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 88
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The elevated distriet of the "Highlands " stretches north to the pass oceupied by Western Avenue, rising, generally, while so doing, and finding its greatest height in "Lamb Roek," which is of the same level as High Roek, but otherwise not worth notice, save that an old Indian camp, or " shell-bed " exists under its south wall. But, eross- ing the avenue, the next hill to the north, about the same height, and variously known as Farrington's, White's, or Hathorne's Hill, according to sueeessive owners, has a darker and more terrible e. lebrity.
The next eminence of any note is the one ealled Lover's Leap. It is a fine bastion-like eliff of gray felsite, standing at the northern end of Grove Street, projeeting from the front of the hill, now ealled Linwood, but formerly Robert's Hill, by the people, and Poquanum Hill by Lewis. According to him the rock rises 100 feet from the plain, having a complete altitude of 133 feet, or 143 above eity base.
Behind Robert's Hill runs Stony Brook, and beyond rises Pine Hill, perhaps the grandest eminence we have. It consists of. gray and
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banded felsites, with many dikes of trap and porphyritie diorite. Its figure is long, lying almost north and south, with Walnut Street (a relic of the most ancient " old road") at its southern base. Its greatest height is midway of the length, near the residence of Thomas Woodfall, and reaches 224 feet, or 234 from city base. The hill is covered on all sides with woods, traversed by delightful paths, and redolent of flowers. The city reservoir is on the north-western slope.
Southerly, Pine Hill terminates in a bold cliff, much like Lover's Leap, but less perpendicular. It is 166 feet high, says Lewis, which is 176 from city base.
We thus complete a kind of circuit round the amphitheatre behind the city, in which the points mentioned are all conspicuously in front.
From the western shore of Sluice Pond begins the most remarkable range of hills in the township. It runs almost due west, with little interruption, to the valley of Saugus River. On its immediate north is an equally remarkable groove, that, eastward, almost taps the embankment of Sluice Pond. A continuous swamp occupies it, which from its ancient proprietor perhaps, is called Blood's Swamp, and the great range on its south is thence termed the Blood's Swamp Hills, as the elevated tract northward is denominated the Ox Pasture.
On the southerly declivity of the Blood's Swamp Hills, only a little to the south-west of the eminence just described, is that remarkable one which of all the hills of Lynn has alone disputed with High Rock the palm of supernatural inhabitation. This is "Dungeon Rock." The two are the Olympus and Ida of our local mythology.
Half a mile north of Lynn Hotel the stroller enters Linwood Street, and pursuing it by variable courses over hill and valley, generally north-westerly, at a mile and a half distance, in the deep woods, after ascending a sharp acclivity, he suddenly finds himself on a little plateau in front of Dungeon Rock. As he looks up he sees only a great, black, beetling crag, that looks too common, cropping out naturally from the hillside, to have anything very strange about it. The owner has a plain house at its foot, and a little garden. There are steps leading up the hill, a barn, and a floor for dancers, and some other common things. Then he will like to sit down and study the story of the place.
Returning now to the people themselves, we make some effort to trace their advancement, under the new form of municipal being, for the twenty-six years in question.
Very determined opposition was met by those who endeavored to bring the town into the enjoyment of a higher style of incorporation. The dominant party had for long years been Democratic, and that not only in the national or Jacksonian sense, but down to the very bosoms and business of the people. They believed in no distinctions that looked at all like rank ; they tolerated no notions that singled out any man and bade the rest honor him. A board of selectmen would answer, but the idea of a mayor was hateful.
Inflammatory bills flared out on all sides, quarrels were getting fre- quent, and well-meaning people wished it were well through with. Mr. Hood was supported by such men as Hiram N. Breed (mayor in 1855), Leonard B. Usher, Esq., of the sixth ward, Caleb M. Long, Esq., of the fourth, and Thomas Raddin, Esq., of the seventh, with others not now remembered, while Lewis Josselyn, of the "Bay State " newspaper, placed his office and influence at their disposal. The support of the charter was enforced by Hon. Daniel C. Baker (mayor, 1853), Hon. B. F. Mudge (mayor, 1852), William Bassett, Esq., Charles Merritt, Esq., and many more, with the Lynn " News," conducted by J. F. Kimball, and the " Reporter," by P. L. Cox, and almost the whole people of the fourth, fifth, eighth, and ninth wards, and about half the third and sixth. All day long the battle raged at the old town hall, people getting to hate each other with great rapidity. William Bassett, the town clerk, falling sick, the anti-charter party succeeded in replacing him with Thomas Bowler, his venerable pred- eccssor, whom the charterists had themselves displaced two years before. This was fuel for more animosity, and every possible voter was rallied for the contest. But the hour of destiny had really come, and when the moderator stood up to declare the result all Lynn felt a new sensation to hear the words : "Nays, 987; Yeas, 1,047; and the city charter is accepted ! "
The first election under the charter was held in the several wards April 4, 1850, after another sharp conflict of some weeks, when appeared the curious fact that Mr. Hood, though his project of a grand town hall, with every voter numbered and seated therein, could not be approved, could nevertheless be elected the first mayor, with almost the whole of his ticket, and that by a strong vote. But the common council, chosen in wards, was largely from the charter side,
and thus the new form was secured a pretty fair trial. The inaugura- tion was held May 14, 1850, in Lyceum Hall, then the largest place of assembly in the city, on the corner of Market and Summer streets.
The common council chose Hon. Daniel C. Baker president, and Joseph Breed, 2d, clerk; and William Bassett was made city clerk, his aptitude and decided genius for the place having compelled from the strongest anti-charter men an engagement of their support before- hand.
Thus the town of Lynn passed in the long list of things that were, and the days of the old town-meeting, with its specches and fracases, its constables, moderators, and candy-boys, were numbered and fin- ished. Lynn stood as the fourth of the eities of Essex, as she had been the second of her towns. Her first recorded census, in 1765, gave her 2,198 inhabitants ; by 1800 she had only 2,837. She had begun to add largely to her numbers by 1830, when she reckoned 6,138 ; but ten years more gave her 9,367, in 1840; and, when incor- porated, in 1850, she had run rapidly up to 14,257. She had a total valnation of $4,834,843, of which near three-fourths was real estate ; and on this she was taxing ninety cents and raising $50,000. She owed a non-funded debt of $56,960.55, and rated 3,251 polls. Thirty- four public schools were taught within her borders, employing the same number of female teachers and nine of the other sex ; and under them sat 3,379 pupils. Her almshouse had but forty inmates, her firemen were managers of six powerful engines, and two or three partly out of use.
The peculiar industry of the place had gone ou vigorously. Hith- erto everything about the shoe had been done by band. There was no machinery used from first to last. As the business grew, and workmen were too few in Lynn to finish all the work, a plan of country employment was brought into use, aud soon attained huge development. People in Maine and New Hampshire, who never saw Lynn in their lives, sent here for work. It was packed and sent ; it might be to bind, or to make, or both in one. After a time it would return, finished. All this was done through a new and special class of carriers, who were called "freighters." They amounted to agents with full power : they made terms, hired workmen, carried funds, and managed the whole business at both ends of the route. In this way the shoe-business was fast getting to have only its head in Lynn, and its limbs spread all over New England. But it was not a good way. It secured the doing of a great deal of work, but gener- ally at reduced rates - rates that Lyun workmen were not satisfied with ; and they who sat at home and paid taxes soon complained that they were often left short of employment, while the best "seats of work " went " down east" to somebody who knew nothing of Lynn, but would do the labor at a more tempting figure.
The time now came for the Lynn shoe to be attacked by machinery. The attack was made from below, for the simplest of the problems was to cut a sole. Heels were added iu some cases, but not commonly. Worsted goods were largely cut for boots, and more so as the fashion lcd more decidedly to high-cut forms ; prunella and lastings came first, and afterwards gave place to serges of all grades, from "eleven- thread " - the essence of wretchedness - up to the fiuest aud nicest. Brussels fancy patterus came into use for slippers soon after 1850, and still remain popular ; and canvas has long had place for several partic- ular lines of work. The " congress boot " came into vogue in 1846, muider the invention and patent of Charles Winslow. It had a gore of elastic cloth inserted in the ankle. From this the use of rubber goods rapidly penetrated into all the business.
The remarkable changes that have since taken place cannot be pre- cisely located in time, but the best approximations will be given. The first symptom of revolution appeared in the sewing-machine. This came to the front about 1852, but it is hardly known whether the " Singer " or " Grover & Baker " was earliest.
It may be impossible to ascertain exactly the time or the place of the first introduction of this powerful machine into Lynn. Priority has been claimed for William Porter, of Exchange Street; and it is true that the first machine, actually sold in Lynu, stands charged to his name, date June 17, 1862. It is certain that Stephen Oliver, Jr., had a machine in that same month running, without power, at his manufactory on Shepard Street, near the common ; that it was a great novelty, many coming to see it ; and one of the foremen declared that " it would take fifty men to keep out of the way of it,"-that is, it would stitch for that number of finishers. It was one of the first three sent to Lynn, and was taken on trial. Porter's was in the same lot. But whether this was the first or not, it was soon followed by more of its kind, and very soon that manufactory was considered small that did not keep going more than one of them.
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HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.
And now, once on the way, the incoming of machinery was like a flood. Machines for almost every separate act in the making of a shoe appeared, from the cutting of the stiffenings to the burnishing of the heels. Machinery demanded room ; and large factories took the place of little shops. It demanded power ; and heavy steam-engines were put in service, enough, in some cases, to move the wheels of half a dozen separate manufactories. The revival of heeled work had fully arrived in 1855 ; and now no fine or strong styles appeared with- out these attachments. They were not of wood, as in the older times, though this was at first proposed and tried ; but economy had decided for a heel of leather. And now. also, arose the day of " pancake " or " pasted stock ;" a fabric of thin scraps of leather, laid together in stiff paste, and consolidated by pressure. From this the heels were punched at a stroke, though the better sorts were more carefully put together.
The effect of this quick production was to send work out of town for finishing, with such rapidity that the home operatives found them- selves falling short of employment, even sooner than the proverbial fluctuation of the business demanded. They complained loudly ; and, as usually happens with such, they sought to regulate the thing by force, and thus brought on the " Great Strike" of 1860. Intimately connected in the case was the question of better wages ; yet the war- cry of the whole disturbance from the first was, "No more work sent out of Lynn !" Feb. 22, 1860, the whole force (it almost seemed) of all the workmen and workwomen turned out in an immense pro- cession, wearing badges and carrying banners, and marched with musie all over the city in the worst and muddiest of weather. full of faith in their ability to wear out the manufacturers. A squad of ex- perienced policemen were loaned the city from Boston, whom the rioters hated. but dared not attack; for it was known that one or more companies of military, in citizen's dress, were silently waiting at their armories. Gradually the excitement subsided. There had been no outbreak beside the one notieed, beyond a little hustling of police in Central Square on one occasion, for which the leaders were promptly arrested, and all that happened afterward was eonfined to haranguing and discontented talk, which did little harm. The only permanent results appeared in a slightly improved rate of wages, which probably could have been obtained without disturbance, and a decline of the practice of sending away work, which was ecrtain to happen before long, any way.
By a transition not difficult at this point, our history slides from the business of the city to the progress of its people, noting, by the way, that two important waymarks in the path of a better sociality appear just at the date of the incorporation. A desire for a higher opportunity of home education than the grammar schools afforded. led, in 1849, to the establishment of a high school, with facilities for a very advanced course of instruction. Almost at the very same time, an effort had been going forward for the establishment of a suburban cemetery ; and a company having been formed and extensive subscrip- tion obtained, a tract of woodland was purchased of John Alley. 3d, on Boston Street, and laid out by Gen. II. A. S. Dearborn. of Rox- bury. The place was consecrated July 24. 1850, with an oration by the Rev. C. C. Shackford, and original odes by approved writers. After conducting its affairs through many difficulties, the corporation conveyed their whole property to the city of Lynn, Jan. 2. 1854.
Obeying the order of time. we naturally now arrive at the memo- rable year, 1861. Lynn had shared with the whole country the terri- ble anxieties of the opening of that year, with fears for her homes, her sons, and her industries. And when, on Sunday, April 14, the news was carried into all the churches, afternoon, in the hurried whisper, " Anderson has surrendered !" the blood of 1776 and 1812 boiled up hotly in the veins of every citizen. Monday was spent in hurried con- sultation, till in the afternoon the President's proclamation arrived, and then nobody consulted any further. Two companies were ready in five hours after the orders were received, equipped, and waiting. These were the "Lynn Light Infantry," Company D. and the "Lynn City Guards," Company F, 8th Regiment. Of the first, George T. Newhall, captain, with twelve under-officers and sixty men; of the second, James Hudson, Jr., captain, with twelve under-officers and seventy-six men. It was on Monday evening that Capt. Hudson sent to Boston the ever-famous telegram : " We have more men than guns! What shall we do ?"
But the men were ordered forward without waiting for equipment, and next morning, Tuesday, 16th, the infantry moved from their armory on Market Street, corner of Liberty, and joined the guards at Central Square. A train stood ready for them ; and during a slight delay, amid leave-takings and benedictions, another train shot through,
bearing one or two companies from glorious old Marblehead, waving their hats, and cheering, - the first of Massachusetts blood to take the field in this grapple for human liberty. Subscriptions were quickly opened, and before the companies left they had the pleasant informa- tion that six hundred dollars had been raised for the benefit of each of them. From this time, Lynn stood square up to her duty in the case, both as to money and men.
The entire number of men enlisted during the continuance of the struggle was 3,274, or 230 more than her quota. The whole amount of money will probably never be known, but it must have been great. Throughout the trouble, she was sensitive, quick, enthusiastic. Twice, or more, she eovered her common with mass-meetings of citizens, listening to stirring speeches in behalf of the army. Once. on a Sab- bath afternoon, when ministers suspended their services all over the city, and Orthodox, Methodist, Baptist, and Universalist preachers united to awaken new zeal for the final marches against rebellion ; once, when an appeal came northward on a sudden for a quick supply of hospital-stores for the wounded, her people rushed from the churches (for that, too, was on Sunday), and for the rest of that day, and the weck after, made the common-council chamber one storehouse of linen, sick-food, and comforts of all sorts. When the illustrious Lin- coln went to the dead, it fell on her like a palsy ; she draped almost every house in mourning, and sat down in her civic robes to wecp ; yet we had hot blood even then, and one or two foolish ones, who dared mock at the great departed, fared roughly for the time, and only found their safety in a prudent concealment. But when the story came that Vicksburg had fallen, July 7, 1863, her joy was almost madness. From the heights behind the city, one looked over the expanse of her streets, and saw every open square, and prominent point, ablaze with a bonfire. Probably there were some hundreds of them; every loose combustible was seized, even to some ruinous buildings, and the glow was like a con- flagration. Or, again, when came news of Lee's surrender, and we knew the arm of the Rebellion was broken, no man could have pre- dicted the clangor that followed. Every bell that could ring, ring ; every sonorons contrivance went into full and continuous duty. Many of the steam-whistles on the factories screamed at full pressure all day long. Men stood in the churches waiting, and when one was tired at the bell-rope, another was quickly in his place, all ready, and more than willing. There were guns, indeed, and heavy firing ; but it seemed as if that were too gross, and something more vocal was wanted. Men rode through the streets with hand-bells, shouting and ringing as they went. And when it came night, and rest must come, they yielded, as it were, reluctantly, and left the joyful clangor as if they would gladly renew it on the morrow. Yet there was no dis- turbance. One individual, well known in the phrase of the day as a " copperhead," refused to display the American flag from his house on the corner of South Common and Pleasant streets, and even flew into a passion, and trod the banner under his feet. But a rally of smart youngsters drove him into his house, where he locked himself in, while they took possession, and decorated his piazza with all the flags they chose. And when, from time to time, the field-worn veterans eame marching home with thinner ranks and larger memories, no lack was there of civic welcome or private hospitality ; for Lynn knew only too well that Gettysburg and Antietam were only New York and Boston in the emblem, and the brave ones that had broken there the lance of insurrection, had no less turned away its point from her own bosom. And when, in years afterward, she went out on the Day of Memorial to lay the wreaths of May on the graves of the fallen, she freshened the petals with her own tears, and said to her children that they should never forget that these were they who truly served their country.
We are about to take leave, historically, of this interesting city. And as we seem to retire, viewing her more in the distance, we natu- rally east her fair proportions into facts of interest and importance, and reckon up her features as on the morning of the glad day of the American Centennial.
She then had 32,600 people dwelling within her borders. The fluctuating character of the shoe-business cansed a large share of her population to be floating, and her best maximum might not improb- ably be placed as high as 40,000. The thirty-four schools that she had at her incorporation had increased to fifty-nine, and in them were found 4,788 pupils, for the education of each of which she was expend- ing, per annum, $16.87. She had in her almshouse sixty inmates, and she employed twenty-five policemen and eighty-nine firemen. She had spent in the year previous $619,772; she owed $1,824,927 ; her whole valuation was $28,077,803, and upon it she was taxing $1.74 on the $100. She had almost a hundred miles of excellent streets, and
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an electric fire-alarm that worked to perfection. Two prosperous lines of horse-cars traversed her breadth hourly ; and the bankrupt, but strangely vitalized Eastern Railroad, had been supplied with an ally, or a rival, as might prove, in the narrow-gauge road running from Market Street to Boston over Revere Beach. She had lines of coaches running every few hours to almost every near point of any importance. A gas company, from their works at Axey's Point, lighted almost every street, and had done so since Jan. 13, 1853. Four or five weekly newspapers were regularly issued, and the newsboys' ery was as common as in the metropolis.
The comforts of the old city were more than these. She had her free publie library, managed by the city, and kept in the city hall, where she could read any of the 24,982 volumes without charge or hindrance. She had several circulating libraries beside, and private ones, from 6,000 volumes down. A public hospital stood on Water- hill Street, formed of the fine old Phillips mansion, where the sick were tenderly cared for. Numerous lodges of Masons, Odd Fellows, Temperance brotherhoods, and mutual-benefit associations, supplied the reciprocal and fraternal element wherever wanted. A " Choral Union" was in active practice, which eould produce 120 voiees in its chorus, and habitually presented the best oratorios now in use. Three military bands, of some twenty members cach, could serve all pur- poses of the street, and as many small orchestras awaited orders for the dance or concert. Music Hall eould receive nearly 1,500 persons ; had a good stage, and could be worked finely as a theatre. Odd Fellows' Hall, on the site of the old Lyceum Hall, was the model of a lecture-room, with splendid entrances, and capable of seating 1,000. Beside it, on Market Street, was the Academy of Music, well designed for a small theatre, and accommodating 800. In addition to these principals were found Exchange Hall, the best of its kind for assem- blies and receptions, Concert Hall, Cadet, Market, Templars, and Lincoln halls ; and thence to the smaller, - Pleasant, Kossuth, Essex, and Liberty halls, giving abundant accommodation of this kind. Or, in places of saered use, were reckoned, seven Methodist, five Bap-
tist, four Orthodox, two Episcopalian, two Catholic, two Universalist, one Unitarian, one Quaker, and one Christian church, - making twenty-five in all.
Among institutions purely of money, there were the First National Bank, on Exchange Street, the Central National Bank, on Market Street, corner of Summer, and the National City Bank, just opposite, - all of large capital and business. The "Lynn Institution for Savings " had $1,878,825 of deposits, and owned a splending banking-house on Exchange Street, while the " Five Cents Saving Bank," with $1,705,- 122 deposits, had a block on Market Street almost as large.
Seience was not greatly pursued in any social form ; but the "Lynn Natural History Society," composed of young men, had valnable eab- inets and collections on Broad Street, and the " Houghton Hortieult- ural Society " gave remarkably attractive exhibitions annually at Odd Fellows' Hall.
For the close employment of her capital, Lynn has long been remarkable. In 1875, she had $4,560,700 invested, on which she was doing $17,917,487 worth of business. She employed 10,838 people, and paid them $5,287,165. During the year ending Sept. 1, 1864, she made 10,000,000 pairs of shoes, worth $14,000,000. She has few or no large fortunes among her people, and very few abject poor, indeed. The largest estate ever left to inheritance was that of Philip P. Tapley, Esq., and was not quite half a million, while there are thousands of families who own, free and elear, a small, well- finished house, on a quarter-aere lot, with garden and yard-room on all sides of it. She has none of what is called "society "; family pride is at a minimum ; caste, and the spirit of "ring," are almost wholly abjured. The honorable and well-behaved may associate where he will, for he will pass upon his merits only, and his origin or eir- eumstances will hardly be inquired for. Her record in the public couneils might be brighter and nobler than it is ; but the peace of her homes and families, the quiet of her streets, and the order of her assemblies, could hardly become more remarkable, or more attractive, than they are.
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