Medford Historical Society Papers, Volume 4.

---

[p. 94] in all. He was captain of the Medford militia in 1834; and held many offices in the town, being for eleven years a selectman, and four years assessor. In 1883-4 he represented Medford in the Legislature. He died Nov. 21, 1895.

We have now sauntered slowly down old Ship street from the home of the pioneer ship-builder at the corner of Park street; have stood in front of the homes or the sites of the homes of those men who made Medford ships famous, and in memory they have lived again. Turning now westward from Park street, other homes and persons come to mind who had their part in this important industry.

At the upper corner of Pleasant street was the house of Mr. William Cudworth, who, in partnership with Mr. Elisha Hayden, was the last to carry on shipbuilding at the old Magoun yard. Both these men came from Scituate, Mr. Cudworth being born Jan. 15, 1814, at a place now called Greenbush. His schooling was cut short at the age of thirteen, when he was sent to sea (his father being a captain) to help in support of the family. From his youth he loved ships, and it is said he used to draw and cut upon the panels of the rooms of his early home pictures of vessels in varied rig. Hayden & Cudworth built their first ship—the ‘Horsburgh,’ 577 tons—in 1846; their largest and last—the ‘Henry Hastings,’ 1,500 tons—in 1866; in all thirty-nine vessels. Mr. Cudworth served the town of Medford as one of its selectmen several times; was a representative to the Legislature for three consecutive sessions. He died at his home Feb. 2, 1877.

In the fine finish required for the interior of a ship's cabin, the workmanship of Mr. Faphet Sherman held a superior place. His trim-looking house, just below the corner of Pleasant street, was his residence from the time he built it, fifty-two years. He came from Marshfield, born there in 1818. In 1834 he apprenticed himself to Oakman Joyce, to learn carpentering and joinering,