USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Boston > Old Boston Town, early in this century > Part 2
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It has been previously stated that, seventy-five years ago, Mrs. Spaulding's candy shop was the only commercial establishment in Milk street. Now, be it known, that seventy years ago, there was not a single store of any kind in either Tremont, School, Common, Boylston, West, Winter, Summer, Atkinson, Berry streets or Franklin Square. Frank- lin Square was filled with elegant residences, oc- cupied by such townspeople as Thomas Wiggles- worth, Joseph P. and Josiah Bradleer, and others of like position in life.
The old Court House was in Court street, about where is now Court Square. It was a substantial brick structure, two stories high, and its front came out to the sidewalk. On the lower floor were offices for the sheriff, constables and clerks, and the court room was on the floor above. Sheriff Sumner occupied a brick house which stood where Adams' Express office now is. Shubael Bell was then jailer, was afterwards appointed sheriff, and occupied the above house. In the rear was the
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jail, a three-story stone or brick building, thorough- ly whitewashed both outside and inside. It had corridors outside on the second and third stories, which were used by visitors going there to see their friends who were confined for debt. The writer was never inside, but he once looked in at the grated window, being held up by his father, who called to carry some provisions for an impe- cunious friend.
Between the jail and the school house on School street was Doyle's Museum. All these old build- ings must have been torn down somewhere between 1820 and 1825, to make room for the New Court House and City Hall, for Boston was a city at the latter date.
Three-quarters of a century ago, there were only four public schools in Boston for teaching English and writing, and the Latin school. The North End School was in Middle street, somewhere near Richmond street, and was under command of Master Johnny Tileston ; the South End School, corner of West and Common streets, under Mas- ters Payson and Webb; that in School street, which stood where the City Hall now is, was dis- ciplined (yes, indeed, it was!) by Masters Jones, Snelling and Haskell ; and the school at the corner of Sudbury street and Chardon's Lane was man- aged by Masters Holt and Mulliken. Each of these teachers had an assistant, who was called the " usher." The writer was only personally ac- quainted with two ushers. One was always called Little Billy, a younger brother of Master
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Snelling, and " Tooter Hart," who was usher to Master Mulliken. The only duty these ushers ever performed for me was to announce my name very loudly to the master, whenever they thought his special attentions were required for my benefit (which was not seldom). Usher Hart got his nickname from the boys because he used to " toot " on a clarionette with the band when there was a military parade.
The Latin school house was on the site of the lower portion of the Parker House, in School street. Its head was Master Bigelow, father of John P. Bigelow, once mayor of the city, and an old friend of mine. At the lower end of the Latin school house was a lane leading up to the rear of the Province House, where were the stables of the greatest truck proprietor of those days, Mr. Zeph Spurr, weight 360 lbs.
Writing of Chardon's Lane reminds me that seventy years ago there was a " causeway," which started from about that lane, or Pitt's Lane, and enclosed the Mill Pond, the other end being at Prince street. It was built of rough granite blocks, and was seven or eight feet broad. There was probably a sluice gate somewhere in it, but I was too young to inquire about it. The only prac- tical use it was ever put to, of my own knowledge, was that of the regular Saturday afternoon battle ground between the North and South-enders. Whew ! it's too hot to think about those terrific combats.
Truly yours,
OXYGEN-AIRIAN.
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OUT-OF-TOWN, Fuly, 1830.
My young friend: 1
I was obliged to chop off one of my late letters rather suddenly. Was writing about the military companies, and the organization of the N. E. Guards and the Rifle Rangers. There was also an artillery company started early in the war of 1812, composed exclusively of persons who were, or had been, sailors. It was called the Sea Fenci- bles, and was commanded by Capt Winston Lewis, who was a ship chandler in the lower end of State street. The "gun-house " of the Fenci- bles was at the bottom of the Common, near the burying ground.
There was not much soldiering in those days ; there was a pretty general turn out of uniformed companies on Nigger 'Lection and Fourth of July, and the Ancient and Honorable was out its once in a year on Artillery Election Day. The various uniformed companies each celebrated its anniver- sary. The Governor was escorted to Cambridge on Commencement Day by a company of cavalry, before the Lancers was organized. The company was also reinforced by a numerous body of truck- men, with their long white frocks; and I should not wonder if this led to the formation of the Lancers, as the first, or an early, commander of that fine corps, was a stalwart leader of the truck- men's guild. Is good natured Peter Dunbar now in your midst ?
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The New England Guards made a very hasty parade one Sunday morning in 1813. By some means or other, news was received in Boston that the Constitution was being chased by a British seventy-four. By private signal or notice the N. E. G. mustered some seventy or eighty men at the armory at about 7 or 8 o'clock in the morning, and with a drum and fife started on their march towards the British seventy-four. How our brave boys were going to attack the big ship, never en- tered the mind of this deponent. He only knows
that the martial spirit pervaded his manly breast, and for the time being, he became an honorary member of the N. E.G., acting in the double capacity of powder-monkey and tincup-bearer. On the ar- rival of the company at the Navy Yard, Charles- town, Capt. Sullivan was informed by Com. Bain- bridge that the Constitution had run safely into Marblehead The company returned home just as meetings were dismissed. The N. E. G. also served several days in throwing up the intrench- ments at Dorchester Heights. Suppose other military companies were also drafted for similar purposes at Deer Island, but I only know person- ally of the doings of our company, of which my only brother was an original member.
There was also another great parade about sev- enty years ago, composed of a large number of the substantial towns folk, who used to assemble on the Common once or oftener in a year, to assist at certain Indian rites, called the Feast of Squan- tum. The writer frequently expressed a desire to
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participate in what was going on, and was assured that Squantum was no place for little boys. The cavalcade was mounted on the best horses the town could produce ; riders with long suwarrow or white-top boots, made a gallant show when they crossed South Boston bridge. Was never out of bed when they got back. The reflection of ma- turer years leads me to believe that it was quite possible for those gay cavaliers to celebrate the Indian festival, a la Mammoth Cod Association of a later day. We know about that honored institution !
Am not certain whether anything in these letters has referred to newspapers, seventy years ago. Well, at a venture, and risk of repetition : at that time there was no daily paper published in Boston ; altho' a paper was issued every day. The Boston Gasette was published on Mondays and Thursdays by Beals & Homer; the Palladium on Tuesdays and Fridays, by Young & Mimes ; and the Colum- bian Centinel by Major Ben. Russel, on Wednes- days and Saturdays. Some years afterwards the American Traveller was published on Tuesdays and Fridays by Badger & Porter, and was devoted to matters more specially interesting to travellers, but having no commercial character whatever. Mr. Willard Badger had been the keeper of a private school in Dorsett's Alley. The first dailies were the Daily Advertiser, morning, about 1813, and Transcript, evening, after that date, the latter being about 9 x 12. Well, it hasearned its success and present size. Dear old Lynde Walter, H. W. Dutton and Wentworth, put their whole souls in it.
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The Galaxy, weekly, was started by J. T. Buck- ingham, either during, or shortly after the war of 1812. The Post and Statesman still later. After 1820 newspapers sprouted rapidly in Boston, which "continues even unto the present day." The old Boston Recorder was, however, published by Nathaniel Willis (father of N. P. W.) more than 70 years ago.
It may seem strange to the present aristocratic residents of Beacon Hill, to be told that 70 years since a portion of the hill between Cambridge and Beacon streets, was called " Nigger Hill," and there lived, generally in squalor, nearly all the colored people of the town ; such as chimney- sweeps, scavengers, waiters, &c. There were many very low white women who lived on the " Hill," and the nigger dance houses were the
resort of the worst kind of people. There was a similar place at North-end, visited by sailors and peopled by the lowest grade of women. It would not have been considered proper, seventy years ago, to put the name of Tin-pot Alley in print, or speak it to ears polite.
Having no hand-book, or memoranda to guide me, cannot give the date when the Exchange Coffee House was built. It must have been com- menced about 1808 or 1810; and from its great size, probably three or four years were required in its construction. It was at least one hundred feet square, possibly more, with a front on Con- gress street, and a rear entrance on Devonshire street, which was then only a narrow lane. The
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most imposing entrance, however, faced the open- ing upon State street. It had an elegant portico, and the ascent to the main floor was up a double flight of long stone steps. The building was five or six stories high, and surmounted by a dome over the large centre room which was used as an Exchange. This was the first building ever erected in Boston, expressly for a public house. All the taverns which will be noticed hereafter by me, were originally private dwelling houses previous to the commencement of this century.
The Old Province House was the only exception. That was the Governor's residence in colonial times, and was kept by Mr. Benjamin Crombie as a tavern, or rather as a large public boarding house about seventy years since. In my boyish days, the whole terraced front garden was open to Marlborough street, with fine old trees around it. Later the block of brick stores was built on Marl- borough street, and the entrance to the Province House, which stood at least one hundred feet from the street, was through an archway, four or five feet wide, running under the stores.
Yours, most truly,
OXYGEN-AIRIAN.
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OUT-OF-TOWN, Fuly, 1880.
My young friend :
In previous letters the Mill Pond and Mill Creek have been mentioned. It is well to state that the Old Mill was situated at the head of the Mill Pond, about one hundred feet west of Hanover street, just opposite Centre street. It was a large, wooden, yellow-painted grist mill ; and was in operation as late as 1808 ; how much later, do not know. After the water had been used in the mill, it ran off through Mill Creek to the harbor. The creek was twenty-five or thirty feet wide, and was arched over for Hanover street to cross it; thence it was open to Ann street, where there was a draw- bridge, which was never opened, as vessels never came above Ann street. They probably went from the harbor to the mill through this creek, during the latter part of the past century. All the back yards emptied into the creek, which was rinsed out by the tide twice in twenty-four hours; and yet it was not a savory place.
The New South Church was, in 1806 an old fashioned, yellow painted wooden building on Summer street, near High street. John Thornton Kirkland was the pastor, and my first listening to a sermon was in the above year, when Dr. K. preached. He often held me on his knees when he visited our house, and when I saw him in the pulpit, am told that I greeted him with "please come down and see me doctor, and let me see your new silk
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downd." When, several years afterwards, my parents occupied a pew in the Old South, Dr. Eckley was so severe in his demeanor that he was enough to frighten any but a very brave person. I remember that about seventy years ago, or about the time that dear, good Joshua Huntington was about to be settled, Deacons Salisbury and Phillips, and Messrs. Charles Sprague, Armstrong, Callen- der and others, succeeded in having the old wooden painted pulpit removed, and an elegant circular mahogany one erected, very much to the disgust of Dr. Eckley. The doctor had an impediment in his speech, or, rather, a hesitating way of speak- ing, and the first Sunday he was in the new pulpit he remarked, in the long prayer, (by way of im- provement) that " he hoped the Lord would soften the hearts of the congregation, and not keep them as HARD as the ma hog-a-ny which they had intro- duced into His house." He was frightful, and his wig nearly came off in his wrath.
Doctors Eckley, Eliot and Baldwin all wore stiff, curled, powdered wigs; Doctors Stillman and Mur- ray had wigs of natural hair, the former dark brown, the latter almost red. Dr. Kirkland wore no wig, nor did Dr. Lathrop, to the best of my recollection and belief. Nor did Dr. Channing.
Dr. Samuel Stillman and Dr. Thomas Baldwin were the only Baptist ministers in Boston seventy- five years ago. Their meeting houses, as before stated, were in Back street, for the convenience of using the Mill Pond for baptising persons. Dr. Sharpe's house, built later on Charles street, was
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on the edge of running salt water, for like reason. Dr. Lathrop preached in Middle street, somewhere about opposite Richmond street; Parson John Murray, Universalist, had his place of worship also in Middle street, near Bennett ; he died about 1810. Dr. Eliot's meeting house was also in Middle street, farther down to north-end corner of (?) street.
At that time there were three Episcopal churches in town : Christ Church, Salem street, Rev. Asa Eaton ; Trinity Church, in Summer street, Rev. Dr. J. S. J. Gardiner, and the Stone Chapel, (King's) Rev. James Freeman. The latter was, however, Unitarian, but using a printed form of service. There were two Methodist meeting houses, one in Bromfield Lane, the other in Methodist Alley, at the north end. Dr. Chan- ning's new meeting house in Federal street, corner Berry street, was then being built. There was also a Quaker meeting house in Congress street, nearly opposite Lindall's Lane. The only Romish church, Drs. Cheverus and Matignon, Franklin square ; Dr. Buckminster's, in Brattle Square, and Dr. William Emerson's in Corn Hill. The latter was a wooden building and was torn down to make room for the brick block, since called Joy's Build- ing, opposite the south head of State street. If there were any more churches then I have forgot- ten them.
Am not quite sure about Dr. Holley's church in Hollis street, and Dr. Lowell's in (or near) Cam- bridge street, but believe they were not built
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much before I810. The same about Dr. Griffin's, Park street. It. is so long ago that it can hardly be expected for me to remember dates so far off with absolute certainty.
One thing I am sure of, that seventy-two years ago there was not a single Irish servant girl in Boston ; no, not one. All the " help " was native- born American ; help, indeed, of the best quality ; wages, one dollar a week. The recollection of this blissful condition of domestic life is one of the greatest comforts of my old age. Happy, happy days !
The regular congregation at the Roman Catholic church consisted entirely of French, Spanish and Italian families; not more than one hundred at- tendants in all, besides stranger visitors, who were attracted by the music or by the peculiar services. Between 1805 and 1810 I must have attended that church fifty times in company with an old female servant, who was a Romanist, although born in Connecticut. Have dwelt on this point some- what, because I wish to impress on your mind that, strange as it may appear to you now, Boston was really an American town in the early part of the present century. And not Democratic neither.
Whether there was in ancient days a regular regimental organization of the military, the writer does not know. He never heard of anything but companies. Those uniformed, up to 1812, were the Cadets, then, as now, called the Governor's Life Guard; the Winslow Blues, the Independent Fusileers, the Boston Light Infantry the Wash-
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ington Light Infantry (composed mainly of Demo crats), and the Ancient and Honorable. Of course everybody knows that this is not really a military company composed of enlisted members. In for- mer years, when the Ancients paraded once a year on artillery election day, each soldier wore the peculiar uniform of the company to which he belonged, and field officers wore the uniform and badges of their rank. So it was not unlikely that a Major-General would be seen shouldering his musket alongside of a Lieutenant of Cavalry, and the commanding officer might be the Major of Artillery. The same system, no doubt, prevails now, but the parade was much more picturesque when there was such a mixture of uniforms and colors than now, when all are dressed alike, and you can't distinguish a general from a lieutenant. There were some un-uniformed militia who met on the corners of the streets about twice a year for roll-call; they had no armories, and each man kept his accoutrements at home.
The New England Guards was organized in consequence of the war, soon after its commence- ment in 1812. George Sullivan, a distinguished lawyer, was its first captain; James Dalton, first sergeant. Mr. Dalton, Jeff. Richardson, Joseph West, Eben Thayer, and possibly one or two others, were the only persons living three or four years ago who were members of the original organization. The old uniform was very simple; a single-breasted blue coat, with gilt buttons, black trowsers, round black hat (stove-pipe), with a black
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leather cockade on left side, no plume or pompon. The Rifle Rangers, which was started some time after the N. E. G., had the same style of uniform as nearly as possible, excepting that the cockade was worn on the front of the hat.
Yours truly, OXYGEN-AIRIAN.
OUT OF-TOWN, July, 1880.
My young friend :
In 1810, the Boston Post Office was in the old Exchange Coffee House, then kept by David Bar- num. This building was burned down about 1818, and Barnum then went to Baltimore and estab- lished Barnum's there. Sam Topliff had his Read- ing Room in the old Exchange. In consequence of the fire, the Post Office and Reading Room were both removed to the ground floor of a row of stores, situated at the corner of Congress and Water streets. The room occupied by the Post Office was about fifty feet square ; then a space of about fifty feet for the convenience of boxholders, and the Reading Room requiring about another fifty feet, towards Liberty Square.
Aaron Hill was postmaster, but I never heard of anybody who knew him personally, except his clerks. The business factotum was Leonard Holmes, and he had an assistant, David Childs, who attended the boxes, and about four or five younger clerks to do the rest of the work. The
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Southern and Eastern mails were taken to and from the Post Office by the stages, which carried them in the baggage rack behind the stage. Any one mail could be carried in an ordinary hand-cart. After a while, Post Office and Reading Room were removed to the old State House, occupying the whole of the first floor. The Post Office being on the Cornhill end, and Topliff's room facing down State street. Here they were when the writer left Boston, as a residence, nearly fifty years ago. This was before Nath Greene was postmaster.
Everybody must know why the old burial ground between the Tremont House and Park Street Church is called the " Granary." But everybody don't know that in the old Granary building, the first suit of sails for the old frigate " Constitution " was made by my father. Reason-because his sail- loft was not large enough to spread the sails in, and Charles Bulfinch, who was his old friend and " Cheerman of the Se-lectmen," gave him permis- sion to use the Granary building.
This reminds me that I have a little real estate behind the Granary walls, and have a right there- fore to be disgusted with a very common council which authorized the desecration of my property, by the cutting down of those hundred and fifty year old elm trees, to make way for a railway track. It is safe to guess that not three members of that common council were Boston born boys; only foreigners could have perpetrated such an outrage. The next thing you may expect within twenty years will be the levelling of Copp's and Beacon Hills.
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It would only involve the destruction of the old North Church and of the State House which would then be an hundred years old. What's that to men whose grandfathers even were not Boston- ians ?
During the war of 1812, there was an old vessel fitted up as a prison ship ; she was moored in the mill-pond, alongside a new street which had been made, leading from Hanover street to Charlestown Bridge. The vessel lay within ten feet of the wharf, and a dozen prisoners might have been seen any day, on their way to Faneuil Hall, to get provisions for the day, These fellows fared a good deal better than our poor boys did at Dartmoor prison.
I remember seeing Commodore Hull march up State street with Capt. Dacres having his arm, after the capture of the "Guerriere" by the " Constitution." And, in company with many others, saw, from one of the islands in the harbor, the fight between the " Chesapeake " and " Shan- non." Two days before, saw poor Lawrence in State street.
" From grave to gay, is often but a step." Seventy-five years ago there was but one theatre in Boston. That was called " The Theatre," and was at the corner of Federal street and Franklin Square. Its proprietor and manager was Snelling Powell. He was not a play actor, but his wife was, and a magnificent lady she was too. Powell's residence was in Theatre Alley, and was connected with the rear of the theatre.
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The writer hereof was taken to the theatre for the first time about seventy-three years ago. The regular company consisted of Mrs. Powell, Mr. and Mrs. Duff, Mr. and Mrs. Darley, Mr. and Mrs. Entwistle, Mr. Bernard, Mr. Dickenson, (later Jas. A. Dickson) and some minor actors. The first play I ever saw was the Forty Thieves, with all the above names in the cast except Mr. and Mrs. Duff. George Barrett here found his lovely wife in Miss Henry.
About this time saw George Frederick Cooke in the characters of Sir Archy, Sir Pertinax, and others. He was followed by Thomas Cooper, the great American. At that time the call-boy of the theatre, who was a protegé of my father, was an inmate of our family and my playmate. He afterwards went to New York, and was one of her most distinguished clergymen. Now retired, and uniformly designated " venerable."
The Tremont Theatre was not built until many years afterwards. After William Pelby didn't succeed in his management, he induced some of his friends to build a theatre for him, somewhere down on the Mill-pond lands ; believe it was called the Warren Theatre. If so, why ?
In 1805 the number of book-sellers and pub- lishers, was quite small, compared to the present army. First came Manning & Loring, Cornhill and Spring Lane; Munroe & Francis, Cornhill and Water street ; Lincoln & Edmands, Cornhill, two doors below Court street, and Caleb Bingham, whose store was demolished to make room for
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New Cornhill. Caleb Bingham was a very hand- some gentleman ; he and Col. Apthorp were con- sidered two of the finest looking men in town, and both were thought to resemble Gen. Washington in features.
Samuel T. Armstrong was an apprentice to Manning & Loring, and when his time was out he started a printing office and bookstore at No. 50 Cornhill. About that time he was captain of the Warren Phalanx, a uniformed infantry company of Charlestown. In later years Crocker & Brewster, both apprentices to Mr. Armstrong, became his successors. Lincoln & Edmands' business was mostly in publishing Baptist books, and also a Baptist monthly magazine. Cummings & Hilliard also had a bookstore up near the Old South, their trade was generally in school books, and they sup- plied largely the text books for Cambridge College. Mr. Cummings was the author of a school geog- raphy (?) Joseph West also kept a bookstore in Cornhill, and afterwards formed a partnership with Lemuel Blakc, as West & Blake, and later as West, Blake & Richardson.
Josiah and Benjamin Loring were brothers, but were not in business together. They, and Andrew J. Allen all had stores in State street, and were manufacturers of blank books for banks, insurance companies and merchants. They also sold general stationery, charts, sextants and other articles used by sea-faring men. Josiah Loring was the first person in the United States who used the ruling machine for blank books; believe he was the in-
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