Standard history of Essex county, Massachusetts, embracing a history of the county from its first settlement to the present time, with a history and description of its towns and cities. The Most historic county of America., Part 20

Author: Tracy, Cyrus M. (Cyrus Mason), 1824-1891, et al. Edited by H. Wheatland
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Boston, C. F. Jewett
Number of Pages: 450

USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Standard history of Essex county, Massachusetts, embracing a history of the county from its first settlement to the present time, with a history and description of its towns and cities. The Most historic county of America. > Part 20

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Resolve passed, January 9, 1776.

Mr. Phillips entered into this work with his usual zeal. The works were immediately put into operation, as appears by the following account : From April 17 to August 30, 1776, there was received from the Colony, 33,200 pounds of saltpetre ; and during the same time, 29,900 pounds of powder were delivered to several towns of the Colony, in quantities varying from 10 to 3,000 pounds, - the largest quantity being to Watertown.

On the first day of June, 1778, the powder-house was blown up, and three persons were killed. Again, on the nineteenth day of October, 1796, two persons were killed by the explosion of the pow- der-mill ; since which time the business has been discontinued.

In 1788, a paper-mill was built by Hon. Samuel Phillips, and con- ducted by Phillips & Houghton. This mill was burnt in 1811, and rebuilt in 1812; value of paper made yearly was about $10,000, and gave employment for about sixteen to twenty persons.

Marland Village .- A short distance down the river, and adjoining Abbot Village, is another compact settlement, built up through the enterprise and efforts of the proprietors of the Marland Manufactur- ing Company, woollen-cloth manufacturers.

The manufacture of wool was commenced in this town, at an early date, by Abraham Marland, a native of Ashton Parish, Lancashire, Eng., born Feb. 22, 1772. He first came to Andover in May, 1807, and commeneed in a small way, by hand-loom, in a small shed. His work soon attracted attention, and a company of gentlemen erected a mill for his use, which was at Abbot Village. He soon commenced to manufacture woollen goods, such as blankets, flannels, &e. At first he spun the yarn by hand, and let it out to the women in the vieinity to weave. Visiting Boston onee a week to sell his goods and pur- chase stock, he frequently made his trips on foot. After the death of Hon. John Phillips, the property at Marland Village passed into the hands of Peter C. Brooks, Esq., who made additions to it and rented it to Mr. Marland, 'till Sept. 1, 1828, when he purchased the entire property, on both sides of the river, for $22,000. An Aet of incorporation was obtained in February, 1834, by the name of " Marland Manufacturing Company," Mr. Marland becoming the president,-which office he held till his death, Feb. 20, 1849. He was one of the most sueeessful woollen manufacturers in Essex County, and accumulated a large property, of which he contributed largely toward founding and supporting the Episcopal church in Andover, donating the parsonage and burial-ground connected therewith.

Frye Village .- The next village is Frye Village, the principal busi- ness of which is the manufacture of twine, thread, &e. ; owned and conducted by Messrs. Smith, Dove & Co., before mentioned. This is but a short distance east from Marland Village.

Printing. - The first printing done in Andover was in 1798. Messrs. Ames & Parker set up a press in the South Parish, did a small business, and for only a short time.

In 1813, Timothy Flagg and Abram J. Gould commeneed printing, not only English printing, but in Greek and Hebrew languages. Their office was fitted for several of the oriental languages. The suc- eessors of this firm were Flagg, Gould & Newman, till 1843 ; then next was Allen, Morrill & Wardwell, from 1843 to 1849 ; then Flagg & Wardwell, who were succeeded by Warren F. Draper, in 1854

In 1831, The " Biblical Repository " was established at Andover by Prof. Edward Robinson. In 1835, the " American Quarterly Ob- server," which was established in Boston in 1833, by Prof. B. B. Edwards, was united with it, with Prof. Edwards as sole editor of the combined periodicals. The two combined continued at Andover till 1837, when it was removed to New York, under the care of Absa- lom Peters, D. D. From October, 1840, to April, 1842, the Rev. S. B. Treat was associated with Dr. Peters. In 1842, J. H. Agnew sueeceded Mr. Treat. In July, 1842, Dr. Agnew beeame sole pro- prietor. In 1845, he transferred the same to the Rev. W. H. Bid- well, who conducted it three years, when the Rev. J. M. Sherwood took the work, and in 1851 united it with the " Bibliotheca Sacra." The latter work was commeneed under the title of " Bibliotheca Saera, or Traets and Essays connected with Biblical Literature and The- ology," first published in New York. During the next year it was removed to Andover, its plan enlarged and modified. It then eame under the care of Prof. B. B. Edwards and Prof. E. A. Park, assisted by Dr. Robinson and others. Its title then changed to " Bibliotheca Saera and Theological Review." In January, 1851, the " Repository " and the " Bibliotheea Saera " were united, and have continued as such to this time, published by Warren F. Draper, bookseller and pub- lisher. To publish a list of all the works that have originated from Andover would be an interesting record, but we must leave that to others, for want of space.

Population of Andover, at various dates .- In 1790, 2,863; 1800, 2,941; 1810, 3,164; 1820, 3,889 ; 1830, 4,530; 1840, 5,207; 1850, 6,945 ; 1855, 4,810; 1860, 4,765 ; 1865, 5,314; 1870, 4,873 ; 1875, 5,097. In the foregoing table it will be understood that previous to 1855, Andover included the present town of North Andover.

Many of the people of Andover have emigrated to help organize other towns, contributing largely of her population, settling Hamp- ton, Pomfret, Tolland, Windsor, Conn. ; Lexington, Bedford, Biller- ica, Brookfield, Chelmsford, Draeut, and Bradford, in Mass .; Con- eord, Pembroke, Amherst, Hollis, Wilton, Greenfield, and Conway, in N. H. Others found their way to Fryeburgh, Brownfield, Bluehill, Andover, Bethel, Bridgton, Norway, Albany, and other towns in Maine.

Witchcraft .- The people of Andover suffered, in common with several other places, on account of the delusion of 1692. It is said that over fifty person were complained of for afflicting their neighbors and others. Dudley Bradstreet, Esq., granted thirty or forty warrants for committal to prison, and at length refused to issue any more. He and his wife were accused of being among the number who gave encouragement to the delusion, if not actually engaged in the same, personally. During this delusion Martha Carryer, Samuel Ward well, and Mary Parker were hung.

BEVERLY.

In the southerly part of the county is an ancient agricultural, indus- trial, and commercial town, noted for its pleasant prospects, and for the sobriety, integrity, and intelligence of its inhabitants. It is seventeen miles north-east of Boston, by the Eastern Railroad, and two miles north of Salem, with which it is connected by a free drawbridge, about 1,500 feet in length. By the Gloucester Branch Railroad, which here connects with the Eastern Railroad, it has communication with the towns of Cape Anu. Its boundaries are : Wenham on the north, and, for some distance, on the north-east ; Manchester, from which it is partly separated by Chubb's Creek, on the east; Beverly Harbor on the south, and Danvers on the south-west and west. Its postal centres are : Beverly, North Beverly, and Beverly Farms in the easterly sec- tion. The latitude of the white-spired church is 42º 34' 38.92" north ; and the longtitude, 70° 54' 05.20" west. The average length of the town is 53 miles ; the average breadth, 23 miles. The surface of the town is somewhat hilly, with an inclination towards the south ; and the scenery is picturesque and varied.

The most noted elevations are : Cherry Hill on the north-west ; Brimble Hill on the north ; and Bald Hill on the north-east, on which latter Samuel Corning had formerly a wind-mill. From all these the scenic views are very grand, not only of the town of Beverly, with its villages, lakes, and streams, its fields and forests, but also of much of the surrounding towns, and of the city of Salem, and Massachusetts Bay ; while, from Mount Pleasant, by Wenham Lake, Green's and other hills at Ryall's Side ; Joshua's Mountain, by the harbor, Pros- peet, Almshouse, Cemetery, and Watcher's Hill, in the centre ; Snake Hill, Standley's Grove, Reservoir Hill, Turtle Hill, and the hills near Beaver Pond, Gravelly Brook and the Commons, Pride's Mountain and Foster's Great Rock, in the interior, - are most delightful prospects, both of sea and land. But most attractive of all, are the highlands along the shore, many of which are already occupied by elegant man- sions, as is also much of the less elevated shoreland ; and all these add greatly to the beauty and attractiveness of the town.

The geological structure consists of sienite, which crops out here and there in naked ledges, in some of which are found specimens of green felspar, polymignite, columbite, and tin ore. Bowlders of every form and size are common, and clay for bricks and pottery is found in several localities, and was worked here for both those purposes at a very early day, and is still continued. Black sand for drying ink appears upon some of the beaches. The only mineral springs are near Snake Hill, and these have been used somewhat for medicinal pur- poses. Considerable quantities of iron were formerly discovered ncar these springs, and carried to the early iron-works at Rowley and at Lynn, and worked there ; and some of it was carried as far as Bridge- water, where David Perkins, a smith, had removed from here, and set up iron-works there.

The soil is a clayey, gravelly, or sandy loam. It is well adapted to the growth of fruit and forest trees, English hay, esculent roots, oats, barley, rye, and Indian corn. The meadows abound in peat, which, with the sca-weed, furnishes liberal means of fertilization. The native trees are principally oak, birch, pine, maple, hemlock, walnut, and cedar. Among the shrubs indigenous to the place, the most beautiful is the mountain laurel ( Kalmia latifolia), whose pink and white flowers appear in June, and in rich profusion. The cardinal flower decorates the margin of the streams, and the water-lily the surface of the lakes.

Excellent natural facilities for drainage exist all through the town, and add to its healthiness, comfort, and means of improvement. Its

elevation above the level of the sea and ponds gives ready opportunity for surface drainage ; while, for the lower drainage, are the following outlets : Alewive Brook, the outlet of Beaver Pond, and of its exten- sive water-shed, runs into Miles River, the outlet of Wenham Lake, and a tributary of Ipswich River; and on this brook, where it erosses Dodge Street, Conant's grist-mill formerly stood. Bass River Brook rises near the westerly side of Wenham Pond, flows along by Cherry Hill, and under Horse Bridge, to the head of the mill pond, near the old dam, where was the first mill of John Friend, who was succeeded by Lawrence and John Leach, John Dodge & Son, and other Dodges and several Woodburys, being in the meanwhile removed down stream to its present site, where Mr. Aaron Dodge and his son, Israel W., still keep the name and the mill good, and, with vastly improved facilities, do here a very large grain and mill business, theirs being the only grist-mill in town. From this mill pond, the arm of the sea, known as Bass River, extends to the harbor, dividing from the more populous part of the town, the village of Ryall Side, which, however, is connected by two excellent roads and bridges. And this village is drained by Bass River, and Porter's or Danvers River, at " Aunt Betty's Cove," and otherwise. Into the mill pond comes the drainage from Round Pond and its surrounding hills and lands, running in part through the Francis brick-yard brook, and also through the brook which formerly divided the lands of Roger Conant and Henry Herrick, and where some of the latter's family carried on the business of curry- ing and other leather manufacture. This brook thence runs under Cabot Street, and the Eastern Railroad, to the mill pond, receiving on its way the drainage, in part, from Wood's Pasture neighborhood. Cat's Swamp, and its surrounding territory near Burnt Hills, also drains into Bass River by a brook running alongside of Colon Street, and under the Gloucester Branch Railroad, and Cabot and Elliot streets, into Garford's, Corning's or Roundy's Cove, a considerable portion of what was formerly that cove being now upland; and this brook also receives the drainage from Hither Pasture neighborhood. Tuck's Pond, hardly now a pond at all, also drains into Bass River. Gally's Brook runs from beyond the cemetery to the sea, near Lothrop Street, and drains a large water-shed. The bridge at Hale Street, under which this brook runs, was formerly known as Gallows Bridge, and the superstitious, in the years gone by, used to dread to pass it in the night. But that dread has long since passed away, and this is now a very attractive thoroughfare. The original owner of a large part of the cemetery lands was John Gally, who here had his home, and hence the true name of the brook and bridge. Cedar Stand, or Sallows Brook, runs from Snake Hill and beyond to the sea, near Gallop's Hill, and on this brook was formerly a grist-mill. Thorndike Brook, from Cove School-house, and beyond, empties into Bardwell's Fish- pond, near Hospital Point, and thence to the sea. Pickman's Brook runs mostly through his land from near Foster's Hill, &e., to Patch's Beach. Patch, or Thissel Brook, is supplied from Turtle Pond and other sources on its march to the sea, and runs its long and circuitous route to the dam at Thissel's Creek, near Patch's Beach ; and on this brook Nicholas Woodbury early had a grist-mill, and was succeeded therein by the Biles, Patch, and Thissel families. Witch-lane Woods drain, in part, southerly across the Park, and through the Dexter and the King estates to the sea ; in part through the Brimmer estate to Mingoe's Beach, and in part through Loring's Brook, by a circuitous route, through their estates to Plum Cove Beach. From this brook the Loring estates formerly took their water-supply by means of a

HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

water-ram ; but the Wenham water-pipes have superseded such use. Sampson's and the Commons region also drain partly that way. Pride's Mountain region drains by a brook crossing the railroad and Hale Street, near Pride's Crossing, and thence through the Paine place to the sea. The old salt pond, mostly on Mr. Franklin Haven's estate, and now mostly improved land, drains itself and its large water-shed by a skilfully-built underground drain into the sea. And this also takes the drainage, in part, of the territory east of Pride's Mountain, through the ancient Haskell estate. Saw-mill Brook, from Wenham to West Beach, has a large, continuous drainage, with several side supplies of other brooks from Raccoon Swamp and other territory, and on this was formerly a saw-mill ; while Chubb's Creek absorbs the most easterly drainage of the town, and here a grist-mill was used for many years. And the only water-shed of any size apparently un- drained is Bartlett's Swamp, of about twenty acres, and separated from the harbor by a high ridge of land somc 500 feet in width. But the water in this swamp even is said to be affected by the rise and fall of the tide ; and if so, there is a possible underground drainage here. This was formerly known as Root's Swamp.

About one-third of the 320 acres of the celebrated "great poud," or Wenham Lakc, lies in Beverly. Its surface is 34 fect above tide- water, and its water is of singular purity. It annually supplies large quantities of the best of ice, and from it the inhabitants of Salem and Beverly obtain their water supply through the reservoir built by Salem on Chipman's Hill, into which the water is pumped through a mile of pipe, and carried thence by a main supply-pipe down through Beverly, and across the harbor to Salem ; and Beverly, by connecting its pipes with this main pipe, gets its water supply, and annually pays Salem therefor.

Beaver Pond, of 20 acres, lying between Bald and Brimble hills, by its outlet helps supply Norwood Lake ; a private property of 40 acres of water, with a large water-shed of its own, and formerly the mill-pond of the old Conant Mill, having a good head of water, and, like Beaver Pond, well adapted for fish-culture, and already partially supplied ; and these together can be made to add a large water supply to Wenham Lake, if ever wanted. And Turtle Pond, of about two acres, near Beaver Pond, could also easily be made to add its water supply, and that of its water-shed, to the above.

Round Pond, at North Beverly, casterly of Dodge Street, of less than an acre in extent, is a contraction of a much larger pond, now mostly swamp land, and much of it well wooded, while some of it is quite productive in garden and field land. It is reputed very deep, with its waters so dense that no fish can live there.

By the State census of 1875, Beverly had a population of 7,271; of whom 3,478 were males, and 3,793 females. It had one person aged ninety-four years. The number of colored persons was 20 ; of dwell- ing-houses, 1,399; of families, 1,790; of voters, 1,748. The town valuation was $8,005,125. The number of farms was 102, embracing 3,487 acres ; of horses, 500; of cows, 501. The amount of capital invested in manufactures was $314,700, and the value of goods au- nually made, $1,654,657. Of these, the value of boots and shoes was $1,539,800. This is the leading business of the people. The value of earthen-ware annually made was $10,000; of bricks, $6,600; of machinery, $5,000; of wagons, $8,000, and of boxes, $9,000. The whole number of persons employed in manufacturing was 1,314. Twenty-four vessels, with a tonnage of 1,848, were engaged in the fisheries, and the value of cod taken was $131,000; of mackerel, $6,000.

Beverly has nine school-houses, substantially new, including an elegant brick house for the High and Briscoe schools. They are all well filled with pupils, who are well classified, disciplined, and taught. Preparation for college can be had in the high school. A school committee of nine supervise all the schools.

The town has a good public library ; and nine Sabbath schools have libraries. The " Beverly Citizen," a valuable journal, established in

1859, is published weekly. There are twelve churches, of the fol- lowing denominations : 3 Congregationalist, 2 Baptist, 1 Unitarian, 1 Universalist, 1 Methodist, 1 Advent-Methodist, 1 Independent, 1 Episcopal, 1 Roman Catholic. The church edifices are generally handsome and commodious, mostly supplied with organs, and other church furniture. They are all supplied with settled pastors, except at North Beverly and Centreville, and the relations are harmonious.

The town has a commodious public hall, with dining-hall overhead, and town offices on the lower floor. The Beverly National Bank and Beverly Savings Bank are located in the Masonic Block, where is also the Post-office, and the Masonie Lodge and Chapter. A Post of the Grand Army occupy Bell's Hall, and there are Farmers' Clubs at Centreville and North Beverly.

The territory of Beverly originally belonged to the Sagamore John, or Masconomo, of Agawam, who welcomed the English to Naum- keag, and to them granted an extensive tract of land. To his grand- children, however, Samuel and Joseph English, and Jeremiah Wauches, the town paid, in 1700, the sum of £6 6s. 8d., and took of them a deed of the place. A few Indian ovens, or flat stones laid in a circle, on which fires had been made, have been discovered in Beverly, and would seem to indicate that the Indians might once have had a settle- ment here ; but the local history of the red men of this place is extremely meagre.

The English commenced a settlement here about 1630, and named the place Bass River. It then belonged to Salem. There was sufficient population here in 1636 to induce John Stone to set up a ferry between Beverly and Salem, near where the bridge now is. Among the earliest settlers were John Balch, Richard Brackenbury, Roger Conant, Wil- liam Dixey, Ralph Ellingwood, Capt. Thomas Lothrop, John Wood- bury, and William Woodbury. They were hardy yeomen, who by the toils and persceutions they had experienced in the mother country, were well prepared to endure the privations and to meet the perils of the wilderness which they chose for their new home. An early grant of land from Salem, to some of those early inhabitants, is still preserved.

" 4th of the 11th month (Jany 4th), 1635. That Capt ( William) Traske, John Woodberry, Mr. Conant, Peter Palfrey (afterwards of Reading) and John Balch, are to have 5 farmes, viz : each 200 acres apeise, to form in all a thousand acres of land together, lying & being at the head of Bass river, 124 poles in breadth, and soe runin northerly to the river by the great pond side, and soe in breadth, making up the full quantity of a thousand acres, these being laid out & surveyed by vs.

JOHN WOODBERRY. JOHN BALCH."

Roger Conant, born in Budleigh, Eng., 1591, came to Plymouth in 1623, removed to Nantasket in 1625, and in the following year to Salem, where he was made a freeman in 1630. He was of signal ser- viee to the early Naumkeag settlers, and to the new settlement of Bass River, and dicd Nov, 19, 1679, in his 89th year. Cotton Mather spoke of him as "a most religious, prudent, and worthy gentleman," It is said that the first house creeted at Bass River was called "the garrison house ;" but it does not appear that the early settlers here were ever greatly molested by the Indians.

Johu Winthrop, Jr., had liberty from his father, Jan. 22, 1638, "to set up salt works at Rialside, and to have wood enough for carrying on the works, and pasture for two cows." It is said that the first child born in the place bore the name of Dixey; if so, it was probably of the family of William Dixey, who was admitted freeman in 1634, and died in 1690, having owned much of the southern part of the town.

Mackerel Cove was the early name of the settlement all along our sea-shore, and Oct. 27, 1647, its inhabitants were released from keep- ing watch in Salem, except on extraordinary occasions. The name of Bass River was often applied to the settlement at the head of that river, but both these were sometimes included in the latter name, and often in that of Cape Ann side. In 1649, the settlers requested of the

HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

church in Salem that "some course be taken for the means of grace amongst themselves, because of the tediousness and difficulties over the water, and other inconveniencies," and on the 2d of Feb., 1650, the Salem church granted liberty to the people on the Bass River side, to employ " an able & approved teacher"; yet they were still to remain connected with the Salem church. They then employed for some time as their spiritual guides, the Rev. Josiah Hobart, the Rev. Jeremiah Hobart, and the Rev. John Hale. In 1656, they built a meeting-house, which stood at the north-west corner of the old cemetery.

On the 20th of September, 1667, a church was organized, and the Rev. John Hale was the same day ordained as its pastor. The names of the original members of this first church are as follows : John Hale, Richard Dodge, Sen., William Woodberry, Sen., Richard Braeken- bury, John Stone, Sen., John Dodge, Sen., Roger Conant, William Dodge, Sen., Humphrey Woodberry, Sen., Hugh Woodberry, Nicholas Patch, John Hill, Thomas Lothrop, Samuel Corniug, Robert Morgan, John Black, Sen., Lot Conant, Ralph Ellingwood, William Dixey, Henry Herrick, Sen., Peter Woolfe, Josiah Rootes, Sen., Exercise Conant, Edward Bishop, Elizabeth Dodge, Mary Lovett, Elizabeth Haskell, Mary Woodberry, Sarah Leeeh, Freegrace Black, Elizabeth Corning, Elizabeth Woodberry, Ellen Brackenbury, Hannah Wood- berry, Elizabeth Patch, Hannah Sallows, Bethiah Lothrop, Anna Dixey, Anna Woodberry, Seu., Elizabeth Woodberry, Martha Woolfe, Han- nah Baker, Mary Herrick, Bridget Luff, Mary Dodge, Sen., Anna Woodherry, Jun., Ede Herrick, Mary Dodge, Jun., Abigail Hill, Lydia Herriek.

The salary of Mr. Hale was £70 per annum, in addition to which he was to have thirty cords of firewood yearly ; the use of a dwelling- house, of two aeres of land, of as much meadow as would produce abont four loads of hay, and the privilege of pasturing his cattle on lands of the parish.

Two days subsequent to the formation of the church, Mrs. Rebeckah Hale was received into it by a letter from the church at Salisbury ; and on the 23d of October, Humphrey Woodberry and his wife Sarah, John Clark, Jr., Humphrey Woodberry, Jr., Remember Stone, and Sarah Conant were admitted to full communion on profession of faith and repentance.

The sacrament of the Lord's Supper was for the first time observed by the church on the 29th of September, and on the 13th of October following, Abigail, daughter of John and Hannah Sallows, was bap- tized, - this being the first instance of infant baptism after the organ- ization of the church.

In 1655, the settlers were allowed liberty to provide for their poor, and to lay out their highways, and on the 6th of November, 1667, it was agreed "to lay out the ways from the meeting house to the mill," and on the 10th of December of the same year, the church held its first fast for " the trouble of God's people in England," and for " tokens of God's displeasure in this land."

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Standard history of Essex county, Massachusetts, embracing a history of the county from its first settlement to the present time, with a history and description of its towns and cities. The Most historic county of America., Part 20

Author: Tracy, Cyrus M. (Cyrus Mason), 1824-1891, et al. Edited by H. Wheatland Publication date: 1878 Publisher: Boston, C. F. Jewett Number of Pages: 450

Author: Tracy, Cyrus M. (Cyrus Mason), 1824-1891, et al. Edited by H. Wheatland
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Boston, C. F. Jewett
Number of Pages: 450