Brother’s Brew coffee shop, 27 Main Street, Rockport, Ma. (978) 546-3775
Brackett’s, Rockport, Mass. http://www.bracketts.com/
Tag: Rockport History
President Lincoln appointed postmaster, abolitionist, Main Street proprietor, gold star dad, overseer of the poor, gardener: William H. Haskell house history Pleasant St. Gloucester, Mass.
Annotated illustration: Note gardens on properties abutting City Hall. William Haskell’s lots spread between Dale and Pleasant (#44 now) streets and beyond where Carroll Steele is located now, numbered 32 Pleasant Street, rear when he lived there. On the 1884 Hopkins and 1899 Stadly maps the lot is identified where the new post office is now.
Another Haskell (Cpt. John Haskell) was associated with 34 Pleasant (former Moose Home*), and Melvin Haskell with 136 Main Street. *The house history trail for 34 Pleasant (THEN 26 Pleasant): Pearce-J. Haskell-Calef-Moose Lodge (razed 2011)-Cape Ann Museum parking lot. This area could be an African American history stop spotlighting both abolitionist and antiabolitionist connections.
Street numbers were shifted. Behind #44 Pleasant Street now (below)
William Humphrey Haskell
Dates: b.January 23, 1810 – d.August 26, 1902
Parents: Eli (b. 1776 Gloucester, MA) and Lydia (Woodbury Bray) Haskell
Brother: Epes
Grandfather: Elias Haskell
First Wife and two daughters: Sarah Ann Bray (1811-1836) “died September 12, 1836 leaving two daughters* now deceased, one of whom (Sarah*) married a Mr. (Thomas*) Symonds of Reading and the other (Judith*) married Edwin Bradley of Rockport and was the mother of Mr. Edwin Archer Bradley* of Gloucester, Mass.” E Archer Bradley was Captain Sylvanus Smith son-in-law. E Archer Bradley is listed in the 1913 Polk directory as Vice President of the Gloucester Mutual Fishing Insurance Co and Director Rocky Neck Marine Railway Company.
Second Wife and six children: Mary S. Smith (died August 15, 1889) Married July 19, 1838. They had six children: “William G. Haskell of Washington, DC, Col. Edward H. Haskell and Charles A Haskell of Newton, Frank A. Haskell of California and Mrs. Saddie, wife of Samuel W. Brown of this city. One son, Asaph S. Haskell, laid his life on the altar of his country at Morehead City, N.C., September 28, 1863, of yellow fever while a member of Co. C, Twenty-third Regiment, where he had gone awaiting transportation home, his death occurring on the date of the expiration of his term of enlistment.”
Raised: West Gloucester, learned the trade of shoemaker according to obituary
Gloucester 250th Anniversary: served as Vice President of 250th celebration committee
Residences: 44 Pleasant Street (was between Dale and Pleasant streets and beyond where Carroll Steele is located now) formerly address 32 Pleasant Street, rear– either may have evidence Undergound Railroad. Haskell’s lots spread between Dale and Pleasant.* Another Haskell (Cpt. John Haskell) was associated with 34 Pleasant (former Moose Home) and Melvin Haskell with 136 Main Street.
Biographical information I dug up and researched then confirmed at Gloucester Archives August 29th with a special thanks to Sandy and Sarah with Gloucester Achives. I wanted to confirm Haskell’s address and home, because streets and numbers change on maps over time, and because I knew Sandy could help best with tracking down cemetery information about Haskell’s first wife and the daughters’ names missing from records and I wanted to spotlight her dedicated efforts.
Haskell’s first wife is buried in West Gloucester- historic Sumner St. Cemetery. Haskell and his first wife had two daughters. Sarah Ann Frances, born September 28, 1832 in Gloucester, died young, in December 1853. She married Thomas S. Symonds July 1851. (Haskell and his second wife named one of their daughters, Sarah “Seddie” Symonds Haskell, after his first child.) The second daughter, Judith Goldsmith, born February 20, 1836, married Edwin Archer Bradley on November 8, 1854.
OBITUARY WAS FRONT PAGE NEWS
“OLDEST MALE RESIDENT DEAD: William H. Haskell Closes Life at Age of 92 years- An Original Abolitionist and Life-long Republican
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“July 8, 1856 Rockport Women Smash Liquor Barrels” today’s Mass Moments
From Mass Moments (http://www.massmoments.org):
“On this day in 1856, 200 women, some of them wielding hatchets and ranging in age from 37 to 75, rampaged through the town of Rockport destroying every container of alcohol they could find. One eyewitness recorded in his journal: “There has been exciting times a-going on here today.” Weeks of planning preceded the five-hour raid. When it was over, the women had spilled hundreds of gallons of liquor. Over the next decade, alcohol sales in the town steadily declined. Rockport became one of several dozen Massachusetts towns where one could not buy liquor. Not until April 2005 would residents vote to permit inns, hotels, and restaurants to serve alcohol with meals. Twelve towns in the Commonwealth are still dry today, down from 17 in 2004.”
Listen to the Mass Moments Rockport story:
or Click here to read the rest of the story…
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Here’s the church where’s the steeple?
Readying for steeple removal May 27 First Congregational Church, Rockport, MA
“Few such meeting houses still stand that can compete with the Old Sloop for its well-documented history and its colonial beauty.”
June 1, 2017
Mary Markos’ Gloucester Daily Times article includes fun facts like this bit about the historic War of 1812 cannonball, along with an important update that the scope of work increased as damage was more extensive than projected. Now, there’s more of an opportunity on the ground to check out the 1775 lantern and bell.
Stow Wengenroth drawing available $450
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Melissa Smith Abbott Interview Part II
As promised here is part II of my conversation with Melissa Smith Abbott
I’m pretty sure we could have easily done parts III IV and V as Melissa has so much to say.
You can visit her website here-http://www.anadamabreadbook.com/
The Mrs read through it on the beach yesterday and said it was very cool and noted that for someone who grew up around here it would be extremely interesting.
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Melissa Smith Abbott Interview Part I
You can visit her website here-http://www.anadamabreadbook.com/
The Legacy of Three Melissas: Authentic & Original Cape Ann Recipes
is now available in Rockport at Toad Hall Bookstore, in Gloucester at The Bookstore on Main Street,
The Cape Ann Museum Bookstore, Harbor Loop Gifts at The Building Center
Tons of rich local history here
Here is part I of our two part interview-
Part II comes tomorrow at 6PM
Good Morning Gloucester 