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 82

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 82

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The troubles with the castern Indians were not yet over. In 1724, 17th of April, a sloop from Lynn was attacked at Kennebunk, at the mouth of the river. The captain, John Felt, and his two men, Wil- liam Wormwood and Ebenezer Lewis, were all killed. Such things continued at intervals till 1744, when, 14th of June, a company was impressed at Lynn and sent to the frontier with other troops. The town received a supply of powder, and stored it under the parish pul- pit. Later, in 1755, the governor of Nova Scotia sent hither fourteen French Catholic neutrals, and they were quartered about town. They were part of a flight of some two thousand, extending over two years. May 23, 1758, another company marched for Canada, out of whom Edmund Ingalls and Samuel Mudge were killed.

About 1766, we find the town first taking notice of the difficulties that bred the Revolution. On the repeal of the Stamp Act, they made great rejoicing, with bells and bonfires. Four years after, May 24, 1770, the town passed strong resolves against the duty on tea, corre- sponding to the action of the whole country. December 16, 1773, other yet stronger resolves were passed, in the same spirit. One James Bowler, having been charged with storing a quantity of tea at his bake-house on Water Hill, a company of women went thither, demanded and captured the tea, and destroyed it openly.

In 1774, more energetic action appears, the people taking part in all the patriotie movements of the day. In the famous assembly at Salem, convened by Gage as a General Court, but which organized as a Provincial Congress, Oct. 7, 1774, Lynn was represented by Eben- ezer Burrill and John Mansfield. Next year, the battle of Lexington, April 19, 1775, called out the highest enthusiasm of the people of this town. No organized company went from Lynn, but many of her men hurried thither in hot haste, some of whom never returned alive. Four fell in Lexington ; viz., Daniel Townsend, William Flint, Thomas Hadley, and Abednego Ramsdell. The last is famous in tradition, as having run, in his stocking-feet, from the marsh, where he was gun- ning, all the way to Saugus, wild with excitement. He reached Lex- ington near noon, faced the British in the middle of the road, fired at them onee and fell, riddled with balls. Daniel Townsend was killed in escaping from a house, where he hid with Timothy Munroe. The latter was wounded ; so was Joshua Felt, and Josiah Breed taken prisoner, and kept for some time. April 23, by choice of the town, the Rev. John Treadwell, of the First Parish, the Rev. Joseph Roby, of the Third Parish, and Dea. Daniel Mansfield, were made a com- mittee of safety. There was an alarm company, under Lieut. Harris Chadwell. A watch stood nightly at Sagamore Hill, at the foot of Shepard Street, and the landing on Saugus River. No one left town without leave. The Rev. Mr. Treadwell set the example, by carrying his gun into the pulpit, which all the people imitated. June 17 came the second actual engagement, at Bunker Hill. The Lynn men who fought there are called a "regiment" by Lewis ; but it hardly could have been a full one, thoughi Col. John Mansfield commanded. At this time an "alarm post " was made of the old tavern on Federal Street, corner of Marion, then kept by Inercase Newhall, and sinee in possession of the Orcutt family. Once only we hear of a sudden

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rally made there, at a report that the British, were landing at. King's Beach, one dark midnight. There was no canse; but some good courage was exhibited. In 1777, John and Benjamin Lewis, brothers, perished ,of hardship on board the "Jersey " prison-ship. By the arrival of 1780, the violence of the war having past, the gravest ques- tion arose on paying the expenses. Lynn voted, that year, the sum of $2,700, silver, for soldiers' pay, and Lewis adds that, in two years, they ran it up to £70,000 (old tenor), which was a liberal sum for a place never considered rich.

Slaves had been held here, more or fewer of them, from the first. There were still twenty-six when the Revolution began ; but when, in 1780. the people felt that they themselves were free, they made their servants free also. They were all liberated.

John Hancock, first governor of Massachusetts, under the United States, issued three commissions to justices of the peace in Lynn, Sept. 20, 1781, being the first directed to Essex County. These were granted to Abner Cheever, Esq., James Newhall, Esq., and Dr. John Flagg, Esq. This, to us, terminated the old order of things; to set aside which, Lynn had sent to the field 168 men, " of whom fifty two were lost, beside the four killed at Lexington."

From this time, there was little to disturb the current of events at Lynn for many years. A company went to help suppress the rebel- lion of Shays, in 1786. In 1788, they came out en masse to pay their greetings to the beloved Washington, as he passed over Boston Street, going to Salem. In 1793, a post-office was first established here, through the influence of that publie-spirited man, Ebenezer Breed, then of Philadelphia. The first postmaster was Col. James Robinson.

On account of the threatened war with France, in 1794, Lynn enlisted seventy-five men for service, voting them $10 per month. Whether they ever served at all does not appear. But there was no lack of feeling here on the French relations. The town-meeting adopted an address, full of poetry and patriotism, which was forwarded to Pres. John Adams. He noticed it by a gracious reply, which, while it complimented the patriotic disposition of the people, seems rather to quietly satirize the magniloquenee of the Rev. Mr. Thacher's address. This was in 1798.

Two years later, Jan. 13, 1800, the whole people again came forth for funeral services for the same Washington they had so warmly greeted twelve years before. A procession of military, school chil- dren, and citizens, marched solemnly through the streets, and after- wards listened to eulogies on the deceased, at the two principal churches.

It is to be noted of the year 1804, that the town then first celebrated the National Independence. It took place after the more ancient and elassie style, by procession, ode, oration, &c. The Rev. Peter Jayne was the orator, and the Rev. Enoch Mudge furnished the poetry. The observance indeed survives, but the exercises have mostly disappeared before balloons and tub-races. After skipping a year. the celebration was more than repeated in 1806, when the two political parties hated each other too much to unite, and the "Feds " halted their procession at the First Church, heard an oration by Master Hosen Hildreth of the Academy, and finally dined in the academy hall ; while the Demo- erats had their oratory at the Methodist Church, and their dinner at the hotel. But in 1810 a better spirit prevailed. There had been a notable collision of parties at the town-meeting in 1808, when in May the Federalists " barred out " the Democrats and captured the meeting for themselves. Their proceedings were plainly illegal, and they would probably have been punished, but for the interesting discovery, soon after, that none of the town-meetings were lawful, not having been called by a constable's warrant. So they had all united to peti- tion the General Court for an establishment of their doings; and, having obtained such a resolve, felt less like quarrelling than for some time. In 1810, both parties joined to celebrate Independence, had a procession from the Lynn Hotel, and an oration at the First Church by Dr. Peter G. Robbins. This, certainly, was better than before.

The next development in public affairs that affected Lynn materially, was the second declaration of war with England, in 1812. Beyond sharing in the general disturbance of business, the town seems to have had no remarkable experiences for some time. There was, indeed, one privateer fitted out here - a schooner, called the "Industry." She was commanded by Joseph Mudge, and eleared from Long Wharf, now Lamper's. Before the end of the war, she sent in three British prizes, - two brigs and one ship. The people had also, June 1, 1813, run in crowds to all the available heights to see the memorable engage- ment of the " Chesapeake " and " Shannon," just outside Nahant. The whole fight was plainly visible, and deep was the sadness when they

saw the American vessel lower her colors, and the two together move away slowly down the coast for Halifax.

But next year they had rather more to engage them. More appre- hension of danger was felt ; and when, in July, a coast-guard of sev- enty-eight men for Essex County was formed, Lynn furnished fifteen of them, including the captain, Samuel Mudge. Sept. 28, 1814, an alarm, still remembered, was spread at midnight from Beverly, where the enemy was thought to be landing. The Salem regiment was paraded in thirty minutes ; that from Lynn about as quickly ; for in less than an hour, they were on the march for Salem, under Col. Sam- uel Brimblecom, who was ready, as he said, to " show the British some nice Yankee play." They took their route over the turnpike ; but. on reaching a point near the present head of Maple Street, received news that the alarm only arose from some fishermen drawing their nets. So they quietly returned.

Another new experience began with Lynn this year. The "Dis- trict " of Lynnfield, which had had a partial independence since 1782, was finally incorporated as a new town, Feb. 28, 1814. The parent town had opposed it, but at length gave way, at a meeting held Janu- ary 31, and by adjourment, February 7, at the "Hall of Paul & Ellis Newhall." This was the building at the corner of Market and Essex streets, just opposite the present city hall, occupied for many past years as an apothecary store by Warren Tapley. It had been known as the " War Office," from the meeting there of the Democrats who promoted the national conflict. It is yet in good preservation, and remarkable as the only existing edifice in which a meeting of the town of Lynn was ever held.

History abounds in repetitions. Having brought forth her daugh- ter. Lynnfield, in the midst of war, the maternal Lynn now added at her side another daughter, named of peace. The treaty that ended the struggle was ratified by Congress, Feb. 13, 1815. On the same day, the " West Parish" received her credentials as an established municipality, and became the Town of Saugus. The division separ- ated Lynn, visibly, from some of her choicest spots and dearest mem- ories ; but the parting seems to have been made in good feeling, and no discord has ever yet grown out of it. Such, indeed, was then the prevailing spirit through the country.

Pres. Monroe passed through the town in 1817 ; and, though neither of our historians more than simply notice the fact, it appears really to have called forth a great deal of well-ordered patriotism, that testified how pleasantly all felt toward the man who was the exponent of a kindly and beneficent national policy.

This sort of publie temper had a yet finer opportunity. Aug. 31, 1724. Then the delightful old hero of two national struggles, Gen. Marquis de La Fayette, came to us on his triumphal tour eastward. Received by a military escort at Fox Hill Bridge, he was conducted to Lynn Hotel and greeted with a speech of welcome from Capt. John White. Afterwards, his carriage passed between double lines of school-children on the common, who saluted him with flowers and every possible offering of love, and then, passing castward to Marble- head. he left ns amid the din of the heavy guns, the same as he had entered the town. Seven splendid arches spanned his route, and ban- ners and inscriptions were everywhere.

The year 1829 is to be noted as that in which conneneed the "An- ti-Masonic War." This contest, which more disturbed Lynn polities than they had been for years, begun by an exhibition at Liberty Hall (the old " War Office "), of what was claimed to be an exposure of Masonic secrets and proceedings, by Jacob Allen, of Braintree. This was April 1. April 6, the town-meeting voted Masonry "a great moral evil " and " dangerous to free governments." Mr. Allen had liberty of the town hall for his exhibitions. The Lynn " Record," published by Jonathan Buffum, and printed by John B. Tolman, was powerfully devoted to the Anti-Masonic interest, and spoke forth very fearlessly, though there was bitter opposition and not a little danger of violence. This, however, did not oeeur ; for the Anti-Masons were so strong, numerically, as to make matters stand much as they would. Mount Carmel Lodge was closed, and held no known meetings for many years.

In 1846, the sound of the war-drum was heard by many for the first time. Massachusetts was called on for one regiment for the Mexican War, and the quota of Lynn was twenty men. Judge Newhall gives the whole list of names ; but they were mostly persons little known, and their movement excited no feeling at all. The truth was, that the seed of anti-slavery had been pushing in the soil of Lynn for a long time, indeed it was now grown to a flourishing trec. There was too much hatred toward the slave-power to allow any approbation for Pres. Polk's Southern war ; and it only required a little more growth,

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till, in 1848, the "Free Soilers" bore down all opposition in town- meeting, and elected their own special nominees. The next spring, 1849, they went further, even to displace the old town clerk, Thomas Bowler, who, save one year, had held fast to his place since 1831. It was an accomplished fact, that Lynn had declared on the side of the broadest liberty and the completest equality.

This period, terminating with the year 1849, brings us to the incor- poration of the place as a city. At this point we leave the history of her political development, separately considered, proposing to resume her story as a whole, after the change in municipal form. At present we return to the condition of the town in 1630, for the purpose of tracing her industrial progress in the same succeeding period of 220 years.

With the exception of Francis Ingalls, whose tannery was probably from the first located at Swampscott, agriculture seems to have been the exclusive occupation of all for years. Except, then, this tan- nery, only three men seem to have had any mechanical calling whatever. Joseph Armitage, the tailor; Edward Tomlins and Samuel Bennet, the carpenters ; Edward Richards, the joiner-these offered the only variations from the regular farmer's life, among the fields and stock-yards. Later, of course, other tradesmen appeared ; but, all through the years of her infancy, all minor enterprises of con- struction and repair were accomplished within the ingenuity of the home circle.

Perhaps the first industry that engaged our people, outside the corn- field and hay-lot, was a lesser form of the fishery business. Thomas Dexter, in 1632, built a weir across Saugus River, very near the head of tide-water, under liberty of the General Court. This was for the taking of bass and alewives, with which, at proper seasons, the stream abounded. The multitude of these fish, more than the settlers wanted, found ready market for shipment after drying and smoking. For the business of all New England, after their own living, was understood to be fishing, " the Apostles' own trade," as King James called it; and perhaps Lynn was as good a place as any for the starting of this branch of it. In this first year, says William Wood, they cured 150 barrels.

Edward Tomlins, who seems to have been one of the most enter- prising and sagacious men in the Colony, now made a movement, in 1633, the plain effect of which is yet seen and felt in our affairs. Observing the need of a corn-mill here, he obtained a grant from the town of a perpetual privilege in the water of Strawberry Brook, for the carrying of a mill to be built by him on that stream. Afterward this grant was extended so as to allow the construction of a dam at what was called the " old sluice," now Wyoma Village, for a better storage and supply of water.

In the time of this early undertaking, everything about it was no doubt very plain and well understood ; but very meagre records only were kept of anything, and the question in later years has been one of the greatest difficulty, to settle which of the present mills in town possesses the "Tomlins grant." It has been stoutly maintained by the owner of the mill on Waterhill Street, that he has it by direct succession of title ; but, in a leading case brought by him in defenec of this right, * the point was conceded as immaterial by the opposing counsel, and thus received no decision from the court.

In 1635, we note the first beginning of that industry here that has grown to be the anxiety, if not the pride, of all the modern municipal- ity. This is the manufacture, in one style or another, of ladies' shoes. It has its first possible budding-out in the shop of one Philip Kertland, who came to Lynn in the above year, from Sherrington, in Bucking- hamshire. That he was a shoemaker, and the first one here, appears certain ; also, that he dwelt very near the present crossing of Summer and South streets. But his family all disappeared from Lynn at a date comparatively early, and there is no evidence that he was unusually skilful, or that he attempted anything in the shape of extended or established manufacture. Very much posthumous attention and re- gard have been lavished on this probably worthy man, but there seems no evidence that the place ever derived any consequence or emolu- ment from his being here, nor even that he had any influence in making his own calling popular with others. And the street, the brick block, and the hotel which to-day bear his name, merely commemorate him who was the first shoemaker in Lynn.

At every turn, we see that all through this early time the land had the chief attention. In. 1637, it is said, there were " but thirty seven plows in the Colony, most of which were at Lynn." In fact, the people minded their fields more than their roads; for in 1639 the

General Court fined Lynn 10s. for " bad ways," and bade her see them mended. Yet even then, as ever since, the ways of Lynn were enor- mously long in proportion to the population, and the keeping of such lengths in good order was no little work. There was, at that time, and much later, a ferry somewhere here, kept by Garrett Spenser. Judge Newhall thinks it was from Ballard's Landing, East Saugus, to Needham's Landing, near River Street, Lynn, which seems very probable.

We may here note the peculiar restlessness of the early people of this place, who are seen acting, for a long time, very much as if they had been enticed here under false pretences. Six new towns were settled from Lynn in the first ten years, and another soon after, to say nothing of the numbers who were continually leaving individually. First and last, it is said that Lynn people settled New Haven, in Con- necticut ; Sandwich, in Massachusetts ; and Southampton, Flushing, Gravesend, Jamaica, Hempstead, and Oyster Bay, all on Long Island. Perhaps some others. Still the old town grew, though slowly.

It seems that in 1642, the fear of savage invasion led to the encourage- ment of a manufacture very singular for such a community. This was " the breeding of salt-peeter." Sergeant Tomlins had charge of the business in Lynn, and every house was ordered to aid. What for is not so plain : it would at first seem to be for the making of gunpowder, but we remember no powder-mill in the Colony then, and it is hardly a domestic manufacture. It may have been sent over and exchanged for powder in England. Still we hear nothing of it afterward, and probably it never found much success.

We now arrive at perhaps the most significant point in the industrial development of the town ; yet it was not that it advanced the town so much as dated an era in the business of the country. It may not be everywhere known, that what is now the vast, incalculable iron mann- facture of the United States found its first and humble origin in Lynn, on the banks of the Sangus River, in the year 1642. In that year, the ever-busy Thomas Dexter, perhaps while drying alewives at his weir, by the pole-bridge above Round Hill, got a notion of the existence of good bog-ore in the upper meadows, belonging mostly to Adam Hawkes. Hle soon joined himself to Hon. Robert Bridges, a much better and more prudent man than himself, and soon with others, to explore and work the matter up. Bridges carried specimens of the ore to London this year, and directly uride up a stock-company, ready for business. Adventurous old John Smith, sailing to Virginia, had, thirty-eight years before, in 1614, declared, speaking of these shores, that " who will undertake the rectifying of an Iron Forge, in my opin- ion cannot lose." But he probably saw nothing but the black, massive hornblende of Nahant, which has since deceived wiser heads than that of John Smith. But this time they had iron, sure. Eleven wealthy Englishmen engaged, a son of Gov. Winthrop also took stock, and the enterprise grew into shape rapidly. The first issue of capital stock was £1,000 ; the first purchase of land was of Thomas Hudson, and the forge buildings were at once erected on the west bank of the river, just at the last fall of the stream, and only a few rods above Dexter's fish-weir and bridge. A little village sprang up immediately around, and the spot, naturally full of romantic beauty, became invested with the charm of a new picturesqueness.

The iron business brought over a fresh importation of people, and quite new they were, in style and manner. We hear of Richard Leader, a talented man, who really became leader and agent for the works. Ile was afterward connected with the second effort of the kind among us, which was at Braintree. Then there were the Leonards, Henry and James, men of great enterprise, always in the business, and with their descendants following the same line to-day. Henry Styche, an old man, who lived to be still okler, and died in 1654, aged 104 years. Arzbell (perhaps Archibald) Anderson and MacCallum More Downing, two canny Scotchmen, who stayed and ended their days here, the first in about twenty years, and the other after more than forty. Last and greatest of all, a man whose monu- mental bronze ought to stand to-day to eall up his revered memory, under the fine old elms that now shade the spot of his industry. This man was Joseph Jenks. He was the first man of real mechanical genius ever seen here, or perhaps in the Colony. His hand left its mark as an originating power, on a great many of the most important of present American industries. When, much later, the Court wanted dies made for coining the " pine-tree shilling " and other Colonial money, the maker of those dies was Joseph Jenks. When a fire- engine was wanted, he made one ; though they were not common then in Europe, and he may never have seen one. He made the first pat- terns and models, cast the first iron and brass, and conducted the first machine-shop ever seen on this continent. More than this, he was an

* Berry v. Raddin, 11 Allen.

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HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

inventor ; and while he obtained several patents for valuable improve- ments in working (the first American patents, be it remembered ), one of his inventions still remains a publie blessing, in the light, strong, and sweeping seythe for grass, now so universal, but before his day wholly unknown. He died here, in 1683, after a long and useful life. He came from England a widower, leaving two sons in that country ; afterward marrying here, he brought up a numerous family, whose continuance is yet with us, almost invariably worthy and useful, and often proving eminent. And this JJoseph Jenks is thus seen to have been almost in himself the beginner and beginning of the iron manu- facture in North America, having himself given it a wholesome start in most of its active departments.

The first operation after smelting a charge was, naturally, casting ; and the first article of use that was cast is yet preserved, and we hope will be for ages to come. It is a very small iron dinner-pot, stout and thick, with a heavy bail and three short legs, one being now broken off and replaced with a leaden one. It holds about a quart, is smooth and well-made, and proves that the workmen were no bunglers. When the foundry started, this first job was done for Thomas Hudson, former owner of the land. It remained in his family ; and by and by was passed down to Mary Hudson, his de- scendant, who was the mother of Alonzo Lewis, the poet and histo- rian of Lynn. She left it to her daughters. Irene and Mary; the latter of whom, surviving till 1878, left it again to Llewellyn Lewis, oldest surviving son of Alonzo, in whose possession it now remains.

In thus speaking of the iron-works, we do not overlook the fact that common blacksmithing had been done here for some time before. The first workman of this calling was John Deacon, who arrived in 1635, and was alloted twenty acres of land in 1638.

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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 82

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