The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1892-09-28
A GREAT SHOE CITY.
HISTORY OF LYNN AND ITS SHOE
MAKING INDUSTRY.

as Early as 1629-A City Renowned
for It's Patriotism and Wealth.
The history of the city of Lynn and
that of its shoe industry are, chronology
ically speaking, almost identical. The
shoe industry originated in Lynn IN
1885. two years before the terse man
date was promulgated by the general
court Nov. -, 1887. "Saugust is called
Lin"
Lynn was originally a pretty large
town. Its bounds were lat Charlestown
line, Reading pond, Ipswich river. Sa-
lem and Nahant."
A few men termed cordwinders cord
wainers) in the Plymouth charter were
sent over and laid the foundations of
the shoe business.
Shoemaking has taken a front rank
among the useful arts. The pilgrim ia
Tiers recognized this, and on the third
voyage Of the Mayfower the governor
and deputy of the New England com
pany sent over (628) Thomas Beard and
''Isack" Hickman, who were to receive
their dyett and houseroom at the
charge Of the companie." Hickman
went back. Thomas Beard remained.
He was the first shoemaker in New Eng
land.
The first white men known to have
settled in Lynn QG29) were Edmund In
gals, a brewer, and his brother, Francis
Ingalls,. a tanner. There was plenty of
raw material. Cattle had been intro
duced by Edward Winslow 1929, and
there were over 200 head, "besides
horses, sheep and goats" brought over
in the next SIX years. There were deer
and moose in plenty, and indeed buck
skin was the principal wear Of the early
coIOnists. Francis Ingalls, built his tan
merry on what is now Burrill street, on
'Humfry's brook" now a part of
~SWaiuPscOtt.
This no doubt gave an impetus to the
shoe. industry. The Burrill tannery was
established il 1850, and stood for almost
200 years. The Burrills were called the
Royal family of Lynn" John Burrill
was for twenty-one years a member and
ten years speaker Of the house of repre-
sertatives of Massachusetts,.
The first Lynn shoemaker was Philip
Kertland. Little is known of him
save that he came here from Bucking-
hamshire, England, in 1886, and made
shoes for Boston, Salem and Lynn peo-
pie,
Thence commenced the remarkable
growth. In 1913 we find the first iron
works in America established in the
town. These industries thrived until
1850. About that time an artistic
shoemaker from London came to town
and another impulse was given the in
dustry. This man became famous.
Lynn made a good record in the
Revolution. Meetings We're called in
1913, and the tea and other taxes de-
nounced. A company Of women, emu
lating the Boston Tea party, went to
the shops and destroyed all the tea in
the town. John Mansfield and Eben-
czcr Burrill, representing the shoe and
leather trade ut that time, were men,
bers of Il provincial congress which CON
yencd at Salem in IA to choose a
committee Of safety" Four Lynn men
fell at Bunker I'LL The trade revived
little money.
AS early rs l1S3 Lynn asked that a
protective tariff hp imposed. 1t was at
this time that Ebcnczcr Breed, a native
of the town. used his wealth and his in
tiucnce to improve the trade. After him
anne the johnson family, which accom-
pliShed much toward the building up of
the town. Then am the Breed family,
hardly less well known.
Er,,,, IQpn in 1914 \Eayt 80, ,,olo,
the inspiration Of Ebeuezcr Breed, soon
became a manufacturing mart, probably
the most iourishing of any i'll the state.
Farming became of secondary impor-
lance. Large factories were built. The
famous Salem and Boston turnpike was
then completed QSO3) and an imposing
hotel constructed. The population of
Lynn increased at this period more than
ever bcfore-frOIn 2.S37 in 1900 to 4,OS7
iii 1910
Ebene2cr's son. Isaiah. inherited the
spirit of his father. He was progressive
and above all philanthropic.
1t the time when schools were few
and education difficult to obtain he
built a school house onto his home. and
for thirty years maintained, at a large
expense, the best school in town.
Norkmen'S mutual benefit ~associa-
lions were organized in 1914, and in the
same year we find the Lynn Mechanics
bank Incorporated with a capital of
100000.
In 1882 the first directory of Lynn was
published. In it was "A list of shoe man.
u~facturers. There were sixty. OF
morocco manufacturers there were six.
aud in Il foOtnote it is stated that their
yearly business amounts to a little more
than $6O, 1000"
y few Years later Mr.. John b. Alley,
cong a leading citizen of the town, be-
Eaa the manufacture of shoes, establish
ins Il house which was afterward re-
tpcctcd throughout the country. The
Eastern railroad extended a branch TO
Iue city in 1888.
The wholesale shoe trade had now in
creased in proportion, and, As might be
expected. did much for the trade in
general.
In 1880 l'ynn was incorporated a city.