History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

Dr. Israel Hildreth delivered the oration on the
4th of July.
Odd Fellowship commenced its beneficent work
in Lowell this year. Merrimack Lodge was the
first instituted. Its charter is dated November 19,
1829. This was surrendered in 1836, but in 184.2
the lodge was reinstated, and at present has a
membership of over three hundred. Mechanic's
Lodge was instituted October 24, 1842, and now
has four hundred and fifty members. Oberlin
Lodge was instituted November 2, 1843, and now
has about five hundred members. Veritas Lodge
was chartered October 21, 1844, and coutinued
until April 9, 1851, when its charter was surrendered.
It was re-instituted August 18, 1871, and
now has two hundred and fifty members. Lowell
Lodge was chartered September 30, 1845, and was
prosperous for a time, but, like the others, had its
dark day and surrendered its charter. It was re-
instated February 20, 1874, and now has one hun-
dred and fifty members. Evening Star Lodge (Re-
bekah) was chartered November 25, 1876. It
consists of the wives of the members of the other
lodges. There are three Encampments : Monomake
was chartered June 1, 1843; Wannalancet, August
4, 1869; Lowell, August 5, 1846, after a time surrendered
its charter, but was re-instated November
17, 1873.
In 1871 Merrimack, Mechanic's, and Oberliii
Lodges, with Monomake and AVannalancet En-
campments, united in the purchase of the building
on Merrimack Street, known as the Carleton Block,
and rearranged the upper portion into suitable
halls and anterooms for their own use.
The vote passed. May 4, 1829, to annex a por-
tion of Tewksbury to Lowell, evidently took the
companies by surprise. The legislature appointed
a committee on the petition, backed by the vote of
Lowell; and early in May, 1830, the town ap-
pointed a committee to meet the legislative committee
and oppose the annexation. At the town-
meeting. May 24, 1830, one article in the warrant
was, "to see if the town would rescind the vote
the annexation of Belvidere would lower the value
of real estate generally ; but particularly that the
privileges on the new canal would be less salable.
This, it was thought, would affect the prosperity of
the Corporations ; it being well understood that
whatever affects their prosperity affects also the
prosperity of the whole town." The voters, there-
LOWELL. (57
fore, consulting what they considered their own
private interests, voted to rescind, yeas 240, nays
64 ;
and instructed their representatives to " do all
they could " to oppose the annexation.
June 5, the Middlesex Company was incorporated,
with a capital of §500,000, which was increased
§250,000 February 19, 1839; and again S450,000,
February 17, 1848. Samuel Lawrence and W. W.
Stone were named in the act. This company was
for the manufacture of woollens, broadclotlis, cas-
simeres, etc. During the agency of James Cook,
from 1830 to 1845, the profits were large, reaching
seventeen per cent. Whether it was owing to the
disastrous operations of the tarifi', or to mismanagement
on the part of the treasurer and selling agents,
in 1857 and 1858 the stock went down to forty per
cent of its par value. It was found in 1858 that the
capital was sunk. A new company was formed,
with a capital of only §50,000 (500 shares at $100
each), increased to S 750,000. The selling agents
were formerly compensated by a percentage on
the whole amount of sales; now the percentage is
based on profits. The new arrangement works well.
The Boston and Lowell Railroad was incorpo-
rated June 5, 1830, and the persons named in the
act were John F. Loring, Lemuel Pope, Isaac P.
Davis, Kirk Boott, Patrick T. Jackson, George W.
Lyman, and Daniel P. Parker. The stock was
divided into one thousand shares, of S600 each.
The act provided that no other railroad should,
within thirty years, be authorized leading to any
place within five miles of the northern termination
of the road. The track was laid so as to strike the
most formidable obstacle on the whole route, a
ledge some four or five hundred feet long, which
would require an excavation of forty feet in depth.
.\fter operations had commenced, and the rock had
been excavated twenty or thirty feet in depth, two
persons (James Currier and Mary Smith), while on
their way to Chelmsford, drove their horse and
chaise into this ugly hole. The chaise was com-
pletely shattered, and the occupants were found,
Mr. Currier on South Street, nearly a quarter of a
passed in 1829." The argument in favor of re- mile away, and Miss Smith in the woods, but a
scindmg was thus stated " : It was believed that short distance from the scene of the accident, ap-
parently unhurt. Mr. Currier received injuries
which caused his death. This occurred Decem-
ber 11, 1832.
In building this road stone sleepers were used,
probably to insure durability. It was found to be
poor economy, as the unyielduig nature of the ma-
terial caused great wear and tear to the rolling-