History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II, Part 12

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed. cn
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1226

USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II > Part 12

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May 4th. Charles Hovey died at the age of sixty- eight years. He was born in Acton, 1817, and came to Lowell in 1832. For fifty-four years he was an apothecary on Merrimack Street, and few citizens of Lowell have been so well known. He grew up with the city and held many positions of trust in church and

business life. He stood aloof from politics and pre- ferred the more unobtrusive life of a private citizen. He was a man of great moral worth.

On April 1st was celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the incorporation of the city of Lowell, in Hunt- ington Hall. The hall was tastefully decorated with flowers and pot-house plants and with streamers and festoons of bunting. On raised seats in front were 400 children of the public schools, who formed a chorus for celebrating the day. The forenoon was occupied with music from the children and the Amer- ican Orchestra and by a historical address upon the schools of Lowell, by C. C. Chase. The afternoon exercises consisted of an address by His Honor, the mayor, J. C. Abbott, a poem by Lieut. E. W. Thomp- son, an oration by Hon. F. T. Greenhalge and music by the Apollo Quartette and the American Orchestra. A social levee and reception in the evening closed the celebration. .

1887. Mayor, James C. Abbott.

May 27th. Rev. Dr. Owen Street died, at the age of seventy-one years.

August 19th. Alvan Clark, the celebrated con- structor of telescopes, died in Cambridge, at the age of eighty-three years. Mr. Clark was born in Ash- field, Mass., March 8, 1804. He came to Lowell in 1825, and left it in 1827. While here he was an en- graver for calico printing at the Merrimack Print Works. His marriage here, at the age of twenty-two years, was the first marriage in the town of Lowell. It occurred March 25, 1826, not many days after the incorporation of the town.

On the last night of 1887 the Worthen Street Bap- tist Church was burned. For many years before this no church property in Lowell had been destroyed by fire.

1888. Mayor, Charles D. Palmer.

January 12th. The engine-houses and armories on Palmer and Middle Streets were destroyed by fire.

An engine-house, on the site of that destroyed by fire, was commenced in 1888, and finished in 1889. This house is equipped with ail the most-approved appliances demanded by the Fire Department for the most efficient means of extinguishing fires. It is claimed that it is, in these respects, the most complete structure in New England. Its cost is $56,000.

Another engine-house was commenced in 1888 on Westford Street. It was completed in 1889, at a cost of $18,000.

Another engine-house, on High Street, begun in 1888, and finished in 1889, cost $23,000.

Lowell takes pride in the completeness and effi- ciency of her fire service.

November 15th. Colonel Fister, commissioner of the Post-Office Department for selecting the site of a new post-office for the city of Lowell, recommended the site of St. Peter's Church, corner of Appleton and Gorham Streets. His recommendation has been adopted by the Post-Oflice Department. Through the

LOWELL.

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LOWELL.

efforts of the friends of this site the Government be- comes the owner of it by the payment of one cent. The appropriation by Government for the building of the new post-office is $200,000.

1889. Mayor, Charles D. Palmer.

Notwithstanding the extraordinary outlays in re- building the engine-liouse on Palmer Street, and the erection of two other engine-liouses and several school-houses, the debt of the city was increased in 1889 by only about $9000. The debt at the close of 1889 was as follows : Ordinary debt, $991,562; debt for water works, $1,144,555. Total, $2,136,117. The erection of a new city-hall and memorial building, already contracted for at an estimated cost of $500,- 000, together with a new high school building, will, in the near future, greatly increase the debt of the city. Still, it is believed that the increase meets the approbation of the citizens.

July 17th. The stable of the Lowell Horse Rail- road, on East Merrimack Street, was burned. This fire was notable for the rapidity of its progress, the lofty height of its spire of flame, and the remarkable success of the Fire Department in preventing its spread. In it 117 horses were burned and thirty-one cars, the loss of the property being about $100,000, on which the insurance was about $74,000.

Aug. 23d. Rev. Stedman W. Hanks died, at the age of eighty years. He was the first pastor of John Street Congregational Cburch. For many years bc- fore his death he was secretary of the Seaman's Friend Society in Boston.

Oct. Sth. The new opera-house of Fay Brothers & Hosford was opened. The audience was addressed by Mayor Palmer and Hon. F. T. Greenhalge, mem- ber of Congress. The poem written by John S. Colby was a production worthy of the occasion.

This building fills a want long felt by many of the people of Lowell. More spacious play-houses may be found in other cities, but it is claimed that there are none which exceed this in the general beauty and effect of its interior. It is constructed wbolly of brick an l iron, and is as nearly fire-proof as possible. It is situated between Central and Gor- ham Streets, not fronting fully upon either street, and it makes no pretence at external beauty. Its seating capacity is 1600.

The Training School-house, of Charles Street, was finished in 1889, at a cost of $28,000.

AMOS BINNEY FRENCHI was born in Billerica July 3, 1812, and died at his residence on Bridge Street, Loweil, on March 23, 1890, at the age of seventy-eight years. His father was Luther French, a respectable farmer in Billerica. Lieut. William French, the earli- est American ancestor of Mr. French, came to America in 1635, and was a leading citizen of Billerica, hav- ing been, in 1663-64, the first representative of the town in the Legislature of Massachusetts.

Mr. French was one of the four sons of Luther French, who came to Lowell in the early days of the 4-ii

city, and were known as business men of superior ability. Of these brothers, Josiah B., the old- est, was once mayor of Lowell. A sketch of liis life is given on another page of this work. Abram, the second in age. came to Lowell in 1833, and was long a well-known merchant tailor in the city. He was a member of the Common Council, and for several years on the Board of School Committee. Walter, the third brother, after keeping restaurants in Low- ell and in Manchester, N. H., became a contractor in the construction of several important railroads, and was killed in 1853 in the railroad disaster at Nor- walk, Conn., at the age of forty-three years. Amos B. French, the subject of this sketch, and the young- est of the four brothers, came to Lowell when about eleven years of age. His first employment was in the service of the manufacturing companics of the city. In 1835 he established a restaurant on Central Street, and afterward added a dance-hall, which for many ycars was a place of popular resort. It always gavc character and respectability to a social event to say that it was at "French's."

In 1863 he was suececded in the restaurant busi- ness by Nichols & Hutchins, and he became senior partner of the firm of French & Puffer, dealers in crockery, ou Central Street. In this firm lie con- tinued until the time of his death, a period of twenty-seven years, enjoying the entire confidence of the community as a man of the strictest integrity and highest character.

Mr. French never sought political distinction, but he was a man of such courteous and affable address, and of such modest worth and dignity of character that few men could more successfully appeal to the suffrages of his fellow-citizens. He was in the Board of Aldermen in 1870 and 1871, and at the time of his death he was a director of the First National Bank and of the Lowell Mutual Fire Insurance Company. He was also a trustce of tlic Lowell Institution for Savings.

The following tribute to Mr. French's character was furnished, at the writer's request, by his pastor, the Rev. George W. Bicknell :

"In many respects the life of Mr. French was an unostentatious one, yet it exerted a great influence for good. There was always something about his presence which inspired those associated with himn. In his business relations he was honest, upright and reliable. His word was as good as his bond. Hc took advantage of no man. He accumulated quite a fortune, but it was the result of straightforward and legitimate transactions. His generosity and insel- fisbness would never have allowed him to become rich. His long career among our business men gave him an enviable position. Mr. French was as mod- cst as he was manly. His was a rich and noble char- acter. Genial, affable, sympathetic, always kind, he won the love of companions and associates. His heart beat for humanity, manifesting itself so often

IHISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

in ministering to the poor and suffering, in hundreds of acts of charity, of which the world knows noth- ing. Truly it may be said of him that he determined not to let the right hand know what the left hand did, and yet, as occasion called, he kept both hands active.

" His friendship was rich and valuable. He was true. Those who confided in him did not misplace their trust. He had a kind word for all. Many eyes were dimmed with tears when he passed away.

"Mr. French was a devoted and enthusiastic mem- ber of the First Universalist Church, reflecting its great principles of love, kindness and righteousness in his daily life."

1890. Mayor, Charles D. Palmer.

From Mayor Palmer's inaugural address, at the organization of the city government for 1890, on Jan. 6th, we learn the following : The expenditure for schools in Lowell for 1889 was $188,905; the number of inmates of the alms-house, 602; average, 249; the number of alarms of fire during the year, 115. The number of electric lights was 177; of gas-lights, 959; of gasoline-lights, 416; total number of lights sus- tained by the city, 1552; the total length of city sew- crs, 55 miles; totallength of city streets, 102 miles; cost of caring for parks and commons, $8070; cost of caring for public cemeteries, $4200; total length of main pipes in water-works, 470,747 feet; total num- ber of hydrants, 824; expenditures for school-houses for 1888 and 1889, $107,000.

On April 14th occurred, at Huntington Hall, the anniversary exercises of the Port Royal Society, whose members belonged to the land and naval forces operating in the vicinity of Port Royal, S. C., during the Civil War. Judge Advocate Charles Cowley de- livered an address recalling the memories of the eventful days in which he took part in the operations of the squadron sent to reduce the rebel forts. Rev. Dr. Chambre, of Lowell, Hon. John Reed, of Cam- bridge, Eric B. Dahlgren, Frederic F. Ayer and others took part in the proceedings. A pocm was read by Lieut. E. W. Thompson.

CHAPTER IV.

LOWELL -( Continued).

MAYORS.

IN preparing the following sketches of the lives of the mayors of our city I have been greatly aided by biographical notices of nineteen of their number published in the Vox Populi, in 1874 and 1875. If it shall be thought by any that I have too uniform- ly bestowed upon these men words of praise, I can only say that my words have been sincere. I have known all but one of the mayors of Lowell, and I believe them to be a class of noble men. I think

it highly to the honor of the people of Lowell that they have had the wisdom to bestow their highest offices upon men like these. The character of a peo- ple is indicated by the character of the men whom they choose to represent them. It is one of the fc- licities of popular government that even bad men rarely venture to nominate bad men like themselves for high office. Though exceptions occur, such, happily, is the rule. It is in the lower grades of office that bad men are found, and there, too often, corruption begins.

The portraits of all but five of the twenty-six may- ors of Lowell adorn the walls of the City Govern- ment Building. They are accurate and highly fin- ished likenesses, most of them being from the skill- ful hand of our fellow-citizen, the late Thomas B. Lawson, Esq.

DR. ELISHA BARTLETT, the first mayor of Lowell, was born in Smithfield, R. I., October 6, 1804. His parents belonged to the Society of Friends. When twenty-two years of age he graduated as Doctor of Medicine at Brown University, and after spending a year in foreign travel and study, he came to Lowell to enter upon the practice of his profession. His genial nature, his fine personal appearance and his affable manners soon made him a general favorite, and in 1836, when only thirty-two years of age, he had the honor of being elected as first mayor of Lowell, and was re-elected in 1837. He was not a politician, nor were the labors of official life specially agreeable to his nature. He loved his profession and was fond of literary pursuits. He was the author of valuable medical works. As an orator he held a high position. There was a poetic charm in his eloquent language which captivated the hearer. The writer has still a vivid recollection of hearing his opening lecture in a course delivered more than fifty years ago before the Medical School of Dartmouth College. The beautiful and eloquent language with which he portrayed the sacredness of the physician's office at the bedside of the dying and amidst the most tender and solemn scenes of domestic life, left an impression upon the mind which can never be effaced. But another writer will speak of him as a physician. It is my part only to write of him as a citizen whom Lowell honored by electing him as the first mayor of the city.

Dr. Bartlett spent his last years as an invalid in his native town of Smithfield, R. I. He died in the prime of manhood at the age of fifty-one years.

LUTHER LAWRENCE, second mayor of Lowell, was born in Groton, Massachusetts, September 28, 1778. He was the son of Samuel Lawrence, an officer in the Revolutionary Army. He was the oldest son of five brothers who constituted a family of distinguished namc. His brother Abbott, especially, acquired re- nown as American Minister to the Court of St. James, aud as a merchant prince of the most exalted char- acter. The whole family were interested deeply in

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LOWELL.

the manufactures of Lowell. Abbott Lawrence's name is mentioned in the acts of incorporation of the Tremont, the Boott and the Massachusetts Mills of our city. Luther Lawrence graduated from Harvard College when twenty-three years of age, and having completed his legal studies, settled as a lawyer in his native town. His fellow-citizens paid him the honor of sending him repeatedly to the General Court, and in 1821 and 1822 he was chosen Speaker of the Lower House. It was, in part, to care for the great amount of property invested by himself and his brothers in our mills that he removed his residence to Lowell in 1831, where he engaged in the practice of his profes- sion and soon acquired distinction. He was elected mayor in 1838 and 1839. About two weeks after en- tering upon the duties of his second term of office he was, on April 16, 1839, accidentally killed iu the Middlesex Mills by falling into a wheel-pit. His age was sixty-one years. His sudden and tragic death was the occasion of universal sorrow. He was a man of kindly heart, of high honor, of sound judgment and unselfish and liberal spirit. The citizens of Low- ell desired to pay him the respect of a public funeral, but his family declined to accept the proffered honor. He was buried in his native town.

DR. ELISHA HUNTINGTON, mayor of Lowell in 1840, 1841, 1844, 1845, 1852, 1856, 1858 and most of 1859 was born in Topsfield, Massachusetts, April 9, 1796, and was the son of Rev. Asahel Huutington, for nearly twenty-five years the minister of that town. At the age of fifteen years he entered Dartmouth College and graduated in 1815. After attending medi- cal lectures at Yale College and taking his degree in medicine, he came to Lowell in 1824 to enter upon the practice of his profession-a practice which for more than forty years he followed with great popu- larity and success. He was indeed a " beloved physi- cian." Probably no citizen of Lowell has ever so long and so uniformly held the honor and affection of the people. Lowell was never weary of bestowing honors upon him. For nearly eight years he was mayor of the city. When in any cause success seemed doubtful, courage and hope revived if Dr. Huntington consented to take the lead. He was born a gentleman, and it was in his very nature to win men by his kind and affable ways.

Though a modest man, he was always before the public. The partiality of his fellow-citizens placed him there. Not only did he fill all the higher grades of municipal office, but he was a church warden, an overseer of Harvard College, and in 1852 Lieutenant- Governor of the State.

His name will not be allowed to pass into oblivion. One of our streets is Huntington Street and our most spacious public hall is Huntington Hall. His por- trait graces the City Government Building and the reading-room of the Middlesex Mechanics' Associa- tion. In St. John's Church, of which he was a war- den, a window has been placed in which there is a

life-size figure, in his honor, of St. Luke the "bc- loved physician." His only daughter is the wife of Professor J. P. Cooke, of Harvard College, and one of his sons is Rev. Dr. William R. Huntington, rector of Grace Church, New York City. Dr. Huntington died December 13, 1865, at the age of nearly seventy years.

NATHANIEL WRIGHT was born in Sterling, Mass., Feb. 13, 1785, and was the oldest son of Hon. Thomas Wright. He entered Harvard College when nineteen years of age and was admitted to the bar at the age of twenty-six years, having in Lowell pursued the study of law under Asahel Stearns, who was subse- quently a member of Congress and Professor of Law in Harvard College. Prof. Stearns, when in Lowell, occupied the house on the corner of Pawtucket and School Streets, which became the residence and property of Mr. Wright. The house has in recent years been occupied by Mr. Gerrish, the son-in-law of Mr. Wright. The law-office of Mr. Wright was on the Dracut side of the river, where he acted as post- master before 1824, when the first government post- office was established on Tilden Street, in East Chelmsford (now Lowell). Mr. Wright succeeded to the business of Prof. Stearns and enjoyed a good practice, and to a remarkable extent possessed the confidence of the community. When Lowell becanic a town, in 1826, he was chosen on the first Board of Selectmen and he was the first representative to the General Court elected by the town. He was threc times re-elected to these offices. In 1842 he was elected mayor on the Citizens' ticket as a repre- sentative of the interests of the citizens of Lowell who believed that the Corporations werc exercising an undue amount of control over public affairs and were oppressively treating their employees. His opponent was Dr. Elisha Huntington, the Whig candidate, who was supposed to favor the interests of the Corporations. In 1843 the Whigs adopted him as their candidate and elected him.

Mr. Wright was a man of few words, of decided action, of clear perceptions and sound judgment. He was a sound man of business and was averse to popular display. He died Nov. 5, 1858, at the age of nearly seventy-four years.

JEFFERSON BANCROFT was born in Warwick, Mass., April 30, 1803. The circumstances of his youth compelled him to begin very early a life of self- support and self-reliance. First upon a farm in Athol, Mass., and' then in a blacksmith shop, with few educational advantages, he spent the first years of his long and honorable life. Coming to Lowell in 1824, he found employment in the mills until 1831. His position as overseer in the Appleton Mills was in that year exchanged for that of deputy sheriff under Sheriff B. F. Varnum. This office he hield for twenty years, filling meantime various other trusts, such as collector of taxcs, chief engineer of the Fire Depart- ment, and member of the Commnon Council aud Board

HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

of Aldermen. He bears the title of colonel from having been chosen the first colonel of the Fifth (now Sixth) Regiment. He held the office of mayor of the city in the years 1846-7-8. He also represented Lowell in the State Legislature in the years 1840-41- 50-51. In 1853-4-5 he was warden of tlic State Prison. In 1860 he was again appointed deputy sheriff and performed the duties of that position until 1887, when advancing age compelled him to retire. The last two years of his life were spent upon his farm in Tyngsboro', Mass.

Col. Bancroft was endowed by nature with qualities which have well deserved the honors which have been bestowed upon him. His dignified personal bearing and his commanding presence well befitted his military title and admirably qualified him to per- form the duties of sheriff in the courts of law. He died in Tyngsboro', Jan. 3, 1890, at the age of nearly eighty-seven years.

JOSIAH B. FRENCH .- (For biography sce chapter on City of Lowell.)

JAMES H. B. AYER was born in Haverhill, Mass., 1788. He was a descendant in the fourth generation of the celebrated Captain Samuel Ayer, first captain of the town of Haverhill, who, on August 28, 1708, when the French and Indians, under the infamous Hertel de Rouville, attacked the village of Haverhill, and killed the minister of the town and many of its inhabitants, rallied his little company of soldiers, pur- sued the retreating enemy, and sacrificed his life in a brave attack upon them.

Mr. Ayer, when a young man, engaged in trade and in teaching school in the town of Amesbury. He subsequently came to Lowell in 1823, while the first mill of the Merrimack Company was not yet com- pleted, and was employed by this company and the Locks & Canals Company to take charge of the lum- ber department. In this service he was engaged until 1846, when he was associated for five years with Horatio Fletcher in the lumber business. He was next employed as paymaster of the Locks & Canals Company.

Being one of the earliest employés of the enterprise of establishing manufactures in East Chelmsford, he held many offices of honor and trust in the early days of Lowell. He was one of the selectmen of Chelms- ford, also one of the assessors both of Chelmsford and Lowell. He assisted in running the boundary line between Chelmsford and Lowell. He was for twenty years warden of St. Anne's Church. He was alder- man in 1849 and 1850, and was mayor of the city in 1851. During his last twelve years he was payınaster of the Locks & Canals Company.

He died Junc 7, 1864, at the age of seventy-six ycars, and was buried in Amesbury, Mass.

He was a man of good sense, high character and sterling honesty.

SEWALL G. MACK was born in Wilton, N. H., No- vember 8, 1813. Removing to Amherst, N. H., in

his boyhood, he there engaged, while yet a young man, in the business which he has followed through- out his active lifc. He came to Lowell in 1840, and, in company with Mr. Danicl Cushing, cstablished the well- known firm of " Cushing & Mack, dealers in stoves, &c."

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History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II, Part 12

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed. cn Publication date: 1890 Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1226

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed. cn
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1226