quite a large audience had gathered in the hall. The night was " dark, drizzly, and disagreeable." A crowd was outside, in full force : some with a pur- pose to break up the meeting, some to see the fun, and more to see a mob; while all helped to swell the noise. Mr. Thompson, his friends, and the selectmen of the town were in the anteroom of the hall. Brickbats and stones werc hurled against the windows from the Shattuck Street side, but a board screen rendered them harmless. Although the selectmen wanted to see fair play, they were powerless in such a crowd. The Abolition friends of Mr. Thompson, concluding that " discretion was the better part of valor," disguised him as best they could, and let him go out and see the fun. The meeting was adjourned to, and held, the next afternoon, without any hindrance or disturbance.

Mr. Thompson came to Lowell again, March 15, 1865, in the company of William Lloyd Garri- son, at the invitation of the Lowell Freeman's Aid Society. The meeting was in Huntington Hall, and the Hon. Nathan Crosby presided.

Iu 1835 the market-house was built, and for a short time looked a little like business; but the occupants of the stalls had to adopt the plan of the stores, -obtain their orders and carry out their goods. It became very evident that a market- house was not adapted to Lowell's wants.

The transfer of the courts from Concord and Cambridge created a necessity for a court-room ; and the upper story of the market-house was made available for that purpose. To follow all the changes that the building has been subjected to would require too much space. It is now used for a police station, a police court, and by Messrs. C. P. Talbot & Co. as a store-room for their drugs and dyestuffs.

At the town-meeting, January 12, the committee appointed in November, 1834, to consider the subject of having one or more terms of the courts held here, reported in favor of the June term, and it was voted to petition the legislature for that, and also that the house of correction be located in Lowell.

March 27, the Boott Cotton Mills were incor- porated, with a capital of $1,500,000. Abbott Lawrence, Ozias Goodwin, and John A. Lowell were named in the charter. B. F. French was the agent till 1845 ; he was succeeded by Linus Child till 1862, and by William A. Burke, from the Lowell Machine-Shop, in April, 1862. Mr. Burke

left in September, 1865, and was succeeded by A. G. Cumnock, the present incumbent.

The cars on the Boston and Lowell Railroad be- gan to run regularly July 4.

Rev. E. W. Freeman delivered the oration for July 4.

The Middlesex Mechanics' Association finished and occupied their building this year. This Asso- ciation was incorporated June 18, 1825, and was organized October 6. The first annual meeting was held October 5, 1826. Warren Colburn de- livered an address on the comparative state of the sciences, arts, and literature in ancient and modern times.

In December, 1834, the Merrimack, Hamilton, Appleton, Lowell, Middlesex, Suffolk, Lawrence, and Tremont corporations made a donation to the Association of one fourth of one per cent on their capital, amounting to $14,075. A mortgage was given by the Association, upon its land and build- ing, to the Proprietors of the Locks and Canals on Merrimack River. The conditions of this dona- tion were, "that the Association shall, during its existence, apply the sum of $1,000 annually to. the maintenance and increase of a library and reading-room, in the establishment of lectures, and for the payment of premiums for inventions and improvements in the mechanic arts, and for any or all of these objects."

A vote of thanks to Kirk Boott, who was in- strumental in procuring these favors, was passed by the Association, January 3, 1835, and a request made that he would sit for his portrait, at the ex- pense of individuals of the Association. No indi- vidual was to be allowed to subscribe more than five dollars. A full-length portrait was painted, and hung in the hall, where it still is.

As has been stated above, the building was com- pleted this year, 1835. The money that had been donated, together with admission fees, assessments, and a loan of $2,000, was all expended. Under these circumstances, more assistance was needed ; and in April, 1839, the Boott Cotton Mills made a donation of $2,500 in moncy. After paying the debt, this left $500 to be used to replenish the library. Soon after, the Lawrence, Boott, Hamil- ton, Tremont, Suffolk, Appleton, and Middlesex made an additional donation of $1,395, making the whole amount from the companies $ 22,480.

In the spring of 1837 an amendment to the charter was obtained, giving authority to establish a reading-room, which was done. Since that time

HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.

it has proved to be one of the most useful and at- tractive departments in the building.

In 1845 Nathan Appleton and Abbott Law- rence were invited to sit for their portraits, which they did ; and the portraits were placed in the hall. The hall is now adorned with the portraits of Washington, Boott, Appleton, Lawrence, John A. Lowell, and Patrick T. Jackson.

In 1847 Hon. Abbott Lawrence gave the sum of $1,000 to be expended in the purchase of valu- able French scientific works. After the deatlı of Kirk Boott his widow presented the Association with two hundred volumes.

The Middlesex County Society of Natural His- tory, an incorporated association, which was organ- ized in 1836, consisting of members of the Mechan- ics' Association, had collected and arranged in cases and drawers a valuable assortment of curiosities and minerals. These specimens occupied a room in the building. A large portion was contributed by Oliver M. Whipple, Esq., and in honor of him the collection was called the Whipple Department. October 6, 1859, this department was presented to the Association by the above-named society, and so little is the interest felt in it that it is now con- signed to an attic.

In 1856 the Association successfully undertook to establishi an annual course of twelve public lec- tures, which have been maintained ever since at an expense of about $1,200 per annum. In con- sideration of the scientific character of some of these lectures, the companies contributed $300 annually to sustain them. The profit arising from these lectures is devoted to the library.

C. Merriam, Esq., to justify slavery from the Scriptures, was hissed down. The Courier pro- nounced the whole account "deliberately false." The resolutions were adopted at a subsequent meeting.

CITY GOVERNMENT ORGANIZED.

As early as November 17, 1835, the Courier called the attention of the people to the necessity of a city government. The facts that there had been ten town-meetings during that year, that the population had increased to over sixteen thonsand, and that the voters entitled to a participation in town affairs numbered over twelve hundred, were sufficient in themselves to warrant a movement in that direction. The experience had in the trans- action of business, raising the necessary sums of money, laying out streets, building school-houses, sidewalks, drains, and sewers, made it evident that there was a need of reform, and that some method must be devised to obviate the necessity of calling such a large number of people from their regular business to transact the business of the town.

At the town-meeting held February 3, 1836, a committee of twenty-five were chosen and in- structed to consider if any alterations or modifica- tions in the municipal regulations of said town were necessary, and also the expediency of estab- lishing a city government. The following gen- tlemen were chosen to serve on this committee : Luther Lawrence, Eliphalet Case, John Nesmith, O. M. Whipple, William Austin, Joseph W. Man- sur, Seth Ames, Joel Stone, Jr., Amos Spalding, Hamlin Davis, John R. Adams, John Chase, Wil- liam N. Owen, Erastus Douglas, Granville Parker, Walter Willey, T. P. Goodhue, Isaac Swan, Thomas Flint, Richard Fowler, Daniel H. Dean, Henry J. Baxter, J. M. Doe, John Aiken, George Brownell.

During the latter part of 1834 and the early part of 1835 the people of Lowell were severely exercised on the subject of slavery. The visit of Thompson had served to fix the opinions of the people, and two parties were formed. In order to This committee reported, on the 17th of February, that it was expedient to establish a city govern- ment, adducing in its favor that under the town government there was a " want of executive power," and a " loose way of spending money." stand well with the South, it was thought necessary to hold a public meeting and denounce all agita- tion of the slavery question. Such a meeting was held August 22, 1835, and a series of resolutions were offered by Charles H. Locke, which were dis- To this committee ten more members were added, as follows : " Joseph Locke, David Boynton, Tap- pan Wentworth, John Mixer, Peter H. Willard, Benjamin Walker, Samuel A. Coburn, Thomas Hop- kinson, Benjamin Hutchinson, Thomas B. Comins ; and they were instructed to draft a charter and present a petition to the legislature for its embodi- ment in an act of incorporation. They were anthor- cussed and then referred to a committee consist- ing of Messrs. Charles H. Locke, John Aiken, John P. Robinson, Samuel H. Mann, Elisha Bart- lett, John Avery, Thomas Hopkinson, John L. Sheafe, and William Austin. A paper called the Lowell Times says of this meeting, " Hisses, scrapings, coughings, and yells were mixed with the exercises," and that an attempt made by H. ized to print fifteen hundred copies of the charter

LOWELL.

for distribution. At the meeting, February 27, the proposed charter was read and accepted. Only one amendment was suggested, but not carried, that " no person holding an office under the United States or state governments should be eligible to the office of mayor."

The charter was promptly granted by the legis- lature, and the governor, Edward Everett, signed the act April 1. Its acceptance must be by a majority of the voters in town-meeting assembled, and it suspended the election of town officers for the year 1836, allowing the old board to hold over until their successors were chosen. It gave the selectmen authority to call the first meeting under the charter, by issuing their warrant before the first Monday in May for the citizens to give in their votes for a mayor, six aldermen, twenty-four coun- cilmen, and six members of the school committee, who were to hold their offices until the first Monday in April, 1837.

This charter was accepted by the voters at a meeting held April 11; yeas 961, nays 328. The selectmen issued their warrant April 14, for a meeting to be held April 21, at which time the following persons were chosen : Elisha Bartlett,1 mayor ; William Austin, Benjamin Walker, Oliver M. Whipple, Aaron Mansur, Seth Ames, Alexan- der Wright, aldermen ; Thomas Nesmith, Thomas Ordway, Samuel Garland, George Brownell, Cyril French, Horace Howard, William Wyman, Eras- tus Douglas, Henry J. Baxter, Weld Spalding, Jonathan Bowers, Sidney Spalding, John Clark, James Russell, H. W. Hastings, David Nourse, Stephen Mansur, John Mixer, John A. Savels, James Cook, Josiah B. French, Jonathan Tyler, David Dana, Tappan Wentworth, councilmen ; Lemuel Porter, Amos Blanchard, Jacob Robbins, Jolın O. Green, Jolın A. Knowles, Thomas Hop- kinson, school committee.

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History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : containing carefully prepared histories of every city and town in the county, Vol. II, Part 11

Author: Drake, Samuel Adams, 1833-1905 Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Boston : Estes and Lauriat Number of Pages: 650

Author: Drake, Samuel Adams, 1833-1905
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Boston : Estes and Lauriat
Number of Pages: 650