USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Newbury > History of Newbury, Mass., 1635-1902 > Part 24
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294
HISTORY OF NEWBURY
bury, March 26, 1794, about six acres of land partly covered with water, on both sides of the Falls river, in Byfield parish, also a grist-mill on the premises, with all its privileges, and there erected a factory suitable for manufacturing purposes .* The carding-machines used in the factory were made by the Schofield Brothers in Newburyport, and the other machinery by Messrs. Guppy & Armstrong, of the same town.
It is said that the company was the first one incorporated for the manufacture of woollen goods in the United States. It was not successful, however, financially. In 1803, the original shareholders sold their stock to William Bartlet ; and in 1804 he sold the property to John Lees, an Englishman, who converted it into a factory for the manufacture of cotton cloth.t
August 24, 1824, the property was sold at public auction to Gorham Parsons, of Brighton,¿ who conveyed it, May 29, 1826, to Paul Moody of Lowell.§ April 16, 1832, the heirs of Paul Moody reconveyed the property to Gorham Parsons, || who leased it for a term of seven years to William N. Cleave- land, of Newbury, and Solomon Wildes, of Boston, " partners in trade and manufacturers under the firm name of William N. Cleaveland & Co." | August 2, 1842, Mr. Parsons sold the factory to Theophilus Parsons, of Boston, ** who conveyed it May 12, 1846, to Moses Emery Hale and others, of New- buryport.tt
May 20, 1848, Francis V. Noyes purchased the factory,## and subsequently leased it to Alfred Durant and to his brother, . Rev. Henry Durant, who manufactured bedsteads and other household furniture there. It was destroyed by fire in 1859; and the land, "with several small buildings thereon," was sold to Daniel Lunt, of Newbury, March 3, 1860,§§ who con-
* Essex Deeds, vol. clvii., leaf 153. The land upon which this factory was erected was granted by the town of Newbury in 1636 to John Spencer and Richard Dummer to build a grist-mill upon. November 10, 1710, Nathaniel Dummer sold to William Moody, grandfather of Paul Moody, all his right, title, and interest "in ye River in ye Township of Newbury called ye Falls River which was granted unto my Grandfather Mr Richard Dumer by ye sd Towne of New- bury," with the land on which the saw-mill of Mr. Dummer then stood (Essex Deeds, vol. xxv.,
leaf 133). t Ibid., book clxxv., leaf 190. # Ibid., book cexxxix., leaf 210. § Ibid., book celxi., leaf 63. #| Ibid., book celxiv., leaf 121. " Ibid., book celxiii., leaf 190. ** Ibid., book cccxxxii., leaf 281. tt Ibid., book ccclxviii., leaf 106. ## Ibid., book cccxcviii., leaf 72. §§ Ibid., book dciii., leaf 257.
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THE SETTLEMENT AT MERRIMACK RIVER
veyed the property May 9, 1860, to Leonard A. Morrison and Horatio M. Howard .* On the first day of June, 1863, the land, including the water privilege, etc., was transferred to Leonard Morrison, of Methuen, who rebuilt the factory and fitted it with machinery for the manufacture of cotton yarn.t
Leonard Morrison died April 26, 1875 ; and Leonard A. Morrison died previous to February 10, 1880. Amanda R. Savage, guardian of William H. Morrison and Ina B. Morrison, minors, " children of Leonard A. Morrison, late of Newbury," sold May 4, 1880, three undivided fourth parts, and Henry P. Chaplin and others, of Georgetown, sold one undivided fourth part of the factory at Byfield, including the mill privi- leges and water power, to James A. C. Whittier and Hugh U. Ewing, of Boston.#
Mrs. Lizzie M. Adams, wife of George W. Adams, conveyed all her right, title, and interest in the property to Messrs. Whittier & Ewing, April 26, 1880.§ James A. C. Whittier sold his one undivided half of the land, buildings, water power, etc., to Hugh U. Ewing, of Boston, March 17, 1886.||
C. A. E. Ewing and Hugh Ewing, copartners under the firm name of Hugh U. Ewing & Co., purchased the property July 9, 1892,[ and August 3, 1893, made an as- signment, for the benefit of their creditors, to Henry A. Gow- ing, trustee, ** who sold the buildings, water privileges, etc., December 8, 1893, to Jacob F. Brown, of Brookline. The same day Mr. Brown gave a deed of the property to Samuel Williams, ff who sold one undivided half December 25, 1894, to Alfred S. Williams.## On the second day of July, 1897, Samuel and Alfred S. Williams conveyed all their right, title, and interest in the land and the buildings thereon to the By- field Woollen Company, the present owners.§§
* Essex Deeds, book deix., leaf 179. t Ibid., book delii., leaf 99. # Ibid., book mxxxvii., leaves 3 and 4. § Ibid., book mxxxv., leaf 261. Il Ibid., book mclxix., leaf 234. Ibid., book mcccxlix., p. I. ** Ibid., book mccclxxxv., p. 501. tt Ibid., book mcccxcvii., p. 37.
## Ibid., book mccccxlix., p. 367. §§ Ibid., book mdxv., p. 133.
296
HISTORY OF NEWBURY
SALT WORKS.
The tax imposed by Parliament in 1767 on paper, glass, tea, and other articles of merchandise imported into the province of Massachusetts was regarded as burdensome and unjust. September 19, 1768, the legal voters of Newburyport elected Benjamin Greenleaf delegate to a convention to be held in Boston for consultation and conference in regard to the meas- ures that should be adopted to stop the importation of mer- chandise from England .*
The merchants and traders of Newbury and Newburyport were in the habit of importing large quantities of salt from Great Britain at that date. In order to promote and encourage its manufacture and provide an adequate supply for home con- sumption, the inhabitants of Newburyport, immediately after the election of Benjamin Greenleaf at the town meeting held September nineteenth, "Voted to exempt Capt James Hud- son from the payment of Town, County and Province taxes for 1767 and 1768, in answer to his petition, for encourage- ment to go on with his salt works." *
At a meeting of the inhabitants of Newbury, held on the fourteenth day of March, 1768-9, a petition from Capt. James Hudson was presented, asking for a loan of one hundred pounds for two or three years. The amount of the the time fixed for its repayment were discussed at some length, and aroused some opposition ; but at the close of the debate it was unanimously voted, " that the town will let out to Capt James Hudson a certain sum of money to Enable him to Carry on his salt works." ¡
September 4, 1769, the town of Newburyport voted to ap- prove the agreement made with the merchants and traders of Boston in regard to the importation of goods from Great Britain ; and September 19, 1769, the town of Newbury voted to give Capt. James Hudson, of Newburyport, the sum of twenty pounds to enable him to carry on and complete his salt works .; Eight pounds were also appropriated by the town of Ipswich " to assist James Hudson to carry on the salt works he has lately erected." #
* Town of Newburyport Records, p. 125. t Town of Newbury Records.
# Felt's History of Ipswich, p. 98.
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297
THE SETTLEMENT AT MERRIMACK RIVER
The manufacture of salt at that date was a slow and difficult process. Sea water was evaporated by means of large boil- ers, under which fires were kept burning night and day. After the close of the Revolutionary war improved methods of making salt were introduced. Water-tight vats, twenty feet square and ten or twelve inches deep, were so arranged that water could be pumped from the ocean by means of a windmill into the first vat, and then conducted, after suffi- cient exposure to the heat of the sun, to a second vat, and then to a third and fourth, until a strong brine was formed and crystals of salt appeared.
In 1830, a Frenchman by the name of Gilshenon, with a few Newbury and Ipswich men who were interested with him, commenced the manufacture of salt at the southerly end of Plum island. He bought two hundred and fifty acres of land, laid out and dug a canal about one-third of a mile long, eight feet wide, and ten feet deep, which he connected with twenty-eight vats that were supplied with water pumped from the canal by means of windmills. He constructed also an overshot wheel, fifteen feet in diameter and five or six feet in width, which was made to revolve by the strong and vigorous efforts of a large bull, walking in treadmill fashion, within the wheel, which was suspended in an upright position from a heavy wooden frame. On the outer rim of this revolving wheel shallow buckets were attached that lifted the water from the canal into the vats on calm, still days, when the wind- mills were unable to do the work .*
The business was not a financial success ; and the property, consisting of eighty acres of upland, one hundred and seventy- five acres of salt marsh, two dwelling-houses, two barns, " with a dam across a creek running through the place by means of which with but little expense a good water power may be ob- tained," "also six wind mills with pumps and apparatus entire," was advertised February 20, 1832, to be sold by George W. Heard, of Ipswich. It was probably purchased by Francis J. Oliver, of Boston, who conveyed it September 22, 1834, to Daniel Dole, of Ipswich.t
* Historical Address by Mr. Philip D. Adams (Newburyport Daily News), October 26, 1900. + Essex Deeds, book celxxviii., leaf 62.
298
HISTORY OF NEWBURY
MANUFACTURE OF NAILS AND BRADS.
The manufacture of cut nails and brads was begun in New- bury in 1795. Jacob Perkins, son of Matthew and Jane (Dole) Perkins, of Newburyport, was the inventor of a machine for cutting and heading nails, for which he was granted a patent January 16, 1795. He became acquainted with Samuel Guppy, of New York, and John Warren Arm- strong, of Boston; and with their aid and assistance he pro- duced at Byfield the first nails that were cut and headed at one operation, in America .*
In the Impartial Herald, November 24, 1795, the propri- etors, " Messrs Guppy & Armstrong and Jacob Perkins, in- ventor," announce that they have three machines in opera- tion "at Byfield six miles from Newburyport," and will have a supply of brads and nails for sale within two weeks, " much superior and twenty per cent cheaper than imported nails."
On the day that this announcement was made in the Herald, Ebenezer Stocker, Abraham Wheelwright, and Eben- ezer Wheelwright, directors of the Newburyport Woollen Manufactory, conveyed to Jacob Perkins a lot of land with a corn-mill thereon in Amesbury, "Commonly called Waits Mill." f The power needed for driving the nail machinery was secured by the purchase of this mill, then standing on the south bank of the Powow river; and early in the spring of 1796 the manufacture of nails in Byfield was discontinued, and the machinery removed to the mill or factory in Amesbury.
ALMSHOUSE.
April 4, 1808, the town of Newbury voted to purchase the house, barn, and about seventeen acres of land, formerly owned and occupied by Rev. Matthias Plant, at or near the corner of the road leading to Amesbury ferry and the way to Essex Merrimack bridge, now Spofford street, Newburyport. This property was placed under the care of the overseers of
* The Essex Antiquarian, vol. ii., pp. 69-74.
t Essex Deeds, vol. clxiv., leaf 95.
299
THE SETTLEMENT AT MERRIMACK RIVER
the poor, and for many years was made serviceable and useful as an almshouse and town farm .*
At a meeting held March 17, 1828, the legal voters of the town authorized the purchase of a farm in Byfield, owned by Enoch Moody, "containing two hundred acres of land more or less with the buildings thereon," to be placed under the care and control of the overseers of the poor ; and April 7, 1828, they ordered that all persons receiving aid from the town should be removed to the town farm, and that all the stock and agricultural implements needed to carry it on suc- cessfully should be provided forthwith.t
On the sixteenth day of May, 1829, "the former Poor Establishment owned by the town of Newbury and known by the name of the Plant Place " was sold to Elias Jackman ; } and after that date all persons dependent upon the town for assistance were supplied with food and shelter at the farm in Byfield parish.
February 2, 1852, the inhabitants of Newbury voted to sell the town farm (at Byfield), and appointed a committee to make the necessary arrangements and attend to the sale of the property.§ March 29, 1852, the overseers of the poor were authorized, "in case the town farm is not speedily sold, to lease the same for the ensuing year." § April 30, 1852, Daniel Lunt, treasurer of the town of Newbury, conveyed to Calvin Noyes "about one hundred and eighty acres of land with all the buildings thereon, formerly owned by Enoch Moody "; | and, February 7, 1874, a supplementary deed, con- firming and perfecting the title from the town of Newbury to Calvin Noyes, was recorded. TI
Since the sale of the almshouse and the farm at Byfield, all persons dependent upon the town for support have been pro-
* Essex Deeds, vol. clxxxv., leaf 69. Anthony Davenport, of Newburyport, for two thousand dollars, sold, April 14, 1808, to Thomas Hale, treasurer of the town of Newbury, in trust for said town, about fifteen acres of land, with dwelling-house and other buildings thereon, bounded as fol- lows : beginning on the westerly corner of the road leading from the road to Amesbury ferry to Deer Island bridge, thence northwesterly by the road leading to Amesbury ferry, thence northeasterly by land of David Jackman and others, thence southeasterly by land of Joseph Jackman, thence southwesterly by the road first named, to the bounds begun at.
t Town of Newbury Records : also, Essex Deeds, vol. ccxlviii., leaf 107.
# Essex Deeds, vol. cclviii., leaf 96. § Town of Newbury Records.
Il Essex Deeds, book delxv., leaf 25. T Ibid., book deccxlvii., leaf 18r.
300
HISTORY OF NEWBURY
vided for in private families by the payment of a fixed sum for board and clothing.
THE INCORPORATION OF THE TOWN OF WEST NEWBURY.
As early as March 30, 1777-8, a petition was presented to the town of Newbury, asking that all the territory on the westerly side of Artichoke river to the Bradford line might be set off and made a separate township.
... begining at the mouth of Artichoak river running southerly by said river to Littles meadow and from thence on a straight line to the bridge in the road near John & Stephen Browns, and from the bridge by the brook to the South Way, then running by the northerly side of the South Way to Johnsons corner, so called, and from thence on a straight line to a white oak marked tree, the bounds between Newbury, Rowley & Bradford, and from thence on Bradford line to Merrimack river and by Merrimack river to the mouth of the Artichoak river, the bound first mentioned .*
The prayer of the petitioners was at first favored by a ma- jority of the legal voters of the town ; but, after further con- sideration, the subject was indefinitely postponed.
February 19, 1793-4, a committee was chosen to see what terms and conditions could be made, "provided the inhab- itants of Newbury agree to set off the three northwesterly .parishes," and petition the General Court, at its next session, to incorporate the said parishes as a separate and distinct town. On the seventh day. of April, Col. Samuel Gerrish, Stephen Hodge, Esq., and Mr. Stephen Brown were author- ized and instructed to prepare and present a petition asking the General Court to consent to the incorporation of the new town. This action, however, was reconsidered on the twenty- third day of April ; and on the fifth day of June another at- tempt to set off and organize a new town " on the northerly side of a line begining on the Merrimack river and running by a way, now known as Oakland street (at that time the divid- ing line between Newbury and Newburyport), to a marked stone in common pasture, thence in a westerly direction to the
*Town of Newbury Records, (1731-85) p. 374.
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THE SETTLEMENT AT MERRIMACK RIVER
Bradford line, and by said line to the Merrimack river, and thence easterly by said river to the bounds first named," was defeated by a vote of 216 opposed to 145 in favor of the measure .*
No further action was taken until June 11, 1818, when the inhabitants of Newbury were again asked to give their consent to a division of the town on substantially the same lines as had been previously proposed ; but the opponents of the meas- ure, after a long and fierce struggle, were able to defeat it .*
A few months later, however, Samuel Woodman and others presented a petition to the General Court, asking that all the territory between the mouth of the Artichoke river and the Bradford line, within the limits of the Second and Third (for- merly the Fourth) parishes, might be set off and incorporated as a separate town ; and November 2, 1818, at a meeting of the legal voters of Newbury, the representatives of the town were instructed to oppose the petition, and prevent, if possible, any further consideration of the subject .*
Although active and vigorous measures were adopted to counteract the earnest and determined efforts of the petition- ers, the General Court, after a prolonged hearing, passed Feb- ruary 18, 1819, " An act to incorporate the town of Parsons "; t and March 9, 1819, the legal voters of Newbury elected Jo- siah Little, Esq., Silas Little, Esq., Moses Little, Esq., Jacob Gerrish, Esq., and Mr. Eben Pearson a committee to adjust the debts and make a settlement with any committee that may be appointed by the inhabitants of the town of Parsons .*
Subsequently, a change in the name of the new town was made by an act of the General Court, passed June 14, 1820, providing that "the said town shall hereafter be called and known by the name of West Newbury." #
* Town of Newbury Records.
t This act is printed in full on p. 1863, vol. ii., History of Essex County, J. W. Lewis & Co., publishers.
# History of Essex County, J. W. Lewis & Co., publishers, vol. ii., p. 1864.
302
HISTORY OF NEWBURY
WATER SUPPLY FOR MANUFACTURING PURPOSES.
In 1844, the James Steam Mill, for the manufacture of cotton goods, was erected in Newburyport. During the following year, Gen. Charles. T. James, Charles J. Brockway, Esq., and other prominent citizens petitioned the General Court for an act of incorporation to enable them to erect and maintain a bleachery in the town of Newbury, and also to provide an adequate supply of water for manufacturing and domestic purposes.
The original plan of the petitioners contemplated the erec- tion of a bleachery at Bartlett springs and the laying of pipes through the streets of Newbury and Newburyport for the purpose of supplying both towns with pure water. A committee, appointed by the inhabitants of Newburyport to examine the plan and make such suggestions and recom- mendations as they considered advisable, reported in favor of granting the prayer of the petitioners ; and February 13, 1846, the town voted to give its consent to the incorporation of the company by the General Court. The estimated cost of the bleachery and water-works, however, rendered some modifica- tion of the plan necessary ; and after further consideration a new source of supply was agreed upon, and incorporated in the act passed March 7, 1846.
At a town meeting held February 13, 1846, the inhabitants of Newbury voted to favor the prayer of the petitioners, and, also, voted to allow the company, when organized, to lay water pipes, under certain restrictions, through the principal streets of the town .* On the seventh day of March, 1846, the General Court passed an act incorporating "The Newbury Spring Bleaching Company"; } and the town of Newbury voted, August 1, 1846, "to grant the James Steam Mill Company the privilege of laying a water pipe along High street, from the head of State street to Federal street, upon condition that the town have the right to put in fire plugs, at its own expense, in such places as it may think proper." *
Land on the southwesterly side of Oak Hill cemetery,
* Town of Newbury Records.
t Acts and Resolves for 1846, chap. 85.
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3º3
THE SETTLEMENT AT MERRIMACK RIVER
with a small pond adjoining, was purchased, a pumping station erected, and water for extinguishing fires and for manufactur- ing purposes was conveyed in pipes down the turnpike, now State street, Newburyport, to High street, thence to Federal street, down Federal to Ann, now Atwood street, thence through Purchase to Charles street, and thence to the James Steam Mill, Newburyport, now owned by the Peabody Manu- facturing Company. Sixty-four hundred feet of iron pipe was laid, at a cost of ten thousand dollars, and the work com- pleted previous to December 1, 1846 .*
Subsequently, the pipe at the corner of Ann and Federal streets, Newburyport, was connected with the property now owned by the Peabody Manufacturing Company, on Federal street, formerly known as the Globe Steam Mills.
ANNEXATION OF A PART OF NEWBURY TO NEW- BURYPORT.
Although the town of Newbury after the incorporation of Newburyport in 1764, and West Newbury in 1819, was greatly reduced in population as well as in taxable property, repeated attempts were made to still further reduce the area and population of the town by many persons, residing within its limits, who were engaged in mercantile or commercial pur- suits, and, therefore, not in full sympathy with the farmers, who practically controlled the administration of municipal affairs.
Mr. Ebenezer Wheelwright and several other prominent merchants of Newbury earnestly advocated the adoption of a plan that would, if accepted, take a narrow strip of land on the westerly side of High street, "with the dwelling-houses thereon," and make it a part of Newburyport. The subject was brought to the attention of the General Court; and an order of notice was served on the inhabitants of Newbury, April 23, 1821, to appear and make answer to the prayer of the petitioners. At a town meeting held on the twenty-sec- ond day of May a committee was appointed to attend the
* Newburyport Herald, December 1, 1846, and January 26, 1847.
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304
HISTORY OF NEWBURY
hearing, and oppose any further division of the town .* The General Court, after a full and careful consideration of the subject, granted the petitioners " leave to withdraw."
Seven years later the inhabitants of Belleville parish, formerly the Fifth parish, desired to be set off and incorpo- rated as a separate town ; and March 17, 1828, the legal voters of Newbury consented to the proposed plan of separation, and agreed to set off all the territory on the westerly and northwesterly side of a line beginning on Merrimack river, at or near the foot of North street, thence on the line of New- buryport to the bound stone in the common pasture, and thence on a straight line to West Newbury .* On the seventh day of April the selectmen were authorized to confer with the inhabitants of that part of Newbury included within the bounds and limits of the proposed new town, and agree, if possible, upon the terms and conditions of separation .*
The opponents of the plan, however, were active and per- sistent in their efforts to defeat it. On the eighth of May, 1828, Mr. Ebenezer Wheelwright and others presented a peti- tion asking that a part of Newbury, " Begining at the Bound Stone in the Common Pasture, between the towns of New- bury & Newburyport thence on a straight line to the most Eastwardly corner of West Newbury, thence on a straight line to Plumb Island Bridge, thence on the same straight line to the Sea, thence by the Sea and Merrimack River to the most Eastwardly bound of Newburyport, thence by Newbury- port line to the first Bound," * might be set off and annexed to Newburyport. The legal voters of the town declined to grant the prayer of the petitioners, and, December 15, 1828, voted to oppose the petition of Mr. Ebenezer Wheelwright at the General Court, and favor the petition of Mr. Henry Mer- rill and other inhabitants of Belleville parish to be set off as a town by themselves .* The committee on towns, to whom both petitions had been referred, reported January twenty- ninth ; and February 5, 1829, their report was accepted, "granting the petitioners leave to withdraw." t
Three years later, another attempt was made to set off all
*Town of Newbury Records.
t Massachusetts Archives ( Journal of the House of Representatives, vol. xlix.).
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3º5
THE SETTLEMENT AT MERRIMACK RIVER
the land on the easterly side of a line begining at the bound stone in the common pasture, and extending southeasterly to Plum island bridge, and thence to the sea. December 29, 1831, the town of Newbury voted to favor the petition of Mr. John Wills and others, and also voted to give its consent to the separation asked for "on such terms and conditions as the General Court may establish." *
On the fourth day of January following, the subject was again under consideration ; and a motion to choose a com- mittee to attend the General Court and oppose the prayer of the petitioners was carried by a vote of 174 in favor to 152 against the measure .* April 9, 1832, John Merrill, Esq., Moses Little, Esq., and Daniel Adams, 3d,' Esq., were ap- pointed to defend the interests of the town and protest against any farther consideration of the petition of John Wills and others. February 11, 1832,* the General Court granted the petitioners " leave to withdraw."
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