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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF MEDFORD, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, FROM ITS FIRST SETTLEMENT, IN 1630, TO THE PRESENT TIME, 1855. (ed. Charles Brooks), Chapter 1: (search)
with the majority of voters was, that no expense need be incurred until some vessel had found it impossible to float down on the highest tides. This misfortune never occurred. It always has had depth of water sufficient to float any empty, unrigged ship of 2,500 tons. March 14, 1843, the town voted to remove and prevent all obstructions to the free ebb and flow of the water. At the time when Medford was the centre of considerable trade; when vessels were loaded at our wharves for the West India markets; when bark and wood were brought from Maine, and we had rich and active merchants among us; at that time it was no unusual sight to see two, four, or six sloops and schooners at our wharves, and as many in our river. Soon after Fulton had propelled vessels by steam, a vessel so propelled came up our river to Medford, and was here repaired. The number of adult persons who have been drowned in Mystic River is not small. In the early records, deaths in this way are often notice
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF MEDFORD, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, FROM ITS FIRST SETTLEMENT, IN 1630, TO THE PRESENT TIME, 1855. (ed. Charles Brooks), Chapter 9: public buildings. (search)
nezer Blanchard47 Edward Brooks48 It is specially recorded, that, at the raising of this meeting-house, which took place July 26 and 27, 1769, there was no one hurt. That such an exemption was remarkable, at that period, may be explained by the fact, that probably our fathers did not put themselves into that condition which generally secures catastrophies. An authentic record from another town, under date of Sept. 13, 1773, may make this matter clear: Voted to provide one barrel of West India rum, five barrels of New England rum, one barrel of good brown sugar, half a box of good lemons, and two loaves of loaf sugar, for framing and raising the meeting-house. Here a natural consequence followed,--two-thirds of the frame fell: many were hurt, and some fatally. Thus our fathers procured for themselves their third temple of worship, placed near the centre of population, upon a commanding spot, and exhibiting a most respectable exterior, with a commodious and appropriate interi
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF MEDFORD, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, FROM ITS FIRST SETTLEMENT, IN 1630, TO THE PRESENT TIME, 1855. (ed. Charles Brooks), Chapter 10: trade. (search)
s success. The fish found their market chiefly in Boston; and were sometimes cured, and sent in barrels to the Southern States, as food for slaves, or to the West Indies for common consumption. Many were smoked, after the manner of herring, and eaten in New England; many more were used as bait for cod-fishing on the Banks. Ale The business demanded a larger investment of capital than any other manufacturing interest within the town. Agents were employed to purchase molasses in the West Indies; and schooners of the largest tonnage were often seen unlading at wharves on the borders of which the distilleries stood. Soon after 1830, all the distilleris the demand, that now, for the first time within thirty years, new distilleries are being established, not only in the United States, but in Cuba and other West India islands. Lightering. This name was applied to a freighting business, carried on extensively through Mystic River, between Medford and Boston. The craft gener
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF MEDFORD, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, FROM ITS FIRST SETTLEMENT, IN 1630, TO THE PRESENT TIME, 1855. (ed. Charles Brooks), Chapter 11: currency. (search)
, wishes, and attachments of society. Whatever has been prescribed by legislative authority, or adopted by general usage, as a medium of exchange, may be denominated currency. The substances adopted as a standard of value have been very various in different ages and countries. In ancient times, in Italy and Greece, the standard was cattle, sometimes leather; in Europe, a silver nail, iron bars, tin plates; in India, shells; in Africa, bricks and beads; in Mexico, maize and cocoa; in the West Indies, sugar; in Newfoundland, dried cod; in Virginia, tobacco; and, among the Indians, wampum. In this last article, and in peltry, our ancestors traded much with the aboriginal inhabitants. Wampum was a belt formed of shells, black and white. The white, says Roger Williams, were made of the stock, or stem, of the periwinkle, when all the shell is broken off; and, of this sort, six of their small beads, which they make with holes to string their bracelets, are current with the English for
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF MEDFORD, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, FROM ITS FIRST SETTLEMENT, IN 1630, TO THE PRESENT TIME, 1855. (ed. Charles Brooks), Chapter 12: crimes and Punishments. (search)
to this colony and sold among us, for the first time, Feb. 26, 1638. In 1637, Captain William Pierce was employed to carry Pequot captives and sell them in the West Indies! On his return from Tortugas, he brought home a cargo of cotton, tobacco, salt, and negroes ! Slavery was thus introduced as early as 1638; but, in 1645, the Gted with horses and cattle, but could not succeed. No cargoes of slaves were brought into Medford; but how many cargoes of Medford rum went to Africa and the West Indies, and were returned in slaves to Carolina or Rhode Island, we cannot say. The gentlemen of Medford have always disclaimed any participation in the slave-trade. hich you are to proceed to South Carolina, unless a peace should happen, or a good opportunity of coming off with a man-of-war, or some vessel of force, for the West Indies. In that. case, I would recommend the Island of St. Christopher's, being handy to St. Eustatia's, for the sale of your slaves. Buy no girls, and few women; b
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF MEDFORD, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, FROM ITS FIRST SETTLEMENT, IN 1630, TO THE PRESENT TIME, 1855. (ed. Charles Brooks), Chapter 13: population. (search)
deceased; and the funeral train was often stopped to allow fresh bearers to take their turn. When a female was buried, females walked first; when a male, the men. At the grave, the coffin was opened, to allow the last look. On the return to the house, a repast was served; and there were eating and drinking on the largest scale. In a town near Medford, the funeral of a clergyman took place in 1774; and the record of charges runs thus: For twelve gold rings, £ 8; Lisbon wine, Malaga wine, West India rum, £ 5. 16s. 8d.; lemons, sugar, pipes, and tobacco, £ 3. 8s. 6d.; gloves, £ 40. 1s. 6d.; death's-head and cross-bones, 15s. The funeral of Captain Sprague (1703) cost £ 147. 16s. The Grand American Continental Congress, assembled at Philadelphia, 1774, agreed with regard to funerals thus: On the death of any relation or friend, none of us, or any of our families, will go into any further mourning-dress than a black crape or ribbon on the arm or hat, for gentlemen; and black ribbon