Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-08-04
LAWRENCE, MASS.
Its nirth-Surrristng Growth aud shc
Cause

It's nirth-Surpristng Growth aud shc |
Cause.
We are indebted to Ira o. William,
Esq, q former citizen of Ottumwa.
now residing in Lawrence, Mass, for
= copy Of the Boston daily Globe, bear
ing date Of July Gath, containing an
extended history Of the city of Law.
renee. from its foundation up to the
present time. From this history we
CLEAN, believing that 1t will be inter-
esting and profitable to our readere,
now that we are engaged in the con.
struction of one of the most magnifi-
cent water powers in the Northwest.
The Globe says, in opening up tho his
tory of the city
Lawrence is ono of the youngest
in the sisterhood of Massach usetts cit
ies, and when the brief period OF her
existence as town or city is taken
into consideration, record of her pro-
grcss reads like those of some Of the
rapidly -growing and quickly .devel-
oped cities of the West. Twenty.
eight years ago, Lawrence was I'M
known even in name. To-day, she is
. thriving city, with some $4,000 in.
habitants, large wealth, manufactur.
ing establishments equalled by few
cities in the country, great enterprise,
and almost unlimited promise. In the
words of Drake, " Lawrence is one of
the splendid industrial cities which
have sprung up so rapidly, as il under
the hand of the GENT, from the me-
chanical, tho liberal, and progressive
spirit of the State" In fact, few, If
any places upon this continent have
experienced such . marvellously rap.
i'd, continuous and healthy growth,
springing so suddenly from wilder
ness as II by the wand of fairy en-
chantment, with power and beauty, %
the city of Lawrence. In 1916, when
the Essex Company began operations
there were less than . score of
dwellings upon the present territory,
and only about one hundred inhabi-
tants.
1t will thus be seen that Lawrence
is really Of about the same age of o.
tumwa. The first purchaser of the
immense water power of Peters Falls,
was Daniel Saunders. Subsequently,
in lS45. the Legislature of the State
chartered the Essex Company, consist
ing Of Samuel Lawrence, Edmund
Bartlett, John Nesmitb, and Daniel
Saunders, for tho purpose of construct
ing dam and canals, and creating q
water power to use, let, or cell, for
mechanical and manufacturing pur-
poses, and on the 10th of April follow
ing, the account says the corporation
was organized, and Charles S. Stor.
row, Esq, chosen Treasurer and man
aging agent, position which he has
held continuously to this day. The
Globe further says:
"The men who entered upon this
enterprise had broad views of the
work; they intended to establish no
small or contracted township, but be-
gan at once to lay out city of the tu-
ture, with spacious streets, wide ay-
enues, and broad sidewalks. with a
splendid park in the very heart of the
territory.
The original name of the place was
Merrimack," until at the time of q
petition for town charter, meeting
of residents was held In the Office OF
the Essex Company, and on motion OF
Mr.. Storrow, the name of Lawrence
was cordially adopted =; brick in the
outer wall of the present City Hall,
near the southeast corner, bears ON its
face the impressions, GA. Lawrence"
I" S. Lawrence" A. already indicated,
the growth of the town was rapid, and
in 1858, only six years after the town
charter was granted, the garments of
childhood wcro laid aside, when Law
renee entered the lists in the dignity
of prosperous city. On the 2lst Of
: March vi tAio autAss ycer, iSAau inourpur-
alton as city went into effect. The
rapid progress which marked Law.
renee as a town appeared to be greatly
accelerated under the new arrange
ment, until the city, which but one
generation ago was but sterile tract
of sandy and marshy land. worth per-
haps no more than SO or $15 per acre,
and containing 40 more than fifty in
hsbitants, has now . population of
about 81, 900, with about 1900 dwell
ing houses, 1850 voters, and some of
the most extensive and best regulated
cotton mills in America. The ratio of
increase in valuation since 1847, it will
be eeen, has been at the rate of $50, 900
per month, or nearly 5000, per day
and this too, while including . period
of five years of absolute refrigeration,
in the calamitous period following
1857"
Ofthe manufacturing interests de-
veloped in Lawrence, the Globe says !:
among the most prominent ele-
ments of the material prosperity OF the
city are the Atlantic Cotton Mills,
the Washington Mills, the Everett
Mills, the Pemberton Mills, the Pacific
Mills and the Arlington Wooden Mills.
The Atlantic Mills were incorporated
in 1916, with q capital of 81, 300 600,
and employed l,400 persons the Wash.
ingtOn Mills, with q capital of 81, ESQ.,
600, and employing aOout $500 peo-
PIE; the Everett Mill, with q capital Of
100000, manufacturing variety Of
cotton and woollen goods, and furnish.
ing employment to about 1000 per.
sons; and the Pemberton Mills, which
employed nearly 800 persons at the
time Of starting. The Pacific Mills,
with capital Of $500 600, occupy .
vast area, and present very impoaing