Class. 
 Book. 
 
 COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT 
 
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 (^i^iii-)r)OIC-ir)Hr- 
 
 past pre3G9t apd 
 
 prospeetiue 
 
 OCT 1 
 
 891. 
 
 
( iirY1.'ir:HTi:ii 
 CrriZHN NF.WSTAPEK CcMrANV, 
 
 mWKI.L, MASS. 
 
 A-: 
 
 S, 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 This pamphlet was compiled and prepared with a view to presenting in a 
 concise and available form, certain important facts regarding the city of Lowell — 
 its in(li"istries, its enterprises and its prospects. Great pains were taken to collect 
 the statistics which are as nearly accurate as an unofficial collation could 
 possibly be. 
 
 The large foiu"-page map, found elsewhere in the pamphlet, was especially- 
 prepared for this volume from the new maps of the U. S. survey, and it is of 
 interest because it embraces a territory which very little exceeds the area of the 
 city of Worcester. On this map will be found letters which refer to land else- 
 wheie described which is available for manufacturing purposes. 
 
 There is much valuable information within the covers of this pamphlet, 
 and an abundance of evidence to show that for investment, particularly in 
 manufactures, there are few places more suitable and deisirablc than Lowell. 
 

THE FOUNDING. 
 
 At tlie beginning of the present century, 
 East Chelmsford was a hamlet with a tav- 
 ern where the men and beasts that passed 
 over the highways leading from \'ermont 
 and New Hampshire to Boston and vSalem, 
 found rest and refreshment. 
 
 The Merrimack and Concord rivers ran 
 " unfettered to the sea," and the memory 
 of the red man was still fresh in the minds 
 of the hardy settlers who had wrested the 
 land from his barbarous possession. 
 
 Eight years before, " the proprietors 
 of the Locks and Canals on Merrimack 
 River" had been incorporated, and had 
 built the Pawtucket canal from above Paw- 
 tucket falls to the Concord river. Through 
 this canal, the boats which came down the 
 Merrimack passed to Newburyport and 
 the sea, and the hmibermen no longer 
 dreailed the turlnilent waters of the rapids 
 which had made their occupation so full 
 of danger. 
 
 In twenty years the hamlet had become 
 a village of two hundred and fifty inhabit- 
 ants, and it boasted among other indus- 
 trial advantages a cotton mill at Pawtucket 
 falls, the Whipple powder mills, a flannel 
 mill, several grist and saw mills, and a 
 water highway to Boston harbor. 
 
 'l"he Middlesex canal was projected in 
 1793 and was completed in 1S04. Its 
 original cost was $^00,000 ; but its stock- 
 holders paid in assessments, $600,000 be- 
 fore they realized any dividend. 
 
 The canal ran from a point about a mile 
 above Pawtucket falls, to Charlestown. 
 The initial expense was so great that the 
 stockholders received no benefit ; but there 
 is every reason to believe, that the canal 
 would, in time, have become a source of 
 profit. 
 
 Fisher & Ames built a dam at Massic 
 falls on the Concord river, about 1820 and 
 used the water to operate ttieir forging 
 mills. Moses Whipple had amassed a 
 
 fortune in the manufacture of gunpowder 
 and built the Whipple canal, which was 
 afterwarils extended and called the Waine- 
 sit canal. 
 
 But the creative hand of enterprise had 
 not touched the mighty force of the noble 
 Merrimack ; nor had it even entered tin- 
 minds of the simple villagers, that their 
 fields and pastures were so soon to become 
 the site of a great and throbbing city. 
 
 To Francis Cabot Lowell more than to 
 anv other man. is New England indebted 
 lor the cwLlou industries u liicli form sucii 
 an important factor in its commercial 
 prestige. With Patrick T. Jacicson he, in 
 18(3, purchased a water power in Wal- 
 tham, and secured an act of incorporation. 
 In this enterprise they were joined by 
 Nathan Appleton. 
 
 One of their first acts was to secure the 
 services of Paul Moody, a clever mechanic 
 of Amesbury. 
 
 Mr. Lowell, having obtained all possible 
 information regarding the powei loom then 
 being introduced in England, built an im- 
 proxement on that great invention which 
 was adopted in the Waltham mills. Other 
 improvements were made li}' Messrs. Low- 
 ell and Moody, and it was the latter who 
 simplifietl the spinning process by spinning 
 the filling directly on the cf>ps without the 
 process of winding. -a 
 
 While devoting liis inventive skill to the 
 perfecting of machinery, Mr. Lowell gave 
 considerable thought to the improvement 
 of those he employed. He had seen the 
 degraded state of the operatives in Eng- 
 land, and his chief endeavor, next after 
 the fitting of his mill, was to ensure such 
 domestic comforts and restrictions as would 
 warrant the parents of New England in let- 
 ting their daugliters enter his employment. 
 He provided boarding houses conducted 
 by reputable women, fiunished opportnni-- 
 ties for religious worship, and estahlishetl 
 
rules which were a safeguard against the 
 evils which assail the young who are beyond 
 parental supervision. 
 f^y Mr. Lowell died in 1S17, at the early 
 ■ age of 43. 
 
 The Waltham mill was a success. Mr. 
 Appleton thought there was no reason 
 why they should not manufacture and print 
 calicoes in America. Mr. Jackson ad- 
 mittetl that the operations were feasible ; 
 so the directors of the Waltliam companv 
 began to look for a new water power. 
 They went to tlie falls of the Souhegan, 
 iiut did not find them satisfactory. 
 
 It was Ezra Worthen, of Salisbury, 
 who suggested to Mr. Moody that thev 
 buy the Pawtucket canal, and acting upon 
 his advice, Jackson and Appleton, with 
 Kirk Boott, set ;ibout the pinchase. They 
 shrewdly secured the services of Thomas 
 Clark, the agent of the canal company, 
 through whom thev were enabled to se- 
 cure stock and land. They diil not pav 
 any more than they could help, and land 
 that was bought at $200 an acre was sold 
 b\' them at from I3 cents to $i a foot, a 
 year later. 
 
 In November, 1821, Jackson, Appleton, 
 Kirk Boott, J. W. Boott, Moody and 
 Warren Dutton visited the site of the 
 future Lowell. They were mightily 
 pleased with their bargain, as well they 
 might have been ; and somehod}' ma<le 
 the remark that it was quite possible tliev 
 would live to see the place contain twenty 
 thousand inhabitants. 
 
 The articles of association were drawn 
 up on the ist of December 1S21. The}' 
 described the association as the Merrimack 
 Manufacturing Company with a capital 
 stock of $600,000 divided into six hun- 
 dred shares. The amount of assess- 
 ments was limited to $1000, and Kirk 
 Boott was engaged as treasurer and agent 
 for five years at a salary of $3000 a yejir. 
 The company was incorporated Feb. 5, 
 1S22, and the following directors were 
 chosen : Warren Dutton, Patrick T. Jack- 
 son, Nathan Appleton, William Appleton, 
 Israel Thorndike, Jr., John W'. Boott; 
 Kirk Boott, treasurer and clerk. 
 
 Everything was now in readiness for the 
 new epoch. Kirk Boott was a man of 
 decided and somewhat imperious manner. 
 He had fought with Wellington on the 
 Peninsula, although a native of Boston, 
 and iiis military training, while it fitted 
 him for the work he was selected to ac- 
 
 complish, made him exacting and arbitrary. 
 But he enjoyed the full confidence of his 
 associates, and the moment he was invested 
 with authority, that moment he touched 
 the lever which set in motion the progres.s 
 which developed a great city. 
 
 The Merrimack Company paid $48,556 
 for the rights in the Pawtucket canal and 
 for the land along its banks. 
 
 In the spring of 1S22, work was begun. 
 The canal was widened and deepened at a 
 cost of $160,000 ; the foundation of the 
 mills was laid ; a house for Mr. Boott was 
 built as also were the boarding houses. 
 
 The first wheel of the Merrimack Com- 
 pany was started on tlie ist of September, 
 1S23, and tin'ce additional mills werel)uilt. 
 The first dividend of $100 a share was paid 
 in 1S25. 
 
 In 1S24, St. Anne's church was built 
 and Theodore Edson installed as pastor. 
 
 In 1S25, five hundred dollars were ap- 
 propriated for a library. The ilircctors 
 of the company never for a moment lost 
 sight of the philanthropic design of Mr. 
 Lowell, and the greatest care was taken to 
 secure the comfort and happiness of the 
 operatives. -:\.nd they were very comfort- 
 aole and very happj- despite the fact that 
 the}' labored fourteen hours a dav. 
 
 In 1S26 Mr. John D. Prince came from 
 England and took charge of the calico 
 printing, and it was bis skill and executive 
 ability that established the reputation and 
 standing of the Meri'imack prints, now so 
 famous. 
 
 Thus did the Merrimack Company be- 
 come the parent of all the industries that 
 followed it. It is now in its 66th year, and 
 what a familv has been gathered about it ! 
 What activity, what energy, and what 
 enterprise! "The speculation of the 
 merchants of Boston," as Chevalier 
 calleil it, has been a profitable one; it 
 has benefitted not only the inventors 
 but the thousands who have come to 
 operate its machinery and conduct its 
 rapidly increasing business. Prosperity 
 and peace have been its privileges, and 
 they have come with a quiet modesty which 
 constrasts very strongly with the blare and 
 rumpus of the booming so characteristic 
 of some breezy sections. They were con- 
 servative men who worked such radical 
 changes in the industrial character of New 
 Etigland and of Lowell, and while the 
 progress is still directed with a liberal re- 
 
9 
 
 solve, the cruiding principle is a conserva- 
 tive one. 
 
 In October, 1S24, the Merrimack Com- 
 pany increased its capital to $1,200,000 
 and sold all its rights in the Pawtucket 
 'canal, together with the land, to the Pro- 
 prietors of the Locks and Canals, who 
 were authorized to' purchase, hold, lease 
 or sell land and water power to the amount 
 of $600,000. Mr. Boott was the tirst 
 agent of the canal company. Fie was 
 succeeded by Joseph Tilden and Patrick 
 T. Jackson, and in 184^ James H. Francis 
 was appointed to that position. 
 
 Mr. Francis came to this country from 
 England when a lad of 18. He was the 
 son of a civil engineer and was so 
 fortunate as to find employment upon 
 his arrival in America under George 
 Whistler, the eminent engineer. When 
 Whistler came to Lowell to take charge 
 of the Machine shop, Mr. Francis came 
 
 with him and was, in 1837, appointed 
 chief engineer for the canal company. In 
 1S46 he projected and built the Northern 
 canal, a monument to hydraulic ingenuity 
 and skill as imperishable as the I'eputation 
 of him who built it. He also designed the 
 guard locks which stand an impregnable 
 barrier between the city and the flood. 
 
 When we have said that the enterprise 
 of Appleton, Boott and Jackson was fol- 
 lowed by the speedy incorporation of the 
 Hamilton, the Appleton, the Lowell, the 
 Middlesex, the Sufiblk, the Tremont, the 
 Lawrence, the Bleachery, the Boott and 
 the Massachusetts companies in their order, 
 we iiave said all that need be said in justi- 
 fication of the wisdom that prompted the 
 seleclion of the hamlet of East Chelms- 
 ford as the place of an industry which has 
 enriched so many and kept so many more 
 in the comforts of plenty. 
 
 LOWELL IN 1870. 
 
 HIE LOWELL OF 20 YEARS AGO AND THE I>R0:MISE IT GA\'Ii OF THE Fl'Tl'KE. 
 
 Until 1S36 Lowell was still a town, l)ut 
 that year it acquired the right and title to 
 municipal privileges. Its progress had 
 been phenomenal. In ten years it devel- 
 oped beyond the expectations of its found- 
 ers. Its mills were running at a profit, 
 and its goods had acquired a reputation 
 which made the demand greater than the 
 capacity for production. 
 
 The companies increased their works 
 and the best and the steadiest of New 
 England's men and women came here to 
 earn a livelihood. It was these pioneers 
 of the cotton industry that established the 
 standard of intelligent labor in Lowell 
 that not even the fell tide of immigration 
 has been able to overthrosv. There is 
 nowhere in the United States a class of 
 labor so intelligent and so reliable as that 
 which toils in Lowell. 
 
 All went swimmingly until the panic 
 of 1S57. The cotton mills of Lowell suf- 
 fered with the other industries of the 
 country. The companies had scarcely 
 recovered from the eflects of the panic 
 when the war broke out. With a singular 
 lack of foresight, many of the companies 
 discharged their help and sold their cotton. 
 When peace was declared business was 
 resumed and has been continued with 
 
 remarkable steadiness ever since. 
 
 For purpose of comparison we will 
 endeavor briefly to show what Lowell was 
 in 1870. 
 
 It had a population of 40,928. Its area 
 was 3S38 acres and it had =50 miles of 
 streets. It had 5421 housesand its total 
 valuation was $25,922,488. It had 4i',','i, of 
 street railway tracks and its polls were 
 
 S577- 
 
 i here were but filteen manufacturing 
 corporations in Lowell in 1870. These 
 were the Machine shop, W'amesit steam 
 mill, Appleton, Boott, Hamilton, Law- 
 rence, Lowell, Massachusetts, Merrimack, 
 3Iiddlesex, Sufiblk, Tremont, Belvidere 
 \Voolen mills, Bleachery and the Lowell 
 Hosiery. To these may be added the 
 Wamesit Power company, the Proprie- 
 tors of the Locks and Canals, the Lowell 
 (ias Light company, the Boston & Lowell, 
 Lowell & Nashu '. and Lowell & Lawrence 
 railroads, twenty-two in all. The total 
 valuation of these corporations was $12,- 
 262,219. 
 
 There were published at that time two 
 daily papers, the Courier and the Citizen. 
 and the Vox Populi was issued semi- 
 weekly. 
 
10 
 
 LOWELL IN 189L 
 
 THE LOWELL OF TO-DA'i', ITS AREA, VAUIATION AXD POPULATION". 
 
 The Lowell of 1S91, with a population 
 of 80,000, stands 37 in the list of iniportant 
 cities in the United States, and its right to 
 be known as the " Manchester of America " 
 there is none to dispute. Its area has 
 been five times increased by annexation, 
 and it still remains the most condensed 
 municipal community in New England. 
 In 1834, that quarter known as Belvidere 
 was annexed trom Tewksbury ; in 1S51 
 Centralville was annexed from Dracut ; 
 in 1874 Middlesex Village and a portion 
 of Dracut were annexed. In 1S79, 395 
 acres were annexed from Dracut, and in 
 1SS8 192 acres were annexed from Tewks- 
 bury. The annexation of 1 879 was largely 
 one of sentiment. It was found after the 
 annexation of 1874 that four femilies living 
 in Dracut, quite near the Tyngsboro line, 
 were deprived of school advantages, and 
 that the children might receive an educa- 
 tion, the city annexed the additional terri- 
 tory- 
 
 The total area of Lowell is now 7932 
 acres or i 2,',J, square miles. Its congested 
 character is shown in the following table 
 baseil upon the census of 1SS5 : 
 
 
 POrUI.ATION. 
 
 ACRES. 
 
 Worcester 
 
 68,389 
 
 22,900 
 
 Springfield 
 
 37.575 
 
 20,817 
 
 Haverhill 
 
 2'. 795 
 
 15,200 
 
 Gloucester 
 
 21.703 
 
 14,000 
 
 Fall River 
 
 56,870 
 
 17.749 
 
 Taunton 
 
 23,674 
 
 33.200 
 
 Holyoke 
 
 27,895 
 
 10,038 
 
 New Bedford 
 
 33.393 
 
 11,113 
 
 In 1890, Lowell had 11,200 dwellings 
 and its valuation was $62,046,799, an 
 increase of $36,074,31 1 over that of 1S70 
 Its polls were 19,833, and the length of 
 its accepted streets, 104 miles, 8,',';, miles of 
 which are paved with granite. It has of 
 well built sewers, SS,,;, miles. Its water 
 works are the finest in New England, and 
 its gas is the cheapest furnished by any 
 city in the East. 
 
 It has now forty incorporated companies 
 engaged in manufactures of various kinds 
 and its railroad facilities are of an excep- 
 tionally convenient character. Tlie Lowell 
 and Suburban Street Railway Companv 
 has over 27 miles of track and the com- 
 pany contemplates manv changes in the 
 
 immediate future that will greatly benefit 
 the communitv. 
 
 The total valuation of the incorporated 
 coinpanies is $26,224,115. 
 
 There are emploved in the mills and 
 workshops 31,120 persons, divided as 
 follows : 
 
 Textile 
 
 - 
 
 - 24.172 
 
 Machinery - 
 
 . 
 
 - 2,838 
 
 Wood - ' - 
 
 
 1,050 
 
 Leather 
 
 
 560 
 
 Cartridges, Paper, Etc. 
 
 , Etc. 
 
 2,500 
 
 3 1 , 1 20 
 
 Fully 20,000 persons are employed in 
 professions, domestic duties, trade and 
 business other than manufacturing. And 
 it will be readily admitted that Lowell has 
 an industrious population. Almost S3 
 per cent, of the entire poptdation is in 
 active employment. 
 
 The character of the population is made 
 manifest in a most creditable manner in 
 the statistics we give elsewhere of the 
 the savings banks, and to say nothing of 
 the churches and theatres which exercise 
 a moral influence on the communit)-. 
 Here we have neither riots nor strikes. 
 There is little or no vagabond element, 
 nor is there any of those socialistic agita- 
 tions which so frequentlv disturb the 
 prosperity of mamifactin'ing communities. 
 ■ The 11,200 dwellings show that a large 
 proportion of the wage earners are housed 
 in their own homes, and in no other 
 matuifacturing community is the number 
 of homes thus owned so great. 
 
 The city enjoys an exceptional system 
 of water works, introduced and perfected 
 at a cost of over $4,000,000. Its police 
 and fire departments are adequate; its 
 schools numerous and well pro\ided ; it 
 has an efficient board of health, and a free 
 public librarv of 4^.000 volumes. There 
 was appropriated fortlie current municipal 
 expenses of the vear 1S91, $918,200. 
 
 The clearing house returns show busi- 
 ness transactions, aside from those of 
 the large corporations, amoimting to 
 $40,000,000 in the year 1890. 
 
 The number of industries has been 
 greatly increased and diversified within 
 
11 
 
 the past ten 3'ears, and fortunes have been 
 made in the transfers of real estate. 
 
 There are now in course of construction 
 a federal building for the accommodation 
 of the post office, at a cost of $250,000, 
 a city hall and memorial building, the 
 latter to be used for library purposes, at a 
 joint cost of $500,000. 
 
 The city maintains the Rogers' Fort 
 Hill park, elevated 200 feet above the 
 level of the city, two spacious commons 
 and two small parks. It has just com- 
 
 pleted a magnificent boulevard, two miles 
 long, on the northerly bank of the 
 Merrimack river. 
 
 That the spirit of enterprise is rife 
 among our men of business may be seen 
 in what is published elsewhere in this 
 pamphlet regarding street railways, the 
 erection of buildings and the oflers that 
 are made of sites for new industries. This 
 spirit is stimulated Iiy the Board of Trade 
 and the Master Buiklers' exchange, and by 
 various syndicates and individuals. 
 
 PUBLIC BUILDINGS. 
 
 STRUCTURES WHICH COMMEND THE ENTERPRISE AS THE-N' INDICATE THE FINANCIAL 
 AND INDUSTRIAL ST.^NDING OF THE CITV. 
 
 The present city hall was built to con- 
 venience the officers of tiie town. It is an 
 unpretentious structure which has atlbided 
 doubtful accommodation to the officers of 
 the city these many years. Its successor 
 will be a magnificent structiue of Conway 
 granite, three stories with a spacious base- 
 meat, and decorated with a tower iSo 
 feet high. The building will contain 
 handsome chambers for the city council 
 and school board, and offices for the 
 heads of all departments. It was designed 
 by Merrill & Cutler and will cost when 
 completed $350,000. 
 
 The city library is at present confined 
 to narrow and hampered quarters in the 
 Masonic building. Here it quite recently 
 suffered serious damage by hre. When 
 there was talk of erecting a monument to 
 Lowell's dead soldiers, public meetings 
 were held to decide what form the monu- 
 ment should have. 
 
 The consensus of opinion favored a 
 Memorial building which should be util- 
 ized in part for library purposes. The 
 city council generously made an appropri- 
 ation of $150,000 for such a structure and 
 the plans of F. \V. Sticknev were accept- 
 ed. These provide for an ornate building 
 in every way worthy its high memorial 
 character. It will be built of Conway 
 granite and will have a central tower. 
 Here tiie library will have ample and fire- 
 proof accommodations. 
 
 Both tliese buildings will be located on 
 a large triangular lot at the junction of 
 Merrimack and Moodv streets. Work 
 
 begun on them last Fall and the first 
 stories of each are Hearing completion. 
 
 Through the efforts of Hon. Charles H. 
 Allen, then representing the Seventh dis- 
 trict, Congress in 1889 made an appropri- 
 ation of $200,000 for a federal building to 
 be erected in Lowell. The government 
 was given the site at the corner of Apple- 
 ton and Gorham streets formerly occupied 
 by St. Peter's church. Plans have been 
 prepared and the contracts awarded, and 
 work will begin at an early date under 
 the experienced direction of Colonel 
 James VV. Bennett who has l^een appointed 
 supervisor of con=truction. The building 
 will be classical in design and will be a 
 decided ornament to the city. 
 
 When the military companies were de- 
 prived by fire of their armory in Middle 
 .street, the state commissioners secured a 
 lot of land on W'estford street and erected 
 thereon the present imposing structure. 
 It has a castellated facade and is a model 
 of militarv convenience. Its commanding 
 position makes it a landmark for many 
 sections of the city. It was built at a cost 
 of $90,000. 
 
 The High school building was erected 
 in 1S40. Like the cit) hall, it has shrunk 
 far behind the necessities of tlie age. It 
 is in a very crowded condition. The city 
 council has obtained authority to borrow 
 $150,000 for a new building and plans 
 prepared by F. W. Stickney have been 
 accepted. The new building will stand 
 upon the site of the old one, which will be 
 enlarged by the purchase of two adjoining 
 
12 
 
 lots. It will be in every respect a model 
 institution, and architecturally it will be a 
 credit both to its designer and the city. 
 
 The city owns many handsome school 
 buildings and provisions have been made 
 for the erection of a new Moody school 
 building in Belvidcre. 
 
 Tiie central fire station in Palmer street 
 is an unusualh' line building, and the sta- 
 
 tions in various parts of the city are sub- 
 stantially built of brick and stone. 
 
 The countv jail on Thorndike street is a 
 large doubie-towered building of grav 
 granite, conspicuous for its arcliitcctural 
 grace as it is for its evident strength. 
 
 The buildings at the city farm are plain 
 and substantial and arc of ciuite recent 
 construction. 
 
 PRIVATE BUILDINGS. 
 
 WHERE BUSINE.SS IS TRANSACTED AND PEOPLE DWELI,. 
 
 Within the last fifteen years, there have 
 been many changes for the better in the 
 character and design of our business blocks. 
 The Masonic temple, built by the late 
 Hocum Hosford w.is the pioneer of private 
 enterprise in that direction. The Five 
 Cent savings bank is established in an 
 elegant marble building. Tiie Hildreth 
 Building, in which tlie post office is located, 
 and the Central Block, built b}' the Tyler 
 heirs, are perhaps the two most completely 
 equipped and largest business blocks in the 
 cit\'. The Rimels Block, now in course 
 of construction at the corner of Bridge 
 and Merrimack streets, and the Howe 
 Block in the opposite corner, will rival 
 these, both in their architectural features 
 and interior arrangements. 
 
 Tiie Odd Fellows Building now being 
 built will be modern in design and tlevelop- 
 ment. The Hoyt and Shcdd ISuilding, 
 the Appleton Bank Building, the First 
 National Bank Building, the Old Lowell 
 Bank Building, the jVIansur Block, the 
 Ingham Block, the Stott Block, the St. 
 Charles Hotel, the Merrimack House, the 
 American House, the Ricliardson Block, 
 the St. Cloud Hotel, the Glidden Block, 
 the Swan Building, the Spalding Building, 
 the Fiske ]?uilding, the Cook & Taylor 
 Block, the Hoslord ]:5uilding, Wyman's 
 Exchange are only a few of the many 
 costly buildings devoted to business 
 
 There are some notable residences in 
 Lowell. That of Gen. Butler's in Belvi- 
 dcre is a substantial house such as was 
 built by country gentlemen 50 years ago. 
 
 The Nesmith mansion, the Fellows house 
 and the Hovey house are buildings of 
 similar character. On the hill are the 
 stone residences of Hon. A. P. Bonney 
 and Frederick Faulknei'. The residences 
 of Hon. F. W. Howe, Thomas Carolin, 
 A. G. Pollard, A. G. Cumnock, T. G. 
 Tweed, Dr. H. P. Jetlerson, F. P. 
 Putnam, Hon. Charles A. Stott, Mrs. 
 Wni. A. Burke, W. S. Lamson, W. H. 
 Anderson, and F. B. Shedd, are types in 
 the Belvidere district. In the High- 
 lands, there is the mansion of Hon. W. 
 E. Livingston, and a host of more 
 modern dwellings of which those of 
 Mayor Fifield, W. A. Ingham, lion. John 
 J. Donovan, David Home, C. VV. Wikler, 
 Col. J. W. Bennett, Mrs. Sidney Spald- 
 ing and C. J. Glidden are characteristic 
 specimens. 
 _ In Ward Five, there are many fine resi- 
 dences. Among them those of Mrs. James 
 Mintcr, Frederick Ayer, Hon. C. H. 
 Allen, Mrs. Robert H. Butcher, Jacob 
 Rogers, Sewall G. Mack, Lucy Fav, Mrs. 
 J. C. Ayer, H. M. Thomps'on, 'A. A. 
 Coburn, H. C. Perham and Thos. Stott. 
 
 In Centralville there are the Parker, the 
 Read and the Hildreth mansions, the 
 Barker residence and the residences of 
 Major E. T. Rovvell, John H. McAlvin, 
 Harry R. Rayncs and Mrs. A. H. Board- 
 man. 
 
 In every district and on every hand the 
 liouses, if not distinctive of great wealth, 
 are eloquent of comfort and good taste. 
 
13 
 
 WATERWAYS AND CANALS. 
 lo\v?:ll's rivers, brooks and canals and numerous rkid<;es. 
 
 Lowell is bomitit'ully supplied with 
 water. The Merrimack river whicli rises 
 in the Wliite iiKHintains also drains Lake 
 Winnipcsaukee, a hudv of water covering 
 seventy square miles. This majestic 
 stream flows in a sinuous course of nearly 
 six miles through the city, and affords a 
 force equivalent to 10,000 horse power. 
 Its average width is 600 feet. 
 
 The Concord river flows two and a 
 quarter miles within the city boundaries, 
 and joins the Merrimack at a point one 
 mile and a fraction from the Dracut boun- 
 dary line. Its average width is 300 feet, 
 and it supplies 500 horse power. 
 
 River Meadow Brook is two and a 
 quarter miles long and flows into the 
 Concord river. It serves numerous in- 
 dustries with a ^o horse power. 
 
 Stony Brook flows through Forge 
 Village, Graniteville and Chelmsford into 
 the Alerrimack a ijuarter of a mile above 
 the city line. It fmnishes ^o horse power. 
 
 Beaver Brook rises in Windham, and 
 fiu'nishes power for two mills in Dracut 
 before it empties into the Merrimack at 
 the city boundaries. 
 
 The system of canals by which the 
 waters of the Merrimack are conveyed to 
 the mills is over five miles in length. 
 
 The following table shows the exact 
 length of the waterways within the city 
 limits: 
 
 Merrimack River 
 Concord " 
 
 River Meadow Brook 
 Beaver Brook 
 Northern Canal 
 Western " 
 Tremont " 
 Moody Street I'ceder 
 Pawtucket Canal - 
 iMorrimack 
 Hamilton " 
 Eastern " 
 
 Boott Penstock 
 
 FEET. 
 
 31.25° 
 
 12,750 
 
 12,000 
 
 2,600 
 
 4.373 
 4.472 
 
 575 
 1.375 
 9,188 
 2,586 
 1,770 
 1.913 
 
 235 
 
 85,087 
 Total length 16 miles 607 feet. 
 
 There are three other brooks of variant 
 character which are not included in the 
 above list. 
 
 The canals and rivers divide the cit\ 
 into seven islands, six of wliich are thickly 
 populated. 
 
 The Pawtucket canal was originally 
 built in 1796 for the piu'pose of making 
 the river navigable for boats, rafts and 
 masts. In 1822 Nathan Appleton, Patrick 
 T. Jackson, Kirk Boott and others bought 
 the Pawtucket canal and directed its 
 waters to manufacturing purposes. They 
 built the Pawtucket dam, widened the 
 canal to 60 feet and built the Merrimack 
 canal. In 1825 The Proprietors of the 
 Locks and Canals were incorporated and 
 secured by charter all rights in the waters 
 of the Merrimack for manufacturing piu'- 
 poses. Mr. James 13. Francis, alter 
 eleven v'ears of service as engineer, was 
 appointed agent in 1S45, and remained at 
 the head of the companj-'s affairs imtil 
 1SS5, when he accepted the honor of con- 
 sulting engineer and retired. He was 
 succeeded by his son. Col. James Francis. 
 
 The Merrimack canal was completed 
 in 1823; the Western canal in 1S31, and 
 the Eastern canal in 1835. They were 
 originally fed by the Pawtucket canal. 
 The first supplies power to the Machine 
 shop, Lowell, Merrimack and Sherman's 
 grist mills; the second supplies power 
 to the Tremont, Lawrence and Merrimack 
 mills, and the last supplies the Prescott, 
 Massachusetts and Boott mills. 
 
 The Northern canal was built in 1S47- 
 48 under the direction of Mr. James 13. 
 Francis. The massive parapet of masoiiry 
 which extends along the south shore of the 
 river, holds the waters of the canal 50 feet 
 above the river bed, and is a triumph of 
 engineering skill. It is connected with 
 the Western, Merrimack and Eastern 
 canals. 
 
 The Wamesit canal was built in 1S46, 
 and carries the waters of the Concord to 
 a number of mills. It supplies 500 horse 
 power. 
 
 Where there is so much water in natu- 
 ral and artificial channels, there must of 
 necessity be many bridges. There are 209 
 liridges in Lowell, 100 of which are on 
 public thoroughfares. 
 
 The bridges crossing the Merrimack are 
 substantial structures. The present Paw- 
 tucket bridge was built in 1871 ; the 
 Aiken street bridge in 1SS3 ; and the pres- 
 ent Central bridge in the same year. All 
 three are iron bridges. 
 
14 
 
 POPULATION. 
 
 According to the census of 1S90, Lowell 
 had a population of 77,696. 
 
 This is an increase of 13,589 over the 
 census of 1SS5, the figures of which were 
 64,107. 
 
 Here is an increase of 21 per cent, in 
 five years. 
 
 A year has elapsed since the census of 
 1S90 was taken. Admitted that the per 
 centage of the preceding five years was 
 maintained in the year which has elapsed 
 since the last census was taken, and we 
 should have an additional increase of a 
 fraction over 4 per cent., or 3200. 
 
 This, added to 77,696, would make a 
 population of 80,896. It is no exaggera- 
 tion to say the figures exxeed Si ,000 at this 
 time. 
 
 Lowell has an area of onh' 7932 acres. 
 
 Worcester has an area of 22,809 acres 
 and a population by the last census of 
 84,655. 
 
 If Lowell covered as much territory as 
 Worcester does it would embrace the vil- 
 lages of North and West Chelmsford, 
 Chelmsford Centre, North Billerica, the 
 most populous section of Diacut and poi' 
 tions of Tvngsboro and Tewksbury. 
 
 With an area of 22,000 acres Lowell 
 would have a population of 86,000. 
 
 The business of the citv represents in 
 actual figures not less than 90,000 people. 
 It. is the market place of Billerica, Car- 
 lisle, Chelmsford, Westford, Dunstable, 
 Tyngsboro, Littleton, Acton, a portion 
 of Pelham, N. H., Dracut, Tewksbury 
 and a large section of Andover. 
 
 According to the census of 1880, 52 per 
 cent, of the entire population was in act- 
 ive employment. The statistics showing 
 the industrj' of the people are not yet 
 tabulated for the returns of 1890, but it is 
 safe to assume that the commendable per- 
 centage will not be lessened. 
 
 It is interesting to see in what degree 
 the people were employed under the 
 census of 1SS5. 
 
 There were at that time 38,517 males 
 in Lowell and 35,590 females. The fol- 
 lowing were the occupations : 
 
 Government .... 299 
 
 Professions - - - - - 911 
 
 Domestic . . . . . 14,920 
 
 Personal service - - . - 840 
 
 Trade --.---- 2941 
 
 Transportation - - - - 1 100 
 
 Agriculture - - - . 
 
 458 
 
 Laborers - - - . 
 
 1290 
 
 Apprentices - - . - 
 
 •35 
 
 Children at work - 
 
 250 
 
 Manufacturing 
 
 - 2 •.454 
 
 
 44,598 
 
 To tiiese may be added : 
 
 
 Scholars .... 
 
 - 9568 
 
 Students .... 
 
 • 83 
 
 Retired .... 
 
 - , 715 
 
 Non-productive 
 
 593 
 
 Dependents .... 
 
 263 
 
 At home .... 
 
 - 7424 
 
 Xot given .... 
 
 703 
 
 19,449 
 And here is a significant item. In a 
 population of 64,000 there were 6n\y re- 
 turned as out of employment for 12 
 months, 40 people. 
 
 It may not be without interest to know 
 the nativity of the popidation of Lo\\ell. 
 According to the census of 1S85 the pro- 
 portions are as follows : 
 
 BORN IN : 
 
 Massachusetts .... 25,631 
 
 ( )ther states in New England - 10,372 
 
 other states 2221 
 
 Ireland 11,681 
 
 Canada (French) .... 6438 
 
 " (English) .... 13S0 
 Kngland - - - - -3512 
 
 Scotland 785 
 
 Xova .Scotia - - - - - 621 
 
 Prince Edward's Island - - - 135 
 
 New Brunswick - - - - 516 
 
 Germany ..... 70 
 
 Sweden ..... 275 
 
 Portugal ..... 4j 
 
 Other countries .... 427 
 
 Since 18S5 the niunber of French-Cana- 
 dians and of Swedes has largel\- increased. 
 Thev form a thrifty, industrious and peace- 
 able portion of the commimity. 
 
 From recent statistics we find the fol- 
 lowing conditional division of labor exist- 
 ing at the present time : 
 
 Manufacturers .... 24,172 
 Machinists ..... 2838 
 
 Wood 1050 
 
 Leather 560 
 
 Cartridges, etc., etc. - - - 2500 
 Professions ..... 1200 
 
 Trade 3760 
 
 Domestic 16,500 
 
 (iovernment - . . . . 432 
 Transportation .... 2340 
 Agriculture . - - - . 480 
 Laborers 1600 
 
 57,432 
 
lo 
 
 LABOR. 
 
 THE PREEMINENTLY INTELLIGENT AND 
 
 y When the Merrimack mills were first 
 established, the operatives were drawn 
 from the towns and villages of New Eng- 
 land. They were sober, industrious and 
 leliable people. The building of the mills 
 attracted the immigrant labor. It was 
 also of a sober and reliable quality, for 
 fares were high in those da3's and it was 
 only those who were seeking homes that 
 came to the new town of Lowell. This 
 foreign labor mingled with the native 
 element and imbibed the best of its nianv 
 admirable Cjualities. 
 
 As the industiies developed, there was 
 a demand for men skilled in the art of 
 calico printing, and a superior class of 
 workmen accordingly came from England 
 and from other countries to add their 
 intelligent influence to the moral progress 
 of the community. 
 
 The corporations were under necessitv 
 to provide food and shelter for those they 
 employed. They adopted Mr. Lowell's 
 plan, so eflectively instituted at Waltham, 
 and built boarding and tenement houses. 
 Over these a rigid supervision was main- 
 tained. The food in the former was 
 required to be of a certain standard. 
 The rules governing the conduct of those 
 who lived in the boarding and tenement 
 houses were rather strict ; but they were 
 wholesome ; and although they have long 
 since lapsed, their effect is still seen when 
 the bells ring the curfew at nine o'clock 
 every night. 
 
 There is still much of the native ele- 
 ment employed in the mills, and the child- 
 ren of the immigrants who came here in 
 the early days form an exceptionallv in- 
 telligent portion of the community. 
 
 There are many French Canadians 
 employed in the mills. Thev are very 
 ilesirable operatives ; they ai^e steady, 
 sober and industrious. They are thrifty 
 and are more permanent than thev used 
 
 RELIABLE Ql-AI.ITV .\SSrRED IN LOWELL. 
 
 to be. Many of them now own their 
 homes, and their children fill positions 
 where education is a pierequisite to 
 success. 
 
 There have never been any serious 
 strikes in Lowell. The only labor 
 troubles ithasever experienced have arisen 
 fron? isolated and petty difi'erences which 
 have been amicably settled without seri- 
 ous loss to employer or employee. Our 
 corporations have always shown a liberal 
 disposition to treat with their employes, 
 and labor agitators of the blatant style have 
 ever found Lowell to be a poor place for 
 their disturbing purposes. 
 
 The foreign elements are chiefly repre- 
 sented by the French Canadians, the 
 British, the L'ish and the Swedes. Their 
 chief ambition seems to be to own their 
 homes, and the outlying districts are 
 thickly settled with the people of their 
 class. They can buy comfortable homes 
 for from $1000 to $1500, and when they 
 are so established they are not disposed to 
 find fault with the means by which thev - 
 en|oy sucli independence. 
 
 The savings banks contain their earn- 
 ings, and the fact that many of the influen- 
 tial men in the community were them- 
 selves at one time operatives in the mills, 
 has an encouraging efl'ect upon those who 
 are now employed in their places. 
 
 There are no socialistic clubs or organ- 
 izations in Lowell. Labor unions there 
 are, of sparse membership, but they do 
 not seem to be in favor with the operative 
 class. 
 
 There is nowhere in the United States a 
 more thrifty, intelligent and desirable class 
 of help than can be found in Lowell, and 
 the attendance at the free evening schools 
 is a commendable evidence of the ambi- 
 tion which animates the young who are 
 compelled by force of circumstances to 
 earn their livelihood in our mills. 
 
 COST OF LIVING. 
 
 THE BENEFITS THE LOWELL SYSTEM CONFERS UPON THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY. 
 
 The cost of living in Lowell is lower system." When Francis C. Lowell estab- 
 
 than it is in any other city of its size and lished the cotton mills at Waltham, he 
 
 character in the United States. This is made the shelter and food of the employes 
 
 due to what is known as "the Lowell his especial care. He built substantial 
 
IG 
 
 brick tenement and boarding houses and 
 fixed the rentals and the price of board at 
 low and stable figures. 
 
 When Jackson and Boott built the Mer- 
 rimack mills they adopted the Lo\Aell sys- 
 tem. So, too, did the otlier corporations 
 that followed. That system is still prc- 
 sened, and when it is abandoned Lowell 
 will lose one of its most distincti\e fea- 
 tures and one which gives it an advantage 
 not enjoyed by other manufacturing com- 
 munities. 
 
 There are no corporat'on stores, but the 
 companies pay the boar-ling house keep- 
 ers a small siun for evtrv boarder. Thev 
 let the boarding houses at extremely low 
 figures and enforce a rule )f conduct which, 
 if not severe, is uevertheiess wholesome. 
 
 Of the corporations, nine own tenement 
 property valued at from $50,000 to $300,- 
 ocx) each. The average rent for a tene- 
 ment of eight rooms is $7 a month ; nine 
 rooms rent for $8. These figures are the 
 standard. 
 
 Tenements of four, five or six rooms 
 can be procured anywhere in the city for 
 from $6 to $S a month ; and \ery superior 
 tenements, in the most desirable sections, 
 are rented for $10 and $12 a month. 
 There are tenements cheaper than those 
 owned by the corporations, but they are 
 verv few and undesirable and their number 
 is growing less. 
 
 It costs a man $2.90 to board a week in 
 a corporation boarding house ; a woman 
 can board for $2.25. The food is sub- 
 stantial and of excellent quality. Outside, 
 the price of board in many places is $3.00 
 for men and $2.50 for women. These 
 figures include food and lodging A 
 weaver earning $10 a week can live for 
 $117 a year and live well. It is little 
 wonder then, that our savings banks con- 
 
 tain more money than there is represented 
 in the united capital of tlie great corpora- 
 tions. </* 
 
 We have here, in Lowell, a large market 
 for the surrounding countrv. Vegetables 
 are cheap, and the absence of higli rents 
 enable oiu" dealers to ofler their merchan- 
 dise at prices all the way from 25 to 2 pev 
 cent, less than the prices charged in Boston 
 and elsewhere. 
 
 A man earning $12 a week, and paying 
 $156 for his board and lodgings for a year, 
 can be well supplied with clothing, boots 
 and underwear for $50. He can live in 
 Lowell, be well dressed and comfortable, 
 for $200 a year. If he is frugal he can 
 save $300 a year, and manv men do. 
 
 But the corporations aside, we ha\e 
 cheaper rents and cheaper board than can 
 be obtained in any other citv in Massa- 
 chusetts. The wages may not C[uite touch 
 the figures they do in other places; but 
 the diflerence is more than compensated 
 fej- in the reduced cost of living. 
 '' It has been predicted that some time in 
 the future the corporations will be obliged 
 to abandon their boarding houses and con- 
 vert the property to manufacturing pur- 
 poses. But there is notliing to warrant 
 such a prediction. 
 
 An agent of one of our mills desiiing 
 to extend his works concluded to build 
 upon the site of his tenements. But when 
 he had reckoned the consequences he 
 changed his plan and the tenements re- 
 mained. The abandonment of the Lowell 
 system means an increase in the price of 
 board, and that, c|uite naturallv, would 
 excite a demand for larger wages. With 
 that demand would come the opportunity 
 the labor agitators have so long been look- 
 ing for in this conservati\cl\' progressive 
 and peaceful community. 
 
 VOLUME OF BUSINESS. 
 
 THE AGGRliGATE OK MONEY 
 
 REPHESENTED IN" 
 ($76,503,782.) 
 
 A VEAlt .S MANUI-ACTUHIN'G 
 
 The industries of Lowell are manifold. 
 The manufacture of cotton cloth was the 
 first established and it is still the staple of 
 our great trade. There are seven large 
 corporations engaged in that industry, 
 producing 257,800,000 yards of cloth per 
 
 anniun, and giving employiuent to 15,000 
 people. 
 
 There are 103,000,000 yards of calico 
 dyed and printed every year. 
 
 The sales of these seven corporations 
 for the year iSgoamoimted to $19,572,556, 
 
NEW CITY HALL. 
 
18 
 
 and the total sum involved in their busi- 
 ness was $34,889,861. 
 
 There are eight mills engaged in the 
 manufacture of woollens and carpets. 
 The volume of business transacted by 
 them in 1S90 aggregated $1 1,432,921. 
 
 There are twelve mills which manufac- 
 ture clastic webbing, suspenders, hosier)', 
 imderwear, cotton ancl worsted yarn. 
 Their business for 1S90 aggregated $5,- 
 ^50,000. 
 
 There is besides the bleachery one other 
 manufacturing dye works, and the aggre- 
 gate of business done in that line was 
 $r ,000,500. 
 
 There are 26 machine shops in Lowell, 
 the largest of which is the Lowell Macliine 
 Shop, with a capital of $900,000, emplo\- 
 ing 1500 men. Then comes the Kitson 
 Machine Company, buiklers of cotton 
 maciiinery. There are four foundries, 
 exclusive of that in the Lowell Machine 
 Shop. There are in addition to the 
 American Bolt Compan\', several estab- 
 lishments for the manufacture of bolts and 
 screws. Of other iron industries there are 
 one manufacturer of scales, one of turbine 
 water wheels, four wire workers, and two 
 boiler makers. The aggregate of business 
 done b\' all grades of iron workers during 
 he vear 1S90, was $6,460,000. 
 
 There are six large lumber dealers in 
 Lowell, four manufacturers of boxes, five 
 of doors, sashes and blinds, one of coffins, 
 one of bungs, one of clamps and screws, 
 seven of furniture, two of refrigerators, 
 two of stairs, one of tanks and vats and 
 one of croquet sets. The aggregate of 
 business done bv these workers in wood 
 for the year 1S90, was $4,180,500. 
 
 There are no less than 26 manufacturers 
 of mill supplies, doing a business aggre- 
 gating $3,000,000 per annum. 
 
 Of miscellaneous industries such as cash 
 carriers, shoes, etc., the aggregate will not 
 fall short of $5,000,000. Nor does this 
 include the money turned over in our 
 patent medicine factories. The aggregate 
 of business done in proprietary medicines 
 and perfumes was over $6,000,000. 
 
 These figures are based upon actual re- 
 turns. 
 
 VOLUME OF jMANUrACTURING BUSINKSS, 1890. 
 
 Cotton - . . . $34,889,861 
 
 Woollens and Carpets - 11,422,921 
 
 Hosiery, Yarn, Webbing - 5,550,000 
 
 Bleaching and dying - - 1,000,500 
 
 Machinery - - - 6,460,000 
 
 Wood working - - - 4,180,500 
 
 Mill supplies - - - 2,000,000 
 
 Medicines and perfumes - 6,000,000 
 
 Miscellaneous - - - 5,000,000 
 
 J?76.5°3.7S2 
 
 FORTY MILLIONS 
 
 TOTAL CLEARINGS, AND FORTY PER CENT. INCREASE IN FOUR YEARS. 
 
 Year by year the banks are becoming in 
 a constantly increasing degree the account- 
 ants of the business transactions of their 
 respective communities, and the work of 
 the clearing houses summarizes the finan- 
 cial operations of the several cities wherein 
 those institutions flourish. In this respect, 
 however, Lowell is uniquelv situated, inas- 
 much as the larger money dealings of her 
 great manufacturing corporations are pros- 
 ecuted by their treasurers in Boston, with 
 the effect that the reports of the Lowell 
 clearing house relate solely to the more 
 strictly commercial exchanges resulting in 
 the course of the local retail trade. Never- 
 theless, Lowell retains her position well in 
 the face of this fact and of the fact that she 
 does not profit by the ailventitious aid of 
 speculation, which so largelv augments the 
 clearings of more metropolitan cities, nor 
 by the frequent and sometimes fictitious 
 
 transfers of real estate which swell the 
 totals of certain western places far beyond 
 the actual interchange of cash. 
 
 The volume of business pursues a steady, 
 health \- growth, and shows no signs of 
 retreating upon the path it has followed 
 dining the past few years. 
 
 The clearing system began in Lowell 
 March 33, 1876, as an experiment, and 
 after less than a month's trial, on April 20, 
 1S76, the Clearing House Association was 
 organized under the following officers : 
 Chairman, J. F. Kimball; vice chairman, 
 G. B. Allen; secretary, A. A. Coburn ; 
 clearing house committee, C. M. Wil- 
 liams, 'G. W. Knowlton, C. W. Eaton; 
 manager, J. S. Hovey. The clearing 
 bank was first the Railroad National, an(l 
 since then that duty has been performed in 
 rotation. The present officers are C. M. 
 Williams, chairman; G. W. Knowlton, 
 
19 
 
 vice chairman; F. Blanchard, secretary; 
 E. K. Perley, W. M. Sawyer, F. P. Hag- 
 gett, clearing iionse coinniittee; \V. VV. 
 Joiinson, manager ; and the Merchants 
 National i.s the clearing bank. Amended 
 articles of association were adopted July 
 
 15, 18S9. ; 
 
 A fair comparison will show the rapidity 
 of the recent growtii of Lowell as can 
 nothing else save the census retnrns. 
 
 Foin- years ago, from May i, 18S6, to 
 May I, 1SS7, the aggregate exchanges 
 
 were $28,110,065.68, and the balances 
 $8,862,953.8.1. In the year just concluded 
 from May i, 1S90, to May i, 1S91, the 
 clearings were $38,922,859.03, with bal- 
 ances of $11,560,908.16. Nearly forty 
 millions of gross exchanges within a year 
 marked iiy unprecedented financial depres- 
 sion all over the world, and despite adverse 
 conditions, a showing of almost forty per 
 cent, increase over the figures of four years 
 since ! 
 
 BANKS OF DISCOUNT. 
 
 CAPITAL OF $2,225,000; DEPOSITS OF $4,300,288.45; Sl'HPI.lIS OF $1,051,356.85. 
 
 Of the national banks and trust compa- 
 nies of Lowell it would be invidious to 
 speak in terms of comparison. All are 
 conservatively managed, paying liberal 
 dividends to stockholders and giving plen- 
 tiful accommodation to customers. The 
 aggregate banking capital, the sum of the 
 figures given in the heading to this article, 
 appeared to be, at the time of the latest 
 return to the comptroller of the currency, 
 just $7,576,645.30, — exclusii'e of circula- 
 tion, $543,650, and certificates of deposit, 
 $271,170.51, which being added would 
 produce a sum total of $8,391,465.81; 
 besides which must also be reckoned the 
 aggregate assets of the savings banks, 
 more than twice as much in addition. 
 
 The Appleton Bank was incorporated 
 in 1847, and located In its own building at 
 the corner of Central and Hurd streets, 
 occupying the site of its present elegant 
 block, which was erected in 1878. This 
 bank has a capital of $300,000, surplus 
 $130,000, undivided profits of ^44,038 67, 
 anddeposits of almost exactly one million 
 dollars. The dividends pf id have aver- 
 aged ten per cent. The officers are John 
 F. Kimball, president; VV. S. Bennett, 
 H. H. Wilder, A. Putnam, W. E. Liv- 
 ingston, F. B. Shedd, F. A. Buttrick, 
 J W. C. Pickering, G. W. Fifield, H. M. 
 Knowles, G. O. Whiting, directors; E. 
 K. Perley, cashier. 
 
 The First National Bank was organized 
 under the national banking laws in 1864, 
 with a capital of $250,000. In 1884 it 
 removed from the old building at the 
 corner of Central and Middle streets to its 
 own handsome block, 40 Central street. 
 
 It has a surplus fund of $150,000, undi- 
 vided profits of $30,067.19, and deposits 
 of $549,329,96. J. C Abbott is president ; 
 E. Brown, S. N. Wood, G. Kimball, P. 
 Dempsey, J. S. Brown, S. C. Taylor, W. 
 H. Parker, J. Lennon, T. Costello, H. G. 
 Cushing, directors; W. M. Sawyer, cash- 
 ier. 
 
 The Prescott Bank was incorporated in 
 1S50, being tlien located at the corner of 
 Central and Market streets, whence it re- 
 moved in 1S65 to occupy its own block at 
 28 Central street, where it now is. It has 
 a capital of $300,000, surplus of $100,000, 
 undivided profits of $86,119.56, and 
 ileposits at the close of business May 4, 
 1891 , of $434,598.84. Ilapgood Wright is 
 president ; A. A. Coburn, vice-president ; 
 G. F. Richardson, C. H. Coburn, D. 
 Gage, C. A. Stott, VV. A. Ingham, J. W. 
 Abbott, J. A. Bartlett, directors ; F. 
 Blanchard, cashier. 
 
 The Lowell Bank organized in 1828 
 became in 1865 the Old Lowell National 
 Bank, and under these titles has occupied 
 quarters consecutiveK' as follows : Corner 
 Merrimack anil Worthen streets, the old 
 Wyman's Exchange, Shattuck street, the 
 new Wvman's Exchange ; and it has just 
 removed to its sumptuous apartments in 
 the Bowditch building on Central street. 
 Its capital is $200,000, surplus $40,000, 
 undivided profits $27,758.29, and its 
 deposits $309,467.96. John Davis is 
 president; E. M. Tucke, P. Whiting, P. 
 Parker, A. B. VVoodworth, G. F. Penni- 
 man, W. W. Carey, J. L. Chalifoux, P. 
 H. Donohoe, directors; C. M. Williams, 
 cashier. 
 
20 
 
 The W:imesit Bank, which occupies its 
 own biiildinij at the corner of Middlesex 
 and Tiioin(Ui<e streets, was incorporated 
 in 1S53, with a capital of $250,000. It 
 has a surplus fund of $50,000^ undivided 
 profits of $41,803.58, and individual de- 
 posits of $323,815.71. H. C. Howe is 
 the president; S. Horn, P. C. Gates, L. 
 B. Hall, W. H. Wiggin, P. P. Perham, 
 S. Kidder, F. Jewett, J. VV^ Bennett, di- 
 rectors ; G. W. Knowlton, cashier. 
 
 The Merchants Bank occupies the 
 ground floor of its own building, 39 Mer- 
 rimack street, next west of Postoflice 
 block. Its capital is $400,000, surplus 
 $100,000, undivided profits $117,459.51, 
 and it had deposits of $1,023, 706. 71 "at the 
 time of its last return. The president is 
 A. P. Bonnev ; directors, W. H. Ander- 
 son, C. H. Latham, A. Pratt, W. Shep- 
 ard, A. F. Nichols, Geo. Runels, F. T. 
 Jaques, M. Collins, A. G. Pollard; cash- 
 ier, W. W. Johnson. It was incorporated 
 in 1S54 '"*"'' nationalized in 1S64. 
 
 The Railroad Bank was organized in 
 1S31, chiefly by Boston gentlemen and 
 stockholders in our great manufacturing 
 corporations. For forty years this bank 
 dill the business of the Lowell mills almost 
 exclusively. It was first located at the 
 corner of Central and Hurd streets, then 
 in succession at the corner of Merrimack 
 
 and John streets, on Shattuck stree', in the 
 Carleton block, and recently settled in its 
 own building, 93, 95 and 97 Merrimack 
 street. Its capital was once $800,000 ; 
 but in 1SS5 was reduced to $400,003, just 
 double what it began business with 54 
 years before. There is a surplus fund of 
 $100,000, undivided profits of $34,1 10.05, 
 and deposits of $536,788.79. The officers 
 are E. T. Rowell, president; S. G. Mack, 
 G. S. Motley, A. G. Cumnock, G. Ripley, 
 J. B. Francis, J. Francis, ]. Rogers, A. 
 S. Lyon, W. S. Southworth, directors; 
 F. P. Haggett, cashier. 
 
 The Lowell Trust Company is the latest 
 addition to the city's banking facilities, 
 whose doors were opened Feb. 9, 189 [. 
 It has a capital of $125,000. Hon. J. J. 
 Donovan is president ; Geo. T. Sheldon, 
 tieasurer; George M. Harrigan, actuarv ; 
 and J. J. Hogan, J. W. Corcoran, C. 
 O'Donnell, J. j. O'Donnell, J- A. Stiles, 
 D. Wholev," D. Murpliy, J-'Marren, T. 
 O'Brien, J. Crowlev, D. Cole, R. Ripley, 
 S. T- Johnson, W". J- Coughlin, T. C. 
 Lee, C. H. Andrews", J. H. Cofley, C. 
 H. Hanson, H. O'Sullivan are directors. 
 The Trust Company is located in the new 
 Donovan building at the junction of Cen- 
 tral. Gorham and Middlesex streets, where 
 it has already a thriving business. 
 
 INSTITUTIONS FOR SAVINGS. 
 
 SIXTEEN MILLIONS OF DEPOSITS FLANKED BY SIKPLUS MORE THAN A MILLION 
 
 STRONGi 
 
 The savings banks of Lowell are widelv 
 celebrated f.r the remarkable number and 
 character of their depositors and the enor- 
 mous sums invested on behalf of their 
 busy clients. Lowell has in its savings 
 banks a larger sum, per capita of its total 
 population, than any other city in the 
 world. There are 44,699 open accounts, 
 aggregating $16,108,544.12, or on an 
 average of $360.38 to the credit of ever\- 
 account. This vast total represents a sav- 
 ing of more than two hundred dollars for 
 every man, womaji and child in the city ; 
 and when it is reflected that but one-half 
 these people are employed in remunerative 
 occupations, it will be seen that it repre- 
 sents an investment of more than four hun- 
 dred dollars on the part of every working 
 person in Lowell. 
 
 During the calendar j'ear ending at the 
 date of the latest return to the state com- 
 missioners, there were made 49,343 de- 
 posits, aggregating $3,113,673.22, an 
 average of $63.10 for each entry, or an 
 average addition of $69.66 to each account 
 in the course of a year. 
 
 The Lowell Institution for Savings v\'as 
 incorporated in 1829, and has been known 
 \ery generally as the " Old Lowell Sav- 
 ings Bank." For two years the Merri- 
 mack and Hamilton companies had acted 
 as depositaries for the savings of their oper- 
 atives, issuing books and paving interest, 
 but when attej^.tion was called to the doubt- 
 ful legality of such beneficence the plan 
 was abandoned and a petition made to the 
 legislature for a savings bank charter. 
 Elisha Glidden was the first president, and 
 
22 
 
 he was succeeded in turn liy Theodore 
 Edson, John O. Green and Charles A. 
 Savory. James G. Carney was the first 
 treasurer, from 1S39 to 1S69; and his suc- 
 cessor, the present incumbent, was his son, 
 George J. Carney. The trustees are Geo. 
 Motley, F. Nici<erson, S. Kidder, A. B. 
 French, F. Bailev, J. W. 13. Shaw, F. 
 Taylor, C. M. FisU, D. B. Bartlett, A. St. 
 John Chamlire. 
 
 The City Institution for vSavings organ- 
 ized in 1S47, and has maintained its hsca- 
 tion ever since at the corner of Central 
 and llurd streets. Its first president was 
 Rev. II. A. Miles, succeeded by Rev. D. 
 C. Eddv, Ur. Nathan Allen and Hon. F. 
 T. Greenhalge. John A. Buttrick, the 
 first treasurer, was succeeded in 1875 by 
 
 F. A. Biutrick, his son. The trustees are 
 W. E. Livingston, C. R. Kimball, W. S. 
 Bennett, A. Putnam, J. F. Mowe, E. K. 
 Perlc\-, Percy Parker, L. Huntress, Frank 
 Coburn, H. H. Barnes. 
 
 Tlie Lowell Five Cent .Savings Bank 
 was incorporated in 1854. Rev. Horatio 
 Wood was its first president, holding office 
 until 1SS5, when, on his resignation, S. 
 
 G. Mack was elected in his place. The 
 first treasurer, A. S. Tyler, has filled the 
 ])osition since the organization of the bank. 
 Hapgood Wright, J. F. Kimball, J. L. 
 Chenev, G. F. Richardson, C. E. A. 
 Bartlett, J. H. McAlvin, G. S. Cheney, 
 A. C. Taylor, Dudley Foster, Charles Co- 
 burn, Arthur Staples, G. F. Penniman, 
 A. C. Russell, W. S. Southworth, C. D. 
 Palmer and F. P. Putnam are the present 
 trustees. The bank occupies its elegant 
 marble building at the corner of Merri- 
 mack and John streets. Its special field 
 is the care of small deposits, being privil- 
 eged to receive sums less than one dollar. 
 
 The Mechanics Savings Bank was or- 
 ganized in 1S61, and its only presidents 
 have been Wm. A. Burke and Jeremiah 
 Clark. John F. Rogers was the first 
 treasurer, succeeded by C. F. Battles and 
 the present incumbent, C. C. Hutchinson. 
 Until 18S9 this bank was associated more 
 or less closely with the Railroad National 
 Bank in its quarters but since that date 
 has occupied the second story of its own 
 building on Merrimack street opposite 
 Kirk street. Its present trustees are Jacob 
 Rogers, Isaac Cooper, Ferdinand Rodlifi", 
 J. V. Keyes, A. G. Cumnock, C. L. Hil- 
 dreth, John Davis, James Francis, W . 
 W. Sherman, E. M. Tucke, J. G. Hill, 
 W. D. Blanchard, J. G. Marshall, Francis 
 
 Carll, W. G. Ward, E. H. Cummings, E. 
 N. Burke. 
 
 The Central .Savings B.mk was incor- 
 porated in 1S71, and from the first Oliver 
 H. Moulton has been its president. Its 
 first treasurer was J. N. Pierce ; but the 
 present incumbent, Samuel A. Chase, has 
 held the office since 1S73. The trustees 
 are F. Ayer, J. C. Abbott, E. B. Adams, 
 E. Boyden, E. Brown, J. S. Brown, W. 
 A. Brown, H. C. Church, R. Court, J. P. 
 Folsom, P. C. Gates, J. R. Hayes, G. L. 
 Huntoon,C. H. Latham, P. Lvnch, A. S. 
 Lyon, A. G. Pollard, A. Pratt, G. Run- 
 els, G. F. Scribner, D. Swan, B. Walker, 
 S. N. Wood, G. W. Young. The bank 
 has its place of business with the Mer- 
 chants' National Bank, where is also 
 maintained a safety-deposit vault. 
 
 The Merrimack River Savings Bank 
 was also incorporated in 1S71, and J. G. 
 Peabody has been its president ever since. 
 Its treasurers have been G. W. Knowlton, 
 A. J. Flint and Nathan G. Lamson, the 
 latter now holding the position. Its trus- 
 tees are Samuel Horn, C. E. Paige, Fran- 
 cis Jewctt, H. C. Howe, F. B. Shedd, 
 A. D. Puft'er, A. F. Wright, Charles 
 Runels, C. J. Glidden, W. A. Ingham, P. 
 -'-P. Perham, J. C. Johnson, J. W. Ben- 
 nett, Horace Ela, 13. F. Sargent, C. F. 
 Varnum, C. F. Young, G. W. Knowlton, 
 C. E. Adams, Alfred Barney, R. G. Bart- 
 lett, S. B. Hall, Michael Corbett. Its 
 banking rooms are at the corner of Mid- 
 dlesex and Tliorndike streets, with the 
 Wamesit National Bank. 
 
 • The Lowell Co-Operative Bank was 
 chartered April 29, 18S5, with an author- 
 ized capital of $[,000,000, and it has 
 been favored with continual prosperity. 
 Twelve series of shares have been issued, 
 and the latest dividend was at the rate of 
 7 per cent. The officers are A. B. Wood- 
 worth, president ; S. R. Kitchen, vice- 
 president ; G. W. Batchelder, clerk ; G. 
 E. Metcalf, treasurer ; J. L. Sedgley, L. 
 Evans, Jr., E. G. Baker, J. O. Gulline, 
 Thos. Collins, C. T. Rowland, C. L. 
 Smith, L. F. Howard, .S. J. Johnson, J. 
 E.White, J. D. IIartwell,'G.'W. Broth- 
 ers, F. Woodies, J. Murkland, S. A. 
 Byam and E. S. Bickford, tlirectors ; G. 
 H. Brown, L. F. Paulint, A. J. Murk- 
 land, auditors. Meetings are held the 
 first Friday after the loth of each month, 
 at which the money on hand is loaned 
 to the highest bidders. Last year the 
 total receipts \vere $73,457,07. 
 
23 
 
 FIVE CENT .SAV1N(;S BANK F.LilLDIN'G. 
 
 REAL ESTATE. 
 
 THE SUBSTANTIAL BUSINESS DONE IN LOWELL WITHIN A YEAR. 
 
 The above figures stand for the value 
 of the bonafide real estate conveyances for 
 the year ending May i, 1891. There were 
 in all 692 transactions, and when it is con- 
 sidered that the great majority of these 
 were of a substantial and permanent 
 character, some idea may be obtained of 
 the progressive movement which is so 
 rapidly developing the advantages our city 
 oflers. 
 
 A large per centage of these transactions 
 represents the prosperity of individuals 
 vvho have gratified the ambition to own 
 their homes. Much of the conveyed lies 
 on the lines of the street i-ailway which 
 have been recently opened or extended. 
 The greatest number of such conveyances 
 occur in Ward Four, proving the popul- 
 arity of the Highlands for the purposes of 
 residence. The increase in valuation in 
 that district in 10 years, has been 109 per 
 cent. Next comes Ward Two, embracing 
 Centralville. With an increase of 73 per 
 
 ($1,880,400) 
 
 cent.. Ward Three, which includes Ayers 
 City, shows an increase of 60 per cent. 
 Ward One, which contains the new muni- 
 cipal buildings, has increased 59 per cent. 
 Ward Six follows with an increase of 53 
 per cent. Ward Five, including Faw- 
 tucketville, shows an increase of 46 per 
 cent. 
 
 Now that the new boulevard has been 
 
 laid out, it will throw some 300 acres of 
 accessible residence land into the market 
 in Ward Five. 
 
 The new postoftice building will have a 
 beneficial eflect upon the value of property 
 in Wards Three and Foin\ 
 
 Of the 7900 acres of which Lowell is 
 comprised, there are about 2000 acres 
 which are both available and desirable for 
 building purposes In the immediate 
 vicinity of Lowell there are 10,000 acres 
 which, in a very short time, will be treble 
 the value at which they are at present 
 held. 
 
24 
 
 INSUIiANCE. 
 
 LOCAL COMPANIES Of LONG STANDING AND CONSERVATIVE MANAGEMENT. 
 
 For nineteen jears the onlv insinaiice 
 company in the city ^vas the Lowell 
 Mutual Fire Insurance Company, which 
 was incorporated March 6, 1S32, its first 
 place of business being on the site of the 
 present building of the Appleton Bank. 
 The office was thence removed to the 
 corner of Central and Market streets, 
 where it remained forty years : in 1SS4 it 
 was removed to the second story of the 
 First National Bank block. Luther Law- 
 rence was its first president, succeeded by 
 Elisha Glidden, John Nesmith, Jona. 
 Tyler, Horace Howard, J. B. French, [. 
 H. B. Ayer, J. K. Fellows. Hon. J. C. 
 Abbott, now president, has been in ofliice 
 since iSSo, and E. T. Abbott, the secre- 
 tary and treasurer, was elected in 1SS3. 
 The directors are W. H. Wiggin, W. P. 
 Brazer,C. A. Stott,W. E. Livingston, Benj. 
 Walker, A. G. Pollard, P. C. Gates, F. 
 A. Buttrick, C. W. Wilder, J. K. 
 Fellows. 
 
 This company takes no risks outside 
 the citv of Lowell, and em])loys no agents. 
 I^ had losses of but $3,039 last year. The 
 amount of risks outstantling Jan. i. 1891 
 was $3,594,871 , w ith net assets of $70,902. 
 99 and a permanent fund of $71,182.90. 
 It pays return profits of 33 1-3, 50 and 70 
 per cent, on 1,3 and 5 veai' policies. 
 
 The Traders and Mechanics Fire In- 
 
 surance Company was incorporated in 
 184S as a mutual company, to which a 
 stock department was added in 1854. Both 
 departments were conducted until iSSi 
 wlieii the capital and surplus were divided 
 among the shai'eholilers and the mutual 
 business was continued. Levi Sprague is 
 president and Edward M. Tucke is secre- 
 tary ; and the directors now are Jacob 
 Rogers, C. C. Hutchinson, C. H. Coburn, 
 G. F. Richardson, J. F. Kimball, H. C. 
 Howe, F. P. Putnam. The gross assets 
 Dec. 31,1890 were $621,955. 66, with 
 liabilities of $334, 463. 39 ; leaving net assets 
 of $387,492.27, of which $386,820.73 is a 
 permanent fimd. On the same date it had 
 risks in force amounting to $30,668,025, 
 and during the past year had losses of 
 $55,778.75. This company pays 30, 50 
 and 70 per cent, return premiums on i, 
 3 and 5-year policies. 
 
 Out-of-town insurance companies are 
 represented in Lowell by Charles Coburn, 
 H. C. Church & Son,'G. W. Coburn & 
 Son, J. B. Coleman, S. W. Cook, T. L. 
 Dickev, J. M. Dixon, J. M. Kilgore, T. 
 
 C. Lee, Metcalf & Hazen, N. \V. Nor- 
 cross & Co., F. W. Sherman, D. Walker, 
 
 D. C. Wallace, J. B. Swift, C. W. Eaton, 
 
 E. M. Tucke, E. T. Abbott, E. E. 
 Mansur, F. M. Merrill and others. 
 
 STREET RAILWAYS. 
 
 now TIIEV HAVE AIDED IN 
 
 THE DEVELOPMENT OF Tllli 
 FUTURE WILL BE. 
 
 CIT'i' WHAT TIIEIK 
 
 There have been no more prominent 
 factors in the recent development of 
 Lowell than the street railways. Statis- 
 tics prove [his beyond question of doubt. 
 
 The Lowell Horse Railroad company 
 was organized in April, 1S63, with an 
 authorized capital of $100,000, and a paid 
 up capital of $40,128. 
 
 On March i, 1864, the lines were opened 
 for business. There was a route from 
 Belvidere to Pawtucket Falls, and one 
 from the postoffice to Whipple's mills, via 
 Central street. Later, the route on Bridge 
 street was built, the line on Central street 
 was changed to Gorham street, and a line 
 
 laid through Miildlesex street to the old 
 Lafayette House The latest extensions 
 were on Westford and Chelmsford streets 
 and Broadway. 
 
 The Lowell company enjoyed a 
 monopoly of the carrying business until 
 1886, when the Lowell & Dracut company 
 was organized under articles of association 
 with a capital of $15,000. The line on 
 Lakeview avenue was built and, after 
 some opposition, the company obtained 
 permission to lay tracks on Bridge street 
 and enter the city proper. 
 
 In 1887, the company was chartered 
 with a capital of $100, coo, and at once 
 
D 
 O 
 
 S 
 
 M 
 
 ►J 
 U 
 
 a 
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 Q 
 
 W 
 
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 X 
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■26 
 
 issued $60,000 ill bonds. The following 
 May, the additional $40,000 was sub- 
 scribed. 
 
 In 1889 bonds were issued for the pur- 
 pose of making an electrical equipment 
 for the line built to Lakeview. This has a 
 total length of 5 miles, and conveys the 
 people to the loveliest and best conducted 
 Summer resort in New England. 
 
 In March, 1S90, the railroad commission- 
 ers authorized the Lowell & Dracut com- 
 pany to issue further bonds for $100,000. 
 At that time it had the routes running from 
 the postofHce square to Pawtucketville, to 
 Fort Hill Park, to the Lowell Cemetery 
 and to Ward Four, in all 131';;,',, miles of 
 track. 
 
 The Lowell company had at the same 
 time I3i1;li miles of track. 
 
 On the 20th of October, 1SS7, the 
 directors of the Lowell tS; Dracut company 
 acquired a controlling interest in the 
 Lowell company. 
 
 It was soon found that the convenience 
 of the public would be much enhanced 
 and rapid transit virtually-established, and 
 the stockholders agreeing, consolidation 
 was consummated and a new company 
 organized imder the title of the Lowell & 
 Suburban Street Railway Company. The 
 capital stock is placed at $300,000. 
 
 The company controls 27 miles of track, 
 75 per cent, of which is a tram rad of 
 from 40 to 45 pounds, and the remainder 
 the Providence girder and T rails. It 
 owns 350 horses, which are sheltered in 
 four stables located in Dracut at the city 
 line, in East Merrimack street, in Middle- 
 sex street and in South Whipple street. 
 It has 80 cars and iS electric cars, and 
 employs 300 men. 
 
 That the street railway is a fiictor in the 
 development of the city is amply proved 
 by the following statistics : 
 
 Percentage of increase of population, valuation and 
 street railway facilities from 1880 to 1S90. 
 
 Assessors' St. Railway 
 
 Ward, valuation. Population. facilities. 
 
 1 59 per cent. 2.71 per cent. loss. 
 
 2 73 " 46.67 " inc. 291 percent. 
 
 3 60 " 41.66 " " 239 " 
 
 4 109 " 45-10 " " 520 " 
 
 5 46 " 57-11 '• " 253 " 
 
 6 53 " 12.00 " " Total, 3 miles 
 
 There is an explanation of these figures. 
 Ward One shows a loss of 3.71 per cent, 
 in population, for the reason that the street 
 railways aflbrded an opportunity for people 
 to leave that congested district anil put 
 houses in other sections. 
 
 The figures of Ward Fom- are the most 
 
 significant — here, the increase of valuation 
 was 109 per cent. ; the increase in popula- 
 tion was only 45.10 per cent, while the 
 increase in railway facilities was 520 per 
 cent. It should be said that the increase 
 in valuation is representative of the char- 
 acter of the houses built in this Ward. 
 They are for the most jwrt individual 
 dwellings and the valuation is therefore of 
 a very substantial character. 
 
 The increase in the population in Wai'd 
 Five is larger than it is in any other Ward, 
 while the increase in valuation is the low- 
 est. This is accounted for by the fact that 
 " Little Canada," with its great tenement 
 blocks, oflers cheap inducements for 
 French Canadians to live there. 
 
 While the increase in population through- 
 out the city has been 31 ]5er cent, in ten 
 years, the increase in dwelling houses has 
 been 41 per cent. This has been possible 
 through the medium of the street railway 
 extensions, which have led people to go 
 toward the suburbs and own their own 
 homes. From iSSoto 1SS5 the population 
 increased 7 per cent ; street railway facili- 
 ties increased in the same period, 20 per 
 cent. 
 
 From 18S5 to 1S90, the increase of 
 population was 3i per cent. ; for the same 
 period the increase in street railway 
 facilities was 400 per cent., a most re- 
 markable progress, which proves the wis- 
 dom of the enterprise which gave the city 
 the railwa}- routes it now enjoys. And that 
 it has been a profitable investment may be 
 gathered from the fact that while the 
 "population increased 21 per cent from 
 iSS5-to 1S90, the income of the street 
 railway companies increased 300 per cent, 
 in the same period. 
 
 THE NEW COMPANY. 
 
 The Lowell & Suburban Street railway 
 company is the outcome of the consolida- 
 tion of the two companies. Its officers 
 are : E. M. Tucke, president ; August 
 Fels, vice-president ; Percy Parker, trea- 
 surer ; P. F. Sullivan, secretary; directors 
 E. M. Tucke, A. Fels, P. Parker, P. F. 
 Sullivan, T. Costello, E. A. Smith, W. 
 M. Sawyer, F. W. Howe, S. Bachman, 
 M. F. Brennan and J. Lennon, and its 
 capital stock is $300,000. It has adopted 
 plans for the development of the service 
 which will ultimately involve an outlay 
 of $r, 000,000. These plans are justified 
 Ijy the needs of the community and by 
 the constantly growing demand for ex- 
 tended service. 
 
27 
 
 The board of aldermen have given the 
 company license to double its tracks in all 
 streets where they are now laid, to extend 
 its tracks to the city line and also to set 
 up poles and maintain an electrical eqLiip- 
 nient. These are great privileges and the 
 company is preparing to make the most of 
 its advantage. 
 
 The Lowell & Dracut Company was 
 one of the first in the state to adopt elec- 
 tricity as a motive power. It ran its first 
 cars by that force, August i, 1SS9. It had 
 then eight cars, it now has eighteen fitted 
 with motors. Its success, its economy and 
 great utility have united to induce the 
 directors of the new road to adopt electri- 
 city for the entire street railway system. 
 
 rhe plans for a power station have been 
 prepared. The building will be locateil 
 at the corner of Middlesex and Pawtucket 
 streets and will contain a plant of 3,000 
 horse power. That, with an average of 
 20 horse power to a car, will supply mo- 
 tive energy for 100 cars. 
 
 With this building will be constructeil 
 a car house and repair shops. A short 
 spur track will bring coal from the ad- 
 
 joining railroad into the boiler house and 
 all material needed for equipment. 
 
 All the tracks on the main lines will be 
 doubled. Under the present system the 
 cars run on i^ minute time; when the 
 tracks are doul^led it will be possible to 
 rim on shorter time and iiive the public a 
 much more rapid service. It will cost 
 $300,000 to double the tracks and make 
 the proposed extensions. These are from 
 the Bridge street terminus to the "Yellow 
 meeting house" in Dracut ; from the Midd- 
 lesex street terminus through Middlesex 
 village to North Chelmsford ; from the 
 Chelmsford street terminirs to Chelmsford 
 centre ; from the Gorham street terminus 
 to North Billerica, and from the Nesmith 
 street terminus to Phenix. 
 
 Thus will all the manufacturing suburbs 
 be brought into closer unity with the city, 
 and the people in the denser quarters will 
 be invited to the occupancy of the land 
 that lies between those villages and the 
 city, these extensions will add much to the 
 valuation of the city, for the most distant 
 point will be within 15 minutes ride of 
 the business centre. 
 
 RAILROAD FACILITIES. 
 
 LOWELL ENJOYS EXCEPTIONAL AD\-ANTAGES AND A SPECIALLY ACCOMMODATING 
 
 SERVICE. 
 
 Lowell enjoys exceptional railroad facili- 
 ties. The Boston & Lowell railroad was 
 projected by Patrick T. Jackson, the 
 founder of our cotton industry, and com- 
 pleted in"iS34. ^^ ^"^'''^ '-"^^ °^' '■'^^ earliest 
 railroads in the United States. 
 
 The Lowell & Nashua railroad w is sub- 
 sequently built and then followed the 
 Stonybrook railroad, the Framingham 
 railroad, the Salem railroad, and the 
 Andover railroad. 
 
 Lowell is connected with a system which 
 furnishes transportation to every section of 
 the country. With the exception of the 
 Framingham railroad, all the roads enter- 
 ing Lowell arc now part of the Boston & 
 Maine system. 
 
 The Boston & Lowell railroad, or the 
 southern division of the Boston & Maine, 
 is 26 miles in length. Its terminus in 
 Lowell is at the Merrimack street station. 
 It has direct connections with the Lowell 
 & Nashua, the Stonybrook, the Rochester, 
 the Concord, the Northern, the Worcester, 
 Nashua & Portland, the Montpelier & 
 
 Wells River, the Vermont Central, the 
 Passumpsic, the Claremont & Peterboro, 
 the Concord & Montreal and the Canadian 
 Pacific railroads. Goods are now shipped 
 direct from our mill yards to the Pacific 
 Coast for China and Japan. Lowell is on 
 the direct line of travel to Canada and the 
 White Mountains. 
 
 The Stonybrook railroad runs from 
 North Chelmsford to Ayer Junction mak- 
 ing connections with the Fitchburg and 
 the Worcester and Nashua railroads. 
 
 The Lowell and Salem railroad connects 
 Lowell with that port and the intervening 
 cities and towns. 
 
 The Lowell and Andover railroad has 
 its terminus in the Central Street Station. 
 It is a branch of the Northern Division of 
 the Boston and Maine railroad, having 
 direct communication with Nevvburyport, 
 and the coast towns lying between that 
 city and Portland, Me. At Portland it 
 makes close connections with the Porthuul 
 and Ogdensburgh, the Maine Central and 
 the Grand Trunk railroads. 
 
■IS 
 
 The Fnimingham is a branch of the Old 
 Colony, running from South Framingham 
 to Lowell. It is a direct line to Fall River, 
 Providence and New York from which 
 places there are two through trains every 
 day. 
 
 There are three stations in Lowell, one in 
 Central street, one in Merrimack street 
 and one in Middlesex street; the latter is 
 the principal station, and among the im- 
 provements contemplated by Manager 
 Furber, are a handsome and more commo- 
 dious building to replace a structure which 
 is both out of date and hopelessly inade- 
 quate to accomodate the public. 
 
 The company has made many recent 
 changes in the freight department. It has 
 acquired much land in the neighborhood 
 of the Middlesex street station and on the 
 line of Gorham street has built several 
 spacious freight sheds. These, in addition 
 to the freight yards in Western avenue, 
 the yards of the Lcwell and Andover rail- 
 road and the newly acquired yards near 
 the Concord river, will enable the lailroad 
 company to give our local trade a prompt, 
 convenient and efficient service. 
 
 The city is a net-work of spur tracks 
 
 running from the main lines to the mill 
 yards. Tiie Framingham road aLso has 
 a spur line running to the industries in 
 Aver city. On all these numerous lines of 
 railroad there is more or less land that is 
 desirable for manufacturing purposes. 
 The tariff" rates are not high and the ser- 
 vice is accomodatingly frecjuent. 
 
 There are 33 trains from Boston on the 
 Southern division, everv day, and i3 on 
 the Western tlivision, a total of 3s trains 
 a day from the capital The number of 
 trains from Lowell to Boston on the 
 .Southern division, is 23 and on the 
 Western division, 13. There are in all 
 71 trains in tlie daily service between 
 Boston and Lowell. 
 
 There are three daily express trains to 
 and from Montreal and an etjual number 
 m the White Mountains service tluring the 
 summer season. There are six daily tiains 
 to and from Salem ; 36 daily trains between 
 Lowell and Lawrence, and 20 daily trains 
 between Lowell and Ha\erhill. 
 
 The improvements which are contem- 
 plated at the Jliddlesex street station will 
 be commenced as soon as the vexed ques- 
 tion of grade crossings is definitely settled. 
 
 RESIDENTIAL. 
 
 THE SEN'ERAL SECTIONS OF THE CITY WJIEKE THE PEOPLE LIVE. 
 
 Lowell is most attractiveU' located and 
 the home sections of the city have each 
 a distinctive name. They are Belvidere, 
 Oaklands, Centralville, the Highlands and 
 Pawtucketville. 
 
 1!EL\]DERE. 
 
 Belvidere is built upon a hill and is one 
 of the most beautiful sections of the city. 
 It is here that ex-Governor Butler lives, 
 and his house has a most charming view 
 of the river as it rushes under the Central- 
 ville heights over the rocky bed of Hunt's 
 falls. Nesmith street, named after the late 
 John Nesmith, at one time lieutenant- 
 governor of the state, is a beautiful 
 thoroughfare, shaded with fine trees. At 
 the farther end of this street is the Rogers 
 Fort Hill Fark, 200 feet above the level of 
 the city. Andover street runs along the 
 heights above the river and is lined with 
 beautiful residences. The neighborhood 
 of Park Garden is peaceful and picturescjue 
 and there are many fine old residences in 
 that vicinity. 
 
 OAKLAN'DS. 
 
 Oaklands is a recently opened territory 
 in the region of Belvidere, one of the 
 most attiactive of the several residential 
 Sections of the city. The territory com- 
 prises 165 acres, and is the property of a 
 syndicate consisting of Messrs. Shepard, 
 Russell & Fuller. The larger part of this 
 territory is situated in Lowell ; the rest lies 
 in the town of Tewksburv. 
 
 Fort Hill Park is 300 feet high. It 
 commands an extensive view of the sur- 
 rounding country. Lving to the east of 
 the park are two other eminences of similar 
 height. One of these is Belvidere, the 
 other is Oaklands. Oaklands begins in 
 the valley behind the elevation of Behi- 
 dere, and extends upward until it reaches 
 a parallel height and overlooks the resid- 
 ence of Gen. Butler. 
 
 Here, the view is superb, bounded by 
 the horizon 29 miles distant. On a clear 
 night, the light at Minot"s Ledge can be 
 distinctly discerned. Lawrence, the Read- 
 ings, Danvers and Somerville are in sight. 
 
• ODD -FELLOWS BUILDING* 
 +i. DWELL MA-33 + 
 
 MERPILL & CVTLEP a rchtj 
 
 to WELL 
 
30 
 
 and Tewksbuiy and Andover are part of 
 the panorama which makes this section so 
 delightful. To the north, gUmpses may 
 he obtained of the New Hampshire hills, 
 and to the south lie the Chelmsfords with 
 their dense \voods and the Billericas with 
 their spires and gleaming fields. Two 
 rivers are in sight, the picturesque Merri- 
 mack wending eastward to Lawrence and 
 the sea, and the classic Concord meander- 
 ing through the meadows of Billerica. 
 At this elevation the air is cool even in the 
 ■fervency of summer, and the hill of Belvi- 
 dere breaks the winter wind before it 
 reaches Oaklands. 
 
 The land is a clayev gravel which makes 
 excellent roads and affords dry and com- 
 fortable building sites. Formerly, the hill 
 was covered with a heavy growth of oak, 
 but now it has been stripped with a judi- 
 cious selection of much of the timber. 
 There are shady groves here and there, 
 and wherever it has been possible to spare 
 a tree on the line of the avenues it has been 
 spared. 
 
 At the crest of the hill, at what was 
 once the Ho\'ey farm, there is a crescent 
 partiall}' laid out, upon what it was the 
 late Mr. Hovey's ambition to see an Epis- 
 copal college established. The present 
 owners, in laying out Holyrood avenue 
 will follow the lines laid down by Mr. 
 Hovey, marked by hiin with a row of 
 elms. 
 
 On the brow of the hill arc tuo acres 
 of land preserved by Mr. Hovey's will, 
 for the accommodation of an Episcopal 
 church. 
 
 This territory is traversed by avenues 
 50 feet wide and by cross streets. Han- 
 over avenue goes, straight as crows fly, 
 from Andover street to the Boston & 
 Lowell railroad tracks, is a mile and a 
 half long. Park View avenue lies parallel 
 and further up the hill. 
 
 There are 450 lots, averaging 6000 square 
 feet each, on this hill territory, and of that 
 number 150 have been sold. A number 
 of beautiful residences have been erected. 
 ALany more are in course of construction. 
 The streets are under municipal control, 
 and gas and city water are accommoda- 
 tions enjoyed by everybodv- There is a 
 fifteen-minute-horse-car service and the 
 post-ofHce is only 15 minutes' distant. 
 
 CENTRALVILI.E. 
 
 Centralville lies on the north side of the 
 Merrimack river. It is reached bv two 
 
 magnificent iron bridges over which the 
 street railways pass. The heights of 
 Centralville, on the summit of which the 
 city reservoirs are located, rise 200 feet 
 above the level of the river. Thev com- 
 mand a fine view of the lower city, of 
 the surrounding country and the moun- 
 tains to the north and west. 
 
 It is one of the most favored home sec- 
 tions of the citv. There are some rare old 
 houses there which stand monuments to 
 the good taste, the comfort and the hospi- 
 tality of the earlv settlers. The Parker, 
 Ilildreth, Tucke and McEvoy houses are 
 types of the early day. 
 
 On the lower grounds of Centralville 
 the land is level until it reaches the neigh- 
 borhood of Crescent hill. Here it rises 
 again, and again the character of the houses 
 change; for while on the low land the 
 tenements prevail, in the highlands the 
 individual dwelling is the rule. The streets 
 are finely shaded with rare old trees. 
 
 THE HIGHLANDS. 
 
 Twenty years ago, the Highlands was 
 a farming district. There were oak and 
 pine woods upon it fifteen years ago. It is 
 now one of the great residence sections of 
 the city. People who live in the High- 
 lands would not live anywhere else ; the}' 
 say the section excels Belvidere and per- 
 haps it will when its trees have cast more 
 shade than they do now, for the streets and 
 thoroughfares are none of them more than 
 15 years old. The houses here are well 
 separated and green lawns and shady 
 gardens are everywhere the rule. Buil- 
 ding operations are very lively in this 
 district ; and the men who reside here 
 have recently founded a club and will build 
 a club house of generous dimensions upon 
 a sightly eminence. 
 
 PAWTUCKETVILLE. 
 
 This delightful section has but recently 
 been opened up to general occupation. It 
 is on the north side of the Merrimack, and 
 through it the river tumbles in the pictur- 
 esfjiie and rugged beauty of Pawtucket ra- 
 pids. The rapids are spanned by a sub- 
 stantial iron bridge from which the view 
 of the falls is one of the most attractive in 
 the city. 
 
 The city authorities have laid out a 
 magnificent boulevard along the river bank 
 in this section, and the improvement will 
 I'ring a great deal of very desirable land 
 into the market. There are some fine resi- 
 
31 
 
 clences in tliis quarter, among them those 
 of Miss Lucy Fay and A. C. Varnum. 
 
 The land lying between Varnum ave- 
 nue and the boulevard is owned by Daniel 
 Gage, Lucy Fay, William H. Hill, heirs 
 
 of VVillard Coburn, Mrs. C. A. Green, 
 J. M. Wilson, Dr. Geo. Clement, T. J. 
 Underwood, Geo. L. Goodale, Edward tS. 
 Howe. The tract contains from 350 to 
 300 acres. 
 
 LOWELL'S EXCEPTIONAL PRIVILEGE IN CHEAP ILLUMINATION. 
 
 A large share of the cit\'s artificial light 
 is still SLipplied by the Lowell Gas Light 
 company. This company was incorpor- 
 ated in 1S49 ^^'t'l <i capital of $^00,000. 
 Its extensive plant is located on School 
 street near the tracks of the Nashua & 
 Lowell Railroad. 
 
 The annual consumption of coal by this 
 company reaches over 20,000 tons, from 
 which are produced 3115,000,000 cubic feet 
 of illuminating gas of excellent cjualitv. 
 The gas service of the city is furnished 
 through nearly seventy-five miles of mains 
 reaching well into the remote residential 
 districts. The exceedingly low price at 
 which the company has been able to 
 furnish gas and still earn for its stock- 
 holders handsome dividends, has brought 
 it about that the question of municipal 
 lighting has so far possessed but little in- 
 terest for Lowell. 
 
 The figures of the table which follows, 
 made up from the average price per thou- 
 sand at which gas was fLn'nished in the 
 principal cities and towns in Massachu- 
 setts during the year 1SS9-90, will seem 
 to show that Lowell easily leads all iier 
 sister cities in this respect. Contrary 
 to the usual practice, the Lowell company 
 
 has but one price, alike for both large and 
 small consumer. With the liberal dis- 
 count of 30 per cent, for prompt payment, 
 Lowell's gas easily leads the list. 
 
 Lowell 
 Bijston 
 Brocton 
 Camliridge - 
 Chelsea 
 Kail River - 
 p'itcliburg - 
 (Gloucester - 
 Haverhill - 
 Holyoke 
 Ipswich 
 Jamaica Plain 
 Lawrence - 
 Lynn 
 Maiden 
 New Bedford 
 Nevvljuryport 
 Salem 
 
 Springfield - 
 Waltham - 
 Woburn 
 Worcester - 
 
 $L.lO 
 
 i-23 
 2.09 
 1.67 
 1.96 
 
 '■57 
 1.92 
 1.81 
 1.40 
 1.5S 
 3.01 
 2.00 
 1.41 
 1.76 
 1.95 
 1.52 
 2.01 
 I. So 
 1.68 
 1.80 
 1.78 
 1.50 
 
 The officers of the company are Sewall 
 G. Mack, president; Jacob Rogers, trea- 
 surer ; D. B. Bartlett, clerk ; Sewell G. 
 Mack, Jacob Rogers, James B. Francis, 
 Levi Sprague and John F. Kimball, 
 directors. 
 
 ELECTRICITY. 
 
 ONE OF THE BEST EqUIPPED PLANTS IN NEW ENGLAND FOR LIGHTING AXD POWER. 
 
 The artificial illumination of Lowell, 
 aside from the gas and gasoline lights — 
 the latter in the suburbs only — rests en- 
 tirely with one large and flourishing body, 
 the Lowell Electric Light Corporation. 
 It is a body which first organized on a 
 small scale and gradually extended its 
 scope so as to entirely control the business 
 of lighting our streets, places of business 
 and even homes, with electricity. The 
 corporation is purely of local origin and 
 Lowell men still control and guide its for- 
 tunes. It first organized in iSSi under 
 state laws, with a capital of $ro,ooo, com- 
 mencing with two Weston arc light ma- 
 
 chines, and, leasing power from an accom- 
 modating saw mill. 
 
 A year later, the Middlesex Electric 
 Light Company was formed and estab- 
 lished a small plant on Middle street. The 
 Thomson Houston system was introduced, 
 and a little later the latter company bought 
 out the Weston Company. 
 
 The business increased as the demand 
 for electric lighting became general, and 
 the Middle street plant became one of no 
 mean proportions. Two years ago, the 
 company reorganized imder the name it 
 now bears. Steps were taken to secure a 
 site for a plant which would fully meet 
 
o 
 
 -1 
 o 
 2 
 
 H 
 
 w 
 
33 
 
 future requirements. A site was secured 
 on the line of Boston and Maine railroad, 
 in Belvidere anil operations commenced. 
 
 The new station on Perry street, com- 
 pleted and occupied about Feb. i, 1S91, 
 is designed for 3000 h. p. There is a 
 main building of two stories in height, 
 with a large boiler room adjoining the 
 easterly end, and a coal shed capable of 
 holding a thousand tons of fuel. The 
 boiler room is 66xg6 feet with accommo- 
 dations for 16 horizontal tubular boilers 72 
 inches in diameter, 17 feet long, each con- 
 taining 140 three inch tubes, built by 
 Scannell and Wholley of this city. The 
 boilers are in two rows and between them 
 are the smoke flues entering a chimney 175 
 feet high with a 7 foot bore. All pipes 
 from the boilers to adjuncts are of brass ; 
 the steam pipes vary from 5 to 14 inches in 
 diameter. The feeding sources are one 
 each of Knowles and VVorthington piunps 
 and Hancock inspirator. 
 
 The engine room in the main part is 
 140x4^ feet, on the second story, and it 
 contains at present one 350 h. p. cross 
 compound Harris-Corliss engine with 
 cylinders 8x30 inches with 36 inch stroke : 
 one 200 h. p. Atlas engine of high pres- 
 sure ; one 500 h. p. tandem compound 
 Harris-Corliss engine with cylinders 
 32,440 inches and 48 inch stroke ; also 
 a 300 h. p. cross compound condensing 
 engine. There is space for two more en- 
 gines of large capacity. 
 
 The engines are set on heavy granite 
 foundations. Under the engine room 
 there are two Knowles condensers for the 
 Corliss engines, a Harris condenser ; an 
 air pump ; a 500 h. p. national feed water 
 heater and two smaller heaters. On the 
 groimd level on the other side of the buil- 
 ding is the shafting room containing the 
 best set line of shafting in New England. 
 The foundations are of Conway granite 
 resting on a 13 inch bed of concrete made 
 of broken stone and cement. The main 
 journal bearings are supported on solid 
 granite stands. The main pulley driven 
 
 from the ^00 h. p. engine is 7- inches in 
 diameter by 53 inches face. The belt 
 passes under an idler or belt tightener. 
 Two eclipse clutches 48 and 50 inches in 
 diameter are on the journal. Other clut- 
 ches subdivide the line of shafting. 
 
 The dynamo room is overhead and con- 
 tains 13 50-light Thomson-Houston arc 
 light dynamos, two 50 h. p. 500 volt 
 Thomson-Houston generators for statio- 
 nary motors, four 100 h. p. Bentley- 
 Knight railway generators, two 1300 light 
 and one 1000 light alternating incandescent 
 dvnamos. 
 
 The station is wired with okonite and 
 the switch boards and appurtenances are 
 of the very latest and best adapted styles. 
 
 The entire construction of the building 
 is of the heaviest and most substantial kind 
 and the Lowell station is probably the 
 best appointed in New England. 
 
 The plant is to be increased in size and 
 the capabilities for fLunishing electrical 
 motive and illuminating power to be deve- 
 loped to the utmost. The corporation has 
 quite recently taken hold of the EdJy 
 motor, pronounced to be among the best 
 in use, and as sale agents and introduce) s 
 of it in this section, will use it in connec- 
 tion with the plant. The corporation sell 
 the motors outright in sizes from l-S to 40 
 h. p. and are able to supply the necessary 
 current to run them in any part of the city. 
 To this fact they call particular attention, 
 believing that small and independent in- 
 dustries may be established in manj- sec- 
 tions of the city, for which the power mav 
 be furnished through the joint medium of 
 an Eddy motor and an electrical current. 
 
 The officers of the company are George 
 W. Fifield, president ; William A. Ing- 
 ham, vice president; John H. McAlvin, 
 treasurer and secretary ; L. I. Fletcher, 
 manager ; directors, G. W. Fifield, W. A. 
 Ingham, J. H. McAlvin, L. I. Fletcher, 
 Lo\vell, jas. H. Tolles, Charles F. Col- 
 lins, Nashua, N. H., Cyrus Conant, Con- 
 cord, Mass. 
 
34 
 
 ;LcwELlCi?ICKET CLUB;pROPL"'<)fD f^viLicyf: 
 
 LOWELL'S TELEPHONE SYSTEM. 
 
 The first record of a petition for leave 
 to erect wires on buildings and on poles 
 for the construction of a telephone system 
 in Lowell came from the New England 
 Telephone Company, March 12, 1S7S, 
 and was signed by Charles J. Glidden. 
 It was referred to the Committee on Lands 
 and Buildings of the City Council, March 
 26th of that year, the committee consist- 
 ing of H. R. Barker, George F. Scribner, 
 Charles H. Harvey, Robert Goulding and 
 Samuel D. Butterworth, reported in favor 
 of the petition and the petition was 
 granted. 
 
 It does not follow, however, that the 
 New England Telephone Company was 
 the first to do business in Lowell. Wil- 
 liam H. Bent, who was interested in the 
 formation of the early telephone com- 
 panies believes the Pioneer Telephone 
 Company, doing business between this 
 city and Boston was the first company in 
 the field, and that the Lowell Telephone 
 Exchange was the first to accommodate 
 the public. Others say Providence, R. I., 
 opened a telephone exchange about the 
 same time as Lowell. 
 
 Accortling to a resident familiar with 
 the business, the Lowell District Tele- 
 
 phone Company was organized in 1S79, 
 with a capital of $15,000. The rapid de- 
 velopment of the use of the teleplione was 
 shown by an advertisement of this com- 
 pany in iSSo, in which it was asseited that 
 the company had 500 stations in Lowell 
 and 1000 in Boston and suburbs. The 
 Lowell central office was then at Room 12, 
 SJiattuck's block, W. A. Ingham was 
 president and Charles J. Glidden, treas- 
 urer anti manager. 
 
 In iSSo, consolidation of the Lowell 
 District Telephone Company was per- 
 fected with the Worcester Company, and 
 afterward with the National Bell Company 
 of Maine, under the name of the Lowell 
 District Telephone Company. The capi- 
 tal stock of the new company w'as $1,500,- 
 000. 
 
 In October, 1S83, the consolidation of 
 the National Bell of Maine Company, the 
 Granite State, Boston & Northern, Bay 
 State, Suburban and Lowell District Tele- 
 phone Companies, was consummated in 
 what is now known as the New England 
 Telephone Company. The capital of the 
 new company was $12,000,000. The 
 officers of that company are : Thomas 
 Sherwin, president; H. S. Hyde, vice 
 
35 
 
 president; W. K. Driver, treasurer; S. 
 W. Leedom, secretary and auditor; J. N. 
 Keller, general manager. J. W. Duxbury 
 is superintendent of District No. i, which 
 includes Lowell. 
 
 W. H. Lincoln is manager of the 
 Lowell exchange of the company. There 
 areSo2 subscribers in the Lowell exchange, 
 and in addition to the many miles of line 
 which cover the citv and surrounding 
 towns, the company has 13 ex-territorial 
 lines, allowing commimication with all the 
 cities and towns in its territory having 
 subscribers. Miss Nellie Hines is the 
 chief operator, and ten assistants answer 
 the hundreds of calls in the day and even- 
 ing- 
 
 Of the many citizens who were inter- 
 ested in the organization of the lirst 
 telephone companies, William A. Ingham, 
 
 Charles J. Gliddcn, A. A. Coburn, Loren 
 N. Downs and William H. Bent were the 
 best known. 
 
 They also aided in establishing the Erie 
 Telephone Company, which has territory 
 in Ohio, Texas, Arkansas, ]Minnesota and 
 Dakota. Levi Sprague is president of the 
 Erie company at present, antl Charles J. 
 Glidden, Francis Jewett, A. C. Russell, 
 A. S. Adams, C. E. Adams and J- W. C. 
 Pickering are directors. Charles J. Glid- 
 den is secretary and treasurer. 
 
 Frederick Ayer, Dr. M. G. Parker and 
 other Lowell citizens are large holders of 
 New England Company's stoek. 
 
 Lowell citizens also largely aided in 
 establishing the Union Telegraph and 
 Telephone Company of Northern New 
 York, and own considerable stock of the 
 company at present. 
 
 INCORPORATED INDUSTRIES. 
 
 MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND THOliSANDS OF PEOPLE WORKING TOGETIIEK FOR GOOD. 
 
 There are in Lowell 43 companies 
 chartered under the laws of the State, 
 whose aggregate capital is $iS,2iS,ooo, 
 and whose combined assets are $34,628,- 
 261. These figures do not include the 
 hundred private establishments whose mil- 
 lions of capital and assets are not available 
 for statistics, since they make no returns 
 to the authorities of the Commonwealth. 
 
 No other city has a greater number and 
 variety of industries, as no other city has 
 so large a proportion of its total popula- 
 lation employed in remunerative occupa- 
 tions from day to day. Therein is the re- 
 markable strength and staying power of 
 the city, which has maintained a steady 
 and uniform growth, albeit a rapid one, 
 and which promises so much for its future 
 development. 
 
 Some idea of the people thus employed 
 may be gleaned from the figures quoted 
 below. Beside the incorporated indus- 
 tries of the citv all other industries of any 
 importance are given : 
 
 Cotton mills, Merrimack Company, in- 
 corporated 1S22 ; capital stock, $2,500,- 
 000; number of spindles, 156,480; num- 
 ber of looms, 4607; employ 3000 hands; 
 Joseph S. Liidlam, agent. 
 
 Hamilton Company, incorporated 1S25 ; 
 capital stock, $1,800,000; number of 
 spindles, 109,816; number of looms, 
 
 3030; employ 1850 hands; O. H. Moul- 
 ton, agent. 
 
 Appleton Companv, incorporated 182S ; 
 capital stock, $600,000 ; number of spind- 
 les, 50,776 ; number of looms, 1639, em- 
 ploy 82 5 hands ; C. H. Richardson, agent. 
 
 Lawrence Company, incorporated 1S31 ; 
 capital stock, $1,500,000; number of 
 spindles, 120,000; number of looms, 
 3432; employ 3140 hands ; John Kilburn, 
 agent. 
 
 Boott Companv, incorporated 1835 ; 
 capital stock, $1,200,000; number of 
 spindles, 151,192; number of looms, 
 4139; employ 3210 hands; Alexander G. 
 Cumnock, agent. 
 
 Massachusetts Company, incorporated 
 1S39; capital stock, $1,800,000; number 
 of spindles, 136,648; number of looms, 
 3905 : employ 1800 hands ; William S. 
 South worth, agent. 
 
 Tremont and Sutiblk Company, incor- 
 porated as two companies in 1831, con- 
 solidated in 1871 ; capital stock, $1,200,- 
 000; number of spindles, 114,000; num- 
 ber of looms, 3900 ; employ 2000 hands ; 
 Edward W. Thomas, agent. 
 
 Woolen Mills, Lowell Manufecturing 
 Company, incorporated 1828 ; capital 
 stock, $2,000,000; number of spindles, 
 24,750; number of looms, 385; employ 
 3 100 hands; A. S. Lyon, superintendent. 
 
3G 
 
 Middlesex Company, incorporated 
 iS'^o: capitr.l stock, $750,000: nuniber of 
 spindles, 18,640; nmnber of looms, 200; 
 employ 700 hands; Oliver H. Perry, 
 agent. 
 
 Lowell Machine Shop, incorporated 
 1S45 ; capital stock, $900,000; emplo}- 
 1500 hands; Charles L. Hildreth, super- 
 intendent. 
 
 Lowell Bleachery and Dye Works, in- 
 corporated 1S32 ; capital stock, $400,0 o ; 
 employ 262 hands; James N. Bourne, 
 agent. 
 
 New England Bunting Conipanv, rims 
 70 looms; employ 75 hands; E. S. IIv- 
 lan, manager. 
 
 United States Bunting Company, has 
 5000 spindles and 250 looms: employ 700 
 hands; Walter H. McDaniels, manager. 
 
 Belvidere Woolen Company, employ 
 250 hands ; Char'e's A. Stott, agent. 
 
 L. W. Faulkner & Sons, manufacturers 
 of dress goods, flannels and gents ' suit- 
 ings ; employ 500 hands. 
 
 Stirling Flannel Mills, employ 135 
 hands; E. D. Ilolden, agent. 
 
 Crossley Company, flannels, dress goods 
 and cloakings; employ 100 hands. 
 
 VV. H. Carter, dress goods ; employs 50 
 hands. 
 
 United States Cord Company, employ 
 15 hands. 
 
 Cutter & Walker Company, suspenders, 
 shoe linings, etc. ; employ 30 hands. 
 
 Lowell Goring Works; employ 12 
 hands. 
 
 Novelty Suspender Works ; emplo\ 35 
 hands. 
 
 Thorndike ALanufacturing Company, 
 suspenders; employ 150 hands. 
 
 W. L. Davis, manufacturer of webbing ; 
 employs 15 hands. 
 
 Lowell Hosiery Company ; employ 300 
 hands. 
 
 Shaw Stocking Company; employ 500 
 hands ; George L. Hooper, manager. 
 
 Brown's Hosiery; employs 13 hands. 
 
 Criterion Knitting Company, jersey 
 vests; employ 15 hands. 
 
 Pickering Knitting Compain', men's 
 underwear ; employ 200 hands. 
 
 Excelsior Knitting Works, jersey under- 
 wear ; employ i 5 hands. 
 
 Sugden Bagging Company; employ 5 
 hands. 
 
 Samuel G. Cooper, and Parsons & 
 Mealey, copper stamps and stencils ; em- 
 ploy 6 hands each. 
 
 Lladnek Print ami Dye Works ; employ 
 60 hands. 
 
 Walsh Worsted Mills; employ 150 
 hands. 
 
 Lowell Worsted Mills ; employ 90 
 hands. 
 
 John M. Pevey, cotton yarns ; employs 
 100 hands. 
 
 Whittier Cotton Mills, yarns, twines, 
 etc. ; employ 75 hands. 
 
 M. & B. Rhodes, worsted yarns ; em- 
 ploy 13 hands. 
 
 Josiah Gates & Sons, belting, etc. ; em- 
 ploy 30 hands. 
 
 Whiting & Weston, belting ; employ S 
 hands. 
 
 Wm. H. Parker & Sons, bobbins, 
 spools, etc. : employ 200 hands. 
 
 John L. Cheney & Co., bobbins, spools 
 and shuttles ; employ 75 hands. 
 
 Samuel E. & T. Stott, card clothing, 
 wool combs, etc. ; employ 50 hands. 
 
 W. H. Bagshaw, card clothing, card 
 pins, etc. ; employs 25 hands. 
 
 J^owell Card Company; employ 22 
 hands. 
 
 Amravtoon Paper Tube Company, em- 
 ploys 25 hands. Cop tubes also manufiic- 
 .tured by Haworth & W.->tson, Acme Com- 
 pany and Conical Cop Tube Company. 
 
 George W. ILirris, loom harnesses ; 
 employs 35 hands, 
 
 D. C. Brown, loom harnesses and 
 reeds ; employs 30 hands. 
 
 John Tripp & Company-, roll coverings; 
 employ 16 hands. 
 
 Coburn Shuttle Company ; employ 40 
 hands. 
 
 Jaques Shuttle Company ; employ 35 
 hands. 
 
 Lowell Steam Boiler Works ; employ 
 from 40 to 70 hands. 
 
 Scannell tS: Wholey, steam boilers, etc. ; 
 employ 40 hands. 
 
 James A. Ready, boilers, fire escapes, 
 etc. ; employs 15 hands. 
 
 American Bolt Company ; employs 150 
 hands. 
 
 United States Cartridge Company : em- 
 ploys 200 hands. 
 
 Dougherty Bros., iron and brass found- 
 ers ; employ 75 hands. A. F. Nichols, 
 50 hands. Pevey Bros., 70 hands. I'nion 
 Iron Foundry, 40 hands. 
 
 Daniel Lovejoy & Sons, machine kni\es ; 
 employ 25 hands. 
 
 D. H. Wilson & Company, copper 
 work; employ 17 hands. 
 
'' 11 iiHII "111 I Tp^ 1^?^ r=: 
 
 1. ,M ^f 
 
W. A. Mack & Company and Daniel 
 Gushing & Company, galvanized iron 
 workers ; employ iS hands each. 
 
 George L. Cady and Cyrus Perkins, 
 machinists' tools; employ lo and 5 hands 
 respectively. 
 
 W. W. Carey, wood-working ma- 
 chinery ; employs 50 hands. 
 
 Middlesex Machine Company ; employ 
 iS hands. 
 
 J. Clark, cotton machinery ; employs 
 iS hands. 
 
 George W. Fifield, machinists' tools; 
 employs 60 hands. 
 
 Kitson Machine Company ; employ 335 
 hands. 
 
 Lowell Tool and Engine Company ; 
 employ 30 hands. 
 
 F. S. Perkins, lathes and machinists' 
 tools; employs from 50 to 75 hands. 
 
 A. L. Wright, engine lathes ; employs 
 30 hands. 
 
 Knowles Scale Works ; employ 1 2 
 hands. 
 
 Lowell Scale Company ; employ 6 
 hands. 
 
 Swain Turbine and Manufacturing Com- 
 pany, work done by contract. 
 
 American Wire Goods Company ; em- 
 ploy 30 hands. 
 
 Rice & Company, wire goods; employ 
 50 hands. 
 
 Woods, Sherwood & Company, wire 
 goods and plating; employ 7^ hands. 
 
 Otis Allen & Son, wooden boxes ; em- 
 ploy 100 hands. 
 
 A. L. Brooks & Company, packing 
 cases and mouldings ; employ 55 hands. 
 
 Davis & Sargent, boxes ; employ 45 
 hands. 
 
 Allen & Thompson, boxes ; employ 35 
 hands. 
 
 A. Bachelder & Company, bungs and 
 plugs ; employ 10 hands. 
 
 Lamson Consolidated Store Service 
 Company ; employ 330 hands. 
 
 A. P. Bateman, doors, sashes, etc. ; 
 employs 30 hands. 
 
 S. W. Fletcher, doors, window frames, 
 etc. ; employs 30 hands. 
 
 Wm. Kelly & Son, doors, blinds, etc. ; 
 employ 20 hands. 
 
 J. G. Peabody & Sons, doors and 
 sashes ; employ 30 hands. 
 
 Amasa Pratt & Company, doors, etc. ; 
 employ- 50 hands. 
 
 Marshall & Crosby, furnitm-e ; employ 
 40 hands. 
 
 John Welch, furniture ; employs 30 
 hands. 
 
 C. L Tayloi' & Company, furniture ; 
 employ 17 hands. 
 
 Mark Holmes, Jr. & Son, house finish ; 
 employ 10 hands. 
 
 Middlesex Friction Match Company ; 
 employ 50 hands. 
 
 G. W. Bagley and R. J. Colcord, re- 
 frigerators; employ 15 hands each. 
 
 Merrimack Croquet Company ; employ 
 about 60 hands. 
 
 John Pilling, boots and shoes ; employs 
 140 hands. 
 
 J. M. Storer, boots and shoes ; employs 
 So hands. 
 
 F. E. Jewett & Company, cider vine- 
 gar ; employ 35 hands. 
 
 Bacheller, Dumas & Company, book 
 binding: employ 20 hands. " 
 
 Fa)' Bros. & Hosford, carriages, sleighs, 
 etc. ; employ 14 hands. 
 
 Sawyer Carriage Company ; employ 32 
 hands. Other manufacturers are J. H. 
 Swett, E. P. Bryant, and G. F. Hill. 
 
 C. A. Kendall, cement pipes ; employs 
 10 hands. 
 
 Lowell Felting Mills ; employ 30 hands. 
 
 Andrews & Wheeler, marble and stone 
 work ; employ 25 hands. Other stone 
 workers are L. D. Gumb, C. C. Laurin, 
 Wm. Andrews, James Mahan, Charles 
 Runels and T. H. Spencer. 
 
 E. Hapgood & Son, mattresses ; em- 
 ploy 35 hands. 
 
 L. W. Hawkcs & Company, furniture 
 and mattresses; employ 12 hands. 
 
 W. H. Hope & Company, milled ma- 
 chine screws, etc. ; employ 15 hands. 
 
 C. F. Hatch & Companj-, paper boxes ; 
 employ from So to 100 hands. 
 
 Charles Littlefield & Company, paper 
 boxes ; employ 40 hands. 
 
 E. W. Hoyt & Company, cologne ; em- 
 ploy 35 hands. 
 
 Novelty Plaster Works ; employ 30 
 hands. 
 
 J. C. Ayer Compan}', medicines ; em- 
 ploy 31S hands. 
 
 C. I. Hood & Company, medicines ; 
 employ 375 hands. 
 
 Moxie Nerve Food Company ; employ 
 50 hands. 
 
 Arey, Maddock & Locke, tanning and 
 currying; employ from 135 to 150 hands. 
 
 White Bros. & Company, leather manu- 
 facturers ; employ 250 hands. 
 
 W. H. Carter, wool scourer; employs 
 56 hands. 
 
39 
 
 MANUFACTURING SUBURBS. 
 
 THE jiusY villa(;es that surround, 
 
 There are in the immediate vicinity of 
 Lowell, five villages or settlements, built 
 and maintainetl by the industries there 
 established. They are North Billerica, 
 North Chelmsford, Collinsville, Navy 
 Yard and Phoenix. The people emplo\ed 
 in these industries spend their earnings 
 in Lowell. 
 
 NORTH BILLERICA. 
 
 The village of North Billerica is situated 
 on the banks of the Concord River — four 
 miles from Lowell. It has a population 
 of looo and three flourishing industries. 
 It was here that the late Gov. Talbot 
 resided, and the village owes much of its 
 prosperous comfort to his generous care. 
 Mrs. Talbot, his widow, has just had con- 
 structed a beautiful memorial hall for the 
 use of the people of the town. The town 
 hall was recently destroyed by fire, but 
 plans have been prepared for the building 
 of a new one. 
 
 There are three churches in the village. 
 Baptist, Episcopal and Catholic. The 
 first was built by Gov. Talbot ; the Talbot 
 heirs gave the land for the second, and 
 the third has had much substantial assist- 
 ance from the Talbot family. 
 
 There is a well provided library con- 
 nected with the Talbot mills ; and the 
 Father Mathew Temperance Institute has 
 quite recentlv erected a very fine building 
 on land given it by the Talbots. 
 
 The Talbot school is a modern buikling 
 containing graded schools. There is a 
 fire company in the village, and an appro- 
 priation has recently been made for the 
 purchase of a steam fire engine. 
 
 The taxes are $io per $1000. 
 
 The Concord River furnishes an aver- 
 age of 500 horse power. 
 
 The Talbot mills manufacture dress 
 goods, flannels and carriage cloths, 3,000,- 
 000 yards a year. They employ 375 
 hands, and the volume of their business 
 is $1,500,000 a year. The officers are 
 Solomon Lincoln, president ; F. S. Clark, 
 treasurer, and James Stott, superinten- 
 dent. 
 
 The Faulkner Manutacturing Company 
 makes flannels, and employs 90 hands. 
 The volume of business is about $1,000, 
 
 \ND MAKE THEIR MARKET IN LOWELL. 
 
 000 a year, and the number of yards manu- 
 factured 1,090,000. 
 
 Talbot Dye wood & Chemical Com- 
 pany, manufactures nitric, muriatic and 
 sulphuric acids, oil vitriol, blue vitriol 
 and other manufacturing chemicals. It 
 employs 30 men, and the yearly volume 
 of business will reach $500,000. The 
 officers are J. D. Gould, president ; James 
 F. Preston, treasurer. The Company has 
 an office and store at No. 34 Middle street, 
 Lowell. 
 
 That portion of Dracut lying on Beaver 
 Brook near its confluence with the Merri- 
 mack River, is known as the " Navy 
 Yard." It must have been a local wag 
 who so christened it, for the only navy in 
 that vicinity is composed of a few old 
 dorys and flat-bottomed boats. The village 
 is but a short distance from the city line, 
 and is reached by the electric cars, which 
 run to Lake Mascuppic. 
 
 Beaver Brook furnishes 100 horse power. 
 
 The Merrimack woollen mills, manu- 
 facture 144,000 yards of cloakings, 
 48,000 yards of dress goods and 
 96,000 shawls per annum, and employs 
 450 hands. The volume of business for a 
 year is $3,000,000. The mills are owned 
 by Solomon Bachman, No. 87 Worth 
 street. New York ; the present agent is 
 August Fels. 
 
 Parker & Bassett manufacture 5000 
 pounds of paper and employ 15 men. 
 Their business will average $150,000 a 
 year. 
 
 At Collinsville, further up tlie brook, 
 there is quite a settlement clustered about 
 the mills belonging to Michael Collins. 
 These employ 360 hands and manufacture 
 328,000 yards of heavy woollens per an- 
 num. The volume of business is close to 
 $1,500,000. 
 
 CHELMSFORD. 
 
 West, beyond Middlesex Village, lies 
 the thriving village of North Chelmsford. 
 Its industries are important and afford em- 
 ployment to 500 people. It is the terminus 
 of the Stonybrook railroad running to 
 Ayer Junction, and is on the line of the 
 
40 
 
 Lowell and Nashua railroad. The Stony- 
 brook furnishes 200 horse power. There 
 is no finer or more desirable place for the 
 location of industries. It is within ten 
 minutes ride on the railroad of the centre 
 of the city and it is the purpose of the 
 Street Railway Company to extend its 
 electric line to that village. In addition 
 to Stonybrook, there is another stream, 
 Day's brook, which guarantees a constant 
 supply of water, and which at one time 
 furnished the motive power for Swain's 
 Turbine works. Since the discontinuance 
 of those works the water runs unused to 
 the river. 
 
 There are many acres of desirable land 
 available for manufacturing purposes along 
 the lines of the Lowell and Nashua and 
 Stonybrook railroads, along the banks of 
 the river and the brooks, and on the shores 
 of Leach's pond, a considerable body of 
 water which is used to augment the 
 pcwer furnished by the Stonybrook. 
 
 The taxes of the town are $8.50 on 
 $1000, and the advantages are almost 
 identical to those enjoyed by the adfoinino 
 city. " ■ " 
 
 The industries are, George C. Moore's 
 extensive wool scouring and worsted yarn 
 mills. He employs 350 hands and turns 
 over 4,000,000 pounds of wool a year. 
 
 The Chelmsford Foundry Company, 
 with oflice at 131 Portland street, Boston, 
 was established in 1823. The president 
 and treasurer is G. T. Sheldon, E. D. 
 Bearce is the present superintendent. The 
 Company manufactures 4500 tons of iron 
 per annum into columns "and beams and 
 employs 150 men. 
 
 The Silver and Gay Machine Works 
 give employment to 50 men and manu- 
 facture all kinds of machineiy. 
 
 There are several granite cutters and 
 carriage builders in the neighborhood. 
 
 There are two churches in the village, 
 and the school accommodations are ample. 
 
 There are two small manufacturing con- 
 cerns in Chelmsford Centre, which employ 
 30 or 40 hands and a box factory and saw 
 mill in Tyngsboro employs about 30. 
 
 TEWKSnURY. 
 
 The little village of Phoenix lies close 
 to the Lowell line in the town of Tewks- 
 buiy. Its sole industry is the Atherton 
 Machine Company, which manufactures 
 cotton openers, spinning frames, lappers 
 and other machinery. It employs 235 
 men. 
 
 At Wamesit, two miles from the city 
 in Tewksbury, are the chemical works of 
 of Taylor & Barker. They manufacture 
 chemicals for dying and printing and em- 
 ploy iS hands. 
 
 W'ESTFORD. 
 
 On the Stonybrook, at Brookside, is the 
 worsted mill of George C. Moore, employ- 
 nig 125 hands and turning out 600,000 
 pounds of yarn a year. 
 
 At Graniteville are the Abbot worsted 
 mills, owned by John W. Abbot, Allan 
 Cameron and Abiel J. Abbot. The firm 
 also owns a mill in' Forge Village. It 
 manufactures carpet yarns and employs 
 400 hands. The volume of business 'is 
 $2,000,000 a year. 
 
 in Graniteville also are the machine 
 works of Charles G. Sargent's Sons, where 
 70 men are employed in making wool- 
 washers, dryers, etc. 
 
 POST OFFICE. 
 
 IIIE BUSY SER\'1CE PERFOK 
 
 The first account we have of an effort 
 being made to facilitate correspondence 
 with the outside world by means of an es- 
 tablished postal system, was as far back as 
 1S24, two years after the incor])oration of 
 the Merrimack Manufacturing Company 
 when the village numbered a thousand in- 
 habitants. It was then called East Chelms- 
 ford. Jonathan C. Morrill was the first 
 postmaster. Two years later the town of 
 
 MED BV THE GOVERNMENT. 
 
 Lowell came into existence and Mr. Mor- 
 rill's new commission as postmaster of the 
 town was signed April 29, 1S36, by Presi- 
 dent Adams. 
 
 Willis P. Burbank, a young business 
 man, is the present incumbent. He is an 
 efficient, able, trustworthy official, with a 
 keen appreciation of the" needs of com- 
 mercial and mercantile Lowell in the line 
 of good mail service. That the office has 
 
41 
 
 giown in significance is sliown in one wav 
 by the increase of salary paid tlie post- 
 master in 1S24, it was $73 ; in 1S91, it is 
 $3300. 
 
 The increase in aniDunt of business for 
 each year is not available, but the figures 
 during three administrations, those of 
 1S53, iSSy-'S, and 1S90, give a compre- 
 hensive and satisfying idea of the increase 
 in, and present size of, the volume of mail 
 business. 
 
 In 1S53, 881,404 letters, drop letters and 
 papers were received or sent through the 
 office. The gross receipts were $16,- 
 438.39 ; expenses, $4675.71 ; leaving a net 
 income of $11,762.68. 
 
 The business of the office for the year 
 ending July i, 18S8, under Postmaster 
 Haggett, was as follows : Sale of stamps, 
 envelopes, etc., $82,428.87 ; rent of boxes, 
 $2,890.50 ; expenses, $34,884.06, a net in- 
 come of $50,463.32 to the postofHce de- 
 partment. The business had quadrupled 
 its profits in thirt_y-six years. While this 
 increase in the postal business is cjuite 
 large, in comparison it is merely or- 
 dinary with the growth of the next two 
 years. This is perhaps best illustrated by 
 the financial and statistical report of Post- 
 master \V. P. Burbank, for the fiscal year 
 ending March 31, 1891. The number of 
 pieces of mail delivered by carriers was 
 
 OXE OF LOWELL S OLDEST BLOCKS. 
 
 4,688,016, or a daily average of 12,848, 
 and this includes onlv one half of the re- 
 ceipts, no account being kept of the box 
 or general delivery. A schedule of the 
 mail receipts is as follows : 
 
 .MAIL DELIVERED. 
 
 Registered letters . - - 
 
 Letters . - - - - 
 
 Postals - - . - . 
 
 Other mail - - . - 
 
 MAIL COLLECTED. 
 
 5.373 
 
 2,05 1 ,493 
 
 490,004 
 
 2,141,146 
 
 Letters 1,686,161 
 
 Postals 277,957 
 
 Other Mail . . . . 116,743 
 
 The business of the monev order de- 
 
 partment amounted to $153,326.89 ; and 
 there were 30,697 registered packages and 
 letters handled. 
 
 Other statistics are these : Stamps, 
 postal cards and envelopes sold, $108,- 
 171.22; box rents, $3038.50; total re- 
 ceipts, $111,209.72. Expenditures, em- 
 ployees salaries in postoffice, $13,956.25 ; 
 rent, $3000 ; light, $400 ; compensation to 
 delivery messengers, $570.72 ; salaries, 
 letter carriers, $21,517.63; miscellaneous 
 expenses, $243.37 • incidental expenses, 
 free delivery, $690.20; total, $40,378.17. 
 Deposited with sub-treasurer at Boston, 
 being amount of profit on business, $65,- 
 
42 
 
 6Si.S8; railway P. O. checks paid, 
 $4149.61; total, $111,209.72. 
 
 The increase of business brought the 
 office into the first class, numbering 133 
 offices in the country. 
 
 The local service is in the hands of 25 
 regular letter carriers, four substitute car- 
 riers and 17 office clerks. The force is 
 hardly adequate for the business done. To 
 make especially efficient the collecting ser- 
 vice a mail wagon for the exclusive pur- 
 pose of collecting mail is kept. The 
 number of street letter boxes is 155, 
 judiciously distributed. Of this number 
 =50 are on a special circuit with four col- 
 lections a day, the collections so timed to 
 connect with all the principal out-going 
 mails. 
 
 The figures of the above enormous busi- 
 ness naturally suggest a good railroad mail 
 service in connection with the efficiency of 
 
 the local department, and so it is. Lowell 
 is well located as regards railroad lines, 
 being in direct comnuuiication widi Bos- 
 ton, the North, East and West. There 
 are nine mails to Boston which have direct 
 connection with the New York City, 
 Albany and the western through mails, 
 one leaving as early as 5.10 a. m. A 
 morning and afternoon mail with closed 
 pouch connects with the trans-continen- 
 tal express which leaves Vanceborough, 
 Me., and is scheduled through to Tampa, 
 Fla., Los Angeles and San Francisco, 
 Cal., also other mails connecting with 
 limited expresses for the South and .South- 
 west. There aie six mails daily for Port- 
 land and points East. 
 
 Lowell's postal service is very good and 
 ■when the new postoffice is erected, the 
 business will ha\e ample room to expand. 
 
 MUNICIPAL. 
 
 THE CITY GOVERNMENT, ITS PE 
 
 The City Council appropriated for the 
 running expenses of the government this 
 year, $918,200.00. The following amounts 
 are important as showing the liberal 
 manner in which provision is made for the 
 several departments : 
 
 Schools .... jSi 60,000.00 
 
 School houses - - - 25,000.00 
 Roads and bridges - - 75,000.00 
 
 Police 70,000.00 
 
 Fire department - - - 80,000.00 
 Sewers and drains - - 20,000.00 
 
 I'arks 8,000.00 
 
 Lighting ... - 55,000.00 
 Library .... 12,000.00 
 
 Health .... 25,000.00 
 
 In addition to these appropriations loans 
 have been sanctioned for the construction 
 of a new High School building. 
 
 The City Council consists of a mayor, a 
 board of seven aldermen, elected at large, 
 a common council of 24 members, elected 
 by wards, four for each of the six wards 
 in the city. 
 
 The following is the City Council for 
 1S91: 
 
 MAYOK, 
 
 GEORGE W. FIFIELD. 
 
 ALDERMEN, 
 Jeremiah Crowley Chairman. 
 Richard B. Allen, Thomas J. Enwrighl, 
 
 James W. Cassidy, George IL Frye, 
 
 Jeremiah Crowley, Stephen B. Puffer. 
 
 Watson A. Dickinson, George F. Tilton. 
 
 RSONNEL AND EXPENDITURES. 
 COMMON COUNCIL, 
 Thomas J. Sparks — President. 
 
 WARD ONE. WARD FOUR. 
 
 Patrick IL Barry, Edsvin L. Giles, 
 
 Fred Home, 
 Wallace E. Parkin, 
 Eugene C. Wallace. 
 
 WARD FIVE. 
 Herbert M. Jacobs. 
 George D. Kimball, 
 James A. .Speirs, 
 Louis P. Turcotte. 
 
 WARD SIX. 
 James A. Cawley, 
 James J. Dolan, 
 Daniel" L). DriscoU, 
 James Gookin. 
 
 James F. Doherty, 
 Peter F. Garrity, 
 John J. Sullivan. 
 
 WARD TWO. 
 
 Newell Abare, 
 Adolph Benard, 
 Walter C. Coburn, 
 George H. Marston. 
 
 WARD THREE. 
 Patrick J. Baxter, 
 John J. Gilbride, 
 Charles L. Marren, 
 Thomas J. Sparks. 
 
 The government of the city is operated 
 through several departments which are 
 under the direct control of the Board of 
 Aldermen and the City Council. They 
 are : 
 
 The Department of Police, Charles 
 Howard, chief. 
 
 The Department of Fire, Edward S. 
 Hosmer, chief. 
 
 The Department of Streets and Sewers, 
 Horace P. Beals, superintendent. 
 
 The Department of Public Buildings, 
 Patrick Bray, superintendent. 
 
 The Department of Engineering, George 
 Bowers, chief engineer. 
 

44 
 
 City cleik, Michael J. Dowd. 
 
 City treasurer, Austin K. Chadwick. 
 
 City auditor, Da\id Chase. 
 
 City messenger, Henry Hoole. 
 
 The schools of the city are under the 
 control of a School Board elected by 
 wards. 
 
 The School Board of 1S91 is as fol- 
 lows : 
 
 CHAIRMAN, 
 
 GEORGE W. FIFIELD. 
 
 VICE CHAIRMAN, 
 
 WALTER COBURK. 
 
 The Mayor and President of the Common Couiii-il 
 Ex-officiis. 
 
 Laurence Cummings, 
 Greenleaf C. Brock, 
 George M. Harrigan, 
 Fred Woodies, 
 Walter Coburn, 
 Leonard Huntress, 
 
 Patrick Keyes, Jr., 
 William H. Lathrop, 
 John W. McEvoy, 
 Ransom A. Cireene, 
 Andrew (i. Swapp, 
 Almon W. 1 1 ill. 
 
 Superintendent — Arthur K, Whitcumli. 
 Supervisor of evening schools — John A. .Smith. 
 
 The department of health is luuler the 
 Board of Health. 
 
 Charles R. Costello, chairman ; Dr. 
 James B. Fields, secretary; Dr. William 
 F. Lawler, city physician ; F. A. Bates, 
 superintendent; H. H. Knapp, clerk. 
 
 The department of the poor is under 
 the jiuisdiction of a Board of Overseers 
 of the Poor. The Mayor, ex-officio ; 
 Charles F. Varnum, Alfred Leblanc, W. 
 H. I. Hayes, Freeman W. Pufler, E. \V. 
 Lovejoy, Jas. S. Hanson. Clerk, Jaines 
 F.Walsh; Secretary, Charles H. Richard- 
 son; Superintendent of Poor Farm, Al- 
 bert Finder; Superintendent of Reform 
 School, William A. Lang. 
 
 The taxes are assessed by a board of 
 three assessors suppleinented by si.x assis- 
 tant assessors. The principal assessors 
 are Abel Wheeler, chairman ; J-'imes Scott 
 and Nathan D. Pratt. Clerk,"' Stephen J. 
 Kirijy. 
 
 SCHOOLS. 
 
 LOWELL S LIBERAL 
 
 PROVISION FOR THE EDUCATION 
 SCHOOLS, $196,587. 
 
 OF HER CIIILDREX — FOR 
 
 There was expended for instruction, 
 supplies, etc., in the Lowell public schools 
 in 1S90, $196, 5S7.4S. Of this sum, $141,- 
 090. 7S was paid for instruction in the day 
 schools. The expense of the evening ele- 
 mentary and high schools, was $16,698.2^, 
 and the total expense of the evening draw- 
 ing school was $4,899,45. 
 
 The expense of the schoolhouse depart- 
 ment was $83,003.93. There wasexpended 
 $16,079 f°'' 'h^ Cabot street school build- 
 ing, $16,715.43 forthe Cross street school- 
 house and $14,487.68 for the Highland 
 school annex. 
 
 More than eleven thousand children at- 
 tended the public schools of Lowell last 
 year. 
 
 The history of the Lowell public schools 
 properly begins when, in 1S26, the first 
 school committee of the town established 
 ten new school districts in addition to the 
 Chelmsford school districts in existence 
 before the incorporation of the ne'w town. 
 
 The first school committee consisted of 
 Rev. Theodore Edson, who justly deserves 
 the title of " father and founder of the 
 school system of Lowell " ; Warren Col- 
 burn, superintendent of the Merrimack 
 Mills ; Samuel Batchelder, a many-sided 
 
 man of high literary cidture, a devotee of 
 science, and, above all, of the highest in- 
 ventive genius ; Dr. John O. Green, who 
 by his constant visits to the schools showed 
 his devoted interest to the cause of educa- 
 tion, and Dr. Elisha Huntington, a graduate 
 of Dartmouth College, a man of liigh social 
 and literary culture. 
 
 The town of Lowell continued the dis- 
 trict system of schools from its incorpora- 
 tion, in 1S26, to 1833, when the graded 
 system now in vogue was adopted. Li that 
 year the school board voted to establish 
 two large graded schools after the manner 
 of tiie graded schools of Boston and New- 
 buryport. To accomplish tliis object re- 
 (|uired the erection of two large school- 
 houses at an expense of $20,000. 
 
 In the town meeting held to consider 
 that most important subject. Rev. Dr. 
 Edson, single-handed, advocated the ex- 
 penditure and won by eleven majority. A 
 second town meeting was called to rescind 
 the vote if possible, and Lawrence & 
 Robinson, eminent attorneys, appeared for 
 the opposition. The independent vote had 
 time to do something between the two 
 meetings and the majority in favor of 
 the change was increased to 38. The 
 
45 
 
 buildings now known as tjie Edson and 
 Bai'tlett schools were then erected. 
 
 February 23, 1S33, 'he pupils first oc- 
 cupieil the building now known as the 
 Edson school-house. It was first known 
 as the South Grammar school, then as the 
 First Grammar school und finally as the 
 Edson school. The latter name is most 
 appropriate, as the school is one o( the 
 two graded schools for which Rev. Dr. 
 Edson so persistently fought. 
 
 Joshua Merrill, who began to teach 
 Nov. 5, 1S37, was the first teacher in the 
 Edson school, and the principals subse- 
 quently were Perley Balch, Ira Waldron 
 and Calvin W. Burbank. 
 
 The Bartlett school received its name 
 from Dr. Elisha Bartlett, the first mayor 
 of Lowell. Its present principal is Samuel 
 Bement. 
 
 The Green school was first opened in a 
 brick building in Middle street, and when 
 larger accommodations were needed in 
 1871 the present elegant building in Merri- 
 mack street was erected at a cost of $106,- 
 000. The school is named in honor of 
 Dr. John O. Green, one of the members 
 of the first school committee. A. L. 
 Bacheller has been principal since iSSo. 
 
 The Moody grammar school, established 
 in 1S41, was named in honor of Paul 
 Moody, one of the pioneers in the great 
 manufacturing industries. On a petition 
 signed by Gen. Butler and other citizens, 
 the school committee recommended nearly 
 ten years ago the erection of a more 
 modern building for school purposes in a 
 more central location of Belvidere. The 
 city council of this year took up the mat- 
 ter and are to erect a handsome school 
 building on Rogers and High streets. 
 
 William S. Greene is the present prin- 
 cipal of the Moody school. 
 
 The Colburn school-house was erected 
 in 1S4S, and at the dedication Dec. 13th 
 of that year. Rev. Dr. Edson delivered an 
 address of great historical value. George 
 W. Howe was appointed principal in 
 iSSo. 
 
 The Varnum school-house is erected 
 near the site of the " Dracut Academy," 
 and was named in honor of Major-Gen. 
 Josepii B. Varnum. The school was 
 opened in 1S51 in the upper room of the 
 old academy building and the present 
 edifice was first occupied in 1S57. D. P. 
 Galloupe was principal of this school for 
 35 years and he was succeeded bv Arthur 
 K. Whitcomb, the present superintendent. 
 
 The Franklin school-house was erected 
 in 1S40, and was used for grammar-school 
 purposes until Jan. i, 1SS3, when the 
 Highland school-house was erected. Peo- 
 ple who did not have confidence enough 
 in the future growth of Lowell looked upon 
 he building as unnecessary. It was only a 
 few years when it was again found neces- 
 sary to use a portion of the Franklin school 
 building. for grammar school pupils. Sub- 
 sequently a four-room addition was made 
 to the Highland sch<iol Iniikling to accom- 
 modate the pupils. Charles W. Morey is 
 the principal of the scliool. 
 
 Tlie Mann school building was erected 
 in 1S3S for grammar school purposes and 
 continued to be used as a day school until 
 September, 1884, when Oliver C. Semple 
 was transferred to the principalship of the 
 Pawtucketville grammar school. During 
 the winter months the Mann school is 
 used for the free evening drawing school. 
 The school building was named in honor 
 of Hon. Horace Mann, the distinguished 
 secretary of the state board of education. 
 
 The Butler school, named in honor of 
 Lowell's distinguished citizen, was erected 
 in 1SS3, at an expense of about $56,000. 
 The first principal was George E. Conley, 
 afterward superintendent of the Lowell 
 schools and now a member of the Boston 
 board of supervisors of instruction. His 
 successor as principal was Cornelius F. 
 Callahan, the present incumbent. Owing 
 to the increase in population there is not 
 room enough in the Butler school building. 
 In addition to the eight recitation rooms 
 there are two classes in the school hall and 
 one grammar school room in the Weed 
 street primary school-house. The school 
 committee has recommended two proposi- 
 tions to the city council to overcome the 
 crowded condition of school buildings in 
 that section. The fir?t is to erect a four- 
 room addition to the Butler school-house, 
 and the second is to erect a brick building 
 on land owned by the cit}* in Chelmsford 
 street. It is intended if the latter proposi- 
 tion is accepted to have a portion of the 
 building devoted to grammar school pupils 
 and the remainder to primaries. 
 
 The Pawtucket school was erected in 
 1S84 at an expense of nearly $53,000. It 
 is the only grammar school house in Lowell 
 which bears the Indian name of its loca- 
 tion. The principals have been Oliver C. 
 Semple, Cyrus W. Irish, Miss Nellie Mc- 
 Donald and William P. Barry. 
 
 Brief mention only can be made of the 
 
46 
 
 Washington, Adams and Hancock schools, 
 which have ceased to exist. 
 
 During the past five j-ears a number of 
 new buildings, devoted to the primary 
 school children, have been erected at the 
 request of the school committee. They 
 include the buildings in Church, Favor, 
 Charles, Cross and Cabot streets. 
 
 For years the school committee has re- 
 quested that a new high school building be 
 erected at or near the present location and 
 the committees of the city council have the 
 matter under consideration. 
 
 Our high school was first opened in De- 
 cember, 1831, under the principalship of 
 Thomas M. Clarke, now Episcopal bishop 
 of Rhode Island, in a small building on 
 Middlesex and Elliott streets. 
 
 C. C. Chase, who was principal of the 
 school for vears, says for a long time the 
 high school lived a very nomadic life. It 
 was first in the lower room of what is now 
 the Free Chapel in Middlesex street; next 
 in the upper room in the present Edson 
 school house ; next in the Concert hall, 
 which was near the site of the present store 
 of A. G. Pollard & Co., in Merrimack 
 street ; next in the present Bartlett school 
 house ; next in the attic of St. Mary's 
 church in Suffolk street, and next for a 
 second time in the Free chapel. In 1S40 
 it was located in Kirk and Anne streets. 
 Owing to the crowded condition of the 
 building some of the pupils are obliged to 
 attend sessions in the annex in the Worthen 
 street school building. 
 
 In the school report for 1S90 Supt. 
 Lawton says the average number of pupils 
 belonging to the high school was 474 and 
 the amount paid for teaching in that school 
 was $13,779.15. 
 
 From 1S40 to iS67the sexes were separ- 
 ated in the high school and the principals 
 of the female department weie Luc}' E. 
 Penhallow, Susan E. Burdick and Annie 
 B. Sawyer. 
 
 In referring to this school it is a pleasure 
 to every citizen to mention the long and 
 faithful services of C. C. Chase and James 
 S. Russell, who are still residents of 
 Lowell. 
 
 The present principal is Frank F. Co- 
 biun, who succeeded Mr. Chase in 1SS3. 
 
 Missionary association. It was decided in 
 1 85 5 to bring the schools under the super- 
 vision of the school committee. After 
 John A. Smith was elected a member of 
 the school cojnmittee in iSSohe gave even- 
 ing schools his special attention. When 
 the day school rooms were freely opened 
 for evening school pupds the attendance 
 rapidly increased. In 1S85 Mr. Smith 
 was elected supervisor of evening schools. 
 During the session which closed March 
 1st of this year, the Higii, Green, Bart- 
 lett, Moody, Colburn, Butler, Franklin, 
 Varnum and the new school building in 
 Aiken avenue were opened for the attend- 
 ance of evening scliool pupils. 
 
 FREE EVENING DHAWING SCHOOLS. 
 
 Three evening classes in drawing were 
 formed in 1S72, one in free hand, one in 
 architectiu'al and one in machine drawing. 
 The sessions were held for some time in 
 the Green school hall, afterward in the 
 Worthen street school house. This free 
 institution has continued with gratifying 
 success and with increasing favor. 
 
 EVENING SCHOOLS. 
 
 Previous to 1855 free evening schools 
 were maintained in Lowell by the Lowell 
 
 PnnATE SCHOOLS. 
 
 There are eleven private schools in 
 Lowell. These include the parochial 
 schools which have been established under 
 the auspices of four of the Catholic 
 churches. 
 
 There are three schools connected with 
 St. Patrick'schurch. The female academ}', 
 which was established in 1852; second, 
 the parochial school for girls. Both 
 schools are under the direction of the 
 Sisters of Notre Dame. 
 
 St. Patrick's school for boys is under 
 charge of the Xaverian Brothers. 
 
 The parochial school of the Immaculate 
 Conception church was opened in iSSi 
 and is under the instruction of the Grey 
 Nuns of Ottawa. The school is for both 
 sexes. 
 
 St. Joseph's parochial school in Mood\' 
 street is designed for the children of French 
 Catliolics. The pupils are under the in- 
 struction of the Grey Nuns of Ottawa. 
 Recently, Rev. Andrew Garin of the Oblate 
 Order purchased land and buildings in 
 Merrimack street, nearly opposite the 
 church of St. Jean de Baptiste. It is in- 
 tended to have a parochial school for boys, 
 which will be placed in charge of an order 
 
TALBOT BUILDING, MIDDLE STREET. 
 
48 
 
 yet to be selected by the pastor with the 
 consent of the archbishop. 
 
 St. Michael's parochial school in Sixth 
 street in Centralville is in charge of the 
 Dominican Sisters. The pupils are all 
 girls. As in the other parochial schools 
 it is under the supervision of the pastor. 
 
 The number ot pupils attending private 
 schools in Lowell is estimated to be over 
 4000. 
 
 TRAINING SCHOOL. 
 
 A training school has recently been 
 established by the school committee for 
 the instruction of candidates for positions 
 as teachers. The principal and her assist- 
 ants are to report to the committee on 
 teachers and training school as to the apt- 
 ness and ability of the candidates. Pupil- 
 teachers who fail to receive the required 
 rank can be re-admitted for another trial 
 by a majority vote of the committee on 
 teachers and training school. Since the 
 establishment of this school all teachers 
 assigned positions have been graduates of 
 the training school. 
 
 SUPERINTENDENTS OF SCHOOLS. 
 
 In 1 8^9 George W. Shattuck was elected 
 superintendent of schools, but tlie citizens, 
 at tiie following municipal election, de- 
 cided that they did not want any superin- 
 tendent. 
 
 In February, 1S64, the subject was again 
 
 discussed, and Abner J. Phipps of New 
 Bedford consented to accept the position 
 when the late Hon. Hocum Hosford, then 
 mayor, a^^reed to pay the salary if the city 
 council declined to do so. He served until 
 the close of 1S66, when he tendered his 
 resignation. His successors have been 
 Charles Morrill, who died in 1SS4, George 
 E. Conley,who was afterwards elected one 
 of the supervisors of the Boston public 
 schools, George F. Lawton, formerly prin- 
 cipal of the Green school and Arthur K. 
 Whitcomb, the present incumbent. 
 
 CARXEV MEDALS. 
 
 At the graduation exercises of the high 
 school each year six silver medals are pre- 
 sented to the scholars in the school, three 
 for boys and three for girls. These medals 
 are the result of the gift of James G. 
 Carney, first treasurer of the Lowell Insti- 
 tution for Savings. The distribution be- 
 gan in 1S59, and at the head of the list is 
 the name of Frederick T. Greenhalge, 
 whose term as representative in Congress 
 from this district expired March 4th of 
 this year. 
 
 SCHOOL COMMITTEE. 
 
 The school committee includes the 
 mayor and president of the common council 
 and two members chosen for terms of two 
 vears each for the six wards of the citv. 
 
 THE CITY S CONCERN 
 
 FIRE DEPARTMENT. 
 
 FOR TIIE SAFETY OF PUBLIC AND 
 —FOR FIRE DEPARTMENT $99,928. 
 
 PRIVATE PROPERTY 
 
 Lowell luck, as touching its continued 
 immimity from extensive loss by fire, is 
 proverbial throughout the state. It is 
 not, however, upon that good fortune alone 
 that Lowell depends for its excellent repu- 
 tation as touching the safetv of its property 
 from extensive fires. 
 
 To begin with, the citv of Lowell pos- 
 sesses many natural advantages whose 
 presence in the long run cannot but make 
 themselves felt in the small total loss which 
 is sutVered annually. With but trifling ex- 
 ceptions, and with all those exceptions oc- 
 curring in the safest districts in the city 
 from a fireman's point of view, Lowell 
 has been built upon level ground, a fact 
 that means the gain of valuable minutes in 
 
 the prompt response of its fire department 
 to an alarm in any part of the city. 
 
 In addition to this advantage, the city 
 has, when all its elements are taken into 
 consideration, a water service that will 
 compare only to its own advantage with 
 that of anv citv in New England. \Vhat 
 with its abundant and never failing city 
 service and the almost innumerable canals 
 in the distiict upon which the citv stands, 
 the city presents at every point of its wide 
 extent a supply of water for fire-fighting 
 that is not only inexhaustible but readily 
 available at any point. This abundance 
 of water and the ease with which it can 
 be handled, has enabled every corporation 
 and manufacturing industry to introduce 
 
49 
 
 and maintain at its own expense its own 
 private fire service. 
 
 In view of these advantages, the city of 
 Lowell is enabled to guarantee excellent 
 protection from fire to her industries and 
 her residents with what, regarded simply 
 in a numerical sense, will pass as a small 
 fire department. That the size of a fire de- 
 partment is, however, of secontlary im- 
 portance as compared with its system and 
 activitv, is plainly evident in the table of 
 losses which Lowell has to present. 
 
 The active fire department of Lowell is 
 made up of four steam fire engines, inckul- 
 ing a new and large machine which has 
 been recently added. 
 
 Around the Central Fire Station in 
 which this machine stands at the very 
 heart of the citv, the other machines have 
 been stationed so as to be as nearly equi- 
 distant in their directions, as possible. In 
 the handling of its heavier apparatus, the 
 department has recently introduced the 
 three-iiorse hitch with excellent results in 
 the matter of running time. 
 
 In addition to the steam fire engines and 
 their full equipments, the department com- 
 prises fi\e hose companies whose houses 
 are so disposed to form a larger circle out- 
 side that in which the steam engines are 
 located. The most recent improvement in 
 this part of the fire sei'vice has been the 
 disbanding of the old hand-line companies 
 and the replacing of them by house com- 
 panies with all the latest equipments. 
 
 The department also has three hook and 
 ladder companies, whose equipment in- 
 cludes a heavy Babcock truck and exten- 
 sion ladder; two chemical engines and a 
 protective wagon which responds to all 
 alarms and is provided with a full equip- 
 ment of extinguishers, folding ladders, 
 covers, a Spencer canvas chute and a 
 Dixon arrow gun. The work of this com- 
 pany since its introduction into the depart- 
 ment has been remarkable for its eflective 
 promptness in response to alarms, and for 
 the extent to which its eflbrts have pre- 
 vented damage by water in smrll or badly 
 located fires. 
 
 The steamers of the department are 
 manned by companies of twelve, five of 
 whom are permanent firemen. The hose 
 companies are composed of nine men 
 
 each, three of whom are permanent. The 
 hook and ladder companies have three, 
 five and eight permanent men, respectively, 
 with full companies of ten, twelve and 
 thirteen members. The protective com- 
 pany is made up of five permanent men. 
 The apparatus of the department is well 
 housed, being, with the single exception 
 of the hose carriage house in Ayer City, 
 provided with substantial brick buildings 
 for the most part new, and in all cases 
 fitted with the latest improvements for the 
 work of the department. The Central 
 Fire Station erected at a cost of nearly 
 $6i;,ooo is justly regarded as a model of 
 its kind, in the possession of which the 
 city may well take a pardonable pride. 
 
 The fire alarm telegraph service con- 
 sists of eighty signal boxes with their 
 ninety miles or more of wires, all of which 
 is under the care of an electrician as the 
 head of this sub-department. The Game- 
 well signal service, which has also been 
 recently introduced in the police depart- 
 ment, is capable of employment in the fire 
 alarm service. 
 
 Tlie record of losses by fire which Low- 
 ell has sustained during the last twenty 
 years is indeed an excellent one, and one 
 which signifies vastly more than a mere 
 continuance of good fortune. 
 
 The cost of this department for the year 
 1S90, was but a few dollars in excess of 
 that of the police department, being $99,- 
 
 The head of this department is Chief 
 Edward S. Hosmer, a fireman who has 
 learned his trade not from books or stories 
 of other men's work, but from an ex- 
 perience of thirty-two years of service in 
 the department of which he is now the 
 head. Mr. Hosmer was born in Lowell, 
 in 1S3S, and first joined the department in 
 May, 1S56. From that time until the 
 present, with the exception of a period of 
 three years, he has been in continuous 
 service in the department. He was made 
 assistant engineer in 1S73, and was first 
 appointed chief of the department in 1SS5, 
 holding that position for two terms of one 
 year each. Mr. Hosmer was again :\]i- 
 pointed chief of the department in iSSS, 
 the term of ofiice having been ciianged 
 from one to three vears. 
 
50 
 
 POLICE. 
 
 A WELL EQIIPPED AND THOROUGHLY ORGANIZED DEPARTiMEXT— FOR POLICE $99,839. 
 
 The organization of the poh'ce depart- 
 ment upon its present basis came neces- 
 sarily and naturally with the incorporation 
 of Lowell as a city, in May, 1S36. The 
 city employs a large and well-disciplined 
 force which performs its work with the aid 
 of more tlian a fair share of the equip- 
 ments and conveniences of modern sug- 
 gestion. The headquarters of the police 
 department, tcjgether with its court, a city 
 dispensary and the offices of one or two 
 minor city officials are located in the Mar- 
 ket Building on ALarket street, one hun- 
 dred yards from Central at the very heart 
 of the city. A part of this building was 
 formerly used as an armory and the rooms 
 vacated by the military companies have 
 been utilized to provide recreative and 
 sleeping accommodations for the members 
 of the force. 
 
 In its present fonn the police depart- 
 ment is made up of a chief and two 
 deputies, four inspectors, three sergeants, 
 three warrant and court officers, two keep- 
 ers, fifteen day patrolmen and forty-four 
 night patrolmen. In addition to these are 
 one officer detailed for special duty, two 
 drivers, five supernumerary officers and a 
 police matron ; eighty-three persons in all. 
 The department is conducted in accord- 
 ance with the regulations of the civil ser- 
 vice, and the force is made up in a large 
 degree of young and active officers reduced 
 to a fine state of discipline and efficiencv 
 under the guidance of the higher police 
 officials who have made police work a life- 
 long study. 
 
 As a general characteristic the adminis- 
 tration of the police department of Lowell 
 is energetic and at the same time governed 
 by a wholesome conservatism that rarelv 
 allows and never countenances any course 
 of action which places the department in 
 a false light. 
 
 Among its other good qualities the de- 
 partment is possessed of a remarkablv 
 successful detective^force, the services of 
 which is of such a nature as to inspire a 
 
 wholesome fear in the minds of such evil- 
 doers as mav come ■within its jurisdiction. 
 
 During the last police year, ending Nov. 
 30, 1S90, the efficiency of the department 
 has been greatly increased by the introduc- 
 tion of the Gamevvell Police Telephone 
 and Signal Svstem, consisting in its present 
 extent, of fiftv-three street signal boxes 
 and a four circuit central office plant. In 
 addition to this svstem the department has 
 been provided with a stable adjoining the 
 station where the horses of the patrol 
 wagon are kept. The signal system has 
 already proved of great senice to the de- 
 partment, and with the extension of which 
 it is capable, it will serve to put ofl' the 
 time when an extension of the district to 
 be patrolled and a growth of the popula- 
 tion will necessitate the division of the citv 
 into districts each with its separate station 
 house. 
 
 The police department, as shown by its 
 record for the past vear, has ne\er been at 
 a higher point of discipline and efficiency 
 than at present. This department cost the 
 citv in the year from December i, '89, to 
 November 30, '90, the sum of $99,839.32. 
 
 Chief of Police Charles Howard, ap- 
 pointed to his first term in that capacity 
 on Jan. 6th of the current year, is prob- 
 ably one of the most widely known police 
 officials in the state. Mr. Howard was 
 born in Lowell in 1S42 and entered the 
 service of the department in 1871. He 
 was appointed sergeant in iS8r and pro- 
 moted to the rank of captain Jan. 9, 1882. 
 In this capacity he served until March, 
 1S90, when he was appointed deputy 
 chief. 
 
 Chief Howard has ever shown himself 
 an energetic and conscientious officer in 
 the discharge of the duties of the various 
 positions in the service which he has been 
 called upon to fill, and his appointment to 
 the highest office of the department which 
 he has so long and so faithfidlv served is 
 regarded with complete satisfaction by 
 both political parties. 
 
o 
 
 z 
 
 a 
 
 D 
 
 a 
 
 ►J 
 o 
 
 o 
 
 w 
 r. 
 
52 
 
 WATER WORKS. 
 
 THE MOST COMPLETE SYSTEM IN NEW EXGLAND. 
 
 The public water service of Lowell is 
 one of the most important of the munici- 
 pal institutions. Up to the time of the in- 
 troduction of the present system of water 
 supply for the city, it had depended upon 
 a supply furnished from the Locks and 
 Canals Company-, and from other private 
 sources. 
 
 The life of the present sj'Stem dates 
 from an act of the legislature of the year 
 1S55. Under this act and an additional 
 act of the year iS6fi, giving additional 
 power together with the minor acts of later 
 date, the present system of water works 
 was constructed. The board of water 
 commissioners was elected and organized 
 January 2S, 1S70, and the construction of 
 the water works occupied about three 
 years under the supervision of this board. 
 The plan which was finally adopted as 
 the best, when all things were taken into 
 consideration, consisted of a supply from 
 the Merrimack River. 
 
 From the intake situated 1500 feet above 
 the Pawtucket dam, the water is conducted 
 to the terminal chamber and thence to the 
 pumping station, which is located on land 
 in Centralville. 
 
 The pumping plant comprises at pres- 
 ent two powerful engines, one of which 
 has not only an interesting history, but a 
 proud record in actual service, as well. 
 
 In 1S72, Henry J. Morris of Philadel- 
 phia built an engine for the Spring Garden 
 water works of that city, which attracted 
 the attention of the Lowell engineers on 
 account of the results obtained from a 
 small expenditure of coal. This engine 
 was guaranteed to raise 75,000,000 lbs. of 
 water one foot on 100 lbs. of coal, but in 
 the tests made far exceeded that strength. 
 The guaranteed cajjacitv of such an engine 
 was five millions of gallons per day while 
 the daily average consumption of Lowell 
 at that time was only about t;oo,ooo 
 gallons. 
 
 Opinions diflered as to the advisability 
 of ordering so powerful a machine : but 
 in the end the wiser opinion of the 
 engineers prevailed and an order was 
 given for the construction of a similar 
 engine. The original Morris~cngine was 
 the first high ""duty engine of any im- 
 
 portance that had been constructed in this 
 country; but the Lowell machine was 
 made its undoubted superior by important 
 changes in its valve gear at the suggestion 
 of one of the Lowell engineers. 
 
 Mr. Morris built the engine at a cost of 
 $75,000 to the city of Lowell, and lost 
 $20,000 by the operation. Shortly after 
 its completion, in the year 1S73, the Mor- 
 ris works were burned and tlie patterns 
 were destroyed. The Spring Garden en- 
 gine after which the Lowell engine was 
 built, has long ago been broken up, leaving 
 the Lowell engine the only one of its kind 
 in existence. 
 
 As totally unlike this engine as it is pos- 
 sible, and still be a pumping engine, is the 
 Worthington engine which stands by its 
 side. The Worthington is a horizontal 
 engine of the same guaranteed capacity as 
 its big neighbor, and was set up as a re- 
 lief engine in 1S77. Its cost was only 
 $36,000. 
 
 The increase in the amount of water 
 consumed each day since the Morris en- 
 gine was built has been enormous. In 
 1S73, the daily average consumption was 
 51 1,474 gallons ; in 1S76, when the Worth- 
 ington was introduced it had risen to 
 1,488,950 gallons; while at the present 
 time it exceeds five and one quarter mil- 
 lions of gallons. Nine millions of gallons 
 have been drawn from the reservoir in a 
 single period of twenty-four hours. 
 
 In accordance with a warning derived 
 from two instances, in which both engines 
 have been temporanl}- incapacitated for 
 duty and in obedience to a continually in- 
 creasing demand upon the water supply, 
 the city has recently awarded contracts 
 for a second Woi-thington engine of 12,- 
 000,000 gallons capacity, the setting up of 
 which will necessitate an extensive en- 
 largement of the pumping station. 
 
 The water works comprises two enor- 
 mous reservoirs located in the highlands 
 of Centralville. The reservoir first built 
 and which has proven itself of sufficient 
 capacity and elevation to supply the whole 
 city, except certain portions of Central- 
 ville and Belvidcre, is situated on the east 
 side of Beacon street, at the head of Sixth. 
 The resenoir basin is in itself five hun- 
 
53 
 
 dred and twenty feet long, five hundred 
 and ten feet wide and twenty-four feet 
 deep at high water mark, wliich is four 
 feet below the top of the embankment. 
 This reservoir contains, at high water 
 mark, 30,000,000 gallons, or enough to 
 supply the city for a week at its present 
 rate of consumption. The reservoir has 
 a large relative elevation to the main level 
 of the city and an absolute elevation of 
 1S1.5 feet. 
 
 In addition to this source of the city's 
 supply, a second, or high service reservoir, 
 was constructed in iSSi on the hill above 
 the general reservoir. The capacity of 
 the high service reservoir is 1,500,000 gal- 
 lons and its elevation 353.5 feet. 
 
 From the latest figures available, the 
 city water works earn in round numbers 
 $200,000 per year. Its mains extend to a 
 total length of about 93 miles, and its 
 number of services is nearly 10,000. It 
 maintains S50 iiydrants in the lire service 
 and has an annual pay roll of $33,000. It 
 has always been the policy of the board 
 by which the water works are controlled, 
 to extend its mains readily in obedience to 
 the demands made upon the service. The 
 gross cost of the water works to Jan. i, 
 1S91, were $4,841,227.37, and the receipts 
 to the same date $2,453,398.47, leaving 
 the net cost of works at that date, $2,387,- 
 828.80. 
 
 The following table will show, exclusive 
 of interest on the debt, the general success 
 of the water works supply trom a business 
 
 point of view for the past eighteen years : 
 
 
 
 
 Expenditures 
 
 Iteceipts ill 
 
 
 Exi)enditurvs. 
 
 Kcceipt.*. 
 
 ill e.\ci 
 
 ■s.-^of 
 
 excels ot 
 
 
 
 
 retell 
 
 |,ts. 
 
 expeuUiturcji. 
 
 lt.73 
 
 $188,376.59 
 
 $ 57,739.48 
 
 $130,637 
 
 Ml 
 
 
 1S74 
 
 ]2S,I05.U3 
 
 80,t>Jn,U.-| 
 
 47,479 
 
 .98 
 
 
 1875 
 
 17U,U!J5.78 
 
 94,9' .B.14 
 
 75,187 
 
 .64 
 
 
 1S7B 
 
 115,01'^.24 
 
 98,81.')-54 
 
 16,196 
 
 70 
 
 
 1877 
 
 63,il8S.7-.' 
 
 ini:i,82ii.i;3 
 
 
 
 $ 46,837.91 
 
 1878 
 
 4il,9UU.15 
 
 104,14-2 87 
 
 
 
 ,54,242 72 
 
 1S79 
 
 42,I.57.S'2 
 
 Il0,l8r>..i4 
 
 
 
 68,li27..52 
 
 188 1 
 
 45,()3I.59 
 
 12.j,74l) 49 
 
 
 
 78,708 90 
 
 ItSl 
 
 ]-Jl,i;OI.27 
 
 128,0,3.97 
 
 
 
 6,452.70 
 
 1882 
 
 B4,5i5 M 
 
 140,397 91) 
 
 
 
 75,872.04 
 
 188:i 
 
 (>5,ti73.-i3 
 
 152,582.99 
 
 
 
 86,909.76 
 
 1884 
 
 U4,9l>-i.71 
 
 154,437.55 
 
 
 
 89,454.84 
 
 1885 
 
 B4,(I3U.'.>4 
 
 157.9.iU 79 
 
 
 
 93,1)26.55 
 
 188« 
 
 51, 8()8.W 
 
 168,7.57.53 
 
 
 
 116,949.01 
 
 1887 
 
 U2,23G.II5 
 
 178,234,29 
 
 
 
 115,998.24 
 
 lt88 
 
 75,-.'34.73 
 
 183,127.37 
 
 
 
 107,892.64 
 
 18811 
 
 80,.554.(i8 
 
 189,247 6(; 
 
 
 
 108,692.98 
 
 IfOO 
 
 78,073. 4fi 
 
 103.963.80 
 
 
 
 115,890.34 
 
 The bonded debt of the water works 
 was in a large part refunded at a low rate 
 of interest on the maturity of its first bonds 
 in November, 1890. The refunding will 
 reduce materially the annual expenditures 
 on account of the works. 
 
 The water works are controlled, in ac- 
 cordance with an amended ordinance of 
 iSSS, by a water board of five members, 
 to be elected each year, by concurrent 
 vote of the City Council, one from the 
 Board of Aldermen and four others, who 
 shall be citizens holding no other municipal 
 office, one being chosen each 3-ear for a 
 term of four years. 
 
 The water rate per family — and that in- 
 cludes water closet, bath, hose and water 
 for horse and cow — is $23 a year, an ex- 
 ceptionally low figure. 
 
 AX INSTITUTION WHICH 
 
 THE CITY LIBRARY. 
 
 ENLIGHTENS THE PUBLIC AT THE PUBLIC EXPENSE- 
 FOR THE LIBRARY $14,500. 
 
 What is now known and appreciated as 
 the City Library of Lowell, had its begin- 
 ning in the City School Library which 
 came into existence under an ordinance 
 of the City Council, passed May 30, 1844. 
 
 The City Lilirary of Lowell is one of 
 the few institutions of its kind which owes 
 its origin solely to municipal action. 
 
 Established at first in pursuance of cer- 
 tain resolves of the state legislature, 
 authorizing cities and towns to establish 
 and maintain school libraries, this institu- 
 tion has, from the opening of its doors on 
 February ii, 1S45, occupied a much wider 
 field of usefulness than that which was 
 
 comprehended in the idea which led to its 
 foundation. In the year 1S60, this feature 
 of its existence bad become so widely 
 recognized that an ordinance was passed 
 changing the name to that of City 
 Library, which, in the process of in- 
 corporation, became changed to the pres- 
 ent legal title of the institution, City 
 Librarv of Lowell. 
 
 After one previous attempt in 1S7S, a 
 nominal annual fee of fifty cents for the 
 privileges of the library was abolished in 
 1883, and it thus became an absolutely 
 free institution. In the same year the 
 library established its first free reading 
 
54 
 
 room which was followed fi\e 3 ears later 
 by the establishment of a sjaecial free read- 
 ing room for women. Both of these ad- 
 juncts to the work of the library have 
 been uniformly successful in aflbrding the 
 best of facilities to the large nimibers of 
 both sexes who have availed themselves of 
 the privileges thus placed \\ithin their 
 reach. 
 
 With the accession of Mavor Palmer in 
 18S8, came the final act which made the 
 City Library thoroughly an institution of 
 the people and removed from it the last 
 trace of the influence of political manage- 
 ment and interference. An act of the 
 legislature passed in that year incorporated 
 a board of trustees for the librarv, com- 
 posed of the Mayor, ex-officio, and five 
 
 
 iTIVast ■ 
 
 eA\c/v\()[\I^L BuiLDINt^. 
 
 To k^ujtd ti3 J. 
 
 PUBlilcLlB[\/\t\Y. 
 
 other citizens by him appointed with the 
 approval of the Board of Aldermen. To 
 these trustees, each holding office for five 
 vears. one retiring annuallv, was com- 
 mitted the entire management of the afiliirs 
 of the library. 
 
 In proportion to the development of its 
 advantages, the librar\' has continued to 
 
 grow in size and usefulness under the 
 guidance of wise selections from among 
 Lowell's most prominent citizens to be its 
 trustees, until the recent reveise inflicted 
 upon it by the damage from fire to its 
 quarters, found it with 4^,000 well-selected 
 volumes upon its shelves, including a care- 
 fullv selected reference library, and an an- 
 
55 
 
 nual circulation of about 1 1 =5,000 volumes. 
 
 For several years, tlie city of Lowell 
 has recognized the pressing need of more 
 commodious acconinioiiations for this most 
 useful of all its public institutions, and no 
 plan for the utilization of the city hall lot 
 has been considered complete until it 
 should present ample provisions for that 
 need. 
 
 The building which is now being erected 
 with the double pmpose of commemorat- 
 ing Lowell's dead soldiers and furnishing 
 ample quarters for the City Library will 
 compare favorably in appearance and ap- 
 pointments with the other library build- 
 ings of the state. 
 
 The occupation of tliis new building, 
 which will not long be delayed, will add a 
 new and important element to the useful- 
 ness and accessibility of the City Library. 
 
 The appropriation for the City Library 
 for 1SS9 was $14,500, and the total ex- 
 jicnditures $18,494.44, of wliich sum 
 $6500 in round numlDers was devoted to 
 the purchase and binding of new volumes. 
 The Library adds annually about 3000 
 volumes to its number. 
 
 The' trustees of the Library at this time 
 are ALayor Fifieid, Hon. George F. Rich- 
 ardson, Frank P. Putnam, Tliomas Walsh, 
 Larkin T. Trull and Dr. Stephen T. 
 Johnson. 
 
 MILITARY. 
 Lowell's martial record and present force. 
 
 A bright page in Lowell's history is 
 that upon which are inscribed the deeds 
 of valor of her citizen soldiery. The 
 records are without a parallel from one 
 end of the continent to the other ; the city 
 is justly filmed for the part she has taken 
 and the position maintained in the many 
 struggles since her founding. 
 
 Her militar}' history opens many years 
 ago when New England was a wilderness 
 over which roamed the redskin. For 
 mutual protection, the settlers on the banks 
 of the Merrimack organized into armed 
 bodies, and as early as 1656, a major- 
 general, one Daniel Gookin, assumed 
 military jurisdiction over the region round 
 about Pawtucket Falls. The settlers took 
 an active part against hostile Indians 
 during King Phillip's war, and in 1688, 
 under Major Henchman, fought many 
 battles on the banks of the river. From 
 this time forward, there was always an 
 armed force in the settlement, then Chelms- 
 ford, now Lowell. To the Frencli and 
 Indian war was contributed a company of 
 men, which constituted a part of the at- 
 tacking force on the Louisburg fortress. 
 The first step taken, however, and which 
 has proven the foundation of Lowell's later 
 military history, was the part taken by the 
 soldiers of Chelmsford at the battle of 
 Bunker Hill, and through subsequent 
 events of the Revolution. It was not un- 
 til September, 1S59, '^''''' ''^'-' services of 
 these soldiers were fittingly recognized 
 when a monument to their bravery and 
 
 patriotism was dedicated in Chelmsford. 
 The town was also represented in the 
 struggle of 181 2, and among the famous 
 warriors was Commodore Perry, the hero 
 of Putin Bay, whose descendants are still 
 resident in Lowell. 
 
 Tlie first militia compau)' org;niized 
 after Lowell came into existence was the 
 Mechanics' Phalanx, on July 4th, 1S25, 
 which company has the past winter cele- 
 brated its sixty-sixth birthday. Numerous 
 companies sprang up during subsequent 
 years, but onlv a few became permanent. 
 Among the former were the Highlanders 
 in 1S41, who carried pikes, the City Guard 
 in 1S41, the Watson Light Guard in 1S51, 
 and the Lawrence Cadets in 1S55. Many 
 of Lowell's foremost men served in the 
 militia during the early days, notably Gen. 
 B. F. Butler, who joined the City Guards 
 as a private and rose step by step to 
 the position of brigadier-general of volun- 
 teer militia before the war. It is in the 
 Civil war that Lowell shines conspicuous, 
 for she was the first to lespond with men 
 and money for the defence of the Union, 
 and she gave the first martyrs to the 
 cause. 
 
 The fall of Sumter produced a sensation 
 in the city of spindles and President 
 Lincoln's call for troops found an immedi- 
 ate response from the troops in Lowell, 
 consisting of four companies, Co. C, Me- 
 chanics' Phalanx, Capt. Follansbee ; Co. 
 D, City Guards, Capt. J. W. Hart ; Co. 
 H, Watson Guards, Capt. J. F. Noyes ; 
 
56 
 
 Co. A, Lawrence Catlets, afterw.iids 
 National Greys, Capt. Savvtclle. These 
 four companies were mustered April i6th, 
 iS6i, anil joined the Sixth Regiment in 
 Boston the next morning. The regiment 
 was then ordered to the defence of the 
 National Capitol, and on the 19th Balti- 
 more was reached. Two Lowell com- 
 panies started to cross the city and while 
 doing so were attacked by an infuriated 
 mob, and there, on Pratt street, was shed 
 the first blood of the war, Addison O. 
 Whitney, Luther C. Ladd and Charles A. 
 Taylor of the City Guards being the 
 martyrs. The remains of Ladd and 
 Whitney were brought to Lowell on May 
 
 6th, 1S61, and buried in the Lowell ceme- 
 tery, until four years later when they 
 were reinterred under a granite shaft in 
 Monument Square with appropriate and 
 impressive ceremonies. 
 
 The Sixth regiment was brigaded under 
 Gen. Butler. Among the other military 
 companies going to the front were the 
 Hill Cadets, afterwards D Co., i6th Bat- 
 tery ; Richardson Light Infantry, after- 
 wards Seventh Battery ; Abbott Greys, 
 attached to the Second Infantry; G Co., 
 Sixteenth Infantry ; Twenty-Sixth Regi- 
 ment, which was attached to the Depart- 
 ment of the Gulf ; the Sixth and Seventh 
 batteries early in 1S62 ; the Thirty-First 
 
 LO\VELI- ARMORY. 
 
 Infantry at the second call of President 
 Lincoln ; and another Sixth Regiment for 
 nine months service which participated in 
 the Suftblk Campaign. In Lowell was 
 also organized the fiist Soldiers' Aid 
 Association, afterwards the Sanitary Com- 
 mission. 
 
 Lowell's roll of honor was a long one, 
 as hundreds of her citizen soldiers yielded 
 up their lives in defence of the Union. 
 After the war military enthusiasm 
 
 naturally waned, but tiie glorious records 
 of past years kept intci'est centered in the 
 Phalanx and Putnam Guards. 
 
 An unfortunate occurrence from a his- 
 torical stand-point, was the destruction of 
 all records by a fire in 1S60 in the Market 
 Street Armory, and afterward another fire 
 in iS6g at the same place. 
 
 The companies were afterward moved 
 to a new armory on Middle Street which 
 they occupied for nearly a score years. 
 
57 
 
 until lire was again tlie nemeslb uf the 
 militia, destroying the hiiikhng on the 
 night of Jan.'ioth, iSSS. During the 
 year previous to this, the young blood of 
 the city had become stirred again and D 
 Co., Second Corp of Cadets, of which 
 three other companies belong in Salem, 
 M Co., Ninth Regiment, and the Ambu- 
 lance Corps connected with the First 
 Brigade Staff were organized and muster- 
 ed into service. All the organizations 
 flourished despite the fact that they were 
 sadly inconvenienced for proper accom- 
 modations. 
 
 Now the militia is comfortably quar- 
 tered in an armory on Westford street, 
 completed and formally opened Dec. loth, 
 1S90. While perhaps not the largest, it 
 is among the largest, best constructed and 
 most commodious armories in the state. 
 
 During the spring of iSSS the urgent 
 need of proper quarters for the companies 
 was brought to the attention of the state 
 legislature and an appropriation of $105,- 
 000 was made. The site selected con- 
 tained 18,491 square feet. The contracts 
 amounted to $71,089 and eighteen months 
 were required to build the armory. It is 
 a castellated structure, three stories in 
 height, turreted battlements with octagon 
 and round towers end a fine porta cochere 
 entrance. The mean dejjth including 
 drill shed is 104 feet with an 84-foot front. 
 Interiorly the building is admirably adapt- 
 ed for military purposes. There is a 
 
 wide vestibule with corridors leading to 
 the doors of company rooms. Each or- 
 ganization has reception, non-commis- 
 sioned and commissioned officers' rooms, 
 uniform and gun rooms fitted with every 
 convenience. On tlie first floor are quar- 
 tered C Co., 6th Regiment and M Co., 
 9th Regiment ; on the second floor, G 
 Co., 6th Regiment and D Co., Second 
 Corps of Cadets ; on the third floor. Am- 
 bulance Corps, First Brigade. The upper 
 floor is used in part by the regimental 
 drum corps, the gymnasium and the jani- 
 tor. There is also on the second floor a 
 finely furnished reception room ; also an 
 armorer's office, rifle range and bath 
 rooms in the building. The quarters are 
 all lavishly furnished by the companies 
 wliile the state has completed the build- 
 ing interiorly after the same general style 
 of the exterior. The commandant of the 
 armory is Capt. Orestes M. Pratt, com- 
 manding the Mechanics' Phalanx, the 
 present senior oflicer in the city. The 
 commands are officered as follows : C Co., 
 Capt. O. M. Pratt; Lieuts. G. E. Lull 
 and A. D. Prince; G Co., Capt. W. H. 
 Bean; Lieuts. E. B. Carr and W. F. 
 Miles; D Co., Capt. W. H. Hosmer ; 
 Lieut. Alex. Greig; M Co., Capt. C. H. 
 Russell ; Lieuts. "A. D. Mitten and T. 
 Gauley ; Ambulance Corps, Lieut. Myles 
 Standish ; Sergts. G. W. Conant and 
 H. D. Pickering. 
 
 LOWELL BOARD OF TRADE. 
 
 A PLACE WHERE OUR LIVE BUSINESS MEN MEET TO DISCUSS MATTERS OF 
 
 IMPORTANCE. 
 
 In the early part of 18S7, a number of 
 our business men began to agitate the 
 question of forming a local Board of 
 Trade. That there was plenty of work 
 for them to do in the line of advancing 
 the interests of the city went without say- 
 ing, and on the 23rd of May they effected 
 an organization, suitable quarters having 
 been secured in the Hildreth building, 
 and at once began a vigorous growth. 
 From a score or more originators of the 
 plan the membership increased into the 
 hundreds, and with this growth other 
 accommodations were needed, and the 
 present rooms on the top floor of the 
 Central block were taken and appropri- 
 
 ately opened. In its career the Board 
 has distinguished itself by taking up and 
 discussing many questions of importance 
 to the city, and it is at present agitating 
 the question of better railroad facilities 
 between Lowell and Boston. 
 
 Within the past few months tlie office 
 of Secretary has been made a permanent 
 one, so that the Board now has a man 
 always working in its interest to secure 
 the settlement of outside industries in the 
 city, and in attending to other important 
 matters which come up from time to 
 time. 
 
 The officers of the Board for 1SS7-S 
 were : President, Charles H. Coburn ; 
 
58 
 
 vice presidents, Cliarles E. Adams, 
 George A. [Marden, Henry M. Thomp- 
 son ; secretary, Chas. ^V^ Eaton ; treas- 
 urer, G. Wintield Knovvlton ; directors, 
 A. G. Poliard, E. N. Wood, Amasa 
 Pratt, R. M. Boutvvell, C. H. Hobson. 
 
 For the year 1SS9 the officers were: 
 President, Charles H. Coburn ; vice- 
 presidents, Charles E. Adams, Francis 
 Jewett, Edward N. Wood ; secretary, 
 Chas. W. Eaton; treasurer, G. Winfield 
 Knovvlton ; directors, Arthur G. Pollard, 
 R. M. Boutwell, Amasa Pratt, Charles 
 H. Hobson, Patrick O'Hearn. 
 
 For the year 1S90: President, Charles 
 E. Adams; vice-presidents, George A. 
 Marden, Francis Jewett, Edward N. 
 Wood ; secretary, Chas. W. Eaton ; treas- 
 urer, G. Winfield Knowlton ; directors, 
 Chas. W. Wilder, Patrick O'Hearn, Pres- 
 cott C. Gates, Chas. A. Stott, Joseph L. 
 Chalifoux. 
 
 The present officers are ; President, 
 Chas. E. Adams ; vice-presidents, George 
 A. Marden, Francis Jewett, Charles A. 
 Stott ; secretary, James T. Smith ; treas- 
 urer, G. Winfield Knowlton ; directors, 
 Joseph L. Chalifoux, Otis A. Merrill, 
 William H. Ward, James O'Sullivan. J. 
 W. C. Pickering. 
 
 There is a great and growing field for 
 the Board of Trade, and already its influ- 
 ence is being felt in a profitable manner. 
 The Board is fortunate certainly in secur- 
 ing the valuable services of Mr. Smith. 
 
 LIST OF MKMBERS. 
 
 Atlams, Chas. E. 
 Allen, Chas. II. 
 Abbott, E. T. 
 Boutwell, R. M. 
 Bateraan, A. P. 
 Brennan, M. F. 
 Butler, Josiah 
 Barnes, Henry W. 
 Bacheller, N. J. N. 
 Butler, F. H. 
 Burtt, Chas. H. 
 Baker, E. G. 
 Blackburn, A. 
 Bartlett, R. G. 
 Bailey, Frederick 
 Brock, G. C. 
 Bennett, J. W. 
 Boutwell, R. H. 
 Benner, E. J. 
 Bagley, G. W. 
 Batcheliler, Geo. W. 
 Burbank, W. P. 
 Burke, John C. 
 Blake, Chas. E. 
 Brazer, Wm. P. 
 Butterficld, Edwin G. 
 
 Hardware, Paints, etc. 
 
 Lumber 
 
 Insurance 
 
 Iron and Steel 
 
 Lumber 
 
 .American Bolt Co. 
 
 Cotton Waste 
 
 Merchant Tdilor 
 
 I'rinter 
 
 Apothecary 
 
 Carpenter 
 
 Carpenter 
 
 Minister of Gospel 
 
 Real Estate 
 
 Apothecary 
 
 Apothecary 
 
 Contractor 
 
 Iron and Steel 
 
 Furniture 
 
 Carpenter 
 
 Lawyer 
 
 Postmaster 
 
 Lawyer 
 
 Master Mechanic 
 
 Furnishing Goods 
 
 Printer 
 
 Coburn, C. H. 
 Coggeshall, J. H. 
 Chalifoux, J. L. 
 Collins, Michael 
 Coburn, Walter 
 Cashing, Jos. L. 
 Conant, E. B. 
 Cheney, C. W. 
 Coburn, E. F. 
 Chase, James A. 
 Carte r, ('has. E. 
 Church, F. C. 
 Conners, P. P. 
 Carney, Geo. J. 
 Crosby, C. T. 
 Carotin, Thomas 
 Cluin, John J. 
 Carll, Francis 
 Chamberlain, C. T. 
 Clement, Geo. W. 
 Cumnock, A. G. 
 Callaghan, John 
 Currier, J. B. 
 Cashing, H. G. 
 Church, H. C. 
 Cheney, John L. 
 Corbett, M. 
 Coburn, Clarence G. 
 Chadwick, A. M. 
 Coburn, Frank 
 Chase, David 
 Conlon, Patrick 
 Clarke, Alfred 
 Connell, Thos. H. 
 Coburn, Geo. B. 
 Coughlin, Wm. .T. 
 Derbyshire, .V. W. 
 Dunlap, Harry 
 Dexter, S. K. 
 Dickinson, W. .V. 
 Derby, L. A. 
 Dumiia, Levi 
 Dobbins, Richard 
 Dempsey, Geo. C. 
 David, P. Jr. 
 Dickey, Charles M. 
 Dudley, D. E. 
 Donovan, J. J. 
 Eaton, Chae. W. 
 Elft, Horace 
 Ellingwood. Edward 
 Entwistle, T. C. 
 Elliott, Thomas H. 
 Erskine, C. JI. 
 Fifield, Geo. W. 
 I-'rancis, James 
 Fuller, H. C. 
 Flemings, F. J. 
 Foss, Ether S. 
 Foye, W. P. 
 Fels, .\ugu8t 
 French, Josiah B. 
 Fox, Fred .\. 
 Floyd, Warren L. 
 Fish, Charles T. 
 Ford, F. H. 
 tiates, Prescott C. 
 Glidden, Chas. J. 
 tiates, R W. 
 Gookin, M. F. 
 Gould, S. S. 
 
 Paints, Oils. &c. 
 
 H. K. Barker Mfg Co. 
 
 Clothing 
 
 Manufacturer 
 
 Cotton Waste 
 
 Galvanized Iron 
 
 Auctioneer 
 
 Fancy Groceries 
 
 Paints, Oils, &c. 
 
 Stable Keeper 
 
 Apothecary 
 
 Insurance 
 
 Coal, Lime. &c. 
 
 Treasurer Savings Bank 
 
 Furniture Manufacturer 
 
 Real Estate 
 
 Jeweller 
 
 Real Estate 
 
 Undertaker 
 
 Lawyer 
 
 A^ent B. Cotton Mills 
 
 Stoves, .J;c. 
 
 Undertaker 
 
 Sheriff 
 
 Insurance 
 
 Bobbin Manufacturer 
 
 Provisions 
 
 Grocer 
 
 Paymaster 
 
 Insurance, &c. 
 
 City Auditor 
 
 Contractor 
 
 Electrician 
 
 Contractor 
 
 Insurance 
 
 Real Estate 
 
 Fancy (Jroceries 
 
 Dry (ioods 
 
 Commission Merchant 
 
 Soaps, i<:0. 
 
 Electrician 
 
 Bookbinder 
 
 Boiler Maker 
 
 Clerk 
 
 Painter 
 
 Hotel Keeper 
 
 Life Insurance 
 
 Groceries 
 
 Stock Broker 
 
 Grocer 
 
 Apothecary 
 
 Manufacturer Machinery 
 
 Real Estate 
 
 (Jrocer 
 
 Manufacturer Machinery 
 
 .\gent Locks i>i Canals 
 
 Real Estate 
 
 Paper 
 
 Contractor 
 
 Gra^D, &c. 
 
 .\gent M. AVoolen Mills 
 
 Electrician 
 
 Farmer 
 
 .\rchitect 
 
 Real Estate 
 
 .Vrchitect 
 
 Belting, ij. 
 
 Treasurer Erie T. C. 
 
 Belting, &c. 
 
 F'urniture 
 
 Card Clothing 
 
59 
 
 Greenhalge, F. T. 
 Gray, Frank 
 dray, Albert M. 
 (ioodale, F. C 
 (iibson, John I. 
 (ireenwooil, M. 
 llobeon, ('has. H. 
 Harris, A. W. 
 Harrington, J. H. 
 Hanchett, Frank 
 Ilanscom, Geo. A. 
 Hutchinson, C. C. 
 Hood, Chas. I. 
 Haworth, .)ohn H. 
 Holden, Fdward D. 
 Huse, Harry V. 
 Hylan, K. S. 
 Huntoon, Geo. L. 
 Home, Frederick 
 Howe, Henry C. 
 Howe, Frank W. 
 Hosford, A. H. 
 Haggett, A. A. 
 Houston, A. Glarke 
 Howard, John H. 
 Howe, ('has. E. 
 Hayes, W. H. I. 
 Huse, Hiram E. 
 Howe, Wm. G. 
 Hansjon, C. H. 
 Hanscom, Wm. H. 
 Jewett, Francis 
 Knowlton, (i. W. 
 Kittredge, L. F. 
 Kelley, I'atrick 
 Kelley, Frank F. 
 Kimball, Charles H. 
 Kimb.all, J. F. 
 Knapp, C. L. 
 Kilgore, J. M. 
 Keyes, P. Jr. 
 Littletield, Chas. 
 Littlefield, W. S. 
 Livingston, W. E. 
 Lamson, N. G. 
 Lyon, A. S. 
 Libliy, M. V. B. 
 Lyons, E. J 
 Lawton, Frederick 
 Latham, C. H. 
 Louprct, N. J. 
 Leinhas, W. E. 
 Lee, Thomas C. 
 Lamson, Edwin 
 Merrill. Otis A. 
 Marden, George A. 
 Marston, George H. 
 Miller, George W. 
 Medina, E. J. 
 Manning, George H. 
 Murphy, James, 
 Mitchell, F. G. 
 Merrill, Frank M. 
 Morse, S. Warren 
 Morse, E. H. 
 Mack, W. A. 
 Maxfield, K. A. 
 Nichols, A. F. 
 Nichols, Edwin 
 Norris, Geo. W. 
 Nesmith, Thos. 
 
 Lawyer 
 
 Provisions 
 
 l*rovisions 
 
 Apothecary 
 
 Apothecary 
 
 (irocer 
 
 H. K. liarker M'f'g Co. 
 
 Paper Hangings, &c. 
 
 Printer 
 
 Commission Merchant 
 
 Printer 
 
 Treasurer 1\L Sav. 15ank 
 
 Patent Medicines 
 
 Cop Tube Manufacturer 
 
 AgeTit Sterling JHUs 
 
 Printer 
 
 Manufaclurer 
 
 IJeal Estate 
 
 Coal, Wood, &c. 
 
 Lumber 
 
 Lumber 
 
 Carriages 
 
 Paymaster 
 
 Editor 
 
 Coal, Wood, &.C. 
 
 Lumber 
 
 Cigars, &c. 
 
 Clothing 
 
 Carpenter 
 
 Sale Stable 
 
 Printer 
 
 AVholesale Provisions 
 
 Cashier W. Nafl B'k. 
 
 Contractor 
 
 Bottler 
 
 Doors, Sashes, etc. 
 
 Clothing 
 
 Banker 
 
 Clerk Water Board 
 
 Life Insurance 
 
 Grocer 
 
 M'f'r Paper Boxes 
 
 M'f'r Paper Boxes 
 
 Coal, Wood, &c. 
 
 Treas. M. R. Sav. B'k. 
 
 Agent L. M'f'g Co. 
 
 Blacksmith. 
 
 Janitor. 
 
 Lawyer 
 
 M'f'r Wire Goods 
 
 Photographer 
 
 Furniture 
 
 Insurance 
 
 Pres. Coburn Shuttle Co 
 
 Architect 
 
 Editor 
 
 Real Estate 
 
 R. R. Agent 
 
 Hair (loods 
 
 Furniture 
 
 Real Estate 
 
 Dry Goods, &c. 
 
 Stationer 
 
 Millinery 
 
 Stable Keeper 
 
 Stoves, &c. 
 
 Manufacturer 
 
 Foundry 
 
 Commission Merchant 
 
 Stable Keeper 
 
 lieal Estate 
 
 Noyes, E. J. 
 O'llearn, P. 
 O'SuUivan, James 
 Pollard, A. G. 
 Pratt, Amasa 
 Potter, W. E. 
 Puffer, Jas^ F., Jr. 
 Peabody, J. G. 
 Pindar, J. H. 
 Puffer, F. W. 
 Preston, Jas. F. 
 Perham, H. C. 
 Perkins, M. G. 
 Palmer, Charles D. 
 Pevey, James A. 
 Pike, S. P. 
 Parker, Samuel G. 
 Puffer, S. B. 
 Perkins, F. S. 
 Parker, Percy 
 Pickering, J. W. C. 
 Page, Dudley L. 
 Pinder, Jos. L. 
 Putnam, Addison 
 Pickman, John J. 
 Pindar, Albert 
 Putnam, F. E. 
 Prescott, D. M. 
 Parker, Fred H. 
 Pevey, F. S. 
 Pierce, C. W. 
 Pearson, James M. 
 Putnam, Oeorge E. 
 Partridge, A. V. 
 (iuinn.E. B. 
 Qua, F. W. 
 Rice, H. R. 
 Rice, Frvik E. 
 Randlett, 0. B. 
 Kunels, (ieorge 
 Rowell, E. T. 
 Russell, A. L. 
 Reed, William 
 Rogers, George G. 
 Ripley, R. S. 
 Reed, George G. 
 Shepard, Jesse H. 
 Stanley, George E. 
 Spalding, W. H. 
 Shedd, F. B. 
 Stiles, Perry P. 
 Stott, Thomas 
 Smith, Caleb L. 
 Stickney, F. W. 
 Smith, E. A. 
 Simpson, O. A. 
 Smitb, Melvin B. 
 Stott, Charles A. 
 Shaw, Frank E. 
 Smith, L. J. 
 Stone, Z. E. 
 Swett, J. II. 
 Sheppard, J. H. 
 Shaw, J. W. B. 
 Swan, D. A. 
 Stevens, Geo. H. 
 Smith, James T. 
 Stowell, F. E. 
 Spalding, W. B. 
 Simpson, R. 
 Stiles, J. A. 
 
 Corporation Detective 
 
 Contractor 
 
 Boots, Shoes, &c. 
 
 Dry Goods 
 
 Planing, &c. 
 
 Real Estate 
 
 Furniture 
 
 Doors, Sashes, &c. 
 
 Merchant Tailor 
 
 Crockery, &c. 
 
 Talnot DyewoodCo. 
 
 Treasurer K. Mach. Co. 
 
 Real Estate 
 
 Iron Foundry 
 Provisions 
 
 Man'f 'r Soda Water, &c. 
 R»al Estate 
 
 Machinery Manufacturer 
 Paper Manufacturer 
 Treas. P. Knitting Co. 
 Caterer 
 Notions, etc. 
 Clothing 
 Lawyer 
 
 Superintendent 
 Restaurant 
 Plasterer 
 Grocer 
 
 Iron Foundry 
 Agent Express Co. 
 Wholesale Fruit, &c. 
 Produce Merchant 
 Hotel Keeper 
 Lawyer 
 Lawyer 
 Printer 
 
 M'f'r Wire Goods 
 Grocer 
 Real Estate 
 Pres-. R. R. Bank. 
 Real Estate 
 Stone Contractor 
 Jeweller 
 Iron Foundry 
 Grocer 
 Real Estate 
 Coal, Wood, &c. 
 Paper Hangings 
 Cologne Manufacturer 
 Grocer 
 
 Card Clothing 
 Grocer 
 Architect 
 Real Estate 
 Contractor 
 Civil Engineer 
 Manufacturer 
 Hotel Keeper 
 Clothing 
 Printer 
 
 Carriage Manufacturer 
 Florist 
 Real Estate 
 Boots, Shoes, &c. 
 Lawyer 
 Lawyer 
 Stable Keeper 
 Real Estate 
 Wholesale Grocer 
 Grocer 
 
60 
 
 Sliattuck, E. H. 
 Staples, Arthur 
 Stevens, J. Tyler 
 Stevens, K. L. 
 Saunders, C. W. 
 Sherman, Edward S. 
 Sherman, Frederick W. 
 Tucke, E. M. 
 Thompson, II. M. 
 Tweed, T. G. 
 Tyler, A. S. 
 Tihhets, H. L. 
 Thompson, Joscpli P. 
 Thompson, A. G. 
 Taylor, Frederick 
 Trull, Larkin T. 
 Trull, Jesse N. 
 Taylor, A. C. 
 Tryder, George H. 
 Thomas, E. W. 
 Viles, Jesse A. 
 Varnuni, 1). H. 
 Varnum, L. R. J. 
 Wood, Edward N. 
 Wilder, Charles W. 
 
 Hardware 
 
 Slason 
 
 Heal Estate 
 
 Real Estate 
 
 Lumher 
 
 Flour, Grain, &c. 
 
 Insurance 
 
 Insurance 
 
 Felting Manufacturer 
 
 Apothecary 
 
 Treasurer Sav. Bank 
 
 Lumber 
 
 Register of Deeds 
 
 Real Estate 
 
 Hardware 
 
 Lawyer 
 
 Farmer 
 
 Dry Goods 
 
 Stable Keeper 
 
 Agent T. & S. Mills 
 
 Veterinary Surgeon 
 
 Real Estate 
 
 Real Estate 
 
 Flour, Grain, &c. 
 
 Wholesale Trovisions 
 
 Ward, William II. 
 Wilder, H. H. 
 Wheeler, A. H. 
 Wallace, D. R. 
 Wilson Josepli M. 
 Whithed, Darius 
 White, E. L. 
 Wiggin, W. H. 
 Wliite, W. H. 
 Wood, Robert 
 Whittier, N. 
 AVoodward, G. T. 
 Woodworth, A. B. 
 Wilson, E. A. 
 AVhite, Fred O. 
 Watson. W. S. 
 AVelch, John 
 Wood, George H. 
 Wyman, S. B. 
 AVhiting, F. A. 
 Ward, George M. 
 Wheelock, A. C. 
 Woodward, John ( 
 AVing, W. 0. 
 Young, Samuel 
 
 Contractor 
 
 Stoves, &e. 
 
 Grocer 
 
 Insurance 
 
 WholesaleD's'd Beef,&c. 
 
 Soap Manufacturer 
 
 Leather Manufacturer 
 
 Contractor 
 
 Leatlier Manufacturer 
 
 Veterinary Surgeon 
 
 Manufacturer Twine 
 
 Carjienter 
 
 Lumber, &c. 
 
 Coal, Wood, &c. 
 
 Contractor 
 
 Cop Tube Manufacturer 
 
 Furniture Manufacturer 
 
 Jeweller 
 
 Lawyer 
 
 Mortgages, &c. 
 
 I'aper Hangings 
 
 Real Estate 
 
 Real Estate 
 
 Milk I^ealer 
 
 Electrician 
 
 MASTER BUILDERS' EXCHANGE. 
 
 AN AS,SOCIATION FOR THE INTERCHANGE OF SOCIAL, ARCHITECTURAL AND BUSINESS 
 
 INFORMATION. 
 
 The Master Builders' Exchange of 
 Lowell was organized in iSSS and at the 
 present time has a membership of seventy- 
 
 five. The purpose is to maintain reading 
 and exchange rooms for the master 
 mechanics in the various branches of 
 
61 
 
 constructive work employed in the erec- 
 tion of buildings, and to aftord facilities 
 for information, and the interchange and 
 discussion of social, architectural and busi- 
 ness matters. 
 
 The special aims are the defence and 
 security of the best interests of mechanics 
 in the building trades, by providing means 
 and authority whereby members of the 
 exchange may demand and secure honor- 
 able dealing amiingthemselves and in their 
 relations to others and tlie attainment of 
 uniformity of action. The membership 
 is limited to one liundred, and to become 
 a member an individual must be engaged 
 in one of the following trades, viz. : — 
 carpenter, mason, iron worker, granite 
 worker, freestone worker, plasterer, 
 roofer, copper and galvanized iron 
 worker, plumber, painter. The regu- 
 lar meetings of the exchange are held 
 quarterly in the rooms at the corner of 
 Central and Appleton streets, but the 
 directors meet once a month. Upon the 
 request of two members the jiresident will 
 appoint an arbitration committee, and in 
 this way many business troubles are 
 settled every year which otherwise might 
 cause dissatisfaction and anno3'ance to 
 employes. During the past year the 
 business done bv members of the exchange 
 amounted to $^,679,564, and $948,694 
 was paid for labor. The officers of the 
 exchange: President, C. P. Conant ; 
 vice-president, E. S. Foss ; secretary, J. 
 H. Coggeshall ; treasurer, G. II. Watson ; 
 directors, C. P. Conant, Geo. H. Watson, 
 Ether S. Foss, G. W. Bagley, S. D. 
 Butterworth, L. F. Kittredge, J. H. 
 Coggeshall, Wm. E. Bissell, P. Conlon. 
 
 MEMBERSHIP LIST. 
 
 Following are the members of the ex- 
 change: J. W. Bennett, G. A. Bennett, 
 W. H. Wiggin, T- H. Coggeshall, W. E. 
 Farrell, P. F. Conaton, W.' G. Howe, A. 
 Bibeault, L. F. Kittredge, Wm. Reed, 
 W. H. Kimball, P. B.^Qiiinn, G. W. 
 Baglev, G. E. Barclav, H. H. Wilder, 
 W.^ F; Wilder, C. H. Nelson, P. O'llcarn, 
 
 E. S. Foss, C. H. Burtt, Wilder Bennett, 
 Patrick Corcoran, B. H. Staples, W. II. 
 Staples, Robert Goulding, W. C. Gould, 
 John Sweatt, Jonathan Rollins, B. F. 
 Sargent, W. A. Mack, G. H. Watson, 
 Chas. Runels,F. O. White, G. H. Kirbv, 
 H. E. Fletcher, W. E. Livingston, W. H. 
 Hope, Joel Knapp, A. P. Knapp, W. H. 
 Spalding, A. W. Harris, G. M. Ward, 
 T. Costello, T- Costello, D. Cushing, J. 
 L. Cushing, W. E Bissell, R. H. Wilson, 
 
 F. H. Connell. S. D. Butterworth, H. W. 
 Ladd. C P. Conant, W. II. Fuller, ]r., 
 Patrick Conlon, J. A. Bartlett, F. B. Dow, 
 F. C. Beharrell, James Whittet, Colin 
 McDonald, H. Sutherland, F. B. Taylor, 
 C. F.Varnum, J. B. Varnum, -S. H. Jones, 
 P. David. Jr.. D. M. Prescott, j. C. 
 Chenev, Jv , Edward Cavvlev, L. D.Gumb, 
 J. F. Murphv, F. A. Stuitevant, E. E. 
 Galer, B. Scannell, D. Wholey, C. B. 
 Coburn, C. H. Coburn, F. F. Coburn, 
 Mark Holmes, C.W.Holmes,S.H.Geddes, 
 Wm. Kellev, A. L. Brooks, E. N. Morrill, 
 F. E. Lewis, A. K. Pierce, F. W. Howe, 
 J. F. Howe, H. C. Howe, Crawford 
 Burnham, C. O. Davis, Amasa Pratt & 
 Co., Samuel Young & Co., electricians. 
 
 LIBRARIES. 
 
 LIBRARIES WHICH ARE MAINT.MNED BY PRIVATE SUBSCRIPTION. 
 
 In addition to the City Library which 
 has been described elsewhere, Lowell is 
 well provided with other libraries of a 
 semi-private nature. 
 
 Chief among them is the library of the 
 Middlesex Mechanics association. The 
 Ibunding of this society is an excellent 
 sample of the spirit of self-help, and 
 social and educational advancement which 
 has always been manifest among the 
 masses of Lowell's population. The 
 association was founded as an association 
 
 of mechanics only in 182"^. It erected a 
 building of its own in i83T'at a cost of 
 $20,000. The collection of the librarv 
 proper was begun in 1S27, and tlie library 
 was opened in its present quarters, with 
 the completion of the new building, in 
 
 The librarv embraces upwards of 22,000 
 carefully selected volumes, maintains a 
 reading room, and is increased annually 
 from an appropriation of about .$^00. 
 The association owns a considerable 
 
62 
 
 collection of portraits of persons who 
 have been at one time or other identified 
 with Lowell and its growth. The associ- 
 ation gives lectures or concerts, or both, 
 during the winter season from the pro- 
 ceeds of which, and from private contri- 
 butions, it derives its support. 
 
 This library is under the supervision of 
 Miss Abby Sargent, and its privileges are 
 enjoyed b}' a large number of subscribers. 
 The annual fee is a nominal one of $v 
 
 The library of the Middlesex Nortli 
 Agricultural society, consisting of about 
 400 volumes treating mainly of ;.gricultu- 
 ral sul>iects, has in recent vears been 
 made a part of the Meclianics library. 
 
 Tiie library of the Young Men's Cath- 
 olic association contains in the neighbor- 
 hood of 1200 volumes, selected mainly 
 w ith reference to the needs and tastes of 
 the members of the association. 
 
 The Mathew and Burke Temperance 
 Institutes, each maintain a library for the 
 use of their members. These collections 
 are made up from standard ^vorks of fic- 
 tion ; histor}-, biography, general literature 
 
 also form a part. In connection with 
 these libraries are maintained reading 
 rooms in which arc to be found a liberal 
 selection from the magazine and periodi- 
 cal literature of the day. 
 
 The Young Men's Christian association 
 possesses about 1000 volumes, together 
 with standard books of reference and a 
 reading room. This library is one that 
 is fast increasing not only in the number 
 of its volumes but in its general usefulness 
 as well. 
 
 The People's club maintains a library of 
 some 1600 volumes, which are divided for 
 use between the men's and women's 
 branches of that club. The club sup- 
 ports two reading rooms, and its library is 
 much used. 
 
 The library of the Old Resident's His- 
 torical association is fast becoming an 
 invaluable collection of information con- 
 cerning matters pertaining to Lowell and 
 its early history. This library now num- 
 bers something like 500 volumes, includ- 
 ing a collection of papers read at the 
 quarterl}- meetings of the association. 
 
 NEW MOODY SCHOOL. 
 
63 
 
 NEWSPAPERS. 
 
 LOWELL HAS SEA'EN DAILY DISPENSERS OF INFORMATION. 
 
 Lowell is more abundantly supplied with 
 newspapers than any city of its approxim- 
 ate size in New England. The large 
 number of daily newspapers has brought 
 about a sharp competition that has made 
 itself felt in a natural raising of the stand- 
 ard of the news service, with a correspond- 
 ing depression in atlvertising rates. 
 
 In addition to the city circidation, the 
 newspapeis of Lowell as a rule reach a 
 considerable number of readers in the sur- 
 rounding towns whose inhabitants pur- 
 chase their supplies in Lowell. 
 
 Lowell has two morning and five even- 
 ing newspapers. The morning news- 
 papers are the Lowell Morning Mail, re- 
 publican, and the Lowell Morning Times, 
 democratic. 
 
 The evening newspapers are the Lowell 
 Daily Citizen, republican ; the Lowell 
 Daily Courier, lepublican; the Lowell 
 Daily News, democratic ; the Lowell 
 Evening Mail, issued from the office of 
 the Morning Mail, and the Evening Star, 
 issued from the office of the Morning 
 Times. The Daily News and the Evening 
 Star are one cent newspapers ; all others 
 thus far enumerated are two cents. 
 
 The Saturday Evening Mail is issued in 
 connection with the morning and evening 
 etlitions of the same paper. 
 
 The American Citizen is issued on 
 Thursday by the Citizen Newspaper com- 
 pany. 
 
 The Lowell Journal (weekly) is issued 
 by Marden & Rowell, also proprietors of 
 the Lowell Daily Courier. 
 
 The Vox Populi is issued on Wednes- 
 days and Saturdays and is republican in 
 politics. 
 
 The Lowell Sun is issued on Saturdays 
 and is democratic in politics. 
 
 The Sunday Critic is issued on Sunday 
 mornings and is democratic. 
 
 The Simday Arena is issued on Sunday 
 mornings and is republican in politics. 
 
 Three newspapers in the French lan- 
 guage are issued in Lowell, L'Etoile, 
 semi-weekly, republican ; Le National, 
 dailv, democratic ; and Le Drapeau 
 National, weekly. 
 
 There are a number of other publica- 
 tions issued in Lowell, including a publica- 
 tion by the students of the Lowell high 
 schoc)l, a monthlv magazine, and several 
 others of a semi-advertising nature. 
 
 HOSPITALS. 
 
 WHERE THE SICK AND THE MAIMED MAY FIND RESCUE. 
 
 Lowell has two well equipped hospitals, 
 the usefulness of which has become 
 more apparent as the population increases. 
 The iirst of these, known as the Lowell, 
 or Corporation Hospital, was established 
 in 1S39 f^*" ''^^ '-'^^ °'" pei'sons employed 
 l)v the various corporations of the city. 
 The location of this hospital is one of the 
 finest for its purpose in the city, being 
 upcjn high ground overlooking the Merri- 
 mack river. The management of this 
 hospital is vested in a board of trustees 
 composed of the local agents of the vari- 
 ous corporations together with two other 
 citizens, one of whom shall be the mayor 
 of the city. Since iSSi the hospital has 
 been in charge of a stafl" of visiting physi- 
 cians and surgeons who give their services 
 gratuitously. 
 
 The hospital buildings are commodious 
 
 and well arranged and furnish ample ac- 
 commodation for about fifty patients at a 
 time. The hospital treats on an average 
 three hundred patients a year, exclusive 
 of its out-patient department, established 
 in 1877, which is conducted under its sep- 
 arate staff' and which is made accessible 
 not only to the employes of the corpor- 
 ations, ijut to the general poor of the city. 
 
 St. John's Hospital is an efficient insti- 
 tution, established in 1S66 by Sister 
 Emerentiana at the suggestion of the 
 bishop of the diocese, and operated under 
 the supervision of the order of the Sisters 
 of Charity. From small beginnings, this 
 hospital has grown in size, as it has been 
 obliged to meet the increasing demands 
 upon its services. 
 
 The hospital accommodates about one 
 hundred house patients, and treats from 
 
.MAKSTOX JiUII.DINU, MIDDLESEX STREET. 
 
65 
 
 four to five hundred patients a year. 
 Three times that number are treated in its 
 out-patient department, which is con- 
 ducted, as in the case of the Lowell Hos- 
 pital, imder a staff' especially appointed for 
 that work. 
 
 The hospital is to-dav supported by the 
 contributions of the public. It knows no 
 creed nor color ; nor are its doors ever 
 closed upon the poor. Of the whole 
 number of patients treated since it was 
 tstabli;.hed, nearlv two-thirds have been 
 charity patients. It is to all intents and 
 purposes a city hospital, and all cases of 
 accident, other than those which occur 
 in the mills, are taken there for treatment. 
 The staff" includes the foremost physicians 
 and surgeons in the city, who give their 
 services gratuitouslv. The institution is 
 of brick, located in Behidere, and finely 
 equipped. 
 
 In connection with the hospital two free 
 dispensaries are maintained. The Lowell 
 
 Dispensary was incorporated in 1836, and 
 is maintained by a fund derived from 
 private contributions and from member- 
 ship fees. The annual income of this 
 fund is devoted to the purchase of medi- 
 cines for the relief of the worthy sick 
 poor. 
 
 The City Dispensary, established by 
 ordinance in 1S79, is supported by an 
 annual appropriation of $rooo for the dis- 
 tribution of medicines to the sick poor. 
 Twelve physicians are chosen to serve for 
 one year. In 1SS9, 1S37 prescriptions 
 were compounded. The institution is 
 conducted under the supervision of the 
 overseers of the poor. 
 
 This departnient also maintains an 
 efficient ambulance service, with its physi- 
 cian especiallv appointetl. The value of 
 this service has proven itself so great that 
 the city will undoubtedly increase its facili- 
 ties by the addition of a second ambulance 
 within a short time. 
 
 THE CHURCHES. 
 
 FORTY-FOUR TEMPLES DE\OTED TO THE WORSHIP OF GOD. 
 
 There are forty-four churches in Lowell. 
 Some of them are handsome, pretentious 
 buildings, others are modestly suited to 
 the spirit of their congregations. Of the 
 forty-four, thirty-six belong to Protestant 
 denominations, seven to the Catholic faith, 
 and one to Judaism. There are besides 
 these, several missions and the Voung 
 Men's Christian Association. 
 
 Pawtucket — This Congregational church 
 was incorporated June 22, 1797. It is the 
 oldest church in the city. Its present 
 pastor is the Rev. Charles H. Willcox. 
 
 First Congregational. — This society was 
 organized June 6, 1826. The church is a 
 handsome brick edifice, costing $60,000. 
 It is located on Merrimack street, directly 
 opposite the new Memorial building. It 
 has now no settled pastor. 
 
 The Eliot. — This Congregational church 
 was organized in 1S30, and was named in 
 honor of the famous apostle to the Indians. 
 The church is an imposing brick edifice, 
 situated on .Summer street and overlooking 
 the South Common. The pastor is the 
 Rev. Dr. J. M. Greene, who has been its 
 minister since 1870. 
 
 John Street. — This Congregational so- 
 ciety was organized in 1839. The present 
 church edifice was built in 1S40. The 
 
 present pastor is the Rev. Henry T. Rose, 
 who was installed in 1SS3. 
 
 Kirk Street.— This is another Congrega- 
 tional church. It was organized in 1S45. 
 The present church was built in 1846 at a 
 cost of $23,000. It has several times been 
 renovated and altered. The present pastor 
 is the Rev. Dr. Malcolm McGregor Dana, 
 who was installed Oct. 11, 1SS8. 
 
 High Street. — Another Congregational 
 church, established in 1S46. The edifice 
 stands on a commanding elevation. It is 
 of wood with abattlemented tower, which 
 is a landmark in the community. Plans 
 have been prepared for a new and more 
 substantial structure. The present pastor 
 is the Rev. Charles W. Huntington, who 
 was installed in 188S. 
 
 Highland Congregational. — A handsome 
 structure of brick, located on Westford 
 street, and completed in 1SS4. There is 
 no settled pastor at this time. 
 
 French Protestant. — A Congregational 
 church, with edifice of stone, on Bow'ers 
 street. The present pastor is the Rev. 
 Joseph H. Paradis. 
 
 St. Anne's. — When Lowell was a town 
 and the Merrimack company the control- 
 ling industrial and social factor of the com- 
 munity of 1200 souls, St. Anne's was es- 
 
66 
 
 tablished. KirkBoott was a Episcopalian 
 and he established an Episcopal church in 
 1S24. Previous to that time religious 
 services had been held in a two story 
 wooden building on Merrimack street. 
 In that year the Rev. Theodore Edson was 
 called to be the minister of the church 
 and on March 16, 1S25, the present pic- 
 turesque stone edifice was erected. Dr. 
 Edson remained its rector until his death 
 in June, 1SS3, after a faithful service of 
 59 years. His ministry was a remarkable 
 one and he died in the full odor of sanctity 
 — a man beloved and venerated by all the 
 people. The present rector is the Rev. 
 Dr. A. St. John Ciiambre. Attached to 
 the church is tlie Edson orphanage for 
 boys. 
 
 In the tower of the church is a chime of 
 bells famous throughout New England for 
 their sweet toned melody. 
 
 St. John's. — This is a picturesque Epis- 
 copal church edifice on Gorham street. 
 The society was organized in i860. The 
 Re^^ Leander C. Manchester has been 
 rector since 1S73. 
 
 House of Prayer. — A small wooden 
 church on Walker street devoted to worship 
 of the ritualistic order. The present rector 
 is the Rev. J. Q. Davis. 
 
 First Presbyterian. — It was organized in 
 iS6g, and worships in an old but verv 
 substantial building on Appleton street. 
 Rev. Robert Court, D. D., is the learned 
 pastor. 
 
 Westminster Presbyterian. — It is soon 
 to enter a pleasant wooden church on 
 Tyler street. The society is three vears 
 old and Rev. J. O. Campbell is the pastor. 
 First Baptist. — The edifice on Church 
 street was built soon after the society was 
 organized in 1S26, but it has since been 
 modernized. Rev. Alexander Blackburn 
 is the pastor. 
 
 Worthen Street Baptist. — This is one of 
 the most picturesque churciies in the city. 
 It is of brick and of the Italian style of ar- 
 chitecture. The society was organized in 
 1S31, and W. S. Ayres is the pastor. 
 
 Branch Street Tabernacle. — A large 
 wooden building with a seating capacity 
 of 1500. The society is Baptist and was 
 organized in 1S69. The pastor is Rev. O. 
 E. Mallory. 
 
 Fifth Street Baptist. — A pleasant wood- 
 en chapel belonging to a society that was 
 organized in 1S74. Rev. L. G. Barrett 
 has looked out for'the spiritual wants of 
 the church since Jan. i, iS88. 
 
 Paige Street Baptist. — This society, or 
 ganized in 1S33, '^ of the Fiee Will order- 
 The church is of brick, severely plain in 
 design without, but inviting within. Rev. 
 George N. Howard was installed as its 
 pastor in iSSv 
 
 Mt. Vernon Ciiurch. — A pleasant chap- 
 el in a somewhat elevated location. The 
 society was organized as F. W. Baptist in 
 1874, and Rev. C. S. Frost is acting 
 pastor. 
 
 Chelmford .Street Church. — A cosy 
 brick building, built soon after the organ- 
 ization of the F. W. Baptist society in 
 1880. Rev. H. Lockhart is pastor. 
 
 St. Paul's Church. — .Situated between 
 Warren and Hurd streets. It is high, 
 of the style of twenty years ago. The 
 interior is lit bv electricity. The society, 
 which is sixty-four vears old, was the first 
 of the Methodist Episcopal denomination 
 organized in the. city. Rev. W. H. 
 Thomas was appointed its pastor in April 
 of the current year. 
 
 Worthen Street Methodist. — Organized 
 in 1S38. It occupies a renovated wooden 
 church opposite that of the Baptists. Rev. 
 G. C. Osgood is the pastor. 
 
 Central Methodist. — It is situated at the 
 corner of John and Paige streets, and is 
 similar in design to the Baptist churcli in 
 its rear. Rev. J. N. Short is entering upon 
 the fourth year of his pastorate. The 
 society was organized in 1843. 
 
 Highland Methodist. — It is pleasantly 
 located on Loring street. The society 
 was organized in 1S75, and the present 
 pastor, Rev. Alexander Dight, secured his 
 appointment in 1S89. 
 
 Centralville Methodist. — This substan- 
 tial brick church at the corner of Bridge 
 and Hildreth streets, has not yet been 
 occupied a month. Rev. Sullivan Holman, 
 who organized the society in 1S87, has 
 been a ])reacher for more than fifty years. 
 
 First Primitive Methodist. — A wooden 
 church on Gorham street. The society 
 has been in existence for more than twenty 
 years, and Rev. T. M. Bateman is its 
 pastor. 
 
 Berean Primitive Methodist. — A wood- 
 en chapel on Moore street. The society 
 was the outgrowth of a mission established 
 in 1884. Rev. T. G. Spencer has been 
 its pastor for three years. 
 
 Unitarian Church. — In the upper story 
 of a building on Merrimack street. The 
 society, organized in 1S29, supports a 
 number of excellent social and literary 
 
67 
 
 iVateniities. Rev. George Batchelor is the 
 pastor. 
 
 Miiiistry-at-Large. — Situated oiiMicklle- 
 sex street, and organized in 1S43 under 
 the auspices of the Unitarian society. Its 
 aim is to befriend the worthy poor. Rev. 
 G. C. Wright is in charge. 
 
 First Universalist.-A noble brick cliurch 
 on Hurd street built at a cost of $So,ooo. 
 Its interior is one of the finest in the city. 
 The society was organized in 1827 and 
 the pastor, Rev. George W. Bicknell, was 
 installed in December, 1S79. 
 
 Second Universalist. — A sombre stone 
 church on Shattuck street. Rev. R. A. 
 Green has been the pastor for eighteen 
 years. The society dates from 1S36. 
 
 Advent Christian Church. — Organized 
 in 1S46 and worshiping in a church on 
 Grand street. Elder J. Ward is the 
 preacher. 
 
 . Swedisii Evangelican Church. — Situ- 
 ated on Meadowcroft street within easy 
 reach of nianv Swedish families. Rev. 
 J. V. Soderman is the pastor. The soci- 
 ety was organized in 1SS3. 
 
 Swedish Evangelical Mission. — It is 
 of the Congregational faith and was 
 organized six years ago. It is situated on 
 London street with Rev. Emil Holmblad 
 as its pastor. 
 
 St. Patrick's Church. — A substantial 
 stone edifice on Fenwick street. In its 
 lofty tower is a set of melodious chimes. 
 The society was organized in 1S27 as the 
 first of the Catholic faith. The rector is 
 Rev. Michael O'Brien and his assistants 
 
 are Rev. J. A. Gleason, Re\ . J. J. Shaw 
 and Rev. Thomas Burke. 
 
 St. Peter's Church. — At present a tem- 
 porary structure on Gorham street await- 
 ing the building of a costly church oppo- 
 site the court house. Its rectors are Rev. 
 Michael Ronan, Rev. James McKenna 
 and Rev. Thomas D. McManus. The 
 society was established in 1S41. 
 
 St. Joseph's Church. — A substantial 
 granite building on Lee street. The soci- 
 ety is twenty-three years old and is in 
 charge of Revs. A. M. Garin, Alexander 
 Founier, C. Lagier, A. Gladu and A. 
 Marion. 
 
 Immaculate Conception. — A magnifi- 
 cent granite church of the Gothic order. 
 It is tlie largest in the city and has a seat- 
 ing capacity of 3,000. Rev. W. D. Joyce 
 is the rector and he has several assistants. 
 The society was established in 1S69. 
 
 St. Michael's Church. — Another Catho- 
 lic society organized in 1SS3. Only the 
 lower portion of its brick church on Sixth 
 street is finished. Rev. William O'Brien 
 and Rev. J. Gilday are the rectors. 
 
 The .Sacred Heart. — A church on Moore 
 street which is also unfinished. The or- 
 ganization of the society took place in 1SS4 
 and the present rectors are Rev. J. M. 
 Guillard and Rev. D. M. Burns. 
 
 St. jean Baptiste. — This society was 
 organized in 1SS9 and worships in the 
 basement of what in time will be a fine 
 brick church on Merrimack street. Rev. 
 J. W. Pelletier is in charge and he is 
 assisted by Revs. J. T. Lavoie, A. A. 
 Amvot and R. Marion. 
 
 THE CITY OF THE DEAD. 
 
 The '' resting places" of Lowell's dead, 
 consecrated spots in our very midst, ever 
 reminding us of the uncertainty of our 
 earthly existence, are six in number, four 
 of them being located on the southerly 
 outskirts of the city. There have been 
 other cemeteries within the boundaries in 
 the early days of the city, whose small 
 area becoming encroached upon by the 
 growth of the citv have finally been taken 
 up as residential sites after the cemetery 
 itself had been condemned. Of these the 
 incomplete state of the city's records in 
 the early days has prevented the gather- 
 ing of statistics relative to the opening 
 of, the area and number of graves in each, 
 
 making a historj- of Lowell's cemeteries 
 quite incomplete. Of the early ceme- 
 teries, that condemned in 1S46, located in 
 East Merrimack, just above the junction 
 of Nesmith and Alder streets, was prob- 
 ably the oldest, and in it undoubtedly were 
 interred the bodies of the pioneers who 
 cleared the land on what is now the city. 
 
 This cemetery was condemned by the 
 city council in 1S46 and the last body re- 
 moved to the Lowell cemetery in the 
 summer of 1S47. Another cemetery, of 
 small area, of whose early history there is 
 no record, is the School street burying 
 groimd, containing less than half an acre, 
 which half a century ago was used by a 
 
68 
 
 few prominent and wealtliv families as a 
 private cemeter}'. With the inception of 
 other places, however, many lots passed 
 into other hands until no more graves 
 could be opened. With the exception of 
 intej'ments in family lots of members of 
 the family originally owning the lots there 
 have been no interments for nearly a 
 decade. At periods a movement arises 
 to have the cemetery condemned, on the 
 sanitary groiuids, but the opposition likely 
 to arise from lot owners prcclwdes vigor- 
 ous forwarding of that plan. 
 
 The oldest cemetery, of which the open- 
 ing date is known, is what is now called 
 No. 3 yard, or the old Lowell burying 
 ground, the first grave in which was 
 opened on August 15, 1835. It is locat- 
 ed on Gorham street directly opposite the 
 Fair grounds and is of limited area, barely 
 exceeding an acre. There have been but 
 few interments, and those only in family 
 lots, the past decade. For a long period 
 the place was neglected but now its ap- 
 pearance is that of a well kept and care- 
 fullv looked after garden. 
 
 Adjoining it on the south is the Catholic 
 cemetery, of large area, and beyond it 
 the Edson cemetery, owned by the city, 
 comprising about fourteen acres of land 
 extending to the Chelmsford line. This 
 cemetery was opened in September, 1S46, 
 after the city had authorized the purchase 
 of a small tract of land. The first inter- 
 ment was in the following December. 
 The management until this year was en- 
 tirely in the hands of the mayor, who 
 appointed the superintendent and looked 
 after the city's interests. This being the 
 only municipal burying ground frequent 
 additions of land have been necessary, and 
 at the present time there is no available 
 space for new graves. The purchase of 
 additional land has therefore become nec- 
 essary and the appointment of a board of 
 trustees to assume management will prob- 
 ably result in the purchase of additional 
 territory. The trustees, appointed under 
 a special enactment of the general court, 
 are Fred E. Woodies and Frank B. Dow, 
 confirmed by the board of aldermen June 
 30th. The Edson cemetery is a beautiful 
 place and though the city has not lavished 
 a very large sum upon it, there is a stone 
 chapel of quaint architecture just inside 
 the main entrance. The land is quite 
 level and the careful way in which the 
 paths and avenues have been laid out 
 makes the place pleasing to the eye. 
 
 The largest cemetery is the Lowell, with 
 its 84 acres of land, at the foot of the 
 southerly slope of Fort Hill park, the main 
 entrance into which is from Lawrence 
 street, nearly opposite the railway station 
 of the Boston & Maine railroad. In the 
 cemetery are the evidences of the exjiendi- 
 ture of a vast amount of wealth. There 
 are magnificent monuments and memorials 
 almost without number, and the natural 
 beauties of the place have been greatly- 
 enhanced by the skill of the architect, the 
 engineer and the gardener. The cemetery 
 is owned by a corporation, chartered in 
 1S41, and the management is vested in a 
 board of trustees. 
 
 There are about 13,000 graves in the 
 cemetery, and the demand for lots is always 
 vigorous. Last year, by an act of legisla- 
 ture, the corporation was allowed to buy, 
 sell and hold real estate, and accordingl)' 
 9^ acres of land were purchased. The 
 new purchase is now being laid out, and 
 it is to have an entrance from Rogers 
 street in Belvidere. The Lawrence street 
 entrance is through a magnificent granite 
 gate, surmounted by a bell presented the 
 corporation in 1S86 by Mrs. Hocum 
 Hosford, as a memorial to her husband, 
 the late ex-Mayor Hocum Hosford. There 
 is also the chapel, a structure which in it- 
 self adds much to the beauty of the grounds. 
 Among the memorials are many imported 
 statues and designs in carved marble. 
 Among the most notable will be the colossal 
 marble lion, designed and sculptured by 
 Mr. Joy in his London studio, and which 
 is to be placed in the family lot of J. C. 
 Ayer. 
 
 The officers of the corporation are 
 Charles L. Knapp, president ; John H. 
 McAlvin treasurer ; L. R. J. Varnum, 
 A. A. Coburn, D. M. Frescott, C. D. 
 Starbird, Francis Jewett, August Fels, A. 
 A. Blanchard, C. A. Stott, \V. H. Wiggin, 
 H. H. Wilder, G. L. Hildieth and Z. E. 
 Stone, trustees; Robert H. Mulno, super- 
 intendent. 
 
 The last cemetery to be mentioned is 
 called by the family name of those who 
 arc the principal lot holders — The Hild- 
 reth Burying Ground. It is the smallest 
 of the cemeteries and is on Hildreth street 
 in Centralville. Here are interred the re- 
 mains of members of the Hildreth family, 
 and of a few of the earliest residents of that 
 section before it became a part of the city. 
 Here also is the family lot of a distin- 
 guished townsman, Gen. Benjamin F. 
 
69 
 
 Butler. There are no evidences of vvealtli 
 in the appearance of its gravestones ; it is 
 the facsimile of a country burial phice in 
 the midst of a district which is rapidly 
 being built over by houses of the working 
 people. 
 
 Such are the cemeteries of the city — • 
 the places set apart for the distinct and 
 particular purpose of burying the dead, 
 the places held sacred — -where the living 
 may visit to hold communion in sweet 
 memories and visions of the past. 
 
 PLEASURE RESORTS. 
 
 THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR RECREATION IN AND ABOUT LOWELL. 
 
 Lowell is peculiarly favored in tiie ad- 
 vantages it enjovs for recreation and 
 natural pleasure. It is built on both sides 
 of the picturesque Merrimack where it 
 rushes through the gorge of mica schist 
 and gneiss. Its banks are high and 
 clothed with trees, and here as at Indian 
 Orchard are most delightful bits of se- 
 questered shade. 
 
 The Concord river, so placid and so 
 classical, also flows through Lowell, and 
 is no less picturesque in its way than the 
 Merrimack, with which it is wedded. 
 
 These two rivers aflbrd a never 
 ending and never wearsing source of 
 healthful pleasme. The Merrimack 
 flows through a piney region, and there 
 are no less than six steamers which are 
 licensed to carry passengeis. Some of 
 these run to Nashua, 14 miles up the 
 river; but canoeists can go a dozen miles 
 farther without meeting an obstruction. 
 Others of the steamers ply between the 
 city and Tyng's Island, a popular pleasure 
 resort, Harmony Grove in Tyngsboro and 
 Woodlawn, all summer resorts. 
 
 The Vesper Boat Club with 150 mem- 
 bers, is established in an elegant club 
 house on Pawtucket street. It controls a 
 numerous navy of canoes and row boats, 
 and counts among its members some of 
 the crack sailing canoeists of the country. 
 There is no other boat club on the Merri- 
 mack, but there are several boat houses. 
 
 On the Concord there is an unbroken 
 stretch of four miles to North Billerica. 
 There the carry is over the bank into the 
 old canal, and then there is an unob- 
 structed passage to Old Concord and 
 Saxonville beyond. Many canoeists make 
 the trip of the Concord. Starting at 
 Sudbury and entering the Merrimack at 
 Lowell they go down to Newburyport 
 and the sea. 
 
 There are two clubs of limited member- 
 ship on the Concord, the Wamesit and the 
 Musquetaquid. 
 
 Mascuppic Lake, otherwise known as 
 Tyng's Pond, is situated at the foot of 
 Whortleberry hill, four miles from Lowell. 
 It is reached by the electric line of the 
 Lowell & Suburban Street Railway Com- 
 pany. The company owns two sides of 
 the lake. At one end is the Lakeview 
 pavilion where excellent food is served. 
 Here, too, are the bowling alleys and the 
 dance hall. On the southerly shore are 
 Mountain Rock and Mascuppic groves. 
 The former is fitted wtth pavilion, dance 
 hall and bowling alley for private picnic 
 parties ; the latter is reserved for camping 
 purposes. The pines surrounding the 
 lake are particularly tall and the spot is 
 one of the loveliest conceivable. Willow 
 Dale, on the eastern shore of the lake, is 
 an old established and popular resort kept 
 by Jona. Bowers. 
 
 This lake afibrds the people of Lowell 
 cheap and perfect pleasure. The round 
 trip costs 35 cents, and it ensures a ride of 
 ten miles in the electric cars through a 
 beautiful country, a ride around the lake on 
 the steamer Mascuppic and free dancing 
 every afternoon and evening. The last car 
 leaves Lakeview at 10.15, ^""^^ there are 
 no intoxicating liquors permitted on the 
 place. 
 
 Haggett's pond in Andover is five miles 
 from Lowell. It is exceedingly popular 
 with small parties. 
 
 Nabnassett pond in Chelmsford, four 
 miles away, is a beautiful sheet of water, 
 and is quite popular with picnic parties. 
 Other picnic resorts within easy distance 
 of Lowell are Baptist pond. Long pond, 
 Canobie lake. Silver lake and Shawshecn 
 grove. Robin's hill in Chelmsford afibrcs 
 a fine view of the surrounding country. 
 
 But Lowell is within an hour's ride of 
 the sea shore and Boston is only 45 
 minutes away. Lake Winnepesaukee can 
 be reached in two hours and one may dine 
 in Lowell and eat supper at the Fabyan 
 house the same night. 
 
70 
 
 But while Nature is generous, Art is not 
 unmirvcllul. Fort Hill Park is unique, and 
 imlike any otlier park in New England. 
 The hill has an elevation of 200 feet 
 above the level of the ri\ ers and the pros- 
 pect is a fine one. The park was the gift 
 of Miss Elizabeth Rogers and was put in 
 its present attractive condition by Messrs. 
 Shedd, Smith and Garity free of expense 
 to the city. The North and South com- 
 mons are quite roomy breathing places, 
 and Park Garden beautifies Belvidere. 
 
 The Lowell Opera House is without a 
 peer. It was built in 1SS9 by Fay Bros. 
 
 & Hosford at a cost of $icx3,ooo. It seats 
 1500 people and is a model of beauty. Its 
 conveniences are such as modern comfort 
 demands. It is lighted throughout with 
 electricity, and the stage appointments 
 will compare very favorably with those of 
 any metropolitan theatre. The lessee and 
 manager is Mr. John F. Cosgrove. 
 
 Music Hall is a cosy and comforlable 
 little theatre, where plays are performed at 
 popular prices. The present lessees are 
 Litchfield, Watson & Thomas. They give 
 nightly performances and employ a stock 
 company. 
 
 BUILDING OPERATIONS. 
 
 THREE MILLIONS OF MONEY BEING USED IN ERECTING SUBSTANTIAL STRUCTURES. 
 
 Competent authorities place the value 
 of the stone and brick buildings now in 
 process of construction in Lowell at $2, 
 000,000. and the value of the \vooden 
 buildings at $1,000,000. 
 
 Among the principal buildings are the 
 new City hall, the ]\Iemorial bLiilding, the 
 Odd Fellows' block, a block at the corner 
 of Bridge and East Merrimack streets, 
 one on the opposite corner on Prescott 
 street, F. G. Mitciiell's block on Merri- 
 
 mack street, the Edson block on Merri- 
 mack street, buildings for the Kittredge 
 heirs and A. G. Pollard on Middle street, 
 and tlie U. S. Government building and a 
 High School, the sites of which are al- 
 ready being cleared. 
 
 It will be seen that work is assured for 
 many months to hundreds of laborers em- 
 ployed in the construction of such l)uild- 
 ings. 
 
 AVAILABLE LAND. 
 
 The following is a description of the 
 land available for manufacturing purposes 
 witiiin the city and in the suburban vil- 
 lages. The letters refer to the locations 
 given in the map. 
 
 The map, to which especial attention is 
 directed, was prepared from the latest 
 maps by the state survey. It shows an 
 area a little short of that included in the 
 city of Worcester, and evidences the op- 
 portunities there are for development in 
 this city and neighborhood. The plan of 
 Lowell, which occupies the centre of the 
 map, shows the street railway lines, the 
 steam railway lines and the waterways. 
 
 On ilare displayed letters which on re- 
 ferring to the following list will be found 
 to locate territory that is advisable for 
 manufacturing purposes. 
 
 BELVIDERE. 
 
 Belvidere, with the excejation of (he land 
 bordering on the railway, is a residential 
 
 section of the most desirable character. 
 The land excepted is admirably adapted 
 for manufacturing purposes. The Electric 
 Light company has placed its elaborate 
 station there and the While Brothers & 
 Sons have recently erected a three story 
 brick factory in that neighborhood. The 
 land is traversed by the Lowell and An- 
 dover railroad which has close connection 
 with the Framingham branch of the Old 
 Colony. 
 
 (a) Strip of land having 1000 feet 
 frontage on the railroad, held for manu- 
 facturing purpose.". Smith and Shedd, 
 trustees. Smith and Shedd are also trus- 
 tees for a lot of land on Boylston street 
 (b) having 800 feet tVontage on the rail- 
 road. On the opposite'side of Boylston 
 street is the Oakland territory. There is 
 also considerable territory (c) abutting on 
 the railroad in this section which is the 
 property of W. H. Wiggin and Miss Eliz- 
 abeth Rogers. There is water in sufhcient 
 
71 
 
 supply from springs and brooks, and the 
 railroad facilities are unexcelled. There is 
 a great area of adjoining land which, at a 
 reasonable outlay, can be used for resi- 
 dences. 
 
 than a mile distant from the Electric 
 Light Station, which is now equip- 
 ped to furnish from i to loo horse power. 
 
 OAKLANDS. 
 
 Taking Rogers street as the dividing 
 line, Oaklands extends in a more level ex- 
 pansion eastward to bevond the tracks of 
 the Boston & Lowell Railroad. Here 
 (n d) is an iinmense tract of land, a 
 loamy soil resting upon a hard clay foun- 
 dation. It is flanked on the south bv 
 Boylston street, and extends for half a 
 mile toward Phenix on both sides of tlie 
 railroad. There is no more available land 
 in the city of Lowell for manufacturing 
 pur])oses, water is found in ample volume 
 at a depth of a few feet, and the railroad 
 affords facilities for transportation of an 
 exceptional character. It is the purpose 
 of Messrs. Shepard, Russell and Fuller to 
 have a spur track running through the 
 land lying between Hanover Avenue 
 and the Phenix line. 
 
 The most of this land is within the 
 town of Tewksburj' where the taxes are 
 only $1 1.50 per m ; and with good roads, 
 ample water supply and railroad facilities, 
 there is no reason why manufacturers 
 should not find this a place of exceptional 
 advantages. Gas from the Lowell companv 
 is an additional privilege. This land 
 upon which manufactories mav be estab- 
 lished lies on both sides of tiie track and 
 bevond it on the rising ground is territory- 
 which can be bought for little money 
 upon which to erect houses for those who 
 may be employed in that vicinity. 
 
 Tile land lies a mile and a half from tlie 
 Post ofHce and is reached by horse cars 
 and steam railway tracks, there is a sta- 
 tion at Phenix where the Atherton Ma- 
 chine Company, is established, and em- 
 ploys 400 men, and the car fares on both 
 train and street railway are five cents. 
 
 The syndicate make this generous ofler : 
 They will give the land to any manu- 
 facturer that may desire to build an estab- 
 lishment in that locality. The quality of 
 help that can be secured is reliable, and 
 the advantage which close connection 
 with the city assures makes the oppor- 
 tunity worth in every way the attention of 
 manufacturers. 
 
 There is another thing to be remember- 
 ed, and that is the fact that this land is less 
 
 AVERS CITY. 
 
 "Avers City" is a large section of the 
 city indicated on the maps by the letters 
 E E. It is traversed by River Meadow 
 Brook, a stream of considerable size, 
 which furnishes some t;o horse power, and 
 by the Old Colony railroad, having direct 
 communication with New York. There 
 is also a spur track connecting with the 
 Lowell and Andover branch of tiie Boston 
 and Maine railroad. This ensures direct 
 communication with Portland and with 
 Boston. The land is of a very desirable 
 character, being level and surrounded by 
 high lands which are in great demand for 
 residential purposes. 
 
 Near the Old Colony freight house, 
 which is located at the junction of the 
 Framingham with the Boston and Lowell 
 road, and on the westerly side of the 
 brook, is three acres of land, the property 
 of George W. Chase. There is a street 
 cut through from Chelmsford street to the 
 brook, not indicated on the map, and the 
 land enjoys excellent water privileges. 
 Mr. Chase, who is a master builder, will 
 erect upon this laiid and lease to respon- 
 sible parties at moderate terms any kind 
 of factory they may desire. He will also 
 erect houses and tenements for the help, 
 that shall be near at hand. He has a two 
 story factory, new, with elevator and steam 
 heat, which he is prepared to lease on 
 acceptable terms. The street railway line 
 on Chelmsford street is close at hand. 
 
 Near this property is land owned by O. 
 O. Greenwood, two acres bordering on 
 the brook. 
 
 There are two or three acres belonging 
 to Alanson Folsom. 
 
 There are two and one half acres of the 
 Hubbard estate which bonier on 
 Chelmsford street. 
 
 George Parsons owns seven acres which 
 adjoins the brook. 
 
 There are three acres of the Kimball 
 estate with excellent railroad fiicilities. 
 
 On the easterly side of the brook there 
 is a spur track running from the Fram- 
 ingham branch to the Arey and Maddock 
 tannery and the Criterion Company's 
 Knitting Mill. There is much valuable 
 land here having brook privileges. 
 
72 
 
 J. B. Francis owns an acre and more 
 between the brook and tlie track. 
 
 E. B. Peirce owns several acres on the 
 raihoad. The J. Q. Hubbard heirs own 
 several acres and so, too, do the Conner 
 Brothers \vhose coal sheds mark the term- 
 inus of the spur track. 
 
 On the higher land on the easterlv side 
 of the Framingham branch, Messrs. J. W. 
 Bennett and Robert Bartlett own foiu" acres 
 having a frontage of 600 feet on the rail- 
 road running south from the point where 
 the cross section starts to unite with the 
 Boston and Maine road. It is dry land 
 and admirably located for iron workers. 
 
 Beyond the Bennett and Bartlett land 
 lie the acres of Capt. Joseph P. Thomp- 
 son. Thev extend southerly to the land 
 of the Parkman heirs (f), which, crossing 
 the city line into Chelmsford, is 300 acres 
 in extent. The Parker heirs also own a 
 level stretch of land to the east of the 
 Bennett and Bartlett land. 
 
 On the westerly side of the Framingiiam 
 track, at its junction with the spur con- 
 necting with the Boston and Maine road 
 is the land of the Osgood estate. 
 
 George Runels owns a level stretch 
 opposite the Dobbins Boiler Works on 
 the line of the spur track. 
 
 Thissell and Lamson, and Charles Cow- 
 ley also own land in this vicinity having 
 brook and railroad privileges. The growth 
 of this section of the city has been phe- 
 nomenal and it is rapidly becoming a 
 populous district. 
 
 MIDDLESEX \ILLAGE. 
 
 This section is admirably adapted for 
 manufacturing purposes. It is traversed 
 by the Lowell and Nashua railroad which 
 has through connections witii Canada and 
 the Pacific coast. At the easterly end, 
 near the junction of Middlesex and Paw- 
 tucket streets, Black brook, a stream of 
 considerable volume, flows into the Merri- 
 mack. Quite a pond is formed here by 
 the back water from the river. This wa- 
 ter is available for manufacturing pur- 
 poses. 
 
 A plentiful supply of water may also be 
 secured by digging or boring twenty feet 
 below the surface. 
 
 The land is level and there is much of 
 it vacant on both sides of the road and 
 along the line of the railroad all the way 
 to the busy village of North Chelmsford. 
 
 Although there used to be glass works 
 and hat shops in Middlesex \'illage before 
 Lowell was established, there is now only 
 one manufacturing establishment in oper- 
 ation there. The pioneer of tiie modern 
 industrial movement is the T. W. C. Pick- 
 ering Companv which has just completed 
 a handsome two story brick mill. 
 
 Every acre of land lying between the 
 higliwav and the railroad, and Pickering's 
 mill and the city line (g) is available and 
 desirable for manufacturing purposes. 
 The owners are as follows and their prop- 
 ertv lies west of Pickering's mill in the 
 sequence given : 
 
 H. K. Ferrin, i 1-2 acres, abutting on 
 railroad. 
 
 James T. Smith, 1 1-2 acres, abutting 
 on railroad. 
 
 Heirs of Joseph Smith, 3 aci'es, abut- 
 ting on railroad. 
 
 C. E. Carter, 3 acres, abutting on rail- 
 road. 
 
 Mrs. Samuel Tyler, 5 acres, abutting 
 on railroad. 
 
 Samuel P. Hadley, 2 acres abutting on 
 railroad. 
 
 Mrs. Parker, several acres, abutting on 
 railroad. 
 
 Frederick F. Ayer, 5 acres, abutting on 
 railroad. 
 
 Land abutting on Black brook and lying 
 west of Ste\ens street toward the city 
 limits (h). 
 
 The W. E. Livingston estate is one of 
 the finest in the city. It comprises 40 
 acres intersected by streets and axailable 
 for residential or manufacturing purposes. 
 There are 10 acres bordering on the east- 
 erly side of Black brook. This land is 
 level, the supply of water is copious and 
 never-failing and of an excellent qualit\'. 
 
 Southerly from the Livingston place, 
 and abutting on the brook, lie 3 acres 
 owned by George Mclntire, several acres 
 owned by George Holden and 3 acres 
 owned by Wallace Mclntire. All these 
 owners have rights in the waters of the 
 brook. 
 
 West of the brook, and lying between it 
 and the highway (j) are the following 
 properties : 
 
 John B. Richardson land, on which 
 are several ice houses, the brook furnish- 
 ing a sufficient supply to stock them. 
 This is admirable land for manufacturing 
 purposes. 
 
73 
 
 Stillman B. Clough, 4 acres abutting on 
 the brook. 
 
 Mrs. John Webber, 9 acres, abutting 
 on the brook. 
 
 Mrs. Wentworth, several acres, abutting 
 on the brook. 
 
 Mrs. S. Tyler, several acres, abutting 
 on the brook. 
 
 The Marshall Pratt estate, W. E. Pot- 
 ter and Son, agents, a large tract on both 
 sides bf the brook. 
 
 Joseph Bowers, a large tract on both 
 sides of the brook. 
 
 While the land here mentioned is desir- 
 able for manufacturers, it is flanked on 
 the south bv rising land (k) which is being 
 rapidlv utilized for residences. It is cheap 
 and manufacturers can find ready accom- 
 modations there for their help. 
 
 There is a railroad station at Middlesex 
 ^'illage, and the street railway will be ex- 
 tended through that section this year to 
 the citv line. The distance from the city 
 post office is a mile and a half. 
 
 CENTRALVILLE. 
 
 In Centralville, north of the Aiken 
 street bridge and l3'ing between Lake- 
 view avenue and Beaver brook (x), is 
 land the property of John Ames, August 
 Fels and David Skillings. This section is 
 particularly recommended for shoe shops. 
 
 East of this land and lying between 
 Lakeview avenue and Bridge street, is 
 Crescent Hill (o), a recently opened ter- 
 ritory, which is being rapidly utilized for 
 residences. Its streets are graded and 
 lighted, and gas, city water and sewerage 
 are among the privileges the residents 
 enjoy. It is but a few minutes walk from 
 Dracut woolen mills and but a short dis- 
 tance from the great corporations with 
 which it is connected by the Aiken street 
 bridge. 
 
 OTHER LAND. 
 
 In addition to the lands in these sections 
 which are desirable for manufacturing 
 purposes, there are twelve acres belong- 
 ing to the proprietors of the locks and 
 canals at the bend of the river near the 
 Aiken street bridge (l), which can be 
 leased for manufacturing purposes. 
 
 They also have two acres of land on 
 Broadway (n) which they will lease at 
 reasonable terms. 
 
 In the neighborhood of Gorham street 
 and lying between that thoroughfare and 
 
 the Concord river is much land desirable 
 for manufacturing purposes. At the jimc- 
 tion of the street with the railroad is the 
 land of the Osgood heirs. 
 
 There are 3 acres (p) for which VV. E. 
 Potter & Son are agents. 
 
 (r) The Appleton heirs own six acres. 
 
 Mrs. Jei-emiah O'Neil owns 15 acres. 
 
 Tames ]MeadowCroft owns several acres. 
 
 Timothy Doolan owns 3 acres and will 
 welcome a factory on his land. All this 
 land has water privileges in the Concord 
 river and lies between the tracks of the 
 Boston & Lowell and the Lowell & Salem 
 railroads. 
 
 The Nesmith heirs own a fine lot for 
 manufacturing purposes (s) on Willie 
 street. 
 
 IN THE SUBURBS. 
 
 DRACUT. 
 
 There is a vast extent of available terri- 
 tory in this town, abutting on the Electric 
 railway and on Beaver Brook. 
 
 The brook furnishes 125 horse power 
 for the Collins mills in Collinsville, for the 
 Parker and Bassett paper mills and for the 
 Merrimack woolen mills. The village is 
 within ten minutes ride of the city post 
 office. 
 
 The following is the available land : 
 
 (t) Sixty-four acres owned by Percy 
 Parker. This land abuts on the brook 
 and is admirably adapted for manufactur- 
 ers. With it go the privileges of the 
 brook, and power may be obtained by the 
 erection of a plant on the westerly side of 
 the dam. 
 
 The Goodhue land lies south of the 
 Parker land and between the highway and 
 the brook (u) . 
 
 The land lying west and north of the 
 Parker land is owned by O. J. Coburn, 
 and is traversed by the brook. Tnere is 
 a fall here which is not utilized. 
 
 Richard Bennett also owns a lot with 
 water privileges. 
 
 north CHELMSFORD. 
 
 North Chelmsford possesses many valu- 
 able advantages for manufacturers. It is 
 traversed by the Lowell & Nashua and 
 Stony brook railroads. It lies on the 
 westerly bank of the Merrimack, into 
 which flow two brooks of considerable 
 volume, the Stony brook and Deep brook. 
 Here is the available land : 
 
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