History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

The hour of the third meeting arrived. Quite
a large audieuce had gathered in the hall. The
night was "dark, drizzly, and disagreeable.-" A
crowd was outside, in full force : some with a pur-
pose to break up the meeting, some to see the fun,
and more to see a mob ; while all helped to swell
the noise. Mr. Thompson, his friends, and the
selectmen of tlie town were in the anteroom of the
hall. Brickbats and stones were hurled against
the selectmen wanted to see fair play, they were
powerless in such a crowd. The Abolition friends
of Mr. Thompson, concluding that " discretion was
the better part of valor," disguised him as best
they could, and let him go out and see the fun.
The meeting was adjourned to, and held, the next
afternoon, without any hindrance or disturbance.
Mr. Thompson came to Lowell again, March 15,
1865, in the company of William Lloyd Garri-
son, at the invitation of the Lowell Freeman's Aid
Society. The meeting was in Huntington Hall,
and the Hon. Nathan Crosby presided.
In 1835 the market-house was built, and for a
short time looked a little like business; but the
occupants of the stalls had to adopt the plan of the
stores, — obtaiu their orders and carry out their
goods. It became very evident that a market-
house was not adapted to Lowell's wants.
The transfer of the courts from Concord and
Cambridge created a necessity for a court-room
and the upper story of the market-house was made
available for that purpose. To follow all the
changes that the building has been subjected to
would require too much space. It is now used for
a police station, a police court, and by Messrs.
C. P. Talbot & Co. as a store-room for their drugs
and dyestufl's.
At the town-meeting, January 12, the committee
appointed in November, 1834, to consider the
subject of having one or more terms of the courts
held here, reported in favor of the June term, and
it was voted to petition the legislature for that, and
also that the house of correction be located in
Lowell.
March 27, the Boott Cotton Mills were incor-
porated, with a capital of §1,500,000. Abbott
Lawrence, Ozias Goodwin, and John A. Lowell
M'ere named in the charter. B. F. French was the
agent till 1845 ; he was succeeded by Linus Child
till 1862, and by William A. Burke, from the
Lowell Machine-Siiop, in April, 1862. Mr. Burke
;
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left in September, 1865, and was succeeded by
A. G. Cumnock, the present incumbent.
The cars on the Boston and Lowell Railroad be-
gan to ruu regularly July 4.
Rev. E. W. Freeman dehvered the oration for
July 4.
The Middlesex Mechanics' Association finished
and occupied their building this year. This Asso-
ciation was incorporated June 18, 1825, and was
the windows from the Shattuck Street side, but a organized October 6. The first annual meeting
board screen rendered them harndess. Although was held October 5, 1826. Warren Colburn de-
livered an address on the comparative state of the
sciences, arts, and literature iu ancient and modern
times.
In December, 1834, the Merrimack, Hamilton,
Appleton, Lowell, Middlesex, Suffolk, Lawrence,
and Tremont corporations made a donation to tlie
Association of one fourth of one per cent on their
capital, amounting to 814,075. A mortgage was
given by the Association, upon its land and build-
ing, to the Proprietors of the Locks and Canals on
Merrimack River. The conditions of this dona-
tion were, " that the Association shall, during its
existence, apply the sum of $1,000 annually to
the maintenance and increase of a library and
reading-room, in the establishment of lectures,
and for the payment of premiums for inventions
and improvements in the mechanic arts, and for
any or all of these objects."
A vote of thanks to Kirk Boott, who was instrumental
in procuring tliese favors, was passed
by the Association, January 3, 1835, and a request
made that he would sit for his portrait, at the ex-
pense of individuals of the Association. No indi-
vidual was to be allowed to subscribe more than
five dollars. A full-length portrait was painted,
and liung in the hall, where it still is.
As has been stated above, the building was com-
pleted this year, 1835. The money that had been
donated, together with admission fees, assessments,
and a loan of §2,000, was all expended. Under
these circumstances, more assistance was needed
and in April, 1839, the Boott Cotton Mills made
a donation of S 2,500 in money. After paying the
debt, this left $500 to be used to replenish the
library. Soon after, the Lawrence, Boott, Hamil-
ton, Tremont, Suffolk, Appleton, and Middlesex
made an additional donation of 81,395, making
the whole amount from the companies .? 22,480.
In the spring of 1837 an amendment to the
charter was obtained, giving authority to establish
a reading-room, which was done. Since that time
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