The early days of Essex County, MA, and its various towns and townships, are recalled through a mixture of colorful tales and factual data in this NEW 145 Page Booklet, reprinted primarily from two hard-to-find books: the 1839 edition of Historical Collections of Massachusetts by John Warner Barber, and Massachusetts, a Guide to its Places and People, a WPA project. The spiral-bound booklet is printed on 60# paper, with the print enlarged for easier reading. A sheet of clear vinyl has been added to protect the front cover. INSERTED IN THE BOOKLET is a copy of the Map of Massachusetts which accompanied the Barber book. The map is printed in black ink on natural parchtex paper. The communities mentioned include: Amesbury, Andover, Beverly, Boxford, Bradford, Cape Ann, Danvers, Essex, Georgetown, Groveland, Gloucester, Hamilton, Haverhill, Ipswich, Lawrence, Lynn, Lynnfield, Manchester, Marblehead, Merrimac, Methuess, Middleton, New Mills, Newbury, Newburyport, Reading, Rowley, Salem, Salisbury, Sandwich, Sangus, South Reading, Topsfield, Wenham, West Newbury, West Parish (or Jamaica), Yarmouth. The many and diverse topics in the Barber section of the booklet include: Early Settlers, The Amesbury Flannel Mfg. Co., and other Industries; Cost of a Town; Indian Troubles, including the Remarkable Escape of Two Women and a Boy; Bradford Academy and Other Educational Institutions; "The Indictment of Martha Carryer" for Witchcraft; the Unsuccessful Attempt to Rename Beverly; "Hourglass" Sermons; Eel Migration; the Great Fire in Newburyport; Nathaniel Bowditch, celebrated mathmatician; Revolutionary War Heroes: Gen. Israel Putnam, Col. Hutchinson, Jeremiah Page, Capt. Samuel Page, and Gen. Gideon Foster; Shipwreck of the Pirate Bellamy, and Other Shipwrecks and Calamities; Sea Serpents, Lions, Wolf Hunting, a Tornado, and an Earthquake. And all of this is just in the first part of the booklet. Excerpts from the WPA book give a nostalgic glimpse from a 1940 vantage point, including interesting historical notes, especially as they relate to sightseeing possibilities. It includes just about everything there was to see in the county in 1940 -- the old houses and other historic sites, industries, institutions, natural wonders, and a few not so natural. It recalls the old legends, the ghost stories, the various industries that have come and gone, and enough trivia to start a quiz show. Like why were knitting tools buried in butter, what was the "Country's Wonder", who reportedly lived at "Egg Rock" and what future president used the "Ordeal by Touch" in a Murder Trial? Besides the general tours, there are special sections on Gloucester and Rockport, Haverhill, Lawrence, Lynn, Marblehead, Newburyport and Salem.
Essex County, MA
only $16.25
Sources: Historical Collections of Massachusetts / Essex County History
Authors: John Warner Barber
Original Publication Year: 1840
Original Publisher: Dorr, Howland and Co.
See Description for more info.
