USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Municipal history of Essex County in Massachusetts, Volume I > Part 14
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Ran away from his master, Capt. Richard Trevett, of Marblehead, a Negro man named Pompey, about twenty-two years of age; a Lusty tall fellow. He had on
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when he went away a striped home-spun jacket, cotton and Linen shirt, dark colored Kersey breeches, gray yarn stockings, round-toed leather heel shoes and felt Hat.
Note-He deserted his master's service in the Shallop Ann at Plymouth. Who- ever shall apprehend the said Runaway and him self safely convey to his said master at Marblehead or to Mr. Francis Miller in Boston, near the Green Dragon, shall have fifty shillings reward and all necessary charges paid.
August 6, 1724.
To be sold by Jacob Fowle Esq., and Mrs. Susannah Palmer, administrators of the estate of John Palmer, late of Marblehead, deceased, a likely Negro man, about twenty-five years old, and a fine Negro boy about fourteen.
Marblehead, October 16, 1750.
Ran away from Capt. John Diamond at Marblehead, on Tuesday, the 11th of September, instant, a Spanish Negro Fellow named "Cuffe" about twenty-five years old; speaks broken English, and can talk Spanish language. He is a tall slim fel- low; had on a new felt Hat, striped home-spun Jackett, breeches, New Shoes with square Buckles. Whoever will bring or send the said Negro to Mr. Norwood, In- holder at Lynn shall have two dollars reward and all necessary charges paid. All Masters of vessels and others are cautioned not to conceal or carry off the said Negro, as they would avoid the penalty of the law.
September 29, 1759.
After England had imposed a tax on many articles used by her col- onies, including tea shipped from India by England, the people at Marble- head voted that "the use of tea at a time when our inveterate enemies are causing it to be enforced on the American colonies in the most violent methods, even by armed bands, is no less an injury offered to the colonies by all who vend or purchase it than affording assistance to those enemies to raise revenues to pay dragoons who are to enslave us." It was also voted that "this town highly disapproves the vending or use of any India Tea." A tea committee of eleven persons was appointed to warn the people not to sell or use India teas, and it was voted that all that re- fused to discontinue the sale of the article, being warned by the com- mittee, "should have their names posted at the Town-House and at the several churches, that the town may know their enemies." From that date on, the good citizens of Marblehead defied English authority over them, even ignoring the "British Regulars" stationed at the Neck to intimidate them into submission.
The Revolutionary War followed, and was successfully fought to a finish by the American patriots. For the part borne by Marblehead and other Essex county towns, readers are referred to the military chapters.
After the end of the Revolution, General Washington, having been elected President, made a tour through New England. He visited Marble- head, en route, and greatly inspired the men of the place in their task of rebuilding what had been ruthlessly destroyed by the British in that eight-year conflict on both coast and land. Poverty was in evidence on every hand. At the time of Washington's visit there were four hundred and fifty-nine widows and eight hundred and sixty-five orphans in the town, nearly all having to be supported by the taxpayers. With the severe winter of 1790, the sufferings were indeed fearful, and history says many perished from hunger and exposure.
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During 1790 the Methodist Episcopal church was organized at the home of Mr. Prentiss, on Mugford street. This church had only seven charter members, but grew rapidly in the few succeeding years. The Marblehead Academy had now come to be a successful educational insti- tution and was legally incorporated by the legislature in 1792. (See Educational chapter.)
Memorial services were held in Marblehead over the death of Pres- ident Washington, who died at Mt. Vernon in December, 1799, aged sixty-seven. The day of his funeral was befittingly observed here by the slow tolling of church bells, the firing of minute guns, and general suspension of all business. In the afternoon the Masonic lodge and school children marched to the new meeting-house, and heard the oration by Joseph Story, then a law student.
At the close of the second war with the Mother country, people in the vicinity of Marblehead set to work to retrieve their lost fortunes. There were only forty-eight fishing vessels, eighteen of which were less than fifty tons burden. March 4, 1817, James Monroe of Virginia was made vice-president, and in a few weeks visited this section of New England. He was met at the town's entrance by a military company, and escorted to the "Lee Mansion," and there feasted.
A Sabbath school was organized here in the spring of 1818; this was a union affair, but eleven years later each church had its own separ- ate Sunday school, as today.
In 1824, Marquis Lafayette, on his tour of the United States, visited Marblehead, accompanied by his son, George Washington Lafayette. They too, were received at the "Lee Mansion" above referred to. The well-to-do of the town helped supply silverware for the occasion.
The Columbian Society of Marblehead was organized in 1824 and existed many years as an important factor in the community.
It was also during 1824 that the streets were first named. Prior to that time, all had been known as "lanes"-"Ferry Lane," "Wharf Lane," etc.
Certain it is that Marblehead introduced the manufacture of misses' and children's shoes as early as 1825. Before that period, only heavy boots and shoes for the use of the fishermen were ever produced in Marblehead, with some custom-made shoes for ladies and gentlemen. The first to engage in the real manufacture of shoes here was Ebenezer Martin, who made his own shoes and sold them at retail. His workshop was in the "Old Reynolds" house, on Darling street. He used to carry his goods about in a cart, driving from one town to another, until his stock had been disposed of. Other very early manufacturers in shoes were Thomas Wooldredge, Benjamin Hawkes, Thomas Garney, and Adoniram C. Orne.
Marblehead's first local newspaper was issued March 13, 1830, as the "Marblehead Register," published by Henry Blaney for three years,
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when it died for lack of sufficient support. Several others were launched, but these also went down, to rise no more. However, in 1871 the "Marblehead Messenger" was established, and has remained in the ranks of Essex county newspapers. (See Press Chapter.)
The improvements in 1831 included the incorporation of the Grand Bank, with a capital of $100,000, with Joseph Green as its president.
August 30 that year the town petitioned Congress for the erection of a lighthouse at Marblehead on Point Neck. It was duly built, its first keeper being Ezekiel Darling. The same year the Marblehead Sea- man's Charitable Society was formed. It was the second humane so- ciety ever formed in the town-the Marblehead Female Humane So- ciety, established in 1816, being the only one to organize prior to this. In 1835 the Fire Department was thoroughly organized. The town then owned four fire engines, and there were two privately owned engines.
In 1836 the Universalist Society was organized, at first a private room serving as the worshiping place. The year following, the members erected a commodious church building on Pleasant and Watson streets.
Under President Andrew Jackson's administration, when the sur- plus money in the United States Treasury was apportioned among the various States, that part belonging to Marblehead town amounted to over $13,000. The town voted this sum to purchase a town farm and erected an alms-house with the money.
Stage coach communication between Marblehead and Boston was first opened in 1768; between Salem and Marblehead it was deferred for twenty-six years. The first railway opened through from Boston was in 1838, through to Salem, when the stage was discontinued, but stages ran four times daily from the depot in Salem to Marblehead. In 1839, however, the branch line of railroad to Marblehead finally discontinued the stage coach for all time.
The year 1839 was the most propitious in the Marblehead fisheries. It was during that year that ninety-eight vessels, only three under fifty tons burden, were employed in the business.
In 1846, September 19, another calamity took place, to fill all Marblehead with sorrow and grief. This was the destruction of ten vessels belonging to the town, off the coast of Newfoundland, when sixty men and boys were lost at sea. Forty-three of the unfortunate seamen were heads of families, and left more than one hundred and fifty chil- dren. Calamity succeeded calamity, and finally caused the enterprise, so long kept up, to go down, practically speaking.
In these modern days of strikes and unrest, it may be of interest to note briefly the account of the first strike among the shoe workers in the town. It was at the end of the year 1859 and the beginning of 1860 workers in the shops in Lynn and Marblehead were getting ready for an upheaval over low wages then being allowed them, or so contended at least. In the spring of 1860, nearly every man, woman and child em-
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ployed in the two places-Lynn and Marblehead-participated in the movement, and there was a general determination not to submit to re- duction in wages. March 2, the strikers made a grand demonstration, being escorted by the fire company and three military companies. Five days later, Lynn had a similar demonstration, when the strikers from Marblehead went over and paraded with the forces at Lynn. March 29, the women paraded about the streets of the town, one woman acting as drummer. After six weeks of bickering, the strikers went back to work, at terms dictated by the shop owners.
In 1839, when the railroad to Salem was opened, manufacturing interests here began to look up. Joseph R. Bassett, then in the prime of his young manhood, established a shoe business. He also aided many other enterprises in Marblehead. For years a twine-factory or "rope- walk," had existed in the field fronting Washington street, while a short distance in the rear was a tan-yard and cordage factory. Bassett bought the field, opened up School street, and otherwise changed the streets of the ancient town of Marblehead. During 1847 Bassett built a steam saw-mill, in which wooden shoe-boxes were made in large quan- tities. Other enterprising men were operating there along with Mr. Bassett, but he alone is cited as an illustration of what one good busi- ness factor may accomplish in a town when so minded and capable.
It should be remembered that the shoes produced in Marblehead during the period just mentioned were all made outside of regular fac- tories. With the introduction of labor-saving machinery, however, the sewing-machine division especially, a new system was ushered in. The McKey sewing machine, for leather work, was introduced in 1859, and that was the beginning of a new era in boot and shoe industries through- out the country.
During the year 1874, the selectmen were formally notified that Mr. Benjamin Abbot, who died in Boston, September, 1872, had be- queathed the residue of his property, after the payment of several other bequests, to the town of Marblehead. The property consisted of United States bonds and other securities, amounting to $103,000. The will of the donor ended as follows: "I have made this provision for the town of Marblehead, because it was my birthplace. And it is my desire that a building shall be erected for the benefit of the inhabitants of said town, but I do not intend to limit the use of the legacy to that purpose or to impose conditions which would prevent the use of it for such other gen- eral objects as the citizens of said town may determine upon in their discretion. I desire that my name shall always be attached to said fund." The legacy was accepted by the town, and it was decided to erect a build- ing to be known as "Abbot Hall." In 1877 this building, a brick struc- ture, stone-trimmed, was completed at a cost of $75,000. It is situated on the Common, or Training Field Hill, one of the most elevated points in town, and visible for miles at sea.
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The citizens of Marblehead are of that true and patriotic type who always remember their country's flag and its defenders. In the matter of erecting appropriate monuments and memorial markers, there is no more active town in the county. In this connection, only two monuments will be mentioned. One is that at the junction of Pleasant and Essex streets, unveiled May 17, 1876, a hundred years after the capture of the English ship "Hope," by Commander James Mugford of the American vessel "Franklin." This monument is eighteen feet tall, and about five feet square at its base, and is a Hollowell granite shaft. The other monument, standing at the confluence of Mugford and Elm streets, was unveiled July 4, 1876, in memory of the fallen heroes from the town of Marblehead in the Revolution, War of 1812, and Civil War of 1861-65. This is also a fine Hollowell granite shaft, thirty-four feet high, and eight feet square at its base. It contains appropriate tablets.
President Chester A. Arthur paid Marblehead a visit and was re- ceived at Abbot Hall in 1882, by nearly two thousand people there assem- bled. Appropriate memorial services were held in the town over the death of President James A. Garfield, in the autumn of 1881, at which time Vice-President Arthur was sworn in as his successor.
Coming down to the 8th of August, 1885, memorial services were held in honor of Ex-President U. S. Grant, in Abbot Hall. Captain K. V. Martin presided, and an appropriate oration was delivered by Cap- tain Benjamin Pitman. Civil War veterans in the vicinity were out to pay their last respects to the "Silent Soldier", who had suffered so many weary months.
Whatever else may be said of several memorial services over de- ceased Presidents, as carried out at Marblehead, perhaps none ever affected the people in general as did those for the loved and lamented Abraham Lincoln, who was assassinated in April, 1865. On the day of Mr. Lincoln's funeral in Springfield, Illinois, many of the shoe factories were closed and appropriately draped in emblems of mourning. The church bells were tolled, and services held at the Baptist church, where an address was delivered by Rev. George W. Patch.
The history of Marblehead, up to this point, has treated of its early settlement, its business enterprises, its people, its churches, customs of its people, the population and other features. As a fishing port, this town flourished many decades, and finally went down. Factories then came in, and had their turn at employing the laboring element. The greater portion of all these elements of business, however, have gone out of commission, and Marblehead has come to be more of a summer resort, or place for the well-to-do to retire and enjoy life by the great sea shore, whose eternal waves change not in their restless motion, how- ever men may change in thought, action and deed, with the ebb and flow of the ocean's tide.
Marblehead was visited in 1877, in the month of June, by a very
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destructive fire, which destroyed scores of buildings, both business and residence property. Again in December, 1888, the fire fiend set out in all his fury to destroy the town, which had scarcely been rebuilt since its first great fire in 1877. Of the first fire a former county history has this to say:
The most extensive conflagration ever known in the annals of the town took place on the morning of June 25, 1877. At about half past one o'clock, a barn in the rear of the three-story building known as the "Marblehead Hotel", situated on Pleas- ant street, in the midst of the largest and finest buildings of which the town could boast, was discovered to be on fire. Before assistance could be summoned, the fire had communicated to the hotel, and when the firemen arrived on the scene the build- ing was in flames. Every effort was made to stop the progress of the destructive element, but without avail. The General Glover Engine House, situated directly over the Brick Pond reservoir, was soon in flames, cutting off the supply of water from that source. The fire was now beyond the control of the firemen, and, in spite of their almost superhuman efforts to stop it, spread from building to building with lightning-like rapidity. In a few moments a large shoe manufactory, known as Pope's Block, was on fire, the flames spreading to a barn owned by E. V. Bartlett & Co., from thence to a shoe factory owned and occupied by that firm. The fire now defied all efforts at control. Leaping around the corner of School street, the conflagration ex- tended all the way from Rechabite Building to a shoe factory owned by Nathaniel Glover, thence to a large block owned by Wormsted & Woodfin, and soon the shoe manufactory of William Stevens, a stable owned by Thomas T. Paine and fifteen other buildings, mostly dwelling houses, comprising every building of Sewall street, from the corner of School street to Spring street, were in flames. Extending along the north side of Pleasant street, the fire consumed a building belonging to T. T. Paine; a small dwelling owned by William Humphrey, the beautiful depot erected a few years previously, said at that time to the finest on the line of the Eastern Rail- road; a barn and a dwelling house owned by Benjamin G. Hathaway; a boarding house by Henry F. Pitman; a large shoe manufactory owned by Jonathan Brown, the dwelling of William C. Lefavour, and a barn belonging to the estate of the late Doctor H. H. F. Whittemore. On the south side of Pleasant street, every building, save one, was consumed, from a house belonging to the estate of Mrs. Leonora Chap- man, nearly opposite the place where the fire originated, to the Mugford Monument, at the junction of Essex and Spring streets. These included a large block owned by Joshua O. Lefavour, a house owned by John H. Brown and occupied by G. W. For- syth as a boarding house; a large four story building called "Allerton Block"; a shoe factory owned by M. J. Doak, and several dwelling houses. On the southern end of School street, every building was destroyed, including the large building owned by Henry O. Symonds; the frame and material for a new engine house being con- structed; a stable of Enoch A. Perkins, the South Congregational Church; a dwelling owned by Edward Glover, and several smaller structures. On Essex street, every building was destroyed including a large shoe factory, belonging to the estate of John H. Wilkins; a small shop used by a marble worker and several dwellings. On Spring street two shoe factories owned by William C. Lefavour and four dwelling houses were destroyed; the only building left standing was the Sewall schoolhouse. On Bassett street, two dwellings together with a barn belonging to Henry F. Pit- man, were destroyed, and several other buildings were seriously damaged.
At one time every church in town was on fire, except the Baptist and Roman Catholic. Then it was that strong men trembled, fearing that the town would be destroyed. But their desperation only nerved them to greater efforts, and at length, reinforced by assistance from Salem, Lynn, and other cities, the firemen were suc-
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cessful and conquered the fire. But what a scene of devastation met the eye when the morning sun broke forth. Where but a few hours before had been large factories and comfortable homes-monuments of the enterprise and industry of the people- were only stone walls and tottering chimneys. The entire business portion of the town had disappeared in a single night. Seventy-six buildings, with all their con- tents, representing over a half million dollars' worth of property, had been con- sumed, only four of the large shoe manufactories were left standing in the town, while ninety families were made homeless, and fifteen hundred men and women were thrown out of employment.
This in brief is the story of the fire of 1877 in Marblehead. Then came the great fire of Christmastide, 1888. This was well written up in the local newspaper, to whose columns the writer of this chapter is in- debted for material facts for the following account of it:
At the rear of the large furniture warerooms of D. B. H. Power & Company's plant on Pleasant street, a tongue of fire shot upwards. There was a sound of crack- ing flames. A terrific explosion was heard as far as Salem; also was heard at Lynn- a deep-mouthed, hollow subterraneous sound. In an instant, nearly everyone in town was on foot, and starting for the street-another explosion was heard from the same quarter, rocking a building from end to end. The plate glass was smashed to small pieces, while flames leaped half way across the street. There was a shout and bystanders ran for their lives. The fire steamer had hardly left the engine house before it was apparent to half the town that another great fire had begun. People looked into one another's faces, panic-stricken, and asked themselves how it was to end.
Streams of water were hardly in action before the Rechabite building was afire; the flames crossed the street, and were already running up the front of the large shoe factory of F. W. and I. M. Munroe. At the same time, the fire reached the vacant building of W. J. Goldthwaite by the Philip Trasher candy factory. Steamer "William Henry Lee" took the position on School street and worked well for twenty minutes, then broke down. Meantime, word was telephoned to Salem, Lynn and Peabody, and just then the shrill whistle rang out a warning cry. The flames spread in all their fury. The fire went down through School street like a heated whirlwind, taking the big brick engine house, Symonds building, Thomas Knowland's residence, etc. The row of buildings beyond the depot went down in rapid succession. Consternation was visible in every countenance, as the work of destruction sped on; no words can describe the scene. People were running about with loads of packages of household goods, laden wagons were racing to and from the fire, some drawn by men. Furniture, wearing apparel, etc., were to be seen scattered all about the streets. People were anxiously enquiring about missing friends, or asking what they should do to keep the wolf from their door in the oncoming winter days (this was Christmas). Women and children in tears were clinging to one another, sorrowfully and frantically. The whole town was lighted up with a strange, unearthly glare, while volumes of smoke and myriads of sparks shot upward toward the heavens. This fire lighted up the whole country around, and was plainly seen from Boston. Horse cars, hacks and private rigs came into town all day and night. Salem, Swampscott, Peabody and Lynn all offered and gave great aid. "When the pale moonlight died away into the rosy hues of the mild December morning, a terrible spectacle met the eyes of the unfortunate peo- ple of Marblehead; where but yesterday had been comfortable homes and busy factories was nothing but blackened embers, broken walls and melancholy ruins."
With thousands of dollars expended in Christmas tokens, merry- making was on the minds of both old and young, but all was suddenly
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changed to sorrow. This fire was even more disastrous than that of 1877. Not so many buildings, possibly, were destroyed, but a larger financial loss was sustained in the 1888 fire. The "Messenger" re- marked on that occasion: "Thank God, things are no worse. We have the Harris factory left, as well as Boynton's, Hooper's, Withum's, Os- borne's and Lyon's." These two great fires were just eleven and one half years apart, to a day.
The amounts here noted were the fire losses, and no account has been taken or amount deducted on account of insurance that may have been later collected on such gross losses. The William J. Goldthwait building, near the Brick Pond reservoir, $2,000; groups of buildings belonging to D. B. H. Power Co., $9,000; Rechabite Hall, owned by the Samaritan Tent of Rechabites, $10,000; this was occupied by a boot and shoe store belonging to Benjamin H. Blaney, the loss was $2,500; Miss Kate Collins, millinery, $1,000; Walter R. Arrington, painter, $3,500, and the American Express company ; Richard W. Reed's house, $2,500; residence of Mrs. Daniel Braughton, $4,000; dwelling of the Foss estate, $2,500; Stephen C. Church residence, $3,000; factory and residence owned by S. C. Church, $1,000; the building owned by T. W. Paine, the Paine's Express, Laster's Protective Union building and the John Q. J. Frost dining room, $2,900; also the box factory of Cress- man & Metcalf, $7,500; two shoe factories by F. W. and I. M. Munroe, $100,000. The Lefavour's block full of tenants all met with heavy losses. The Rialto, owned by N. A. Lindsey, $5,000; Peach Bros.' shoe factory, $16,000; William Stevens, Jr., shoe factory, $10,000; H. O. Sy- monds' building, $3,500; W. C. Gregary building, and contents, $14,000; the brick engine house, $7,000; Thomas G. Stacey's residence, $2,500; shoe factory of Thomas Appleton, $3,500; another shoe factory by Wil- liam J. Goldthwait, $15,000; the B. E. Cole shoe factory, $75,000; dwel- ling houses of William C. Lefavour, together with contents, $40,000. There were many smaller buildings not here listed. It may be said that to this day the effects of that great fire are felt in the town of Marblehead.
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