USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Fairhaven > Old-time Fairhaven; erstwhile Eastern New Bedford, Volume I > Part 9
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Mr. Bliss, with his parents, came from Taunton in 1884. He entered the employ of Mr. Simmons with the intention of learning the carriage making and painting trade. Soon Mr. Simmons retired. and in 1887 Herman H. Hathaway opened his paint shop at 163 Main street. Mr. Bliss then entered the employ of Mr. Hathaway and learned the trade. At this time Mr. Hathaway was advertising as follows: - "Carriage Painting, House and Sign Painting, Paper Hanging. 163 Main Street."
In February 1891 the spiles were driven for Mr. Hathaway's new shop, built directly over the water of the old Mill Pond which was filled in, creating Cushman Park, in 1903. Since the new paint shop was erected twelve years before the Park came into being, the cellar of the shop was left unchanged - the bottom of which was part of the bed of Herring River. Here the tide ebbed and flowed. Through a trap door in the floor of the first story, the painting apprentices, in leisure times, used to fish. Pictures of the exterior of the building show that the spaces between the piles were later filled with a stone foundation.
In June 1891, Mr. Bliss took possession of the old shop, retain- ing the two-story, front section for his use, and Mr. John Manter made use of the one-story ell, the latter advertising as follows: - "Wagon, Carriage and Harness Repairing. 163 Main Street. Shop formerly occupied by R. M. Simmons."
Soon Mr. Bliss went with Mr. Hathaway to the new shop, which was then numbered 133 Main Street, but in October 1893 he started in business for himself at 163 Main street - the old shop, where he may be found today (1943). From this location he ad- vertised as follows : - "A. L. Bliss, House, Ship, Sign, Carriage and Ornamental Painting, 163 Main Street."
At this time Mr. Manter was advertising as follows: - "J. H. Manter, 163 Main Street. Carriage painting, Trimming and Woodworking. Harness and Furniture Repairing." This adver-
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tisement first appeared in the STAR on April 1, 1893 and continued until February 1894. In March of that year Mr. Manter conducted The Fairhaven Oil Company.
In 1903 Mr. Bliss went into partnership under the firm name of Bliss & Upjohn. This partnership was not dissolved until 1911. Since that time Mr. Bliss carried on the business at the old stand, acquiring the property in 1917.
Mr. Hathaway died in February 1930, at the age of 72. The Mill Pond shop, although conducted since by others, retained the long, lofty sign which read: - "87 - Herman H. Hathaway - 87," until recently when it was taken down by the purchaser who bought the property of the Hathaway heirs.
Let us trace this property from the time when it consisted of land only. By a deed dated March 30, 1833, we find that Zeruiah Wood, yeoman, sold to Edward Perry and John Cannon, Jr., both of Fair- haven, Chaise Makers, a certain lot of land, consisting of eighteen rods, for $216.
A deed dated August 5, 1834 shows that Edward Perry sold to James Cannon for $450 one moiety of, in, and to, a lot of land with buildings, opposite Abner Pease new house lot. We find by a deed that just three months later James Cannon, trader, sold to Edward Perry, chaise maker, for $345, a lot of land, 18 rods, with buildings thereon. Six days later the following appears in the Standard: - "Partnership dissolved. The copartnership heretofore existing under the firm of Perry & Cannon is this day dissolved by mutual consent (Signed) Edward Perry, John Cannon, Fairhaven, November 11, 1834."
Mr. Perry evidently held possession of this property for a de- cade or thereabouts, but a deed dated May 22, 1845 shows that the Edward Perry estate (Sarah Perry, Executrix) was sold to Robert M. Simmons for $435, lot of land with buildings thereon situated on street leading from village of Fairhaven to Oxford village, 18 rods. This was held in the Simmons family for a period of 72 years being purchased by Mr. Bliss in 1917, this time with an additional parcel of land, the aggregate being 27.64 rods instead of the original 18. This property, by deed of 1833, was bounded as follows: - "Be- ginning at a stub set in the ground in the east line of the street leading from the village of Oxford to the village of Fairhaven and in the range of the south line of Abner Pease' new house lot, west side of said street ; Thence east ten degrees north six rods to a stake standing in the salt marsh; Thence north ten degrees west three
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rods to a stake standing in the marsh; Thence west ten degrees south six rods to a stub standing in the line of the street; Thence southerly in the line of the street three rods to the first-mentioned bounds." Deed dated March 30, 1833.
The map of 1855 designates this building as the fourth from Bridge street. Under the date of May 10, 1836 we find the following : -"The subscriber informs the public that he has taken the Bake House in Fairhaven, on Main street, four doors south of Bridge street, where he intends carrying on the Baking business in all its branches. Agents of ships who are in want of Bread can have it baked immediately on application. (Signed) Andrew J. Rodman." In the STAR, under the death notices, we find: - "RODMAN. Andrew J. Rodman, April 7, 1893, aged 81 years. Funeral Sunday, 9th, at the Almshouse at 2:30 P. M." Burial was at Woodside Cemetery.
Privilege street was reached in former days through (either Bridge street or through) Pease lane. The creation of Cross street, afterwards Cowen street was discussed at a town meeting held on April 6, 1846 as follows: - "To see if the town will order a street laid out commencing at the shop of Ed. Perry, from thence westerly to Privilege street, then on said Privilege to Bridge, agreeable to the petition of William Waterson and others." Thus we locate the shop of Ed. Perry again.
From the above we make several observations. 1. That the deed of 1833 included land only whereas subsequent deeds spoke of "buildings thereon." Hence we conclude that the former shop of A. Leonard Bliss is about 115 years old. 2. That the shop was used by "chaise makers." We find part of a chaise (1943) still reposing in the attic of the building. 3. That Mr. Simmons con- tinued the business of making horse-drawn vehicles. 4. That Abner Pease house (afterwards the property of Asa Pease) is about the same age. 5. That the east end of the property was a salt marsh (adjoining Herring River). 6. That possibly the shop in the thirties was used as a Bake shop. 7. That Mr. Bliss began work at 163 Main street (now No. 107) at the age of sixteen and remained in ac- tive business - about 60 years.
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CHAPTER VII
Fire Engines, , Streets, Postmasters, Newspapers.
Fire Engines .- A century and three quarters ago, when old Dartmouth retained its original bounds, the first fire engine, "Independence, No. 1," was purchased. Buckets for the water supply were to be found in practically every home, each hanging in a conspicuous place, ready for an emergency. These buckets be- came handy receptacles for waste paper, gloves, stockings, hand- kerchiefs, rubbers, fruit, vegetables and scores of other miscellan- eous articles, and were as ready for instantaneous use as a modern fire escape in a tenement.block, with its usual accumulation of rub- bish.
New Bedford, including Fairhaven and Acushnet, was set off from old Dartmouth in 1787. From that period to the time Fair- haven became a separate township, four fire engines were pur- chased by the new town (which became a city in 1847), viz., the "Flood, No. 1," in 1801; the "Citizen, No. 2," in 1802; the "Oxford, . No. 2," in 1805; the "Phoenix, No. 4," in 1808.
Two of these engines were used within the limits of Fairhaven, the southeastern fire district, viz., the "Flood, No. 1" and the "Oxford, No. 2." The "Flood," a bucket engine, with double pumps and end brakes, was purchased about 145 years ago. Side brakes were known before that time. Opposite the Academy (original site), on Samuel Borden's land, was housed this Oxford fire engine which was purchased by contributions of the inhabitants of Oxford Point. This fire-fighter was afterwards removed to Oxford.
The STAR adds to the story of the "Flood" as follows. "The well at the engine house, on Walnut street, has been cleaned out this week (September, 30, 1882), and among the refuse there was found in the well, a bucket belonging to the old engine "Flood," that protected property here over 30 years ago. It is to be decorated and preserved as a relic in Contest Hall."
After Fairhaven became incorporated as a separate municipal- ity, it began to assume the responsibility of fire protection. At a town meeting, held at Academy Hall, on April 4, 1836, Article Eight read : "To see if the town will purchase a suction engine and appara-
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tus." The purchase was voted by the town at a cost of about $1,500. It was the "Columbia, No. 3," and was Fairhaven's first suction fire engine.
The suction engine being an improvement on the past, spurred Fairhaven to further action. At a town meeting, held at Academy Hall, on Monday, April 3, 1837, Article Eight read: "To act on the petition of George Hitch and others, viz., 1st. "To see if the town will make a suction engine of the fire engine, No. 1, located in the village of Fairhaven and appropriate money for doing the same." 3d. "To see if the town will purchase or lease a lot of land and build an engine house thereon, and to appropriate money for doing the same."
Action pertaining to an engine house was evidently taken for under the date of November 20, 1838, we find: "NOTICE. Sealed proposals will be received by the subscribers until the 27th, for building an engine house, 22 by 36 feet square, and two stories high, agreeable to the plans and specifications of the same, which may be seen on application to R. W. Dexter. (Signed) Bartholomew Taber, Daniel Davis, R. W. Dexter, Selectmen of Fairhaven."
The bucket brigade was the first constituted fire-fighting unit. With the advent of the suction engine a much more abundant supply of water was required. It was then that the town began to build reservoirs. "NOTICE. Proposals will be received by the subscribers for building two reservoirs in the village of Fairhaven. For further particulars enquire of Daniel Davis, Bartholomew Taber, William L. B. Gibbs, Selectmen of Fairhaven. November 4, 1837." Pro- posals for two reservoirs were solicited in 1838-probably a repeti- tion of the preceding year. The old town pump reservoir at the southeast corner of Union and William streets, about 20 feet in depth, was filled in with gravel and cinders on April 23, 1941. A day or two before, a slight cave-in, due to the weight of a pedestrian, occurred, bringing to mind that when the pump was removed the opening was covered with planking and dirt.
Ingenuity provided another type of water supply, the STAR of 1882 telling the story: "Chief engineer Harrison has caused hogs- heads to be sunk in the mill pond, one near Bridge street and another near the tack works store house on Spring street, to put the suction hose of the fire engine in, when the water in the pond is low."
At a town meeting, held at the town house (North Main street ), on Tuesday, November 7, 1848, at 9 A. M., Article Two read : "To see if the town will procure a suction engine and apparatus to be
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located in Oxford Village, agreeable to the petition of Ezra Smith and others." The "Relief" fire engine was purchased in 1852.
At the town meeting of Monday, April 7, 1856, Article Seven- teen read: "To see if the town will purchase a suction engine for Fairhaven Village." According to vote the town authorities ordered from Messrs. Jeffers & Co., of Pawtucket, Massachusetts (Pawtuck- et with the exception of a small part east of Seven-mile River, was set off to Rhode Island in 1861) a first class, side brake, fire engine and hose reel. This new engine, named "Contest," arrived at Fair- haven on Saturday, October 17, 1857. The Company occupied the house of the "Columbia, No. 3," whose number they had adopted.
Further improvements for fighting fires began to appear. Since the steam fire engine was a doubtful quantity, Fairhaven assumed the attitude of watching and waiting, evidently believing in the saying of Alexander Pope (1688-1744) who wrote in his Essay on Criticism, written in 1709,
"Be not the first by whom the new are tried,
Nor yet the last to lay the old aside."
A town meeting was held in Phoenix Hall on April 6, 1868, Article Fourteen reading: "To see if the town will authorize the selectman to sell one of the fire engines, and to purchase a hand steam fire engine agreeable to the petition of William H. Hoeg and others."
Finally convinced of the feasibility of purchasing a steam fire engine for $3,200, the "Contest" steam fire engine arrived in Fair- haven in June 1868. The hand engine was delivered to Mr. Jeffers in part payment for the new machine. The steamer had hand ropes, and arrangements had been made for a supply of horses on occasion of fire alarms.
This new steam fire engine went into action within three months, functioning at the fire near the Cove, which destroyed a building belonging to Mr. Davis, the manager of the Union Hotel.
The former home of the Contest steam fire engine, No. 3 was on the west side of Walnut street, slightly south of the library drive- way. It was removed to the west side of Main street, near the foot of Spring street, then to the north side of Spring street, near the foot of William street, lastly to its present location.
Within five years from the time of the purchase of the steam fire engine, the town voted to buy two horses for work on the engine and on the highways. They arrived on April 24, 1873. Two years
Phoenix Block in 1890
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First High School Building - Opened in 1852
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later these horses were sold at auction. Five months later, with no horses and only $10 per year allowed each fireman, a fire occurred at which time it was found necessary to move the engine by the aid of a yoke of oxen.
About 1830 the Hunneman tub, a New Bedford machine was located at the Head-of-the-River, the second engine for that locality. It was later purchased by the town of Fairhaven to protect its north- ern section until that part of the town was set off from Fairhaven. The term "tub" was the word applied to all the early fire engines.
Thus Oxford village has participated in the glory of fire fight- ing ; with the "Oxford, No. 2;" "Relief, No. 5;" "Alert," purchased from Taunton ; Hose, No. 1, etc. In 1891, the "Relief" was sold to the New Bedford Veteran Fireman's Association.
Progress has been made: Bucket brigades, reservoirs, hydrants, hand tubs, suction fire engines, steam fire engines, motorized fire department.
"The (New) Bedford Fire Society" was organized March 4, 1807, and was dissolved in October 1861. This was forty years before New Bedford became a city, twenty years after it had been set off from Old Dartmouth, and five years before it and Fairhaven became separate municipalities.
A committee of the Society was appointed to draw up a set of rules and regulations. Of the eighteen articles adopted, two are especially interesting not only to the inhabitants of the present New Bedford area but to the residents of Fairhaven and Acushnet as well, they being then included in the township of New Bedford.
Article Six was worded as follows: "Each member shall keep constantly in good order, hanging up in some convenient place in his dwelling house, under penalty of fifty cents for each deficiency, two leather buckets and two bags; the buckets to be painted con- formably to the orders of the society ; the bags to be one yard and a half in length and three-quarters of a yard in breadth, with strings to draw them up. The buckets and bags shall be marked with the owner's name, under penalty of twenty-five cents for each bucket and bag."
Article Seven was worded as follows: "At the alarm of fire, each one shall immediately repair, with his bucket and bags, to the dwelling house, shop or store of that member which he believes to be most in danger, and use his best endeavors, by the direction of the owner, if present, to remove and secure his goods and to return them to him again free of expense."
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The records show that penalties, mentioned in article six were inflicted, e. g., in 1808 Benjamin Lincoln's bags were found, upon inspection, to be without strings, a deficiency which called for a fine of fifty cents; in 1810 Peleg Howland paid a fine of fifty cents, the inspectors having found that his buckets were not in reg- ulations place ; in the same year James Arnold's buckets were found placed on the floor, without bags, requiring a penalty of fifty cents ; in 1812 Sands Wing suffered a penalty of fifty cents since the in- spectors discovered that the buckets and bags were not in the stipulated places.
In March, 1859, there was on exhibition at Mr. Church's Apothecary Shop a miniature engine, a most ingenious and perfect piece of workmanship, patterned after the Contest Engine, No. 3, with the credit for its construction due to Mr. Joseph Lewis and Mr. Nathaniel P. Fish. When the miniature engine, perfect in all its parts, went into action, water was thrown a distance of 26 feet.
Streets .- Indian trails were the harbingers of the super-high- ways of today, intermediate terms being lanes, driftways, highways, streets, avenues, etc. Before the twenty-acre purchase was con- summated, ways and roads had begun to make an appearance. More than two hundred years ago mere trodden paths joined the settle- ment at Acushnet with those at Naskatucket, Sconticut Neck and Rochester.
At a town meeting, held in 1790, it was voted to accept three ways "in the village of Fairhaven," within the twenty-acre purchase. They were Water, Middle and Main streets. The streets running east and west were Washington, Center and Union streets. Water street, in the early deeds, was called First, West or Westermost street ; In 1808, Water street was extended from Union. street to the end of the purchase and called Front street; Eldredge lane, running west from Water street, leading over the bridge to Samuel Borden's rope walk on Crow Island, was laid out in 1811; Middle street was called Second street; Main street was called Third, Eastmost, Eastermost, East or Back street, and extended from Washington street to the south end of the purchase; Washington street, extending from Main street to the river a century and a half ago, was called Northmost street; Union street was called South- most street and extended from Main street to Water street.
Spring street, from Main street to Adams street, was laid out in 1820. Other streets were suggested to the selectmen by petition of the voters. The original petitions, asking for many streets, are
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before us. These petitions date from 1845 to 1853 and illustrate the realization for the need of additional roads.
The petition of 1845 reads as follows: "To the Selectmen of the town of Fairhaven, We the undersigned inhabitants of said town request you to examine and lay out the following streets for the action and acceptance of said town at their next annual meeting to be held on the seventh day of April next, viz., From the west line of Green street easterly to the road leading to Mattapoisett, being a continuation of Washington street. (Mrs. Job Stevens, grand- mother of the late Cora Stevens, sold to Ezekiel Sawin the land on the southwest corner of William and Washington streets. Mrs. Stevens gave to the town the land adjacent to her property, for Washington street, which was laid out from Main street to Green street in 1832. Other streets laid out the same year were Union street from Main to Green street; William street from Spring street to the Old Burying Ground; Walnut and Green streets from Spring street to the south line of William Rotch's land.
Also from said Green street easterly to a contemplated street called Summer street, being a continuation of Center street. Also from said Green street easterly to a contemplated street called Pleas- ant street, being a continuation of Church street, Fairhaven, March 25, 1845." This petition was signed by 46 persons, including Wilson Pope, Abner Pease, Rufus Allen, Jeremiah Miller, Alden D. Stod- dard, Joshua Delano, Jr., Hardy E. Hitch, Daniel W. Poor, Tucker Damon, Lemuel Tripp, David Howe, Nathaniel S. Higgins, Jabez Delano, Jr., Roland Fish, W. G. Robinson, Salathiel Eldridge and Warren Delano.
The six-acre purchase at Oxford village had few streets, the principal one extending from Main street to the shipyards at the waterfront. The following petition, signed by 27 persons appears to be dated 1846, and is interesting from at least two points of view, first, it mentions Union street, which was an extension of Main street, north from Bridge corner ; second, it seems to be a petition to lay out Lafayette street.
It reads as follows: "To the selectmen of the town of Fair- haven, in the county of Bristol, The subscribers being inhabitants of said town of Fairhaven request you to lay out a town or private way or street in the village of Oxford in said town, commencing at Union street, so-called in said village; thence running westerly on the northerly side of a certain lane, sixteen feet wide so far as said lane extends, and thence following said course and crossing the
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, lands of Jonathan Gifford and others until it comes to a stake and stones on the beach on the easterly side of a lane running from said beach northerly to a street in said village of Oxford. The owners of the land, over which said way is prayed for, passes, are Sheffell Reed, Benjamin D. Coombs, Jonathan Gifford and Susannah Taber, part of the land having been devoted to the public by Reuben Jenney, deceased, and as a private way for more than twenty years back, and upon laying out said way we request you to report the same to the town for its acceptance, agreeably to law. (Signed) John Taber, George H. Taber, James C. Mara, Eben Akin and 23 others.
Betwixt and Between .- About a century ago the prolongation of Main street, north of Bridge street, was called Union street, con- necting (unionizing, as it were) Fairhaven and Oxford Villages. Under the date of Fairhaven, March 31, 1836, we find the following : "FOR SALE OR TO LET. A store at the four corners of Bridge and Union streets, commodious for the sale of Dry Goods & Gro- ceries. The chambers have for some time been occupied for dwell- ing rooms. Possession given immediately. Apply to Thomas Nye, Fairhaven or T. & A. R. Nye, New Bedford." This property bought by Thomas Nye in 1809, had been used as a store for more than a century and a half. Thomas Huttleston lived here in 1830.
That the destination "Union" street was not at this time univers- ally sanctioned may be shown by the following :- "TENEMENT TO LET. On a street leading from Oxford Village to Fairhaven Village and south of Bridge street. Apply to Abner Pease. Fair- haven, March 19, 1836. .
In the minds of some, "Oxford" was not the universally ac- cepted name for the "Point" part of the town, as statements in Oc- tober 1836, regarding that section were found to be worded, "Village of Oxford (so called)." Even the town fathers did not seem to know the exact boundary of Fairhaven and Oxford villages. In an article in a town meeting warrant of 1831, the meeting was held in Academy Hall, BETWIXT the Villages of Fairhaven and Oxford ; again, in the warrant of 1832 the meeting was held at Academy Hall IN Oxford Village; then in an article considered at a town meeting held on April 4, 1842, we find that the mill bridge is described as being at the ENTRANCE of the village of Fairhaven.
At a town meeting held at the town house on Tuesday, Nov- ember 7, 1848, Article Four was, "To see if the town will accept the Main street as laid out by the selectmen, agreeable to the petition of Dexter Jenney and others."
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The line between Fairhaven and Oxford Villages may be re .. garded as the following sets forth :- "We, the subscribers, hereby promise to take and build the proportion (1/16), set against our names, of an Academy between the Villages of Fairhaven and Oxford." etc.
Center Street to Oxford .- For the sake of information about our primitive roads, let us read the following :- "NOTICE. Pro- posals for making a road will be received by the subscriber until the 25th inst. The road is to be commenced about 60 rods east of the Fairhaven meeting-house, at a place where the road turns to the northeast (near the corner of Center and Laurel streets), thence to be continued easterly, till it enters the road near Seth Alden's woods - the whole distance being 244 rods. The width must be three rods - 24 feet travel - with such water courses as may be necessary. The whole to be completed in a good and workmanlike manner to the acceptance of the County Commissioner on or before the 15th day of April 1832. (Signed) Asa Swift, Jr., Fairhaven, August 10, 1831."
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