USA > Rhode Island > Newport County > History of Newport County, Rhode Island. From the year 1638 to the year 1887, including the settlement of its towns, and their subsequent progress > Part 63
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534
Abraham Burrington
315
David Lake
2153
Isaac Lawrence
672
John Fish
4014
Hannah Cadman
2,086}
William Burden
705
Sarah Burden
463
Benjamin Hambly
3141
Rebeckah Slocum
1,786₺
Peleg Headley
2,428
15
Wanton Destruction
157,684₴
3,7803
Usual prosecution of War
3,780}
Sum total. 161,4654
We can hardly feel satisfied to close our comments on the revolution without making some mention of the association of Lafayette with the scenes that were enacted in Portsmouth. Lafayette was associated with Sullivan and deeply interested in the intended plan of capturing the British army at Newport. When he visited this country in 1824, wherever he went the grateful American people-and among them the poet Bryant,
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HISTORY OF NEWPORT COUNTY.
" Stared at Lafayette, When, barehead, in the hot noon of July, He would not let the umbrella be held o'er him. For which three cheers burst from the mob before him."
While on this visiting tour he was escorted through Rhode Island by Honorable Zachariah Allen and others, and on that occasion Lafayette made the following statements: "In this State I have experienced more sudden and extreme alternations of hopes and disappointments than during all the vicissitudes of the American war. When the French fleet arrived in Rhode Island, in the year 1778, I was assured of the capture of the British army in Newport, from an arranged plan for a combined attack of the American and French forces. Just at the moment of preparation, it was suddenly announced that an English fleet had appeared off the entrance to the port. I then went on board of the Admiral's ship, and heard the question discussed, whether the fleet should remain to co-operate with the Ameri- can army in the proposed attack on the British army in New- port, or go ont to sea to attack and drive away the British fleet from the coast. The council decided in favor of the latter plan. *
* * * When I saw the French fleet sail out of the harbor, I felt the first great disappointment of my sangnine hopes; but then I immediately began to have them revived in the expectation of seeing the fleet speedily return, with some of the British ships as prizes. But a great tempest arose soon after the fleet went out upon the open sea, which dismasted several of the ships, and they all came back in a disabled con- dition. * * * When I again saw the French fleet sail out of the port for the last time, and abandon the capture of the British army, I felt this to be the most bitter disappoint- ment of all, for I believe that this capture would have produced the same decisive result of speedily terminating the American war, as was subsequently accomplished by the capture of nearly the same army at Yorktown, by the successful co-operation of the French fleet under Count De Grasse under similar circum- stances."
Lafayette finished his narrative of the exciting events of his campaign in Rhode Island by saying that one hope still re- mained to him, that of inducing the French admiral to return to Newport with his fleet. To accomplish this he said that he had made the journey from Rhode Island to Boston, by relays of
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HISTORY OF NEWPORT COUNTY.
horses, in the shortest time that it had ever been performed. After this effort he despaired. To add to his. chagrin, during his absence the battle of Rhode Island was fought, and he lost the chance of taking part in it.
Two houses still standing in the town of Portsmouth have the honor of having sheltered Lafayette during his stay upon the island in the summer of 1778. One of these stands on the east side of the village street of " Newtown," and is owned by George N. Dennis. The other stands near Bristol ferry, and is owned by Dennis Hall.
The action of this town on some of the important questions of the time, when the government was settling itself into the republican system, will be interesting to posterity. First will be noticed the action on the financial questions of the day. At a town meeting October 28th, 1786, it was unanimously voted that "it is the sense of the freemen of this town that the draft of an act entitled an Act to Stimulate & give Efficacy to the Paper Bills emitted by this State in May last: Do not pass into a Law-and that the Representatives of this town vote and nse their ntmost influence to oppose the same at the next General Assembly." On the same day the representatives were also instructed to use their utmost influence to bring up in the assembly the reports of the committee of ways and means at the previous session, "and that they enforce the same as the sentiments of this town that acts be passed agreeable to the reports and proposals of the said committee."
On the 18th of April, 1787, the town voted in regard to the consolidation of the four per cent. notes, instructing their dep- nties " to join with the amendment of the honorable upper house and that the said notes be settled as the said committee of three shall think to justice doth appertain."
On the 28th of August following, the town instructed its dep- uties " to oppose any scale on the paper money emitted by this State that may be offered. And likewise to oppose any bill that shall be offered for taking off the Tender on former con- traets and make it answer all purposes agreeable to the face of the bills so as to give universal satisfaction between debtor and creditor."
March 24th, 1788: "Voted by the Freemen that the Act mak- ing the paper currency a tender at par be not repealed nor any amendment made thereon, And the Representatives are directed to act accordingly at the General Assembly."
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HISTORY OF NEWPORT COUNTY.
"Voted that the act making void notes and book accounts within two years from the passing thereof be repealed at the next General Assembly for the repealing of the same."
The vote on the last resolution stood sixty-three for to eight against it.
June 1st, 1789, the town "Voted that the Representatives be and they are hereby Instructed and Directed to vote and use their influence at the next session of the General Assembly against the calling of a State Convention, and also against the taking off the Tender on the paper currency."
The action and position of this town in regard to the adoption of the federal constitution by the state is shown in the records from which the following quotations are given. December 20th, 1788, the town instructed its deputies in the following language:
" We the Freeholders of the town of Portsmouth, from a De- sire that this State may join in every measure which is condu- cive to the good of the United States consistent with the prin- ciples of good government, and as citizens of this State do not approve of the New Constitution in its present form, but we be- ing fully persuaded that it is the sense of the people at large in the State as well as the desire and desine of the General Assem. bly to support and uphold the Union whensoever the United States do hit upon a form of Government which shall be con- sistent with the Constitution of this State, Do hereby Instruct you to use your Endeavours in the General Assembly to ap- point Delegates to meet the other States in a General Conven- tion whenever they shall meet in pursuance of Governor Clin- ton's Letter or the recommendation of any other State in order to amend the new Constitution or join in any other form of Gov- ernment which shall tend to the happiness of the people and the uniting the States in a good, just and righteous govern- ment."
October 19th, 1789, the town instructed its deputies as fol- lows:
" At a town meeting held in Portsmouth on the third Mon- day in October, A. D., 1789, specially called in obedience to an act of the General Assembly held on the fourth Tuesday in Sep- tember last past, at Newport, for the purpose of giving instruc- tions to the representatives of this town for the calling or reject- ing a state convention for the adopting or rejecting the National
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HISTORY OF NEWPORT COUNTY.
Constitution for the United States -- Having met accordingly and taken the matter under mature consideration doth instruct the representatives of said town to use their uttermost influ- ence against the calling a state convention, being sensible that the mode of cotaing taxes to their several states must prove ruinous to this state."
In answer to the petition of a number of citizens a large meet- ing of the people of the town was held at the house of Robert Fish, February 27th, 1790, for the purpose of considering the new constitution of the United States, and to give instructions accordingly to their delegates to the state convention then to be held at South Kingstown on the first Monday of the following March. Instructions were unanimously adopted reminding the delegates of the grave importance of the occasion and the seri- ous consequences that might follow an unwise or hasty decision in the matter, and after a lengthy preamble, in which the situ- ation was reviewed at considerable length they instructed as follows:
"Therefore you are hereby required and directed to proceed as speedily as may be to the said State convention to be held at South Kingstown aforesaid, then and there to use all your in- fluence and ability in order to accomplish the adoption of the said constitution, and that in as short a time as the nature of the Business will admit-so that the town you represent and the state at large may no longer suffer the injuries mentioned by the Legislature and which we too sensibly feel the truth of Witness the drooping state of our sea-ports, and the de- preciating value of our lands, these too evidently speak and loudly call for redress. In case an adjournment is proposed, which it is our desire to prevent, but yet as occasions may oc- cur which cannot be foreseen, and for which no previous in- structions can be framed, should any matter turn up during the setting of the convention which may make a short adjournment necessary (if the same appears so to yon) we then authorize you to acceed to the same, provided said adjournment is not for a longer term than till the 1st of April next (the time when the in- dulgence granted by Congress ceases), if one for a longer time is proposed it is your instructions, and we require that you do not agree to the same, but endeavour to effect and accomplish the business you are sent upon as speadily as may be & with- out any adjournment at all.
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HISTORY OF NEWPORT COUNTY.
" If after coolly deliberating upon said Constitution you shall think it may want any Amendments-further Checks or addi- tional Powers than is therein expressed, granted or admitted, that then for ns, in our name and on our behalf yon are hereby ordered & anthorized to endeavour to have the same Drawn up and annexed to your Ratification in the same manner as has been done by the State of Massachusetts, and as pointed out & enjoined by the recommendation of Congress."
The delegates first elected to represent this town in the con- vention held different views and refused to act under these in- structions, but the town determined to insure its sentiments being known to the convention. It accordingly appointed Samuel Elam to convey two copies of the resolutions and action to the scene of the convention, one copy to be given to the delegate that should appear to represent the town and the other to the president of the convention.
An interesting side-light on the condition of the currency at that time appears in the further action of the town on the same day in regard to the pay of delegates to the convention. The following resolution shows the difference that existed between the value of silver or gold and paper.
" Voted that the act passed at the last Town Meeting allow- ing the Delegates a hard Dollar a Day whilst attending the State Convention-be and the same is hereby repealed, and- Voted that forty shillings of the paper money only be allowed them a Day whilst attending said Convention-And it is further Voted that a Copy of this vote be certified and sent to the Dele- gates with their Instructions."
The Kingstown convention did adjourn to meet at Newport on the fourth Monday of May following. Town meeting con- vened here on the 26th of April and declared that the instruc- tions given the delegates to the Kingstown convention were continued to the delegates to the coming convention, with the additional injunction " that they do not by any means agree to another adjonrnment, but at said next meeting use all their Influence & Abilities to have the New Constitution as proposed by Congress, agreed to and Ratify'd by this State."
The deep interest of the question called for another meeting of the people of the town on the 29th of May, while the conven- tion was in session at Newport. At this time the meeting declared its opinion " that it will be for the Benefit and Interest
669
HISTORY OF NEWPORT COUNTY.
of the freemen thereof as well as of the good people of this State in General that said New Constitution proposed as afore- said should be adopted and Ratifyed-and in the manner re- commended by Congress-and that any Delay in Ratifying & acceeding to the same either by an adjournment or Rejection thereof will in its consequences be very injurious to this State and particularly to the Interest of the Town of Portsmouth.
"We therefore now order and direct (as far as in us lays) that the Delegates for this town Do for us and in the name of the Town of Portsmouth, Ratify and acceed to in the present meeting of the aforesaid Convention, and that they do not agree to any other or further adjournment, but bring the decision thereof to as speedy a conclusion as possible."
We have noticed the town action on this matter at length because important consequences hung upon it. Had the town been less emphatic in urging the ratification of the constitution or had its sentiments been expressed adversely, as they were at the first, the small majority that finally secured the adoption of the constitution in the convention might have been reversed, and the whole state arrayed in rebellion against the other twelve of the union. What consequences would have followed no one can tell, but they must certainly have turned the history of Rhode Island in an entirely different direction from that which it has followed. The destinies of the state were tremb- ling in the balance, and the influence of the town of Portsmouth was sufficient to turn it this way or that. It may be seen by the foregoing extracts that the people of Portsmouth, whose wisdom has ever shown in their public acts, gave np the views which at first they held, and entered heartily upon the advocacy of sentiments which the history of a century has proved to have been more wise.
We turn now to consider the developments of some of the public improvements of the town. One of the most important of these is the " Stone Bridge," which connects this town with Tiverton. The site of this bridge was in colonial times occupied by a ferry called Howland's ferry. The first bridge was built by a corporation called the Rhode Island Bridge Company, which was incorporated by the legislature in February, 1794. The company at first consisted of Christopher Champlin, George Gibbs, Caleb Gardner, Peleg Clarke, James Robinson, Samuel Vernon, Jr., John Cooke, Abraham Barker and Joseph Barker.
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HISTORY OF NEWPORT COUNTY.
The charter allowed the company to impose a toll which should not exceed the toll rates established by law for the ferry. It also required that a "good and sufficient Draw" should be con- structed, through which vessels conld pass free of toll. An act of assembly in October, 1795, established the rates of toll.
This bridge was a wooden structure, and it remained until the year 1815. The noted September gale of that year swept it away. In October of that year the legislature authorized the company to raise $25,000 by a lottery with which to rebuild the bridge, also to throw a temporary bridge over the draw while the work of repairs was going on. A substantial stone bridge was then constructed. This remains to the present time, though it has in part been rebuilt. It was again nearly demolished by a terrific gale which occurred in September, 1869. By this casualty the bridge was so badly damaged that the company abandoned it, and the assembly provided for its reconstruction. For this purpose a commission of three, consisting of one from Bristol county and two from Newport county, was appointed to receive proposals and attend to the work. The proposals required that the bridge and the draw "shall be as safe and convenient for the public travel in every respect as the said bridge and draw were before they were carried away on the 8th of September last." The commissioners were anthorized to ex- pend a sum not to exceed $15,000. After putting it in order it became the duty of the towns of Tiverton and Portsmouth jointly to provide forever a tender to open and close the draw whenever circumstances required it. The cost of preserving the bridge in repair was to be borne jointly by the towns of Little Compton, Tiverton, Portsmouth and Middletown, and the city of Newport.
The franchise and property of the bridge company had been purchased by voluntary contributions for the sum of $6,000, subscriptions for the purpose having been received from the towns interested and others, as follows: Portsmouth. $2,000; Newport, $1,000; Tiverton, $1,000; Little Compton, $500; Mid- dletown, $500; Asa T. Lawton, 8400; and the citizens of Fall River, $600. The commissioners organized under the act, May 20th, 1870. The contract for reconstructing the bridge was awarded to George H. Reed for $13,000. The commissioners were Samuel W. Church, Joseph Osborn and Pardon Stevens. The work was completed by March 22d, 1871, at which time the
671
HISTORY OF NEWPORT COUNTY.
commissioners made their report of the completed bridge, that it had been well and economically done, and that "the im- provement is well worth to the public what it has cost the state. The entire cost, including the pay and expenses of the commis- sion, was $14,961.83. Since its completion it has been a free bridge. It is in charge of a board of commissioners represent- ing the five towns concerned in its maintenance. These com- missioners at present are John Hare Powel, of Newport, George A. Brown, of Middletown, Lorenzo D. Tallman, of Portsmouth, Richard W. Albert, of Tiverton, and Nathaniel Church, of Little Compton.
Closely associated with the stone bridge is the Charity Beach road, leading to it. The state assembly, in October, 1824, an- thorized the town of Portsmouth to raise $1,000 by a lottery for the purpose of making a good road over this beach. The man- agers of the lottery were Christopher Barker, Samuel Clarke and Joseph Child. The town was required to give bonds in the sum of $2,000 for the faithful discharge of the trust of the managers, and for the faithful application of the money so raised, to the making of the road and repairing the bridge. The lottery was carried out and the bridge built-a stone structure over a creek at the head of the neck on the road leading to the stone bridge.
Boats propelled by oars and sails were used to transport pas- sengers and freight across the Bristol ferry from the first settle- ment. But someimprovement on those methods seemed neces- sary. In January, 1824, the Rhode Island Steam and Team Boat Company was chartered to operate here. The company was composed of Stephen T. Northam, Charles Cotton, Christo- pher Fowler and Edward Brinley. They were permitted to issue stock to the amount of ten thousand dollars, and "in case the amount thereof may be usefully augmented" it might be increased to fifteen thousand. The stock of the company was to be vested in one or more boats propelled by horse- power or by steam, with all their necessary appurtenances and equipments, for the purpose of conveying passengers and freight between the towns of Portsmouth and Bristol in the neighbor- hood of a ferry which had previously been occupied by Jere- mial Gifford and William Pearce; "and in all such piers, wharves, walls, embankments and buildings as may be neces- sary for the safe and convenient navigation of the waters be-
672
HISTORY OF NEWPORT COUNTY.
tween Portsmouth and Bristol, in the channel aforesaid." The exclusive right was given this company of operating a steam or horse boat for the purposes mentioned, from a point to the eastward of the ferry landing then in possession of Jeremiah Gifford in a direct line from the main road on the island, and thence across the channel between Bristol and Portsmouth to the public road leading to the town of Bristol, to the eastward of Pierce's wharf, and this monopoly extended over the waters and shore a distance of one mile to the eastward and one mile to the westward from the ferry route described. John D' Wolf, Stephen B. Cornell and Darias Chace were appointed a commit-
BRISTOL FERRY, PORTSMOUTH.
tee to assess the damages that might be sustained by private property in establishing the ferry. A boat was built at the ferry, a square scow on deck, while the lower part was rounded at the ends. A large disk, extending across the boat under the deck, formed the wheel, on the outer edges of which horses trod, being at the same time hitched to posts stationary in the deck. Two pairs of horses were employed, one on either side of the boat. This boat was operated until about the year 1845. Since that time sail and row boats have been employed, except that the Providence and Fall River steamboat stops here and
673
HISTORY OF NEWPORT COUNTY.
and at Bristol, thus making one passage daily each way. No steamboat was ever employed on the ferry exclusively.
The Rhode Island Turnpike Company, composed of Artemus Fish, Abraham Barker, Peleg Fish, Isaac Fish and others, was chartered by the assembly in February, 1805, and empowered to open and operate a turnpike road in Portsmouth " beginning at the fork of the East and West roads, near Mr. Job Durfey's, and from thence on a South Easterly course, until it shall meet with the East road, near the corner of the orchard, late belong- ing to Mrs. Bathsheba Fish." The capital stock was fixed at sixty shares at fifty dollars each. The charter allowed the com- pany to set up a gate near the Methodist meeting house, which then stood on the northwest of the four corners where the pres- ent Dexter road intersects the " Turnpike." The turnpike was operated under the charter until November 14th, 1864, when, at the request of Mr. Gardner Thomas, who then owned it, the town council accepted it as a public road and the toll gate was abandoned.
As has already been stated in the remarks on the geology of this region, the town of Portsmouth is underlaid with extensive beds of anthracite coal. These have for many years been worked to a limited extent, though the hardness of the coal, and the difficulty of working the mines, on account of water, are circumstances un- favorable to any very extensive working of them. The poet Bryant warmed himself by a fire made of coal from these mines, and meanwhile the muses bnrned with inspiration, and he wrote :-
" Dark anthracite ! that reddenest on my hearth, Thou in those island mines didst slumber long; But now thou art come forth to move the earth, And put to shame the men that mean thee wrong. Thou shalt be coals of fire to them that hate thee, And warm the shins of all that underrate thee.
" Yea, they did wrong thee fonlly-they who mocked Thy honest face, and said thon wouldst not burn; Of hewing thee to chimney-pieces talked, And grew profane-and swore, in bitter scorn, That men might to thy inner caves retire, And there, unsinged, abide the day of fire.
* *
" For thou shalt forge vast railways, and shalt heat The hissing rivers into steam, and drive
Huge masses from thy mines, on iron feet,
*
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HISTORY OF NEWPORT COUNTY.
Walking their steady way, as if alive, Northward. till everlasting ice besets thee, And south as far as the grim Spaniard lets thee.
" Thou shalt make mighty engines swim the sea, Like its own monsters-boats that for a guinea Will take a man to Havre-and shalt be The moving soul of many a spinning-jenny, And ply the shuttles, till a bard can wear As good a suit of broadcloth as the mayor.
" Then we will laugh at winter when we hear The grim old churl about our dwellings rave: Thon from that ' ruler of the inverted year,' Shalt pluck the knotty sceptre Cowper gave, And pull him from his sledge, and drag him in, And melt the icicles from off his chin."
The first efforts at mining this coal to any extent are believed to have been made by the Rhode Island Coal Company, which was organized under an act of the state legislature in February, 1809. It was composed of Perkins Nichols and others, mostly capitalists from Boston, and the charter gave them the privilege of mining coal and digging, selling and manufacturing any ores, minerals, metals or fossils which might be found with the coal. The base of operations was in the town of Portsmouth. The original articles of agreement under which the company was organized were dated December 9th, 1808. They were empow- ered to hold real estate to the amount of $500,000, and personal property as much as should be necessary or convenient for their purposes. The charter and preliminary organization com- prehended a contract by which the company was to supply Joseph Herring and Abel Jones with coal from lands in Ports- mouth on board of vessel for $5.50 per chaldron. Under this charter they commenced operations on the east side of the island, at a point a little south of the head of the Stone Bridge road, on lands now owned by Peter D. Boyd and wife and Charles C. Hazard and wife. On the Boyd property there is standing a house which was built by one Gardiner, a former owner. Some thirty years ago a part of the cellar bottom under this house fell through into the pit over which it happened to stand. A barrel of pork which was standing in the cellar went down with it, and in the caving of the earth which followed was buried, and there it remains at the present time. The house withstood the shock with but little disturbance. The coal com-
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