History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

is recorded a? one of the iucor])orators of the Tre-
mont Mills in 1831, of the Boott Cotton Mills in
1835, and of the Lowell Machine-Shop in 18-i5.
Central Bridge was laid out as a public highway
by the city council. It was opened as such in
October, 1856. In 1833 the proprietors of the
bridge allowed the occupants of their land in Cen-
tralville to cross the bridge toll free, thus offering
inducements to people to become their tenants.
When Ceutralville was annexed to Lowell, it con-
tained 909 inhabitants ; its valuation was $294,51 1.
In 1874 it contained 8,000 inhabitants, and its
valuation was $3,500,000.
The Lawrence Cadets were organized this year.
The name was changed in 1861 to the National
Greys.
August 9, 1856, three young men — Rogers,
Gushing, andTilden—tried the experiment of going
over Pawtucket Falls in a boat. They are alive
to tell their experience.
October 38, while Rufus Choate was addressing
more than 3,000 citizens in Huntington Hall, the
floor of the hall suddenly settled, causing great
consternation. The seats had been removed, and
the hall was packed with people. General B. F.
Butler being present, quieted the people by a timely
caution, and the meeting dissolved without injury
to any one.
December 8, the post-of&ce was removed from
Tyler's building on Middle Street to the Museum
building on Merrimack Street.
Dr. Nathan Allen, who for many years has in-
terested himself in sanitary and hygienic questions,
expressed in 1857 the opinion "that Lowell, whether
compared as a whole with other cities and towns
in New England, or its American population with
the same class in other places, presents a remark-
ably favorable state of health for the past twenty-
five years. The absence of aged people in the
population, to increase the rate of mortality, is
off'set in a great degree by the number of deaths
occasioned by casualties. From 1830 to 1846,
two hundred and thirty-one deaths are reported
as occasioned by drowning, accidents with ma-
chinery," etc.
Messrs. Charles P. and Thomas Talbot, the linnname
being C. P. Talbot & Co., who commonceil
business in Lowell in 1839, in a store opposite the
AVasliington House, as dealers in drugs and dye-
stuffs, found the business of sufficient importance
to warrant them in building a factory in North
Billcrica.
HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUXTY.
The bridge over the Concord River, on East Mer-
rimack Street, was- rebuilt at an expense of $3,700.
The fall of the easterly arch of the Church Street
bridge over the Concord River occurred this year.
This year (1857) will long be remembered as a
period of financial distress. Some of the mills in
Lowell completely stopped, and others ran on short
time. Thousands were unemployed, and all kinds
of business suffered.
In 1858 the Church Street Bridge over the Con-
cord River was rebuiU at an expense of $11,295.11.
August 13, 1859, the first steam fire-engine pro-
cured by the city was tried with satisfactory re-
sults. The fire department had been encouraged
and sustained from the organization of the town,
the best men secured for engineers, and all the
modern appliances and improvements adopted.
March 38, 1860, the city purchased Park Gar-
den, in Belvidere, for a common, at an expense of
§1,800.
May 10, the Lowell Felting Mills were estab-
lished by Moses A. Johnson and Isaac Schofield,
who commenced the manufacture of felting from
Russian and American cattle hair, at the foot of
Howe Street, Belvidere. Mr. Schofield retired, and
in 1866 James S. Wiggin and George Brierton
of Boston, with Mr. Johnson, purchased the steam
saw-mill on Pawtucket Street, and erected a build-
ing suitable for their purpose.
May 23, the old jail on Dutton Street was sold
at auction for $5,360. The original cost was
$15,000.
July 33, the proprietors of Pawtucket Bridge
offered to sell the bridge for $13,000. The town
of Dracut agreed to pay $3,000 and the city of
Lowell $4,000, in case the county commissioners
would lay the bridge out as a public liighway.
February 4, 1861, the matter was settled by the
commissioners; the county was charged with the
balance of $6,000, and the bridge was free. Feb-
ruary 20, 1861, the event was duly celebrated; a
rope was fastened to the toll-gate, horses were
hitched to the rope, and (he gate was drawn across
the bridge, preceded by a band of music.
THE REHELIJON OK 1861.
March 1, 1861, Mechanics' Savings Bank was
incorporated.
April 13, the guns of South Carolina fired upon
Fort Sumter. Tiie intelligence of this aroused the
patriotism of the North, and all political difl'orences
were forgotten in the one prevalent desire to pre-