USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Newburyport > History of Newburyport, Mass., 1764-1905, Volume I > Part 25
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The testator provided in his will that the fund could be used for the erection and endowment of a scientific school in Newburyport, "provided that no more than fifty thousand dollars shall be expended upon the buildings," or if, in the judgment of the trustees, the fund was inadequate for that purpose it could be allowed to accumulate, or the whole or any part of the income could be used in educating Protestant young men in the higher branches of mathematics, civil en- gineering, or mineralogy.
The fund now amounts to the sum of four hundred and fifty thousand dollars. A part of the annual income, since 1882, has been used to assist graduates of the Newburyport High school in obtaining a thorough scientific education at the Institute of Technology in Boston.
The trustees of the Wheelwright fund at the present time are as follows :-
Lawrence B. Cushing, president ; James E. Whitney, treasurer ; John W. Winder, secretary ;
Edmund D. Codman,
Thomas C. Simpson, William F. Houston.2
1 Acts and Resolves, 1882, ch. 23.
2 Mayor of the city of Newburyport.
330
HISTORY OF NEWBURYPORT
SUNDAY SCHOOLS.
The gathering of children for religious or secular instruc- tion on Sunday was not looked upon with favor in New Eng- land a century ago. The following items, published in the newspapers of the day, indicate the doubt and distrust with which the organization of Sunday schools was then regarded :-
The benevolence of a number of Gentlemen in Philadelphia has led them to form a Society for the establishment of Sunday Schools for the purpose of teaching the children of the poor to read and write. Pity their benevolence did not extend so far as to afford them tuition on days when itis lawful to follow such pursuits and not thereby lay a foundation for the profanation of the Sabbath.1
Three Sunday schools have been opened in Philadelphia lately. These are designed not only to convey proper instruction to youth but to pre- vent that misuse of time which the neglect of domestic restraints and private instructions as well as the irregular associations on public days too often occasion. The success is doubtful if we may regard the labors in Protestant countries as fair experiments. The restraint of domestic life and the regular hours of public devotion have proved the most suc- cessful means of promoting the best manners in society and they com- bine at once the religion of the heart and life.2
In 1817, the Newburyport Sabbath School and Tract So- ciety was organized for the purpose of distributing religious tracts and giving religious instruction to children of both sexes. On the eleventh day of November, the editor of the Newbury- port Herald, in an article on Sunday schools, said : " We are happy to learn that one of these schools has recently been formed in this town."
Sunday, August 16, 1818, Rev. Daniel Dana delivered an address, at five o'clock in the afternoon, in the meeting house on Prospect street, before sixty teachers and seven or eight hundred children connected with two Sunday schools.3
At the annual meeting of the Newburyport Sabbath School and Tract Society held in the vestry of the Prospect street meeting house, December 4, 1820, the following-named persons were elected officers of the society :-
1 Essex Journal and New Hampshire Packet, January 12, 1791.
2 Newburyport Herald, May 29, 1804.
* Newburyport Herald, August 14 and 18, 1818.
33I
SUNDAY SCHOOLS
Abraham Wheelwright, president, William Cook,
Samuel Tenney, vice president,
John Gilman,
Nathaniel Coffin, secretary,
Joseph Morss,
Abraham Perkins, treasurer,
James Frothingham,
Anthony S. Jones, collector,
Benjamin H. Cheever,
William B. Bannister,
Joseph H. Currier,
Trustees.
Sunday May 9, 1830, an infant Sunday-school class was or- ganized in the brick building, owned by William Bartlet, on the corner of Market and Merrimack streets, at half-past eight o'clock, A. M.1 The class assembled every Sunday morning during the summer months, and remained in session for one hour.
In 1824, the members of the First Religious society, dis- satisfied with the management of the Sabbath School and Tract Society, organized a school for the instruction of children connected with their own society, which is still in active oper- ation.
At a later date, the members of several other religious so- cieties in Newburyport withdrew from the union and estab- lished schools that were well attended. An earnest effort was made to keep up the organization of the Sabbath School and Tract Society, but the conditions were unfavorable, and the society was dissolved in 1835.
1 Newburyport Herald, May 7, 1830.
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CHAPTER VIII.
PUBLIC STREETS AND LANDING PLACES.
WHEN the four-rod ways, extending from the country road, now High street, to Merrimack river, were laid out by the inhabitants of Newbury, in 1645, they were called lanes.1 In 1764, Cottle's lane, now Bromfield street, was made the south- ern limit of Newburyport, and the line dividing the third and fifth parishes of Newbury, now Oakland street, was made the northern limit.
The map on the twenty-second page of this volume gives the location of the streets as they were in Newburyport, in 1795, the map on the one hundred and eighty-fifth page gives them as they were in 1830, and the map on the opposite page gives the streets with the names affixed as they were in 1843.
In 1851, the southern as well as the northern limit of New- buryport was extended by the annexation of a part of the town of Newbury, as shown on the map on the two hundred and eighth page. The streets from Muzzey's lane, now Marlbo- rough street, to Ferry lane, now Jefferson street, with the cross streets as now laid down and accepted by the city of New- buryport, are shown on the map on the next page.
MARLBOROUGH STREET.
In 1650, a way extended from the country road to Merrimack river, through land owned by William Thomas, Henry Lunt and others. In 1656, Thomas Hale sold to Jos- eph Muzzey " house, tenement and freehold lately purchased of Henry Lunt," bounded by the way to Merrimack river on the east.2
In 1697, the town of Newbury voted to build a kiln for
1 History of Newbury (Currier), pp. 413-430.
2 Essex Deeds (Ipswich Series), book I, leaf 614 (230).
(333)
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MAP OF NEWBURYPORT FROM MARLBOROUGH TO JEFFERSON STREETS, 1900. -
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335
LIME STREET
burning lime " at the end of Muzzies lane, next the Merri- mack river."I
In 1726, the way, two rods wide, running from Norfolk, now High, street " down by Joseph Muzzies into Merrimack street " was named Marlborough street, a name it still retains.2
BROMFIELD STREET.
Cottle's lane, from High street, " by Ezra Cottle's dwelling house, to the dwelling house of Joseph Knight, Junior, on the highway near Merrimack river," was laid out by the selectmen of Newbury March 6, 1718-9, although it was probably a pri- vate way long before that date.3
In 1764, the easterly side of Cottle's lane, was, by an act of the General Court, made the dividing line between the towns of Newbury and Newburyport, 4 and the name of Cottle's lane was changed to South street by the inhabitants of the last- named town.
In 1851, " An Act to Annex a Part of the Town of New- bury to the Town of Newburyport " established a new divid- ing line between the two towns, and, November 1, 1852, by a vote of the city council of Newburyport,5 the name of South street was changed to Bromfield street in honor of John Bromfield who, by his will, proved January 14, 1850, gave ten thousand dollars to the inhabitants of Newburyport, the income to be used for the purchase of shade trees and the improvement of sidewalks.
LIME STREET.
A way from Milk street to Water street, called Lime street, was probably laid out soon after the incorporation of Newbury- port. March 13, 1794, the selectmen were requested to lay out a street from Norfolk street, now High street, to Lime street,
1 " Ould Newbury," p. 422.
2 History of Newbury (Currier), p. 428.
3 History of Newbury (Currier), p. 426.
4 History of Newbury (Currier), p. 267.
5 Newburyport City Records, vol. I.
336
HISTORY OF NEWBURYPORT
provided the owners of land make no claim for damages.1 October 12, 1797, the town voted to accept Lime street, from Milk street to Water street ;2 and April 4, 1803, the town voted to accept " the upper end of Lime street agreeably to a petition of Stephen Greeley and others."3
FEDERAL STREET.
Chandler's lane, extending from High street to Merrimack river, was probably laid out by the inhabitants of Newbury as early as 1645. It retained that name until 1726, when it was by a vote of the town called King street.4
[March 10, 1789] Voted that the street called and known by the name of King street be altered, and from and after this day be called and known by the name of Federal street.5
TREMONT STREET.
A way extending from High street to Prospect street, called Tremont street, was laid out by the mayor and alder- men of the city of Newburyport May 16, 1859.
FRUIT STREET.
The way from High street to Prospect street was called Fruit street as early as 1801,6 although it was not laid out
1 Newburyport Town Records, vol. II., p. 88.
2 Newburyport Town Records, vol. II., p. 166.
3 Newburyport Town Records, vol. II., p. 284.
4 History of Newbury (Currier), p. 429.
5 Newburyport Town Records, vol. I., p. 533.
6 March 18, 1801, Benjamin Wyatt sold to Stephen Holland land on the south- easterly corner of High and Fruit streets (Essex Deeds, book 177, leaf 154). Mr. Holland mortgaged this land to Moses Brown and William Woart, and afterwards to Ebenezer Wheelwright (Essex Deeds, book 199, leaf 10, and book 200, leaf 213). June 21, 1824, he sold the land with the buildings thereon to Green San- born (Essex Deeds, book 235, leaf 282). Since that date the conveyances of this property have been as follows :-
Green Sanborn to John Harrod, August 12, 1828 (Essex Deeds, book 254, leaf 57).
John Harrod to Sarah Winslow Marquand, wife of Joseph Marquand, Oct. 19, 1829 (Essex Deeds, book 254, leaf 57).
Sarah W. and Joseph Marquand to John Wills, June 28, 1832 (Essex Deeds, book 266, leaf 14).
Caleb Cushing, administrator of the estate of John Wills to Richard Fowler, January 10, 1837 (Essex Deeds, book 296, leaf 225).
Richard Fowler to Mary Nelson, widow of Jeremiah Nelson, June 10, 1839 (Essex Deeds, book 313, leaf 274).
337
FAIR STREET
through land of Green Sanborn and Moses Brown, on the southeast side, and land of John N. Cushing and Daniel Fos- ter, on the northwest side, by the selectmen of Newburyport until May 8, 1826. It was accepted at a town meeting held ten days later.'
FAIR STREET.
In 1782, a petition for the acceptance of a way " laid down from Temple street, fronting Col. Edward Wigglesworth's house and John Woodman's house to Cross street," now Mid- dle street, was presented to the inhabitants of the town by William Coffin Little.
[March 21, 1782] Voted that the street called Fair street be allowed and approved as laid out and reported to the Selectmen and that the same, with the plan annexed thereto, be recorded in the records of the town.2
June 29, 1826, the legal voters of Newburyport accepted a street, laid out in continuation of Fair street, extending from Middle street to Liberty street, two rods wide, and from Liberty street to Water street, three rods wide.3 The select- men subsequently decided to lay out the street three rods wide from Middle street to Water street, and November 1I, 1826, the town accepted and approved the report of the selectmen.
In 1844, an unsuccessful attempt was made to authorize the selectmen to purchase, of the proprietors of the Temple
Mary Nelson, executrix of the will of Jeremiah Nelson, to Mary Nelson, August 15, 1854 (Essex Deeds, book 505, leaf 300).
Jeremiah Nelson and Mary B. Nelson to Henry B. Wheelwright, April 27, 1886 (Essex Deeds, book 1175, leaf 235).
The land on the northwesterly corner of High and Fruit streets was owned by Richard Pike, and sold to Jonathan Moulton Oct. 6, 1803. Elizabeth Moulton, widow, and guardian of the children, of Jonathan Moulton, sold the land to Wil- liam Hunt August 1, 1808 (Essex Deeds, book 185, leaf 238). Sarah Hunt, widow of William Hunt, sold one-half of the land and one-half of the brick dwelling house standing thereon to John N. Cushing July 4, 1818 (Essex Deeds, book 216, leaf 268). Sarah Hunt, guardian of the minor children of William Hunt, sold to John N. Cushing, December 17, 1822, the other half of the land and dwelling house (Essex Deeds, book 231, leaf 294).
1 Newburyport Town Records, vol. III., pp. 164 and 166.
2 Newburyport Town Records, vol. I., p. 376.
3 Newburyport Town Records, vol. III., p. 166.
338
HISTORY OF NEWBURYPORT
Street meeting house, land needed in order to extend Fair street from Temple street to Prospect street ;1 and December 8, 1845, a committee was appointed to appear before the coun- ty commissioners in answer to a petition of John Porter and others "for a way to be laid out from the bottom of Fruit street to a bend in Fair street, opposite to land owned and oc- cupied by Samuel Bragdon, to unite Fruit and Fair streets so as to make a straight road of the same."2
The commissioners decided in favor of the petitioners, and the way connecting Fruit street with Fair street was laid out April 16, 1846.
May 22, 1868, the mayor and aldermen of the city of New- buryport re-located and widened Fair street at its junction with Temple street.
STATE STREET.
" The way to Watts Sellar " is mentioned in the records of the town of Newbury as early as 1648, and perhaps earlier.3 It was afterwards called Greenleaf's lane. In 1726, the four- rod way from Norfolk street, now High street, " down by the house formerly Capt. Greenleafs into Merrimack street " was by a vote of the town of Newbury called Fish street.4
[May 15, 1787] Voted that the street leading from High street to the Revd Mr. Cary's meeting house [then in what is now Market square] be altered from Fish street to State street.5
March 7, 1803, State street from N. Tracy's corner to J. Prince's land on the N. W. side and from Capt. T. Carter's corner to the Rev. J. Andrews land on S. E. side was widened by the order and with the assistance of the selectmen and a stone was placed beneath the surface at the head of the street, in the centre, and exactly in the range between Mr. Brown's and Mr. Tracy's corners.
Attest NICS PIKE, Surveyor.6
' Newburyport Town Records, vol. IV., p. 185.
2 Newburyport Town Records, vol. IV., p. 233.
3 " Ould Newbury," pp. 143-145.
4 History of Newbury (Currier), p. 429.
5 Newburyport Town Records, vol. I., p. 489. '
6 Newburyport Town Records, vol. II., p. 288.
339
GREEN STREET
PARK STREET.
July 24, 1845, the county commissioners laid out the way called Park street, from High street to Harris street, through land owned by Stephen S. Hodge on the northwesterly side of the, " Sewall Place " so called.'
GREEN STREET.
The selectmen of Newburyport were instructed, May 16, 1781, to lay out a way, four rods wide, from High street to Merrimack street, between State and Market streets, provided Stephen Sewall, Stephen Hooper, Mary Hooper, Nathaniel Tracy, Nathaniel Atkinson, Sr., Parker Atkinson, Stephen Atkinson, Nathaniel Atkinson, Jr., Benjamin Greenleaf, Enoch Joshua and Richard Titcomb, " and the heirs of the late Ben- jamin Frothingham," owners of the land, gave their consent and voluntarily conveyed to the town the land needed for that purpose .? The way was accepted March 28, 1782, and called Green street.3
Timothy Dexter and wife subsequently petitioned the court of general sessions, in behalf of the heirs of Benjamin Froth- ingham, for compensation for land taken for a public highway, and on the twenty-eighth day of June, 1782, the town voted to discontinue that portion of Green street laid out over land belonging to the heirs of Benjamin Frothingham.4 No further action was taken until March 16, 1785, when at the request of Enoch Titcomb, Joshua Titcomb, Richard Titcomb and Abel Greenleaf that part of the street laid out over their land, near Merrimack street, was discontinued also.5
1 Stephen Sewall married Ann, daughter of Tristram Little. The will of Mr. Little, proved May 11, 1762, gave one-third of his estate to his three grand- children, John, Sarah and Ann Sewall after the decease of their mother Ann who was to have the use of the property during her life. In the division of Mr. Little's estate two acres of land, " opposite the wind mill or frogg pond," was assigned, December 31, 1762, to John, Sarah and Ann Sewall.
Charles Hodge purchased one-undivided-tenth part of the above-described land in 1808, and the other nine-tenths a few years later. Previous to 1814, he built a three-story brick dwelling house on the land. See Essex Deeds, book 186, leaf 86; book 195, leaf 37; book 203, leaf 76; and book 212, leaf 27.
2 Newburyport Town Records, vol. I., p. 354.
3 Newburyport Town Records, vol. I., p. 377.
4 Newburyport Town Records, vol. I., p. 386.
5 Newburyport Town Records, vol. I., p. 435.
340
HISTORY OF NEWBURYPORT
VIEW OF GREEN STREET FROM HIGH STREET.
Upon the petition of Moses Brown and others the street was again laid out from High street to Merrimack street and accepted by the town, November 1, 1802, the owners of the land consenting and waiving all claim for damages.1
COURT STREET.
[March 28, 1836] Voted to accept Court street as now laid out [from High street to Washington street].2
TITCOMB STREET.
April 6, 1768, Enoch Titcomb agreed to lay out a one-and- one-half-rod way from Merrimack street to the land on which the meeting house of the North Congregational society now stands.3 This way was subsequently extended to Union, now Washing- ton, street, and accepted by the inhabitants of the town May 8, 1798.+
1 Newburyport Town Records, vol. II., p. 272.
2 Newburyport Town Records, vol. III., p. 349.
3 " Ould Newbury," p. 635, note.
Newburyport Town Records, vol. II., pp. 180 and 181.
341
SUMMER STREET
MARKET STREET.
As early as 1646, Cross street, afterwards called Ordway's lane, was laid out, by the proprietors of the town of Newbury, from the country road, now High street, to Merrimack river. In 1726, the name of Ordway's lane was changed to Queen street.' When Newburyport was incorporated in 1764, Queen street was the geographical centre of the new town. When or by what authority the name of the street was changed to Market street is uncertain. It was called Queen street in a deed dated May 24, 1792,2 and Market street in deeds dated February 16, and March 10, 1795.3
SUMMER STREET.
At a meeting of the inhabitants of the town of Newbury- port held March 21, 1766, the selectmen made the following report which was accepted and afterwards recorded by the town clerk :-
Whereas John and Moses Ordway some time past lay'd down a way thro their lands in this Town and sold divers House Lotts on each side of the same way which are now built upon and the said way is now called Summer street and application being made to us to lay the said street out as a Town Way by a number of the inhabitants of this Town, we accordingly have laid the said street out as a Town Way (viz.) from the high street so called and so running between St. Paul's Church Yard & the dwelling house of Daniel Bayley down to Merrimack street, between the dwelling house of John Ordway, late deceased, on one side, Obadiah Horton's Garden and Isaac Johnson's barber shop on the other side. The said way to be of the same width as it now is, and the lines on each side to run as the houses and other Buildings and Garden Fences now stand.
This laying out not to prejudice any demand the purchasers of the House Lots aforesaid, may have against the aforesaid Ordways to have the said way widened, and it is to be understood that this Town is to be at no cost in purchasing any part of the same Way, but the owners of the Land freely give the same. Layed out this 17th Day of March, 1766, by us Daniel Farnham, Robert Roberts, Ebenezer Little, Selectmen of New- buryport.4
1 History of Newbury (Currier), p. 429.
2 Essex Deeds, book 156, leaf IOI.
3 Essex Deeds, book 159, leaves 32 and 208.
4 Newburyport Town Records, vol. I., p. 76.
342
HISTORY OF NEWBURYPORT
WINTER STREET.
Bartlett's lane, extending from High street to Merrimack street, was laid out previous to the incorporation of Newbury- port. May 13, 1764, the inhabitants of the new town pur- chased a lot of land on Bartlett's lane and erected a school- house there. When the property was sold in 1821, the street was called Winter street, which name it retains.I
BOARDMAN STREET.
In 1754, Offin Boardman notified the inhabitants of the town of Newbury that he had laid out a way through his own land " from ye Country Road Down to the two rod way by Merrimack river." March 12, 1754, the way was accepted and called Boardman's lane.2 After the incorporation of New- buryport, in 1764, it was called Boardman street.
OLIVE STREET.
As early as 1755, a way now known as Olive street extend- ed from High street to Merrimack street. Col. Moses Tit- comb owned and occupied, at that date, a dwelling house on the northwesterly corner of the unnamed way and Merrimack street.3 In 1794, this way was called Olive lane.
March 24, 1817, the town of Newburyport voted to accept Olive street, from High street to Merrimack street as a public highway.4
MERRILL STREET.
March 8, 1774, a way parallel to Kent street, extending from Merrimack street to the corner of [Thomas ?] Merrill's house, then standing between Olive street and Kent street, and there turning and running in a northwesterly direction to [Robert ?] Foster's house on Woodman's lane, now Kent street, was accepted and called Merrill's lane.5 When Con-
1 " Ould Newbury", pp. 613, 614, note.
History of Newbury (Currier), p. 430.
3 " Ould Newbury," p. 471.
4 Newburyport Town Records, vol. III., p. 8.
" Newburyport Town Records, vol. I., pp. 187 and 222.
MERRILL STREET
343
gress street was laid out, previous to 1812, Merrill's lane was extended in a southwesterly direction to that street and called Merrill street. A plan of the way, recorded in the town records, volume two, page two hundred and twenty-two, is reproduced below. In 1848, the lane connecting Kent and Merrill streets was called Russia street.
27 fat
Mumb House
: Name
Merriles Lane
infect
fest
27 fort
S
Merrill Lane
27 fort
spass
House
im Woodrow.
Woodman's Lane so called.
Merrimack Street two Rods wide
PLAN OF MERRILL STREET.
344
HISTORY OF NEWBURYPORT
JOHNSON STREET.
At a meeting of the inhabitants of Newburyport, held March 27, 1833, Eleazer Johnson and others favored the acceptance of a street " called Hoyt street leading from High street to Low street," but a committee, appointed to take the matter into consideration, advised delay, and the subject was indefi- nitely postponed. In 1854, and perhaps earlier, the street was called Johnson street.
KENT STREET.
Woodman's lane, extending from the country road, now High street, to Merrimack river, was probably laid out by Edward Woodman or his son, Jonathan Woodman, as early as 1675.' After the incorporation of Newburyport, a portion of Woodman's lane was discontinued and a three-rod way laid out through the land of Dea. John Kent and others.
The tenth article in the warrant for a town meeting to be held March 20, 1787, reads as follows :-
To see if the Town will discontinue that part of Woodmin's lane (so called) from Merrimack street near as far up as the Widow Foster's house, and that a way or street of three rods wide may be laid out through land of the heirs of deacon John Kent, deceased, Richard Kent & Elizabeth Sawyer, beginning at Merrimack street aforesaid and run- ning as far up as the Widow Foster's, and be accepted and recorded as a Town Way conformable to a plan of said street for that purpose, agree- able to a petition of Richard Kent & others inhabitants of the Town of Newburyport.2
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