Middleton Town (part 2 of 2)

Post-Office. - It is now only a little more than fifty years since a post-oflice was kept in this town. Now we receive and discharge two mails per day. When Abraham wished to send a message to Lot he put a man upon a running horse and it was conveyed with a speed of twelve miles an hour, and since the writer's remembrance we could do no better than that ; and this mode of sending letters was the only way practiced by the early settlers of New England. At a later day stage routes carried the mail bags to the principal cities and towns, for which they received large pay, while the small out of the way towns had no post-ofiices, and this town was one of them. As a sample, while in Hallowell, Me., in 1834, we sent a letter to Middleton ; after a week or two it was found in the South Danvers (now Peabody) post-office, and the one who took it out paid twenty-five cents postage ; another from the same place arrived at Danvers Plains, and some one informed the one to whom it was directed that a letter in one of the grocery stores was waiting for him. The postage on that letter was eighteen cents.

In the late rebellion, this town did more than its full share, more than one-tenth part of the whole population (one hundred and four) enlisted in the army for a longer or shorter time, and fifteen of their number either fell in battle or died of disease contracted in the war.

Justin Flint, died of disease ; Henry A. Smith, died of disease; Joseph M. Richardson, died of disease; Lemuel F. Esty, died of disease; George W. Peabody, died of disease ; Asa W. Brooks, killed in skirmish near Richmond; George S. Esty, died of disease; Charles Manning, killed in battle at White Hall, N. C. ; Joseph A, Guilford, killed in battle at Fredericksburg, Va. ; Jeremiah Peabody, died of disease; Charles H. Guilford, killed in battle of Gettysburg ; Solomon Richardson 2d, killed in battle in front of Petersburg, Va, ; George J. Danforth, died at Andersonville Prison ; Abishai A. Higgins, died at Andersonville Prison; Samuel 0. Wilkins, died at Andersonville Prison. And many others returned with disease, and were soon laid in a soldier's grave like their fallen comrades. Others still now linger among us, unable by reason of impaired health (due to exposure in the war) to enjoy the blessings their labors have helped to purchase.

Public-Houses and Stores. - The old tavern stand was purchased from a man by the name of Goodale by John Estey, about 1760 ; how long this Goodale had been in possession is not known ; but eighty years previously was in possession of Aaron Way, and bought by him of Bray Wilkins, Sr. Estey was proprietor till 1816, when his son-in-law, Daniel Fuller, with others, bought him out and sold about 1824, to Capt. Joseph Batchelder, of Topsfield (grandfather of our postmaster, Joseph A. Batchelder, Esq.), who subsequently let it, among whom was William Goodhue ; afterwards Mr. Batchelder's son Joseph was proprietor for a few years, and then his son Amos, and since his death it has ceased to be a public house.

After Mr. Estey sold out, his son William erected across the way what is now the Fuller house, which was used as tavern and store for a few years only, and, subsequently, this place was purchased by Ephraim Fuller, who lived in it for many years and kept a store in a building, now standing south of the house where now a little store is kept.

1795. - About this time, a tavern was kept in an old house taken down some years ago by Samuel F. Estey, a little south of his present dwelling. This

Daniel Fuller, Esq., when a young mati (nearly a century ago) kept a little store in his mother's house, or rather the lean-to, now occupied by his daughter, Sophronia Fuller.

1780. - Dr. Silas Merriam, about the same time, kept groceries for sale, as well as corn-meal and rye, and run the grist-mill the year round to accommodate the people, so say the town records as they gave him liberty to put on flash boards for this purpose.

1821. - Mr. Daniel Eichardsoa built a grocery store, and continued in the business about twelve years. This building is now standing and is a jjart of the dwelling-house of the writer.

1838. - Capt. Stephen Wilkins, Amos Batchelder and Francis P. Merriam & Co. kept groceries for sale in the Ephraim Fuller store, but only a few years.

1845. - Daniel Emer.-on and Hiram Moore carried on the store business in a building, since burned, that stood on the site of the present Merriam & Tyler's shoe-factory.

1850. - A large store and shoe-factory was run by F. P. and James N. Merriam for several years, and then sold to W. A. Merriam, who continued the grocery-store. The building was enlarged, and the previous firm of Merriam & Co. continued the .shoe business exclusively, which was nearly the first shoefactory in town, and subsequently W. A. Merriam moved to the new building which was erected by Joseph and John A. Batchelder for a grocery and shoe manufactory (and occupied by them for a short time), and continued the general store business for about twenty-five years, and then sold to M. E. Tyler, who soon after sold out to Capt. Thomas Hoyt and John Beckford. Beckford soon died, and the business was continued by Hoyt for some years, and for the last eight years the building has stood unoccupied.

After selling out to Hoyt & Co., M. E. Tyler erected a new building at East Middleton, and continued the grocery business there a few years, and subsequently turned the building into a dwellinghouse, and put up another store building near the old grist-mill in the village (which building has recently been moved to near the parsonage), and built a little store near his present stable, and continues both the store business and livery stable.

1812. - A store was kept by John Fuller, Jr., located on the site of the carriage house of the late Daniel Richardson. A dance hall in the upjjcr story, and in 1812 a school was kept for a short time by the Rev. Jacob Hood in this hall. (Mr. Hood died a year since, aged ninety-four years.) This building was moved across the way about 1820, and was used for a dwelling-house. The last owner was Richard Green, and the house was burned about 1872.

Some fifteen or twenty years since there were several small manufactories of shoes here. Edward and A. A. Averill, near the town hall ; Wm. H. Hutchinson, in the village; and Augustus Hutchinson, near Howe Station.

In the early days there were no butchers in town ; each farmer killed and salted his own meat, and when fresh meat was wanted a neighbor killed and lent it around, to be paid for in the same way. The first butcher to set up here was Abraham Shelden, about 1830 ; and six years subsequently he carried on a larger business and extending into other towns. He had several good double teams and a large number of men employed. He owned the farm now owned by Jesse W. Peabody, and built the large barn now on the place. Subsequently J. Augustus Estey carried on the business in the same place. Since, the business has been carried on by Jesse F. Hay ward and A. W. Peabody.

Subsequently the remains from many of the old burying-lots in town were removed to the new cemetery, and stone monuments erected or the old stones reset. There are yet known to be not less than fortyfive old family burying-lots in town, many of which are indistinguishable, being hid in the forests and jungles. Among these now unknown graves must be those who when alive, were the leading men in our early history.

Public Libraries. - A social library was formed here in 1772 (just forty years after the first library in the city of Philadelphia). The Constitution was drawn up by Rev. Elias Smith, and contained twenty-two articles. The officers were chosen annually and the committee were required to meet once a quarter. Library to be kept within a mile of the meeting-house. No book to be kept out more than three months, after which time a fine was imposed. The library at first contained seventy-one volumes ; some of these were given. These volumes were mostly sermons of old divines, Morse's Geography, History of South America and other histories. Mason on "Self-knowledge and Family Instruction," etc. Elias Smith, librarian ; Archelaus Fuller, Silas Merriam and Elias Smith, committee. Admission fee, six dollars, according to the value of money of that day. Proprietors could sell or give away their right, but all were, if able, required to be present at the annual meeting, or not allowed to take out a book for three months. All through the years from 1772 to 1826 this library was run with remarkable success.

The last records were made by Rev. Ebenezer Hubbard, who left town two years subsequently, and the library was put into the hands of Daniel Fuller, Esq., and a few years ago handed over to the Flint Library. A few of these old volumes are still well preserved.

In 1838 Dr. E. S. Phelps started a social library organization with forty six members and eighty-four volumes of books, which had only a short run, as but little interest was taken in it.

In 1865 an association was formed, of which John M. Peabody was president. Three dollars was required to become a member, and one dollar annually. This gained in importance till 1879, when it was given to the town and valued at upwards of one thousand dollars, at which time Charles L. Flint made a donation of about one thousand dollars and four hundred volumes of books, and the library was made free and called the Flint Library. Since that time Mr. Flint has made other donations, aggregating more than fifteen hundred dollars. Many other individuals have contributed valuable volumes to this library, which is now in a very prosperous condition, and numbers three thousand one hundred and thirty-seven volumes, and supported by the town. By the will of Benjamin Franklin Emerson, who died in Boston April 5, 1887. the Flint Library receives the interest of ten thousand dollars after the decease of his moth- This sum is to remain, in a fund to be called the

B. F. Emerson Trust Fund, with six trustees. Mr. Emerson was the son of Stephen and Sarah Emerson, born in this town, received his early education here, and subsequently in Oxford and Townsend (Vt.), academies. For fifteen years he was superintendent of the Copper Falls Mining Company, Mich. His death was caused by falling from a coal bridge while giving directions for extinguishing a forest fire that was fast approaching their quarters. In this fell he received a fracture of the spine, after which he lived seven mouths, some of the time in terrible agony. His age was forty-nine, unmarried and highly esteemed by all who knew him.

Schools. - A century ago there was but one schoolhouse owned by the town, and that stood by the church, and was moved to Danvers in 1810 by John Fuller. Subsequently the town owned three, and they were located at the east side, on the north road and in the centre, or present village. For a short time private enterprise maintained, in part, a school at the Paper Mill Village. This same state of things prevailed before the three districts were set off as before mentioned, at which time the east side of the town was the most thickly settled, and the school there and at the North District had double the scholars of the present day. The manufacturing of shoes at the village and the accommodation of the railroad, stores, churches and a higher grade of teaching in the schools had caused many to abandon the farm and early history, of whom quite a number still live in the neighborhood of the paper-mill, where Charles L. Flint, late secretary of the State Board of Agriculture was born.

Fairfield. - Moses Fairfield married Polly Russell, had ten children, married about 1828 or '29. He and his wife died some years since in Kansas.

Francis. - Charles Francis (a man of color) and his wife, Betsy, had ten children, the youngest of whom was Edmund, who was born in 1811 ; he wore a fourteen size shoe, and is remembered by some now living. All the family have passed away.

GiDDiXGS. - Zaccheus Giddings and his wife, Hannah, had ten children ; oldest born in 1783. He built the red house, so called, near the cemetery.

Gray. - William Gray and his wife, Sarah, had five children ; oldest born 1791, He built a carding-mill near the Merriam grist-mill. A son of this man came here in 1845, and erected stones at his parents' graves in the Fuller lot.

Gould. - Nathaniel Gould and I^ydia, his wife, had three children, oldest born 1796, one of whom was Henry Lawrence Gould, born in 1798. The home of this family was on Bear Hill, now owned by Mr. Gregory.

Andrew Gould and Pamela, his wife had seven children, one of whom was born 1805, and is now living in Topsfield, viz., Andrew Gould, now eightytwo years of age, and is yet quite a smart man. Two other families by the name have lived in this place since this Nathaniel's day, supposed to be distant connections,

GouLDTHWAiT. - Benjamin Gouldthwait and Lucy, his wife, had three children - date of the birth of the oldest 1824 - none of the family now are in town.

Goodhue - Hadlock. - William Goodhue and Sally, his wife, had one child born here 1829 ; none by this name are here now. Samuel Hadlock and Prudence, his wife, had one child born 1731.

HOBBS. - Joseph, Benjamin, William and Humphrey Hobbs had respectively four, four, seven and four children, all born from 1735 to 1750, William built the house now standing, owned by John Wallis Peabody. They were probably brothers ; all the family left more than a century ago,

Howe. - The Howe family sprang from James Howe, of Ipswich, Mass. He married Elizabeth Dane, 1637; John Howe (1st), John Howe (2d) and Mary, his wife, (the oldest child born 1737,) seven in all ; Joseph Howe and Sarah, his wife, had also seven children about the same ages, and must have been a brother ; al-^o Mark Howe and Dorothy, his wife, had eleven children, and all born from 1732 to 1756. From this family we have those of that name now in town. These families lived in the north part of the town, house of Mark, now standing. Joseph and Hannah Hutchinson had five children from 1747-57.

Hutchinson. - Joseph and Hannah, his wife, had four children, the oldest born in 1781. This family lived in a house now standing in the south part of the town, and came from Danvers Centre. The wellknown singers by that name, the sons and daughters of " Jesse " sprang from this family.

Holt. - Timothy Holt and his wife had one child 1804. Rev. Ebenezer Hubbard and Charlotte, his wife, had four children, - Charles Augustus Peabody, born 1818; William McKean, 1820; Catharine Elizabeth, 1823 ; Ebenezer Augustus, 1825.

Ingalls. - Edman Ingalls was born in 1627, and died 1719, aged ninety-two years. He was a tanner by trade. His son Henry Ingalls, of Lynn, moved to Andover in 1653, married Mary Osgood, and in 1689 married again, the widow of George Abbot, and died at the age of eighty-three. (These wives were Andover women.) His descendants owned a large tract of land in the neighborhood of the Farnham District, and not far from the residence of the late Jonathan Ingalls, whose brother, Theodore Ingalls, commenced blacksmithing at this place, Middleton, and continued business here till his death about 1814. In the early days of manufacturing edged tools Mr. Ingalls stood very high ; his axes were sent to Maine to cut down those great forests ; his scythes also were very good, though clumsy, compared with those made at the present time. The writer's father well remembered these scythes. Mr. Ingalls also made hoes and shovels, etc., and these tools were made in a common blacksmith-shop which stood on the north side of the long crossway.

This Theodore Ingalls was the grandfather of Senator John James Ingalls, He was married three times. His first wife was a Berry, by whom he had two sons, and subsequently married two sisters of Deacon Addison Flint, of North Reading, the latter of which was the grandmother of the Senator.

The home of the Ingalls family was Lynn, from whence they scattered over the land, some remaining still in Lynn. In early history they were tanners, and a few years since an old tan vat (in Lynn) was unearthed, belonging to them, containing a few hides, which were still somewhat preserved.

Jonathan Knight, and Phoebe, his wife, had seven children from 1751 to 1777. But Benjamin Knight, and his wife, Ruth, appear to have been here before the act of incorporation ; we find him with a family of seven children born from 1720 to 1734. Though the name has passed from our books, yet some of their descendants remain.

Kekney. - The Kenney family date 1735. They lived on the left bank of Ipswich River, known now as the King place. The family of Simeon numbered nine from 1767 to 1789. Moved to Milford, N. H.

Merriam. - Dr. Silas Merriam, by his first wife, who was a Deal, or Dale, had four children from 1767 to 1772 ; and by his wife Peabody, sister of Capt. Joseph, the millionaire of Salem, eight children, born from 1776 to 1790. The Merriam house is still standing.

McIntire. - The Mclntire or Mackintire family lived in the northwest part of the town. Benjamin and his wife. Experience, had three children born from 1751 to 1755.

Nichols. - William Nichols and Elizabeth had four children, from 1704 to 1714. The origin of the Nichols family dates from this William or his father of the same name, who settled in the east part of the town, near Nichols' Brook, as early as 1652, then known as New Meadows, Topsfield ; none of this family now in town.

Perkins. - Timothy Perkins and Phebe, his wife, had five children, from 1744 to 1754. This man lived on the Tufts place, where the house still stands, one of the oldest in town. Timothy, Jr., had ten children, from 1760 to 1Z82; the family not numerous here.

Putnam. - Ezra and Lucy had six children from 1751 to 1757 ; lived, in the southeast part of the town. Perry. - Jonathan Perry and Mehitable three children, from 1836 to 1840.

Francis Peabody, of St. Albans, Hertfordshire, England, born 1614, who came to New England 1635, and traced as follows: from his second son, Joseph, born 1644; Samuel, born 1678; Moses, born 1708; Samuel, born 1741 ; Joseph, born Aug. 3, 1770; the last named was the deacon here for some years, and father of Samuel J. Flint, Ann, Joseph and Dean, the latter now clerk of court.

The original name was Boadie, who made a raid upon the tyrant emperor Nero, of Rome, in the year of our Lord 61, in defence of the Queen of the Britons, who had been publicly whipped before her grown up daughters, by the order of this noted ruler, and for this exploit and others of like character the Pea, which means the big hill, or mountain, was added, "Big man, or mountain man - Peabodie." In the expedition named above Boadie entered the emperor's palace and carried away a miniature picture of Nero's wife, which was retained in the family till the eleventh century.

Richardson. - Solomon Richardson and Elizabeth had three children from 1730 to 1735. The Richardson family have lived mostly in the southeast part of the town. Several of them had large families.

Russell. - Joseph Russell and Mary, his wife, had thirteen children born from 1793 to 1821, one of whom was David, born in 1795, late of Amherst, N. H.

Stiles. - The Stiles family came from Rowley Village (Boxford) in 1700 ; commenced settlement in the north jiart of the town on land now owned by John Brown. The cellar of the house is now seen across the meadows east of the Demsey place.

Symonds. - First settled in Boxford, subsequently near the box factory in this town (then a part of Boxford). There were several families from first settlements till the commencement of the present century.

Town. - Daniel Town and Dorothy, his wife, had eight children from 1722 to 1739 ; he lived in the east part of the town once belonging to Topsfield, and was chosen schoolmaster when the town was incorporated. He opposed the annexation to Middleton.

WiLKiNS. - This family has always flourished here from the first. The children of Joseph and Margaret date from 1710 to 1728. This man was doubtless a son of the original Bray Wilkins, whose pos-

"Trio," a negro servant to Jonathan Wilkins, and " Cute," servant to Benjamin Fuller, of Middleton, married by Rev. Peter Clarke (of Salem village), November 22, 1757.

The number of deaths since the first settlement, and that have been buried here, is estimated at about two thousand. The average for the last sixty-five years has been a little over eleven a year, or about seven hundred and fifty. During the last named period the death rate remained about the same, while the population nearly doubled.

"1786. - Went two days to Salem after sherif, did not find him; my two days 10 shillings ; expenses 9 pence. To one day setting glass in Meeting house and making Old Debory's coffin."

" Bimsely Peabody, Dr., 1799. To half bushel apples and running four spoons, one shilling 6 pence." (We find a long account against the town, some of the charges for important business. Through his influence the road between this village and Dan vers' Plain was widened and straightened in 1811.)

"18ii5. - Bloading and Roweling his horse, 33 cts. Aug. 19 & 20, going to see his cow that was shot, and another journey, & taking of her hide & my boys coming to Symonds for me SlOO.

"Oct. 10, 1804. - Anne Jane and Martha Nickson came to board with me 19, the horse and curt to move their goods 50 cts. These children and their parents came from Ireland about this time in consequence of the Rebellion. Anne subsequently became the wife of Dr. Merriam's son, Andrew, and now their posterity, ai-e among our most honored people.

This most wonderful old account book and memorandum runs through about thirty years, and is full of historical events, to say nothing of what this man undertook, as a jack of all trades, and in filling important offices. He must have made nearly all the coffins, repaired and built buildings, mill machinery, blacksmith, wheelwright, mason, cow, and horse doctor, etc. He was an honest and just man. He died since our remembrance, at an advanced age. His height was full six feet (we should judge), and walked very erect. Had a long queue that reached halfway down his back.

Till within sixty years the sexton chosen must be a carpenter, at least enough to make a coffin, for which and digging the grave and attending the funeral, he received a fee of five dollars.

Biographical Charles L. Flint

Charles Louis Flint, born in Middleton on the 8th of May 1824, was the second son of Jeremiah and Mary (Howard) Flint. His father was a farmer, and occupied a part of the estate that had been the ancestral inheritance for several generations.

The first American ancestor of this branch of the Flint family, Thomas Flint, is reported to have come from Wales about the year 1640, and to have settled soon after in what was then known as Salem village, now called Peabody. The farm he then acquired by purchase was held till recently by one of his lineal descendants. Charles I^. is of the seventh generation by direct descent from this agricultural colonist.

Like most farmers' sons, his early years were spent on the farm and in the district school, and were, of course, quite uneventful, given to acquiring the first rudiments of an education, and to the innumerable chores and lighter kinds of farm work which usually fjill to the lot of countrj^ boys. These occupations, though often irksome and gladly shunned as distasteful by most boys on the farm, really constitute by far the best foundation for the practical education of life. The influences of the farm are healthful, mentally, morally and physically. Other things being equal, that is with equal natural gifts, equal advantages for education, and equal opportunities for advancement and mental discipline, the boy on the farm will in the long run come out ahead of the boy in the city.

At the age of twelve, when scarcely able to realize the loss, came the great misfortune of his life - the death of a devoted mother. This led to some change in the iamily, and at the age of fourteen he went to live with an uncle, who was a large farmer, in the town of Norway, Oxford County, in Maine. There too, he enjoyed a few weeks ofschooling in the winter, and for the rest of the year worked diligently on the farm. The experience then acquired enabled him to s^jeak and write with clearness and intelligence on the practical as well as the scientific elements of agriculture in subsequent years of public and official toil. Among the few judicious friends with whom he there came in contact, and who inspired him with a desire to obtain a liberal education, was an excellent teacher, who had been unable to realize his own wishes in that direction, and by his advice, at the age of seventeen, young Flint repaired to Phillips Academy at Andover, a town adjoining his native town of Middleton, to prepare for college. Here, almost unaided, and in the midst of many obstacles arising from the want of means, and the necessity of relying wholly upon his own resources, he fitted for college in little over three years, and entered Harvard in 1845. It required a brave heart, a clear brain, a strong will and a high hope and trust in the future, with a stubborn determination to enter upon the activities of life with all the advantages of a thorough intellectual training, to lead a young man wholly dependent upon his own energy to enter upon a long and expensive course of education like that at Harvard College, but with native vigor, self-reliance and indomitable persistence, obstacles are apt to vanish as we approach them, and it is a question whether the very effort required to triumph over them does not result in a firmer, more compact and more complete manhood. " Where there's a will there's a way," and the energy that finds it has much to do in moulding the character, and gives increasing self-confidence to meet and overcome future difficulties which lie in the way of success in life. A busy brain can devise many ways to meet emergencies, and to work one's way through college, though hard and unpleasant enough at times, is not without its compensations. By writing for the press, by utilizing the vacations in framing essays, stories, poems, anything that the reading public was willing to pay for, the object was accomplished and he graduated, not without honor and free fron^ debt, in 1849.

In 1850 Mr. Flint entered the Dane Law School at Cambridge, and spent two years there in preparing for the profession of the law. Previous to this time he had competed for the Bowdoin prize of forty dollars for the best dissertation, open to the senior class in college, and had won it triumphantly against the strongest competition in his class, the subject assigned being "The Different Representations of the Character of Socrates, by Plato, Xenophon and Aristophanes." This essay, prepared under difficulties, gained for the earnest student the highest commendations from a wide circle of friends.

About the same time in his senior year in college, he had competed for the Boylston prize in declamation, and in this eflbrt had come off second best, receiving a second prize. While connected with the Law School he also competed for the post-graduate prize of fifty dollars for the best essay upon the " Representative System at different Times and in different Countries," and won it.

At the end of two years in the Law School, a part of which time he was connected as computer with the American Nautical Almanac office, then located at Cambridge, under the superintendence of Commodore, afterwards Rear Admiral Charles Henry Davis, he entered the office of a lawyer in New York City, studied the New York code of practice, and was admitted to the New York bar on examination in October, 1852.

The Massachusetts State Board of Agriculture was organized, as a department of State government by the Legis'ature of 1852. It was designed as a representative body, but ultimately connected with the civil government, having the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor and the Secretary of the Commonwealth as members ex nfficiis, three members to be appointed by the Executive for the purpose of bringing, so far as possible, a scientific element into the Board, and one delegate elected by each of the County Agricultural Societies, each member, when elected, to hold his office for three years. Since the original organization of the Board, the members ex offieiis have been increased by the addition of the president of the Massachusetts Agricultural College, and the State Inspector of Fertilizers, both which positions were created subsequently to the establishment of the State Board of Agriculture.

After the organization of the Board, the first effort was to secure the services of a competent secretary. The position was thought to be of great importance, as the character, reputation and usefulness of the department would depend very largely upon its executive officer.

Mr. Flint had previously become somewhat identified with agriculture, and had gained some reputation from having written for and received two j^rizes for " Essays from the Essex County Agricultural Society," a diploma and a silver medal from the New York State Agricultural Society, etc., and the attention of