History of Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts, including Lynnfield ...

264 Miscellaneous Notes.
Lynn Post-office. The Post-office was established in 1793,
the population being then about 2.500 — including Lynnfield.
Saugus, Swampscott, and Nahant. Ebenezer Breed, a native
of the section now known as West Lynn, and who was at that
time a prominent business man in Philadelphia, but who became
reduced, and died in our alms-house, on the 23d of December,
1839, at the age of 74, was chiefly instrumental in securing its
establishment.
Previously to that time the Lynn people received
their mail matter at Boston. It was ten years before the Turnpike
was opened, and forty-five before the Rail-road was built,
Boston street still being the chief avenue of travel and business.
A biographical notice of Mr. Breed may be found in the 1865
edition of our History.
Col. James Robinson was the first post-master. He lived in
the ancient house, built in or about the year 1700, still standing
on Boston street at the south-east corner of North Federal, and
kept the office in a small building near the house. A large
family of sons and daughters were there born to him, and the
writer holds occasional correspondence with descendants of his
now dwelling in widely separated and distant parts of the country,
where they maintain honorable positions. Like many others
who in active manhood did much to advance the interests
of Lynn, he died in indigence and comparative obscurity.
Col. Robinson was succeeded in the office, in 1802, by his
brother-in-law, Major Ezra Hitchings, a biographical notice of
whom the reader may find by turning to page 154 of the present
volume. He continued the office in its first location, in connection
with his West India goods and grocery store, for the few
months he held the position.
In 1803, Samuel Mulliken became post-master. And the
Turnpike being opened that year and diverting the travel and
business from Boston street, he removed the
end of Federal street, where, and in the vicinity, it
office to the south
remained till
the Rail-road was built, at which time it began to move towards
its present location on Market street, halting for a brief space
on South Common street, corner of Pleasant. Mr. Mulliken was
a man of worth, and at one time did a large business in tanning
and the morocco line. He possessed some occasionally uncomfortable
gifts, among which was a notably uncompromising will.