Bygone Ipswich – Photographs by early Ipswich photographers George Dexter, Arthur Wesley Dow and Edward Darling.
Many of these photos were digitally developed from original glass negatives taken by three early Ipswich photographers, Arthur Wesley Dow, George Dexter, and Edward L. Darling.
The Willowdale Mill: In February of 1824, permission was given to build a dam here in order to provide water power for a mill, but it was not built until 1829. This dam was said to be about 6’ tall in a 1918 report and is still standing today. Foote Brothers Canoe Rentals was established here in 1955 and is still in operation today with second and third generation family members operating the business. The first mill built here was a Sawmill in 1829. In 1834 it was converted into a Textile Mill. It produced hosiery as well as woolen goods and was in operation until a fire in January of 1884 destroyed it. The foundation can still be seen today. A long sluice-way was built here and runs parallel with the river, directing the water flow under the mill. (from “The Industrial History of the Ipswich River.”) Photo by Edward L. Darling, from the collection of William J. Barton.
Just above the dam was Goodhue’s Boathouse, at the end of Peatfield St. It was in business as early as 1891, and rented boats for recreation as well as offering accommodations. The location is a public canoe launch today. (from “The Industrial History of the Ipswich River”) Photo courtesy of Bill George
View of the County Street mills from the Cove at Poplar St. Photo by Edward L. Darling. A Distillery for the manufacture of rum was located along Turkey Shore as early as 1765. It continued its operation until 1836, when it was sold and converted into a Tannery, which was still in operation in 1872. The riverbank that now hosts the Sidney Shurcliff Riverwalk was used as a campsite by Native American’s to fish during the spring spawning. Two and three-masted sailing ships loaded and unloaded wares in the Great Cove, timing their arrival and departures with the tide. (From “The Industrial History of the Ipswich River.”)
William J. Barton wrote: This picture was taken from Turkey Shore Road from a point by Ausgustin H. Plouff’s or Chester Bowles’ house. On the extreme left is the Lower Mill, which at the time was a woolen mill. Behind the barn on the left is the Ipswich Girls Seminary Building, and the North Congregational parish house. On North Main Street is the flag pole at the soldiers monument where each morning since 1910 someone from the Post Office would put up the flag. The flags were furnished by the weather bureau, telling what the weather would be. In back of the trees can be seen the Damon Building on County St. The white house sat on the side of the Episcopal Church. Next are the steeples of the North Congregational and Methodist churches. The white house on the right with the mansard roof was built by William Willcomb, owned afterwards by his daughter Mrs. Carrie Angus. The Methodist Parsonage at 27 County St. is to the right. Photo by Edward L. Darling.
William J. Barton wrote, “The parades were longer in those days. The parade would form on Hammatt and side streets, and would proceed up Central Street to Lord Square, then up High to the junction of Locust Street, then counter march down to East Street to Wilcomb Square, and sometimes to the Lower Wharf, back up East to Willcombs Square, then to the corner of Summer and County Street, down Summer Street to Water Street, then cross the Green Street Bridge, down Turkey Shore Road to Poplar, then up Payne Street onto Argilla Road, then up Linden to Ward Street, then down County Street to S. Main Street to Market Square, and from there disband.
All the business firms would be represented by horse-drawn wagons representing their stock of trade. Derby Atkinson had 5 teams driven by his drivers, calling attention to the fish business, which was located at 16 County St. I rode on the team. All fraternal organizations would be represented by marvelous floats. The usual number of bands and drum and fife corps accompanied. Photo by George Dexter.
County St. and the two steeples circa 1860, before the Ascension Church was built. The identify of the building directly behind the Methodist Church is unknown. The former Episcopal parsonage is at that location now.
William J. Barton wrote, “The lot where the trees are is at what is now the corner of Summer St. and Water St., Ipswich Mass. At this time there was no street along here. The original picture was made by John Staniford, I’m quite sure. Mr. Edward L. Darling said he lived in Rockport, Mass. He was a brother of Augustin Staniford of Highland Avenue, Ipswich (I knew as a boy) and Mary Jane Staniford a sister I knew and also a sister Mary S. Staniford of Summer St. I can remember as a boy around 1894 there was a very old house next to this, owned by a Mr. Ephraim Grant, a boatman that was torn down, quite sure in 1961. Mr. Franklin Waters’ History of Ipswich speaks about a grant or deed of land to him. Next to the Grant house was a boat house, large building, for storing yachts and boats for winter, owned by Howard C. Dodge.
The next long building was part of Choate Shipyard. Charles Choate moved from Essex in 1834, built ships at Bakers Wharf. He had two sons, Edward W. Choate and Lewis, from the Directory 1888. Baker’s Wharf must afterward have been called Choates Wharf around 1900. Charles Choate afterward moved his shipyard at the foot of Green St. where the Green Street bridge now is. The next house in the picture was the Choate house. Herbert Choate, my age, lived here as a boy. His father must have been Lewis Choate. Edward W. Choate, who lived at 12 East Street in my time built ships at Rogers Point at the Rogers property, just opposite Ring Bolt Rock, just below the lower wharf he built the Lucy K. Cogswell in 1868, and the red Gray in 1869 (my father William E. Barton sailed in the Fred Gray). He built the Mattie G. in 1875 and the steamer Carlotta in 1878. Fred Gray was lost in the West Indies. Lucy K. Cogswell ended up at the bottom of the harbor at Edgartown.
The 3 little shacks to the right of the first house were clam houses. Men who dug clams kept their gear here and shucked their clams as is quite evident by the pile of white clams on the bank. Three dorys used to go clamming. Beyond the last shanty is a little bridge made of rails (thick boards) that spanned a brook the length of Dodges field through the land of John F. Barton and William E. Barton and across Summer St.to this side of Green St.
Photo by Edward L. Darling
William J. Barton wrote, “The big building was at one time the Custom House storage building and was used as a lumber barn, owned and run by William G. Brown, who built the house at 13 Topsfield Road in Ipswich. He was also in the grain business, and sold land. My father William E. Barton at 26 Summer St. and William (Bill) Jewett, who lived next door, would hire a schooner at Newburyport, MA and freight lumber from Bangor, Maine in the summers for Mr. Brown.
When I was a boy around 12 years old (64 years ago), Charles W. Rollins, a building mover, moved the building to the corner of Hammett Street and Brown Square. It was used for a grain mill by William G. Horton, torn down perhaps 15 years ago. Just this side of the building we called the Granite Wharf Rock, sloops from Rockport, Mass brought long slabs of granite here. Granite was used for curb stones along sidewalks, and also was used by August J. Barton for monumental work.
The next building was the coal shed run by John S. Glover, back in 1888, and several years later by Charles Lovell. Two and three masted vessels delivered coal to the wharf until vessels got to be a thing of the past. Then they came by rail. We called this Glover’s Wharf. Where the vessels are, we called the lower wharf. At one time I think this was also Brown’s Wharf. Later Paul Eames ran a coal and wood business here. The Carlotta Steamer landed at this wharf.” Photo by Edward Darling, courtesy of William Barton.
William J. Barton wrote, “The lower part of Ipswich River, Ipswich Mass from the Green Street Bridge. The first building on the left was a fish shanty. The three men who ran the fish market peddled by horse and wagon were Lewis Grant, Dennison Rush, called ‘Dense’. and Charles Rush. Every day they boiled lobsters and one, almost a foot long, sold for 10 cents. All the children in the neighborhood would sit on ice chests over the water in rear of the building in all of the stream as the above men we thought were old fellows boiled a pot of crabs for us children. “Happy Days!” Next to the building was the best town landing on the river. There was no road beyond this building along the river in those days. The next little building beyond the fish shanty was used at one time by Robert (Bob) Gone, and I think by my father to keep fishing gear. They and a crew of men fished along the South Shore for herring. The nice house with the flag pole was the home of Howard Dodge (later Raymond Dodge’s home). The little building in front was a sand house. He sold sand to masons to make plaster. My father would bring a dory full of sand he would get on Ipswich bar for Mr. Dodge. One of these boats is anchored here, and is likely to be his.” Photo by Edward L. Darling
William J. Barton wrote, “The lower wharf in the picture was known as Brown’s Wharf. William G. Brown dealt in wood, coal, lime, sand and cement. His office in the rear of the wharf was the Agawam house where he ran a liver y and hack stable, and orders for the above commodities were left at the office of Agawam Stable and at his residence at Topsfield Rd. At Brown’s Wharf, Joseph F. Claxton ran a restaurant, one of the finest shore dinners. No one could fry a better clam than Mrs. Claxton. In later years, Brown’s Wharf was operated by Paul R. Eames, who dealt in coal and wood. This was around the year 1890.”
Alice Keenan wrote, “This picture shows the Town Wharf circa 1890, and the masts of a coal schooner unloading in front of Brown’s wharf and warehouse. In the background standing well beyond Agawam avenue is the Edward Choate shipbuilding yards. Here he built among others: “The Lucy Cogswell” in 1868; “The Fred Gray” in 1869; “The Mattie F” in 1875 and what has to be the most photographed excursion boat of them all, “The Carlotta” in 1878. The boats were launched down a tiny little railway that ran into the river and whose rails could still be seen a dozen or more years ago before they silted over.
In the background is the tiny cottage that later served as the summer home of Miss Claretta Rogers whose family then owned the old Newmarch house on Agawam avenue and the entire sweep of acreage from the river bank back onto Newmarch street. In the center of the picture is the ever-present “Ringbolt Rock.” This ancient guardian of the tiny harbor was so named because of the giant iron rings that somehow or other were fastened to its slippery surface and helped pull the boats around the point when the going got sticky. Similar iron rings dotted Nabby’s Point and other spots along the river and remained in place until gathered up in the great scrap metal drives of World War II.” Photograph by Arthur Wesley Dow.
William G. Barton wrote, “This is the Lower Wharf, also called Brown’s Wharf. The building where the vessel is tied up is located where once there was a shipyard. At low tide, the steamer Carlotta would take on passengers where the vessel is tied up. My father, William E. Barton, and William Jewett both of Summer Street would hire a two-masted vessel in Newburyport and freight lumber from Bangor Maine to Ipswich, MA for William Brown, who lived at 13 Topsfield Road, later the home of William Mayes. Frank and Howard Jewett, sons of the above William, would go as crew.” Photo courtesy of Billy Barton
William J. Barton wrote, “This is Water Street from Summer to Green Street, Ipswich, Mass. For a long time it was called “Clam Shell Alley.” The old wooden bridge in the distance was condemned, and a new stone arch bridge was built in 1894. For several years, I have been the last living man who worked on the bridge (not for pay). I helped my father as a boy working on wooden arches that held the granite in place. The Ipswich County House (House of Correction) is at the extreme right of the picture. My father, William E. Barton, had a Massachusetts Bay pilot license, and he piloted the rock sloop loaded with granite to build the new stone arch bridge. The river is not too deep.” Photo by Edward L. Darling. Photo by Edward K, Darling.
River View Cash Market, 1935. Photo courtesy of Robert Cronin, who wrote his memories of his father’s store on the Town Wharf:
“Looking at the space where it stood, you can’t believe that it fit in that area. And yet, we dispensed all kinds of groceries, meats, etc. Fried Clams were sold on weekends. We dug and shucked ou clams. Also, the farther end of the building was a workshop run by Vernal Smith. There are a couple of reasons I wax nostalgic looking at these photos: I spent most of my high school years working in the store up until I went into the Navy. Both of my brothers were smart–they played football. So, I was elected to work in the store.
The one thing that kept my morale up while in the navy was the thought of returning to the store and taking up where I left off. Murphy’s Law took over. The building needed too many repairs, and staple goods were hard to get, thus the dream disappeared, but many memories linger on, and these forgotten photos bring them back.”
