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Archiver > GenMassachusetts > 2002-09 > 1031501555


From: "OLIVIA COLE" <>
Subject: Re: [GM-L] Groton, Mass. Stage-coaches
Date: Sun, 8 Sep 2002 12:12:35 -0400
References: <12c.172ea3e0.2aaca611@aol.com>


Janice,
Thank you for your wealth of information. I have never seen this type info
mentioned and appreciate your efforts greatly. Several of 'my men' were
listed as car makers and teamsters in that area of MA. Non were listed, but
I enjoyed looking!
Renee Bissell-Cole in Indiana
----- Original Message -----
From: <>
To: <>
Sent: Sunday, September 08, 2002 9:09 AM
Subject: [GM-L] Groton, Mass. Stage-coaches


> Subject: Groton Stage-coaches
> Source: Groton Historical Series by Dr. Samuel A. Green - Vol I, Chapter
> VIII, 1887.
>
> p.18
>
> About the year 1807 there was a tri-weekly line of coaches to Boston and
as
> early
> as 1820, a daily line, which connected at Groton with others extending to
New
> Hampshire and Vermont. Soon after this time there were two lines to
Boston,
> running in opposition to each other, one known as the Union &
Accommodation
> Line and the other as the Telegraph & Despatch line.
>
> One of the drivers for the Telegraph & Despatch line was Phineas
Harrington,
> popularly known along the road as "Phin" Harrington. He had orders to
take
> but
> eight passengers in his coach and the trip was made with remarkable speed
for
> that period. "Phin" was a man of small size. He passed almost his whole
life
> as
> a stage-man, and it is said that he drove for nearly forty years. He
could
> handle the
> reins of six horses with more skill than any other driver in town.
>
> About this time George Flint had a line to Nashua and John Holt another to
> Fitch-
> burg. They advertised together in the Groton Herald, May 1, 1830, that "no
> pains
> shall be spared to accomodate those who favor them with their custom and
all
> busi-
> ness intrusted to their care will be faithfully attended to."
>
> The first stage-coach from Groton to Lowell began to run about the year
1829
> and
> John Austin was the driver. An opposition line was established soon
> afterward and
> kept up during a short time until a compromise was made between them.
Later,
> John Russ was the owner and driver of a line to Lowell and still later,
John
> M. Maynard the owner. Near this period there was a coach running to
> Worcester,
> and previously one to Amherst, New Hampshire.
>
> p.19
>
> Fifty years ago, General Thomas Adams Staples was a well-known
> stage-proprietor.
> He was a man of large frame and fine proportions, and is still remembered
by
> many
> residents of the town. He was born in Boston on July 20, 1804 and died at
> Machias
> Maine on November 13, 1880.
>
> The following is a list of some of the old drivers who were well known
along
> their
> respective routes. It is arranged in no particular order and is by no
means
> complete;
> and the dates against a few of the names are only approximations to the
time
> when
> each one sat on the box:
>
> Lemuel Lakin was among the earliest; and he was followed by Dearborn
Emerson.
>
> Daniel Brooks drove to Boston during the period of the last war with
England
> and
> probably later.
>
> Aaron Corey drove the accommodation stage to Boston, through Carlisle,
> Bedford,
> and Lexington for a long time, and he had previously driven the
mail-coach.
> He
> was succeeded by his son, Calvin Corey, the driver for a few years, until
the
> line
> was given up in 1850. Mr. Corey, the father, was one of the veterans,
having
> held
> the reins during 32 years; he died March 15, 1857 at the age of 73.
>
> Stage to Boston driver:
>
> Isaac Bullard, (1817 to 1830)
> William Smart (1825 to 1830)
> George Hunt
> Jonathan Buttrick
> Obadiah Kendall
> Albert Hayden
> Charles Briggs
> Levi Robbins
> James Lord
> Frank Brown
> Silas Burgess
> Augustus Adams
> William Dana
> Horace Brown
> Levi Wheeler
> Timothy Underwood
> ______Bacon
> Horace George (1838 to 1845)
> Lyman William Cushing (1842 to 1845)
> Joseph Stewart
>
> After the stages were taken off, "Joe" Stewart was the driver of the
> passenger-coach
> from Groton village to the station on the Fitchburg Railroad, which ran to
> connect
> with the three daily trains for Boston. The station was three miles away
and
> now
> within the limits of Ayer, Mass.
>
> p.20
>
> Among the drivers to Keene, New Hampshire, were:
>
> Kimball Danforth (1817 to 1840)
> Ira Brown
> Oliver Scales
> Amos Nicholas
> Otis Bardwell
> Abel Marshall
> Ira Hodgkins
> Hiram Hodgkins
> George Brown
> Houghton Lawrence
> Palmer Thomas
> Ira Green
> Barney Pike
> William Johnson
> Walter Carleton
> John Carleton.
>
> There were two stage routes to Keene, both going as far as West Townsend
in
> common, and then separating, one passing through New Ipswich and Jaffrey,
a
> northerly route, while the other went through Ashby, Rindge, Fitzwilliam,
a
> southerly
> one.
>
> Anson Johnson and Beriah Curtis drove to Worcester.
>
> To Lowell were:
>
> Addison Parker
> Henry Lewis Lawrence
> Stephen Corbin
> John Webber
> Ward Webber
>
> To Nashua:
>
> Abiel Fawcett
> Nathan Fawcett
> Wilder Proctor
> Abel Hamilton Fuller.
>
> Micah Ball who came from Leominster about the year 1824, drove to Amherst,
> New Hampshire, and after him, Benjamin Lewis, who continued to drive as
long
> as he lived, and at his death the line was given up. The route lay
through
> Pepperell,
> Hollis and Milford.
>
> The forerunner of this Amherst stage was a one-horse vehicle, which used
to
> go over
> the road each way two or three times a week, and carried the mail. It
began
> to run
> about the year 1820 and took passengers as occasion required.
>
> Other reins-men were:
>
> John Chase
> Joel Shattuck
> William Shattuck
> Moses Titus
> Frank Shattuck
> David Coburn
> _____Chickering
> Thomas Emory
> William Kemp, Jr.
>
> Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth
>
>
>
>
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