USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Worcester > Random recollections of Worcester, Mass., 1839-1843. Being remarks made at a meeting of the Worcester Society of Antiquity held June 3rd, 1884 > Part 2
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+ This hotel was at one time called the Blackstone Canal House.
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New Worcester, C. M. Deland.
Jones's Tavern. (Leicester road.)
Willard's Hotel, (Tatnuck.) Willard. Munroe's Tavern, (at Floating Bridge, Shrewsbury.) - Munroe. Eaton Tavern,* (Front St.) Aaron Howe. 1840, Mrs. J. Bradley.
As we came from Foster street to Main street, we should see as now on our right, and nearly opposite the Temperance House, the block erected by Benjamin Butman, known as Brinley Block. In the third story was a hall to which the same name as that of the block was applied ; this for many years was the most desirable and popular place in town for lectures, concerts, exhibitions and dances.ț
Here were held the famnous cattle show balls, for many years considered as an important auxiliary of the show, which were at- tended by the elite of the town and prominent visitors who came to take part in the agricultural exhibition of the day. The hall was to my mind much handsomer than it is at present. Then the large wooden pillars on each side of the room gave it a very im- posing appearance ; the floor, too, was laid on springs, thus making it especially desirable for dancing.#
In 1840 the Spy advertised as on exhibition at Brinley Hall, a grand moving diorama of "Washington crossing the Delaware"; "The Garden of Eden before the Fall, in which Adam and Eve were discovered before the tree of knowledge," &c. "Fowls of the air, aquatic birds and beasts, pass and repass, all giving life and help- ing to adorn this scene of domestic happiness." The "Battle of Bunker Hill and the burning of Charlestown" was also exhibited here with realistic effects. This, I remember, was highly appre- ciated by the more youthful members of the audience. It was, probably, this exhibition that Mr. John B. Gough refers to in his
* Once called the Elephant Tavern, from its sign with the figure of an elephant painted on it.
Now known as Grand Army Hall.
# Messrs. Smith and Weaver will be remembered by many of our citizens as the dancing masters of forty or fifty years ago who had classes in Brinley Hall.
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interesting autobiography, from which it seems he was an impor- tant auxiliary in producing the dioramic effects. He says : "one part of my business was to turn the crank in bringing on the troops in the Battle of Bunker Hill" ; another part "was to lie on my back during the bombardment of Charlestown, and while one man worked the figures at the guns, I was, at a signal, to apply a match to some powder I held on a piece of tin, for the flash, when another man struck the big drum for the report ; often the report came before the flash, and sometimes no flash at all."
Among the occupants of Brinley Row at this time, was George L. Brown, since famous as a landscape artist. He advertised to give lessons in pencil drawing, also to paint portraits and minia- tures. He painted a large picture on fifty square feet of canvas, representing the burning of the steamer Lexington, in Long Island Sound, on the night of January 13, 1840. Over one hundred lives were lost by this disaster, and Worcester was much excited over the event. Mr. Brown also made a drawing of the great fire in School street in August, 1838, which was engraved for the certifi- cates of membership of the Worcester Fire Department. When Mr. Brown left Worcester for the purpose of visiting Italy to study his profession, he had an auction sale of his paintings here, and several of his early works were purchased by, and still remain in the possession of citizens of Worcester.
S. Reeves Leland also had rooms in the block, and offered his services to citizens of Worcester as an instructor of music upon the organ and pianoforte ; and in 1843 he advertises as wholesale and retail dealer in musical instruments of all kinds, also a "first rate assortment of umbrellas and parasols of his own manufacture."
By the Directory of 1843 I find that our late esteemed fellow citizen, Lucius J. Knowles, had rooms in this block as a "pho- tographer," and by his advertisement in the Spy it appears that he not only took daguerreotypes, but dealt largely in the instruments and chemicals used in the art .* Although the Directory calls him
* Mr. Knowles had probably been in Worcester but a short time when he started in the daguerreotype business, for in July, 1840, he was in the gro- cery business in Shrewsbury, having just dissolved partnership with Mr. John C. Newton.
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a photographer, the word did not indicate what it does at present, for the art of photography, as we now understand it, was at that time in embryo, sun pictures on paper not being made here until several years later.
Julius L. Clark, the late Insurance Commissioner of Massachu- setts, was keeping a dry goods store in Brinley Block ; and in 1842 Messrs. Wall [J. H.] & Southwick [E.] had opened a boot and shoe store there, having removed from the block just south of the United States Hotel. Moses D. Phillips, afterwards of the firm of Phillips, Sampson & Co., Boston, for several years kept a book- store in this block, and had upon his shelves the best publications of the day. He also sold paper hangings, was agent in Worcester for the celebrated Brandreth's pills, and, as its librarian, had the books of the Worcester Lyceum in his store.
Pliny Merrick, afterwards Judge of the Supreme Court, had an office up stairs under the hall, as did the late Judge Benjamin F. Thomas and George W. Richardson. Other occupants of stores in the block from 1838 to 1840 were Benjamin Butman, West India goods ; and T. W. & C. P. Bancroft, furniture ware rooms, later in the auction business .*
The Citizens' Bank, with Francis T. Merrick as president, and George A. Trumbull as cashier, was in the store at the corner of Maple street, lately made so attractive by the opening of Mr. F. A. Knowlton's jewelry establishment. Up stairs was the office of the Manufacturers' Mutual Fire Insurance Company, with John W. Lincoln as president, and Samuel Allen as secretary. The print- ing office of the Massachusetts Spy, then under the management of the late John Milton Earle, was up the same stairway.
Turning to the south on Main street, at our right was the "Wor- cester House," with a circular driveway leading to the portico with its large wooden pillars, and a yard in front filled with horse chest -. nut and other shade trees. On the south side were beautiful large elms, the last of which was removed a few years ago by Mr. James H. Wall, then the owner and landlord of the Worcester House.
* Mr. C. P. Bancroft is still living and carrying on the furniture business in Boston.
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This was an old tavern location, Capt. Thomas Stearne being a landlord on this spot as early as 1732, and he was succeeded by his widow, Mary Stearne, in 1772, who kept the house (which be- fore the Revolution was known as the "King's Arms") till her death in 1784. In 1773 and 4 it was the resort of the Loyalists, and also the place of meeting of the "American Political Society," which was composed of the leading Whigs of the town. It was in this old tavern that the famous Loyalist Protest of 1774 was prepared by James Putnam, Dr. William Paine, and other prominent Loyal- ists of the town. This protest, you will remember, was entered on the town records by Clark Chandler, (nephew of Sheriff Gardiner Chandler,) the Tory Town Clerk, who was afterwards obliged by · the patriotic men of Worcester, and in their presence, "to obliter- ate, erase, or otherwise deface the said recorded protest, and the names thereto subscribed, so that it may become utterly illegible and unintelligible." That this was most effectually done may be seen by examining the records now in charge of the City Clerk .*
Many years later the late Gov. Levi Lincoln came into posses- sion of the property and erected a brick dwelling house, occupying it for several years until he built the Lincoln mansion on Elm street, now owned by his grandson, Mr. Waldo Lincoln. In 1824 the Marquis de Lafayette was the guest of Judge Lincolnt in this house, as were afterwards many other distinguished men, who undoubtedly fully appreciated the generous hospitality for which their host was noted. The house and grounds immediately surrounding it came into the hands of David T. Brigham about the year 1835, who converted it into a hotel, and was for a time its landlord. He added wings on each side of the house, as shown in the large lith- ograph of the "Worcester House" published in 1837 or 8. At this
* A reduced facsimile of a page of the town record was made by the he- liotype process and published in 1876 in a paper prepared by the writer of these "Recollections," entitled, "Historical and Chronological Notes on the Town of Worcester."
+ Mr. Lincoln had lately received an appointment to the bench of the Su- preme Court.
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time Lysander C. Clark (brother of William C. Clark) had become the landlord, and remained there for three or four years .*
Mr. Brigham was well known in Worcester as a speculator, es- pecially in real estate, and I have recently seen evidence of this in the form of a circular advertisement issued by him in the summer of 1836. In this he announces the sale by auction in Boston, of seventy-five building lots on Union Hill in Worcester, and after calling attention to the prosperity and rapid growth of the town, says : "There are twenty cotton, woolen, wire and paper mills, and machine factories. . . The population of the town has more than doubled since the census of 1830"; and as if to add especial weight to what he had said as to the desirability of the property offered for sale, concludes the advertisement in these words : "I am interested in the above property, and all the state- ments may be relied upon." I am not informed as to the number of lots sold, or the general financial success of the speculation, but the experience of later investors in the same locality, was not, I believe, considered very remunerative.
I have said that Lysander C. Clark opened the hotel about 1837 ; he was succeeded, I think, by Hiram Gould, who became the land- lord in 1840 or 41, and in May of the last named year announces in the Spy, that "in consequence of strong expressions of public sentiment against the sale of spirituous liquors at hotels," and for other reasons, "he had closed his bar, and discontinued the sale of liquor" ; and that the house thereafter would be known as the "Worcester Temperance House."
In 1840 Mr. Richard Eastcott and Mr. Alexander Hamilton, (known, probably, to most of you as Edward Hamilton, he having had his name changed soon after this period,) had rooms at the
* A late wood engraving of the Lincoln mansion represents it with the wings above alluded to, but this is a mistake of the artist, for they were not a part of the house when occupied by Gov. Lincoln. I was informed by the late Samuel Foster Haven, LL. D., that he was one of the first occupants of a room in the south wing, and there are many now living who remember when the addition was made by Mr. Brigham.
1
WORCESTER HOUSE
RESIDENCE OF GOV. LEVI LINCOLN, 1834.
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Worcester House, where they gave lessons in music. Mr. Eastcott will be remembered by many as a jolly and dapper little English- man, who occasionally gave concerts, playing himself either on the piano or violin. He was often assisted in these concerts by Mr. Hamilton, R. D. Dunbar, Emory Perry and S. R. Leland, names well known to all the music loving people of the town.
Passing Elm street on our way south we should find as now, Butman or Merchants Row, built in 1835-6, and extending to Pearl street, presenting the same general appearance as it does to-day, the modern improvement of large plate glass windows in the lower story excepted. The first store, corner of Main and Elm streets, was occupied in 1839 by William and Stephen T. Coe, apothe- caries, which firm was dissolved in November, 1840, by the death of the junior partner. This store, known then as No. 9 Merchants Row, or No. 188 Main street, was shortly after occupied by the dry goods and notions store of Daniel Heywood .*
Over this corner store, at the rear, was for many years the office of Samuel M. Burnside, a well known lawyer of his day. He was tall and thin, with very striking features, which rendered him a per- son of rather marked appearance in our streets. He was a man of the strictest integrity, of sound learning, interested in literary pursuits, and especially in education and our common school system. In February, 1828, he issued a circular in which he announced his intention of opening a "Law School" in Worcester. In it he says : "Most of the members of the Bar have given assurance of their approbation of the plan." The pupils were "to be instructed daily together, or in classes in a hall to be provided for the purpose, by lectures, recitations and other exercises." I have not been able to ascertain whether anything ever came from this circular, or that the school was started.
Up the same stairway with Mr. Burnside's office, at about the same period, was the office of Dr. Oliver H. Blood, "Surgeon Den- tist" ; he was there as early as 1837, and for several years after.
* It was quite common to advertise all the stores in Butman Row as oppo- site the Boston and Worcester R. R. Depot.
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An occupant of another room was Dr. H. G. Davis, who was there in October, 1839. Marsh and Emerson also had their pianoforte manufacturing rooms here, being the first makers of that instrument in Worcester ; after a few years of business here they removed to Providence.
T. W. Butterfield & Co., (A. H. Bullock) publishers of the Na- tional ÆEgis, had their printing office in the third story, in the rooms now connected with the publication of the Evening Gazette. The editor of the Ægis in 1840 was the late Samuel F. Haven, LL. D., for many years the learned librarian of the American Antiquarian Society. He was succeeded in the editorial chair by the late Hon. Alexander H. Bullock.
In 1838 the next store in the Row (No. 7) was occupied by Rufus D. Dunbar, watchmaker and jeweller, who, in October of that year, formed a copartnership with Simeon N. Story. (Still in business on Main street.) After remaining there a short time, the firm removed farther north on Main street, this location being considered too far up town for successful business. They were succeeded in this store by Nathaniel Tead, hatter ; and in 1842 Handy, Luther & Co. had opened a clothing store there, the bus- iness being still carried on in the same place by Bigelow & Longley.
The next store, known as 194 Main street, was opened soon after the block was completed, by Francis Blake, who did a large business in the West India goods trade. He advertises in the Spy an extensive assortment of all ordinary groceries, also wines and ale, and much that is now known under the name of fancy gro- ceries, such as preserves, dried fruits, sardines, &c., also choice Havana cigars,-and in those days real Havana cigars could be bought in Worcester at a moderate price. Mr. Blake was suc- ceeded by Butman (Benj.) & Burt, (Simeon) who continued the business, and in 1842-3 were occupying the store.
The next door, where the entrance to the editorial room of the Gazette now is, would take us up stairs to the law office of William Lincoln, better known to us as the historian of Worcester than as a lawyer. Mr. Lincoln died at the early age of forty-two, but left behind him abundant evidence that he was a worker in other fields than that of the law, and that he was called upon to serve the town in
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many ways. He was much interested in the public schools, serving on the school board several years, and always taking an interest in educational matters. He was also actively interested in the Agri- cultural Society, and, as chairman of one of the committees on pre- miums, often prepared reports which are still remembered as spark- ling with wit and humor, and abounding with practical suggestions. His great work, however, was the "History of Worcester," and al- though with the greater facilities we have to-day, and information that the lapse of time has brought to light, we may now find some errors and many omissions, it is still more full and complete than anything since published on the subject. That he made great ef- forts to get at the truth and to present the facts, is evident to any- one who has examined the vast amount of manuscript matter left by him and now in the library of the American Antiquarian Society. Here are copies of letters of inquiry to prominent citizens asking for information as to some local event in the history of the town, or for statistics as to the business done here ; also letters from the officials at the State House, answering questions in regard to ma- terial there. Besides, there are pages of manuscript copied from the state and town archives, both by himself and officials, showing that he took great pains to get at the original material ; and if his life had been spared, the new edition he was at work upon would have undoubtedly shown that he was ready to correct, as well as to add to, the matter in the first edition.
The next store, No. 4 in the Row, (No. 198 Main street) where Mr. England now carries on the watch and jewelry business, was in 1839 occupied by Mr. H. H. Chamberlin, (a member of this Society who has added valuable local historical items to its arch- ives) as "dealer in carpets, feathers and furnishing goods." The previous year he had been in "Brinley Row," and in March, 1840, removed to "Paine's Block," having bought out Mr. H. Sabin, Jr., dealer in crockery and earthern ware. This business was carried on for a while by Mr. Chamberlin in connection with the sale of dry goods, a combination of trades not uncommon at that time. Mr. H. B. Claflin, now doing an extensive business in New York, and then in the dry goods trade here, also dealt largely in china and earthern ware.
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Mr. Chamberlin was succeeded in this store by Joel Fletcher, who in June, 1840, advertises that he has "for sale at No. 4 But- man Row, Confectionery, Cake, Ice Cream and Soda." In Sep- tember, 1840, Mr. J. W. Hartwell occupied it, and in November of the same year, B. F. Mann, both of whom were in the dry goods business. Two or three years later, Mr. J. H. Everett, a rather eccentric individual, was occupying the same store and in the same business.
J. P. Kettell was one of the original occupants of the "Row," having removed there from "Goddard's Row," which was north of Thomas street. He was in the hat, cap and fur business, and only remained a few years in the block, when he removed farther down street, which in that day was considered a more eligible position for business. In June, 1841, after the fire in the block opposite, this store was for a short time occupied by J. B. Tyler & Co., then by J. H. Rickett in the dry goods business .* The latter was suc- ceeded by Meltiah B. Green, under the firm name of James Green & Co., who for many years dealt out drugs and patent medicines, and compounded prescriptions for the ailing. The newspapers of that day show that patent medicines for the cure of all diseases that flesh is heir to, were about as plenty then as now, a page and a half of the Spy being taken up with advertisements extolling the healing powers of "Indian Balsam," "Balm of Life," Soothing Syrups, Matchless Sanative, Jayne's Expectorant, Compound To- mato Pills, and Phelps's Arcanum. Some of my hearers will prob- ably remember the elaborate lithograph, issued to call attention to the merits of the last named preparation. This picture, with its rows of bottles supporting a dome or canopy, over which floated a winged figure with a scroll bearing the words : "Phelps's Arcanum," and about the base boxes of the medicine directed to all parts of the world, derives special interest from the fact that it was designed and drawn on the stone by George L. Brown, before spoken of, and now an eminent American landscape artist.t
* This was the store now occupied by the Adams Express Company. J. B. Tyler was for many years messenger for Leonard's Boston & Worcester Ex- press.
t Represented in the lithograph were twenty or more men and women sup-
Main St: from Foster to Mechanic St: 1838-43.
Mechanic Si.
Pearl St.
Denny House Block
20)
204
1.
205
203
202
2 .
201
Qua
3.
Pump .
199 3198
4.
196
194
6.
14/ 02/92
7.
190
8.
195 .
9.
193.
Elm St.
Deput.
191.
189
187
185
183
Foster St.
MapleSt.
A rough diagram of Main Street, between Foster and Mechanic Streets.
No. 207. [ Blanchard & Lesurc, . . .. 1839. Lesure & Wygant, .... .. 1840. 205. F. W. Eaton & Co., .. . . 1841. 203. J. P. Southgate & Co., . . 1838.
[ W. D. Lewis,.
.1839.
201. Lakin & Bemi .1840. [ H. Sabin & Co., .1838. 199 Leonard & Tyler,. 1839. J. B. Tyler & Co., .1840. E. F. Dixie & Co., .1840. 197. Caleb Newcomb. James H. Wall, . .1840.
195. Wm. Coe.
John Warden,- .1841. C. C. Clapp, 1840. 193. S. P. Fitch, .1842. 191. Levi Clapp, · 1840.
Nathan Harkness,. 1839. 189. 3 Simcon Thompson .1841. A. M. Driscoll, .1841.
185. Henry Scott,.
. 1839.
183. Jabez Bigelow,.
.1839.
No. 204. W. & A. Brown, ..
.1835.
( Emory Washburn, ..
.1840.
202. 3 Chas. W. Hartshorn, .. 1840.
I. M. Barton. J. P. Kettell & Co., . 335.
J. B. Tyler & Co., 1841.
200.
J. II. Rickett, .
1841.
M. B. Green.
H. H. Chamberlin,
.1839.
J. Fletcher,
.1840.
198.
J. B. Hartwell,
.1840.
B. F. Mann & Co. J. H. Everett.
196.
Win. Lincoln, .
.1836.
194
Francis Blake, ..
.1836.
Butman & Burt, ..
1842.
Dunbar (R. D.), Bigelow
(John) & Co.,
1836.
192.
Dunbar & Story,.
1838.
Nath' Tead,
1810.
Handy, Luther & Co.,.
.1842.
S. M. Burnside,.
1840.
190.1
Marsh & Emerson,
1839.
National Ægis, .
1840.
O. H. Blood, M. D ..
.1840.
[W. & E. B. Coe,
.1836.
188. 3
W. & S. T. Coe,
.1837.
D. Heywood.
Worcester House
Bulunan or Merchants Rou.
Hamilton Sargent
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Next door south, up stairs, were the offices of Emory Washburn, Charles W. Hartshorn, Ira M. Barton, and other lawyers. The Pearl street corner store of this block was continuously occupied from the time of its completion in 1835-6 until 1870, a period of about thirty-five years, by members of the same family, and in the same business, that of merchant tailors. The firm of William & Albert Brown were the first occupants, and were succeeded by W. &. A. Brown & Co., the company being Theophilus Brown, then by W. & T. Brown. A son of the last named, W. T. Brown, still carries on the business on Main street, a few doors farther south.
Just in the rear of this block, on Pearl street, was the house oc- cupied early in 1840 by the late Charles A. Hamilton, and later in the same year by Dr. Joseph Sargent, who removed from a house on the other side of Pearl street, where Chapin Block now is. Un- der a large elm tree just east of this house, between that and But- man Row, was a rendezvous for the boys of the neighborhood after school hours. Here we had our games of "I spy," marbles, etc., or made plans for foot ball and other out-door sports to take place in the open space at the head of Pearl street, and just west of the present location of Plymouth Church.
At the south corner of Main and Pearl streets, where the City National Bank now is, was in 1840 the hardware store of Calvin Foster & Co. This store, at some time previous to 1836, had been owned and occupied by Merrick & Dowley. In 1837 New- comb, (Caleb) Brown (Abijah) & Co. (the company being Calvin Foster) moved from the corner of Main and Front streets to this store. The firm was dissolved in March, 1838, and Newcomb & Foster took the business (hardware, stoves and tinware) under the name of C. Newcomb & Co .; they in turn were succeeded by Newcomb & Bowen. (E. H.) In June, 1840, a copartnership was formed between Mr. Foster and Amos Brown, and they continued the business under the name of Calvin Foster & Co., the senior partner remaining in the business there for years after.
posed to have been healed by the use of the "Arcanum," one of whom is said to be Phelps, the inventor. Others are portraits of citizens of Shrews- bury, the home of the inventor.
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In the second story of this building Stephen Bartlett, collector of taxes for the town and some of the religious parishes, had an office. The building, which you will remember as a wooden one, two stories high, and two or three steps at the front entrance, was removed in 1853-4, when the present iron front store was erected by Mr. Foster .*
The next building was the two-story brick store, owned by Judge Nathaniel Paine, the ground on which it stood now being covered by the store of Ware, Pratt & Co. Here in 1839-40 Daniel Hey- wood carried on the dry goods business, dealing more especially in small goods, tapes, buttons, needles and the like. Some years earlier Heywood, Paine (F. W.) & Paine (Gardiner) were in this building, doing a large mercantile business for that day. Other occupants since Mr. Heywood have been E. F. Dixie in the gro- cery, and George Bowen in the hide and leather business. The office over the store was occupied by Henry Paine, counsellor at law. He was twin brother of Charles Paine, who in 1841-2, built a brick block on the corner of Main and Pleasant streets. Dr. Henry G. Bates was also an occupant of this office.
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