Essex County, Massachusetts - Chapter 24: Saugus, 1888

By Wilbur F. Xewhall, Esq

Should you open before you a map of the county, you will notice that its general shape is a square of about twenty-three miles on each side, with its opposite corners or diagonals pointing north and south and east and west. At the very southern corner you will find the township of Saugus. It is five and sixtenths miles long north and south, with a trend somewhat west of north, and two and four-tenths miles average width.

Boundaries. - It is bounded northerly by Lynnfield and Wakefield, easterly by the city of Lynn, southerly by Revere and westerly by Revere, Melrose and Wakefield.

Area. - Its area is about thirteen and one-half square miles, of which about two and a quarter square miles are salt marsh, occupying the very southern end of the township, and only separated from Massachusetts Bay by the narrow strip of laud known as Revere Beach. Situated only nine miles from Boston, you will see at once that the trafiic and travel to and with Boston of the whole county must la,rgely pass over some portion of its territory. Before A. D., 1800 Boston Street, or the old Boston road, so called, was the only thoroughfare. Soon after this the Salem turnpike and the Newburyport turnpike were built, and in 1838 the Eastern Railroad was opened for travel ; and these now remain the only avenues of communication, through our town, with Boston for the county of Essex.

The Indian name of our beautiful river was " Abousett," aud it is to be regretted that this name was ever dropped ; but the white settlers fell into the custom of calling it the river at Saugus, and finally, very naturally, Saugus River; thus it was we lost the beautiful Indian name of our river.

Our river takes its rise in Quannapowitt Lake, in Wakefield, passes through the broad meadows of Lynnfield and enters midway our northern boundary, when, continuing its southerly course through North Saugus to Saugus Centre, where just below Scott's factory, it meets the tide-water and thence flows in its crooked course through the narrow salt marshes southeasterly one mile to East Saugus, where it reaches, and thence becomes, the easterly boundary of the town for the remainder of its course to the sea.

At that time Saugus not only comprised its present territory, but also that which now forms the city of Lynn and towns of Swampscott, Lynnfield, Reading, Wakefield and Nahant.

But the early settlers, evidently dissatisfied with the Indian name of Saugus, very soon sought to find some more familiar name, and very naturally recalling the old English town of Lynn, from which, no doubt, some of them emigrated, it was decided to change the name; and the Legislature granted their petition, tor, November 15, 1637, we find on its records an enactment, said to be the shortest ever passed, as follows: "Saugust is called Lin."

Thus it was that our name was set aside, so to continue until February 17, 1815, when, by a legislative act, our present territory was set oti" from Lynn and received again its original name of Saugus. For many years previously it had had a separate ecclesiastical standing, and was known as the " West Parish." Population. - The population of the town in 1815 was very near 700 persons. April 3, 1815, there were 150 votes cast for Governor. We find by the census of 1820 the population was 748. In 1885 it was 2855. The intermediate years show a pretty constant and regular increase. And although up to 1815 our town had been largely agricultural in its interests and pursuits, yet it was the approximate period of the increase in our manufacturing industries, - shoes and woolen goods in the centre of the town, tobacco in Cliftondale and shoes in East Saugus.

Saugus Centre. - This brings us to the division of the town into its several villages. Nature provided for these by its isolated sections of territory, suitable for farms and dwelling-houses, while separating these sections were, and still are, rocky and wooded hills, rising to no very considerable height and yet sufficient to divert our connecting roads into fixed and almost necessary locations.

Beginning with Saugus Centre, by far the largest section of intervale in the town, we find it located almost exactly in the geographical centre of the town, being l)Ounded on the north by Pranker's millpond and on the east by the river. Few villages are so beautifully situated as this, commanding as it does from the top of Round Hill, looking easterly towards the ocean, one of the loveliest views of the river valley.

Cliftondale. - Almost directly south of the Centre, and about one mile distant, is Cliftondale, formerly known as Sweetser's Corner, reached directly by Central Street alone. Recently this village has taken a wonderful start in the erection of dwellinghouses, there having been built within the past year about forty, mostly by l)usiness men and mechanics employed in Boston and Lynn, while some are built by speculators who hope to sell. This section already promises to be a populous portion of the town.

East Saugus. - Coming back to the Centre again, we shall find southeasterly therefrom, about one mile distant, the village of East Saugus, situated in the river valley, and only reached by one road, now called Winter Street, on the southerly side of the valley. On account of the small area of eligible territory for building purposes, this village is compactly built, and consists principally of two streets - Chestnut Street and Lincoln Avenue - leading up from the bridge to the hill at the south of the village, where stands the village church.

The crooked reach of the river, between the Centre and the East Village, through the narrow strip of salt marsh, is usually kept filled with water by the milldam at the East Saugus Bridge, and so serves as a mill-pond, replenished by successive fiood-tides and receiving in addition thereto the fresh water from the river flowage.

Saugus are respectively about one mile from each other, occupying the points of an equilateral triangle, across the interior of which no road passes.

It would almost seem that this triangular district, although made up mostly of rocky hills and heretofore neglected, will, some future day, be intersected by winding avenues and dotted with beautiful hillside residences. It remains to mention two smaller villages of our town.

North Saugus. - Some more than two miles from the Centre, and in the extreme northerly end of our township, is the village of North Saugus, a section of very excellent farming land. It is reached by Central Street, passing Pranker's factory, and also by the Newburyport turnpike. Saugus River flows beside this village, and its two tributaries, Penny Brook and Hawkes Brook, flow directly through the vill.ge. These two brooks have recently been taken for a water supply by the city of Lynn ; their waters have been diverted by an artificial canal and carried into Birch Pond, so called, on the eastern boundary of our town.

Oaklandvale. - The last village to be mentioned is Oaklandvale. This is situated a mile and a half from the Centre, northwesterly, and is only reached l)y the road leading to Wakefield and Melrose. This is also an agricultural district, through whith flows a stream sometimes called Strawberry Brook, which empties into Saugus River below North Saugus.

Geology. - The geology of Saugus is a continuation of that of Lynn. The rock formations in both places belong to the east and west system of Hitchcock, as given in his report of the geology of Massachusetts.

Approaching the town from the ocean side, we come to a broad belt of alluvium, beneath which is a thin stratum of sand or gravel, and underlying all is a bed of tough blue clay of unknown depth.

Succeeding this is a broad belt of felsite, generally known as pori)hyry. It is composed of the finelycomminuted remains of older rocks hardened by heat and pressure to a flint-like substance. It is known to scientists as the Lower Laurentian series, or the rocks that contain the remains of the earliest forms of life.

On the northern side of the felsite the formation has not been sufficiently studied. Much of it, however, is syenite, and the curved lamination in some portions of the rock indicate gneiss. Trapjiean dykes frequently occur in this rock and in the felsite. The dividing line between the two formations is very obscure, being generally covered by drift. On the hill one-half mile east of Pranker's mills, and at the railroad cut near the centre of the town, the junction of the two formations may be noticed. Also near the Lynn line, on Vinegar Hill, syenite is found obtruding through the felsite, which is here composed of rounded felsite pebbles, cemented by a hardened matrix of the same material.

Round Hill is a conspicuous object, and is of undoubted volcanic origin. Hitchcock calls the composition of the rock which forms the hill " Varioloid Wacke." The base of the rock is of a pleasant green color, and is filled in places with rounded nodules of quartz, varying in size from that of an ordinary shot to that of a pea. On the north side of the hill the base of the rock is of a chocolate color ; this, together with the white nodules of quartz, forms very pretty specimens.

Epidote is common, but the crystals are too small and imperfect to be valued. Good specimens of asbestos, associated with epidote, are found near East Saugus, and calcite (nail-head spar) has been found in the deep railroad cut near the Centre.

Hematite (specular) is found in the hill near the railroad cut, also in bowlders in the northwest part of the town. Pyrite has been found near the head of Birch Pond, but the specimens are poor.

Bog iron-ore was discovered soon after the first settlement, in different parts of the town, but mostly in North Haugus, where very good specimens can now be found. This was the ore used by the old Iron-Works from 1643 to 1680.

Town-^Iekting8. - The first town-meeting was held in the parish church March 13, 1815, and subsequent ones continued to be held there until 1818, after which time the school-house in the Centre generally served as the gathering-i)lace for the town, although, occasionally, they were gathered at the Rock School-house, so-called, in the South District.

Town-House - In 1837 a town-hall was built, arranged for hall above and two school-rooms below. This building is still standing, and since 1875, when our new town-hall was built, it has been used for school purposes.

The question was, how this should be disposed of Five town-meetings were held from May 12 to July 8, 1837, and as may well be imagined, very strong feelings swept the town. It was first voted to divide it among the inhabitants; then this was reconsidered, and it was voted to pay it over to the treasurer.

At a subsequent meeting it was voted not to build a town-house ; and, at a still later meeting, it was voted to build, - yeas, 90 ; nays, 74. Two thousand dollars 25^ was appropriated, and a committee of seven chosen by ballot, to obtain a location and contract for and superintend the building of said town-house.

Cemetery. - In 1844 the town bought one acre of Salmon Snow, for a new cemetery. This proving too small was enlarged in 1858, by the purchase of adjoining property of Roswell Hitchings.

Again, in 1874, the two estates east were purchased of Henry Newhall and others, so as to further enlarge the cemetery substantially as it is at present. During these years the town has taken excellent care of the grounds, which have grown in attractiveness and beauty, year by year, through the interest of our townsmen and very much to their credit. Few things speak louder of the tenderness, sympathy and love of a people than its care for the resting-place of the departed.

In the most eligible part of the cemetery is the " Soldier's Lot," surrounded by hammered granite border fence and entrance-steps, ornamented with appropriate war emblems, all carved in solid granite. This was built by the town.

New Town-Hall. - In 1875 the town built their new town-hall, on the eastern side of Central Street, purchasing of Mr. Samuel A. Parker a low, wet piece of land, and at great expense filling up and grading the same. There was a great difference of opinion in the town in regard to the expediency of erecting such a building.

A number of town-meetings were held, in which adverse action was taken, but the building party finally prevailed, and the town was loaded with a debt of fifty thousand dollars in consequence. The first story is occupied for rooms for town officers. High School and public library, the second for assembly room.

East Saugus Set Off. - While the new hall was building the inhabitants of East Saugus made a vigorous effort before the Legislature to be set off from Saugus and annexed to the city of Lynn, but they did not succeed in getting a bill through both branches of the Legislature. Soon after this, in deference to the feelings and wishes of East Saugus, the town voted an appropriation of five thousand dollars for the laying of water-pipes through the village of East Saugus, connecting with the Lynn Water- Works for a supply. This work was done, and August 10, 1878, the water was let into the pipes and a public celebration made of it by the citizens of East Saugus.

Cliftondale and the centre of the town, and for that purpose made an appropriation of thirty-five thousand dollars to lay seven miles of pipe, and chose Wilbur F. Newhall, Edward Franker and Charles H. Bond, water commissioners, to carry out the action of the town, and said commissioners have just given the contract to Messrs. Goodhue & Birnie, of Springfield, for the laying of the cement pipes, the work to be commenced forthwith and completed this season.

Eepresentatives. - The following is a list of the Saugus Representatives to the General Court. Until about 1857 it required a majority of all the votes cast to elect a Representative, and this explains why oftentimes no one was sent. In 1835 the town-meeting adjourned twice and balloted six times without making any choice :

In 1857 the district system Avent into operation, and Saugus was united with Lynnfield, Middleton and Topsfield. We give below the names of the Representatives from Saugus alone :

PosT-OrFiCES. - The first post-office was established in the village of East Saugus in 1832. This remained the only post-oflice in town until 1858, when two others were established - one in Saugus Centre and one in Cliftondale. The following are the names of the postmasters of each office :