USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Municipal history of Essex County in Massachusetts, Volume II > Part 23
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The Eastern Stage Company was chartered by the State of New Hampshire for a period of twenty years. The great profit in this busi- ness could not long be concealed and rival companies sprung up. One set off for Boston from Salem, August, 1810. In 1818, opposing lines absorbed the rival stage lines, same as the lesser railroads today are merged or swallowed up by the more powerful lines.
The first railroad charter granted by Massachusetts, authorized, March 4, 1826, the building of a railway from the Quincy quarries to Ne- ponset river, and the first freight transported over it was the corner-stone of Bunker Hill Monument. It was operated by horse power. The Bal- timore & Ohio road was chartered in 1827. In 1829-30-31 Massachusetts chartered railroads from Boston to Lowell, to Providence and to Wor- cester. It was in 1833 that the Boston & Lowell line was extended to Andover, Wilmington, and to Haverhill in 1835. These early roads drove the stage lines out of business and this caused great consternation among those interested in the stage coach lines, as well as breeders and dealers in horseflesh. But the iron horse had come to remain as a potent fac- tor in our general civilization and the stage coach was relegated to the museum, and others were allowed to rot down by the roadside, as a thing having outgrown its usefulness.
Concerning the advent of railways at Salem, it was written a third of a century and more ago: "The steam railroad communications of Salem are excellent, the Boston & Maine railroad, Eastern Division, formerly the Eastern railroad, which was opened August, 1838 and the Boston & Lowell railroad, which has a terminus here, give rapid and cheap trans- portation to every part of Eastern New England and Canada. There are now (1886) twenty-three regular trains to Boston on the Boston & Maine, daily, with twenty-two extras and eleven Sunday trains, and a nearly equal number of trains going east. The trains on the Boston & Lowell line are also frequent. The freight facilities are equally good, and the amount of business transacted at both stations amount to a very large sum annually."
Early in the thirties, the steam cars commenced to run through the town of Wenham, it was the old Eastern railroad, the first corporation in the county to construct a steam railroad. The Newburyport & Wake- field branch of the Boston & Maine road was constructed in 1853. In 1886 a street car line was run from Gloucester to Beverly and operated by horses, that being just a few years in advance of the electric car system.
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Beverly records show that a town meeting was held August 20, 1835, when a committee was appointed to secure a change of location of the Eastern Railroad, from the east side of Essex Bridge (as projected) to the west, and this was complied with in 1837.
In Ipswich the turnpike, the canal, then the railroad, each had its day in helping to develop this county. The railroad first entered the town in 1839 and this was in reality the beginning of a new era. The Eastern Railroad Company was incorporated in 1836 and was soon ex- tending its first line and was eventually bought up by the present Bos- ton & Maine system.
In Saugus the railroad was not so early a help. While the old East- ern railroad was built through a portion of its territory, over the marshes in the extremity of the township, yet there was no station, and for many years the people had to go to Melrose, which was on the Boston & Maine line and nearer than was Breed's Wharf in West Lynn. The earliest efforts at securing a railroad in Saugus was in 1844. Numerous pro- jects were set afloat, but all failed until in 1854, the Eastern Railroad was finally constructed through to Saugus. It is now owned by the Boston & Maine system. Then one small car accommodated the pas- sengers. The experiment of combining car and locomotive was tried. It caused much fun for the travelers and was dubbed the "Tea-kettle"; this was soon set aside.
In Topsfield, the Danvers & Newburyport branch of the Boston & Maine railroad runs through the center of the town, and its only station point is the village of Topsfield. This was built in 1853. Trains run through to Boston without change of cars.
In Rockport, the people had great difficulty in getting their road. The Gloucester branch of the Eastern Railroad company could not be induced to extend to Rockport. In 1860 another attempt was made to build by a home company, but this project, like others before, failed. After a few kinks had been straightened out, the Eastern Railroad Com- pany, aided by local stockholders, completed a line to Rockport, the same being completed in the autmn of 1861. Its cost was $91,000, of which the town held $75,000 worth of shares.
Danvers, too, had its own troubles in securing a steam highway. Finally, in July, 1848, the old Eastern Railroad was completed to North Danvers. On the first time-table there were mentioned three trains a day, each way, to and from Salem. Three thousand persons passed over this route on the Fourth of July, 1848. By that fall, trains were run- ning to Andover. September 4th that year all was completed to Lawrence. The first station agent at Danvers was Samuel W. Spaulding.
Concerning the coming of railroads to Lawrence, it may be said that direct railway communication was opened with Boston, Lowell and Salem, and Lawrence became an important railway center. The Boston & Maine Railway, having its location changed from Andover to North Andover,
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constructed between April, 1845, and March, 1848, the five miles of road between those places by way of Lawrence together, with bridges across the river and canal, and on February 28, 1848, ran their passenger cars across the bridge for the first time to the station on the north side of the river. July 2, 1848, the Lowell railway was completed between Law- rence and Lowell. The Essex Railway, from Lawrence to Salem, was opened September 4, 1848. The Manchester & Lawrence railway was opened for travel in October, 1849. The railroad facilities followed the growth of the city, and constant improvements were made in the ser- vice. Eventually, the need of a horse railroad was apparent, and in 1867, the first track was laid from the Woolen Mill in Methuen to the Everett Mills, at the foot of Essex street.
As the decades have passed by, changes in railway property have taken place, until today the chief steam roads of the county and for that matter all eastern New England are now embraced in the Boston & Maine company.
The Boston, Revere Beach & Lynn railway, commonly known as the Narrow Gauge Line, is the owner of about ten miles of track of the narrow-gauge kind, connecting Lynn with Boston. There is also a loop through the Winthrops, connecting with the main line at Orient Heights. This line runs along the sea shore, part of the distance over trestles. It reaches Boston by ferry from Noddle Island to Rowe's Wharf. The main line passes through Point of Pines, Revere Beach, Beachmont, Orient Heights and East Boston. The rate of fare is ten cents to Bos- ton, while from Lynn to Revere Beach it is only five cents. This road is purely a passenger line. Train service is carried on both day and night. Through the day trains run every few minutes and at night every half hour. The terminals of this line are conveniently located, that in Lynn being at the junction of Market and Broad streets, and the one at Bos- ton being at Rowe's Wharf on Atlantic avenue. There is a station at West Lynn, on Commercial street, for the accommodation of that section of the city. The Narrow Gauge owns and operates three large ferries in Boston. The abnormal number of trains daily between Lynn and Boston is one hundred and twenty each way. The records show that in 1915 twenty million passengers were carried without an accident to pas- sengers or crew. It is a double-tracked road, operated by steam power. This thoroughfare was constructed in 1875 and has been a very success- ful enterprise and served the traveling public for near a half century. In fact, its "builders built better than they knew."
Haverhill was supplied with railways as follows: The Boston & Maine line was open for business to Bradford in October, 1838. It reached Haverhill in 1839, when the original bridge was built. There are now sixty passenger trains daily from this station. There is ample trackage room in Bradford for 650 cars. There are six passenger sta- tions within the corporation of Haverhill. The street car system is men- tioned elsewhere in this article.
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Salem's first street railway was incorporated in 1862, under the name of the Salem Street Railroad Company. It was extended to what is now Peabody in 1863, also to Beverly. In May, 1864, a branch was opened to South Salem, and five years later, June 4, 1869, a North Salem branch was put in operation. The first company did not prove a finan- cial success, so in 1875 it was re-organized as the Naumkeag Street Railway Company. The first extension made by this new company was to the "Willows" the spot used so many generations as a picnic ground by Salemites. This was a horse car system, but as many as ten thou- sand persons were transported to that resort in summer, on several occasions. In 1883 the track was extended to Gloucester Crossing; also a line to Harmony Grove. In 1884, a new line was projected to Marble- head. But the most profitable of all, were the lines to North Beverly and to Wenham depot, on to Asbury Grove. This line, seven miles long, was completed in 1886. In June, 1886, the Naumkeag road assum- ed the franchise of the old Salem Street Railway, and with the purchase of the Salem & Danvers line in the spring of 1887, assumed sole control of all local traffic. In 1887 this company had thirty miles of trackage; 105 cars, 390 horses and 112 employes, with an annual pay-roll of $70,- 000. In 1886 this horse car system had total earnings of $190,000.
The Salem & Danvers Street Railway was capitalized in the autumn of 1883, by men of Salem, Peabody and Danvers, and was incorporated in 1884. The road opened for travel in the summer of 1884. This was the start of what has come to be a great, far-reaching system of electric street cars and interurban lines in this section.
The history of Saugus discloses the fact that two charters of rival horse car companies were granted in the spring of 1859, requiring cars to be running regularly by November 20, 1861. One of these was the Lynn & Boston Company. The other was the Cliftondale Horse Railroad Company, owned by James S. Stone of Charlestown. Cars were running on time-November 20, 1861. This road was a real estate scheme and did not prosper. Very soon after this came the change to electrified street railways.
Early in the summer of 1884, the Lynn & Boston Street Railway Company extended its tracks to Marblehead and began running to and from Lynn to Marblehead. Soon thereafter, the Naumkeag Street Rail- way Company extended its tracks from Salem through the town to Franklin street, establishing regular horse-car connection with that city.
Haverhill is served by one of the greatest single trolley corporations in the world-the Bay State Street Railway Company. It also has the Massachusetts Northeastern Street Railway Company, with head- quarters in Haverhill. The Bay State Company took over the old Haver- hill & Groveland Company, which was the original horse car line in Haverhill, receiving its franchise in 1877, and was installed into an elec-
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tric line in June, 1892. The Haverhill & Amesbury Street Railway Company received its franchise June, 1892. Later these systems were all merged with the one company known as the Massachusetts North- eastern.
The street railway lines of Lawrence are of great importance, reaching out, as they do, over so large a scope of territory. Should one so desire, he might go by electric trolley from Lawrence to New York and on into Pennsylvania. Great the change. Fifty years ago, stage coaches were driven between Lawrence, Methuen, Andover and Lowell. From a little horse car road, the Lawrence division of the Boston & Northern Street Railway, formerly the Merrimack Valley Horse Rail- road, and now known as the Bay State Street Railway, has come with its net-work of fifty miles of trackage upon which are run seventy-five cars. The entire length of this system is 960 miles.
The first company to operate a street car line in Lawrence was headed by William A. Russell, as president. Ground was broken October 21, 1867. Horses were discarded in 1890-91 and electricity took their places. In 1887 a belt line was constructed. In 1893 the line was ex- tended to Haverhill. The next season Lowell was reached, Andover hav- ing been connected in 1891.
In 1899 a franchise was granted to the Massachusetts Northeastern Street Railway Company. This was first styled the Southern New Hampshire Company. Nearly every street traversed by street car lines in Lawrence, are finely paved thoroughfares. But few, if any cities in this country, have a more complete system of street car and interurban lines than Lawrence.
CHAPTER XLII.
EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS
The Church and the School have always been dominant factors in New England, and especially is this true in Essex county. Its pioneers set about providing suitable meeting-houses and school-houses as soon as a shelter had been provided for their families. The private, public and parochial schools, and the higher institutions of learning, have each had place in the great foundation of educational advantages here en- joyed by the passing generations.
The first settlement was effected in Virginia in 1607, and her first public school was opened in 1621, fourteen years after the settlement. The real settlement of Massachusetts Bay Colony was in 1628, when John Endicott came to Salem. In 1637, nine years later, John Fiske opened a public school in Salem. In Boston, in 1636, a petition was presented to the authorities asking for a school, which was probably not estab- lished as prayed for until 1642. Just where the first "free school" was started is not quite certain, but this much is known, that while Salem maintained her school from the first in 1637 down to the present time (1921), the governor of Virginia in 1671 "thanked God there were no free schools, no printing, and hoped they would not have any these hundred years;" and for long after, the Old Dominion taxed school- masters twenty shillings per head.
At first the town of Salem appears to have paid a part of the expense of schooling the children in her midst, while the parents paid the re- mainder. A vote passed September 30, 1644, provided: "If any poor body hath children or a childe to be put to school, and not able to pay for their schooling, that the town will pay it by a rate." John Fiske ceased to teach (he was Salem's first instructor) in 1639, and in 1640 was suc- ceeded by Edward Norris, who was the only instructor in the town for twenty years. In 1670 Daniel Epes, Jr., was engaged to teach at £20 a year, and also to have half-pay for all scholars in the town and whole- pay from the strangers without who might send to school. The last years of his life he was allowed from ten to fifteen pounds sterling per year as a pension, so long as he lived; and this was doubtless America's first pension plan in any of the professions. In 1677 Mr. Epes agreed to teach English, Latin and Greek, and fit pupils for the university ; also to teach them good manners and instruct them in religious and Christian principles. In 1768 the tuition in the public schools became free to all, as it is today.
There seems to be no positive evidence that Salem had any other school in her midst until 1712, when Nathaniel Higginson opened a school "for reading, writing and cyphering, in the north end of the town- house." The English and Latin schools were united in 1743, but three
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years later were separated. It appears that until about 1793, these schools were exclusively for boys. It was during the year lastnamed that the school committee was instructed to "provide at the writing school, or elsewhere, for the tuition of girls in reading, writing and cyphering." In 1827 sentiment had materially changed in Salem and all Essex county, for the town voted to have two high schools for girls-one located on Beckford street, known as the West School; the other in Bath street, and styled the East School.
From 1807 to 1843 colored children were educated in Salem schools. The first to teach such a primary school was Chloe Minn. In 1830 some questioned the right of a colored girl to attend the public school, and it was taken to the court, which decided she had the same rights as white girls in way of schooling.
In 1884 a State law compelled the introduction of free text-books, slates, pencils, paper, etc., into all the schools. It cost the city of Salem to comply with such a law, the sum of $9,000, the total number of pupils then being 4,000. But "without money and without price" the rich and poor, the black and white, have access to free schools. The total cost of Salem schools in 1886, more than a third of a century ago, was $81,000.
In passing, it may be said that Salem has modern school buildings, and that, in contrast with the above figures given for 1886 paid the teachers of that city, the following obtain today: Superintendent, $4,000 per school year; secretary to superintendent, $1,400; high school prin- cipal, $3,500 ; women department heads, $1,900; assistants, $1,600; ele- mentary teachers, principals, $2,500; assistants, $1,300; principals in kindergarten, $1,200; assistants, $1,000.
More space has been given to the different departments of the com- mon school in Salem, for the reason that it will serve as a basis in writing of the other towns and cities in Essex county, the general provisions be- ing about the same throughout the county.
The Lynn Schools-What about those earliest years when Lynn's first settlers were building their log cabins in this wilderness known by the Indians as Saugus? Were there schools here then? Was book-learn- ing instilled into the minds of the children of those pioneers? and, if so, how?
George Hood, Lynn's first mayor, in his inaugural address said: "The church and the school-house grew up together, both significant monu- ments of advancing civilization." His statement is true of many of the towns begun by our Pilgrim and Puritan forefathers, and we love to praise their zeal for education. Lynn's able historian, Judge James R. Newhall, has written: "The next thing thought of after the establish- ment of the church was the school." So might it have been! But was it?
Lynn's settlement dates from 1629, a year earlier than Boston, three years later than Salem. Within three years of that time the present First
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Congregational Church of Lynn had been established, with Rev. Stephen Bachellor as its head. In 1637 the General Court passed a vote, admir- able for its brevity, that "Saugust is called Lin." But Judge Newhall says that the first action of Lynn in her corporate capacity in relation to schools, so far as the records show, was in January, 1696, when it was re- corded that "The Selectmen agreed with Mr. Abraham Normanton to be schoolmaster for the town for said year ensuing, and that the Town is to give him five pounds for his labors, and the town is to pay twenty- five shillings towards the hire of Nathan Newhall's house for a year to keep school in and that said Mr. Normanton hire said house."
Alonzo Lewis, poet, historian, schoolmaster, civil engineer, archi- tect, and public-spirited citizen in general, writing of 1687, says that Rev. Mr. Shepard "kept the school several months this winter." It seems likely he continued in the office, for we are told that on Dec. 21, 1691, the selectmen appointed him schoolmaster for the year ensuing "with his consent." After hiring Mr. Normanton in 1696, it is of interest to note that they went back to Mr. Shepard, June 7, 1700, engaging him to keep the grammar school for thirty pounds.
While we lack absolute proof that Lynn had a public school earlier than 1696 or perhaps 1687, there is good reason to believe that schools were kept before those dates. In 1642 Governor Dudley had written his son in England: "There is a want of school-masters hereabouts." In 1647 the Legislature passed a law that every town of fifty families should have a school for reading and writing, and all towns of one hundred families should maintain a grammar school. They gave their reasons for this law in these words: "It being one chief project of yt ould deludor, Satan, to keepe men from the knowledge of ye Scriptures, *
* yt learning may not be buried in ye grave of our fathers in ye church and commonwealth, ye Lord assisting our endeavors: It is therefore or- dered," etc. But a law upon the statute books is not always a law en- forced.
Cyrus M. Tracy, writing of Lynn in the "History of Essex County" published in 1878, says that probably Rev. Samuel Whiting, who came in 1636, and his colleague, Rev. Thomas Cobbet, who came next year, did some teaching, as both were called "teaching elders." When Jeremiah Shepard became pastor in 1680, Rev. Joseph Whiting was made associate pastor, being selected as "teacher" and "ordained" into the office. The Whiting and Cobbet and Shepard schools serve to keep in mind these first pastors of the old First Church, who were the educational leaders blazing new trails upon this virgin soil.
The "Godless public schools", alleged in modern times, could not have been charged in that first century in Lynn, when the catechism and early piety furnished the leading topics of instruction, the only reading books being the New Testament and the Psalms of David, the minister being the schoolmaster. We realize how important a place religion held in our
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early schools as we examine the old "New England Primer" that came into general use as late as 1780. Religion was not barred out of those early schools, for there was but one church in town. Then the early Congregational Church was practically the "State Church" of New Eng- land. The following quotations from Lynn's oldest existing records will show how intimate were the relations of Church and State, and hence, of Church and School.
"VOATED" IN TOWN MEETING.
At a Legal Towne Meeting held in Lyn October the 27th 1707
Voated that our Minister Mr. Jerimiah Shepard shall have Eighty pounds in such money as Now passes from man to man for his labours in ye Ministry for this present year which will be up the 8th day of January Next Ensewing in Lue or Consideration of the fourscore pounds voated by the towne March the 2-1680-81 and the Contribution to be Keptup as heretofore.
at the Same Meeting
Voated to have a grammar Schoole Master to Keep Schoole in ye Towne for three months viz. January, february, and March Next following
at the Same Meeting
Voated thirty pounds money to pay the Schoole Master and other towne Debts.
Also the above votes appear, essentially word for word, in the rec- ords of 1708, 1709 and 1710, making a considerable part of the business transactions of those annual town-meetings. Sometimes there was added : "the selectment to obtain said Schoolmaster." May we not reasonably suppose that if the records had been carefully written and preserved in all the earliest years we might find similar votes recorded back to the coming of Rev. Jeremiah Shepard in 1680, and perhaps even during the pastorate of his predecessors? A few earlier quotations will throw ad- ditional light upon what was taught, the compensation of the teacher, how the money was raised, and how the schools, originally in charge of the selectmen, occasionally were entrusted to a specially appointed committee.
Nov. 5, 1780, it was voted to have a grammar schoolmaster to keep school, thirty pounds money was voted for his maintenance for one year and he was to teach Latin or to write, cipher and read. It was also "voted that Theophilus Burrill shall take care to procure a schoolmaster forthwith or as soon as may be."
At a December meeting that year it was "voted that the school for the year ensuing shall be a free school for the town, and so be kept by the schoolmaster, as other free schools are."
March 1, 1702, "voted that all such that shall be sent to the school- master for the present year to learn to read shall pay three pence a week and all such as shall be sent to him to learn to write and cipher shall pay four-pence a week."
Dec. 14, 1702, "voted ten pounds money for part of the mainten- ance of a grammar schoolmaster qualified according to law, for the year, to teach such as shall be sent to him to read, write and cipher, and to
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EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS
learn Latin; and such master to have over and above the said ten pounds two-pence per week for such as are sent to read, three-pence per week for them that are sent to write and cipher, and six-pence per week for them that are sent to learn Latin, to be paid by parents and masters that send their children or servants to learn as aforesaid."
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