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Union Square and its neighborhood about the year 1846.
I first knew Union square in 1846, at which time it was called ‘Sand Pit square,’ a name said to have been given it, facetiously or otherwise, by some of the gentlefolk of
Winter Hill.
the name, though not euphonious, was appropriate, as its western side bordered sand lands that for years supplied the neighboring brick yards, as well as cities, with the best of silica.
In shape it was not a square, for it was wide at its easterly and westerly ends, and narrow at its centre, so that, considering that for years sand was passing through it, it might with propriety have been christened the ‘Hour Glass.’
Later on a flagstaff was erected in it, and from that time till the
Civil War it was known as ‘Liberty Pole square.’
When the war began it became a recruiting centre and took its present name of ‘Union square.’
In confining my recollections to about the year 1846, I am obliged to leave out many prominent people who came later, and who contributed much to the good name of this neighborhood and of the town, among whom were
Major Caleb Page, father of Health
Officer Page;
Thomas F. Norris, editor of the Olive Branch;
Colonel Rolin W. Keyes, member of the Legislature;
Amory and
Francis Houghton, who built the
Glass house;
Charles S. Lincoln,
Esq., who also represented us in the Legislature;
John S. Ware; ‘
Father Baker,’ one of the founders of the First Methodist church:
James S. and
Isaiah W. Tuttle, who built the first high school now our city hall;
Dr. Charles I. Putnam;
Dr. Weston, our earliest, or one of our earliest, postmasters; D. A. and
S. H. Marrett, prominent storekeepers; and many others.
Our family moved from
Malden to
Somerville in 1846 to a residence and store then facing on Union square, and owned by
Jeremiah Jordan, a professional musician, I think connected with
Ditson's music store.
A man named
Gossom kept store in this
