History of the town of Abington, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, from its first settlement, Part 12

Author: Hobart, Benjamin, 1781-1877
Publication date: 1866
Publisher: Boston, T. H. Carter and son
Number of Pages: 552


USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Abington > History of the town of Abington, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, from its first settlement > Part 12


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Dr. RICHARD BRIGGS resided in Abington, and practised as a physician about 1780. He lived on the spot where now is the house occupied by Deacon J. A. King. Dr. Briggs was a surgeon on board a public ship in the war of Indepen- dence. When a boy I was greatly interested in hearing him narrate many of the exciting scenes which took place on board the ship iu which he served in that capacity. He was in quite extensive practice in this town for nearly thirty years, and removed to the town of Chesterfield, in this State, County of Hampshire, about 1812. He was a man well informed- had great conversational powers ; and his friends and sup- porters were very much attached to him, and he to thiem. He was cotemporary with Dr. Gridley Thaxter during almost his whole residence in town. He was chosen Town Clerk in 1799. He married Huldah Reed, the daughter of Thomas Reed, sister to the late Deacon Isaac Reed. He had a son Richard, born February 9, 1785 ; his wife died not far from 1830. He had a large family of children, several of whom have died; the residence of the others is not known : some of them removed to the West. It is not known that any of them remain at Chesterfield, and there are no descendants of his remaining in this town.


Dr. GRIDLEY THIAXTER, son of Samuel and Abigail Smith Thaxter, born in Hingham, April 9, 1756, at the age of twenty years engaged as surgeon in the privateer Speedwell, Captain Jonathan Greeley, and sailed from Boston in the year 1776. He continued in her till 1778. The Speedwell took · several prizes.


In 1779, he sailed with Capt. David Ropes, of Salem, in the brig Wild Cat, taking a number of prizes, the last a


137


PHYSICIANS.


schooner of fourteen guns, in the harbor of Halifax. They were unable to retain the schooner, the enemy having sent from town a schooner, brig and two sloops, which recaptured her. The following night they were taken prisoners by the frigate Surprise, and Dr. Thaxter remained on the prison-ship about three months ; he was then taken to Halifax, where he remained about a month, when he was exchanged, and came to Boston. In the spring of 1780, he sailed with Captain William Patten, jr., of Salem, in the brig Warrior, fourteen guns, and was taken in the month of May by the sloop-of-war Captain Ingalls, carried to New York, kept aboard the prison- ship three weeks; and the remainder of the time, while prisoner, was boarded in the town of Jamaica. When re- leased, he came to Boston witlı Major Hopkins, and, without returning to his native place, or seeing his friends, he engaged on board the State ship Mars, Captain Simeon Sampson, and remained as surgeon till the year 1781. He married a daugh- ter of General Benjamin Lincoln, of Hingham, who served in the Revolutionary War.


He moved from Hingham to Abington in the year 1783, hired a part of Rev. Samuel Niles' house, and afterwards bought the Dr. Jones Farm (recently owned by Major John Cushing). About the year 1797 he bought a farm of Mr. Jonathan Nash, and built a house the following year, which he occupied till his decease, February 13, 1845.


" Dr. EZEKIEL THAXTER, son of the above Dr. Gridley Thaxter, was born in Abington, July 22, 1787. He was fitted for college at Ilingham Academy. After completing his collegiate course, he studied medicine under the instruction of Dr. John C. Warren, of Boston. He received his medical diploma in 1815, and immediately commenced practice with his father in Abington. He was very successful as a physician, and at the present day is remembered with affection by a large number of the residents of the town. For the last two or three years of his life, he was able to practice but little, having suffered from paralysis. In 1821 he was chosen Town Clerk, and held the office until 1832. IIe was a kind and affectionate


12*


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PHYSICIANS.


father, a worthy and estimable citizen. He died October 11, 1856, aged sixty-nine years.


" Dr. RICHARDS came to town about the year 1806, and, in addition to his practice, was engaged in manufacturing cloths in 1812, in company with a Mr. Tirrell, of Boston, on the spot where now is the tack factory of D. B. Gurney. He removed to Cummington, Mass."


" Dr. JOHN CHAMPNEY came to Abington in the year 1827. He was introduced by Dr. Sawin, of East Bridgewater, and purchased the situation owned by Dr. S. just before his death, in 1821. When he removed to Abington in 1827, he occupied the house on South Avenue, once owned by Aaron Hobart, jr., Esq. He was in the United States service in the war of 1812, and died in 1857." He married for his first wife Sally Hobart, and for his second, Abigail A. Hobart, sisters, and daughters of the above named Aaron Hobart, jr. They are both de- ceased. He buried three sons, and has two daughters living.


" Dr. ALONZO CHAPIN came to East Abington about 1840, and continued in practice there for nearly ten years."


"Dr. JOHN S. CURTIS came to South Abington in the summer of 1844, and remained in practice there for two years."


" Dr. EDMUND EDMONSTON succeeded him in the same part of the town, and remained about the same length of time."


" Dr. ALBION P. CHASE came to South Abington in 1848. After boarding for a time, he was married to Deborah, daughter of Rev. F. P. Howland, and resided in a house on South Avenue, since owned by Spencer Pool. From there he removed to the house on Washington Street, built by W. P. Corthell, Esq., where he remained till the spring of 1855, when he sold out and removed to Portland, Me. After remaining there a short time he removed to Amboy, III."


" Dr. CHARLES A. KING came to Centre Abington in the autumn of 1848, and continued in practice there till his death, September 19, 1852."


"Dr. F. A. JEWETT came to North Abington in the spring


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PHYSICIANS.


of 1850. In the autumn of the same year he moved to Centre Abington, and remained in practice there till May, 1859, when he removed to Shrewsbury, where he still remains."


" Dr. J. M. UNDERWOOD, who came to East Abington in the year 1848, is still the sole representative of the profession in that flourishing village."


Dr. D. W. BRIGGS, homeopathic physician, came to Abing- ton in the autumn of 1849. He continued in practice till the spring of 1858, when he relinquished his practice to Dr. J. L. Hunt, who remained but a short time. Dr. Briggs, with his family, removed to Gardiner, Me., when he left here.


" Dr. ASA MILLET came to Centre Abington from East Bridgewater, December 22, 1854, and still continues in prac- tice." *


" Dr. NELSON B. TANNER came to East Abington, May 9, 1854, and remained there till August of the same year, when he removed to North Abington, where he still remains."


"Dr. F. F. FORSAITH succeeded Dr. A. P. Chase in his practice, April 9, 1858, and still occupies the same office." t


" Dr. CHARLES HI. HASKELL commenced practice in South Abington, April 19, 1858, and still continues there." }


" Dr. J. T. HARRIS, homccopathist, who succeeded Dr. Hunt in May, 1859, is still in practice, and resides in Centre Abing- ton."


Dr. C. F. ROBINSON succeeded Dr. F. F. Forsaith in South Abington, February 3, 1862, and now occupies the same office.


Dr. HENRY DUDLEY came to Centre Abington, in April, 1864, and succeeded Dr. Asa Millet in practice.


Dr. NELSON B. TANNER, jr., opened an office in South Abington in 1864.


Dr. BENJAMIN F. HASTINGS resides in East Abington, and opened his office there recently.


* Since removed to Bridgewater.


t Since removed to Weymouth.


# Since deceased.


CHAPTER XVI.


Manufactures .- Their Rise and Progress in Early Times; their State and Condition at the Present Time


I HAVE already noticed, under the head of Agriculture, some of the early domestic manufactures, particularly the spinning and weaving (mostly by females) of wool and flax, which were produced in considerable quantities. Such manu- factures were coeval with the first settlement of the town, and were of the highest importance ; population would not have been sustained without them.


But there were other manufactures in early times besides these. One of these was " earthen-ware ; " this was introduced here by Henry Benner, of Dutch descent, who, with his wife, emigrated to this country and settled in this town, as near as it can be ascertained, in 1765. He continued the business about thirty years ; he died between 1790 and 1800. Ilis wife survived him for a number of years. He lived in a small house near the clay-pits, just back of the house where Samuel Brown used to live. Some of his ware, which was of rather a coarse make, is now in existence, over eighty years old.


The process of making his ware was very simple: his vessels were moulded and shaped by his hands. He had an upright shaft about four feet high, with a treadle geared into this, so that with his foot he could put the shaft into a quick rotatory motion. Fastened to the top of this was a square piece of board ; on that the clay was placed, and moulded into form when in quick motion. Different parts were moulded separately, and then joined together ; but the most of it was made without any joining, being open and simple. He worked native clay.


Meeting-house bells were cast in this town, as early, prob- ably, as at any other place in the country. In 1769, a deserter


(140)


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MANUFACTURES.


from the British army, a bell-founder by the name of Gilli- more, was employed by Colonel Aaron Hobart (my father) in this business, which was continued by him for many years. Besides casting two bells for the First Religious Society in this town,-the only ones ever used by them up to about 1850,-he cast quite a number for adjoining towns and towns in the vicinity, others for more remote towns, and some to go out of the State. When he gave up the business, he sent one of his sons, with a blacksmith, and taught the late Colonel Paul Revere, of Boston, to mould and cast the first bell which he ever made. The " Revere Copper Company" in Boston is named after this enterprising individual, as also the "Revere House" in the same eity, one of the most noted hotels in the country.


In respect to two other artieles of manufacture in this town in early times, I quote from a statement which I furnished for a " Gazetteer of Massachusetts," by John Hayward, Esq.


" In the year 1775-6, Colonel Aaron Hobart contracted with the State to make cannon and shot, and the State fur- nished him with a large amount of material to begin with, as pig iron and coal; this was a bold undertaking. Colonel Hobart had no knowledge of the business ; he cast bells, it is true, and was the owner of a blast furnace for casting hollow ware, &c., but the exigency of the times required a powerful effort. The Revolutionary war had just commenced, and there were but a very few cannon in the country ; hundreds of mer- chant ships were in want of cannon to go out as privateers. The first attempts (the first that were made in the country) proved very unsuccessful. The cannon burst in proving. The cause was that the iron was not raised to a sufficiently high temperature, and became chilled too quickly. So disastrous was the experiment, that all the stock provided by the State was expended, and his own fortune besides. This disappoint- ment was severely felt by him and the public. But, provi- dentially, at this dark hour, the cause of the low temperature of the iron in the furnace was discovered; a Frenchman who had worked in a cannon foundry in France, in passing through the town, while stopping at a public-house, heard of


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MANUFACTURES.


Colonel Hobart's want of success, and inquired the cause. On being told, he said there was no difficulty in keeping the iron sufficiently hot. He was instantly invited to inspect the fur- nace, and stated at once the cause of the failure, which was that the flue of the chimney was made large, and the chimney above, small; he said the reverse ought to be the case,-the flue small, and the chimney large, above ; no time was lost in making this change, and the success was complete ; the con- tract with the State was fulfilled, and individuals were supplied extensively. About three years after this, the concern was disposed of to the State, under the care of the late Colonel Hugh Orr, of Bridgewater, and removed to that town.


" Another important manufacture took its rise early in this town-the manufacture of cut tacks and brads. In this manu- facture a large capital is invested, and from seventy-five to one hundred hands are employed. It is computed that about three hundred tons of iron are annually wrought.


"To show the necessity of protection on American inven- tions and domestic industry, we give a brief history of the manufacture of the above-mentioned useful and indispensable articles.


"The making of tacks, by liand, commenced very early. The first attempt was to cut up old iron hoops into points, by a very imperfect kind of shears, and place them in a common vice, for the purpose of heading each tack with a hammer. From this process, they were called 'Cut Tacks ;' but the mode of making by hand was much improved by movable dies placed in an iron frame, in the shape of an ox-bow, in the two ends of which were placed the dies, which were brought to- gether by a lever pressed by the foot. In the first process, a man might make one thousand tacks per day ; in the latter, eight thousand per day. This was a great improvement; and the inventor of it, Mr. Ezekiel Reed, was entitled to a patent. He made some attempts to conceal the operation ; but it was so simple, and so easily applied, that others soon got it, and it came into general use.


" With machines, or 'tack tools,' as they were called, thus


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MANUFACTURES.


improved, from three to four hundred men and boys were employed in making tacks, in this town and vicinity.


" In 1815 and 1816, a machine was invented by Mr. Jesse Reed, son of Ezekiel Reed, to make tacks at one operation ; Mr. Melvil Otis, of Bridgewater, claimed and received a con- siderable share of the invention. Soon after, the machines were much improved by inventions of Messrs. Thomas Blan- chard, of Springfield, and Samuel Rogers, of East Bridge- water. For the exclusive patent rights for these inventions, Elihu and Benjamin Hobart of this town paid thirty thousand dollars, in the first instance, to commence the business of making tacks. The price of tacks was reduced over fifty per cent. immediately, and one man could make more tacks in a day, on one of the patent machines, than fifteen could by hand, even in the latest improved mode by movable dies. One machine has turned out over two hundred and fifty thousand in a day.


" When they had just got their machines into operation they learned, with astonishment, that a large consignment of tacks had been received in this country from England. On inquiry, they found that a model of their 'Patent Tack Machine' had been taken from this country, and patented, and the tacks sent here for sale. One or two individuals went from this country to England for that purpose. The tendency of this was to stop the manufacture of this article here entirely, and ruin the proprietors of the patent.


" Under these circumstances, they were led at once to look to our government for relief and protection. It was asked, 'Shall the British take our inventions and our market, without paying for them, to the ruin of our citizens ?' They referred to their models, in the patent office, and also stated that the price of tacks was already reduced fifty per cent., and machines could be easily multiplied, not only to supply the United States, but Europe.


" A bill was immediately passed, fixing the duty on importa- tion of tacks, at five cents per thousand, up to sixteen ounce ; after that at five cents per pound, and also including brads and sparables.


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MANUFACTURES.


" Without this tariff, the business must have been given up in this country. Iron and labor were lower in England thian here, and the English having nothing to pay for patent rights, and having silenced competition here, would have charged their own prices. It would have been difficult to have revived the business ; indeed, it never would have succeeded without protection in its infancy."


These statements, from the " Gazetteer," were written fifteen years ago. Since then, in respect to tack machines, as well as brad and point machines, there have been very great improvements, and especially since they were first put into operation, over forty years since. Those now in use are very excellent and perfect specimens of mechanical invention, and do much credit to the mechanical genius of the country.


In 1839, a statement was made of the capital employed and the amonut of tacks, &c., made in this town, which stood thus : " Capital employed, $57,000 ; tacks made, 1,832,000,000, valued at $82,000. Since then these amounts must have more than doubled. The recent loss of the tack factory of B. Hobart & Son, estimated at $50,000, more than two- thirds of which was covered by insurance, and the saving of machinery and stock, has made no difference in the amount manufactured ; it only removed the manufacture into another town, temporarily (East Bridgewater). A large tack factory was there, then unocenpied, which was immediately engaged and put into operation by the same firm that met with the loss by fire. The factory could not be engaged for a less time than three years. Preparations will probably be made before the expiration of that time for the return of the business to this town .*


Many manufactures for domestic purposes, formerly carried on in town, are now done away with or superseded. The making of wrought nails and also bricks, once a very extensive


* Since the above was written, a brick factory, three hundred and thirty feet long and sixty feet wide, has been erected at South Abing- ton, for that purpose.


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MANUFACTURES.


business, is now entirely neglected. This latter business of making bricks ought to be revived; there are probably fifty places or brick yards in town, where bricks have been made, not only for the supply of the town, but for sale out of town. This would give employment to many hands, and prevent large outgoes to other towns for these articles. Ploughs were formerly made here, and flax and wool extensively prepared for spinning and weaving ; the making of spinning-wheels was quite a business.


But almost all the manufactures of former times have been superseded by new ones of a more modern date. One of these -- the tack business-is of great interest to the town, employs many hands, and distributes much money among them. An- other is the boot and shoe business, which is the great and leading business of the town, and which will be the subject of another article.


The following is an account of the present manufactures of the town, takeu from the returns of the recent census of the United States, boots and shoes excepted. The account is deficient, probably, in the number of articles, and the amounts returned :-


H. II. Cloud, tin-ware of all kinds, $10,000


J. E. Smith, confectionery, .


4,800


Samuel Reed & Co., box-boards, .


2,800


Chase Taylor, mackerel kitts,


741


Worthy Dunham, heels,


700


D. B. Gurney, tacks, brads, and box-boards, .


16,100


Warren Wilks, box-boards, .


9,612


J. H. Giles, lasts, .


8,500


Fairbanks & Prince, tin-plate and sheet-iron, ·


2,500


T. Hazelton, stiffenings and inner soles, .


1,050


J. Torrey & Co., soap, 4,800


H. H. Brigham, zinc, iron, nails and tacks, . ·


21,000


B. Hobart & Son, tacks, brads and shoe nails, of iron, copper and zinc, Hungarian nails and tinned tacks, . 100,000


13


CHAPTER XVII.


Manufacture of Boots and Shoes .- The Amount Severally Made and Sold by Firms and Individuals ; The Rise, Progress, and Extent of this Manufacture.


[Concluded.]


THE following is a schedule of the firms and individuals engaged in the manufacture of boots and shoes, varied in forms, materials, and quality, as named and carried out by the manufacturers themselves, and taken from their statements given in at the late census of the United States, up to June, 1860 :-


J. Cleverly & Co., boots, calf and grain, and brogans, $27,700 Willey & Floyd, boots, congress, lace and Oxford


shoes, . 7,436


Henry Dunham, shoes, light brogans, cloth and Ox- ford ties, 15,000


Jeremiah Towle, women's shoes, buckskin, &c., 5,500 Gilbert & Hunt, boots and shoes, . 4,000 · ·


J. F. Bigelow, boots, congress, Oxford ties, and strap shoes, . · 75,000


W. S. Wales, boots, grain and calf,


· 36,000


S. Vining & Son, brogans, . 14,735 · .


C. L. Dunham, boots, shoes and brogans, · 45,000


L. T. Harden, shoes, calf, . 8,000


Fuller & Blanchard, boots and shoes,


· 30,000


Abuer Curtis, shoes and brogans, . . 100,000


Turner Reed, shoes, boys, youths, and children's, 7,500


Josiah Soule, jr., shoes, ·


20,000


C. L. Brown, boots and shoes, congress, Oxford ties, &c.,


17,000


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BOOTS AND SHOES.


147


L. Faxon & Co., boots and shoes, men's, women's and boy's, . $62,000


George Studley, boots and shoes, . 25,000


George C. Reynolds, shoes, congress, English lace, and Oxford ties, ·


16,327


Samuel Norton, boots and shoes, .


.


31,250


Samuel Reed, jr., congress and Oxford, . . 25,000


Isaac Pollard, brogans and Oxford ties, . . 8,000


Hovey, Arnold & Co., boots and shoes, congress, hunters, Oxford, &c., . 74,742


Levi Reed, boots and shoes, congress and Oxford ties,


20,000


Whitmarsh Brothers, boots and shoes, . 50,000


Beal & Francis, boots and shoes, congress, brogans, and Oxford, . · 89,940


L. G. Damon, Thomas & Co., boots and shoes, con- gress, &c., 14,100 . M. & G. T. Nash, boots and shoes, congress, hun- ters, &c., 30,723 · I. & N. S. Jenkins, boots, Oxford ties and brogans, 26,617 Jenkins & Tirrell, boots, congress and Scotch, Ox- ford ties and strap, ·


11,757


Albert Chamberlin, shoes and moccasons, .


30,325


Brown & Goodwin, gaiter boots and Oxford ties, ·


35,568


Franklin Smith, boots, brogans, and Oxford ties, · 7,983


Leander Curtis, congress, boots and brogans, . 7,200


Melvin Shaw, boots and shoes, 33,075


E. R. Rand, brogans, men's, boy's, and youthis, 8,000


J. L. Hobart, boots and shoes, men's, boy's, youths, &c., . ·


30,454


William L. Reed, boots and shoes,


75,000


T. & J. B. Clement, boots and shoes, congress, Ox- ford tics and strap, ·


90,000


Joseph Dill, boots and shoes, congress, Oxford, brogans, &c., .


· 91,000


George W. Pratt, boots, calf, &c., · ·


5,200


J. Vaughn & Hersey, brogans, · 52,000


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BOOTS AND SHOES.


Jacob Whiting, congress boots, Oxford ties, and lace


shoes, . . $22,000


James Whitmarsh, hunters boots, . 7,500


E. G. Sharp, congress boots, . 4,100


C. W. Forbush & Co., congress boots, Oxford ties and brogans, . 40,000


B. L. Hunt, boots, hunters and congress, Scotch ties, &c., 40,000


William P. Corthell, shoes, . 6,000


Sumner Shaw, congress boots and shoes, 42,560


I. F. Lowell, congress boots and shoes, . · Nathaniel Beal, congress boots, hunters and brogans, 39,435


16,500


Hunt & Lane, long boots, congress, lace, and shoes, . · . 111,250


Jenkins, Lane & Sons, shoes of all kinds,


. 225,000


Alden S. Loud, long boots, congress, lace, Oxford ties, &c., 26,372


Ira Noyes, calf boots, .


8,700


Henry Cushing, California boots,


25,000


Luke B. Noyes, shoes, brogans, boy's, youthis, &c., . 15,000


Charles H. Dill, congress boots and Oxford ties, · 17,040


Charles W. Torrey, congress, and lace boots, and


Oxford ties, . · 7,200


E. V. & L. F. Wheeler, congress, lace, and Oxford


ties, 8,600


Gridley Hunt, lace boots, Oxford ties and brogans, 3,750


Daniel W. Beal, Oxford ties and brogans,


12,000


Winslow Jackson, calf boots,


5,570


Jacob Shaw, boots,


7,800


S. Colson, jr., shoes, · 16,000


Albert Whitmarsh, boots and shoes,


40,000


Joshua Curtis, boots and shoes,


4,800


Eliab M. Noyes, long boots and brogans,


12,100


Davis HI. Cook, shoes, . . 3,625 ·


A. L. Mayhew, long boots and shoes, . 24,755


Nahum Reed, boots and shoes, · 46,500


.


II. G. Cushing, calf boots, . 13,500


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BOOTS AND SHOES.


Davis Gurney, long and congress boots, . . $67,040


A. & A. Alden, brogans and boots,


. 14,689


William H. Capen, boots and shoes,


· 6,285


John Wilks, shoes, ·


4,210


John Burrill, congress boots, .


10,800


John Curtis, jr., congress boots, Oxford ties and brogans, . . 12,150


Jesse Reed, jr., shoes, men's, boy's and youths, &c., 10,000


Bates & Bosworth, ladies' shoes, .


8,769


David F. Hunt, shoes, .


3,840


Micah H. Pool, Scotch and congress boots and Ox- ford ties,


· 24,347


S. R. Wales, boots and shoes,*


85,000


The amounts thus returned by eighty-two manufacturers, sum up to $2,496,924. It is highly probable that full returns were not made ; some supposing it might increase their taxes. And there are large numbers who made returns embracing


* Since the above was written, (1861,) owing to the present unhappy civil war, many of the above manufactories of boots and shoes have undergone great changes. Great losses have been sustained, particu- larly by the largest manufacturers, who had large stocks at the South, and heavy demands for goods sent on order, which were confiscated by the rebels, to aid their rebellion against the United States. It is estimated that one million dollars was lost in this way by this town.




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