USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Rowley > The tercentenary celebration of the town of Rowley, 1639-1939 > Part 13
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With stem, ribs and stern set up and bolted to the keel on the dray, I took two long battens 1"x3" and fastened one on each side from stem to stern, the top edge 1" above deck timbers to be flush with deck, and continued to do the same on each side of the hull, about 10" apart with 1"x2" battens down to the keel.
The rail was fastened to the ribs that extended 1' above the deck timber on the four bow and the three stern ribs with a drop in height of rail to 6" through midships.
The deck was laid with boards except an opening 4'x5' for ship's hold between the fourth and fifth ribs, and two mast holes 15' and 30' respectively from the bow.
Every other set of ribs was braced crisscross from keel to deck timber and a long bolt extended from a deck timber on the sternpost to fourth cross section on the dray and counter braced to stop the strain backward and forward.
The frame work being practically completed and all bolted together and tacked upon the battens flush with the deck. then the stern was covered.
The deck was covered with one large piece of cloth stitched together and tacked upon the battens on the level with the deck.
Rudder was hung, bowsprit was put in position and the wheel was fastened upon the sternpost 22" above the deck.
The two sides were then covered with cloth from bow to stern on the rail above the deck and then tacked in the middle next to the keel and worked out and tacked toward the bow and stern respec- tively along the keel.
Note : The marks (') (") at right and top of number indicates feet and inches respectively.
Two short masts were stepped and a set of national code flags were hoisted from the bowsprit to the mast heads, thence to the stern with the stars and stripes flying on a staff at the stern. The name was painted upon the stern -
Country's Wonder Rowley 1814
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The float was hauled in the parade by two yoke of oxen and driven by their owner, Mr. William A. Burtt of Great Hill, New Hampshire, who did a wonderful job and won high praise from the crowd at the celebration and especially the children that had never seen any oxen before.
There was a crew of four young men of the town who rode upon the ship's deck, namely: John Prime Curtis, Richard Glynn Hirtle, Dana Edwin Hiller, William Clement Mehaffey, with white sailor suits and caps, and Captain Samuel F. Knowles, 3d, was aboard to protect the hull, mast and flags from tree limbs and wires while passing along the highway.
Several local interested citizens had procured a small barrel of rum, which was to have been transported on the float, "Country's Wonder" in the parade a repetition of the old ship when it was launched in 1814.
The rum was brought to Rowley on a delivery truck, where provision had been made to haul it on the ship's deck to the old well by the side of the road at the head of Warehouse Lane on Main Street tor refreshments, but the order was not delivered due to a misunderstanding.
The truck finally followed the float, "Country's Wonder," in the parade from the head of Hammond Street on Main Street to Burke's Corner, where it withdrew and later returned to the center of the town, but at that time the plan for the distribution of the above had been postponed.
The judges of the parade awarded first prize to the "Country's Wonder."
Honorable mention should be made of the following who fur- nished material, labor, etc .: Mr. and Mrs. John K. Curtis, Jere- miah T. McGlew, Lawrence R. Bishop, James C. Hirtle, Maynard R. Haley, R. H. Foster Shoe Co., Carl W. Savage, Charles E. Reardon, Henry Hammett and members of The Rowley River Boat Club, and all others who helped in any way.
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SHIP AND BOAT BUILDING INDUSTRY
The following is a brief summary of the ship and boat building industry of Rowley from the early settlers of the Town to the Ter- centenary Celebration of 1939 as described in the "History of. Row- ley" by Thomas Gage and published in 1840 with a description about the "Country's Wonder," and also in a book, "Perley's Family History and Genealogy," published in 1906, and also a script from the "Essex Register," Salem, Saturday, May 7, 1814, and a similar item "Something Novel" under the. "Herald Ship News" published in the Newburyport Herald and County Gazette, Newburyport, on Tuesday, May 3, 1814, also the records of the U. S. Custom House and the Town of Rowley.
From the above information we learn that the ship building industry was first carried on at the Town landing located in the easterly part of the old Parish called Rowley, where most of the salt hay was brought up the river on boats from thousands of acres il of salt marsh.
The river from the landing empties into Plum Island Sound, and thence out at Ipswich bar into the Atlantic Ocean.
Ship building was formerly carried on at said landing or ,ship yard to considerable extent, first by one Duncan Stewart and his sons, who came from Newbury to Rowley as early as 1680.
This Duncan Stewart died in 1717, at the age of one hundred years. Previous to his death, he and his sons sold out all their interest in the ship yard, stock, tools, etc., to one Edward Saunders, a young man from Scituate. He carried on the business many years, married in Rowley, had six sons, most of whom were brought up to the business of ship building.
Of late years, but few vessels have been built at the Town landing, and these have been mostly small fishing craft, from thirty to fifty tons burden, and later most of them have been built on the (Green) near the residence of the undertakers, and when finished, drawn to the river by oxen, a distance of about one mile.
From the above we also learn that Captain Nathaniel M. Perley was commander of the ship Volant which was captured on a voyage from Bayonne to Boston and carried into Halifax.
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It appears that Captain Nathaniel M. Perley, who lived in the old house at the southerly end of Rowley Common and now owned by Dr. Oliver R. Fountain, had taken over the shipyard on Rowley (Green or Common), formerly operated by Edward Saunders.
In 1814, Captain Perley constructed and nearly completed the schooner "Country's Wonder" of about one hundred and ten tons in about eight weeks, which for beauty, strength and utility was not excelled in the world, on the southerly side of his home and was the largest vessel ever to be built in this vicinity so far from the water, a distance of one mile and a half. No object of this nature and magnitude ever created more speculation of opinion than the building of this vessel and it was generally conceived that she could never be transported to her destined element. But to the surprise of many and the joy of all on Monday, May 2, 1814, she was started from her building place at about ten o'clock A.M. and before five o'clock P.M. was landed at the water's edge. The whole apparatus for the operation was prepared by Captain Per- ley's careful direction. She was borne by a set of trucks of four wheels each about two feet in height and sixteen inches broad. These were drawn by one hundred yoke of oxen or more in four strings, two of which were hitched to the forward trucks and two attached to a cable prepared for the purpose. The subject is rendered more interesting by the fact that neither man, beast nor property received any essential injury.
The oxen for the launching were brought from far and near, and true to the old traditions of a launching there must be a christening, and to make things more friendly and agreeable it is said that a barrel of rum was carried along to the house of John Saunders on Main Street, now owned by Ralph W. Emerson, and emptied into the well by the side of the road, which is still in use, for the good grace of all concerned, and after this brief ceremony proceeded to the Town landing on Rowley River.
The "Country's Wonder," Rowley, 1814, was registered at the United States Custom House at Newburyport, Mass., on Novem-
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ber 29th, 1814, and as the above has been discontinued the United States Custom House at Boston, Mass., through the courtesy of Assistant Collector Owen P. McKenna, has furnished a copy of the registration of the "Country's Wonder" on record in that office, and also a memo of Schooner Mary S. which appears later herein.
The following is from the Salem Gazette, May 10, 1814, copied from the Sentinel, Boston, May 7, Naval Architectural Enterprise. "We learn that Captain Nathaniel M. Perley, late commander of the ship Volant, which was captured on her passage from Bayonne to Boston and carried into Halifax, has constructed and nearly completed, within eight weeks, a schooner, of about 110 tons which for beauty, strength and utility is not excelled in the world. She was built near Rowley Green, one mile and a half from the water. No object of this nature and magnitude has ever created more speculation of opinion, than the building of this vessel; and it was generally conceived that she could never be transported to her destined element. But to the surprise of many, and to the joy of all on Monday last, she was started from her building place at about 10 o'clock A.M. and before 5 P.M. was landed at the water's edge. The whole apparatus for the opera- tion was prepared under Capt. P.'s immediate direction. She was borne by a set of trucks of four wheels each about two feet in height and 16 inches broad. These were drawn by one hundred yoke of oxen, in four strings, two of which were to the forward trucks, and two attached to a cable prepared for the purpose. The subject is rendered more interesting by the fact, that neither man, beast nor property received any essential injury. The weight is esti- mated at from 100 to 120 tons. Improvements may probably be made on this invention, which will prove highly useful to the mechanic, merchant and man of enterprise."-Sentinel.
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TREASURY DEPARTMENT United States Customs Service Boston, Mass.
January 18, 1941.
Mr. Lawrence R. Bishop, Rowley, Mass.
My dear Mr ... Bishop:
Reference is made to your letter of January 13, 1941, in which you request information relating to the schooner "COUNTRY'S WONDER."
The records of this office show that the "COUNTRY'S WON- DER" was a schooner with one deck, two masts, and that her length was 63 feet, 3 inches, breadth 19 feet, 1 inch, depth 8 feet, 7 inches: and that she measured. 89-27/95ths tons: and had a square stern; no galleries and no figure head.
This schooner was built at Rowley, Massachusetts, in the year 1814.
Respectfully, (signed) Owen P. McKenna Assistant Collector.
After the launching of the "Country's Wonder," May 2, 1814, there seems to have been a break in the ship building industry for many years until about 1894, when William H. Pierce and our present day Dr. Frederick G. Jellison, D.M.D., built and operated a power boat with a gasoline combustible engine, upon Rowley River, and I believe that they were about the pioneer builders of the modern gasoline power cruisers of today. : .
The C. B. Mather Co. on Railorad Avenue, was established in the spring of 1894, and continued to operate at that location until the spring of 1901. This company specialized in building canoes, yacht tenders, small sail boats, and a folding boat which was in great demand during the Klondike rush.
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In 1900, Charles T. Bartlett commenced building the largest registered vessel in Rowley, since the "Country's Wonder" in 1814, at the junction of Main Street and Warehouse Lane, which was hauled to the Town landing and launched in 1906. She was a Keel Schooner of lap streak construction, one deck, two masts, a square stern and a small galley forward.
She was registered at the United States Custom House at New- buryport in 1906 as "Mary S." Rowley, Mass., and as the above has been discontinued, the following memo is from the records of the Custom House at Boston as follows:
Schooner "Mary S."
Built at Rowley, Mass., in 1906 and registered at Newbury- port. Gross tons 12, net tons 12. Length 36.1 feet, breadth 12.5 feet, depth 6.0 feet, abandoned during year ending June 30, 1922.
About 1900 William H. Pierce and Alfred Richardson, the latter withdrawing from the partnership after about one year, they built some large gasoline fishing boats of several tons burden, in the Burke shop located on the southerly side of Railroad Avenue, which was burned in 1904.
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THE OLD TAN HOUSE
Probably one of the six tanneries referred to, located along Town Brook. The earliest history is somewhat obscure, but we are informed that it was occupied as such as early as 1840, probably earlier.
The names of those using the building as a tannery are quoted as George Jewett, Nathaniel Farley, Samuel P. Jewett and Phineas D. Jewett.
Samuel P. Jewett died in 1876 and in 1878 the property was sold to the late Samuel A. Boynton.
Ebenezer B. Damon occupied the premises for manufacture of heels as early as 1877. Property was occupied at least in part at one time for manufacturing baby shoes by the late Willard M. Carpenter.
Mr. Boynton soon after purchase of the property fitted up and operated a grist and cider mill, on the first floor.
In 1884 he enlarged the building to over 100 feet in length, and established a skating rink which was then quite popular. It was so used for some time. In 1901 the C. B. Mather Corpora- tion took over the property, using it for the manufacture of canoes, tenders, motor boats, sail boats, etc.
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The building was destroyed by fire May 8, 1906. Later on Mr. Boynton sold the land to Charles H. Perley who owned it for some years. Afterward it was disposed of and Colin F. Mc- Donald became the owner and constructed the residence now occu- pied by him thereon.
The C. B. Mather Corporation began business in the "Old Tan House" on the easterly side of Central Street (then owned by the late S. A. Boynton) during May 1901 and continued in that location until May 8, 1906 when the factory was burned.
At this location in addition to the canoes, tenders, etc., they built motor boats, large sail boats, and cabin cruisers.
At the time of the fire more than thirty-eight craft of various designs were either ready for delivery or in process of construction,
After the William H. Pierce Boat Shop on Railroad Avenue was burned, he hired the C. R. Titcomb Paint Shop on Central Street in 1904, and again began to manufacture small boats, tenders and large power boats, and continued along very successfully for a few years until he had the misfortune of another fire on November 26, 1907.
In 1908 the late Charles N. Pickard built a boat shop on Railroad Avenue near the site of the one recently burned, where William H. Pierce again commenced to build boats, constructing rowboats and power launches, and he was followed by Natt L. Bishop who continued along similar lines for a few years.
There were several townspeople who built their own boats over a period covering the preceding years including myself, Lawrence R. Bishop.
I began in 1896 with a small twelve foot sail boat, and about 1898 I built a sixteen foot Scow sail boat named "Gee Whiz." In 1900 I constructed a twenty-five foot Scow design cabin sail boat, "Arethusa," which won several prizes in yacht races held along the immediate coast.
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About 1903 I rebuilt the "Arethusa" to a thirty-five foot race- about, at the Town landing, this was a great improvement over the Scow type, having a good cabin, was casy to handle and a great racing craft, which was named "Arethusa II." This boat won several prizes in races held by the various yacht clubs along the coast. I sold this boat in 1920 and it was in existence several years later around Boston.
I also built several small canvassed tenders from my own model, for some yacht owners.
May I add just a few lines as a final tribute expressing my personal feelings about Rowley's Tercentenary celebration of 1939.
It is my hope that in any future celebration in Rowley that there may be some of my relatives, in years to come, be they near or far, who will endeavor to bring forth a replica of the old ship "Country's Wonder," Rowley, 1814, also that the tradition of "Old Nancy" which was kept in the cellar of the S. S. Prime store and in the Town vault for so many years, will be kept up to the spirit of 1939.
"Old Nancy" was taken to Georgetown on July 4th, 1939, where it then spoke for itself in a grand salute to our daughter town, and was later fired as an opening and final salute in Rowley's Tercentenary Celebration the following August.
My work on the ship and cannon for the celebration occupied a great deal of my time, but I thoroughly enjoyed it, especially so, when my elderly mother, Mary E. Bishop, was able to attend the band concert, old fashioned ball on the Common, and the parade.
She also attended the banquet on the Common with me where she partook of the delicious spread to her heart's desire, which will always be remembered as something that happens only once in a hundred years on Rowley Common.
I sincerely hope that the same spirit of friendliness will prevail in the year 2039, as was displayed in the Tercentenary just passed.
In closing, I wish to express my appreciation for the assistance rendered me in many ways.
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ROWLEY'S ORIGINAL CANNON "OLD NANCY"
One of the treasures of the Town, with a long and varied historic exis- tence. Still speaks forth in no uncertain terms whenever occasion offers.
NANCY, THE OLD ROWLEY CANNON By CURTIS F. HALEY
The first capture by the Marblehead fleet in the War of the Revolution was that of the British Ordnance ship "Nancy."
She was bound for Boston from Liverpool with a cargo of cannon and other paraphernalia of war to be used in the suppression of the American Rebellion.
She was captured in the waters off Cape Ann by the Yankee schooner "Lee" under the command of Capt. John Manly.
A prize crew sailed the "Nancy" to Gloucester when her cargo was dispersed and guarded by a company of men from Ips- wich and Rowley.
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The indescribable confusion and lack of organization in the commissary departments of the Rebel army caused part of the cargo to be left at Gloucester. Among the forgotten residue was an old cannon which lay rusting on the dock at Gloucester. This cannon became known as "Old Nancy" for the vessel it was captured from.
Major Eben Boynton, a fish merchant of Rowley, chanced upon the cannon one day and bought it for a small sum of money.
Since patriotism in the early days of the American Republic was at an extreme pitch, it was probably Major Boynton's intent to use the cannon in observances of patriotic events.
One of Mr. Boynton's two sons lived in the West Parish and the other lived in the East Parish of Rowley. Upon the good Major's death, his worldly goods were disposed of in accordance with the terms of his will. Unhappily no provision had been made for the disposal of his cannon and it became a bone of bitter con- tention between the brothers. After the West Parish set apart from Rowley to incorporate as the town of Georgetown in 1838, the cannon controversy became an inter-town wrangle. The two towns constantly bickered and stole the gun from each other.
In 1876, after many nocturnal pilgrimages between the two towns, "Old Nancy" was brought back to Rowley to remain for- ever.
All through the winter of 1876 and 1877 reports filtered into Rowley from Georgetown that Rowley had stolen a phoney "Old Nancy" and that Georgetown still retained the original.
With the approach of summer in the year 1877, Rowleyites wearying of the rumors emanating from their rival, invited the Georgetowners down for demonstration of their cannon and to fire it alongside "Old Nancy."
The day was set for July 27th and the town of Rowley held a special town meeting to appoint extra constables for the cannon day and also to guarantee the residents of Georgetown and their possessions, the fullest protection on that day.
On the 27th of July, 1877, the streets of Rowley were crowded with great throngs of people. Mr. Charles E. Marshall, old-time resident of Rowley, a boy at the time, has remarked that, with the exception of our tercentenary parade day, he never saw such a great crowd in Rowley as there was on the 27th of July, 1877.
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The Georgetowners had mounted their gun in an express wagon with a man and musket stationed in each corner of it to protect the gun and about the wagon was thrown a troop of armed and mounted men.
During an unguarded moment, one Joshua Hale of Rowley, perceiving that the springs of the wagon didn't settle as they should, thrust his pocketknife into the Georgetown cannon. It was made of wood.
All bedlam then broke loose as amidst the derisive jeers of the Rowleyites, the rooters from Georgetown hurried home.
In one half hour there was hardly a Georgetown man left in Rowley.
When in 1938, the town of Georgetown held its centennial celebration, they produced their iron cannon and proudly pro- claimed it to be "The Original Old Nancy," the controversy flamed anew.
Curtis F. Haley, in the spring of 1939, conceived the idea of inviting the town of Georgetown to participate in celebrating can- non day at Georgetown on the 4th of July." He felt that a base- ball game by the two town teams would also meet with public approval and that the event would raise a goodly sum of money for the Rowley baseball team and also advertise the celebration of the town's 300th anniversary in August. The Georgetown can- non committee and baseball team cooperated in a friendly manner, the celebration was held on the Perley High School grounds.
Since "Old Nancy" had been safely locked in the vault at Rowley Town Hall for many years, Carroll A. Miller was hired to construct a gun carriage for the ancient cannon.
The carriage was built in the barn of Cornelius F. Haley and several nights after "Old Nancy" had been securely fastened to her carriage, she was taken to the Plummer Field on Hammond Street, and there she broke her long silence at 11:30 at night.
The carriage was made of stout red oak. The wood work was done by Carroll A. Miller and the iron work was done by James McCormack, Ipswich blacksmith, and Vernon McCarthy of Row- ley.
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On the 4th of July, "Old Nancy" was loaded into a large truck owned and driven by Carl W. Savage and headed a proces- sion of some forty autos to Georgetown, where she was paraded through the streets with the Georgetown cannon. That afternoon the two cannons were fired several times before and after the basball game between the Rowley and "Georgetown teams. Gone was the bitterness of other years and only good-natured bantering and good sportsmanship prevailed.
The jarring recoil of "Old Nancy" caused the iron axle and its "bunk" to be sprung and since the town" had spent generously of its funds to equip the gun carriage, Lawrence R. Bishop offered his time and services to repair the damage, which he did in excel- lent fashion. Mr. Bishop also constructed an excellent ramrod and a wooden corkscrew device to draw the charge on the cannon if a hang-fire should occur.
The Tercentenary committee appointed Lawrence R. Bishop, Harold E. Bartlett, James C. Hirtle, and Curtis F. Haley to repre- sent Rowley as a gun crew with "Old Nancy" during the tercen- tenary celebration. At 10:20 A.M. August 24, 1939, "Old Nancy" was discharged on Rowley Common to open the 300th anniver- sary. She was fired again at 10:30 A.M. and this charge shat- tered windows in the Frank L. Burke house opposite Rowley Common.
The "Old Nancy" cannon was hauled in the parade by a mag- nificent team of horses owned and driven by Mr. Clement Egounis of Rowley. Mr. Egounis, James C. Hirtle, Harold E. Bartlett and Curtis F. Haley accompanied the cannon attired in the uni- forms of the Revolutionary Army. Mr. Bishop was busy with his boat float, the "Country's Wonder." Loud cheers greeted "Old Nancy" all along the line of march and "Old Nancy" had much to do in drawing many of the 25,000 people who crowded the streets of Rowley on August 26, 1939, to see the great parade.
Thanks must be extended to the many willing people who gave of their time and efforts that "Old Nancy" should play a fitting part in the tercentenary celebration.
It must seem very strange to persons unfamiliar with the history of Rowley and Georgetown that an old and rusted cannon should have been the cause of so much bitterness and of so much admiration.
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Recognition is made of the fact of articles written by George E. King of Hartford, Conn., a former townsman, concerning people connected with early history of Rowley or of its later affairs of interest to the Town which appeared in the Newburyport Daily News just prior to our Tercentenary celebration.
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