USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Winthrop > The history of Winthrop, Massachusetts ; 1630-1952 > Part 15
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31
138
Accordingly, Winthrop people returned to their farming and for nearly a hundred years remained quiet, successful and self-reliant farmers. The town grew but slowly and, save as the various developments of the vast growth of the nation came into town, things changed but little-and then with exceedingly great conservatism. Winthrop was content to be left alone just as much as was possible. It looked at Boston across the harbor- and was perfectly happy for Boston to be at least that far away.
Storms came and went, just as did the seasons. Now and then, ships were wrecked upon the beaches or on nearby islands. For example, in that bad winter of 1786-87, on December 4th, amid a blinding northeaster, a packet brig from Maine went ashore on Lovell's Island. The crew and the 13 passengers reached shore safely, but finding no shelter, froze to death during the night, all save one man, Theodore Kingsley who managed somehow to stay alive. The next morning, with snow still falling heavily and a northerly gale blowing, the brig Lucretia endeavor- ing to make the harbor, missed the Gut and piled up on Point Shirley Beach. Five of the crew leaped ashore but perished soon after in the deep drifts, being soaked to the skin. The rest of the ship's company, waited aboard the ship and, after the storm ceased, reached shore easily and found shelter safely.
Such wrecks, an eclipse of the sun, an earthquake-these were the things of moment in Winthrop's history until, at last, the rising tide of industry touched the town to be. Russell Stur- gis, born August 17, 1750, down on Cape Cod, had long been a citizen of Boston. He knew the process of extracting salt from sea water and he explored the abandoned fishery company's building at Point Shirley, with the idea of establishing there a salt works. Salt was more precious then than now, for the pres- ent salt mines were not worked and the only common source was salt taken from the warm waters of the West Indies. The market was brisk for it in those days, when refrigeration was unknown, salt was used as a preservative of food. Beef was corned as were other meats and foods while the salt cod industry consumed comparatively vast quantities. Salt was then worth making.
On March 22, 1803, Sturgis purchased rights at Point Shir- ley for $1200 and a year later he was joined by two other men, Elisha Baker and Nathaniel Parker, who were owners of land at the Point. It is not known when the manufacture of salt was actually begun but the work was carried along for several years, finally coming under the management of Samuel Sturgis, younger brother of Russell Sturgis, probably about 1811. The venture was not too successful for the works depended upon the heat of the sun evaporating salt water pumped into wooden tanks. Every
139
time it rained the tanks had to be covered or else the salt con- centrate would be diluted. While no records of the operation are known, it does seem likely that the sun down at the Point would hardly be ardent enough, on a practical basis, to permit salt making save in the warmest weather. Apparently the salt works managed to eke its way along for some ten or fifteen years and then gradually languished away, leaving room for Winthrop's biggest industry, the copper works, organized later by the de- scendants of the patriot, Paul Revere.
It may be of interest that at about this time salt making from sea water was an active industry in America, especially at Cape Cod. Yarmouth alone in 1845 produced 74,000 bushels.
140
Chapter Ten THE WAR OF 1812
WINTHROP was not greatly affected by this final chapter of the struggle of the Colonies for equality as a nation with re- luctant Britain. The chief effect of the war was economic. In the beginning, because the war was not at all popular in New England, due to the Embargo and other restrictions upon com- merce (which badly hurt the New England merchant marine, then in its initial flowering) the astute British saw hope that New England would secede from the United States and rejoin the Empire. So Boston and other New England ports were not blockaded. However, despite the Hartford Convention and other symptoms of disaffection with Washington, New England re- mained loyal and accordingly the British blockaded Boston in 1813, by sending the Shannon and the Tenedos to shut off com- merce-which they did.
At the time the United States ship Chesapeake, under com- mand of the immortal Lawrence was being repaired in Boston harbor and the vessel was apparently trapped, though safe enough under the guns of the harbor forts. However, the United States Navy, despite its gallant actions, was greatly out- classed by the British Navy and the Chesapeake was badly needed at sea. How could she escape ?
When readied for sea, the Chesapeake was sailed down the harbor into President Roads, ready for a dash to sea when opportunity offered. Winthrop people manned the hills, such as Great Head and watched the Shannon and the Tenedos and on May 31, 1813, saw only the Shannon on patrol. Word was sent to Lawrence, who was dining at Boston. He rowed down the harbor and made his ship ready for battle with the Shannon. The next morning, Lawrence put out and the Shannon stood in to meet him. Winthrop people jammed Grover's Cliff and Great Head to see that rare spectacle, a sea battle. The action took place about five miles off Boston Light. The sound of cannon was clearly audible at Winthrop and the destruction of the unfortu- nate Chesapeake was clearly to be seen. The battle lasted for but 15 minutes, beginning just before six o'clock in the afternoon.
Winthrop had another grand-stand seat for another naval
141
episode of the war. The famous Constitution sailed past Shirley Point and up the harbor April 23, 1814. A few days later sev- eral British ships established a blockade off the harbor entrance. It appeared that the famous frigate, most gallant of American warships, and among the most fortunate, was closely bottled up and rendered harmless. We had but few vessels left in service by that time ; the American Navy was virtually swept from the ocean.
Summer went by and autumn was well spent before the Con- stitution stirred to action. Winthrop was astonished one morn- ing to see a party from the ship making a survey of the Gut. Was the Constitution going to attempt to slip out by the side door of the harbor? The Constitution drew 27 feet and the surveyors found enough water at high tide.
One other barrier remained: where was the ship to clear the outer islands : could it be done without risk of the British fleet cutting her off, as would be done if an attempt was made to go out through Broad Sound past the Graves, where there was plenty of deep water. Between Green Island and Little Calf Island is a passage known as Hypocrite Channel. The British warships would not dare to try that narrow way, all ledges, but perhaps there would be water enough for the comparatively smaller Constitution. So the surveyors sailed out and measured Hypocrite Channel. There they found plenty of water, as much as 84 feet, provided the ledges could be navigated.
On December 17th, an easterly wind swept the coast, bring- ing unusually high tides and forcing the British fleet to haul off shore a little to avoid being caught on a lee shore. This was all that Commander Steward was waiting for. He dropped down from Long Wharf an hour before high water and, with the wind most fortunately shifting to the westward, slipped out to sea and sailed between the Devil's Back and Half Tide Rocks and navi- gated through Hypocrite Channel. The British fleet came racing up but it was too late; the Constitution safely put the Brewsters behind her and with a great westerly filling her sails went scud- ding safely out into the open Atlantic. It should be said that this detailed account is legendary.
It should be noted that the correct spelling of Fawn Bar is with a w. When the street Faun Bar Avenue was named, someone made a mistake and used a u instead of a w.
As the war ran along, aside from the fact that American commerce was virtually halted in its peaceful pursuits, save for the privateers who once again ravaged British trading ships on the high seas, with great gallantry and remarkable success, Win- throp's life was quiet. Prices were depressed due to poor bus- iness conditions-but that, as always, affects farms very little, comparatively, and Winthrop was still a farming town.
142
Chapter Eleven WINTHROP IN THE 19th CENTURY
DURING most of the nineteenth century, Winthrop con- tinued to "jog along" as a quiet, peaceful community, for the most part. There were some lively battles in town meeting, as those over the transportation problem, and there were various other controversies of a minor nature. Probably the great event of the century, aside from things like the Civil War, (in which Winthrop did its share as a part of the State and the Nation) was the establishment of the town as an independent corporation. The really important change, the gradual growth of the town as first summer residents moved in, and then as permanent citizens came in large numbers, came about so quietly that Winthrop was hardly aware how rapidly it was growing and how tremendous the change in its economy had become. New faces appeared but the townspeople became really aware of what was happening mostly in town meeting when the citizens were called upon again and again to deal with such problems as water, sewers, schools, fire department, police department and all the other details of a town of size and importance.
Since the relation of the 19th century's growth would in- volve much duplication and cross-references if told in chrono- logical order, this account of Winthrop's story will from this point forward adopt the accustomed historical method of pres- enting first, a brief, conventional account of the period up to modern times and then, "back-tracking," to relate in separate chapters, such portions of the story which appear to require more detailed treatment, as for example, the account of transporta- tion, the schools and the churches.
As had been said, and this was particularly true between the War of 1812 and mid-century, Winthrop's life was very unevent- ful. It was still mainly agricultural. The salt works, as described, flourished and then languished for perhaps 30 years; the closing date is not certain. This single "industry" in turn gave place to the Revere Copper Works in 1845. While they endured, until 1869 they were rather important to the Town. Once again, as just before the Revolution, industry shifted the town's center of population and influence down to the Point. This was perhaps
143
Winthrop's only major industry in all its three centuries of being and when the company closed down to move its plant else- where, it was feared that the town had suffered a crippling blow. Of course such was not the case for Winthrop's beauty and near- ness to Boston, despite transportation difficulties, apparently des- tined to be a chronic illness, made it clear that the town was selected to be a town of homes in modern times-just as it had been a section of farms for two centuries.
Perhaps the most important political development came in the Forties. For many years the present City of Chelsea had included, as stated, Revere and Winthrop. In the beginning, Revere Center was the important section of the town of Chelsea, or Winnisimmet (variously spelled) but Chelsea had since 1830 experienced a remarkable growth and by 1840 greatly over- shadowed Revere and Winthrop. Chelsea had a population in 1840 of 4600 people and at town meeting voted taxes and spent the money on itself ; leaving Revere and Winthrop, who could not control either taxation or expenditures, "out in the cold." Nat- urally, Revere and Winthrop-to-be smarted under this situation and in 1845 Joseph Stowers and 95 others of Revere Center petitioned the General Court to incorporate their section of the old Chelsea town as a new town to be known as Cushman. David Belcher and 36 others, residents of Pullin Point (also variously spelled), signed a remonstrance in which they presented their objections. They pointed out that their portion of the town had been to great expense and trouble to obtain a road to Boston by way of Orient Heights and East Boston; that their part of the proposed new town would be entirely separated from Chelsea (Ferry Village) by Belle Isle or Breed's Island, and that for all purposes they would be obliged to go through East Boston or through the proposed new town of Cushman to reach their town center at Ferry Village.
The General Court agreed that it would not be advisable to leave Pullin Point isolated from its town center at Ferry Village by the creation of the new town of Cushman and so a committee was appointed to investigate. The committee presented a lengthy report and suggested that if Revere-to-be wished to leave Chelsea, there was no valid objection-but that instead of limiting the proposed new town to just Revere Center, the new town should. also include the "Two Points"-by which they meant Pullin Point and Point Shirley. This seemed reasonable enough to the General Court and legislation was passed accordingly, being ap- proved by Governor George N. Briggs, March 19, 1846.
Somewhere in the process, the proposed name of Cushman was lost and the new town emerged as North Chelsea. The name was subsequently changed to the present, Revere, in honor of
144
BAR
FA
N TIC
GROVERS CLIFF
T LA
A
GREAT | HEAD
JOHN W.
TAFT'S
REYERE
COPPER
TEWKSBURY
ST.
CRYSTAL COVE
COOMEY'S POND ·
PROSPECT HILL
SHIRLEY
BEACH
FLOYD'S
HILL
THOMAS FLer®
GIBBON'S HOUSE
LINE
DEANE · WINTHROP HO.
WINTHROP '.
MAINE
FIRST SCHOOL
House OF
VEBEN DUKK
ST
CAPT. JOS. BELCHER
POND
EOW. FLOYD
ST
STURGIS HOY
4
BARTLETT HOUSE
DILA
House
13+
IYLET.
---
WINTHROP IN 1852
SHOWING THE APPROXIMATE LOCATIONS OF THE THEN DWELLINGS ACCORDING TO U.S. GOV. SURVEYS AND RECORDS LEFT BY LUCIUS FLOYD & OTHERS. THIS HAS BEEN CAREFULLY COMPILED FROM ALL AVAILABLE SOURCES AND IS BELIEVED TO BE SUFFICIENTLY CORRECT TO SUBSTANTIALLY REFLECT THE WINTHROP of 1852
SIDVIN FRANK TUCKER
1952.
SNAKE ISL.
4 REPRESENTS THE HIGH POINT OF THE VARIOUS HILLS IN TOWN.
SCALE
500
1000
1500
DEER
O
CEAN
SHIRLEY
15h.
GUT
Co.
TEWKSBURY- WYMAN HO.
POINT SHIRLEY
GEO. W. TEWKSBURY
ST
A
BELLE
Paul Revere, he of the midnight ride, but Winthrop was not con- cerned in that for they remained a part of North Revere only for six years. These were years of considerable change. Winthrop found a new market in the industrial growth of Ferry Village and also in the development of East Boston, where the great Cunard docks were built in 1840-and other very considerable water- front building began. This was the age of the flowering of the American merchant marine when East-Boston-Built clippers ruled the ocean as the most beautiful creations of human hands, as well as the fastest sailing vessels that have ever voyaged the world around, commercially. Then the copper works gave Win- throp its own growing market and the coming of Taft's Hotel to the Point brought in hosts of summer people-many of whom admired the peaceful town and some of whom came back to be- come residents.
In 1851, a really great political development began. Pullin Point people were far from pleased with being ruled by Revere and felt they were big enough to stand in their own boots. Hiram Plummer and others signed a petition to the General Court to have Chelsea Point (by which was meant the present town of Winthrop) set off from the new town of North Chelsea and an- nexed to Boston. Evidently other Winthrop people even then had no great desire to link their fate with that of Boston and David Belcher and 56 others immediately signed a remonstrance. Representative Edward Floyd presented both petitions to the legislature and that body referred them to the next session. This gave Winthrop people time to think things over and when the General Court of 1852 assembled, the people of Chelsea Point or Pullen Point, were apparently all agreed to ask for their estab- lishment as a separate town under the name of Winthrop. The bill met with little opposition and was passed easily with very few negative votes and signed by Governor George S. Boutwell, March 27, 1852. The only question in the minds of the legislators, and in some of the town's inhabitants, too, was: Could such a small area as Winthrop was (and is) properly support itself ? The new town was referred to as "The Little Republic," a crystallization of this doubt.
However, Winthrop soon set that doubt aside, for 11 days after the town was incorporated, the first town meeting was held in the school bulding, erected in place of the original school built in 1805. The town was speedily organized and set about manag- ing its affairs with a dignity and efficiency which has now, for a century, always characterized the conduct of its public affairs. Few towns in Massachusetts have been better managed than has Winthrop, largely because of the large number of able and pub- lic-spirited men and women who have served in office, with very
146
To the Penale and House of Representives in. General Court Assembled The Subscribers Residents & Owners of Real Estate in That part of North Chelsea called thetora Point & Point thirty Respectfully Represent. That in consequence of the very peculiar physical features and Situation of the aforesaid portions of North Cheloca it being about five Miles from the place of holding down alerting and connected onlyd beach over which Neplures Enforces his long Existing claim and rendering it at tomy impassible and alwary bad travelling.
I That our road & course to Boston, where we transact The most of business) is through BellIster Cost Boston and only one half the distance that it is through en North Chelsea, centre
What the above named Posting of North Chelsea contain about to lever Hundrede Acres of land the most of which is favourable for building and foot being appropriated for that forfeare.
That said Points contain about. Three hundred inhabitants sixty of which are legal Noting, and that the population is increasing fast, and in A few years will probably contain as many inhabitants as most down in the Commonwealth.
Your retieners would farther represent that it is very inconvenient Expensive to attend Yorum Meeting & other Town driting at so great A distance from our houses , and that we believe it would be much better for us to be. A Your by ourselves, and no disadvantage to the other portion of said Town Therefore your Petitioners humbly Juray. That The said theles Found 1 Points Shirley be set off from North Chelka, and Incorporated into A Town To be called Winthropen David Belcher Bill Jewhitun Biff Toutstring (? Thomas & Bibcher Conjamón &
Trax, Nobylo
Samuel Beleben. Edward floyd William B. Below horas fly
Marren Gelcher Jonen. M. Belle John Belcher Pasich Lloyd Hiram Stammen
Owithin Burrill
Ebeneser Benille Grand xăng
1 GRalis, D. floyd John Tewksbury 2.2. George & Shaw Homas & Tekstury
. William William .Haber Ataniel Hiles
Alevis Charles tewksbury
Withaw, W Schand
John F. Carter Leonorgo Tewksbury Washington Tewksbury.
James Howe C. L .Bartlett Edwy Loving
Phillip Etunterbinden Chilly Jakily
The to Long
This is a facsimile copy of the petition to have what is now Winthrop set off from North Chelsea (Revere). The original is in the Archives at the State House, measures 111/4 x 171/8 inches and bears a date of January 17, 1852 on the back. There are fifty-seven signatures of which twenty-eight are Tewsbury, Belcher and Floyd.
small compensation and, usually, with none at all. Of course, much of the town's high standing depends upon the continued interest taken by the citizens in town affairs. Winthrop has re- mained true to the town meeting (in late years of the representa- tive form) and thus any citizen has the right to stand up and speak his mind. Many of them have frequently done so and will probably continue to do so. Thus, in the Boston Traveler of March 12, 1859, we read that there was considerable opposition to "lavishing $700 on the schools" out of a total budget of $1,850.
The first board of selectmen were: David Belcher, John W. Tewksbury and Hiram Plummer. Edward Floyd was the first town treasurer and Warren Belcher the first town clerk. School committee men were: Henry Fay, George Washington Tewks- bury and David Floyd. Highway surveyors were: David Floyd, Charles S. Tewksbury, Thomas S. Tewksbury and George Wash- ington Tewksbury. Constables were: George G. Belcher and George F. Clifford. Field drivers were: Josiah Floyd, William W. Shaw and Henry C. Smith. Fence viewers were: Thomas S. Tewksbury, J. W. Tewksbury and Fred Davis. The final official elected was John Carter, sealer of weights and measures.
John W. Tewksbury, perhaps because of his eminence as first selectman of the new town, built himself, soon after 1852, a house on Shirley Street near the present Winthrop Yacht Club. This house, now the Colonial Inn, was very large and elegant for the time and distinguished by a planting of poplar trees. In the yard of the present Inn is mounted an old cannon. So far as can be learned, no person knows anything definite about this piece of ordnance.
The copper works were in full blast in 1852 and their pay- roll contributed considerably to the prosperity of the town, al- though the smoke from the furnaces was often found objection- able. In 1853, H. B. Tewksbury built the first sidewalk in Win- throp, laying a strip on Main Street 167 feet in length. Outside this strip he planted six elm trees. These seem to have con- stituted the first planting of "public" shade trees-a practice which soon spread to other sections of the town, and a practice which has contributed so very much to the comfort and beauty of Winthrop.
By 1854 there were 48 pupils in the Winthrop schools, in- cluding 12 Tewksburys, a dozen Belchers and nine Floyds. The little school built in 1805 had been found much too small to serve such a number and a new school was built in a few years. This also served as a town hall in 1852 but a new town hall, proper, for the needs of the new town was clearly desired and so, that year a contract for a new town hall was given to George Shaw. The Shaw family, who came to Winthrop from Vermont, had
147
been active in Winthrop for some 15 years previously, erecting many new homes in town.
In 1856, this school was sold and moved and on its site, the new town hall was reared, the building which served so long and so well though it cost but $4,990.50. At first, the first floor was devoted to two school rooms and town officers and town business was conducted on the second floor. The new building was put into use in 1856 and occupied until the present Town Hall was built in 1929. The Old Town Hall was torn down and the present Postoffice building erected on its site. It is of interest to note that the old School building still exists and is the upper portion of the dwelling numbered 278 on the west side of Winthrop St., opposite George St.
When the late David Floyd in 1902 prepared an address commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Town, he was fortu- nate in being able to talk with seven surviving voters of 1852. He reports that they told him much of the changes the 50 years had brought as well as describing Winthrop as it was in 1852.
That year 1852 Winthrop had 45 dwelling houses and there were 62 property owners whose holdings were valued at $182,428. Town taxes and state taxes together in 1852 amounted to $1,539. As said the little school house of 1852 gave way to the new com-
The first School House, referred to above.
148
FIRST BOARD OF SELECTMEN - 1852
John W. Tewksbury
David Belcher
Hiram Plummer
FIRST
TOWN TREASURER
TOWN CLERK
Warren Belcher
Edward Floyd
bined town hall and school and that year also, a new one-room school house was built at Point Shirley.
The old timers also reported that in 1852, the only organ- izations in the new town were the two school districts, an anti- slavery society, a temperance society and a lyceum association. In the years which followed six churches were built and a large number of lodges, clubs and other organizations came into being. Most of all they tell of the real estate development which was con- spicuously led by Dr. Sam'l Ingalls, when he bought the then- called Wheeler Beach and re-named it Ocean Spray. Of interest at the moment chiefly is the fact that much of the town was strictly temperance, if not prohibitionist altogether. In fact Dr. Ingalls, when he offered land in his Spray development for sale, expressed himself as follows: "There shall be one seagirt re- sort . . . (at least) where the fiend of the still shall not hold court. "
His example was endorsed by other real estate operators who commonly inserted prohibition clauses into the deeds they gave. That these sentiments were no bar to sale (of land) is demonstrated by the fact that people eagerly purchased the lots, which, probably, they would forfeit if they indulged themselves with liquor.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.