Essex County, Massachusetts - Chapter 20: Town of Hamilton, 1922

A little over twenty miles north of Boston is found the town of Hamilton, near enough the ocean for a body to hear the surf roar, yet nowhere does its territory touch the water. The old Eastern stage road winds through the center of the town ; this, a part of the Old Bay Road was constructed in 1641. Ipswich is on the north, Essex on the east, Manchester and Wenham on the south, and Topsfield on the west. The great hills include Sagamore and Vineyard. The natural scenery hereabouts is indeed charming to the lover of nature. The area of the town is 9,440 acres. About three hundred acres are under water usually. Hamilton was originally in Ipswich, and was known as the Hamlet.

The exact date of the settlement in this town is not now known. It is certain that land was granted to Matthew Whipple in 1638, and through this tract coursed the old Eastern stage line. His house was sold in July, 1647, to John Annable, tailor.

Hamilton was named for Alexander Hamilton and the date was 1793. However, the separation was not completed until later. The United States census in 1900 gave this town a population' of 1,614; in 1910 it was given as 1,749, and in 1920 (last enumeration), it was only 1,631. It may be said, in passing, that its population in 1810 was 780.

After the original incorporation of Hamilton, the first officers inincluded these: Deacon Nathaniel Whipple, moderator; Lemuel Brown, clerk; Nathaniel Whipple, treasurer; Jonathan Lamson, Captain Daniel Brown and Joseph Poland, Jr., selectmen.

From the first, the principal business of Hamilton has been farming. There has been some manufacturing, but quite limited. About 1834 a large woolen mill v/as established on the Hamilton side of the Ipswich river, by the Mannings, hence the name "Manning's Mills." During the Civil War and in the year 1864 this factory turned out 5,500 pairs of woolen blankets and army ribbed-socks, etc., to the value of $135,000. January 12, 1884, these mills were totally destroyed by fire and never rebuilt. In its palmy days, the factory produced large amounts of blankets, and quite a factory village grew up about the mills. Farther down the river were a number of saw mills, including the old Dodge mill.

When the Essex Branch railroad was extended through in 1872, the Drivers' Union Ice Company opened up a large industry in ice shipping. The town's first railroad advantages date from the building of the Eastern Railroad in 1839, and this put many inns and stage stations out of commission.

Before the introduction of improved shoe-making machinery, Hamilton was dotted here and there with little shoe-shops, where boots and shoes were made by hand. In 1837 it was estimated that the value of home-made boots and shoes here was $14,700. At a very early day the fishing business was one of some importance, especially in the eastern portion, but the building of fishing boats was a much greater industry; these boats ran from ten to twenty tons capacity each. Captain John Woodbury built many such boats, and had to haul the same to the Chebacco river, by teams of cattle.

The first postoffice was established in 1803 and continued many years. The business interests of today are simply stores and shops, such as are usually demanded in towns and villages of the size of Hamilton. It will be understood that the town now has three trading points - South Hamilton, at the railroad station, and Hamilton proper, and Asbury Grove, reached by a street-car line. Hamilton town has three postoffices - one at Hamilton, one at the depot at South Hamilton, and one at Asbury Grove. Of the one at Hamilton it may be said that it has had for its postmasters: Captain George Appleton, about 1860 ; David Hoyt, 1873 ; Frank C. Norton, Annie E. Medbury, Nellie Kimball, Bessie R. Brown, Kattie Warner, Andrew Haraden, Clara Kimball, Carrie L. Rankins, William J. Daley; the last Y^a& commissioned May 8, 1913. Office busmess in 1920 was about $832. The office is in the William J. Daley building, and was previously in the tcYv'n hall.

At South Hamilton the postoffice is at the station, and was originally called Wenham Depot, Massachusetts, but it was changed about 1905 to South Hamilton. The postmasters have included John Merrill ; Charles A. Hills, appointed in 1887; Lester E. Libby, appointed 1894; Douglas H. Knowlton, appointed (commissioned) July 1, 1914. The office has always been located in the building it now occupies. The amount of business transacted during the last year was $3,722.79.

The present (1921) officers of the town include the following: Selectmen: George H. Gibney, chairman, Arthur C. Cummings, Jonathan Lamson; school committee: Harold S. Martin, chairman; Adelaide D. Walsh, Florence M. Lunn; treasurer, John L. Woodbury; town clerk, Clarence S. Knov/lton; superintendent of streets, Charles E. Whipple; assessors: George H. Gibney, chairman; George M. Adams, Jesse S. Mann ; fire engineers, George F. Pendexter, chief ; Erie G. Brewer, Lester M. Whipple, Rodney Adams, Frank Dane. The chief of police is Alfred T. Poole.

The tovv'n hall was erected in 1900 at a cost of $20,000; the South School was built in 1898, cost $20,000; the East School was erected in 1918, costing $20,500. Bonds are still out on the South School to the amount of $980, and on the East School for $15,000. The volunteer fire company has a membership of nearly fifty men.

According to a vote of the town in 1712, a meeting-house was built, thirty-eight by fifty feet, with twenty foot studding. The windows were small diamond-shaped glass; the rafters were unplastered, and this caused a great number of sparrows to nest and twitter in the unfinished inside of the roof. This house was razed in 1762 to give place to a larger one, forty-four by sixty feet. It was erected by the parish, the pews excepted, which in this case were allowed to be built by the owners themselves. The latter, however, were heavily fined in case they later seated themselves or any member of their family in any other seats within the house, this act being styled "ungodly."

In 1764 provision was made that "any young men singers sett in the men's sixth seat below, during the parish pleasure." There was no provision for heating this church until about 1824, when box-stoves were introduced. Lighting was always done by candles brought by the membership. Hence the notices of evening gatherings came to be universal, "at early candle light." The pulpit was high, and overhung by a sounding-board; in front was the deacon's seat occupied by Deacons Nathaniel Whipple and John Patch. Deacon Patch sat at the door, and Deacon Whipple at the farther end, wearing a full-bottomed wig. Deacon Patch lined the hymns, while Deacon Whipple set the hymns or psalm.

Of the clergy, it may be recorded that Rev. Samuel Wigglesworth was pastor from the date of church organization in 1714 to 1768 - fiftyfour years; he preached until summoned to his heavenly reward. He was succeeded by Rev. Dr. Cutler, who was called when a young man in May, 1771; his Christian name was Manasseh. He was a graduate of Yale College. He became a wonderful man in his influence and deeds as a statesman, as well through Revolutionary War days as later. It was he who had the anti-slavery clause entered in the treaty of 1787, creating the great Northwest Territory, by which act Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and other Western States were admitted only as Free States to the Union. Joseph B. Felt was the successor of Dr. Cutler as pastor in Hamilton parish. He was installed in 1824, and served faithfully and well until four years before his death, in 1837, aged eighty years. Following him came Rev. George W. Kelly, who on account of ill health resigned in 1850, having served since 1834. Next came Rev. John H. Mordough from 1850 to 1861, and he was succeeded by Rev. Frank H. Johnson, who served till 1863, after which came Rev. S. F. French, who resigned in 1871, and was followed by Rev. Calvin G. Hill, who resigned fti 1876, after which no regular pastor was engaged for many years. In 1883 it was found expedient to reorganize this church society, or rather to do away with the old parish rules, and they organized what was called the First Congregational Society, taking the place of the 1829 Parish above treated upon at length. This was approved by the legislature in March, 1884. Since then this church has been conducted on strictly up-to-date church methods. Further information has not been furnished the writer,

In 1860 the Methodist Episcopal Church established the Asbury Camp Meeting Association. It purchased seventy-five acres in the grove, and laid out and sold lots, upon which many cottages were built. It was successfully managed many years. Incidentally, a branch of the Eastern railroad was extended to these famous camp-grounds. The National Camp-meeting in 1870 was held on these beautiful grounds, presided over by Rev. Inskip, D.D. A postofRce was finally secured and it was named Asbury, in honor of the Methodist church's Bishop Asbury. Today the place is known as Asbury Grove. Such in brief is the start of this little hamlet within Hamilton town.