History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 66

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co
Number of Pages: 1034

USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I > Part 66

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

To Eben" Bradish, Dr.

March 29, 1769, to dinners and drink

April, 1769, to flip and punch

May I, " to wine and eating . 0

to dinners, drink and suppers 0 18

to flip and cheese 0

July, to punch 0

August, “ to punch and eating 0

October, " to punch and cheese 0

64 to dinners and drink 0 12

Dec., Jan. and Feb., to sundries 0 12

Besides innkeepers the County Court licensed others to sell liquors by retail. Two of these retailers in their old age found it necessary to appeal to the County Court for relief, and their petitions are still preserved on file, to wit :

194

HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

"To the honored Court assembled at Cambridge: 'all prosperity wished.' Thease are to inform you that I wase brought up in an honest collinge in ould England, where we sold all sortes of goodes and strong waters withoute offence. I have bine now in forty-oine yeres and up- ward in this towne and have payed to the magistrate and ministre and to town charges and all willingly, that I have helped to bear the burtheo and heate of the daye, and now I am 74 yeres and upward, yet I cao abide in my shope and attend to my collinge, though but little ie to be gotten by any thinge I cao by, that my trade will not maintain my family and other charges of the towne and countrey and ministrye. There being so many sellers that never served for a trade, I desire that it he no offense to aney that I continue in that collinge I was brought up to and may have your leave to sell rome, it being a commodity salla- bell and allowed to be brought to this country, and many that was for- merly a commodity is not now. Hopeing me my request, I rest yr servant,

" EDMUND ANGIER.

" April 7th, 1686."

In 1740 an epidemic prevailed in Cambridge, . called "throat distemper," similar to the influenza, which was recently prevalent. The disease was thus described by Thacher : "The amazing rapidity with which it spread resembled more a storm than the natural progress of a disease from any contagious source, and as it did not incapacitate from pursuing their ordinary avocations, a constant coughing and wheezing was heard in the streets and in public as- semblies little else was heard or attended to." It proved so serious here, however, that the students were dismissed from college and the following vote was passed :

" WHEREAS, by the holy Providence of God, several families in Cam- bridge are visited with the throat distemper, and the President and Stewards are under very afflicting circumstances by reason of that mor- tal sickness, and whereas we apprehend that there is danger of the distemper spreading as it hath done in other places and that the Stu- dents are much endangered thereby, therefore,

"Voted, that they be immediately dismissed from College and that the vacation begin from this time, and that the Commencement for this year begin from this date or from the expiration of the vacation."

In 1721 Cambridge was visited with the small-pox, and there were many deaths from this scourge. In January of that year the General Assembly of this Province met at Cambridge, but there was not a quorum, and they adjourned to meet a few miles from this place on account of the small-pox being now in the heart of the place. The town records show that a committee was appointed January 29, 1721, "to provide for the relief of those persons and families as may stand in need thereof in case the small-pox con- tinues to spread among us." Inoculation for the small-pox was first introduced at this time in Boston by Dr. Boylston, who encountered much opposition, but out of 286 persons inoculated only six died. In 1730 Cambridge was again visited by the same dis- ease, when it raged with alarming violence. Nine town-meetings were held between March 20th and April 3d to devise means for its extermination. The college studies were broken up for a time, but the students were recalled by an advertisement dated May 2, 1730, and published in the Weekly Journal: "The small-pox having been lately at Cambridge, which occasioned the dispersion of the scholars, to escape danger, but now through the Divine goodness

that distemper having utterly ceased here, it is agreed and ordered by the President and Tutors, that the undergraduates forthwith repair to the College to follow their studies and stated exercises." Benjamin Wadsworth, Pres.

Again, in 1752, the small-pox caused the cessation of study in college from April 22d until September 2d, and the corporation voted May 4th "that there be no public commencement this year," and in Octo- ber voted to have no winter vacation. The town ap- pointed a committee May 18th to devise measures to prevent the spread of the disease, and on the 3d of October voted " that a public contribution be in the three parts of the town next Lord's day, come seven night, for the speedy raising of money to defray the charges the town have been at in the support of sun- dry persons lately visited with the small-pox belong- ing to this town."

Rev. Jolin Cotton, in a letter dated November 7, 1717, and preserved in the library of the Massachu- setts Historical Society, says that at the funeral of Hon. Andrew Belcher " All the ministers there had scarves and gloves. They say 50 suits of cloaths were made. All first cousins, Remington, Blowers, etc., were put into mourning. John Coleman, Caswell, etc., all that had been apprentices to him also. Ninety dozen of gloves were bought and none of any figure but what had gloves sent 'em." When the practice of furnishing mourning and paying all the funeral expenses was abolished is not clear, but in 1764 we find this record : " Died, in Cambridge, in the 78th year of her age, Mrs. Hannah Burrill, relict of the late Theophilus Burrill, Esq., and sister to the Rev. President Holyoke, at whose house she had for a long time resided. Her remains were interred without the expense of mourning apparel, agreeable to the laudable practice in Boston. As this is the first example of the kind in this town we doubt not it will acquire imitation, as it was introduced by a gentleman of so worthy and respectable a character." It is to be regretted that the efforts made by Presi- dent Holyoke and others to abolish such extravagant and useless customs were ineffectual, for we find it prevailed some years later.

Bill of expenses for the funeral of Edmund Goffe, October, 1740, now on file at the Probate Office, East. Cambridge :

£ s. d.

" To 5 paire of gloves at 78. 6d, and a mourning weed 1 17 6 " 1 pair of shoe buckles Gs., knee buckles 48. 6d., black studs Is. 3d. 0 11 9

" a hat 60s., mourning wig £5. 8

0 0

0 " a pair of gloves, black silk 258. 1 5

" a snit of mourning for the widow and a pair of shoes, 30 0

" another pair of black silk gloves 25s. 5 1

" ten rings of Mr. Hurd, as per account 23 14 (

6 0 " mourning for my Aunt Barnard 33

" the same for my Sister Dana 33

6 0

" pair of gloves for her husband 0

" cash paid the taylors for making the cloths . .

3 19 0

" two gallons of wine 3''s., a dozen of pipes and two papers of tobacco 58. . 1 15 0

195

CAMBRIDGE.

To cash paid for bricks and bricking the grave 1 10 0 " stones to cover the grave . 0 10 0

" November 8, 1671."

This bill was allowed by the judge, though the es- tate was soon afterwards rendered insolvent.

At a town-meeting held in connection with the church, July 17, 1671, an earnest call was given to Uriah Oakes to come over to this country and to set- tle over the church in Cambridge. Mr. Oakes ac- cepted the call, and the town voted " that the deacons be furnished and enabled to provide for the accom- modation at the charge of the church and the town, and to distribute the same seasonably for the comfort of Mr. Oakes and his family, and that half a year's payment be made forthwith by every one, and the one-half of it be paid in money and the other half in such pay as may be suitable to the end intended." The church and town united in keeping the 17th day of January, 1676, as a day of thanksgiving, that the loss sustained by the death of Mr. Mitchell (their former pastor) was thus supplied.

A glimpse of the customs of that period is obtained from the following account of the disbursements for the ordination of Mr. Oakes as pastor of the church of Cambridge, which took place Nov. 8, 1671 :

£ s. d.

" § busbels of wheate

0 15 0

216 malt

0 10 0

4 gallons of wine

0 18 0

for beefe

1 10 0

mutton 1

# 30 1bs. butter 0 15

foules . 0 14

sugar, spice and fruit

" labour

washing table lining ()

woode

0 7 0

suit, bread 6s.

0 9 0

17 3

" Paid by contribution the Sabbath before ordination."

Cambridge was very early designated (and before the establishment of counties) as one of the four towns where judicial courts should be held, and when the Colony was divided into counties, May 10, 1643, the courts continued to be held in Cambridge, as the shire-town of Middlesex; but as the business increased it was ordered, October 19, 1652, that two additional sessions should be held for this county in each year, both at Charlestown. These courts were continued for many years, and a court-house and jail were erected in that town, and at a still later date courts were established and similar buildings were erected in Concord. These places were regarded as "half-shires," but the county records were never re- moved from Cambridge, excepting temporarily during the usurpation of Sir Edmund Andros, who appointed Capt. Laurence Hammond, of Charlestown, clerk of the courts and register of probate and deeds, who removed the records to Charlestown. In 1689 the General Court ordered Capt. Hammond to surrender and deliver to the order of the county of Middlesex the records of that county and all books of record |

and files belonging to said county in his custody ; and he not obeyiug the order, the marshal-general was ordered to arrest him forthwith, with power to break open his house if necessary. The records were at length surrendered. By the records of the General Court it appears that on the 8th of June, 1716, Colonel Goffe complained that no office for the regis- try of deeds was open in Cambridge, it being the shire-town of Middlesex ; a hearing was ordered, and on June 13, 1717, it was resolved by the whole Court that Cambridge was the shire-town of said county, and on the following day it was voted in con- currence "that the public office for registering of deeds and conveyances of lands for the County of Middlesex be forthwith opened and kept at the shire- town, Cambridge." The order was immediately obeyed. When 'or where the building erected in which the judicial courts were first held in Cam- bridge is uncertain, but it was destroyed by fire during the year 1761, and the Court passed this order : "Upon information that several records belonging to this county were casually burned in the burning of the house where the court was usually kept, this Court do order that the Recorder take care that out of the foul copies and other scripts in his custody he fairly draw forth the said records into a book and present the same to the County Court when finished ; and that the Treasurer of the County allow for the same." The first court-house of which we have any definite knowledge was erected about 1708, in Har- vard Square, nearly in front of the present Lyceum Hall. Deacon Nathaniel Hancock, Jason Russell and Lieut. Amos Marrett were the building commit- tee. The County Court had previously ordered " that there be allowed out of the County Treasury the sum of thirty pounds towards the erecting a suitable Court-House for the use of the County in the town of Cambridge, one-half to be paid at the raising and covering, and the other half at the finishing of the same; the said house to be of not less than four-and- twenty foot wide and eight-and-twenty foot long, and of height proportionable." This house, diminutive as it now appears, was used by the courts for about a half a century. In 1756 the Court of Sessions ap- pointed a committee to provide better quarters, either by enlarging the old house or erecting a new one. The town "voted, Nov. 2, 1756, to pay its propor- tion of the cost, provided the materials of the old meeting-house, now being taken down, be given and applied to that use, together with the town's propor- tion of the present Court-House." A lot of land was purchased where Lyceum Hall now stands, and a house was erected more spacious than the former one, and was occupied by the courts for more than fifty years. An ineffectual attempt was made in 1806, by prominent men in Cambridgeport, to erect a court- house on the easterly side of what was long called the "meeting-house lot," bounded by Broadway and Boardman, Harvard and Columbia Streets. Andrew

196

HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

Cragie and his associates were more successful. Hav- ing given ample grounds and erected a court-house and jail at an expeuse of $24,000, they were rewarded by the removal of the courts and records, in 1816, to the edifices prepared for them at what is now East Cambridge, where they remain to this day. The old court-house, having been abandoned by the county, was used for town and parish purposes until April 19, 1841, when the town quit-claimed all its rights and interest in the house and lot for the nominal sum .of one dollar, in trust for the use of the proprietors of the Lyceum Hall to be erected on the premises ; provided, nevertheless, that the grantees "do and shall forever grant and secure to the Town the right of the inhabitants of the First Ward, in said Cambridge, to the use of the Hall for all necessary meetings of the Voters of said Ward." The old court-house was removed to Palmer Street, where it still remains, being occupied for secular purposes. The town pro- tested most earnestly against the removal, but all in vain.

CAMBRIDGE AS A CITY .- After several attempts to divide the ancient town of two or more centuries, and in consequence of the rapid increase of its popu- Jation, it was found imperatively necessary that some change should be made in the management and ad- ministration of its municipal affairs, and as every at- tempt to divide the town had been defeated, at a town- meeting January 5, 1846, several citizens, before leaving the town-house, signed a petition requesting the selectmen to appoint a legal meeting to see if the town would ask for a city charter, and accordingly the inhabitants met January 14, 1846, and voted that the selectmen be instructed to petition the Leg- islature for the grant of a city charter, and Simon Greenleaf, Owen S. Kieth, Abraham Edwards, Sidney Willard, Thomas Whittemore, Isaac Liver- more, William Parmenter, Ephraim Buttrick, Thomas F. Norris and the town clerk were appointed a com- mittee to draft a bill in conformity to the preceding vote, and to use all proper means to procure its pas- sage, and an act to establish the city of Cambridge was approved March 17, 1846, by the Governor, and on March 30th the inhabitants in town-meeting voted to adopt the act by a vote of 645 in the affirma- tive and 224 in the negative, whereupon the result was announced by the moderator and proclamation was made that the town of Cambridge had accepted its charter, and become a city.

The new government was organized May 4, 1846, James D. Green having been chosen mayor ; the City Council consisted of six aldermen and the Common Council of twenty; the mayor and aldermen chosen by the inhabitants of the city at large voting in their respective wards. The Common Council were appointed among the several wards giving Ward One, five mem- bers; Ward Two, niue members, and to Ward Three, six members.

Isaac Livermore was the first president of the Com-

mon Council, and Charles S. Newell, clerk ; Lucius R. Paige, the historian of Cambridge, was chosen city clerk, and Abel W. Bruce, treasurer; Roland Litch- field, Jr., messenger.

Mayors .- The following is a list of mayors from 1846 to 1890: James D. Green, from May, 1846, to April, 1848; Sidney Willard, April, 1848, to April, 1851; George Stevens, April, 185I, to April, 1853 ; James D. Green, April, 1853, to April, 1854 ; 1 Abra- ham Edwards, April, 1854, to January, 1855 ; Zebina L. Raymond, January, 1855, to January, 1856; John Sargent, January, 1856, to January, 1860 ; 2 James D. Green, January, 1860, to July 24, 1861 ; ' Charles Theo. Russell, July 31, 1861, to January, 1863; George C. Richardson, January, 1863, to January, 1864 ; Zebina L. Raymond, January, 1864, to January, 1865 ; J. Warren Merrill, January, 1865, to January, 1867 ; Ezra Parmenter, January, 1867, to January, 1868; Charles H. Saunders, January, 1868, to January, 1870 ; Hamlin R. Harding, January, 1870, to January, 1872; Henry O. Houghton, January, 1872, to January, 1873; Isaac Bradford, January, 1873, to January, 1877; Frank A. Allen, January, 1877, to Jannary, 1878; Samuel L. Montague, January, 1878, to January, 1880 ; James M. W. Hall, January, 1880, to January, 1881; James A. Fox, January, 1881, to January, 1885 ; Willam E. Russell, January, 1885, to January, 1889; Henry H. Gilmore, January, 1889, present incumbent.

Since the organization as a city, Cambridge has in- creased rapidly in wealth and population, and is now the second city in valuation in the Commonwealth, and from fourteen thousand inhabitants in 1846, it has now upwards of seventy thousand, and is still in- creasing, and with its schools and other institutions it presents many attractions to those seeking a resi- dence near the metropolis of New England.

Here is located Mount Auburn, the first extensive rural cemetery in the country (second only to the celebrated Pére Lachaise, of Paris), where repose the remains of many of our illustrious dead, and which is much visited by strangers from all parts of the world.

The Agassiz Museum of Zoology is open at all times for visitors, where can be seen the largest col- lection of objects of natural history to be found on this continent, if not in the world, and the Peabody Museum also possesses many objects of great interest not to be found elsewhere. The Botanical Garden, although belonging to and connected with the Uni- versity, is accessible to visitors at all times, and con- tains many rare specimens of plants and flowers not to be found elsewhere. The Harvard Gymnasium is also a place of much interest ; Memorial Hall, with its portraits of many distinguished persons, and the Sanders Theatre, connected with it, are places of much interest and visited by strangers, while the ante-Rev- olutionary relics about the town, such as Washing-

1 Municipal year changed.

? Resigned.

3 Firat elected by the City Council.

197

CAMBRIDGE.

ton's headquarters and the many residences in Tory Row, as well as the homes of Longfellow, Lowell and Holmes, make it an attractive spot for the visitors from all parts of our country, as well as the travelers from foreign lands.

The extensive manufacturing industries will be alluded to in another chaprer.

Since the establishment of Cambridge as a city many public improvements have been made which have added greatly to its prosperity and importance, both as a place of residence, as well as a desirable location for manufacturing purposes.

The city is well supplied with an abundance of pure water from Fresh Pond, which has recently been connected with Stony Brook, and the supply is abundant for many years to come, and the quality of the water is excellent. The drainage has been much improved and is now all that can be desired.

After the opening of West Boston Bridge in 1793 that part of the town called Cambridgeport increased rapidly and was in a highly flourishing condition, but the political disturbances of the country were very disastrous to its prosperity. The Embargo pro- claimed in December, 1807, and the war with Great Britain in 1812 paralyzed the commercial interests of the whole country. Cambridge felt this the more keenly because it involved so many of her citizens in distress ; many were thrown out of business and some were reduced to absolute want, and a rapid deprecia- tion in the value of real estate followed, and many of the owners of land purchased while the country was prosperous were financially ruined. The general stagnation which ensned was so great that it did not recover for many years and the hope of making it a great commercial centre seems to have been given up and abandoned. In common with many towns in New England, Cambridge earnestly protested against the Embargo. A town-meeting was called August 25, 1808, when a committee consisting of Francis Dana, Royal Makepeace and Samuel P. P. Fay re- ported an address which was adopted "almost unani- mously," and the selectmen were directed to forward it to the President of the United States, and to which a reply was very soon received from the President, which is still preserved in the office of the city clerk and signed "Th : Jefferson," September 10, 1808. This protestation and hundreds of similar character by the people of New England were in vain. With a very decided majority of voters opposed to the war and smarting under the losses resulting from it, the town did not enter with enthusiasm into its support, and, in fact, no reference to the war during its contin- uance is found on the town record; but a few

months after its close, May 8, 1815, the town voted that four dollars be allowed to the militiamen drafted and called out to the defence of the State. .

When the news of peace arrived in February, 1815, there was a general outburst of joy in Cambridge, and meetings were held for prayer and praise, and on February 23d a great celebration took place, on which occasion an address by President Kirkland was delivered and then other services appropriate to the oc- casion. A procession was formed and a large handbill announcing the order of services and the order of the procession is now on file with the Massachusetts His- torical Society, presented by the Hon. John Davis.

Order of Procession.

The procession will be formed at University Hall and move at 11 o'clock in the following order to Rev. Dr. Holmes' meeting-house :

Military Escort, Musick, Chief Marshall, Strangers,

Resident Graduates, Students, Citizens of Cambridge, Marshall.

Order of Exercises. Anthem, Prayer by Rev. Dr. Ware,

Reading of the Holy Scriptures,

Hymn written for the occasion, Address by the President, Poem by Mr. Henry Ware,

Prayer by Revd Dr. Holmes, Anthem, Benediction.

In looking backwards two hundred and fifty years to the time when Winthrop and Dudley began to organize a colonial settlement here for the purpose of building a fortified town for security from the Indians and wild beasts, we cannot fail to see that all the way down is one broadening path, from the beginning until now; venerable and honorable as is the past, our faces should be set toward the future; we would not go backward if we could. Religion is still the same, ‘ but its garment of doctrine and formula has been renewed more than once, and in all that makes life worth living we are far in advance of our fathers Our food is better, our clothing is better, our health is better, our children are bealthier, our books are better, our homes are more comfortable, and although our fathers were giants and we but pigmies, we are taller than they, for we stand upon their shoulders, and while we honor their memories, let us hand down to those who shall come after us, the oppor- tunity and the purpose for a gain and a growth greater than our own.

198

HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

CHAPTER XII.

CAMBRIDGE-(Continued).

BANKING AND INSURANCE.

BY JOHN LIVERMORE.

Cambridgeport National Bank-Middlesex Bank-Charles River Bank- Cambridge Market Bank-Cambridge City Bank-Cambridge National Bank-Harvard Bank-Cambridge Savings Bank-East Cumbridge Five Cent Savings Bank-North America Savings Bank-Cambridge Mutual Fire Insurance Company .;

CAMBRIDGE, although a wealthy town and a place of considerable business, had no banking facilities of its own until the year 1826, but transacted all its financial affairs in Boston, through the agency of the Suffolk Bank.

In March, 1826, the CAMBRIDGE BANK was char- tered with a capital of $100,000, and was organized by the choice of the following persons as directors : James B. Chaplin, Samuel P. P. Fay, Newell Bent, William Fisk, Levi Farwell, William Hillard, Charles Everett, Isaiah Bangs and John Trowbridge. Judge Fay declined, and the vacancy was filled, March 31st, by the election of Professor Asahel Stearns. The brick store owned and occupied by Luke Hemmen- way, now numbered 587 Main Street, Cambridgeport, was purchased for the sum of $4000 and fitted up for a banking-room, and used as such until the uew building, which they now occupy and own, was erected in 1873.

The bank began business in June (simultaneously with the establishment of hourly coaches from Cam- bridgeport to Boston). Martin Lane was chosen cashier, with a salary of $1400, and Alphonso Mason messenger, with a salary of $450.

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History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 66

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed Publication date: 1890 Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co Number of Pages: 1034

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co
Number of Pages: 1034