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"Sketches of Lynn
Or The
Changes Of Fifty Years"
by David N. Johnson

Transcribed and submitted
by Shaun Cook

To help transcribe or submit information, please e-mail Shaun Cook.

SHOE FACTORIES OF LYNN, pgs. 439-471

The following table gives a list of most of the larger shoe factories which have been built upon the spot where they now stand within the last half century. The date when these were erected can be ascertained with a good degree of certainty. This list does not include several large establishments, composite in their character, and uncertain in their history. These have reached their present proportions by the enlargement of smaller buildings, with the necessary remodelling to fit them to meet the requirements of the present day. Some of these are made up of two old factories joined together, and reconstructed to keep pace with the revolution that has taken place within the last twenty years. When it is understood that one of these modern factories has a capacity of some twenty of the old-time establishments, an explanation will be found to the fact that the number of these factories does not correspond with the great increase of the shoe business of our city. Most of these are from four to six stories in height, and cover an area of from 4000 to 10,000 feet of land. Those marked (b) denote brick, and (w) those constructed of wood. It will be seen that during the last ten years most of these structures were built of brick. Of the first seven given in this list only that built by Nathan Breed is now used as a shoe factory:

George Johnson, (w) North Common street, .... 1833
Nathan Breed, (w) Broad street, built in .... 1835
David Taylor (b) corner of Commercial and Elm streets, .... 1835
Josiah Clough, (b) Centre street, .... 1836
Nathan D. Chase, (b) Broad street, .... 1836
Christopher Robinson, (b) South Common street, .... 1848
Pratt & Boyce, (b) Broad street, .... 1850
John Wooldredge, (b) corner of Exchange and Mt. Vernon streets, .... 1851
S. M. Bubier's block, (w) corner of Oxford and Market streets, .... 1855
John Wooldredge, block extension (b) Mt. Vernon street, .... 1858-9
Lucian Newhall's block, (w) cor. Exchange and Spring sts .... 1859
B. B. Breed's block, (w) .... 1860
Haskell's block, Union street, .... 1861
P. A. Chase's block, (w) Spring street, .... 1862
Thomas Stacy, (w) Exchange street, enlarged .... 1863
B. F. Spinney's block, (w) - moved from Union street to rear - built in .... 1864
Breed & Abbott's building, (b) corner of State and Brown streets, .... 1865
J. E. F. Marsh, (b) Market street, .... 1865
Theodore Attwill's block, (w) Munroe street, .... 1865
Exchange block, (b) Exchange street, .... 1867
John M. Newhall, (w) Union street, .... 1868
Brown Brothers, (b, stone front,) Union street, near Exchange street, .... 1868
Frazier's block, (b) corner of Market and Summer streets, built in 1858, burned in 1868, re-built in .... 1869
Johnson, Nichols & Ingalls, (b) Munroe street, .... 1869
Bubier's block, west side of Market street, built in 1866, burned in 1868, and re-built in .... 1869
Bubier's block, (b) east side of Market street, .... 1870
Dore's block, (w) Washington street, near Railroad .... 1870
Hussey & Musso's building,(w) Exchange street, remodeled, .... 1871
Spinney's block, (w) - west end, - Almont street, .... 1871
Patrick Lennox, (b) Market street, .... 1871
Spinney & Caldwell, Oxford street, .... 1871
Proctor & Ingalls' block, (w) Union street, .... 1871
Isaac Attwill, (w) built 1857, enlarged .... 1872
S. S. Ireson, (w) Munroe street, .... 1872
Breed & Sweetser's block, (b) between Railroad avenue and Union street, .... 1872
D. B. Moulton's block, Union street, .... 1872
Bennett & Barnard's block, (w) Willow street, .... 1872
Mower Brothers' block, (w) Willow street .... 1872
J. N. Smith's block, (w) Union street, .... 1872
Breed & Dole, (w) Oxford street, remodelled, .... 1872
Keene Brothers' block, (b) corner of Willow and Oxford streets, .... 1872-3
Jerome Ingalls' block, (b) Union street, .... 1874
John Mahon & Son, (b) .... 1874
John B. Johnson & Son's, (w) Central Avenue and Washington street, .... 1875
Lucian Newhall (w) Oxford street, between Willow street and Central avenue, .... 1875
Keene Brothers' block, (b) - north - Oxford street, .... 1875-6
A. F. Smith, (w) Oxford street, .... 1876
John Wooldredge, (b) Mount Vernon street, .... 1876
Sweetser's block, (b) corner of Oxford street and Central avenue, .... 1877
Fuller's block, (b) corner of Central and Railroad avenues .... 1877
Bancroft's building, (w) Oxford street, .... 1877
D. H. Sweetser, (b) Willow street, near Liberty street, .... 1877
John Mahon & Son, (b) near Liberty street, .... 1877
A. B. Martin's block, (b) Market street, .... 1879
Valpey & Anthony's block, (b) corner of Central and Liberty street, .... 1879
T. P. Richardson & Co., (b) Central avenue, .... 1879
P. Sherry's block, (b) Munroe street, .... 1879
B. F. Spinney's block, (b) Union street, .... 1880
C. B. Tebbett's block, (b) Willow street, .... 1880

POPULATION OF LYNN. 1830-1880, pg. 479

A better understanding of the gain made between the years 1850 and 1860 will be obtained by mention of the fact that Swampscott was set off from Lynn in 1852, and Nahant in 1853.

1830, .... 6,138

1840, .... 9,367

1850, .... 14,257

1860, .... 19,083

1870, .... 28,233

1875, .... 32,600

1880 (estimated), .... 40,000

CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE, pg. 480-483

1825-CharIes F. Lummus published the first newspaper (The Lynn Mirror) printed in Lynn. It appeared September 3.
1826-The Lynn Institution for Savings was incorporated June 20.
1828-The Lynn Mutual Fire Insurance Company was organized.
         The Lynn Lyceum was established December 23.
1829-The first complete map of Lynn Was made by Alonzo Lewis from a special survey.
1830-The Lynn Record was started by Alonzo Lewis January 23.
          Railroad house, head of Market street, built by John B. Alley.
1831-The Essex Democrat, the third newspaper in Lynn, was published by Benjamin Mudge.
          Coal first brought into Lynn by Henry A. Breed.
1832-The Weekly Messenger, the fourth newspaper published in Lynn, was first issued April 14.
         The Lynn Anti-Slavery Society was organized April 25.
         The Lynn Mechanics Fire and Marine Insurance Company incorporated.
         Nahant Bank established.
         Great anti-nullification meeting held in the Town Hall December 25.
1833-Friction matches introduced.
1834-Meetings of Mount Carmel Lodge discontinued.
1835-George Thompson, the noted abolitionist, visited Lynn.
         Old Mechanics Bank, Broad street, built.
1838-Eastern Railroad opened for travel August 18.
         The fifth newspaper, with the title of The Lynn Freeman, was issued November 10.
1839-Great storm, beginning December 15, and lasting three days, did immense damage, especially along the coast.
         Twenty vessels were wrecked at Swampscott, and seventeen dead bodies were fonnd on the beach.
1840-The Puritan, a religious newspaper, was started this year in Lynn, with Rev. Parsons Cooke as editor.
1841-Lyceum Hall built, corner of Market and Summer streets.
         First daguerreotype picture taken in Lynn, by James R. Newhall.
1842-Robert Trevett, a noted lawyer of Lynn, died January 13. aged 53.
         The Essex County Washingtonian, a temperance paper, was started March 16. Christopher Robinson was proprietor.
1844-The Essex County Whig, a weekly newspaper, was begun this year.
1845-Mount Carmel Lodge of Free Masons, discontinued in 1834, was this year reorganized.
1846-The old Lynn Light Infantry, organized in 1812, was disbanded.
         The Essex County Agricultural Society held its cattle show October 8.
1847-The Essex County Agricultural Fair was again held in Lynn September 29.
1848-Carriage road over harbor side of Long Beach built.
         George Gray, the Lynn hermit, died February, aged 71.
1849-Lynn Police Court established.
1850-Lynn adopts a city form of government.
         Pine Grove Cemetery consecrated July 24.
         Ten hour system adopted. Bells ring at 6 P. M.
1851-Hiram Marble begins the excavation of Dungeon Rock.
1852-Louis Kossuth visits Lynn May 6.
         Swampscott incorporated as a separate town.
1853-Nahant incorporated March 29.
          Illuminating gas first used in Lynn January 13.
          Cars began to run over the Saugus branch railroad.
1855-City Charter amended, and the municipal year begins the first day in January.
1856-Sagamore Hotel built.
         Egg Rock lighthouse first lighted September 15.
1857-Bark Federal wrecked - all on board lost - January 18.
1858-Telegraphic communication between Lynn and other places opened.
         Catholic Cemetery consecrated November 4
1859-Bark Vernon came ashore on Long Beach February 1.
1860-Shoemakers' strike begun in February.
          First horse railroad cars run November 29.
          Market street first lighted with gas December 7.
1861-Nahant Hotel burned September 12.
          Lynn Light Infantry and Lynn City Guards start for the seat of war April l6, four days after the attack on Sumter.
1862-Great war meeting held on the Common August 31.
          Soldiers' burial lot laid out in Pine Grove Cemetery.
1863-Boston and Lynn Horse Railroad Company began to run cars to Chelsea beach June 1.
1864-Frederic Tudor died February 6, aged 80.
          Free delivery of letters from the post office.
          First steam fire engine arrived in Lynn August 11.
1865-Corner stone of City Hall laid November 28.
1867-City Hall dedicated November 30.
1868-Great fire on Market street December 25; Frazier's and Bubier's blocks destroyed.
          Five Cents Savings Bank building, Market Street, built.
1869-Factory of Edwin H. Johnson, and other buildings on Munroe street, destroyed by fire January 25.
          Ireson street school-house built.
          Shepard school-house built.
          Tornado swept through Lynn September 8, doing much damage.
1870-Music Hall, on Central avenue, built.
1871-Young Men's Christian Association incorporated.
          Electric fire-alarm introduced.
          Eastern railroad accident at Revere; 33 lives lost - 11 from Lynn - and some 60 wounded.
1872-Cobbett school-house dedicated.
          Ingalls school-house dedicated.
          Bell placed in tower of City Hall.
          Odd Fellows' Hall dedicated October 7.
          Eastern railroad station, Central square, built.
          Epizootic prevailed among horses in the latter part of the year; but few horses were able to travel.
          Reservoir on Pine Hill built.
1873-Soldiers' monument. Park square, dedicated September 17.
         Concrete crossings first laid.
         Birch pond made by building dam across Birch brook.
         Friends' Biennial Conference held in Nahant street Universalist church November 19.
1874-Home for aged women incorporated February 6.
         Academy of Music, Market street, built.
         Horse railroad extended to Upper Swampscott and Oakland Grove.
1875-United States Conference of Universalists held October 20.
1876-Engine house, on Federal street, built.
         Centennial of the nation observed by services in the old Methodist church.
1878-Engine house built on Broad street.
         Fence around the Park built.
1879-Horse railroad extended to Cemetery.
         Two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the settlement of Lynn.
1879-80-Boyden's block (b), Union street, built.
1880-Young Men's Christian Association building, corner of Market and Liberty streets, built.
         Horse railroad opened through Summer street to Central Station and Long Beach.

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