History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

74 HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.
$1,000,000; two mills erected but not in opera-
tion.
The Proprietors of Locks and Canals, with a
capital of $600,000. Their machine-shop employs
290 males, where the complete machinery
for a mill of 5,000 spindles can be turned out in
four months ; and locomotives built that will run
sixty miles in an hour.
In addition to what is stated above, the consumption
of starch in the mills was 510,000 pounds
per annum, flour 3,800 barrels,and charcoal 500,000
bushels. The average wages of females, exclusive
of board, two dollars per week, males, eighty cents
per day.
Besides these companies, there were the powder-
mills of 0. M. Whipple, the Lowell Bleachery, the
flannel-mills, the card and whip factory, planing-
machine, reed-machine, grist and saw mills, alto-
gether employing 300 liands and a capital of
$300,000. Also a worsted mill, formerly the
Hurd Woollen Mill, running l,iOO spindles, employing
125 persons, and consuming 200,000
])onnds
annum.
of wool and 5,250 gallons of oil per
There were twenty schools : one high, four gram-
The whole number of churches was thirteen :
four Congregational, two Baptist, two Methodist,
one Episcopal, oneUniversalist, one Christian Union,
one Free-will Baptist, one Roman Catholic.
The Lowell Bank, with a capital of -5250,000,
and the Railroad Bank, with a capital of $ 500,000,
were botli well established, and also the Lowell
Institution for Savings.
The Lowell Mutual Fire Insurance Company
was incorporated March G, 1832. John Nesmith
was president, Tappan Wentworth secretary.
Total population, 1 7,(533, of which 2,661 were
aliens, 44 colored. School-cliildren between four
and sixteen, 2,577.
May 2, the new government was cn-ganized. Tlic
oath of office was administered to the mayor by
Judge Locke. In the common council, John Clark
was chosen president and (ieort^'c Woodward clerk.
In convention, Samuel A. Cobiini was chosen cily
clerk.
The mayor, in his address, said : " Looking back
interval of more than eight years filled up with
manifestations of kindness and good-will. One of
the most striking points of the entire history of our
town and city consists in the unparalleled rapidity
of its growth. The graves of our fathers are not
here. The haunts of our childhood are not here.
The old trees and the old men, which rendered
venerable and sacred the quiet towns of our nativ-
ity, are not here. The large and gradually accu-
mulated fortunes of nearly all our older towns are
not to be found here. The great mass of wealth
which is centred here, and which has made our
city what it is, is owned abroad. Its proprietors
do not reside amongst us. Its profits are not ex-
pended amongst us."
April 16, the legislature passed an act remov-
ing a term of the Supreme Judicial Court and one
of the court of Common Pleas from Concord to
Lowell. For the accommodation of these courts,
rooms were fitted up in the market-house.
John Clark, James Cook, and James G. Carney,
incorporated as the Lowell Dispensary, were organized
June 10. Its object was to provide med-
ical advice and medicine for the poor. A division
of the city into six wards was made Novem-
mar, and fifteen primary ; employing thirty-three ber 28.
teachers, and having an average daily attendance as An event of importance to Lowell was the death,
follows : high, 75 grammar, 550 primary, ; ; 745,
— total, 1,370 scholars.
of apoplexy, April 11, 1837, of Kirk Boott. At
the moment of his decease Mr. Boott was sitting in
his chaise near the Merrimack House. Kirk Boott
was born in Boston, October 20, 1790. At an
early age he was sent to England, and was for some
time a member of the Rugby School. On his return
he entered Harvard. His name appears among
the juniors in 18(17, and the seniors in 18(18; but
he did not graduate. Choosing the military pro-
fession, his father obtained for him a commission
in the English army, with which he was connected
for about five years. He served in the Peninsular
War, under the Duke of Wellington, and commanded
a detachment at the siege of San Sebastian
in July, 1813. After this his regiment was ordered
to New Orleans to serve against the United States.
Mr. Boott obtained leave to withdraw, and entered
a military academy, where lie acquired a thorough
knowledge of engineering and surveying, arts which
were afterwards of such eminent service to him.^
During (he summer of 1821 Kirk Boott was "pass-
1 His father, Kirk Boott, who died .Innunry, 1817. cnmc to
Boston in the latter port of the Last century and e.stablishcd nn
to the ])eriod when I came among you, a penniless
imporlinp house. In 1810, February 1. .Tohn Wriptht Boott was
strani^er, alike unknowing and unknown, I find the ndmitlcd a partner, and the firm l)ecame Kirli Boott and Son.