History of Amesbury - Merrill.org

388 HISTORY OF AMESBURY.
Jan. 12th. The new Baptist church at West Amesbury was
this day dedicated with appropriate services. It is located on
Church street and is a very neat and tasty structure.
May nth. The old house of Capt. John Currier, which was,
probably, built by his father, David Currier, about 1720 at the
Pond Hills, was this day torn down to give place to a modern
structure. It was an oaken frame.
This year the old store occupied by J. W. Briggs, Esq., and
formerly by Babson and Stacy, at the Mills, was removed and
the present brick block erected by the Salisbury Mills Company
on the site.
The death of Abner L. Bailey, Esq., at the Ferry, on the
15th of September, was a loss not only to his family and friends,
but to the public. Mr. Bailey was born at the Ferry very near
the spot where he died, and was a descendant of John Bailey,
1 st, whose location will be found on the map of the town as
laid out at East Salisbury in 1639. By trade he was a mason
and for a while followed that occupation, but, about 1853, he
commenced the experiment of manufacturing hats, which eventually
proved a success. Subsequently the Merrimac Hat Com-
pany was organized and large additions made to the factory at
the Point, which enabled the company to enter largely into the
business. Before his death Mr. Bailey had built up an exten-
sive business, which kept three mills busy in filling the com-
pany's orders, and afforded employment to a large number of
workmen.
At one period Mr. Bailey became somewhat noted for his
abolition principles and was in 1844 a candidate for Congress
from this district. He was energetic and persevering, and objects
which would have discouraged most men were but small hin-
drances to him. He was not forgetful of the poor, but always
ready to aid them. As a financier he was eminently successful,
the stock of the company ranking very high in the market. He
was strongly attached to the Union Evangelical church at the
Point and gave it a liberal support.
On the 4th of February a most destructive fire occurred at
West Amesbury. The wheel factory of Foster and Howe, with