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North Carolina (North Carolina, United States) (search for this): chapter 11
he fare was not thrown in. The canal's northern end was in Chelmsford, now known as Middlesex Village and part of the city of Lowell. The canal's first cost was a half-million, and this had been supplemented by continual heavy expense for repairs, but dividends were being paid. The Middlesex Canal had been in operation for thirty years when the railroad was chartered. The canal connected the tidewaters of Boston Harbor at Charlestown with the slow moving current of Concord river at North Billerica by an ascent of one hundred and four feet, then descending twenty-six feet, it connected with the Merrimack, and was twenty-seven miles in length. As three and one-half miles per hour was the fastest time made by the passenger boats, and twenty locks had to be passed through, it was an all day journey from Lowell to Boston. Besides Lowell was nearly two miles distant from the terminal at Chelmsford, and was nonexistent, and not even dreamed of, when the canal was opened in 180
China (China) (search for this): chapter 11
and there were late ones in Medford as well as Woburn. The writer remembers watching from the car window in Winchester some of these dilatory ones, one of whom was generally buttoning on his dickey and one morning was in his stockings with his boots hanging over his arm,—but he got there. The tickets sold by the station agents on the Lowell road were a curiosity. Of stout card board of different colors; on one side the name of station, on the other a series of hieroglyphics resembling Chinese characters. This last was the brilliant idea of one of the railroad officers to prevent their being counterfeited. The conductor was supposed to know everybody and discriminate at once between transients and season ticket holders. The latter were allowed one passage each way daily, but the rule was not rigidly enforced. The stations in our city were known as Medford Steps and Medford Gates. There are as many steps at the former now as then, perhaps more, but for over twenty years it
Chelmsford, Mass. (Massachusetts, United States) (search for this): chapter 11
e following season, while the steamboat Eagle was making her daily trips from Boston to Hingham, the same steam canal-boat, Merrimack, made trips from Boston to Chelmsford, and thence up the Merrimack river to Concord, N. H. While this particular attempt was not continued as a permanent arrangement, as was then hoped it would be bridge to Boston, while at the northern end a fourpence ha'penny was charged for two miles when the fare was not thrown in. The canal's northern end was in Chelmsford, now known as Middlesex Village and part of the city of Lowell. The canal's first cost was a half-million, and this had been supplemented by continual heavy s, and twenty locks had to be passed through, it was an all day journey from Lowell to Boston. Besides Lowell was nearly two miles distant from the terminal at Chelmsford, and was nonexistent, and not even dreamed of, when the canal was opened in 1803. Just before this a canal had been opened for the passage of boats and rafts
Hudson River (United States) (search for this): chapter 11
sit than an all-day ride and still slower transportation of goods from Boston. As railways had been in use for some years in England, and had been built in the Middle States, a railroad was here looked upon as the solution of the problems. The canal had been a great enterprise in its time, in fact it was the first great engineering effort to be attempted in this section, and was followed by others in various places. One was even projected through Hoosac mountain to connect with the Hudson river. The Boston & Lowell Railroad was chartered by the General Court of Massachusetts. The petitioners were opposed by the Canal Company, who foresaw that the new enterprise would be a damaging rival and who felt that it ought not to be permitted without some redress. The testimony given and ideas advanced at that time seem singular reading today. As there was a provision in the charter allowing the erection of toll-gates at intervals, it is evident that use of horses was at first inten
Mystick River (Massachusetts, United States) (search for this): chapter 11
, and ever afterward was continued in its employ. Being a man of natural gifts and a close observer of mechanical matters, he constructed a set of models of the first engines, cars (both passenger and freight), a pile driver with its tread mill for hoisting the hammer, and other railroad appliances, which is a most instructive exhibit of the early days of railroad enterprise in Massachusetts. A pile bridge carried the rails across Charles river. Miller's river in East Cambridge, and Mystic river between Charlestown and Medford; while granite abutments that still remain buried in the embankment, carried the track at an elevation of nine feet above the water in the canal in the western corner of Medford, adjoining the crooked corner of then Charlestown. As a matter of record and because of the changes being made at the present time by the Metropolitan Park Commission be it noted that the canal's location was northerly thirty paces from the five mile post. By their recent chang
Boston Harbor (Massachusetts, United States) (search for this): chapter 11
ry Enterprise, and to call therein especial attention to the attempt made to utilize the power of steam in dragging the slow barges along the placid waters of the Middlesex Canal in 1818-19. Before the first steamboat had made its trips in Boston Harbor, a steam canal boat had been propelled through our ancient town of Medford. The following season, while the steamboat Eagle was making her daily trips from Boston to Hingham, the same steam canal-boat, Merrimack, made trips from Boston to llion, and this had been supplemented by continual heavy expense for repairs, but dividends were being paid. The Middlesex Canal had been in operation for thirty years when the railroad was chartered. The canal connected the tidewaters of Boston Harbor at Charlestown with the slow moving current of Concord river at North Billerica by an ascent of one hundred and four feet, then descending twenty-six feet, it connected with the Merrimack, and was twenty-seven miles in length. As three an
Tyngsborough (Massachusetts, United States) (search for this): chapter 11
construction have since undergone much change. The men of that time deemed that the construction should be of the most solid character and built accordingly. They doubtless thought to profit by the experience of the canal people, who built most of its locks and all its aqueducts at first with wood, and later replaced with stone, as the wood decayed. The railway track in order to be substantial and require little repair, was laid on ties of split granite. These were brought down from Tyngsborough on the Merrimack and through the canal on the canal boats, and delivered at convenient points along the line. Professor Dame in his article upon the canal alluded to this, styling it a case of a corporation assisting in the preparation of its own obsequies. It did so and more, as will be seen later. There are still many persons who remember these stone sleepers which have been entirely removed for thirty-five years. There are very few people, however, that are aware of the construction
Mystic Valley (Tennessee, United States) (search for this): chapter 11
wagons or carts are drawn along on the roads, so cars are more rapidly moved on roads fitted with continuous lines of parallel rails, and such a road is called a rail-road. Prior to 1827 there was no railroad in Massachusetts, the first being then built from Quincy to tide water for the purpose of conveying the granite blocks of which Bunker Hill Monument is built. Nearly seventy-three years have elapsed since the snort and neigh of the iron horse was first heard across the quiet valley of the Mystic, and a new mode of travel came into use. The people who today hail the modern trolley car at the street corner, almost at their very doors, join in the grand scramble and push at Sullivan Square, and then good naturedly hang by a strap while squeezed into the Elevated cars for the rest of the journey to the Hub, have little idea of the Medford to Boston railroad or journey in the early '30s. And they who ride by the Southern Division or Medford Branch trains and alight in the gr
Shawsheen (Massachusetts, United States) (search for this): chapter 11
803. Just before this a canal had been opened for the passage of boats and rafts around the Pawtucket Falls of the Merrimack, but the opening of the Middlesex Canal as an inland and more direct route to Boston had proved somewhat disastrous to the interests of the Proprietors of Locks and Canals, as the Pawtucket Canal Company was styled. Its disappointments, however, were destined to come to an end. Some mill owners on the Charles river at Waltham were seeking along the banks of the Shawsheen for additional power and new facilities, when one, Ezra Worthen, remarked, If they want water power, why don't they buy the Pawtucket Canal and get the whole force of Merrimack river? Strange it was that such a scheme had not dawned on people's thought sooner, and that the Merrimack had flowed on unharnessed, while the Pawtucket Canal had only served for a passage around the Falls for twenty-five years. A word to the wise was sufficient, and quietly the land along the river was acquired
Hoosac Mountain (Nevada, United States) (search for this): chapter 11
stries, demanded a more rapid transit than an all-day ride and still slower transportation of goods from Boston. As railways had been in use for some years in England, and had been built in the Middle States, a railroad was here looked upon as the solution of the problems. The canal had been a great enterprise in its time, in fact it was the first great engineering effort to be attempted in this section, and was followed by others in various places. One was even projected through Hoosac mountain to connect with the Hudson river. The Boston & Lowell Railroad was chartered by the General Court of Massachusetts. The petitioners were opposed by the Canal Company, who foresaw that the new enterprise would be a damaging rival and who felt that it ought not to be permitted without some redress. The testimony given and ideas advanced at that time seem singular reading today. As there was a provision in the charter allowing the erection of toll-gates at intervals, it is evident th
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