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 9

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 9

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Beverly Bridge was at once a thing of celebrity, and took rank as a great advance in the methods and appliances of swift and easy

HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

travel. Washington, travelling in New England the next year, made a personal inspection of its arrangements. The story is also told, that a foreign engineer was sent here for the like purpose. At all events, it was found a piece of remarkably good and satisfactory building, and the convenience of its draw was such that the only hindrance to navigation was that of the few minutes required to open and close it. The charter was drawn to run for seventy years, with a complete reversion of the franchise, property, and rights to the public at the expiration of that period. This, therefore, happened in 1858, when the whole was freed of tolls and thrown open to the people. The Hon. Robert Rantoul, of Beverly, then eighty years old, walked over it on the day of its freedom, as he had donc seventy years before, when, a lad of ten, he had passed over it at its first opening.

Few other bridges in the county can compare in interest with those spanning the Merrimac. Originally, and for a seemingly long time, they were but few in number, - only one or two; but since then they have multiplied, till the river is almost as much covered with them as the Thames at London.

The earliest of these structures appears to have been that at Deer Island, generally called the " Chain Bridge." It was incorporated in 1792, by the name of the " Essex Merrimac Bridge," and was finished and opened to public travel in November of that year. From some cause it was wholly or partially destroyed after this, but was rebuilt in 1810. There was then provided in it a commodious draw, operated by chain gear ; while from the fact that the southern part of the bridge is a true suspension structure, the popular name of the whole seems to be derived. It is stated that this was the first chain draw in New Eng- land ; but from what we have already observed as to the age of Bev- erly Bridge, and the probable similarity of the two structures, it is difficult to understand how this could be. This bridge, still useful, is in two parts, with the considerable tract of Deer Island between them ; the northern portion, joining Salisbury, being a substantial structure of strongly framed wood, comprising one broad arch, a draw, and platform beyond, with stone piers. The southern, or New- buryport section, is an open suspension, with span of say 250 feet, from heavy link chains, hanging from substantial towers of stone. This bridge was kept and managed for forty years by Ebenezer Pear- son, prominently known in the memorable mock robbery of Good- rich ; but in latter time, the tavern house that he occupied on Deer Island, where the tolls were paid, has passed into the possession of the Hon. Richard S. Spofford, who, with his talented literary lady, the well known Mrs. Harriet Prescott Spofford, finds here a delightful summer residence. As in the case of nearly every other large bridge, this was hailed with all praise at its completion, as a remark- able mechanical achievment ; and without doubt it really was a struct- ure of great elegance and success.

The next bridge in point of antiquity seems to be that at Haverhill, connecting with the present town of Bradford. This was incorpo- rated as the " Proprietors of Haverhill Bridge," in 1794, the structure being finished in the autumn of that year. The construction here, too, has been greatly praised, and it was, no doubt, a work of great strength and excellence. But it seems never to have met all the wants of the people, since, as already observed, the ancient ferry at the same point has never been wholly displaced by it.

Next we find a bridge, built in 1795, at the " Rocks Village," between Haverhill and West Newbury. This is supposed to be the same situation as that of the old ferry at " Holt's Rocks." The bridge was the longest of all upon the river ; but the amount of travel realized was discouragingly small. Other routes brought a ruinous competition against it, and, after a time, the proprietors gave up making further repairs. In 1818, occurred a great freshet on the river, and the accumulated ice took off what remained of the old structure. After this it remained in ruins for about ten years; but in 1828 a fresh interest in it became excited, and the bridge was at length rebuilt. It yet remains in service, and forms the chief means of communication

between West Newbury and the villages on the northerly shore of the river.

No other connections seem to have been placed over the stream till 1826, when the growing population and business importance of Newburyport came to demand a more direct and commodious opening with the north and east than could be realized by means of the old " Chain Bridge " at Deer Island. Efforts were therefore made, result- ing in the chartering of the "Newburyport Bridge," in 1826. It was immediately built, and like all the rest, was first ready in autumn, having been opened for travel September 1, 1827. It was an under- taking of no small magnitude, being considerably longer than any other bridge on the river, built in relatively deeper water, and more exposed to the injurious action of the tidal and other currents. It was, however, completed with entire success, making direct connec- tion from the Salisbury side, with the foot of Summer Street, New- buryport. The original cost was stated at $70,000.

In 1870, the inhabitants of Groveland, favored by the peculiar curvature of the river at their town, pressed anew their claim for a bridge from thence to the Haverhill shore. The point contemplated was the site of Milliken's old " Chain Ferry," which had always been well patronized ; and so good a case did they succeed in making, that an Act was at length obtained for the erection of a new bridge at that situation. It was forthwith erected, under the direction of the county commissioners, and now stands as one of the finest constructions of the kind in New England. The work was begun March 29, 1871, under charge of Col. Coffin, of Newburyport. The stone piers, five in number, designed by C. A. Putnam, of Salem, were built by Blaisdell & Parker, of Rockport. The superstructure is an iron tubular work, with 126 feet in each of the six spans, and a draw of 68 feet, 804 feet of floor, and 25 feet clear width. This part of the work was executed by the King Iron Bridge Company, of Cleveland, O., from designs by C. G. Force, their own engineer. The testing and formal inauguration were had on Wednesday, April 10, 1872, when the deflection of one of the spans, under a weight of thirty tons, centrally placed, was found to be but thirteen-sixteenths of an inch. The warranty is 3,000 pounds to the lineal foot.

The total cost of this fine bridge was $84,962.70; which being divided into sixty parts, the county of Essex paid twenty-seven, the city of Haverhill nineteen, the town of Groveland nine, and the town of West Newbury six. The accommodation to the people of the region is considered remarkably great ; and the day of inaugura- tion was warmly observed with dinners, speeches and jubilation by those of the vicinity. Efforts to the same end had been made in 1834, '35, and '36 ; but the local influence of Haverhill, and specially of the proprietors of Haverhill Bridge, prevented all success. In fact, it probably could not have been done when it was, but that the Legislature, by Stat. 1867, chap. 296, extinguished all bridge corpora- tions and made all such structures public highways. This action has rendered practicable many things that private interests would always have obstructed, no matter how much needed for the public good.

Mention is also due to the Andover Bridge, now lying wholly within the city of Lawrence. Had we treated these cases in strict order of time, this should have been found near the head of the list, being the second of the Merrimac bridges in point of age. It had its incorporation in March, 1793, and appears to have been erected at once ; but it met with destruction in about seven years, from causes not stated, but of which ice is the most probable. After an interval of disuse, the proprietors decided to rebuild, and did so in 1806-7, since which the bridge has had as large a share of business, perhaps, as almost any other in the country. It is entitled to peculiar notice from its rather unusual connection with the turnpike enterprises of later date.

The Essex Company, of Lawrence, owning large tracts of land on both sides of the river, long desired to establish communication be- tween the sections, more convenient than was afforded by the old

HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

Andover bridge above them. For this purpose it was finally decided to erect a new bridge over the river near the lower part of the city. It was accordingly built at a point immediately east of the Duck Mills, with a street running almost due south, to intersect both branches of the old Andover turnpike. This bridge is a rather light and graceful structure of wood, and of the common construction ; that is, a platform bridge upon piers. It offers large accommodation for the residents of South Lawrence, and indeed for all approaching the city from that side ; but being wholly within the city, has not been made a public or county charge.

A remark may be here made as to the Newburyport Bridge, since its aspect is now so unlike what it was. After the passage of the Eastern Railroad, which raised its own bridge on the piers of the old, and above the carriage-way, it long continued in this double form. But in 1868 the railroad was transferred to a new bridge somewhat to the west, and afterwards the old structure, being nearly ruined by ice on the Salisbury side, was rebuilt and now appears as an elegant open platform, very pleasant and graceful indeed.

After this outline deseription of the bridges, and river passages of the county, we pass naturally to a further view of its highways themselves. In the century from 1700 to 1800, they had improved from mere bridle-paths, in many cases, up to the grade of excellent publie thoroughfares, mostly wide and convenient, and built of mate- rials, and with a degree of care and skill that made them the admira- tion of all who knew them. Especially was this true, as it still is, of the roads in the southern section of the county. Northward, the extensive terrace-lands bordering the Merrimac on both sides, consist of sandy or gravelly material, usually re-arranged, and having but little of cohesive property remaining. Ways constructed of this, though soft and easy for foot passage, or for beasts, prove too yielding for the pressure of heavy wheels, and extensive and frequent repairs are necessary, even where macadamizing is resorted to. For in the region of the river a broad formation of slaty rock occurs, which, while it is too soft for a substantial track is yet, in most cases, the only rock within practicable reach. But in the southern townships the rock has a very different constitution. The south-west affords a hard, angular porphyry, or felsite, breaking down almost sponta- neously, into a material known as " blue gravel," whose binding or cohesive power is perhaps greater than that of any other stone. Roads of this substance, laid on a firm foundation of large, coarse stones, well bedded, are able to resist almost any of our severest frosts ; and at most seasons of the year offer a surface for driving nearly as hard as a pavement, and as smooth as a plank floor. Such ways are common in Saugus, Lynn, Swampscott, and Marblehead. Eastward from this the roeks are found to range through the wide series of diorites and metamorphic granitoid types, which break easily for the purposes of road-making, and settle to a firm condition with nearly as much of durability and evenness as the preceding. These styles appear in Nahant, Salem, Beverly, and eastward to Cape Ann, also northwardly, near the coast, as far as Newbury.

The middle section of the county rests much upon rocks of horn- bleudie character ; which, though working to a good form, and bind- ing well in a roadway, are yet somewhat too soft for a very durable surface. Yet the roads thereabout are mostly excellent, being kept up by constant and intelligent attention. Lynnfield, Middleton, and Boxford are here included. There is still another small belt of terri- tory, lying between the last and the Merrimac terraces, and particu- larly including Andover and North Andover, which has for a founda- tiou a strong, well-characterized gneiss, as well suited to this purpose as the best of granite. Its influence on the style and condition of the highways is immediately seen on arriving upon it. A large share of this material seems to be employed in and about Lawrence, as the rock itself is for building ; and hence the streets, though really lying on the Merrimae gravel, have a solidity not otherwise obtainable.

From these facts of natural provision, joined to the well-proved

disposition of her citizens for the thorough and substantial execution of all work related to the public interest, it has come about that the roads of Essex County have always enjoyed an enviable fame for directness, hard and even surface, and easy grades. It is true that there are no mountains, and but few large hills to interrupt the best prog- ress of the engineer, and the traveller after him ; that there are few spring floods felt here, and sudden torrents do not, at any time, make serious aggressions on the lines of communication ; yet the construct- or has an antagonist that if silent and slow, is yet not less able, at times, to put him to his last resort for defence against him. The heavy and uncontrollable frosts of this region, penetrating, not rarely, seven or eight feet below the surface in the winter time, are often able to shake and shiver the firmest bedding that a road ean have, moving stone upon stone, and leaving the best-rolled gravels, at the break-up of spring, only a mass of uncertain consistenee, loose as a honey-comb, and disappointing to all the hopes of an engineer, almost as the progress of subterranean fires.

Yet all the natural hindrances existing in the case, whether as cli- matic or geological, did not answer to deter the people of New Eng- land from attempting, about the beginning of this century, the con- struction of a still higher style of roads than had yet been enjoyed, or from putting thereon a more rapid, commodious, and improved form of transportation than any before in use. The energetic and celebrated merchant of Salem, William Gray, with the almost as cele- brated Dr. Edward A. Holyoke, and the eminent Nathan Dane, with two or three more, determined on a better mode of communication from Boston to Salem. Turnpikes were then not unknown in Europe ; but they had not been thoroughly perfected, even there ; and in Amer- ica the instances of any such construction must have been rare indeed. Neither Macadam nor Telford were in the field, nor yet for some years afterward ; but the merchants of Salem determined to see what could be done toward a better-built and more direct road than any one else seems to have imagined. They therefore obtained an incorporation, March 6, 1802, as the " Salem Turnpike and Chelsea Bridge Corpora- tion," and began their work at Salem, near "Pickering's Pen," Junc 7, 1802. The whole route was worked in about sixteen months ; and the material and tools, left over, and sold at auction after completion, October 27, 1803, realized $3,200. The road was fairly opened for travel, September 22, 1803, when, for the first time, a man could drive his carriage from the head of Essex Street, Salem, to Charles- town Square, by a line almost mathematically straight, over a distance of 12 miles and 256 rods. The whole work had cost $189,000.

Not a great deal of deep cutting was done on this route, but the filling was heavy in some parts of the Great Pasture, requiring em- bankments with stone facings, many yards in height and many rods in extension. Yet the difficulty that caused most anxiety was the cross- ing of the marshes of Lynn and Sangus, where few believed a firm road-bed could ever be made and preserved. But it seems as if, in the absence of fresher counsel nearer home, the projectors turned to the example of the Hollanders, and adopted the same foundation for their road as the others for their long-enduring dikes. At least a similar method was employed, and cords upon cords of brushwood were laid down upon the soft and yielding marsh soil, for a basis for the ponderous embankment that was afterward piled upon them. No material amount of sinkage was ever observed, though the marsh was known to be little more than a sponge, and one witness swore to hav- ing thrust a pole into it twenty-five feet perpendicularly. For this construction, gigantic for that day, the hills of Chelsea furnished abundance of gravel; and the cutting through these is about all to be found on the route.

Three tolls were collected between the extremes of this road ; gate No. 1 being in the Great Pasture, some two miles from Salem ; No. 2 at the "Halfway House" on Breed's Island, in Saugus; and the third on the long bridge over Mystic River, at Chelsea. Not many,

HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

probably, of the ordinary travellers, had occasion to pass all these barriers ; but many from Lynn and its numerous villages found them- selves obliged to make two offerings before reaching Boston. It was such an unexpected demand that fell, one raw November after- noon, on the ears of Samuel Mulliken and Jeremiah Bulfinch, who had ridden from Lynn on business, mutually sharing expenses. It was but for six cents, yet neither would pay it, nor half of it, either ; and after long contention they turned and rode home, chilled through, but each glorying in having had his own way.

The charter of the Salem Turnpike provided that the road should he free when the receipts amounted to a certain sum, and the bridge at Chelsea at the expiration of seventy years. Before the expiration of the full time, however, the helief obtained that not only this but all the roads and bridges in the county ought to be made free of charge to the people, and the feeling culminated in the passage of the statute of 1868, chapter 309, which declared them thus free, and provided for an adjustment of expenses among the county and towns. The whole business under the Act was completed in a few months, and then - 6th of November, 1869 - the gates were finally swung open, and the lantern at the Halfway House that for sixty-six years had been an un- failing beacon to every night-wanderer over the marshes, swinging in storm or shine, so surely to cast its yellow ray all night long over the tedious miles of level roadway, the true old lantern itself failed and shove no more and no longer. But to temper the poetic sadness of the thought came the far grander consciousness that even in this loss was the greater gain of free travel to every soul throughout the county, the more beneficent abolition of the toll-rates and charges over every road and bridge in the domain of the fathers of Essex. For these tolls had amounted to no trifling sum. During the year 1805, there were received at Gate No. 1, near Salem, tolls to the comfortable figure of $5,300.

The Salem Turnpike was only one of a vast number of similar enterprises, whose predominating popularity gave character to their particular day and time. Such, more or less similar, were to be found at that time all over New England, and, doubtless, all over the United States. Two more such splendid roads were chartered the next spring. One of these was part of a still larger operation, intended to connect all the eastern country with Boston by the best turnpike facilities. A great road of this kind was laid out from New Hampshire, through Methuen, to Andover Bridge, thence through Andover and Reading to Boston. At the bridge, however, a large branch was divided, which ran sonth-easterly through North Andover and Middleton to Danvers, and thus entered Salein, bringing a col- lateral share of all its benefits to the lap of the ancient settlement. This road is yet in excellent condition, and seems to have been remarkably well constructed; but the facts of interest in its history seem few, and not now readily obtainable.

Another turnpike, more remarkable in some respects than either, was chartered nearly at the same time with the last. It was remark- able for its daring projection, for its persevering execution, and its almost total want of usefulness afterward .. Perhaps it was meant as a sort of offset to the Andover Turnpike ; for being chartered to come from State Street. Newburyport, to Malden Bridge, "by as nearly a straight line as practicahle," it might have hoped to bring more of the eastern trade and patronage to Boston than the other could divert from it. But no such hope was ever realized, whether entertained or not. Great expectations had been raised to induce subscribers to take up the stock ; but after the road had been once finished, all faith in it seemed to expire, and the only sale of shares ever made afterward, it is said, occurred when the president, very indignant at the discourag- ing remarks of a stockholder, pompously offered to take his invest- ment off his hands, and was quickly taken at his word. The road is yet in being, and it is said that the section nearest Newburyport did indeed pay tolerable earnings ; hut the rest, neglected and disused, now looks a "modern ruin" for miles and miles, suggesting some

greatness, certainly, but so vaguely, that one can hardly guess what the greatness may have ever beeu.

This road, some thirty miles in length, was truly made as " straight as practicable." This seemed the ruling idea. With the projectors, a straight route was a near route ; and thus, though they found good even grades in Saugus and Lynnfield, they forced their way over the steep hills of Topsfield, resolutely surmounting grades that were really frightful. Four great ridges were there passed over in close succes- sion, besides many others of less note, in utter forgetfulness that the distance over a hemisphere is just equal to that round one side of its base, and many times harder for any species of travel. It is singular to observe, at this day, what splendid plans were included under the working of this road. A large hotel was built at South Lynnfield, the road was there, for about a mile, laid out of double width, to serve for a trotting-ground, and ample sailing facilities on Suntaug Lake were added to the attractions. Similar works were projected at other points, but not, perhaps, ever fully brought forth ; for the basis of all success was to be the stage travel, and this fell flat at the very outset. A single winter's experience was enough to warn any driver to beware of the dangers of those enormous grades ; and even in the best days of summer, a stumbling horse or a broken axle, while descending one of those declivities, was not to be thought of without a shudder. Several accidents did happen, and at length it proved impossible to engage drivers who would attempt to go over the whole route. And now the stranger passes along its track for miles, wondering why so good a road was ever made where there were no more people ; what patronage there ever could have been for those great hotels, and what could have ever paid for the beautiful stone arch that spans the Ips- wich River, or the equally substantial structure that brings it across the Parker. The grass, in many places, springs between its ruts ; the bushes are every season encroaching on its margins ; and thus it lies, right through the centre of the county, a long line of admonition and counsel, teaching all to beware of ill-considered enterprises, and not to risk the fruits of honest industry for the dazzle of a fancied scheme, or the glitter of a happy possibility.

The only other turnpike in the county, to which notice need be given, is the short one by which access was secured for the public fram Newburyport to Plum Island. It is only a few miles in length, terminating at the hotel on the island, but includes in that distance a bridge of considerable length and importance, spanning Plum Island River. not far from its opening into the Merrimac. This road was first opened to the public in July, 1805, and was really a work of enterprise and credit.

Before leaving the subject of turnpike roads, it is necessary that something should be said of the peculiar style of travel they were devised to accommodate and promote. The stage-coach was, in its day, as great an advance, perhaps, upon the prevailing modes of tran- sit as the railroad-car was, in later time, upon the stage ; at all events, it thoroughly revolutionized all extended travel, and gave an aspect, never before observed, to all the world of out-door civilization. The first stage-coach in the county, drawn by four horses, was established in 1774. It was set up by Ezra Lunt, and connected Newburyport with Boston, via Salem. It made three round trips per week, leaving its termini on alternate days. There was a smaller coach, drawn by two horses, that had then been running two or three years between Boston and Portsmouth, N. H., but the proprietor's name is not remembered. Bnt, according to Rantoul, "systematic staging began here about 1796, and in this business Benjamin Hale, of Newburyport, seems to have heen a pioneer." Judge Henry Elkins, of Wenham, Dr. Nehemiah Cleveland, of Topsfield, and others less known, are named as early promoters of this great and growing industry. In 1818, an incorporation was obtained as the " Eastern Stage Company," and this from the State of New Hampshire, though the business was really to extend under the wings of two States beside. They had a capital of four hundred and twenty-five shares, of $100 each. They

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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 9

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