USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Wenham > Notes on Wenham history, 1643-1943 > Part 9
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The original lists of these scholars, and their attendance is still preserved.5 The older girls were "mature girls, ladies, who had taught school, and were a great help, and an example to others."
One "Select school" in 1855, commencing in August lasted only four days, with an attendance of twenty schol- ars. Again in this teacher do we see the intimate rela- tions and interest between teacher and the community, for after fifty years absence we find Mr. Edwards is still corresponding, and interested in the former pupils.
The next two years the Select school was kept by Fran- cis Macomber Dodge a graduate of Colby College, Water- ville, Maine, a native of Wenham. This was the last effort to establish a private school in Wenham, the public school system seeming from that time on to satisfy the needs of the majority, those who desired a broader course and could afford it, went to the many academies out of town.
Neck School. Returning to the red brick school-house at the Neck, we find that the very close proximity of the school to his new house probably was the cause of Major Andrew Dodge arranging for its removal.
A brief deed tells the story of the new site, obtained by deed of 1845, by which Andrew Dodge in consideration of the Proprietors abandoning the site of their school- house deeds to them a certain lot of land, eighteen rods, as a site for their school house. In addition five dollars is paid Major Andrew for fencing the same. On this site was built a more modern type of school, with desks and black-boards.
This was the school for the Neck and Little Comfort children. As late as the 1870's Addison Williams used to skate to school in winter from Little Comfort over frozen Longham, a distance of two and one-half miles. The crowded school room, the limited time for each class,
5 W. H. Ms. Col.
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would not be tolerated by modern standards, yet here again the child who wanted to get something from school, got it.
Teachers. Wenham has been fortunate in having had in its teaching force some outstanding women, whose sub- sequent careers have proven how fortunate some of our pupils have been. These teachers came to Wenham, and left with the children a heritage of broader vision, and an ambition to go beyond the requirements of the town schools; these teachers themselves have accomplished much in the educational field. To cite only one-Miss Kate Grant, who taught the Neck school in the '70's: Miss Grant had an innate gift for teaching, and her work was recognized as so progressive and fundamental that she was chosen as one of the New England teachers to be sent to Minnesota, when that state was improving its public school system. Her work of several years in that state was again recognized as outstanding and again she was chosen, this time to go to South America when Argentina was model- ling its school system along the lines of the United States school system. There she worked for several years, finally marrying one of the Hope family, large ranch owners. Through all these years she retained her interest in her pupils in her first school at the Neck, and they in her.
19TH CENTURY PUBLIC LIBRARY
Wenham Parochial Library: the earliest library in Wen- ham of which there is any sort of record. The inscription in the books remaining is the only evidence that such a library existed. The books appear to have been in the custody of the pastors until 1870, when Mr. Wellington Poole took charge of them, twenty-nine in all.1 The books were all of a religious nature, and all published in the 17th century, from 1601 to 1682. One book bore the in- scription, "Gift of Rev. Samuel Gerrish, 1724." Mr. Poole recognized their historical and sentimental value, and questioned as to what disposition to make of them.
At a parish meeting, April 2, 1878, it was voted on motion of Mr. Poole "to donate all books, twenty-nine in number, to the Congregational Library of Boston upon condition that all should be carefully kept." The gift was immediately accepted.
District Libraries. During the years 1840-1850, there were established in various towns district libraries, and the meagre information as to these libraries in Wenham is gleaned from inquiries made by Mr. Poole contained in a letter from Mr. Amos Patch from Boston. "When I went to live with my uncle, Mr. Amos Gould, 1846, the district library was in Mr. Adoniram Dodge's wheel-wright shop2-near Dr. Jones house- where it remained three or four years. In 1850 he persuaded my uncle to take it. It was removed to his house and I had the care of the books. There were about eighty volumes, I think, many of them in bad condition. I was allowed two dollars for taking care of it and the fines. It was kept in the front entry of his house-it was still there in 1853."
From the account of Benjamin Conant we have the
1 For list of these books see Wenham Library Report, 1907.
2 Wheelwright shop directly opposite present Harold Sturgis house. Mr. Gould occupied the house, now rented by Mrs. Charles Inches.
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story of the very beginning of the Wenham Public Library.
Social Library. "In the autumn of 1857, a select com- pany of gentlemen and ladies of Wenham formed a soci- ety for the purpose-as the record states-of promoting kindly feeling, social intercourse and mutual improvement, which they called the Social Circle. This society had a small initiatory fee and besides took up a small fee at each of its meetings, which were held at the houses of its members. With the funds thus obtained, books were pur- chased which were exchanged among the members of the circle at its regular meetings.
As the fees were small and the accumulation of books rather slow, it was thought best to reorganize the circle on a new basis, which was accordingly done and a new society formed. A considerable number of new members were soon added and the society proceeded to organize under the title of the Wenham Library Association. The first regular meeting of the association was held Nov. 16, 1858, at the house of Mr. Joseph Cook, and the following list of officers chosen: President, Benjamin C. Putnam; Vice President, Abbott Johnson ; Secretary and Treasurer, Myron O. Allen; Librarian, Joseph Cook; Committee, Samuel Porter, Solomon Kimball, L. Dodge.
An annual assessment of fifty cents was levied on each member of the association for the purpose of increasing the library.
By the courtesy of the selectmen, the association was allowed to keep its library in the town room and to hold its meetings there.
During the winter of 1858-9, a course of lectures was given in aid of the library ; also an entertainment arranged for the same purpose. Several valuable donations of books were received. Such were the means of supporting the library until, in 1866, it was voted to increase the initia- tory fee to two dollars and the annual assessment from fifty cents to one dollar.
Wenham Free Public Library. The idea of transfer- ing the library to the town had been talked over several times, but no definite action took place until at a meet- ing in December, 1884, it was unanimously voted, on
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motion of Henry Hobbs, "to give and transfer to the town of Wenham the library belonging to the association, upon the conditions that the town shall keep the same for a free public library, and annually make a sufficient appropria- tion to maintain and support the same."
The library at this time contained about seven hundred volumes. The gift was accepted by the town at the an- nual town meeting March 2, 1885, and one hundred dol- lars was appropriated for its maintainance the ensuing year and a committee of five members chosen to take charge. The committee consisted of Abbott Johnson, Rev. John C. Mitchell, Elbridge Porter, Henry Cook and Ev- erett Day as secretary. The library was opened to the public May 8, 1885.
It immediately became very popular, and the first year, 1756 volumes were circulated. The library was moved to the ante-room of the school room, formerly used as a recitation room.
The library remained in charge of a committee chosen annually until 1893, when in order to secure the benefit of a recent act of the General Court,3 authorizing the Massachusetts Free Library Commission to expend one hundred dollars for books for the public library in towns where the valuation did not exceed six hundred thousand dollars. Certain acts were accepted by the town and three trustees were chosen to take charge of the library. A com- mittee of three was also chosen to assist in conducting the work of the library. As a result of the action of the town, the library received from the state of Massachusetts one hundred and fifty-eight volumes. In addition to this, citi- zens of Beverly presented the library with fifty volumes, in friendly remembrance of the 250th anniversary of the incorporation of the town, which was observed May 10 of that year.
Classification. Up to this time, 1893, there had been no attempt to classify the books and under the shelving arrangement then in use, in the small quarters with the expanding library, it became a task to find any book that might be called for. A simple classification was then
3 1892, Acts of General Court, Chapter 255.
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adopted and a new catalogue compiled and printed. To pay part of the cost of printing, the catalogue was sold for twenty-five cents. The following year, the town voted to distribute those catalogues free, one to each patron of the library, and further to refund the twenty-five cents to those who had previously purchased copies, and the town in long debate finally voted to appropriate $11.50 for this reimbursement.
Benjamin H. Conant, the first librarian, made every effort to build up a library of worthwhile books; and fur- ther, to collect all matter that goes to make the history of the town.
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NOTES ON WENHAM INDUSTRIES, BUSINESS, AND AGRICULTURE IN THE 19TH CENTURY
Shoemaking. The cordwainer of the 17th century be- came the shoemaker of the 19th century. In the country towns, the making of shoes was passing from a cottage industry to a commercial venture. In the winter season there was abundant time for carrying on a real job: the sixty pair which made a box could be exchanged for an- other box, by a trip to Salem, Lynn or Danvers.
The shoes thus made were coarse and heavy, for the use of the army or for slaves. During the latter part of the 19th century these 'ten footers,' so-called, increased in number. The location of some eighty in Wenham were recalled as late as 1930. In these little shops was the transition of the making of shoes in the home to a factory system.
In the ten footers, the village cobbler with his few tools developed into a more specialized hand worker, until final- ly machinery and the factory displaced hand work and the little shoe shops.
The shoe shop of Harrison Merrill (given by his daugh- ters, the Misses Carrie and Nellie Merrill, to the Histori- cal Association ) is an excellent example of the 'ten footer,' with abundant equipment for three workers, heated by a salamander. The house, now of museum interest, was purchased by Harrison Merrill in 1869, of Israel Trask.
Young boys were apprenticed to the owners of these little shops, often coming from the overseers of the poor, and from the state reform school, during the 50's and the 60's. The indenture papers bound the boy, until he was twenty-one years of age, and the employer was to teach him "to read, write and cypher, and provide him with meat drink washing and lodging . . . and all other neces- saries in sickness and in health." At the expiration of this time when twenty-one years of age, to provide him with two suits of clothes, one for the Sabbath, and one for working days, and the sum of one hundred dollars.
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MOROCCO FACTORY Now remodelled into a dwelling house, rear end cut off
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Morocco factory. This business was started by Austin Patch and Amos Gould. When it increased they put up a factory of good size. Mr. Elmer Clark recalls hauling the skins, mainly sheep skins, from the freight yard to the factory, where they were finished, colored and polished, and then returned to Haverhill to be distributed to factories. This factory building remained vacant some time after the business was discontinued, and finally was remodelled into a dwelling house, the end being cut off.
Ice-cutting. In the search for new industries after the War of 1812, the ice business was created, through the imagination and persistency of young Frederic Tudor of Boston. Meeting discouragement, financial loss and ridi- cule, he persisted in his idea of transporting ice to foreign ports, first cutting from his father's pond "Suntaug Lake," until finally when his idea had been proven to be a finan- cial success, every pond and lake in Essex county became a potential gold mine to the many followers of this in- dustry.
Mr. Charles Lander of Salem was the pioneer in exploit- ing Wenham Lake ice. The Great Pond which had at first lured the early colonists, two hundred years later be- came the source of a profitable industry.
The company, in order to have room for all its ice houses, desired to buy the little hillock where Hugh Peters was supposed to have preached. The town of Wenham, before selling, offered it to the First church in Salem, to be kept as a memorial to their early pastor, Rev. Hugh Peters. This offer was not accepted. Some of our citi- zens resented the giving up to trade this historic spot. Dr. Phillips relates a conversation with Edmund Kimball of Wenham, who said "that with tears, he plead at town meeting with his fellow citizens, to spurn the paltry sum offered, and hold inviolate this historic spot." But it was all in vain, and on the eleventh of April, 1844, the deed was passed conveying this historic spot to the ice com- pany, who levelled the hill, and Wenham lost its rights to this one historic landmark in the township. As a sort of reimbursement for this loss, years later in 1889-90 the town adopted as its corporate seal, a drawing of the lost
1
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hillock1 upon which Hugh Peters was supposed to have stood.
Several companies succeeded each other in carrying on the ice business, the last and most prosperous being the Gage company. In addition to the first five ice houses, others were erected along the shore of the lake. In this row of ice houses was included the old church built in 1748, which had been moved from its site on the Village Green, to make way for the new church building which replaced it. A spur track was built to the main line of the railroad to convey the ice to Boston.
Ice-cutting became the dramatic incident of the year. When word was passed about that the ice was sufficiently thick to cut, a small army of workers appeared from Wen- ham and adjoining towns. John I. Durgin was the over- seer of the plant for some thirty years and had charge of the workmen, sometimes numbering three hundred. For the accommodiation of those from a distance a large board- ing house2 was built.
It was a busy scene-men and horses, scraping, lining, marking, cutting, then lifting from the water and con- veying on a run-way into the building.
Wenham Lake ice was sent to England, to India, and the name became a symbol of purity and quality. The purity of the ice has been vouched for by distinguished scientists, being free from air bubbles and salts. The name Wenham Lake ice was not copyrighted, and became quite popular where ice was harvested; even a lake in Norway was called "Wenham Lake."3
It was a great and profitable business, lasting until the disastrous fire of Nov. 13, 1873, when the hay in which the ice was packed was set by some incendiary, and all the buildings burned to the ground. Other ice companies met the same fate as this pioneer. The S. M. Hill build- ings on the west shore of the lake were burned in 1935.
1 John Adams accurately describes this hill, after his visit to Wenham in 1770, likening it to "a high loaf of our country brown bread."-Works of John Adams by G. C. F. Adams, 11: 241.
2 This building was later moved to North Beverly.
3 Wenham Great Pond, John C. Phillips.
4 E. I. H. C., 25 : 78.
FROM COLLECTION OF ICE TOOLS At the Barn, Wenham Historical Association 1, Ice tongs; 2, ice axe; 3, chisel bar; 4, poling hook; 5, 6 and 7, saws
ICE HOUSES ON WENHAM POND Building at the right the third Meeting House
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Two years later, in 1937, fire again claimed the remain- ing ice houses-the huge Metropolitan and Wright plant. According to a former agreement with the State Water board that no new houses should ever replace those that might be destroyed, the ice industry of Wenham lake has passed into history.
Wheelwrights. During the nineteenth century there is frequently found in Wenham deeds, the occupation of "wheelwright." There were several wheelwright shops, where wagons, carts and sleds were made, as the need for them became more general. According to the census of 1859, the value of this production in town amounted to $4,250.
Joseph Lafayette Batchelder was a wheelwright, as was his father. His shop, since remodelled into a dwelling house, was between the present Greycroft Farm and the garage of John Dodge. In this shop, several people learned their trade, as well as apprentices from other towns.
Jason Clark wheelwright shop: This was in the rear of the Bradbury blacksmith shop. In this shop, Jason Clark (of Topsfield) made butcher carts. He had the reputa- tion of making the best butcher carts in Essex County, some say the best in Massachusetts; the shape and curve of the body was just right.
Paint shops. While the wheelwright business was pros- perous, there were two or three paint shops which carried on a leisurely business in finishing the wagons and carts : Jerry Choates' paint shop, now the Landers house, Friend Court; a paint shop over Dempsey's blacksmith shop, and one over the Morocco factory.
Housewrights. There were always a few carpenters, to whom Wenham people turned for the building and alter- ing of their houses. In dull times these housewrights found employment as shipwrights in nearby coast towns.
Shipwrights. John Thorn Dodge and Billy Dodge, who were primarily housewrights, even undertook to build a boat on Wenham Common. This boat was called the Che- bacco boat Lilly.
"The Chebacco boat Lilly"5-"Skipper Andrew Prince 5 From the notes of Wellington Poole.
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of Brackenbury Lane, Beverly Cove, says this boat was built on Wenham Common, or as called then-the Train- ing Field. It was built by John Thorn Dodge and Billy Thorn Dodge, in the years 1815-1816-and was hauled to Beverly on wheels, by oxen-and launched from Ober's wharf-where the steam planing mill was, near Essex bridge.
Andrew Prince was one of the crew of this boat :- the three others were Nathaniel Bunker, skipper-Capt. Ma- thew Leach, Stephen Cook of Wenham.
Her first trip was in the Bay, through the gut of Canso, cod-fishing. They took ten thousand fish.
Nathaniel Bunker and Mathew Leach had both been old sea captains and both claiming to know the most, led to frequent quarrels-to which perhaps too much ardent spirits lent a little spice.
Skipper Prince says the first year after the war closed he went a fishing, and the next year he went in the Lilly on her first trip."
Bee-keeping. Mr. Henry Alley, who lived on Larch Row, developed a business in raising queen bees, which under the name of the "Bay State Apiary" supplied bee- keepers all over the country with queen bees, which he raised in his own apiary. Breeding from an imported queen bee (his hundred dollar queen bee), Mr. Alley wrote of his experiences in bee-keeping in a book which he pub- lished under the title, "Twenty-two years' experience in Queen Rearing" 1883.
Mr. Alley also edited a monthly magazine called "The American Apiculturist." This magazine was published for several years.6
Another industry, allied to this, was the bottling of strained honey, carried on in a large barn built by Philip Morant on Larch Row, and where Irving Burnham re- members working as a boy.
Nearly every farmer had a hive of bees, and apparently they became a nuisance to some people, as in the town warrant of the year 1868 was this article, "To see if the town regard the keeping of Honey Bees in large numbers a nuisance, and if so to take some measures for removing
6 W. H. Col., File 2.
BRADBURY'S BLACKSMITH SHOP
JASON CLARK'S WHEELWRIGHT SHOP IN THE REAR
Fence is around Claflin-Richards house. Standing in 1891
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the same." It was agreed that it was a nuisance and Henry Hobbs was to see that they were removed.
Agriculture-Horticulture. After the Revolution, great interest was taken in growing, both for profit and beauty. Our townsman, Timothy Pickering, interested in all that pertains to farm life, founded the Essex Agricultural So- ciety. The Salem Gazette in its issue of Feb. 20, 1818, says of the founding of this Society, "It will give pleasure to the friends of the County to observe that a Society is formed in the County of Essex for the promotion and im- provement of Agriculture, the real basis of individual and national wealth and prosperity, and that that scientific and practical farmer, the Hon. Timothy Pickering has been elected the first president." The Society at once commenced to stimulate the farmers to adopt better meth- ods of farming, and to use better tools, by demonstration, and by offering premiums.
From Wenham, Mr. Pickering secured the first premi- um "on account of the superior method, and performance of his plow." Six years later he won the first prize for the Nourse cow from his stock farm in Wenham.
This was a time when men were turning from the rigors of war to peace-time avocations-the planting of trees, experimenting with new varieties. Alexander Hamilton was a close friend of Timothy Pickering, and there now exists in Wenham on the Pickering farm a lasting memo- rial of that friendship in the group of twelve European lindens which it is said Alexander Hamilton planted in the shape of the letter P, commemorating the thirteen states. These trees still, in 1943, make a notable group, now grown to over fifty feet in height.
The farmer who wrested his living from the land was meeting with many discouragements in cultivating his staple crops, the early frosts of the years 1814-1816 ruined his harvests. This state of mind made fertile soil for his turning to new crops. Silk culture, which had always been a lure to the colonial land owner, had its fling in our County and town. Extravagant profits were promised. Thousands of mulbery trees were planted, but our climate and perchance the lack of Chinese patience in the care of the silk worm, brought this venture to a disastrous end-
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ing. Temple Cutler, the Rev. Cutler's son, was still con- vinced that this crop and raising the silk worm was "the solution by which our farming community could be saved from industrialism." A more hardy variety of the trees was procured, but this venture too failed, and the scat- tered groups of mulberry trees found on many farms fifty odd years ago was the only remnant of this effort to change our agricultural crops.
Farm tools. The development of farm tools had much to do with increasing production and the lessening of labor.
The iron plow supercedes the wooden plow. In 1828 sheet iron shovels replaced the wooden; in 1827 a cast steel hoe was patented; in 1831 steel spring pitchfork, patented.
The mowing machine was introduced under protest. This labor-saver was generally frowned on by Wenham farmers. They said the land was too hilly, the ground too stony, and it was too wasteful, for the scythe could cut a half inch closer. Demonstrations were made on the Richard Dodge farm at the Neck, and the prejudice was gradually overcome.
Fruit trees have always been a crop of Wenham farm- ers-apples for the fruit, the cider, and the vinegar. At Wenham Neck four generations of apple orchards have been planted, borne their crops and died. August Sweets and Golden Russetts kept the pantries filled from August to June.
Killam Hill Apple-"Originated on the farm of Dr. Killam of Wenham, Essex Co. Mass .; the size is some- times large, form round, a little oblong: skin yellow, striped with red; flesh yellow, and highly flavored, but soon becomes dry; it bears young and constantly, and ripens from September to November. The tree is of a spreading but not regular form, and may be known by small warts or protuberances on the bark."1
Wenham Grape. This grape, sweeter and earlier than the Concord, was developed by Jim Bartlett, a step-son of George Merrill, who lived on Larch Row. It was crossed
1 Book of Fruits for New England Culture, Robert Manning, Salem, 1838.
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