USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Newburyport > History of Newburyport, Mass., 1764-1905, Volume I > Part 30
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Provided nevertheless that a part of the above-described line shall be altered if the inhabitants of the town of Newburyport shall so determine at any legal meeting of said inhabitants, called for that purpose, in man- ner following to wit : from a suitable point in Newbury to the western end of the said chain bridge across the Merrimack river, which altera- tion shall be made in such manner as the engineer of the said Eastern Railroad Company shall deem most suitable to carry the line of said rail- road west of the jail in Newburyport and across High street, passing through or near Winter street, and provided, also, that said Corporation shall not be holden or required to construct their said railroad on that part of the above described line between said Union street or Winter street, and the boundary line between the said commonwealth and said state of New Hampshire, until they shall deem it expedient to do so.3
August 1, 1836, the inhabitants of Newburyport voted to accept and approve the alterations proposed in order to carry
1 Greenleaf's field formerly included all the land between Green, Washington, Court and High streets.
2 Newburyport Town Records, vol. III., p. 344.
Acts and Resolves, 1836, ch. 232.
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HISTORY OF NEWBURYPORT
the line of the railroad west of the jail and under High street by a suitable tunnel.1
The road was completed from Boston to Salem in 1838, and to Newburyport in 1840. Trains were advertised to leave Boston for Newburyport " on and after June 17, 1840," at seven o'clock A. M., twelve o'clock, noon, and half-past three o'clock P. M., returning leave Newburyport for Boston at half- past seven and ten A. M., and four P. M.2 On the twenty- eighth day of October, the first train of cars crossed the bridge from Newburyport to Salisbury,3 and on the ninth day of No- vember following the road was opened for public travel to Portsmouth, N. H.
EASTERN R.R. STATION
EASTERN RAILROAD DEPOT, 1840.
The first passenger station erected by the Eastern Rail- road Company in Newburyport was a one-story wooden build- ing with large swinging doors, that were left open to allow trains to pass during the day but closed at night and on Sun- days. It was located on Washington street, near the present passenger station, and was provided with a bell that was rung on the arrival and departure of trains. The above print, taken from a pen-and-ink sketch, gives a fairly good view of the building, although the details are not reproduced with exactness.
In June, 1853, land on Strong and Winter streets, with the
1 Newburyport Town Records, vol. III., P. 353.
2 Newburyport Herald, June 19, 1840.
3 Newburyport Herald, October 29, 1840.
EASTERN RAILROAD
401
buildings thereon, was purchased to make room for a new brick passenger and freight station. The buildings were taken down, or removed, and in August the foundations for the brick walls of the new depot were laid.' A portion of the old de- pot was used for the accommodation of passengers until the new one was completed in March, 1854. In the Traveller's Guide to Seaboard Towns, by Joseph H. Bragdon, published in 1857, there is a brief description of Newburyport and a wood cut from which the following print is taken.
EASTERN RAILROAD DEPOT, 1854.
In 1865, the Eastern Railroad Company was authorized to erect a new bridge over the Merrimack river from Newbury- port to Salisbury. Foundations for the piers were laid in the autumn of that year, but the bridge was not completed until two years later.2 In 1867, owing to the sharp competition between the Boston and Maine Railroad Company, lessees of the Newburyport, Georgetown and Danvers railroad, and the Eastern Railroad Company, the regular fare from Newbury- port to Boston was reduced to fifty cents.3
1 Newburyport Daily Evening Union, August 16, and September 23, 1853.
z Newburyport Herald, October 24, 1865.
3 Newburyport Herald, May 2, 1867.
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HISTORY OF NEWBURYPORT
EASTERN RAILROAD DEPOT, 1892.
In 1884, the Eastern and Boston and Maine railroads were consolidated and since that date both roads have been under the same general management.
March 3, 1892, the depot erected in 1854 was destroyed by fire. During the following summer additional land was pur- chased and a new and convenient passenger station erected as shown in the above half-tone print.
NEWBURYPORT, GEORGETOWN AND BRADFORD RAILROAD.
March 1I, 1846, Dennis Condry, John Huse, Enoch S. Williams, John Wood, Edward S. Moseley and their associates and successors were incorporated by the name of the New- buryport Railroad Company and authorized to lay out and construct a railroad from Newburyport to Georgetown.1
May 9, 1848, the company was granted liberty to build a road through the town of West Newbury to Bradford.2
The road from Newburyport to Georgetown was completed previous to May 1, 1850, and from Georgetown to Bradford before May 1, 1851.
1 Acts and Resolves, 1846, ch. 90.
2 Acts and Resolves, 1848, ch. 285.
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NEWBURYPORT AND AMESBURY RAILROAD
May 7, 185 1, the Danvers and Georgetown Railroad Com- pany was incorporated and authorized to build a road from Georgetown, through Boxford, Topsfield and Wenham to North Danvers.I
March 15, 1852, the Danvers Railroad Company was grant- ed liberty to build a road from North Danvers through Read- ing, Lynnfield and South Reading4 to the Boston and Maine Railroad track in the last-named town.2
May 2, 1853, the Danvers Railroad Company, the Danvers and Georgetown Railroad Company, and the Newburyport Railroad Company were authorized by the General Court to unite and form one corporation by the name of the Newbury- port Railroad Company.3
In 1853, the Newburyport railroad was leased to the Bos- ton and Maine Railroad Company and trains were run from Newburyport, via. Georgetown, Danvers and South Reading, 4 to Boston. Since that date the directors of the last-named company have managed and controlled the transportation of passengers and merchandise over the Newburyport railroad.
NEWBURYPORT AND AMESBURY RAILROAD.
In 1843, some of the prominent citizens of Amesbury pe- titioned the General Court for liberty to build a railroad from that town to the Eastern Railroad depot in Salisbury, and March 15, 1844, the Salisbury Branch Railroad was incorpo- rated. The road was completed January 3, 1848, and passen- ger trains were advertised to run that day from Amesbury to Salisbury. Two or three years later the road was leased to the Eastern Railroad Company and passengers from Ames- bury were taken through Salisbury to Newburyport without change of cars. In 1884, the Salisbury Branch Railroad Company and the Eastern Railroad Company were consoli- dated with the Boston and Maine Railroad Company and now
1 Acts and Resolves, 1851, ch. 125.
2 Acts and Resolves, 1852, ch. 32.
3 Acts and Resolves, 1853, ch. 276.
4 Now Wakefield.
4 04
HISTORY OF NEWBURYPORT
form one corporation under the management and control of one board of directors.
NEWBURYPORT CITY RAILROAD.
The Newburyport City Railroad Company was incorporated June 12, 1869, and authorized to construct and operate a rail- road from a convenient point on the Newburyport railroad, or Eastern railroad, to tide water on the southerly bank of Merrimack river.'
CITY RAILROAD FROM LOWER LONG WHARF.
The work of laying out and constructing this road was com- pleted in July, 1872, and on the nineteenth day of August of that year it was leased to the Eastern Railroad Company and operated by that company until 1884, when it passed into the control of the Boston and Maine Railroad Company.
OMNIBUS AND STREET CAR SERVICE.
June 14, 1839, a stage-coach owned by George W. Aubin was advertised to make five trips daily from the Belleville hotel, on the Break O'Day hill, in Newbury, to State street, in Newburyport, passing on the way through Coffin's lane, now Jefferson street, to High street, down High street to Pilsbury's lane, now Ashland street, down Pilsbury's lane to Merrimack street, down Merrimack street to Tyng street, up
1 Acts and Resolves, 1869, ch. 398; 1870, ch. 357.
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OMNIBUS AND STREET CAR SERVICE
Tyng street to High street, down High street to Green street, down Green street to Harris street, through Harris street to the stage-house, " Wolfe tavern," on the corner of State street.
In 1853, William H. Lovett ran an omnibus from the cor- ner of Jefferson and Merrimack streets to Marlborough street nearly every hour.1 In 1856, Pottle Richardson owned this omnibus and advertised to take passengers from one end of the city to the other. A year or two later he sold his interest in the business to Otis Mann.
In 1864, Hiram Litttlefield was the proprietor of a line of omnibuses that made eight or ten trips daily from the Union house, otherwise known as Belleville hotel, to Marlborough street, and from four to six trips daily from State street to Essex-Merrimack bridge.2
February 29, 1864, the Newburyport and Amesbury Horse Railroad company was authorized to construct, within two years, a railroad to be operated in the streets of Newburyport, Salisbury and Amesbury, with horse power only.3 The time expired, however, before the company was in a condition to build the road. April 5, 1871, the act of incorporation was revived and extended for two years from that date.4 In the month of May following, the city of Newburyport was author- ized to subscribe for two hundred and fifty shares in the capi- tal stock of the company, at the par value of one hundred dol- lars per share, " provided two-thirds of the legal voters of the city, at a legal meeting called for that purpose, vote so to do."5 At a meeting of the inhabitants of Newburyport, held August 24, 1871, the provisions of the act passed by the General Court were accepted by a vote of 451 in the affirmative to 127 in the negative.
Soon after the organization of the company a contract was made with Col. John E. Gowen, of Boston, to build the road,
' Daily Evening Union, July 22, 1853 and May 19, 1854.
2 Newburyport Herald, March 15, 1864.
3 Acts and Resolves, 1864, ch. 53.
4 Acts and Resolves, 1871, ch. 165.
5 Acts and Resolves, 1871, ch. 319.
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HISTORY OF NEWBURYPORT
but owing to financial complications it was not completed un- til the summer of 1873. It was leased for ten years to Enoch T. Northend. The first car, containing the directors of the road and invited guests, ran from Newburyport to Amesbury Friday afternoon, July 11, 1873. Two weeks later, cars were running every hour during the day from Market square in Newburyport to Market square in Amesbury.
The lease of the road to Mr. Northend expired in 1883 and a new one made to Joseph M. Greenough was by him assigned to Edward P. Shaw. In 1885, the city of Newburyport sold its stock, a controlling interest in the road, to Mr. Shaw for twelve thousand dollars. Two years later, Charles Odell of Salem purchased Mr. Shaw's interest.
June 21, 1889, the mayor and aldermen of the city of New- buryport granted the Newburyport and Amesbury Horse Railroad Company liberty to extend its track from Market square up State street, through Pleasant, Titcomb, Washington, Olive and High streets to the Catholic cemetery on Storey avenue; and in a southeasterly direction, from the head of of State street, down High, to Marlborough street. The next year the road was extended from Marlborough street to the "trayneing green " in the town of Newbury.
In 1891, a power station was built near the Merrimack river, at the foot of Jefferson street, the road was extended from "trayneing green " to Parker river, and the whole system, including the Storey avenue branch, supplied with electric motive power.
In 1898, the road was sold by the bond holders to Edward P. Shaw and others at auction, and subsequently conveyed to the Citizens Electric Street Railway Company, incorporated April 26, 1899. It is now controlled and operated by the directors of the last-named company under the general laws of the commonwealth of Massachusetts.
The Plum Island Street Railway Company was incorporated December 4, 1886. The road was built, and horse cars were run during the following summer from Market square in Newbury- port to the hotel on Plum island. August 23, 1897, the Plum Island Electric Street Railway Company was incorporated, and
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OMNIBUS AND STREET CAR SERVICE
the road from Newburyport to the Plum Island hotel, equipped for electric car service, was extended to "Lighthouse Point." It is now owned and operated by the Citizens Electric Street Railway Company.
The People's Street Railway Company, organized April 29, 1892, built a road for electric car service from West Newbury to the Catholic cemetery, on Storey avenue, in Newburyport. This road now forms a part of the Boston and Northern Street Railway system. Passengers are taken from Market square to Storey avenue over the Citizens Street railroad, and thence over the Boston and Northern to West Newbury, Groveland and Haverhill.
The Black Rocks and Salisbury Beach Street Railway Com- pany was organized July 5, 1884, with a capital stock of nine thousand dollars. The road, when completed, extended three or four miles in a northerly direction, from Black Rocks. It was run in connection with a line of steamers that left New- buryport every hour from eight A. M. to eight P. M. during the summer months. In 1888, the capital stock of the company was increased to forty-five thousand dollars, and a horse rail- road track laid from Market square, in Newburyport, to the town of Salisbury, and thence over the old road to Salisbury beach. September 30, 1891, the capital stock of the company was again increased, and the road was then equipped for elec- tric car service. July 14, 1892, it was sold to the Haverhill and Amesbury Street Railway Company, who still own and operate it. The last-named company, organized April 28, 1892, established and continues to operate an electric street railway on the northerly side of Merrimack river, connecting the city of Haverhill with the towns of Merrimac, Amesbury and Salisbury.
The road extending from Market square, Newburyport, through Newbury (Byfield) to Rowley, Ipswich and George- town was built by the Georgetown, Rowley and Ipswich Rail- road Company and opened for the transportation of passengers April 30, 1900.
CHAPTER XI.
DISTINGUISHED VISITORS, MEMORIAL SERVICES, CELEBRATIONS AND POLITICAL GATHERINGS.
MONDAY afternoon, August II, 1788, His Excellency John Hancock, governor of Massachusetts, accompanied by his wife, on his way from Boston to Portsmouth, N. H., was met at the bridge over Parker river, in Newbury, by a number of gentlemen on horseback, and escorted to Newburyport. His arrival was announced by the ringing of bells and the firing of cannon. He remained in town over night, and proceeded on his journey the next day.
On his return from Portsmouth, the following Saturday, he was entertained in the Tracy house, now the Public Library building, Newburyport, by Hon. Jonathan Jackson, who re- sided there.I
At a meeting of the inhabitants of the town held October 21, 1789, at three o'clock P. M., the following arrangements were made for the reception and entertainment of Washing- ton, then on his way from New York through Massachusetts to New Hampshire :-
Voted that an address to his Excellency the President of the United States be prepared in order to present, in case he should Pass thro' this town.
Voted that Theophilus Parsons, Esq. be a committee to prepare the address aforesaid.
Voted to accept of the following address prepared by Theophilus Par- sons, Esq. and read to the Town.
Voted that Hon. Benjamin Greenleaf, Esq. Hon. Jonathan Greenleaf, Esq. Hon. Jonathan Jackson, Esq. Col. Edward Wigglesworth and Micajah Sawyer, Esq. be a committee to present the address.2
1 Essex Journal and New Hampshire Packet, August 13 and 20, 1788 (Ameri- can Antiquarian Society, Worcester, Mass.).
2 Newburyport Town Records, vol. I., p. 544.
(408)
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DISTINGUISHED VISITORS, MEMORIAL SERVICES, ETC.
Voted to supply the Artillery and Militia Companies in this Town with Powder necessary to expend in Saluting the President of the United States on his passing thro' this Town.I
Washington came from Ipswich, through Rowley, over Parker River bridge to Newbury, Friday, October 30, 1789. He was escorted by two companies of cavalry, Jonathan Jack- son, United States marshall for the district of Massachusetts, Hon. Tristram Dalton, Major-General Titcomb, and other dis- tinguished gentlemen from Newburyport and neighboring towns. At the corner of South, now Bromfield, and High streets, the dividing line between the towns of Newbury and Newburyport, the procession halted at about three o'clock in afternoon. There the following ode was sung :-
He comes ! He comes ! The HERO comes Sound, sound your Trumpets, beat, beat your Drums ; From Port to Port let Cannons roar He's welcome to New England's shore.
Welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome, Welcome to New England's shore !
Prepare ! Prepare ! your songs prepare, Loud, loudly rend the echoing air ; From Pole to Pole, his praise resound, For Virtue is with glory crown'd. Virtue, virtue, virtue, virtue Virtue is with Glory crown'd !
The lines in the first verse, which call for the beating of drums and roaring of cannon, were instantly obeyed after the pronunciation of each word and to the vocal was joined all the instrumental music in both choruses, which were repeated : - Then the PRESIDENT, preceded by the several companies of Militia and Artillery of this town, the Musicians, Selectmen, High Sheriff, and Marshall Jackson, passed the Ministers, Physicians, Lawyers, Magistrates, Town officers, Marine Society, Tradesmen and Manufacturers, Captains of Vessels, Sailors, Schoolmasters, with their Scholars, and so forth, and so forth, who had paraded and opened to the right and left for that purpose, each of whom as the PRESIDENT passed, closed and joined in procession, which was terminated by about four hundred and twenty Scholars, all with Quills in their hands, headed by
1 Newburyport Town Records, vol. I., p. 546.
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HISTORY OF NEWBURYPORT
their Preceptors- Their motto, ' We are free-born subjects of the United States.'1
The president with his private secretary and six servants was escorted to the Tracy house, now the Public Library building, where apartments had been provided for him.2 There he received the following address :-
TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES :-
SIR : When, by the unanimous suffrages of your countrymen, you were called to preside over their public councils, the citizens of the town of Newbury-port participated in the general joy, that arose from anticipating an administration conducted by the man, to whose wisdom and valor they owed their liberties.
Pleasing were their reflections, that he, who by the blessing of Heaven had given them their independence, would again relinquish the felicities of domestic retirement, to teach them its just value.
They have seen you, victorious, leave the field, followed with the ap- plauses of a grateful country ; and they now see you, entwining the Olive with the Laurel, and, in peace, giving security and happiness to a people whom in war you covered with glory.
At the present moment, they indulge themselves in sentiments of joy, resulting from a principle, perhaps less elevated, but, exceedingly dear to their hearts, from a gratification of their affection, in beholding personally among them, the Friend, the Benefactor, and the Father of their country.
They cannot hope, Sir, to exhibit any peculiar marks of attachment to your person ; for, could they express their feelings of the most ardent and sincere gratitude, they would only repeat the sentiments, which are deep- ly impressed upon the hearts of all their fellow citizens : but, in justice to themselves, they beg leave to assure you, that in no part of the United States are those sentiments of gratitude and affection more cordial and an- imated than in the town which at this time is honored with your presence.
Long, Sir, may you continue the ornament and support of these States and may the period be late when you shall be called to receive a reward adequate to your virtues, which it is not in the power of your country to bestow.3
1 Essex Journal and New Hampshire Packet, November 4, 1789 (American Antiquarian Society, Worcester, Mass.).
2 The Massachusetts Centinel, published in Boston, October 29, 1789, states that Washington was accompanied by Colonel Lear, his private secretary, and six servants, and, under the date of November the fourth, announces that Wash- ington attended the wedding of Colonel Lear to a young lady in Portsmouth.
3 This address, according to the town records, was prepared by Theophilus Par- sons, Esq., and read at the town meeting held October 21, 1789, but it is asserted by several historical writers that it was written by John Quincy Adams, then a student-at-law in Mr. Parson's office in Newburyport. Mr. Adams, in his diary, recently published, incidentally mentions the address under the date of October twenty-first, but makes no claim of authorship.
4I [
DISTINGUISHED VISITORS, MEMORIAL SERVICES, ETC.
To the foregoing Address the president was pleased to reply as follows :-
TO THE CITIZENS OF THE TOWN OF NEWBURYPORT.
GENTLEMEN : The demonstrations of respect and affection which you are pleased to pay to an individual, whose highest pretension is to rank as your fellow-citizen, are of a nature too distinguished not to claim the warmest return that gratitude can make.
My endeavors to be useful to my country have been no more than the result of conscious duty. Regards like yours would reward services of the highest estimation and sacrifice : Yet, it is due to my feelings that I should tell you those regards are received with esteem and replied to with sincerity.
In visiting the town of Newburyport, I have obeyed a favorite incli- nation, and I am much gratified by the indulgence. In expressing a sincere wish for its prosperity, and the happiness of its inhabitants, I do justice to my own sentiments and their merit.
G. WASHINGTON.I
Early in the evening, Washington received from the First Presbytery of the Eastward, then in session in the meeting house on Federal street, Newburyport, the following address :-
SIR,
We, the Ministers and Ruling Elders, delegated to represent the churches in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, which compose the first Presbytery of the Eastward, now holding a stated session in this town beg leave to approach your presence with genuine feelings of the deepest veneration and highest esteem. We ask the honor of a place among the multitudes of good citizens, who are ambitious of expressing the heart-felt satisfaction, with which they bid you welcome to these eastern parts of your government.
Permit us then, great Sir, to assure you, that, whilst it ever shall be our care in our several places, to inculcate on our people those principles, drawn from the pure fountains of light and truth in the sacred scriptures, which can best recommend your virtues to their imitation ; and, finally, when you have thus done, free grace may confer on you, as the reward of all your great labours, the unfading Laurels of an everlasting crown.
Signed in the name and presence of the first Presbytery of the East- ward.
Per order, JOSEPH PRINCE, Moderator.
NEWBURY-PORT, 28th Oct. 1789.2
1 Essex Journal and New Hampshire Packet, November 4, 1789 (American Antiquarian Society, Worcester, Mass.).
2 Essex Journal and New Hampshire Packet, November II, 1789 (American Antiquarian Society, Worcester, Mass.).
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HISTORY OF NEWBURYPORT
To the above address the president replied as follows :-
To the Ministers and Ruling Elders delegated to represent the church- es in Massachusetts and New Hampshire which compose the first Pres- bytery of the Eastward.
GENTLEMEN,
The affectionate welcome, which you are pleased to give me to the eastern parts of the Union, would leave me without excuse, did I fail to acknowledge the sensibility which it awakens and to express the most sincere return, that a grateful sense of your goodness can suggest.
To be approved by the praiseworthy, is a wish as natural to becoming ambition, as its consequence is flattering to our self-love.
I am, indeed, much indebted to the favorable sentiments, which you entertain towards me, and it will be my study to deserve them.
The tribute of thanksgiving which you offer to the gracious Father of Lights, for his inspiration of our public councils with wisdom and firm- ness to complete the national Constitution, is worthy of men, who, de- voted to the pious purposes of religion, desire their accomplishment by such means as advance the temporal happiness of their fellow men. And here, I am persuaded, you will permit me to observe, that the path of true piety is so plain, as to require but little political direction.
To this consideration we ought to ascribe the absence of any regu- lation respecting religion from the Magna Charta of our country. To the guidance of the Ministers of the Gospel, this important object is, perhaps, more properly committed. It will be your care to instruct the ignorant, and to reclaim the devious : and in the progress of morality and science, to which our government will give every furtherance we may confidently expect the advancement of true religion, and the comple- tion of our happiness.
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