USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Newburyport > History of Newburyport, Mass., 1764-1905, Volume I > Part 27
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2 Newburyport Town Records, vol. III., pp. 134 and 136.
3 Newburyport Town Records, vol. IV., p 52.
4 Newburyport City Records, September 6, 1852.
5 Newburyport Town Records, vol. II., pp. 312 and 316.
6 Newburyport Town Records, vol. IV., p. 51.
359
ATKINSON STREET
way from High street to Pond street was called Leverett street ; in 1849, County street ; and in 1851, Auburn street.
VERNON STREET.
A way on the southerly side of High street, and parallel thereto, extending from Auburn street to what is now Cary avenue, was laid out previous to 1834, and called Back street.
[April 8, 1834] Voted to accept Back street after being widened by the Proprietors of the land and a plan of the street made for the records of the town.1
[March 18-25, 1851] Voted to change the name of Back street to Ver- non street.2
BIRCH STREET.
A way extending from Winter street to Summer street, " laid out through land owned by the heirs of the late Joseph Titcomb," was accepted by the inhabitants of Newburyport May 4, 1796, and called Birch street.3 This way was subse- quently extended to Market street, and probably accepted by the town, but no record of it has been found.
STRONG STREET.
A way, nearly parallel to Boardman street, extending from Merrimack street to Washington street, was accepted by the inhabitants of Newburyport March 11, 1819, and called Strong street.4
ATKINSON STREET.
August 12, 1834, the selectmen of Newburyport laid out a way from Strong street to Boardman street which was accepted and called Atkinson street on the twenty-sixth day of the same month.5
1 Newburyport Town Records, vol. III., p. 299.
2 Newburyport Town Records, vol. IV., p. 366.
3 Newburyport Town Records, vol. II., on p. 128; Plan on p. 131.
4 Newburyport Town Records, vol. III., p. 55.
Newburyport Town Records, vol. III., p. 302.
360
HISTORY OF NEWBURYPORT
CONGRESS STREET.
A way from Olive street to Kent street, forty feet wide, was laid down by Thomas Merrill previous to 1812.1 It was ac- cepted by the inhabitants of Newburyport August 17, 1843, and called Congress street.2
EAGLE STREET.
A way from Kent street to Carter street, called Eagle street, was accepted April 1, 1851, and laid out by the select- men of Newburyport.3
MONROE STREET.
A way called New lane, extending from Kent street to Car- ter street, was accepted April 6, 1840, and named Monroe street, and the same day a way previously laid out by the selectmen from Carter street to Tyng street was accepted.4
September 1I, 1848, a way from Tyng street to North, now Oakland, street was accepted and made a part of Mon- roe street, which now extends from Kent street to Oakland street.5
LANDING PLACES.
When the narrow strip of land between Water street and Merrimack river was divided among the proprietors of the town of Newbury, in 1715, ten landing places were reserved for the use of the inhabitants in loading and unloading hay, lumber and other merchandise.6
Soon after the incorporation of Newburyport, in 1764, Ralph Cross, Daniel Farnham, Dudley Atkins, Richard Green- leaf and Robert Roberts were appointed a committee to con-
1 Essex Deeds, book 199, leaf 17. In this deed the name of the street is not given, but in the records of the Baptist society of Newbury and Newburyport it is called Silk street.
2 Newburyport Town Records, vol. IV., p. 169.
3 Newburyport Town Records, vol. IV., p. 370.
4 Newburyport Town Records, vol. IV., p 80.
5 Newburyport Town Records, vol. IV., p. 310.
" History of Newbury (Currier), pp. 214 and 215.
36I
LANDING PLACES
fer with the selectmen of Newbury and agree upon a division of the property belonging to the town, and also " to look into and inspect the state of the highways and Landing Places."I September 18, 1764, they reported as follows :-
Your committee have viewed the Records of the Laying out of the Ways and Landings which are in said Town and considered of the same, and your Committee find that in the year 1703-4 the proprietors of the Town of Newbury appointed a committee to measure and divide the Bank against Merrimack River, which is what is commonly called the River Lotts ; that in the year 1707-8 the said committee compleated their work begining near Mr Pearces Farm and ending at Mr. Woodman's Lane and divided the same into Two Hundred and twenty-five Lotts and as- signed to each Proprietor his particular Lott, reserving at proper Places Ways and Landings, and that they presented their work to the Town of Newbury at their meeting in March in the same year. That the Town accepted thereof and ordered it to be recorded, and in the year 1715 the same committee in pursuance of another vote of the said Proprietors made a more perfect Record of said Division reserving the same ways and Landings as before which also was allowed.
Your committee find that in said division, or laying out of what is called the river lotts, there was reserved several spacious and convenient wayes and landing places at the river which are now in the bounds of Newbury- port particularly a way sixteen rods in breadth between the 1 53rd and 1 54th lotts, which is where the lower long wharf is. Also a way of twelve rods in breadth between the 192nd and 193rd lotts which is where the upper long wharf is. Your committee also find that for a number of years past certain committees of the proprietors of the undivided land in Newbury, notwithstanding the laying out and reservation of the ways and landings aforesaid, have presumed to let out for their own use part of the said ways and landings pretending a right to the same. Your committee are also of the opinion that it is for the interest and very proper for the town to assert their right to the several ways and landings layed out, confirmed and perfected from time to time as aforesaid.2
The report of the committee was accepted, and Capt. Rob- ert Roberts, Daniel Farnham, Esq., Capt. Henry Titcomb, Dudley Atkins, Esq., and Mr. Benjamin Greenleaf were authorized and directed "to perfect the work of the former committee" and ascertain what encroachments have been
1 Newburyport Town Records, vol. I., p. 15.
2 Newburyport Town Records, vol. I., p. 30.
362
HISTORY OF NEWBURYPORT
made on the landing places at the river side. They attended to the duty assigned them and reported, March 19, 1765, as follows :-
We have examined the town and the proprietors records and find that in the year 1703-4 the original proprietors chose a committee to lay out the river lotts to each proprietor, and they ordered said committee to leave large and capacious landings at several of the most convenient parts of the town for the towns use, and the said committee finished the said business and returned their report to the proprietors and they then accepted the said report and ordered it to be recorded in the pro- prietors book, and afterwards in the year 1715 the same committee were again chosen to make a more perfect division of the said river lotts which they did the same year and presented their report to the town which the town accepted and ordered it to be recorded as per record may appear.
The high ways we find by this record are a sixteen rod highway be- tween the 153rd and 154th river lotts which is at the lower end of King street.' We have been very exact in measuring this landing and the river lots both above and below it, and find that there is the whole of the sixteen rods between the above mentioned river lots, and that there was in the year 1729-30 a petition of sundry inhabitants of the town to build a wharf thereon which was finished and allowed by the town 1739-40, therefor we judge this no encroachment. There is generally several ves- sels building thereon, and timber enough for them laying thereon. There is also a barber's shop thereon and Mr. Johnson has a small breast wharf and warehouse on the easterly side. There is also part of a wharf thereon belonging to Mr. Cross. Sixteen feet seven inches of said wharf in the rear. This is the state of that landing
The next we find is a twelve rod highway at the lower end of Queen street 2 granted as the other in 1703-4 and confirmed in the year 1715, part of which, namely, forty feet in front and sixty in the rear, was ex- changed by the town with Stephen Greenleaf for fifty-eight feet, four inches for a landing at the end of Bartlett's lane,3 the remainder is its full width in front, saving three and a half feet which we suppose to be taken up in Ordway's grant, and encroached upon the rear by Capt. Dal- ton's wharf and gate, fifteen feet ten inches. It is also encumbered by building vessels and laying timber there by Mr. Merrill. The landing
1 Now Federal street.
2 Now Market street.
3 Now Winter street.
A part of this landing place, laid out fifty-eight feet and four inches wide, ex- tending from Merrimack street to the channel of the river was taken as a way to the Newburyport and Salisbury bridge, when it was laid out as a public highway in 1868.
363
LANDING PLACES
which was exchanged for part of this, namely, at the end of Bartlett's lane, is its full width in front, and on its eastwardly side it is built upon, thirteen feet, by a breast wharf of Capt. Dalton's.
The town of Newbury, in this exchange with Stephen Greenleaf, did not take so much care as we their successors think they ought to have done, for the deed by which Stephen Greenleaf conveyed to the town the above landing was in part good, but not the whole. He sold the town twenty feet of Peter Toppan's original river lot, for which he had a deed from Peter and Samuel Toppan, but that deed was never fully executed. Capt Dalton has a warrantee deed from the legal representatives of the said Peter Toppan but not withstanding this deed the town has their landing, that part that is not built upon, as it was laid out by the selectmen, in 1763, but we have reason to think that Capt Dalton will now alter his breast wharf at high water mark for the better accommodating that land- ing. On the westwardly side it is encroached upon by Mr. Jonathan Dole, by his breast wharf, nine feet, and if he continues to build in the direction that it runs it will cut off the whole landing before it comes to the channel of the river
Thus far the original grants from the proprietors. There are other town ways laid out since which we shall now take notice of in the order of time
[Third] The next is a way down to the Ferry which is not properly a highway nor landing as it appears to us, but an agreement formerly made in the year 1722-3 between Col. Kent, Mr Woodbridge and the select- men of the town. We find it as they have recorded it as to width, but think it of no use to the town as it lies, since by that agreement the town have no right to go further than three rods into the dock which will not carry them to low water mark, but with submission would recommend to the town to order the selectmen to lay it down as wide as it is now, and let it go to the river, by which means it may hereafter be of some service to the town, but as it now is we esteem it to be none.
[Fourth] The next way is between the estate of the late Col. Green- leaf, and the ship yard in the occupation of Woodbridge, which is gener- ally encumbered with timber, but at this time there is part of a vessel thereon
We would also inform the town at this their annual meeting, whereat (and no other) the town has a legal right to act upon affairs of highways that in our opinion to fix the point of compass, for the highways, above Queen's wharf at N 48 degrees and a half east, and at the lower long wharf and for Moody landing, at N 44 degrees east, and the variation to be taken this year, would be for the benefit of the whole and also each individual.I
1 Newburyport Town Records, vol. I., pp. 36-39.
364
HISTORY OF NEWBURYPORT
This report was accepted, and the selectmen were ordered to notify Ralph Cross, Jonathan Dole, Michael Dalton and others to remove the encroachments from the public landings near their places of business. May 22, 1765, Mr. Ebenezer Little and the committee previously named were instructed to confer with the proprietors of undivided land in Newbury and agree with them, if possible, for the use and improvement of the landing places in Newburyport.'
This conference was evidently unsuccessful, and the select- men considered it advisable to lay out, March 24, 1766, the upland and flats between Merrimack street and Merrimack river, at the bottom of Queen, now Market, street, Newbury- port, for the use of the town.2
May II, 1771, the selectmen laid out a town way, or landing place, at the middle ship-yard, so called, in the rear of the pres- ent police station; and July 10, 1781, they were requested to lay out " all the land and flatts in Somerby's landing, so called " at the foot of Green street.3 A plan of the landing place at the middle ship-yard was recorded on the two hundred and thirty-sixth page of the first volume of the town records.4
Somerby's landing was first laid out, in 1752, by the select- men of Newbury. July 26, 1781, it was again laid out by the selectmen of Newburyport, and a plan of the same submitted to the inhabitants of the town for approval. For some reason unknown the acceptance of the plan was delayed and appar- ently no definite action was taken in regard to it. The bounds and limits of the landing were uncertain and the plan evidently was never recorded.5
In May, 1796, the proprietors of undivided land in Newbury and Newburyport brought a suit in the court of general ses- sions " praying for compensation for a certain piece of land
1 Newburyport Town Records, vol. I., p. 44.
2 Newburyport Town Records, vol. I. p. 99.
3 Newburyport Town Records, vol. I., p. 360.
4 A copy of this plan is reproduced in chapter III., page 131, of this volume.
5 A part of the fifteenth article in the warrant for a town meeting to be held March 18, 1782, reads as follows: "To accept of the laying out of Somerby Landing, so called, as a private way, or landing, by the selectmen."
365
LANDING PLACES
and flats known by the name of the middle ship yard." A long legal controversy followed, which was not settled until 1826, when the town of Newburyport purchased of the above-named proprietors, for twelve hundred dollars, all their right, title and interest in a tract of land in the vicinity of Frog pond and in certain specified landing places on the Mer- rimack river.
In 1873, the city of Newburyport was authorized to dis- continue all the landing places between the northern bound- ary of the middle ship-yard and the lower end of Bromfield street.' They were subsequently wholly or partly filled with gravel and now form a part of the road-bed of the Newbury- port City railroad.
' Acts and Resolves, 1873, ch. 136.
CHAPTER IX.
FERRY, BRIDGES, TURNPIKES AND POSTAL SERVICE.
IN 1688, the governor and council of the province of Mas- sachusetts Bay granted Capt. John March permission to keep a ferry over Merrimack river from Warehouse point in Newbury, now Newburyport, to Ring's island in Salisbury.' The care and control of this ferry was transferred to the in- habitants of Newburyport at the incorporation of the town, in 1764. The third article in the warrant for a meeting of the inhabitants September 18, 1770, reads as follows :-
To see if the Town will chuse a committee to examine into the pres- ent State of the Ferry in this Town and put the same under due Regu- lation which has not been considered since the Town was set off.2
Capt. James Hudson, Jonathan Titcomb and Stephen Hooper were authorized to take charge of the ferry, and Sep- tember 12, 1771, a committee, consisting of Capt. James Hud- son, John Stickney and Ralph Cross, was appointed to build a ferry-boat, " also to let out the Ferry on the best terms they. can for a year."3
[March 18, 1782] Voted that Col Ralph Cross, Mr. Moses Hoyt & Capt William Wyer, be a committee to enquire into the state of the . ferry, to settle all accounts now remaining unsettled, to demand & re- ceive and pay whatever monies may be due to the Town Treasurer and to take his receipt therefor and lodge it in the Select Men's office ; also to let out said ferry and to build a new boat if need be, or lett it without, and to require the ferrymen to find one if they think best, and to do and transact all other business respecting the said ferry that may come before them.4
1 History of Newbury (Currier), pp. 442-459.
2 Newburyport Town Records, vol. I., p. 147.
3 Newburyport Town Records, vol. I., p. 154.
4 Newburyport Town Records, vol. I., p. 375.
The half-tone print on the opposite page is reproduced from a drawing recent- ly made showing the way to the ferry as it probably appeared in 1776.
(366)
367
FERRY, BRIDGES, TURNPIKES AND POSTAL SERVICE
NEWBURYPORT AND SALISBURY FERRY.
At a town meeting held March 12, 1783, the selectmen were authorized to take charge of the ferry, and on the seven- teenth day of the same month they leased it for one year to Nicholas Brown and Hugh Pritchard taking their bond, for twenty-five pounds, to be paid in instalments.I
We agreed with Thomas Gould and Nicholas Brown that they should give £12. for the use of the Ferry & Boat from the 17th March 1786.ª
[June 4, 1787] agreed to let the town's interest in the ferry for the present year to [Thomas] Gould & [Nicholas] Brown at the rate of £12 per annum.'
[April 22, 1813] Voted that the selectmen be authorized to make a contract with the selectmen of the town of Salisbury or any other persons properly authorized respecting the improvement of the Ferry between the two Towns for such a term of time (not exceeding seven years) and upon such conditions as they may think best.2
1 Newburyport (Selectmen's) Records:
2 Newburyport Town Records, vol. III., p. 450.
368
HISTORY OF NEWBURYPORT
For the convenience of travellers crossing the ferry, the inhabitants of Newburyport accepted, September 14, 1818, a way laid out by the selectmen extending from Water street to low-water mark, one rod and seven links wide on the street and one rod and fifteen links wide on the river.'
The bridge over Merrimack river, connecting Newburyport with Salisbury, was completed and opened to the public in 1827. After that date only a few foot passengers continued to use the ferry.
[October 7, 1828] Voted that Moses Merrill be requested to confer with the selectmen of Salisbury to ascertain if the Ferry cannot be sold by public auction alternately by each town & also to ascertain the situation of the boats & all other information relating to the Ferry.2
In 1880, Joshua M. Pike was appointed ferryman. He served until the close of the year 1885, when the ferry was discontinued for want of patronage.
ESSEX-MERRIMACK BRIDGE.
The first bridge over Merrimack river, between Mitchell's falls and the sea, was erected in 1792 by Timothy Palmer of Newburyport. It was built of wood with heavy timbers form- ing an arch that rested on two abutments, one on the New- bury shore and the other on the south shore of Deer island ; the northern half of the bridge, extending from the island to the Salisbury shore, rested on two abutments and three stone piers and was provided with a draw that could be raised to allow vessels to pass without delay. The principles upon which the bridge was constructed were new and attracted considerable attention. They were carefully tested and during the next ten or fifteen years were applied to several other bridges as the following advertisement distinctly states :- 3
1 A portion of this way was discontinued March 16, 1825.
2 Newburyport (Selectmen's) Records.
" The bridge over the Piscataqua river, at Portsmouth, N. H., was built by Timothy Palmer in 1794. See Morning Star, December 9, 1794.
369
ESSEX-MERRIMACK BRIDGE
BRIDGE FROM DEER ISLAND TO SALISBURY, 1792.
PATENT BRIDGE.
Whereas Timothy Palmer of Newburyport in the year 1798 obtained Letters Patent, under the great seal of the Union, for a new improvement in the construction of Timber Bridges, on a more extensive plan than any known either in Europe or America : The principal Bridges on the Merrimack, Connecticut, Piscataqua and Kennebeck rivers are built on this principle, the strength and utility of which have been sufficiently proved.
Mr. Palmer therefore begs leave to acquaint the citizens of the United States that he is willing to treat with any person or persons who may wish to purchase licenses to construct, or an exclusive property in the said new and valuable improvement.I
A year or two after the publication of this advertisement the southern half of the bridge, connecting the town of New_ bury with Deer island, was denounced by boatmen on the river as an obstruction to navigation, and in 1810 it was re- moved and replaced by a chain suspension bridge constructed by John Templeman from plans furnished by James Finley of
1 Newburyport Herald, March, 3, 1807.
Mrs. Winthrop Slater of New York city, daughter of the late Stephen Tilton of Newburyport, has in her possession a silver salver and tankard bearing the fol- lowing inscription :-
" Presented by order of the Board of Directors for Erecting a Permanent Bridge over the river Schuylkill at, or near, the City of Philadelphia, By Richards Peters President, to Timothy Palmer of Newburyport as a testimonial of their sense of his services and Ingenuity in the Plan and Completion of the Superstructure of the said Bridge, 1805."
370
HISTORY OF NEWBURYPORT
Fayette county, Pa. Timothy Palmer probably had the general care and supervision of the work. When the bridge was com- pleted the following notice appeared in the columns of the Newburyport Herald :-
CHAIN BRIDGES.
Information is hereby given that Mr. Timothy Palmer of Newbury- port, Massachusetts, has agreed to take charge of the concerns of the Patentees of the Chain Bridge, in the states of Massachusetts, Newhampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island and Connecticut, so far as re- lates to the sale of Patent rights and the construction of Chain Bridges. Mr. Palmer will attend to any applications relating to Bridges and if desired will view the proposed scite, and lay out and superintend the work, or recommend a suitable person to execute it.
JOHN TEMPLEMAN.
Approved, TIMOTHY PALMER.1
February 6, 1827, owing to some defect in the chains, the bridge between Deer island and the Newbury shore gave way and fell with a loaded team, two men, four oxen and one horse, into the river. The horse and men were saved but the oxen were drowned. The bridge was rebuilt upon substan- tially the same plan and re-opened for the accommodation of travellers on the seventeenth day of July following.
After the annexation of a part of the town of Newbury to Newburyport, in 1851, the southern half of the bridge was within the territorial limits of the last-named town, and was maintained as a toll bridge between Newburyport, Deer island and Salisbury until August 4, 1868, when, by order of the county commissioners, it was made a public highway. The long arch, or span, on the Newburyport side of the river has been thoroughly repaired and strengthened since that date and a new iron bridge erected between Deer island and the Salisbury shore.2
NEWBURYPORT BRIDGE.
February 27, 1802, William Bartlet and Nicolas Pike
' Newburyport Herald, December 21, 1810.
2 See " Ould Newbury," pp. 593-604, for detailed account and full description of the Essex-Merrimack bridge.
ESSEX-MERRIMACK BRIDGE, 1810.
372
HISTORY OF NEWBURYPORT
petitioned the General Court for liberty to build a bridge over Merrimack river from Newburyport to Salisbury. On the thirty-first day of May, the representatives from Newburyport were instructed to cast their votes in favor of the prayer of the petitioners.' A special committee appointed by the senate and house of representatives, on the twelfth day of June fol- lowing, reported after careful investigation, February 28, 1803, that it was inexpedient to grant the legislation asked for and further consideration of the subject was indefinitely post- poned.
March 4, 1826, James Prince, John Wood, Stephen Froth- ingham, and their associates and successors, were authorized to erect a bridge over Merrimack river "at some convenient point between the westerly side of Kent street and the east- erly side of Market street in Newburyport to some convenient point in the town of Salisbury," and they were also authorized to lay out a road, four rods wide, from the bridge on the Salis- bury side " to the country road leading to the east meeting house in said Salisbury."2
Four stone piers, in the channel of the river, and two abut- ments, one on the Salisbury side, five hundred and seventy feet long, and one on the Newburyport side, seven hundred feet long, were erected during the following summer. Sub- sequently, wooden arches, or towers, thirty feet high, were built on the piers, and over these arches heavy chains extended to the road bed, which consisted of two separate driveways, sus- pended side by side, from Newburyport to the Salisbury shore. For the convenience of vessels passing up and down the river a draw was constructed near the abutment on the Newbury- port side of the river. The total cost of the bridge and causeway was over sixty-six thousand dollars.3
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