USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Nahant > Some annals of Nahant, Massachusetts > Part 6
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He made many attempts to discover valuable seedlings, but
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met with no substantial success, although he spent years in costly experimenting; nor did he need this glory. He won credit enough in his hard-earned success in covering his loved Nahant with trees, now, nearly thirty years after his death, in their prime, and by his generous expenditures in public improvement for her benefit. His method in planting and transplanting was principally to provide artificial shelters. He used to set out hardy and quick-growing trees as wind barriers to protect those of slower growth and greater shade-giving qualities, which, when they had grown to sufficient size, would support each other in resisting the wind, after the pro- tecting trees were removed. No one who should visit Nahant at the present time can understand the utter incredulity with which his attempts at tree planting were regarded by his contemporaries, so magnificent is the outcome of his perseverance.
The first growth of Balm of Gileads has now nearly all dis- appeared, and the protected trees now stand secure, handsome elms and maples, some of them two feet in diameter.
He lived to see all his concerns in a flourishing condition, and died on the sixth of December, 1864, in the eighty-first year of his age. He possessed such an originality of thought and language and conduct as to be remarkable and make him a most entertain- ing companion. He had a deep sense of religion without cant, and was charitable, yet with discriminating justice. He possessed a romantic, even poetic nature, and his hard life never subdued his finer feelings or diminished his sympathy with his fellow men.
This account by his son is the greater part of an article used by E. J. Johnson in his history of Nahant. This history was published in 1888, and a reference by the writer shows the article was written about 1884.
It was in 1820 or a little earlier that Mrs. Delia Tudor, mother of Frederic Tudor, was a frequent visitor to Nahant. She built the stone house which was bought by her son in 1824, Johnson says. Lewis, under date of 1825, says, "This year Frederic Tudor, Esq., of Boston built his beautiful rustic cottage at Nahant." The discrepancy may not be real, as it is likely that Tudor either had to do with the original building under his mother's name, or that he added to it or remodelled it after he took over ownership; or, what is perhaps more likely, the whole building operation may have extended from 1824 into 1825, during which time the transfer was made. In this
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latter assumption the statements of both Lewis and Johnson would be correct. The building is the central part of what is now the Nahant Club on Nahant Road, easily distinguished because of its old stone walls. The exterior is not much altered, as the changes have been liberal extensions without reconstruction of the older part. Johnson says that Tudor's first effort in public improvement was to plant a row of Balm of Gilead trees on each side of the main road from the hill near Short Beach to Summer Street. Prior to this William Wood and Thomas H. Perkins had planted elms from Summer Street to the Breed house, now the Whitney Homestead, along the main road. There are many trees, like the row of maples on Spring Road, planted by Mrs. J. P. Putnam, which were established in later years, but it may be said that the street trees of Nahant that are as old as Tudor's work here are the results of his efforts. This is especially true of the magnificent elms on Nahant Road.
The following letter dated 1849 is quoted by Johnson, and is mostly cited again as follows, for it gives a good contem- porary account of what Tudor was doing:
Among the many beautiful features of Nahant, one of the most beautiful is the residence of Mr. Tudor. We called to see his place on the occasion of a recent ride to our famed and favorite Nahant, and were politely received by our friend Mr. Wm. F. Johnson, to whom we express our thanks for his attention.
The cottage and garden of Mr. Tudor are well worth a visit, and certainly deserve a mention to the public.
The cottage is built of stone which was collected at Nahant, of a coarse or dark granite which is quite abundant there; the roof is covered with hemlock bark, giving the building an ancient appearance, which seems to be a taste the proprietor studies.
Mr. Tudor's garden contains over two acres, and is inclosed by a very substantial fence, about seventeen feet high, which not only protects it from intruders, but prevents in a great measure the effect of the violent wind. He has a large collection of very fine fruit trees, many of them beautifully trained on fences, giving them a very tasteful and ornamental appearance. One cherry tree, with its branches trained horizontally, covers a space of over five hun- dred square feet; some of its branches are about twenty feet in
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length, extending each side of the trunk perfectly straight. The pear trees look exceedingly well, considering that it is an unfavor- able season for the pear crop in this vicinity, owing to the late frost in the spring.
His plums are worthy of notice, all looking finely, and, not- withstanding the depredations of the curculio, many of these trees are loaded with the finest plums.
There are many interesting experiments in shading trees from the sun in the hottest part of the day, which have proven quite successful. All his experiments are tried in the most thorough manner. Among the many experiments is one quite novel of cap- turing insects; he has suspended in his trees between two and three hundred small bottles, partly filled with sweetened water, into which all flies, bugs and moths are enticed and drowned.
Great quantities have been destroyed in this way. During two weeks of the dry weather in June there were captured about five hundred thousand bugs, and in thirty-six hours on the nineteenth and twentieth of June, one hundred and eight thousand were taken.
Although his principal interest is in trees, yet he has a portion of his grounds dedicated to Flora, and a beautiful marble figure of this goddess is in the centre of this department.
When we take into consideration the fact that one-half of the community think that nothing can be grown successfully at Nahant, and twelve years ago not one in a hundred could be found that believed it, no one will deny that Mr. Tudor is entitled to a great deal of credit for his persevering efforts, for by them he has estab- lished the fact that the barren soil of Nahant will yield to the indus- try of man as well as other places. And quite an interest has been aroused in many of the inhabitants of Nahant, which it may not be improper to attribute to the example of Mr. Tudor.
Besides the gardens, Mr. Tudor has quite a farm, raising large quantities of beets and carrots. He has harvested the past season about fifty tons of hay; although he has never yet devoted his attention personally to that branch, yet there is no reason why he cannot have one of the finest farms in the country. In addition to gratifying his own private taste, Mr. Tudor has not neglected the public, as any one who resides on Nahant cannot fail to observe.
The many fine trees on each side of the road are living witnesses of the fact, and the many hundreds of trees scattered about on the hills. It must have required an unusual degree of care and expense to have brought them to their present thriving condition.
In short, the entire appearance of the peninsula has been changed,
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and the beautiful contrast between the green trees and the wild ocean make the spot doubly interesting to the lover of nature or the seeker of pleasure, for all of which the future generations can- not fail to be unmindful, and to remember him with gratitude.
Tudor bought up all Nahant land he could get, appar- ently, until he owned a large portion of the western half of Great Nahant, and Fox Hill, now so called, and other con- siderable areas on Bass Point. Among his holdings was the Great Marsh as it was early called, reaching from Short Beach out across what is now the Town Play Ground and Bear Pond. This marsh was not divided up by the 1706 committee who apportioned Nahant among the people. It was kept by the town of Lynn, apparently because unsuited, mostly, for tillage. Part of it was later given to Alonzo Lewis, the his- torian and surveyor often cited in these annals, as a reward for his services which were so valuable and so largely without other recompense. From Lewis it passed to Tudor. Inci- dentally it is interesting to note that the Lewis house in Lynn will be remembered as standing, in dilapidated condition, nearly across Washington Street from the Newhall Street junction. Within a few years it stood alone on its lot of land of about a half acre. Recently stores have been built along the street and the old historian's house is hidden by them. Tudor built ditches through these marshes and made them largely usable. On a part between Calf Spring and Bear Pond he made an orchard which many Nahanters will remember, and which was surrounded by a very tall fence, the tallest of all windbreak fences that Tudor built. Poles like telegraph poles were used in its construction, all thoroughly braced, as indeed they must have been, for they withstood a great wind pressure, and were never blown down until decayed. The posts and framework remained standing after the slatting was gone. This slatting, put on vertically, was about an inch and a half wide and spaced about an inch apart. The height of this remarkable fence was at least twenty-five feet, and some people remembering it say it was thirty feet. The or-
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chard was of pear trees, or chiefly so, and folks now living can remember fine fruit there, though the place was run down and out of condition.
Another of Tudor's orchards were the apple trees covering the land now bounded by Spring Road, High Street, Coolidge Road and the cemetery, including the land where now stands the Maolis Club. Forty years ago this orchard still yielded a good crop of fruit, though practically neglected for many years before that. Gradually the yield diminished, while the several houses on this tract caused the removal of the trees. A few are left. One of the new owners who built there, E. W. Bourne, took care of the half dozen or more trees on his lot and brought them back to look healthy and clean. The present owner, Aaron Hershenson, is also caring for them. Though they are old, doubtless proper treatment will bring a reasonable yield of fruit again, and they are still able to be an ornament to his place.
Tudor also built the old stone barn on Spring Road at the corner of High Street, which was not then, or until within a dozen or fifteen years, cut through to the cemetery east gates. With the widening of range roads to two rods, as is required of all town roads, a corner of the stone barn juts into the street, but the building is an old landmark and curiosity, and it is to be hoped it may not come to an earlier end on that account. The stone wall along Spring Road at that point - a wall which originally extended up beyond Emerald Street - is built with the wall of the barn, as an inspection of inter- locking stones will show. This barn was a fruit storage build- ing and was never used by Tudor for any other purpose. The remains of racks for fruit storage were recently, perhaps are now, to be found there. He also used it for curing tobacco, which he tried to grow in Nahant, but without much success. In recent years it was fitted up for use as a stable, and is now used for storage only.
The gardens described in the quotation already cited were adjacent to his own house. They were irregular in shape. There was a peach and plum orchard reaching out close to
Along Bass Beach toward the Mifflin House
Mifflin House, formerly Samuel A. Eliot Decorated for fiftieth anniversary celebration
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Ocean Street and to the driveway to what is now the Nahant Club. These driveways to Ocean and Winter Streets are the same as Tudor built them. The orchard extended down Ocean Street northeasterly across from the junction of Tudor Street as since built. This was also enclosed in a tall fence, but not so tall as the one on the marshes. It was fifteen to twenty feet high, and a picture shown herein is better than further description. From its northerly corner another tall fence went slanting away from Ocean Street and turned again in behind the homestead, enclosing more gardens. These and the "South Garden" soon to be described, were kept in good condition by Mrs. Tudor, after her husband's death, for many years. All trace of them has now disappeared, except for shrubs and trees around the homestead. The grass tennis courts of the Nahant Club are on the site of the peach and plum orchard.
The remaining Tudor orchard needing mention is the South Garden, across Nahant Road from the Tudor Home- stead, and occupying the land now used on Nahant Road by the Burr, later Newell, and the Dabney, later Parker, houses. The westerly line was exactly the line against the old South Field now occupied on Nahant Road by the Hopkins and Wilson, later Bacon, places. The South Garden extended down to Willow Road, thus including land on the latter, now occupied by several houses. This was an orchard containing all sorts of fruits and was surrounded by another tall fence, again not so tall as the tallest of them. On the Nahant Road line this fence was different. It was of posts, rails and slats, similar to what has been described, but was veneered with bricks. These bricks were two by two by eight inches, half the width of commonly used bricks, and were laid up against the slatting with a mortar which got a clinch in between the slats. It was laid in design, basket pattern, with interstices. All in all, it would seem to be of very short-lived construction. But it stayed in place well, and when taken down in the late 80's whole sections of this thin brickwork, a square yard or more, could be handled, perhaps a difficult performance at any
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time with full-sized bricks laid solidly. Some of these bricks were used to pave the front entrance path to the house on Ocean Street later owned and occupied by Charles Davis. Because of this wall the garden was often called, forty or fifty years ago, the "Brick Garden."
The heavy gateway to this garden was at the corner of Winter Street. In the other Nahant Road corner stood a tall wooden water tower with a large tank, providing artificial watering in dry times. In the 80's, when the gates were left open, as often happened after the fruit-picking season, school children used to scamper across the garden and up the stairs and around the platforms of this tower. Many Nahanters can remember doing so.
The "Boston Journal" for October 5, 1858, contains the following account of a garden party given by Tudor to the townspeople. The citation is from Johnson's "History of Nahant:"
The first event of the above nature in our peninsular history occurred last week upon the premises of Frederic Tudor, Esq. By invitation kindly extended to all the inhabitants, a large party met on the afternoon of Saturday the 2nd of October inst. Cider, perry (made from the juice of the pear) and merry making, con- viviality and good feeling generally were the order of the day. Here were gathered in abundance the rich fruits of the earth. The first cider mill ever seen at Nahant was put in operation, and the first cider was received from the hand of Mr. Tudor by the oldest inhabitant (Uncle Caleb), and drunk with an appropriate toast.
The delicious beverage ran freely from the press, and was as freely dealt out to the multitude, who, by smiling faces and pleas- ant remarks, evinced their appreciation of its merits. Then fol- lowed the manufacture of perry, which was universally pronounced most excellent. In addition to two barrels of cider distributed at the gathering, and near a barrel of perry, six or seven other barrels of cider are yet to be made, and large quantities of fall and winter apples and pears are yet to be gathered.
Some interesting and appropriate remarks were made upon the occasion by Mr. Hammond, who addressed the party in response to a call. Allusion was made to the present condition of Nahant in regard to fruit, etc., as compared to a few years since, when, under the auspices of Mr. Tudor, fruit and ornamental trees were
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introduced and their culture encouraged and promoted. Then Nahant was comparatively barren, unsheltered from the driving storms of winter and the fierce rays of the summer sun; now the finest varieties of fruits are comparatively abundant, and shaded walks and groves greatly enhance its native attractions.
Some one present produced the "Atlantic Monthly" for August, from which Mr. Hammond read a portion of an article in which the writer makes disparaging mention of Mr. Tudor's ugly fences and scrubby pear trees. Suffice it to say that the statement, when brought in contrast with the facts in the case, exhibited alto- gether a sorry contrast. No expression of indignation followed, but twice three deafening cheers for Mr. Tudor gave evidence of the prevailing feeling.
Retiring from the scene of the cider making, the party, each provided (even to the ladies) with a bottle of pure juice of the apple or pear, were conducted by Mr. Tudor to his large garden orchard on the south side of the peninsula. Here in every direction upon the lap of mother earth and hanging from the trees were the finest of fruits in the greatest abundance. Free to all, "As God gave to me, so I give to you," was the generous sentiment of the host. Here, in eloquent volumes, did these pear trees pronounce the "scrubby" epithet a misnomer.
Wishing Mr. Tudor length of days in which to enjoy the fruits of his labors, the merry and happy party repaired to their homes, long and gratefully to remember the pleasant and interesting occasion.
Then follows a paragraph telling that in all, about eighty or ninety barrels of apples were grown on Nahant that year, together with many pears and some butternuts and walnuts. The largest quantity, except for Tudor, is named as grown by Charles Amory, who lived in what is now known as the Dr. Dwight house on Cliff Street near the corner of Willow Road. Many people can remember fruit trees here reaching up Cliff Street to what is now Vernon Street.
The stilted reportorial phrasing and wording of this news- paper article is curious. It contains about all the bro- midisms that could be squeezed in. Traces of it are still fairly common in news writing today, but not in such "great abundance." The "Mr. Hammond" is John Q. Hammond mentioned elsewhere in these "Annals."
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Tudor built the famous Maolis Gardens, which have a chapter to themselves, and Marginal Road, with its heavy stone sea wall on the shore side. This wall stood intact for a half century or so, needing little repairs, but has gone to pieces rapidly of late. Probably a gradual throwing out of place by the action of frost is the chief cause of the trouble.
Tudor was sufficiently eccentric to be the basis of many stories. One is that in his search for a carpenter, for whom there was steady employment on his many buildings and improvements, he gave each applicant a first job of shingling the roof of a small shed. He made the unusual stipulation that the shingles were to be laid upside down, butts up, beginning at the ridgepole. Several job hunters refused to do so foolish a thing, until finally one said 'twas nonsense but he would do it. Next day Tudor found the job done in a workmanlike manner, though wholly useless, and ordered the man to rip the shingles off and put them on right, saying he only wanted to be sure he got a man who would obey his instructions.
Another story is of Alfred D. Johnson, long time town clerk and founder of Johnson's Nahant Express. At the launching of a little fishing vessel on Nahant, Johnson de- livered the principal address. He eulogized graciously the summer resident for whom the vessel was named, and whom Tudor did not like. Next morning on his rounds attending to his express business he called on Tudor, who rushed out to greet him, and insisted on his coming on to the porch to meet a guest, who was a stately looking man of apparent importance. But the introduction was to Daniel Webster, and Johnson was presented as the one who was "greater than God, for he had made a man out of X Y after the Lord Almighty had failed to do so."
The Nahant Public Library has a copy of a rather rare book entitled "The Trees of America," by R. U. Piper, M.D., Woburn, Massachusetts, and dated 1855. This is one part of what was apparently intended to be a rather compendious work on the subject. It was presented to the library by Samuel H. Russell. Dr. Piper lived in a little house at the
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corner of Valley Road and Ocean Street, where the Valley Road schoolhouse now stands. The house was known, almost until its removal, as the Piper Cottage. It was owned and occupied later by Patrick H. Winn whom all Nahanters will remember, and was torn down when the schoolhouse was built. The book in question, so far as may be judged by the part that was published, hardly had important horticultural or botanical merit, but it is said that Tudor became interested in Dr. Piper and encouraged his work, probably with financial assistance. In return the Doctor liberally mentions Tudor and his work on Nahant, and some of his illustrations show Tudor, perhaps standing under the tree which is depicted. The illustrations are poor. But it is said that Tudor by will pro- vided that the Doctor should have what amounted to a salary as long as he was engaged in this work. This might have been a life job, for there is no end to the pursuit of such a subject. One summer a pleasant young man appeared in town, sought the Doctor's acquaintance unobtrusively, and finally boarded in his house. Becoming intimate the Doctor told him of his plans and of Mr. Tudor's aid. The young man thereupon advised the Doctor that such a provision could be and probably would be broken, and that he would do well to hasten to the business of getting a lump sum settlement. The Doctor did so. Later it was said that this young man was sent to Nahant for the purpose which he accomplished, - of ridding the Tudor estate of what might well become an unwel- come beneficiary. This story comes verbally from a well-known lawyer later agent for the Tudor interests, and may not be correct in every particular. The connection between Dr. Piper and Tudor is, however, established by the book, and this explanation answers a question often asked about the book. Longfellow writes from Nahant one summer, about 1858, of a talk with Tudor and Dr. Piper in which they told him of their plan to plant Iceland with trees and thus enable that island to grow wheat.
Dr. Piper was a versatile genius, a surgeon who had written a book on some feature of surgery, and while on Nahant,
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partly a teacher of drawing and painting. He constructed a clever outfit for sketching expeditions, all carried in a box mounted on wheels. In Civil War times he was afraid of a bombardment of Nahant, and a cannon dragged up near his house by practical jokers and fired gave the Doctor a real sensation. The "Home Guards" of this period were aug- mented by Dr. Piper in a green sash, as surgeon of the com- pany. He made rather a comical figure, and the company was nicknamed the "Piper Guards." Later on, removing from Nahant, he lived in Washington, where he was a microscopist and handwriting expert.
Thus is presented a great Nahant figure, Frederic Tudor. Other men have loved Nahant as he did, and have given time and energy to her welfare. Perkins, Dr. Robbins, Coolidge, Wood, - these are names of men of means and energy who assisted greatly in the development of the town. But because Tudor planted trees, which the town lacked, because he had great personal interests here, and because of his peculiarities, he is a more outstanding figure of importance than others. A discrepancy in the dates of birth and death may be noticed. If Tudor was born in 1783, and died after his birthday in 1864, it might be said he died in his eighty-second year, while his son, as quoted, speaks of it as his eighty-first year. Whether this is a misprint, or whether the present writer may be introducing an argument similar to that on when the twentieth century began, which never seemed much in ques- tion, may be left for others to determine.
After Tudor's death his widow, Mrs. Fenno Tudor, car- ried on with the same spirit, but, lacking his experience and some of his ability and enthusiasm, his undertakings gradually lost their prime condition, and later were left to time's destruc- tion. Today a hunt is needed to find traces of what gave him so much pride and pleasure, except his trees, which still grace our town.
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