USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Municipal history of Essex County in Massachusetts, Volume I > Part 8
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In 1815 the town had a population of nearly 700 persons. The first census taken by the United States government was in 1820, when it was 748. In 1885 the State census figures gave Saugus 2,855. The last three Federal census periods show the population to have been : In 1900, 5,084; 1910, 8,047; 1920 census, 10,874.
As settlement increased and on account of the topography of this town, it was decided best to divide into lesser villages. Almost in the center of the town is Saugus Centre. Few villages have a more charm- ing view of landscape scenery than this. Looking easterly from Round Hill the scene toward the ocean is beautiful. Cliftondale, directly to the south of Centre, was formerly known as Sweetser's Corner; in the eigh- ties this portion of the town grew rapidly. East Saugus is situated in
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the river valley, reached only by Winter street, at the southerly side of the valley. About two miles from the Centre, in the extreme northerly end of the town is North Saugus, once a most fertile farming section. The Saugus river flows beside this village, while two branches-Penny and Hawkes Brooks-flow directly through the place. Oaklandale is a mile and a half from the Centre, northwesterly, and its domain is coursed by the waters of Strawberry Brook, which finds its way into Saugus river below North Saugus.
During the year 1630 many immigrants found their way to our shores, and from among this number a considerable proportion came by boat and overland travel to what is now Saugus. Centuries before, doubtless, the Indian tribes had here fished, hunted, built their wigwams and raised corn and sweet pumpkins. In East Saugus have been found many Indian relics including shell-heaps, pestles, stone hatchets, bones, and neatly fashioned arrow-heads.
Among the earliest to invade this town for actual settlement was William Ballard, who received sixty acres in the allotment of 1638. He was admitted as a freeman in 1638. His farm comprised what is now known as the village of East Saugus. Edward Baker received an allot- ment of forty acres on the road to North Saugus. Samuel Bennet, a car- penter, and member of the Ancient Artillery Company in 1639, received an allotment of twenty acres. Thomas Dexter, farmer, was admitted as a freeman in 1631, and given an allotment of 350 acres. He lived in the center of Saugus, near the old iron works; he was commonly styled "Farmer Dexter." He built a corn grindingmill on the Saugus river; also had a fish-way from which he took one hundred and fifty barrels of fish and cured them in the first years of his operations. Thomas Hudson lived in the western part of the town, near the river and at the iron- works, where he held a tract of sixty acres of land. Captain Richard Walker, a farmer, located on the west side of the river and had allotted to him 200 acres of land. He was born in 1593, and died at the age of ninety-five years. Adam Hawkes settled in North Saugus in 1634, hav- ing landed with the Endicott company in 1630. In 1672 he owned 550 acres of land in this township.
The first postoffice was established in the village of East Saugus in 1832, and it remained the only postoffice within the town until 1858, when two more offices were established-one in Cliftondale and another in Saugus Center. Among the early postmasters are now recalled: In East Saugus, 1832, Henry Slade, George Newhall; 1856, Herbert B. New- hall; 1863, Charlotte M. Hawkes; 1873, Charles Mills; 1885, Henry J. Mills. At Saugus Center, 1858, Julian D. Lawrence; 1870, John E. Stocker. At Cliftondale, 1858, William Williams; 1860, George H. Sweet- ser, A. H. Sweetser; 1877, M. A. Putnam; 1883, M. S. Fisk. At this time (1921) there are three station postoffices in this town-Saugus Centre Station, William H. Merritt, superintendent; Cliftondale Station,
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Ernest C. Brown, superintendent; and East Saugus, Arthur Farnham, superintendent.
The first town meeting was held in the parish church, March 13, 1815, and later ones continued to be held there until 1818, after which time the schoolhouse was used-usually the Rock school house. In 1837 a town house was erected, the structure so planned and built that the lower portion was to be used as a school house, while the upper story was for town hall purposes. It was still used in the eighties for school pur- poses, but the present town hall was erected in 1875. When the first hall was erected, some two thousand dollars had fallen to Saugus as a revenue from the United States government as the surplus distributed by Presi- dent Jackson. There arose quite a struggle to determine who should have this money. Several votes were taken on the subject. At first it was decided to distribute the amount to individuals throughout the town, but later this was rescinded and other elections followed, when finally it was decided that $2,000 of the sum should go toward erecting a town- house, the vote standing 90 to 74. In March, 1838, the town appro- priated $600 more with which to complete the building. This was in use until the present town hall was built in 1875. The town purchased a low, wet piece of land of Samuel A. Parker, and had it filled in at great expense. The result of building this large town building was the incur- ring of a $50,000 debt by the town. The first story was from the first used for town offices, high school and public library; and the second story for an assembly room.
With the coming and going of the years, there were many improve- ments made within Saugus in way of building and highways. Usually excellent men were chosen for selectmen, and the affairs of the town were well administered. The present (1920-21) town officials include the following: Town Clerk, Henry A. Parker; Selectmen: Walter Sprague, chairman; Francis M. Hill, John G. Holmes; Assessors : Lewis J. Austin, chairman; Daniel B. Willis, Edwin K. Hayden; Treasurer, H. Dwight Bisbee; Constable, W. Charles Sellick; Tax Collector, Henry A. Parker; Chairman of Library Trustees, Vernon W. Evans; Chairman of Board of Health, Charles E. Light; Chairman of School Committee, Ernest W. Homan; Chairman of Cemetery Commissioners, Benjamin F. Fullerton ; Tree Warden, Thomas E. Berrett; Town Accountant, Granville A. Clark; Chairman of Finance Committee, Harry T. Turner; Town Counsel, Will- iam E. Ludden.
While today Saugus is not known for its great factory and milling industries, it should not be forgotten that here were many of the original industries of New England worked out successfully, and a brief account of them cannot be without interest in this connection. Without going into detail, it may be stated that in Saugus was the first attempt at es- tablishing successful iron works in New England. In 1632 mention was
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in November, 1637, the General Court of Massachusetts granted Abra- ham Shaw one-half of the benefit of any "coles or yron which shall be found in any ground which is in the countryes disposeing." Iron had been found in small ponds on the western bank of Saugus river soon after its settlement in 1629, and in 1642 specimens of it were taken to London by Robert Bridges, in hopes a company might be formed for the manufacture of iron. As a result a company known as "The Company of Undertakers for the Iron Works" was formed of English capitalists and Thomas Dexter and Robert Bridges, both of Lynn. Workmen were brought from England in 1643, and the foundry was erected on the western bank of Saugus river, just at the head of tidewater, in what later became known as Saugus Centre. The village at the foundry was named Hammersmith, after an English village. In 1644 the General Court granted this company three miles square in each of six places it might occupy in the prosecution of its business. On August 4, 1648, Governor Winthrop wrote from Boston to his son in Connecticut, that "the iron work goeth on with more hope. It yields now about seven tons a week." Later he said, "the furnace runs eight tons a week, and their bar iron is as good as Spanish."
Concerning the Saugus iron industry, it should be stated that the General Court granted many privileges to this industry. All men en- gaged in the iron works were exempt from taxes for ten years, and did not have to serve in the military companies. Liberty was given to cut timber for charcoal purposes, to make highways, and construct dams and ponds. It is certain that this furnace was in operation in Septem- ber, 1648, and had been running for at least three years before that date. It will be understood that this iron was simply "bog-iron," and found only in limited quantities. For this reason, when iron was dis- covered farther west in America, work here naturally was abandoned.
How many today know that Saugus became quite noted for its large snuff industry that existed from 1798 to about 1846? An old flour miil on Saugus river was purchased by George Makepeace of Boston in 1792. He tore the old mill down and erected a new one, in which he had two run of millstones for grinding meal and flour; also in one end of the building he had two mortars for grinding snuff. These mortars were fashioned from large buttonwood logs in their rude state, the rough bark being left on. The business later fell into the hands of Jonathan Makepeace, a nephew of the founder. He gave personal attention to the snuff business. He used only the finest grade of tobacco leaf, cured in the best known manner. The tobacco was ground, scented nicely, and put up in wooden kegs, each bearing his own autograph. This snuff had a remarkable sale and enriched the maker, who was known as Major Makepeace.
The first place of which there is any account of making chocolate in America was in Saugus, commencing about 1796, in the addition made
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to the Makepeace flouring and snuff mills above mentioned. In order to do this a new water-wheel was installed and more wareroom provided. Of this plant Benjamin F. Newhall furnished the following for the "Lynn Reporter," among other interesting sketches of early days in Saugus:
In 1812 the last war with England commenced, which gave a new impetus to the chocolate business. The mill was overwhelmed with work, so that it was car ried on in summer, and the cooling was done in cellars. Mr. Childs, with others, en- tered quite largely into the manufacture, which yielded, in the beginning of the war, a large profit. Very soon, with the large demand, cocoa began to advance in price, and continued to do so until it rose from eight cents per pound to thirty-three cents, a rise of over three hundred per cent. After this extreme it soon receded, and final- ly settled into a healthy trade.
One of the most amusing things connected with this old chocolate manufacture was the pretended art and skill indispensable to a successful issue. This art and skill was believed to be a secret possessed by only here and there an individual. Even the persons who carried on the manufacture did not pretend to any knowledge of the art. It seemed to be a general concession of the public that the science of the manu- facture was unknown except to a very few who had obtained it, by great labor and expense from Spain or South America. This acknowledgement gave the pretenders a superiority, and placed them in a position not only to be honored, but to be well paid. The man who had brass enough to carry the pretense through successfully, managed everything about to his own mind.
In my early boyhood I used to work in this chocolate mill, as considerable of the work could be done by boys better than by men. The grand magician of that day was Josiah Rhodes, nicknamed "Slim Caesar." He exercised the most unlimited control over the whole establishment. So arbitrary was he in the exercise of his pretended skill that scarcely anyone dared to look at the chocolate in process of manufacture. The roaster and stirring kettle were objects forbidden by him to be examined by the ignorant world. I well remember with what veneration I used to look upon this aged cadaverous veteran. The smoke of the roaster could be seen curling up over the fire, but none had the courage in his presence to smell of the forbidden odor.
Occasionally a small mysterious white powder from a piece of clean white paper would be cast into the roaster or kettle, in a mysterious and magical manner, completely blinding the eyes of the uninitiated. Such was the dignity and haughti- ness attendant upon the exercise of his skill, that he rarely ever smiled or spoke when engaged. Even his employers hardly ever dared to ask a question. Men who labored years under him never dared to raise a pretense of knowing anything. Such were the pretended mysteries of the trade in olden times.
Subsequently, about 1800, Mr. Makepeace added a nail factory with machinery to cut nails by hand, which industry lasted six years. A saw mill was also built and cut its hundreds of thousands of feet of lumber. The founder of these mills, Major Makepeace, retired to Charlestown, where he died in 1820, aged eighty years. Amariah Childs succeeded to the business, and added a spice mill, supplying the Boston spice trade. Charles Sweetser purchased the property and continued until overtaken by death in 1865. Charles A. Sweetser fell to the ownership, and in 1883 removed all snuff-making machinery and worked extensively at grinding various herbs. July 8, 1887, the mills caught fire and were to- tally consumed, never to be rebuilt. H. B. Newhall was the man inter- ested in the latter operations of this milling industry.
About 1822, William Gray and other Boston men engaged in the making of duck-cloth, the factory having been in operation at Stone- nam before that date. This grade of ducking was made from flax and hemp material. The works were in a part of the old mill and chocolate
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works already mentioned. But misfortunes befell the property, and after less than two years it was closed. In 1826 the property passed to the hands of True & Broadhead, who raised the mill-dam, which caused endless litigation in the valley. In 1829 flannel was being manufactured here, and this was the beginning of a great industry for Saugus. In 1846 another and much larger building was built, of brick. Both build- ings were equipped with six sets of cards, thirteen jacks and forty looms. Each jack carried one hundred and eighty spindles. Other buildings were demanded and erected for the wool-pulling and sheep-skin tanning departments. Edward Pranker, the owner died in 1865. In 1879 six grandchildren of Edward Pranker associated themselves under the name of the Pranker Manufacturing Company, and carried on a large woolen manufacturing business many years. In 1888 they employed more than one hundred operatives and made goods amounting at factory prices to $300,000. A half million pounds of clean wool had to be used in a single year's work. All-wool shirtings, ladies' dress goods, sackings of all colors, as well as plain and twilled flannels, were here produced. The 1866 fire greatly injured the plant, but all was replaced, and in 1884 a round smokestack ten feet in diameter at the base was built to the height of one hundred feet.
In 1887 the mills of A. A. Scott were manufacturing linen duck and all-wool flannels. Of both fine and coarse grades, he made eight hun- dred thousand yards annually. Fifty workmen and women, aided by im- proved machinery, brought out this annual output.
That portion of Saugus known as Cliftondale, formerly styled Sweetser's Corners, traces its origin and real prosperity to the manu- facture of tobacco in various forms-snuff, chewing and smoking tobacco, and cigars. This line was established about 1798, William Sweetser be- ing the founder.
After the close of the War of 1812-14, crockery was hard to obtain from other countries, and hence the fine quality of potter's clay found in the land known as Jackson's Meadows was utilized by William Jack- son, an Englishman, in the production of a good grade of earthenware. Time proved that only a cheaper, coarser grade of crockery could be made from this material. After many years, even this business was abandoned.
To be somewhat engaged in the shoe manufacturing business was of course needful even in Saugus, for it was hard-by and at that time a part of the city of Lynn, and Lynn has ever been in the lead as a "shoe town." It was in 1802 when Ebenezer Oakman commenced the manufacture of shoes in East Saugus. Within a few years he erected numerous factories. His goods found ready sale among the wholesalers of Philadelphia, who finally shipped abroad by sailing vessels from Boston. Fine calf boots were also made to considerable extent in these shops. It was during the war of 1812-14 that it became unsafe to
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ship the products of these factories by packet, as they had been before, so the owner established a line of large baggage-waggons, drawn by six horses, with two skillful drivers, making the trip to Philadelphia and back in about six weeks. Among the drivers of such "shoe-express" lines were Captain Jacob Newhall, Jesse Rice and Captain Jacob Baird. These shoes were all hand-made, and were made in private houses and small near-by shops. Men would put the soles on, while the women would bind the uppers. The uppers, binding, thread and all needful to make the shoes were doled out at the main office, tucked away in a sack, and the shoemaker would take the stock home and work it up, then return with the shoes ready for inspection and to take home another supply of material. But in the fifties the business was much improved and machinery was introduced, thus throwing many shoe- makers out of work. In the history published in 1888, that portion mentioning the shoe factory business, says: "One by one, our shoe manufacturers went to Lynn, where they could work to better advan- tage. Many men and women would go down to Lynn by horse or steam cars in the morning and return at night."
From 1841 on for more than twenty years, there were great activi- ties in Saugus among those engaged in making building brick. Among the pioneers in this line are recalled such men as Frederick Stocker, who made from one half to one million brick annually. After he re- tired his son Frederick carried on the business, in which he for several years kept account of the amount of wood consumed in the burning of his brick, and found it amounted to about four hundred cords per season. He employed from ten to twenty workmen.
As early as 1812, bricks were made at the yards on the north side of the river, by Thomas Raddin. In the same place there was a brick plant in 1859 operated by A. Hatch, and from 1850 to 1860 William M. Newhall was engaged in like industry. He made a million brick annu- ally, until the clay was practically exhausted.
For a number of years from 1848 on, the preparation of plastering hair was conducted successfully in Saugus and Cliftondale, where the firm of Kent & Marvin operated and carried forward a business amount- ing to over $50,000 per year. In the eighties, these works were still being conducted, and by then had added hair prepared for spinners and saddlery work, as well as for upholstering.
Without entering into details concerning the manufacturing inter- ests in Saugus and connecting villages, let it be stated that the interests include the following enterprises: The Cliftondale Wood-Working Com- pany ; the United States Worsted Goods Manufactory; Wire Brace fac- tory, by Henry B. Robinson; Nelson Brothers, manufacturers of motors ; the Novelty Manufacturing Company, by Arthur B. Coates; Rand & Byam Rendering Company; the United States Woolen Mills; the New England Lace and Braid Company; a Sausage factory recently estab- lished on an extensive scale.
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The town clerk's report for 1920 shows the following vital statis- tics for the town of Saugus: Births registered in 1920, 239; American parentage, 113; foreign parentage, 70; mixed parentage, 56. Marriages registered, 132; American born, 193; foreign born, 71; average age of groom, 29 years; average age of bride, 26; oldest person, 62; youngest person, 15. Number of deaths in 1920, 139; males, 64; females 75; under five years, 40; from eighty to ninety, fifteen.
The assessor's report shows: Number of polls assessed, 2,691; persons paying on property tax, 5,110; persons paying poll tax, 1,291; persons liable to military duty, 2,018; population as found by assessor, 11,488; number of dwelling houses, 2,615; number acres of land, 6,640; number of horses, 181; cows, 549; swine, 519; sheep, 2; fowl, 7,021; registered dogs (females), 127; males, 390; total number of dogs, 517.
Total Amount Property Assessed-Resident real estate, $5,886,502; non-resident real estate, $1,704,125; resident personal estate, $577,290; non-resident personal estate, $294,271. Total, $8,462,188.
The report of the Charities Department shows that in 1920 the appropriation for the use of the unfortunate poor was $9,869, all of which was spent but about seventy dollars. The pay-roll for mothers with dependent children amounted to $150 per week. The Saugus Home received from all sources the sum of $13,583, of which $12,485 was spent. It was recommended that another year the appropriation should be $14,000.
Mrs. Laura Taylor, librarian of the Public Library, in her annual report for 1920, gave out the following: Circulation for the last year- Main library, 18,478 volumes; at Cliftondale, 8,866; at East Saugus, 6,029 ; at Lynnhurst, 935; at North Saugus, 295. The Library was es- tablished through the aid of Andrew Carnegie.
The subjoined shows the tax-rate and assessed valuations in the town of Saugus since 1860-sixty year period :
Tax- rate
1860-Valuation of all property, as per assessment. $1,179,592-$ 6.80
1870-Valuation, as per assessment.
1880-Valuation, as per assessment. 1,462,830- 13.33
1,465,876- 16.50
1890-Valuation, as per assessment.
2,493,000- 18.00
1900-Valuation, as per assessment 3,679,760- 19.80
1910-Valuation, as per assessment. 5,599,786- 22.00
1920-Valuation, as per assessment. 8,462,188- 35.95
The First Parish and Society was organized in 1737, and is now situated in the town of Saugus, Essex county. Its present total mem- bership is eighty persons. The Sunday school in connection, has an average of seventy-nine pupils and teachers; Arthur Edmands is the present superintendent. This church was the first founded in Saugus, and was famous in the Colony during Revolutionary war times. Among its pastors are recalled Revs. Edward Cheever, Joseph Roby (who was pastor fifty years), followed by a long list of successors. Some of the
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more recent pastors were Revs. C. A. Skinner, T. W. Iliman and G. W. Whitmer. The present pastor is Rev. F. S. Rice. The first building was a wooden structure built by volunteer labor. The second edifice was built in 1861 and is valued at $20,000. Concerning this pioneer church, Wilbur F. Newhall wrote many years ago:
The first step was the union of all the principal men to build a meetinghouse. The union was named the "Proprietors of the Meetinghouse." In 1736 the work was commenced, and the best of oak timber was cut for the frame. The work made much progress during the year, although it was not probably finished till 1737. The finishing only extended so far as to build a pulpit and cover the floor with plain seats, one side called the "men's seats" and the other the "women's seats." At this state of affairs the parish records commence. The first book of records was a present to the parish from Thomas Cheever. It is a remarkable vellum-covered book, and served the parish ninety years. On the first page of the book is written: "This book is a gift to the society of Proprietors of the New Meetinghouse, in the westerly end of the town of Lynn, by Thomas Cheever."
We cannot sufficiently admire the zeal of our ancestors-then few in number and widely scattered-to undertake a work of such magnitude as the building of a church. It was forty-four feet long by thirty-six wide, with about twenty foot posts. It had upper and lower windows, all round, of common-sized glass. On its front, or south side, was the front door, with a large porch or vestibule, which was entered by three doors. It had, besides, a door on each end opening into the church. No doubt the model of this was found in the "Old Tunnel," so called, on Lynn Common. Let us go into the church. The pulpit is on the north side of the house, in the center, raised high, with a seat in the front for the deacons. A gallery runs around the front and two ends, the front gallery seats being appropriated for the singers. The floor of the church is seated with plain plank seats, divided into two sections. What a pattern of plain Puritan simplicity must this church have presented, with its "men's seats" on one side and its "womens seats" on the other; and then the worshippers with their antique dresses!
At a meeting of the committee held December 8, 1740, was reported as follows: "We are of opinion, there being room enough to erect twenty-nine pews in said meetinghouse, nineteen wall pews and ten pews on the floor. All persons that make choice of a wall pew, they maintaining the glass against their own pews. The Proprietons of the house to have the choice of the pews. That each person having a pew shall pay for the erection of his own pew. That the pew shall be taxed forty shillings per week as apportioned." This committee, finding that more pews were needed, made a plan to increase the number to thirty-four, by making five more.
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