USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Fairhaven > Old-time Fairhaven; erstwhile Eastern New Bedford, Volume I > Part 27
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Corner of Main and Spring Streets. - We are standing at the corner of Main and Spring streets, facing east, ready to saunter around the square bounded by Spring, William, Washington, and Main streets, to note the changes that have taken place. We right- about-face for a moment, however, noticing first that the prediction, made in 1887 that Spring street would eventually be opened to the shore, has not yet matured. We next sight the Henry Vincent house which in June, 1885, was moved back eight feet and raised two feet, but the hurricane of September 21, 1938, nevertheless, forced the water to a height of four and one half feet on the first floor. Mrs. Harriet A. V. Palmer, daughter of Mr. Vincent, lived here until her death in September, 1921, at the age of 78. Mr. Davis Sherman and Miss Phebe S. Vincent, both of Fairhaven, were married on January 2, 1857.
It was from Mr. Vincent that Rufus A. Dunham and his father, George, bought, about the middle of the nineteenth century, the livery stable on the west side of Middle street. Mr. Dunham was then living in the house which stands on the southwest corner of Washington and Middle streets, afterwards moving to the house which stood on the northwest corner of the same streets, and occupied on the east side by Stephen Weed, with the cobbler shop in the base- ment, having the entrance on the southeast corner of the building. Mr. Weed died in January, 1893, aged 76.
Higgins Wharf. - We cast a glance towards Higgins wharf, entering, in 1879, the boat-building shop of William T. Swift, father of the late Charles F. Swift, of 34 Middle street, who was town clerk and treasurer from 1896 to 1921, a period of a quarter century.
Here on Higgins wharf, at 7 o'clock on the evening of Saturday, September 1, 1888, Mr. Robert H. Taber gave a successful demon- stration of his chemical fire extinguisher.
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In 1888, Mr. Taber was agent for the Abington Mutual Fire Insurance Co. He was superintendent of the Methodist Sunday School for nine years, and at a surprise party in January, 1892, he was, by way of appreciation for his faithful services, presented a French clock. He was succeeded by his son, Robert W. Taber, who married Miss Ida Dodge in June, 1885, and who in 1891 was president of the Epworth League. He died in July, 1936, aged 76. Mr. Taber and family lived, when we first knew them, on Middle street, just north of the site of the old STAR building. At one time they lived in the Hitch house on the west side of Main street, near Washington. In February, 1889, they lived at North Fairhaven, and in August, 1892, at the northeast corner of Washington and Rotch streets.
We have in mind Thomas W. Taber, son of Robert H. and Eliz- abeth W. Taber, who died in April, 1902, aged 43; Frank, who played on the Sanders and Barrows' baseball team years ago; and Harry, who was with the Edison Electric Light Co. of Boston for more than forty years, now retired ; Bessie, Eleanor, Anna and Arthur (Colonel) are in California. Sadie D. married Charles A. Pope in October, 1884. Mr. Pope bought the cottage on Rotch street, for- merly owned by George E. Dean, of Falmouth, in 1892. In January, 1908, Louise, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Pope, died, at the age of 19. In May, 1895, Arthur D. Taber and Jennie Bailey, of New Bedford, were married, and in October, 1896, Harry W. Taber and Almira E. Belcher, of North Attleboro, were married.
Following the epoch of the velocipede, came the bicycle; first the old type, with large wheel in front and tiny one in rear. Many remember the one which Frank Taber, son of Robert H. Taber, made, and permitted many to attempt to master the art of riding. This handiwork of Mr. Taber was a marvelous bit of skill and ingenuity.
On Higgins wharf we see the fishermen's shanties at the north- west corner, with the staging at the end. Sailboats were moored to stakes just off shore, and on the wharf were lobster pots, eel pots, fish cars, nets, and other paraphernalia; some new, some to be re- paired or mended, and others to be discarded. On the north, before Privilege street was extended over the creek, the water was flowing between this area and the spot now called Marine Park, the creek ex- tending to Main street, where the dam, on the east side of the street, was located. In the shallow water of the Mill Pond, fish swam, and "bluebiters" crawled about. Boys with lines, poles and nets were
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intent upon their capture. The Mill Pond, filled in to create Cush- man Park, had thirty abutters and an area exceeding five acres.
Three years before the construction of the bridge connecting more easily Fairhaven and Oxford Villages, there was, at the creek, from 1792 to 1850, a tide mill, hence MILL bridge.
On the other side of the creek, a ship yard, before our day, existed. The creek, or an arm thereof, was partially spanned by the Glass Works, built in 1894, and destroyed by fire on Sunday, July 14, 1918. Messrs. George T. and Richard Thatcher removed their glass cutting to the Fairhaven factory from their quarters on Sec- ond street, New Bedford. That Privilege street be extended over the creek, was suggested by the STAR in May, 1881.
Standing near the boat building shop of Mr. Swift, looking north, we see the house, formerly the homestead of Abner Pease, on the southwest corner of Main and Pease streets, built about 1800, five years after the bridge across Herring river was accepted, the first dwelling house north of the creek: Mr. Pease owned much of the land on the west side of Main street, between this point and the old bridge across the Acushnet, which was authorized in 1796. Mr. Pease presented to the town a schoolhouse for that dis- trict, the Pease District, the photographic plate of which the writer has, taken a year before the building was torn down, in November, 1906. Mr. Pease left a sum of money, called the Pease Fund, of about $5,000, to help defray the school expenses. He died December 22, 1852, aged 83.
A little to the west, on what would now be the southwest cor- ner of Middle and Pease streets, stood the barn, destroyed by fire in January, 1908. Warren Delano, 3d, bought the Pease estate in 1883, including the shore of the old village mill, the shoe shop of William H. Davis, and the fish market of William N. Alden on the Mill Bridge. . Mrs. George N. Bliss, who took occupancy of the Pease house in 1885, leased the property for a term of years, and removed here from Taunton in April, 1886. Mr. George Bliss died in May, 1906, aged 60. Mary M., widow of the late George N. Bliss, died in April, 1916, aged 71.
The Bathing Beach. - Higgins wharf, now a mere dream, is where tent fairs, lasting two weeks, with matinees for children, were held in 1880, by the Fairhaven Brass Band. This was the place for band concerts until the band-stand was removed to the Fort, in 1886.
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From this point we can see the bathing beach, and the crowd of patrons rushing from the horse-cars, and later from the electric cars, to secure the choicest houses, for the salt water dip. The Fairhaven Improvement Association was organized in 1883. One of its projects was the construction, at the foot of Pease street, formerly Pease lane, of six bathhouses. This plant, that began with six houses, completed in August, 1883, opened with the custodianship of Paul Blankinship. Benjamin T. Dunn was janitor for several years. As financial success was assured, more houses were built, until at last there were 100. In the STAR of June 4, 1892, a description of the additions, plans for the season, etc. were given, ending with these words: - "The new janitors, Messrs. Crowell and Harris, will open the houses for the season next Saturday, June 11, 1892." We were there for five summers, followed by John T. Hanna, Jr., in 1897, and Stephen Allen in 1898. The houses were removed to the Fort in 1900. Mr. Henry P. Crowell and Miss Helen Wright- ington were married by Rev. Frederick Upham, on June 24, 1869. Mr. Crowell died in December, 1916, aged 76. Mrs. Crowell died in November, 1925, aged 78. Charles A. Harris, of Fairhaven, and Miss Mary E. Ross, of New Bedford, were married on August 9, 1902. Their daughter, Miss Katherine Ross Harris, of Boston, a graduate of Mount Holyoke College, and Mr. Paul Perch, of Leominster, a graduate of the University of Maine, were married August 16, 1947. Mount Holyoke was also the Alma Mater of Mrs. Harris.
The bathing houses were closed on Sundays, quite in contrast to ideas of today. Twelve years before this, the Fairhaven select- men instructed the constables to prohibit the sale of refreshments at the Fort on Sundays. Again, after the bath houses were removed to the Fort, the ladies, as late as 1913, were informed that no skirt- less bathing would be permitted, and all one-piece suits were banned. Public opinion, however, has overturned these ideas, and the wide- open Sunday and the one-piece suits seem to prevail.
More than a half century later, that is, under the date of March 28, 1947, Mr. Frederick A. Pope, of Orange, New Jersey, in a letter enclosing a check of $3.00 for one copy of "Old Fair- haven" writes as follows: "I have reached back into the dim, hazy past and am wondering if you are Mr. Harris who, many years ago, was active with the Fairhaven Improvement Association. There is one spot in my memory of the good, old Fairhaven days, in which a Mr. Harris, as a part of his extra activities, managed the bathing
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beach facilities. Perhaps, however, my memory is wandering - but I would be interested to know."
As was stated in The Star of June, 1892, Messrs. Crowell and Harris had charge of the bathing houses of the Fairhaven Im- provement Association that year. The Harris whom Mr. Pope men- tioned, and the writer are identical. We managed the affairs of the bathing houses also for the summers of 1893, 1894, 1895 and 1896, and here we are in 1947, a half century after our graduation from Brown University, publishing a book entitled "Old-Time Fairhaven," and we are members of the Fairhaven Improvement Association.
Up Spring Street. - We are now ready to meander up Spring street, the thoroughfare which was laid out from Adams street to Main in May, 1820. In the summer of 1880, John Alden fitted up the second story of his carpenter shop for a tenement. This build- ing stood, as it stands now, on Main street, near the northeast corner of Spring. At the corner stood the barn. On Spring street, near the corner of Main, east of the barn, before the era of stone crushers, a stone breaking yard was located, where the tramp, before breakfast, was required to crack a stipulated quantity of stone to be used upon the roads. This plan was instituted by the town in 1877, on motion of Hon. Weston Howland, said work to be under the watchful eye of constable Joshua R. Delano. The shed and piles of cracked stone stand out vividly in the minds of the older citizens. This shed, used by the town as stone-cracking quarters for tramps, was torn down in May, 1879.
Mr. Delano was a ship caulker by trade, and was constable for years. He lived at what is now the northwest corner of Spring and Terry streets, the house facing on the present Terry street, not so called in days of yore. This was a dead end street, with only two houses on the east side. Mr. Delano died in February, 1923, aged 87. Joshua R. Delano and Sophie S. Wood were married October 9, 1859.
In September, 1901, there stood, on the north side of Spring street, near the corner of Main, a pump and stone trough where human beings and equines alike slaked their thirst. These were re- moved and placed near the ice pond at East Fairhaven about 50 years ago.
This was not the only public pump in town, for at the southeast corner of William and Union streets stood the popular town pump where we have witnessed the Contest Engine, No. 3, "put down" for trial, many times, more than sixty years ago.
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Again, a bountiful supply of clear and sparkling water was drawn for years from the well, with the pump on the sidewalk, on the east side of South Main street, in front of the residence of Church Holmes who died in October 1906 in his 77th year. "The pump on the east side of Main street, near the horse-car stable, which has long supplied the neighborhood with water, has been removed, as the water has become impure. (August 1894)."
Church Holmes was watchman for the Old Colony Railroad and the New Haven Railroad for 30 years.
Town Water Supply Agitated 75 Years Ago. - Then there was the famous public pump on the north side of Union street, just west of Middle, in front of the Rufus Allen store. From this well, water, in whalers, went around the world, being conveyed to the wharf sometimes in pipes, and at other times in casks, rolled down the hill to the waiting ships.
There was also at the southwest corner of Washington and William streets, in front of the residence of the late Hon. Weston Howland, a deep reservoir with a trap door opened by means of a ring fastened by a staple, similar to the one at the town pump, cor- ner of William and Union streets.
Although pumps and reservoirs were appreciated by the for- mer generations, the subject of introducing water into the village of Fairhaven was agitated in 1873 to the extent that it was proposed that an article looking to that result be inserted into the warrant for the next town meeting. It was suggested that water from the Mill Pond be used for fire and manufacturing purposes. The town meeting which was held on April 12, 1873, appointed Weston How- land, Cyrus D. Hunt and Lewis S. Judd a committee to ascertain what arrangement, if any, could be made with New Bedford to lay water pipes to supply Fairhaven with water, and report. The fire- men in this year received $10 each, and the treasurer and collector of taxes received $600 per annum. Nearly a score of years elapsed before the water pipes were buried beneath the thoroughfares, but through the untiring efforts of Mr. Joseph K. Nye, the enterprise became a reality.
After the introduction of water, necessitating the placing of hydrants at advantageous points, it took some time for the pedestrian, and those speedier, to realize that hydrants would not turn out, when met face to face. In June, 1894, Mr. William F. Delano ran into a hydrant located on Church street, near Main, breaking has leg. William Fred Delano died on Tuesday, February 4, 1941, in his 73d year.
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S. E. Corner of Spring and Main Streets. - In the year 1877, a 16-year-old lad cut a tree nearly through, then climbed to sway it, falling 20 feet, breaking his leg. That was more than 70 years ago. . This same person, Edward Manchester, Jr., moved into the new house on the southeast corner of Main and Spring streets, in Febru- ary, 1887, selecting the lower tenement. The lot was purchased in June, 1886, and the two-story house, that now stands there, was built.
In November, 1883, James L. Butman sold to Mr. Gammons his teaming and trucking business after pursuing that line of work for 23 years, re-purchasing it, however, in October, 1884. In June, 1887, Mr. Butman sold the business to Edward Manchester, Jr. In February, 1890, Mr. Manchester had the upper story of his stable fitted up as a tenement. The barn stood originally on the higher part of the land, some distance back of the house. It was demolished, and the lumber was used to build the house which stands east on Spring street, very near the road. Mr. Butman died in March, 1893, in his 62d year, and Mr. Manchester died in April, 1930, aged 69. Capt. Edward Manchester, his father, died in 1901, in his 78th year.
When Mr. Manchester moved into the lower tenement of the new house, Mr. Elbridge Bryant and family rented the upper tene- ment. Besides Mr. Bryant and wife there were three sons; Elbert L., Frederick U., and E. Franklin ; and two daughters, Florence and Lizzie. This was in 1887. In April, 1890, the following advertise- ment appeared in the STAR : "Elbert L. Bryant, Mason : Residence, Corner Main and Spring Streets." Elbert married Mary F. McArdle in April, 1904. Lizzie Bryant took Abbie Williams' place in the quartet at the Methodist Church in August, 1890. Sarah Lizzie Bryant and Charles N. Marling were married in January, 1894. She died in August, 1919, at the age of 56. Miss Williams, by the way, was appointed supernumerary assistant at the Millicent Library in 1893. In September, 1906, she was bookkeeper for the Iron Foundry. About this time her sister, Nellie W. Williams, was in charge of the office at Tabitha Inn. Nellie Williams became or- ganist at the Congregational Church in 1892, taking the place of Miss Minnie Westgate who married Arthur W. Forbes in October of that year. Mrs. Minerva L. Forbes died in May, 1947. Miss Williams' place at the Methodist church was supplied by Miss Grace Nicker- son, followed by Miss Alice Winchester. Mrs. Grace M. (Nickerson) Allen died in January, 1910, in her 34th year. Miss Nellie Williams died in. August, 1911. Fifty-eight years ago her sister Lizzie was working at Milliken's, before and afterwards, the Willcox store, 36
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Center street. Mrs. Lizzie F. Nye was trustee of the Millicent Library from 1893 until her death in 1919.
In 1891, Fred Bryant was located in Brockton, now in Wor- cester, and in June, 1888, Florence was participating in the exer- cises of the Methodist Church Children's Day program on the 17th. Mrs. J. Charles May, formerly Miss Florence Bryant died in March, 1924.
Mr. Manchester and family vacated the lower tenement which was soon occupied by the Reynolds family, the Bryants still up- stairs, where they remained until September, 1892. The Reynolds family consisted of Mr. Thomas N. Reynolds and wife Jennie, daughter Jessie and son Harold. Mr. Reynolds, in 1884, was mate for Captain Samuel R. Stubbs who had charge of the ELAINE, and afterwards was captain of the HARBINGER for nearly 20 years. Capt. Stubbs removed from East Greenwich to Fairhaven in Oc- tober, 1882, and, in 1891, took the cottage of John P. Ellis on Fort street. Mr. Stubbs died in February, 1919, in his 73d year. Abbie M., his wife, died in February, 1897, in her 49th year. Some un- doubtedly remember Edward Howard, chef of yacht HARBINGER, who opened a lunch room on the corner of Bridge and Privilege streets in 1897.
Mr. Reynolds who was chorister at the Methodist Church in 1892, died in January, 1904, aged 66. His wife, Jennie M., died in March, 1900, aged 60. They were living on William street. In April, 1888, Robert B. Swaine and Miss Jessie Reynolds were united in marriage. Capt. Swaine died in October, 1904, at the age of 44. A daughter, Ruth, was born in 1891, married and died as Ruth Swaine Northbridge in 1919.
On February 23, 1884, Harold, then ten years of age, while crossing Main street, had the experience of being run over by one of Hatch and Company's express wagons. This brings to mind that George Shurtleff who lived on Spring street, where resided Nathan Day and family about 70 years ago, underwent a similar experience on November 15, 1881, by being run over by Brownell's beer wagon.
In 1886, Miss Jessie E. Reynolds was president of the Star of Promise, with Miss Lizzie Bryant as vice-president, and Miss Alice P. Winchester on the executive committee. In 1883, Miss Win- chester was living at 60 William street, and giving music lessons. She was organist of the pipe organ at the Methodist church for exactly twenty years to a day.
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Had one been present at the Methodist Church upon Children's Day, evening service, held on June 20, 1885, he would have been favored with a solo by Miss Reynolds, and a recitation by brother Harold amid other features, all well rendered. On January I, 1887, Miss Reynolds was elected Assistant Superintendent of the Sabbath School.
In the year 1895, Harold entered the employ of Thatcher Broth- ers.
In June of that year, he became bass soloist at the Grace Episcopal Church, New Bedford. In June, 1902, Harold E. Rey- nolds and Miss Estelle Jackson were united in marriage. In July, 1920, Harold was presented $30 in gold, having been soloist at Grace Church for a quarter of a century. He acted in that capacity for a period of nearly forty-four years, which proclaimed his innate talent. Harold was born in Nova Scotia. He was taken ill in May, 1939, dying on Sunday, October 29, after an illness of six months, aged 63. Mrs. Jessie Swaine, widow of Robert Swaine, died sud- denly on Friday, February 16, 1940, aged 77.
North Side of Spring Street. - Crossing to the north side of Spring street, we find, east of the store on the northeast corner, the former home of the Contest Engine, No. 3, which before its peregrina- tions, stood on the west side of Walnut street near the Library drive- way. Here, directly in front of the building in the picture that was snapped nearly sixty years ago, we discern the following: - Charles F. Brownell, Isaac B. Dodge, James Caldwell, James E. Card, Benjamin F. Drew, F. R. F. Harrison, Thomas Morse, Charles Ryder, Charles G. Nye, William Sawyer, George A. Jen- ney, Allen Smith, Albert Williams, Alvin Paine, John Sullivan, William Holmes, William Stowell, Ed. Peckham, William Town- send, Walter Eddy, James Swift, Frank Waldron, Benjamin Shurt- leff, and the Siberian bloodhound by the name of Prince, which was given to Frank Harrison by Horace Ellis in 1881.
The building next east was the former Bauldry's stable. George L. Bauldry who was employed at Valentine's Machine Shop, leased the lot on Spring street, west of King's blacksmith shop, and erected a livery stable. It was raised and boarded in January, 1889, Walter H. Day being the contractor. Thus Fairhaven was destined to have two livery stables, that of the long established one of Rufus A. Dun- ham & Company, and the new one of Bauldry Brothers. Besides be- ing a hack, boarding, and sale stable, Mr. Bauldry owned the barge "Atlanta" which was always ready to accommodate excursion parties anywhere and at any time. The stable was lighted by electricity on December 23, 1889.
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Bauldry's stable, known as "The Ark," collapsed (a little after midnight) in the early hours of Saturday, July 14, 1945, and was subsequently removed.
Recalling the spot prior to the erection of the stable, we witness a vacant lot, near the west line of which was the trodden path to the Mill Pond. On the northern line of this lot stood the henhouse of Courtland Fairchild, the area toward Spring street being enclosed by a fence. Court, as we called him, the son of Dr. Isaac and Emma Fairchild, lived in the house south of that of Luther Cole on the west side of Middle street, purchased by Dr. Fairchild in the year 1852. Mr. Cole had owned his house since 1866, and before plying his trade at the northwest corner of Union and Water streets, in the shop which he rented of Isaac P. Francis in April, 1881, and purchased in August 1882, had his blacksmith shop on the north side of the Old South Wharf, where he labored for twenty years, beginning there in 1863. In October, 1889, Mr. Francis advertised two tenements to let, in the house which stood then on the northwest corner of Water street and Eldredge lane. Edward R., son of Lu- ther, and Courtland Fairchild started in the hen business on a small scale near the blacksmith shop on the wharf, this initial henhouse ' being, as we remember, a club house for the Water street urchins in after years. Many a hot chowder in cold weather was served therein.
About the time of the removal from the blacksmith shop on the wharf to the new location, Dr. Fairchild purchased the lot on Spring street enabling Courtland to continue his interest in poultry on a larger scale. Mr. Fairchild was librarian of the old library, located in the rear room in the building then and now on the southwest corner of William and Center streets, in March, 1881, resigning in August 1882, to take effect on September Ist, due to his decision to enter medical school. He received his diploma from Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, in April, 1885. In September, 1886, he married Elizabeth M., daughter of Edward M. Dean, and in July, 1887, re- moved to Fairhaven, and opened an office at the old homestead on Middle street, formerly occupied by his father. In January, 1891, he left for Whitinsville to establish a medical practice, and in March, 1893, moved to West Tisbury to pursue his profession. In March, 1900, Estelle Dean, daughter of Courtland and Elizabeth Fairchild died, at the age of 8 years.
Courtland DeN. Fairchild was named after the Rev. Courtland Yardley DeNormandie, minister of the Unitarian Church, corner of Washington and Walnut streets, from 1856 to 1869, preceded by
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Thomas Dawes and followed by Ellery Channing Butler. This church building was dedicated on December 16, 1832, and was oc- cupied until 1902, afterwards being remodelled into a schoolhouse. Rev. Mr. DeNormandie, who was born in 1827 and died in 1910, served at Kingston, Massachusetts for 37 years, this information we glean from his tombstone at the Kingston cemetery.
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