Journal of the Esssex County Natural History. Proceedings of the Essex Instituto, voi 2, and part 1 of vol. 2. Endicott's Account of Leslie's Retreat. Streeter's Account of the Newspapers and other Periodicals published in Salem. Fowler's Account of the Life, Character, &c., of Rev. Samue! Parris, and of his connection with the Witchcraft Delusion of 1692-are for sale by the Secretary, and at the Bookstore of Henry Whipple & Son. All Communications to be addressed to the Secretary of the Essex Institute. Rooms of the Essex Institute, at Plummer Hall, Essex Street, Salem, Mass. LIBRARY COMMITTEE.-Daniel A. White, Samuel P. Fowler, David Roberts. PUBLICATION COMMITTEE.-John L. Russell, Henry Wheatland, George D. Phippen, Ira J. Path, John H. Stone, George M. Whipple. CURATORS OF NATURAL HISTORY. Botany-John L. Russell. Comparative Anatomy-Henry Wheat- land. Mammalogy-F. Winsor. Ornithology-F. W. Putnam. Herpetology and Ichthyology-Richard H. Wheatland. Articulata and Radiata-Caleb Cooke. Mollusca and Paleontology-Henry F. King. Mineralogy-David M. Balch. Geology-Henry F. Shepard. CURATORS OF HISTORY.-Ethnology-William S. Messervy, M. A. Stickney, Francis H. Lee. Manu- scripts-Henry M. Brooks, Ira J. Patch, Lincoln R. Stone, Gilbert L. Streeter, Samuel B. Buttrick.- than a draft of England's ale. And those far seeing men who contributed to confer this inestimable blessing upon our city are worthy, like our motto, of perpetual remembrance as the benefactors of our race. The late Dr. Holyoke ex It is conceded by all medical men, that pure water, equally with pure air, is among the first requisites to the health of a city; and it is also generally acknowledged that analysis has demonstrated our city to be supplied with as pure,if not the purest water of any place in the Union-pressed the opinion that the health of our city that it is no figure of speech to say it is as "clear as diamond-spark," and so free from vegetable decomposition and acids, that it exerts no action upon lead, or any other deleterious substance, with which it comes in contact. All visitors, as well as our own citizens who have left for a residence elsewhere, are usually impressed with the conviction, that a glass of cold water from the springs which supply Salem, or in other words, Salem Aqueduct water, is as exhilarating, and to them more refreshing * A piece of lead through which the water had coursed upwards of twenty-five years in Barton Square was found as fresh and free from any corrosion as when first laid down; and this has been found the case throughout the city. VOL. II. 14 was much improved by the introduction of such pure water; and that several agonizing complaints, such as stone in the bladder, troubles in the kidneys, and bowel complaints generally, were much lessened, and in some instances almost wholly eradicated since that period.Our Puritan fathers were not insensible to its excellence, which is thus spoken of by a recent pleasant writer: "Even the common spring water in the country was averred to be superior by those zealous historians whose pens were dipped in rose water. Wood says "it is farre different from the water of England, being not so sharp, but of a fatter substance, and of a more jettie color; it is thought there can be no better water in the world." It was probably from the consideration of the benefits thus con ferred that the town of Salem did not, until within a few years, tax the real estate of the Company. Several small individual enterprises had been simultaneously undertaken for supplying a small portion of the inhabitants bordering on Danvers by means of an aqueduct; for instance, a fountain was built and logs laid down in 1796 to supply Frye's Tavern and the inhabitants in the immediate neighborhood. It was incorporated under the name of the "Proprietors of Frye's Aqueduct" in 1807, but was operated several years before by private individuals.The fountain was situated in the Horse Pasture. Also another, under the name of the “Union Aqueduct," which had its fountain in the Pickman land, and was incorporated in 1801; the first consisting of only five individuals, viz: Daniel Frye, Eleazer Pope, Jacob B. Winchester, John Stimpson, James Brown; and the last of only six, viz: Caleb Low, Rob't Shillaber, Sam'l Purinton, Step. Larrabee, Amos Purinton, Lydia Trask. of But the first concerted plan, however, laying down an Aqueduct on a grand scale and supplying the inhabitants generally of Salem and Danvers with pure spring water from the grounds in the neighborhood of Spring Pond was first conceived in the year 1796. Salem in particular had suffered much inconvenience from a want of a sufficient supply of good, wholesome water for drinking, culinary and laundry purposes. Their works were then and have ever since continued to be situated upon the southerly side of the old Boston road, just this side of Brown's Pond and about half a mile in a North-Easterly direction from Spring Pond-the ground here being very spungy and most of the year full of water. No water within a circuit of six miles from Salem was found so pure as in these grounds. Their operations were at first very primitive and simple, consisting of a large size fish hogshead for a fountain, sank into the earth, and saplings of three inches bore for the main pipe. As might be expected these did not long continue. In fact, all their precautions indicated a want of. confidence in the undertaking from the beginning, which probably arose from doubts as to the quantity of water the grounds would supply. The first meeting held was on the 30th December, 1796, at the Sun Tavern, when Jacob Ashton was chosen Chairman and John Jenks clerk; which meeting resulted in the choice of a committee, consisting of Edward Southwick, Wm. Gray, Jr., and Joshua Ward, to procure an ACT OF INCORPORATION, and to purchase the necessary logs, contract for boring the same and also to contract with the owners of land through which the Aqueduct is to pass for that privilege, and also to do whatever they may think proper to forward the business as the season and circumstances may require. It may be interesting at this time to recount the names of such public spirited citizens of Salem and Danvers as attended that preliminary meeting, all of whom have passed "to that undiscovered country from whose bourne no traveller rcturns," viz: Abel Lawrence, Wm. Gray, Jr., Sam. Gray, Joshua Ward, Icha. Nichols, Wm. Orne, Jerath. Peirce, Wm. Lang, Nath. West, Jacob Ashton, Squiers Shove, John Jenks, Edw. Southwick, Jona. Dean, Jos. Fenno, Benj. Carpenter, Abner Chase, Philip Chase, Aaron Wait, Jacob Crowninshield, Jos. Aborn, James Bott, Edw. Pulling, Folger Pope, John Gardner, Jr., Sam. Derby, John Norris, John Daland. Besides these were the following persons interested in the undertaking who did not attend this preliminary meeting, viz: Elias Hasket Derby, Wm. Prescott, Benj. Pickman, Benj. Pickman, Jr., Benj. Goodhue, George Dodge, E. A. Holyoke, John Gardner, David Nichols, Sylvester Osborne, Wm. Stearns, Benj. Watkins, Eben. Putnam and Zadock Buffinton. The memorial subsequently submitted by this committee to the Legislature was as fol lows: To the honourable Senate and the honourable House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, in General Court assembled: The memorial of William Gray, Jr, of Salem, in the county of Essex, Merchant, Edward Southwick of Danvers, in said county of Essex, Merchant, and Joshua Ward of said Salem, Merchant, for and on behalf of themselves and others, their associates, respectfully show: That the Inhabitants of the said Town of Salem are in general but poorly supplied with water, and at no time with water that will wash, and that at this time there are many wells in that town which are dry-that there are within a few miles of that Town many ponds and springs, from which the Inhabitants of said Town may be abundantly supplied with good water by means of an Aqueduct. And that many persons of that and the neighboring towns have associated themselves together for the purpose of Petitioning this honourable Court for a charter of incorporation, and for this intention have appointed your memorialists a committee to obtain such charter of incorporation, Wherefore your memorialists pray this honourable Court that they and their associates in said business may be incorporated with such powers and under such restrictions as your honours may judge proper, for the purpose of bringing fresh water from said ponds and springs into the said town of Salem. And as in duty bound will ever pray. Signed, WILLIAM GRAY, JR., January, 1797. Committee. ing therefor. It further provided for a protection of the logs so laid, "that if any person shall maliciously or wantonly injure said aqueduct, he or she upon indictment and conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine not exceeding three hundred dollars, one-half to go to the proprietors and the other half to the use of the town; and shall be liable to pay treble damages to said Proprietors, to be recovered by action of the case." The proprietors organized under this charter. on the 7th April, 1797, by the choice of Wm. Gray, Jr., President, Jacob Ashton Vice President, John Jenks Treasurer, and Joshua Ward, Edward Southwick and John Norris, Directors, and on the 19th Oct. of the same year Thomas Nichols was chosen Agent. The number of shares were ordered to be one hundred of one hundred dollars each, making a capital of TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS. On the 14th day of Nov. they established rules and regulations for the direction of those persons who take water." The next year (1798) the company built a reservoir of 10 feet deep and about 24 feet square on Gallows Hill, and agreed with the Proprietors to pay them six dollars per year for the A charter was accordingly obtained, dated term of seven years. They completed their 9th March, 1797, under the style of the "PRO- works and began to supply water to the inhabPRIETORS OF THE SALEM AND DANVERS AQUE- itants in the spring of 1799, and paid the first DUCT, for the purpose of conveying fresh water dividend of profits in Nov. of that year. On the by subterranean pipes into the towns of Sa- 14th March, 1799, Wm. Gray, Jr., bought, in lem and Danvers,” but designated no particu- his own right, of Wm. Shillaber 11 acres of lar place from which they should bring it. It land in the Horse Pasture, contiguous to the authorized the proprietors to hold real estate Aqueduct Fountain; and 21st Feb'y, 1800, the not exceeding thirty thousand dollars, and gave President and Directors were authorized to purthem liberty to enter upon and open any part chase the land where the fountain was situated of the streets, highways or townways in Salem-which had been already anticipated by Mr. and Danvers for the purpose of placing such pipes as may be necessary for the building and completing or repairing such Aqueduct. It was also provided that the towns of Salem and Danvers severally shall have the privilege of placing conductors into the pipes for the pose of drawing such water therefrom as may be necessary when any Mansion House or Barn or other building shall be on fire without pay pur Gray. Mr. Gray conveyed to Jona. Shillaber, March 30, 1800, all but one acre, which he reserved probably for the use of the Aqueduct. They continued to make dividends until Feb’y, 1804, and divided in all forty-one dollars per share in seven years, being a fraction less than six ct. on their capital. On the 21st Feb'y, per 1800, the income was found inadequate to the necessary repairs and expenses attending the Aqueduct, and the price for consumers was increased from five dollars per family to 60 cents per month. In August, 1802, the old fsh hogshead fountain gave out and it was found necessary to build a new fountain, when the Company bought of Caleb Low 5 acres of land, belonging to the estate of William Shillaber, and erected a new fountain under the super vision of Wm. Gray President, Joshua Ward and John Norris Directors, to the Southward and Westward of the old one, and voted "to cover it with a roof to keep out the filth that had injured the water." In June, 1803, the agent was directed to open the pipe that led to Wm. Gray's wharf and dispose of water at twelve and a half cents per hogshead. In Feb'y, 1804, it was discovered the saplings which constituted the main logs were also giving out, which discouraged many of the undertakers, and the project appeared likely, at this time, to be abandoned-the stockhold ers were perfectly aghast when it was proposed to lay down a new log of five inch bore, and the question was asked, "who could be expected to find sufficient funds for that purpose?" Our highly respected townsman, the late Jos. Peabody, who had but recently become a stock holder, enquired how much would be required for the purpose, was answered at least $20,000, replied, "I will be answerable for it." This gave new impulse to the drooping energies of and it was immediately "Voted That a new log be laid down for the Aqueduct of a bore not less than five inches, and that the President and Directors be and they are hereby authorized to assess such sum and sums of money to carry the business of laying down the new log into execution." In June, 1803, Eben'r Moultonwas appointed to oversee and take care of the Aqueduct. He is to attend to the Fountain, Cistern, principal pipes and the branches, to see that they are in order and to keep them in repair and that no person wastes the water. If he can obtain 'fifteen branches in Norman Street he is to carry the Aqueduct into that street, beginning at Capt. Wm. Orne's house in Summer Street and Mr. Eveleth's in Nor the company man Street and continue both ways until he meets at or near the common sewer in Norman Street. Between the years 1804 and 1807 the company assessed two hundred and sixty-five dollars a share, as authorized by the vote of February, 1804, making altogether 26,500 dollars. In 1804 the Directors thought best to employ some person to contract for the logs and engaged Capt. Asa Towne, who was immediately despatched for that purpose. In July, 1805, the Proprietors "Voted That the logs of 5 inch bore be continued down Essex Street as far as Richard Ward's, if there be logs enough for that purpose, and that two logs of 3 inch bore be carried on each side of the pavement as far as John Gardner's corner leading to the common." In this month the Directors reported to the Proprietors "that they had endeavored to obtain what information they could respecting the rent proposed for the use of the water from the Aqueduct, and among others they had procured the rates that the Boston Proprietors had for the water they supplied," which after being read they Voted to adopt the Boston prices as the rate for the Salem and Danvers Aqueduct, and that for the use of the water from the Aqueduct the following sums shall be paid annually: 1st For a family of five persons..... Eight dollars. 2d For a family of six persons and less 3d For a family of twelve persons or than twelve. upwards.... Ten dollars. Twelve dollars. 5th For a West India Goods Store from 4th For a Public or Boarding house Twelve dollars. Eight to Twelve dollars. Cth For a Mansion house and West India Goods Store under the same Sixteen dollars. roof to be supplied from one tube only, not to exceed On the 26th Nov., 1805, the Proprietors met at the Sun Tavern, to determine into what streets and how far the main tube of the Aqueduct shall be further laid, when they "Voted that Mr. James Bott, the Superintendent, be and hereby is authorized to procure such a quantity of logs and of such sizes as he shall think necessary for the Aqueduct for the next season, for carrying it further into the lower part of the town and for branches.” |