USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Haverhill > The history of Haverhill, Massachusetts, from its first settlement, in 1640, to the year 1860 > Part 50
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The grateful tidings were welcomed by loud and repeated huzzas ; by the peal of bells and the thunder of Artillery and Musketry. The coun- tenances of our citizens were universally brightened with joy. Wednesday being the anniversary sally of that glorious day which gave to the Ameri- can people their political Saviour, was unanimously fixed upon for the purpose of commemorating the incxpressibly auspicious event which has so suddenly diffused a cheering light over the clouded aspect of our coun- try. At sunrise bells and cannon began to speak our joy ; and excepting short intervals, continued their animating eloquence through the day. Flags were flying in different parts of the town, - the stores were gener- ally shut -- and the inhabitants one and all, gave themselves to pleasure. At 10 o'clock a procession was formed at the Bridge, and arranged by the Marshals of the day. Majors Duncan, White, and Harding, in the fol- lowing order :
First Marshal, Haverhill Light Infantry attended with a Band of Music, Magistrates of the Town, Justices of the Peace, Clergy, Military Officers, Marshal, Citizens, Marshal.
The Procession having first moved through the street parallel to the river procceded to the Rev. Mr. Dodge's Meeting House, where the Treaty of Peace was read to a crowded and attentive assembly, and the throne of Grace successively addressed, in a solemn and interesting manner, by the Rev. Mr. Dodge and the Rev. Mr. Bachelder, rendering thanksgiving and praise to the Almighty Director of human events that he had graciously permitted our distressed country to repose from the tumult and horrors of war.
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The audience was gratified also with the performance of several pieces of music happily selected for the occasion. After religious services the procession returned to the bridge, where some difficult evolutions were handsomely performed, and a feu de joie fired by the Light Infantry.
In the evening the town exhibited one universal blaze of splendor. Almost every house and store in town, and the dwelling houses of Mr. Chadwick on the opposite side of the river were brightly illuminated.
In many windows the lights were so disposed as to form distinct and beautiful figures. Where all was excellent it is difficult to discriminate ; but were we to decide, we should say that the houses of Major Duncan, Dr. Saltonstall, Sheriff Bartlett, and Hon. Leonard White, were particu- larly distinguished for their brilliancy and beauty. Numerous beautiful transparencies, with appropriate mottoes and decorations, were exhibited in various places. The streets were constantly thronged with people. During the evening, a highly illuminated structure having, for its base, a large arch bearing the inscription " Peace" in large capitals, -and this arch surmounted by several small towers rising and diminishing to a point, - and from every part declaring in 'expressive silence' the sentiments of the people, was borne through the streets, accompanied by a band of music. The lights were extinguished at nine o'clock, and the evening was closed with the display of fireworks from the Bridge."
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CHAPTER XXVI.
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1815 TO 1840.
A HISTORY of the rise and progress of the shoe manufacturing business in this town, includes, to a very great extent, the history of the town itself, from the close of the war of 1812, until the present time. But as it seems most proper that we should consider this branch of our town's in- dustry by itself, we propose, in this and the next chapter, to make note only of such other matters as seem worthy of special mention in a work of this kind and extent ; and, in the chapter immediately following, give our attention exclusively to the business and business growth of the town during the period above mentioned.
The Merrimack Intelligencer, for February -, 1815, notes the death of John Green, " the oldest man in town."
In 1815, the " old Ferry Way " was laid out as a public town landing, about fourteen rods in width. The same year the East Parish central school district was erected, making in all seven school districts in the town, viz. : one each in the First and North Parishes, three in the West Parish, and two in the East Parish. The year previous, each district was required to choose a clerk, to keep a regular record of its proceedings.
The large pile of buildings known as the Bannister Block, were erected this season. The two western stores were owned by David How, the next two by James Duncan, Esq., and the remainder by Wm. B. Bannister, Esq., of Newburyport. The twenty inch brick walls, and massive floor timbers of these stores, present a striking contrast when compared with the light and elegant structures of more recent times.
One ship, The Thorn, was launched this year. She had been sleeping on the stocks nearly all the time of the war. After the war, the only ves- sels built in town, were those built at the yard above the bridge. Previous to the war, there were three ship-yards in the village in successful opera- tion, and a large number of persons were employed in the various branches of the business. David Webster built for many years in the yard nearly opposite the cemetery ; Barnard Goodridge in the yard where the house of the late Hon. Leonard White now stands; and a Mr. Kendrick nearly
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opposite the foot of How Street. The last vessel built at the lower yard, was by Nicholas Colby, for Moses Gale, shortly before the war. The last one built just below the bridge, was The Thorn, launched in 1815, and which had been on the stocks for a long time. It was built by Mr. Good- ridge, who afterward took the yard above the bridge. From this time, until 1840, the last named yard was the only one in town, and during the most of that time was in active operation. From about 1835, the business was carried on by Captain William Caldwell, who built in that time five vessels. The last one built by him, (and which was the last one in the town,) was the North Bend, measuring about four hundred tons, and launched November 19th, 1840." The last vessel built at Cottle's Creek, was probably the one built by Thomas Cottle, in 1752. The last built at the Rocks' Village, was about the year 1800, or perhaps a little earlier.
Although but few vessels have been built in this town since the war of 1812, large quantities of ship timber have, until within a few years, been annually sent from here to supply the yards of Salisbury, Newburyport, and other places. Small quantities continue to be annually sent down the river, but the supply is nearly exhausted, and the business must soon cease altogether.
The 23d of September, 1815, will long be remembered for the violence of a gale since called the " September Gale." It commeneed about nine o'clock in the morning, in this town, and continued till two in the after- noon. The air was filled with the limbs of trees, leaves, and a salt spray blown from the Ocean, which encrusted the east side of the buildings, and there remained for some days. The water in the river tasted extremely brackish ; and the east side of many trees which withstood the fury of the gale, were killed with the salt spray, as is supposed.
Many of our readers will doubtless recollect the vivid poetic description of this memorable gale, which appeared soon after. The following speci- men verses are all we can afford room for in this place : -
" It chanced to be our Washing Day ; - The clothes were all a drying ; The stormy winds came through the lines, And set 'em all a flying.
I saw the shirts and petticoats Go riding off like witches ; That day I lost, - ah, how I wept - I lost - my Sunday breeches."
° Capt. Caldwell was for many years one of our most active and enterprising business men. He died in January, 1842, aged 59.
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As early as 1797, the attention of the towns bordering on the Merri- mack was directed to the obstructions in the river, which interfered with its navigation above this village ; and a subscription was started for the purpose of rendering the river navigable for boats and rafts as far as Paw- tucket falls. Newburyport subscribed upwards of $1,200, and this town and others united in the project, but the full importance of the plan seems not to have been realized, and the scheme was abandoned. About the year 1815, the subject was again agitated, and it was proposed to cut a canal from Hunt's Falls (Pawtucket Falls) to the Little River in this town. The merchants of Newburyport and of this town took hold of the matter in earnest, and in May, 1816, an act of incorporation was obtained for a company, under the name of "Proprietors of an Association for Clearing and Locking the Falls in the river Merrimac." A survey was made by Laomi Baldwin, and it was found that there was only about forty to forty-two feet fall between the two points. The estimated cost was $240,000. A subscription was opened which finally reached about $130,000, and for several years the enterprise was pushed forward vigor- ously .. But finding it impossible to raise the sum necessary by subscrip- tions, a proposition was made to establish a bank, and invest $100,000 of its capital in the proposed canal. For this purpose, application was made to the General Court, in 1826, for a charter, under the name of The Canal Bank ; but the Middlesex canal drew the favor of the Legislature from the object, and thus a large portion of the inland trade was diverted from its most natural channel, to build up Boston. Had the plan suc- ceeded, it was expected that Haverhill would have become a large manu- facturing city, and Newburyport a place of extensive commercial importance.
The summers of 1816 and 1817 were unusually cold, and were followed ky very early frosts, by which most of the small corn crop was destroyed.º
In the fall of 1816, a violent wind passed over some of the neighbor- ing towns, and over the westerly part of this. The house of Ladd Haseltine was demolished, and his son, Jonathan, was killed by the falling chimney. Some other buildings were also blown down, many others dam- aged, and fences and trees prostrated.
In the spring of 1818, occurred one of the most remarkable freshets recorded in the history of the Merrimack towns. The snow had been suddenly melted by a violent rain, and the water rushed down the valley
o A Mr. Walker, of Peacham, Vt., being lost in the woods on the 8th of June, and lying out through the night, was so severely frost bitten as to require the amputation of one of his great toes !
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of the Merrimack with the greatest fury, tearing up the ice, which was nearly two feet thick, with the noise and convulsions of an earthquake. Driven into immense dams, the ice rolled and flew about in every possible direction. The river was raised twenty-one feet above common high water mark ; the country around inundated ; buildings were removed, and de- stroyed; cattle and sheep drowned ; and ruin spread on every side. The noble bridge across the Merrimack at the Rocks' Village, became a total wreck, and its fragments were soon lost to sight in the angry and resist- less flood. The appalling sublimity of " the great freshet of 1818," will never be forgotton by those who witnessed its desolating march.
In 1818, the town treasurer was made collector of taxes, and discounts were allowed for voluntary payments to him, similar to those made at the present time. After the taxes were made out and delivered to the treas- urer, he was to advertise the fact, and all who voluntarily paid their tax within thirty days, were allowed a discount of six per cent. ; those who paid within sixty days, were allowed four per cent. ; and on those paid within one hundred and twenty days, the discount was two per cent. Those not paid within one hundred and twenty days, were passed over to the collector, who was obliged to collect them within three months, or pay them himself.
The same year, Pleasant Street was laid out ; and "Pecker's Lane " widened. Winter Street was then known as " the back road to Hale's Mills."
In March, (1818) a stage company was organized in town, under the name of " The Haverhill and Boston Stage Company," with a capital of $4,200, and went into immediate operation. In 1831, their eapital had increased to $28,900. It continued until the opening of railroad commu- nication with Boston, in 1837, when the name was changed to " The Northern and Eastern Stage Company." The introduction of the easy and rapid-moving railway car, with its tireless " iron horse," soon super- ceded, to a large extent, the lumbering stage-coach, with its horses of flesh ; and the latter rapidly withdrew beyond the reach of its powerful rival, - as the red man withdrew from the presence of the " pale face," -to find a temporary resting-place around the borders of the higher civilization.
As we have already seen, the attention of the town had frequently been directed to the importance of finding out the most consistent and econom- ical plan for supporting their poor, and several methods had been tried, and abandoned. In 1817, the subject again came up for consideration, and a committee was chosen to consider the propriety of purchasing or hireing a
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poor-house. The matter continued in abeyance until 1820, when the town voted to purchase the farm of Thomas Cogswell, situated about a mile and three-fourths east of the bridge, for that purpose. The price paid was $1,500, and a further sum of $500 was appropriated for stock and utensils. Various additions and improvements have from time to time been made to the land and buildings, until our "Town Farm " is now among the best in the Commonwealth.
Previous to 1820, taxes were abated only in town meetings, but in that year the assessors and selectmen were invested with power to abate such as they deemed it just and proper should be abated. The same power is , still vested in the assessors.
About the same time the selectmen were annually granted power to draw jurymen, without, as before, calling a town meeting for that pur- pose.
From the report of a committee, chosen to re-bound what is now called Main Street, we learn that it was at this time (1820) known as " Broad Street." The name of " Water Street " appears to have been applied to the whole of the river street from Little River bridge to Mill Brook. Little River Bridge was designated as " West Bridge."" Among the names of streets at this time, we find How Street, Primrose road, Pecker road, Sargeant's road, and Jew Street.
In 1820, a convention was called for the purpose of revising the State Constitution. The delegates from this town to the convention, were, Bailey Bartlett, Moses Wingate, and Charles White.
The Fourth of July, 1821, was celebrated in quite a patriotic manner by the citizens of this town. A procession was formed at Masonic Hall, on Water Street, and marched to "Rev. Mr. Dodge's Meeting House," where the Declaration of Independence was read by James Duncan, Esq., and an oration delivered by James H. Duncan, Esq. After the exercises at the meeting-house, the procession re-formed, and marched to " Kendall's Hotel," where a bountiful dinner was properly disposed of, followed by patriotic toasts. In the evening there was a display of fireworks, the programme for which we copy in full from the Haverhill Gazette of June 30th, 1821 : -
" In the evening there will be a display of Fireworks in front of the Rev. Mr. Dodge's Meetinghouse, to commence at 9 o'clock, in the follow- ing order: - Part 1st. Rockets. A Wheel. A Shower of Rockets.
" Little River was formerly called West River, in distinction from the principal stream in the East Parish, which was known as East River. The name Little River appears to have been taken from the Indian deed of the town, where it is used to distinguish this stream from the Great River.
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Cupid's escape from a Hornet's nest. Rockets. Part 2d. A Wheel. Rockets. A Wheel. A Shower of Rockets. Cupid's escape from a Hornet's nest."
In December of the same year, a clock was placed in the tower of the First Parish meeting-house. When the new edifice was erected, in 1837, the elock was repaired and placed in its tower, at the town's expense, where it continued to mark the passing hours until, with the building itself, it was consumed by fire, January 1, 1847.
In 1821, the Second Baptist Society was organized, and a neat and commodious house of worship erected the following year.
In 1823, the First Universalist Society was organized, and two years later, a new brick meeting-house was erected for their use, on Summer street.
In 1824, a brick chapel was erected for the Christian Society, on Wash- ington square, and completed in the fall of that year.
An indication of the growth of the town about this time, is also found in the number of new streets laid out and accepted. In 1824, How, Pleasant, Spring, and Stage streets were accepted ; and Summer street extended to Kent's lane. What is now Stage street was formerly known as Colby's lane, from a Mr. Colby, a tanner, who lived on the south-east corner of the street. His tan-yard was a few rods up the street, on the east side. John Woodman succeeded Colby in his business, and continued to use the yard until he purchased the Mill street property, after which the pits were taken up, and the place transformed into a garden.
After the Rocks' Bridge was carried away, in 1818, the town leased the old ferry at that place to Col. John Johnson, at a rent of $44 a year. The town of West Newbury also leased the ferry to other parties, claim- ing at least an equal share in it with this town. After considerable negotiation and delay, the matter was finally settled, in 1825, by cach town leasing its right to the same person.
In 1825, the Haverhill bridge was repaired and covered ; since which time it has undergone but little change, excepting the addition of an out- side foot-path on the east side, some improvements in the draw, and the insertion of extra timbers in the arches.
In February, 1826, a remarkable influenza prevailed in many of the towns in New England, and even in the middle and southern States. In this town, many whole families were confined to their houses. The editor of the Gazette, for February 25, reports that four of his printers were on the siek list, and the paper was only got out through the assistance of a hand from Boston. In Newburyport, it was estimated, three out of every
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five families were more or less afflicted ; and in Boston, at least three thousand persons were suffering from the disorder.
The proposition for a division of Essex County was again agitated about this time, and, in April, 1826, this town took a formal vote upon the matter. Although two hundred and forty-one votes were cast in town for a Governor that year, only sixty-four votes were polled upon the above proposition, and but nine of that small number were in favor of a division. The county was not divided.
Toward the latter part of July, 1826, the people of the town were not a little excited by the reports of several well known persons that a " wild man " had been seen in the woods in the town, who always fled when discovered. Supposing that it must be a man named Andrew Frink, who had, about two weeks previously, suddenly disappeared, in a fit of insan- ity, and for whose recovery a general turn-out and search of the town had been already made, a large hunting party was made up, and after a long search, and great exertions, succeeded in finding and capturing the man. He proved not to be Mr. Frink, but literally a wild man of the woods. It was supposed from his appearance that he was some unfortunate, who, having perhaps met with disappointment in life, had, in a fit of insanity, fled from society.º
On Wednesday, August 1st, of the same year, there was a great fall of hail in the easterly part of the town. It appeared as if two clouds met at the Great Pond, and then swept round by the East Parish meeting- house leaving a track of about one mile wide, in which the ground was literally covered with hail. The trees, corn, and grass were badly dam- aged, and several persons severely pelted with the hail-stones. Some idea of the quantity of hail that fell may be gathered from the fact that eight days afterward, Mr Daniel Johnson picked up, from a heap then two and a half feet high, a basket of the hail-stones, and carried them to the vil- lage for exhibition. The pile was found at the foot of a hill, from which the stones had rolled against the fence. When first seen the pile was so high as to cover the fence. Heaps of the hail were visible eleven days afterward; although exposed to the full heat of an August sun.
In 1826, two maiden ladies, Lydia and Abigail Marsh, both natives and residents of the town, gave half an acre of land, on the north side of what is now Winter Street, as a site for an Academy. The fine brick structure now occupied for our High School was at once erected, and was
" The body of Mr. Frink was found, about six weeks after his disappearance, in " Snow's Brook," (Fishing River) about two miles north-west from the village. As he disappeared while in the delirium of A fever, it was supposed that he stumbled and fell into the brook, and was too weak to rise again.
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formally dedicated on the 30th of April, 1827, and opened as an Academy. Among the dedicatory exercises, were an oration by Hon. Leverett Salton- stall, of Salem, and an original ode, by John G. Whittier, of this town. The building is two stories high, sixty-two feet in length, thirty-three fect in breadth, has a cupola, and is furnished with a superior toned bell. The Institution was incorporated the same year, and from that time, until 1841, continued in successful operation. In the latter year, the First District High School was organized, and the Academy building leased for its usc.
This mention of the Academy; and its plain but really elegant building, will doubtless awaken a variety of emotions among our readers. Many will remember the pleasant scenes and incidents of their academic years, and their cye will moisten as they think of the havoc which Old Time has made among their class-mates. Some were called early to rest; others battled manfully for a time among the temptations, cares, and checkered fortunes of life, but one by one they have sunk exhausted by the wayside, and but a straggling few remain to drop a tear to their memory. The large and pleasant Hall of the Academy was for many years a favorite place for exhibitions, balls, lectures, and religious meetings. Some will there- fore associate the name with the fascinations and fleeting pleasures of the dance; while others will remember it as the place where their soul first held communion with its God. And so, whether the reminiscence be pleasant or painful, hundreds whose eye shall meet this page, will pause to recall the scenes they have witnessed, and the hours they have passed, in the old Academy.
At the annual town meeting in 1827, a change was made in the plan hitherto adopted in relation to the school committees. Instead of having large committees in each of the school districts, a General School Commit- tec, consisting of seven, was chosen, and each district was authorized and directed to choose their own Prudential Committee. At an adjourned meeting, the last part of this proposition was reconsidered, and it was decided that the Prudential Committees should also be chosen by the town. One was thereupon chosen for cach district.
In the Gazette for November 24th, of the above year, we find a notice of the death, in Providence, R. 1., of Captain William Baker, a native of this town. Baker worked with Mr. Hall, the distiller, in Cole Lanc (now Portland Strect) Boston, at the commencement of the Revolution, and was the first one who obtained information of the intended British expedition to Concord. With the assistance of Mr. Hall, he caused the first infor- mation to be given in the country, by Adjutant Danvers (or Devens). The
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next month, Baker entered the Continental Service. He was subsequently breveted as a captain. He retired from the service in 1780, and toward the latter part of his life, was assisted by a pension.
The carrier of the Gazette, in his address to his patrons, January 1st, 1828, informs them that
" Shad Parish still continues much the same ;
The unwearied ghost still watches Country Bridge,
Or stalks, with chattering teeth and eyes of flame, From his old station, up to Peter's Ridge."
" Shad Parish was long a sort of nickname for the East Parish, on ac- count of the large quantities of shad caught within its limits. "Peter's Ridge " was the residence of " Black Peter," a negro, and the favorite route of a certain ghost that many of our readers have doubtless heard of, was " from Country Bridge to Peter's Ridge."
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