USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Municipal history of Essex County in Massachusetts, Volume I > Part 15
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Today the commercial interests of Marblehead are almost entirely confined to the summer resort incomes. The shoe business was greatly crippled many years ago by the great fire, and within a few years the shoe factories that were left have been generally closed on account of labor disputes, and are in that condition today, outside of a few small concerns. There are three excellent banking houses (see Banking). The usual number of secret and semi-secret orders are here found.
The United States Custom House for the district of Massachusetts, is located at No. 61 Pleasant street. There are a number of places where antiques of almost every conceivable kind can be purchased- not less than seven such places are open in the summer months. Boat- ing, apartment houses and boarding places, are very numerous in the town.
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The Directory of 1920 for Marblehead, gave the shoe factories as follows: Chadwick Shoe Company, Finch Brothers, H. Humphrey & Sons, Edward P. Martin, Paine Shoe Company, Parker Shoe Company, Rice & Hutchins, Schribman Shoe Company, John G. Stevens and Wright Brothers. A glue manufactory is conducted by James Sullivan & Son. The only newspaper in the town is the "Messenger" (see Press Chapter). Boat builders in 1920 were William H. Chamberlain, James E. Graves and George C. Pinkham.
A Congregational church was organized in 1684, Rev. Cheever be- ing ordained its regular pastor. He had, however, been preaching here sixteen years. Communicants had increased to fifty-four, and they were in the habit of worshiping in Salem for baptisms and sacraments. July 16, 1684, was kept as a sacred fete, observing the blessing of God on the undertaking, the exercises being conducted by Rev. Mr. Hall, of Beverly. The ordination of Mr. Cheever took place August 13 in the presence of the deputy Governor, five of the assistants, twenty elders and a large concourse of people.
In 1714, Rev. Cheever having become very old and quite infirm, his church voted to settle a younger minister with him as an assistant. The one chosen was John Barnard of Boston, although Edward Holyoke was also an applicant for the position, and lost by only a small majority in the town's vote. This caused trouble, and the church was split as- sunder, following which the town granted permission to form another church of the disaffected members. A charter was finally obtained of the General Court. The contest was a bitter one between the two fac- tions. April, 1716, the new meeting-house having been erected, the "Second Congregational Church of Marblehead" was organized, and Mr. Holyoke was ordained as its pastor. To show the conditions that ob- tained in the town when Rev. Barnard came, the writer takes the liberty of extracting from that minister's autobiography as follows:
When I first came (1714) there were two companies of poor, smoke-dried, rude, ill-clothed men, trained to no military discipline but that of "Whipping the Snake" as it was called. There was not so much as one proper carpenter, nor mason, nor tailor, nor butcher in the town, nor any market worth naming; but they had their houses built by country-workmen, and their clothes made out of town, and supplied themselves with beef and pork from Boston, which drained the town of its money. And what above all, I would remark, there was not so much as one foreign trading vessel belonging to the town, nor for several years after I came into it. Though no town had greater advantages in their hands. The people contented themselves to be slaves that digged in the mines, and left the merchants of Boston, Salem and Europe, to carry away the gains, by which means the town was always dismally poor in circumstances, involved in debt to the merchants more than they were worth; nor could I find twenty families in it that upon the best examination could stand upon their own legs; and they were generally as rude swearing, drunken and fighting a crew as they were poor.
Through the influence of Minister Barnard, the people were finally induced to send their own fish to market, Joseph Sweet being the first
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to thus engage in the enterprise. He fitted out a small schooner, which he sent to the Barbadoes with a cargo of fish to European markets. Thus it will be observed that the early ministry had more on hand in the line of duty than to prepare sermons and deliver the same. They had the good of their membership, in a material way at heart, and gave most excellent advice to them.
Time went on and changes came to the town and its several churches. In May, 1737, Rev. Edward Holyoke, pastor of the Second Congregational church, was chosen by the board of overseers of Harvard College to fill the vacancy caused by the death of President Wadsworth.
In 1858 a number of the communicants in the First Congregational Church withdrew from that body, and organized the "Third Congrega- tional Church." The new society erected a church building in 1860, known as the "South Church." It stood at the corner of Essex and School streets. In the sweeping conflagration of 1877, this church was destroyed, after which the church membership concluded to unite with the First Church again.
During 1714 an Episcopal church was organized and a house of worship erected. The funds were raised by thirty-three gentlemen, who pledged themselves in sums ranging from a few shillings to more, making in all one hundred and seventy-five pounds. The remainder was to be made up by several captains of vessels in sums varying from two to twelve pounds each. The frame and all articles for construction were brought from England. The first rector was Rev. William Shaw, who arrived and took charge of the parish July 20, 1715. Thus was estab- lished Marblehead's first Episcopal church.
The following is an account given of the Second Congregational Church (Unitarian) by Roads, in his "History and Traditions of Mar- blehead":
The organization of this church was occasioned by a controversy in the First Congregational Church concerning the settlement of a colleague to the Rev. Samuel Cheever. In December, 1714, the First Church voted to call the Rev. John Barnard, and on the 5th of February, 1715, one hundred and twenty-four persons, who favored the settlement of the Rev. Edward Holyoke, withdrew from the society, and pledged themselves in an agreement to contribute the necessary funds for the erection of a "New Meeting House." The edifice was completed during the latter part of the year, and on the 25th of April, 1716, the Second Congregational Church was organ- ized, with twenty-seven members.
Mr. Holyoke resigned in1737 to become president of Harvard College. Between 1737 and 1811 the following were pastors: Rev. Simon Bradstreet, Rev. Isaac Story, Rev. Hezekiah May. The succeeding pastor was the Rev. John Bartlett, who was ordained May 22, 1811. The pastorate of Mr. Bartlett was probably the most event- ful of any in the entire history of this church. During the great religious excite- ment caused by the Channing movement in the Congregational churches of New England, Mr. Bartlett announced his belief in the doctrines of Unitarianism as preached by Mr. Channing and his followers. A majority of the communicants supported Mr. Bartlett in his teachings, and the church has ever since been Uni- tarian. During the year 1832, the old house of worship was torn down and a new church edifice was erected.
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Mr. Bartlett died in 1849, and the same year the Rev. Benjamin Huntoon be- came pastor. He was followed by Rev. Samuel R. Calthrop, Rev. James Henry Wiggin, Rev. William B. Buxton, Rev. Benjamin H. Bailey, Rev. James K. Applebee, Rev. John B. Barnhill, Rev Henry C. McDougall, Rev. Albert Walkley, Rev. Alfred D. K. Shurtleff.
In October, 1910, the church building burned to the ground, and the next year the present church edifice was built. Services are being held every Sunday, with the pulpit occupied by a regular supply, and the Sunday school and parish activities are in charge of a paid parish worker. There are now ninety-six members in this church, and a Sunday school attendance of sixty-five; Mrs. Merrill E. Shaw is superintendent.
The first church building was erected in 1715, was torn down and in 1832, an- other was built and that burned in 1910; the third church was erected in 1911, is of wooden material and is valued at $32,000, and the land connected therewith is val- ued at $2,600.
The following on the Church Star-of-the-Sea is furnished by Rev. M. J. Sullivan:
Though there had been Roman Catholics in Marblehead for many years, there was no attempt to have a celebration of the mass in town until the year 1851. During that year the Reverend Thomas Shehan, pastor of St. James Church, Salem, visited the town and celebrated mass in the house of Mr. Dennis Donovan, on the corner of Prospect and Commercial streets, now owned by John E. Martin. Father Shehan af- terwards came to Marblehead twice a year to administer Holy Commu- nion, services being held alternately at the houses of Mr. Donovan and that of Mr. John Mahoney on Glover Square.
With the exceptions of these visits of Father Shehan there were no services of the Roman Catholic Church in Marblehead until the year 1854, when Anderson's Hall on Pleasant street, on the site of the pres- ent Evans Park, was engaged and mass was celebrated there on the second and third Sundays of every month. In 1857 services were held at the town hall, and during that year about $1,000 was raised by sub- scription for the erection of a church edifice. A lot of land on Prospect street, at the junction of Prospect and Rowland streets, was bought as a site for the building. In 1859 a small church was built and services were regularly maintained under the superintendence of Father Shehan, who officiated himself or procured the services of other priests.
In November, 1865, Father Shehan gave notice that he was ap- pointed to the church of another parish in Boston and requested the people to make an effort before he left them to pay any indebtedness which they owed on the Church building, which they did. From that time the parish was in charge of the Rev. Charles Rainoni, who was living at that time in Danvers and who celebrated a mass in Danvers and one at Marblehead on each Sunday thereafter, and in 1872 he took up his permanent residence at Marblehead and became the first regular resident parish priest in charge of the church. In 1872 a new church edifice was erected on Gregory street, where now stands the present
Essex-8
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rectory, and on the 8th day of July of the same year it was burned to the ground before there had been any religious ceremonies performed therein. The old church continued to be used and the services were held there as usual. A short time after the destruction of the new church, the present house and rectory was erected on the same site for the use of the pastor.
Father Rainoni died in January, 1875, and was succeeded by the Rev. Daniel S. Healey. During the pastorate of Father Healey the old church was entirely remodelled and built to its present lines. In Jan- calf, who remained as pastor until the spring of 1886, when he was succeeded by the Rev. William Shinnick. Father Shinnick remained pastor up to the time of his death in 1912. During his pastorate he had as curates Rev. John J. Griffin, now pastor at Winthrop, Rev. uary, 1882, Father Healey was succeeded by the Rev. Theodore A. Met- Thomas McManus, Rev. John I. Lane, and Rev. Henry K Lyons, now at St. Augustine's, South Boston.
Father Shinnick was succeeded by the Rev. James Gilday, who took charge of the parish in the early summer of 1912, and remained in charge up to his death on May 29, 1920. During his pastorate, Rev. John F. Monaghan and Rev. Ambrose D. Walter, the present curate, served as curates. The present pastor, the Rev. Michael J. Sullivan, was appointed in 1921.
The old part of the present cemetery was acquired in 1868, and con- sisted of about three acres. The adjoining land, consisting of about seven and one-half acres, was acquired for additional cemetery purposes during the pastorate of Father Gilday. The present total membership, men, women and children, of this Catholic church is one thousand. The Parochial school has a membership of about two hundred and fifty. The value of the church edifice and property is $50,000.
CHAPTER X.
THE TOWN OF SALISBURY.
Among the earliest settlements in New England, Salisbury ranks among the first. Eighteen years after the landing of the Pilgrim Fathers, in 1638, and ten years after the settlement at Salem, what was styled a "plantation" was established on the north side of the Merrimac. A strip of territory extended from the Merrimac river north a distance of almost ten miles, including also within its scope what is now the town of Seabrook, a portion of Hampton and Kingston, all three in New Hamp- shire, the Haverhill line on its western border and its eastern boundary the Atlantic Ocean. The first settlement was very near the ocean, where the original land grants were made, and later become known as the East
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Parish. At first this collection of settlers named their community Col- chester, but the General Court in 1640 changed the name to Seabury, by which name it was first incorporated as a town. A goodly number of the immigrants in this town came from Seabury, England, among this number Rev. William Worcester. Historian Coffin says "The early settlers of this town were men fitted by education to adorn any civil station."
Early in its history Salisbury was made a shire-town, and continued from 1643 to 1649. But it was also the court-town of another county than Essex-that of Norfolk, comprising the New Hampshire planta- tions of Exeter, Hampton, Portsmouth and Dover, then (1643) united to Massachusetts, and the town lost its court. A court house was erected in East Parish. In the jail at this point many a culprit was fastened in the stocks as a punishment. Much difficulty was experienced in fixing the State line between New Hampshire and Massachusetts, and the legis- latures of the two states, as well as the courts, had much to do to bring about the present boundary lines. South Hampton and Seabrook were finally given to New Hampshire, after which peace was declared.
The original grantees of Merrimac plantation were Simeon Brad- street, Daniel Dennison, Christopher Batt, Samuel Windley, Samuel Dudley and John Sanders. In the spring of 1639, the records show that the grantors agreed that each settler should have two pieces of meadow land and a certain amount of planting land, according to wealth of the grantees-four acres to every one hundred pounds. This was evidently a movement to get wealthy men to occupy the lands, more than from any benevolent spirit. The grant to the Rev. William Worcester shows that he possessed no small amount of wealth, and he was given a large number of acres of meadow and upland in different localities. Some of these "great planting plots" were west of the Powow river.
The first burying ground was laid out on the Beach road, and it is mentioned as joining the house lot of Richard Wells, a wealthy settler.
Without entering into details of dates and localities, the names of some of the early comers to this place here follow: Thomas Macy, Thomas Bradbury, John Hodges, Willis Barnes, William Hook, George Carr.
At a meeting held February 5, 1640, by the freemen, a large num- ber of grants were made and the price of labor during the summer months was fixed at twenty pence per day, while carpenters were to have two pence per day more than common laborers. (Note the change in sentiment in the year of Our Lord, 1921, on the labor question). The price of lumber was also fixed by the town, as was the price for milk at three and a half pence per quart for new milk, and one pence for skim- med milk, ale measure, while gilt-edged butter brought six pence a pound.
Among the most active and valuable settlers of the town was Major Robert Pike, who not many years since was immortalized by the "Quaker Poet" Whittier; he was born in Longford, in 1616, and came to Newbury
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with his father, John Pike, who died in 1654. He was admitted as a freeman in 1637, was representative in 1648, and for six years more; he was a lieutenant and finally a major; in 1689 he became a member of the committee of safety, and one of the first council under William and Mary in 1692. He died in 1796, aged ninety-two years. To him was attributed the action of defending the "Quakers" who were sentenced to be whipped by a justice in Dover on the way to Salisbury, and declared that no such act would be inflicted on them in the town, hence the poem by J. G. Whittier just mentioned.
In 1655 the first bridge was thrown across the Merrimac river-a floating bridge, or pontoon, between Carr's Island and Newbury, at the old ferry. It was only five feet wide, rails on either side, was two hun- dred and seventy feet long, and was built by George Carr, who then owned the island. For his services he was liberally rewarded with land grants within the town, mostly for footmen and small stock.
Passing over many scores of years, let the reader now think of be- ing in this part of New England one, two or three generations ago. It is found that the ancestor of the great Daniel Webster came from here. His mother was born in Salisbury, her maiden name being Abigail East- man, who married Colonel Ebenezer Webster, father of Daniel Webster, noted among the statesmen of America. The famous Cushing family descended from Rev. Caleb Cushing, so well known to readers of history. He was born in Salisbury. Nathaniel Currier held a commission under King George III; but when the Revolutionary struggle commenced, he threw up his commission and joined the patriots; elected to "Congress at Watertown" in 1773, he died in 1775.
Salisbury is another one of the towns of Essex county that has been content to remain a quiet, home-like place, where order and good manners have ever marked its history, but where no great commercial enterprises have ever been fostrd and developed. In 1900 the United States census returns gave the population as 1,558; in 1910 the same authority placed it at 1,658, and in 1920 at 1,701.
Structures something after the manner of block-houses were erected at three points in this township-in Congress street, another near Rab- bit Farm, and the third in Seabrook road. This was in 1675, and they were built, for a protection against the Indians, who had shown signs of an uprising.
In 1773 Salisbury was visited by an exceptional wind storm, equal in many ways to modern tornadoes or cyclones. A minister at the time made this entry in his journal: "This tempest was preceded by heavy rain and great darkness. It first appeared on the Merrimac river and rolled up the water on the banks, and threatened to swallow up the affraighted inhabitants. From the river, inland, it covered three quar- ters of a mile, and extended to the sea. The tempest continued for three minutes, and wrecked and destroyed one hundred buildings in the town. Yet through the great and marvelous mercy of God, who ruleth in the
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storm, no life was lost or bone broken on the Salisbury side, where the most damage was done."
March 13, 1774, the town voted that "Thanks be given to the re- spectable body of merchants in Boston and other towns for their truly generous non-importation agreement, and for their prudent and vigorous endeavors in this critical time to save their country. That we will not ourselves drink any foreign teas and endeavor (sickness excepted), that none shall be drinked in our houses, till the duty is taken off, and the Revinu acts are repealed." In 1772 the freeholders and other inhabitants voted and unanimously resolved:
First-That the most essential rights of mankind are-Life, Liberty and Prop- erty.
Second-That the only end and design of government is to secure these.
Third-That gross invasions have been made upon these our rights, by the Brit- ish administration, till our grievances and oppressions are become intolerable.
Fourth-That our representative be instructed to use all his influence in the House, that all proper measures may be taken to obtain a redress of these griev- ances.
Fifth-That if this fails of effect, this town is ready to unite with the other towns in this government, and with all the other British government in this Conti- nent, in all lawful measures which, on joint consultation, shall be judged necessary to save our sinking State and to obtain redress of our grievances.
Sixth-That a copy of these resolutions be transmitted by the town clerk to the gentlemen of the Committee of Communication and Correspondence in Boston, thanking them for their prudent and timely care of the public good."
No accurate account of the postoffice at Salisbury is now obtain- able. The following have served as postmasters since about 1885: P. H. Moulton, eleven years in office; D. W. Bennett, three months; F. A. Chapin, A. B. Coffin, about ten years in office ; P. H. Moulton, three years. The present postmaster at Newburyport is postmaster over the Salis- bury station, as the postoffice in Salisbury is now known. This has ex- isted twelve years. D. H. Moulton is now clerk in the Salisbury station. There is one rural delivery out from Salisbury, the same being about twenty-five miles long.
The safe of this office has been blown up three times in the last thirty years, but no large loss was ever sustained. In 1914 the office was entered at night time by unknown parties, who when observed by the chief of police attempted to escape, and in order to do so shot and killed the police officer, a Mr. Heath, who left a family.
But little business is transacted in Salisbury, as it is too near the larger place of Newburyport across the river. However, there are a few stores, the postoffice sub-station, and a few shops, one shoe factory employing about thirty-five workmen, and another like factory being constructed. Dr. J. S. Spaulding is the practicing physician.
In the spring of 1919 a plan was put forth (and in September the same year completed) for the erection of a handsome tablet attached
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to a huge boulder, on the town common, bearing the names of the seventy-eight soldiers who went from Salisbury and vicinity to serve in the late World War.
The present (1921) town officers (elective) are as follows: Town Clerk, William H. Greenleaf (has served twenty-seven years already) ; Selectmen: George E. Dow (chairman), Everett R. George, Harold F. Congdon; Assessors : John A. Stevens, William H. Evans, Robert B. Cur- rier; Park Commissioners: Arlington H. Chapin, Edmund M. Bartlett, Edward W. Pike. The Constable, Treasurer and Tax Collector is Samuel W. Weare; Chief of Police, Fred H. Tapin; Highway Surveyor, E. Earle Sawyer; School Physician, Dr. Jacob F. Spaulding; Forest Warden, Charles J. Penniman ; Trustees (Hilton Fund) : John F. Smith and Frank A. Sanborn.
December 31, 1920, the books of this town show the following ex- hibits: Credits-Cash in treasurer's hands, $10,866.05; Uncollectable taxes, year 1917, $9.30; year, 1918, $100.00; year, 1919, $976.70; year, 1920, $33,103.56; Due from Commonwealth on Main street, $2,694.06; Due from County Essex, Main street, $2,694.07; Due from State Treas- urer, $744.00; Due from account income tax, $426.00; Due from account temporary aid, $114.84; Due from Essex county dog tax, $132.86; Total, $51,861.44.
Debits-Twenty-seven new school building notes, $27,000.00; Four Central avenue loans, $8,000.00; Two Salisbury Square notes, $4,000.00; Anticipation notes, $35,000.00; Total, $74,000.00.
The Public Library is in a flourishing condition. Last year almost twelve thousand books were given out to readers. The dog tax of $400 is used in part for library support.
The Salisbury Parish Church was in advance of the town's incor- poration by a year or two, and was founded in 1639. It now has a mem- bership of two hundred, and a Sunday school of two hundred and thirty- two pupils. Mrs. F. L. Pettengill is present superintendent.
This was the eighteenth church organized in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Its first pastor was Rev. William Worcester, who set- tled at the date of organization as pastor and remained till death in 1662. The second pastor was John Wheelwright, who died in 1679. The third minister was Rev. James Alling, a native of Boston settled in 1687, died in 1696. The fourth pastor was Rev. Caleb Cushing, who died in 1752, aged eighty years. The fifth pastor was Rev. Edmund Noyes, settled in 1751, died 1809, aged eighty-one years. More recent pastors have been as follows : J. F. Spalding, 1885-86; L. P. Cansey, 1887-89 ; J. D. Folsom, 1890-93; William R. Webster, 1894-96; C. W. Taylor, 1897-1900; George A. McLucas, 1901-04; Irving C. Brown, 1905-07; W. J. Atkinson, 1908-09; Roscoe Sanderson, 1910-14; H. F. Quimby, 1915-16; Wm. O. W.Rey- nolds, commissioned Chaplain First Lieut. U. S. A. October, 1917; O. S. Steele from December 1917 to April, 1918; Roger Albright came next
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