Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1892-09-23
A GREAT SHOE CITY.
HISTORY OF LYNN AND ITS SHOE
MAKING INDUSTRY.

The Massachusetts, Colony Was Pioneer
in the Business of Making Footwear
as Early as I629-A City Renowned
for Its Patriotism and Wealth.
The history of the city of Lynn and
that of its shoe intNlstry are, chronolog-
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. 10. 1887. ''Saugust is called
Lin"
Lynn was originally pretty large
town. Its bounds We're TAT Charlestown
line, Reading pond, Ipswich river. Sa-
lem and Nahant."
A few men termed cordwinders (oord-
wainers) in the Plymouth charter were
sent over and laid the foundations of
the shoe business.
Shoemal1ing has taken a front rank
among the useful arts. The pilgrim ia
theirs recognized this, and on the third
voyage of the Mayfower the governor
and deputy of the New England COM
pany sent over Q628) Thomas Beard and
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 (1629) 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 Qo24), 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
colonists. Francis Ingalls, built his tan
merry on what is now Burrill street, on
"Humfry's brook now part of
Swampscott.
This no doubt gave an impetus to the
shoe industry. The Burrill tannery was
established in 1880, and stood for almost
200 years. The Burrills were called the
"Royal family Of Lynn" John Burrill
was for twenty-one years member and
ten years speaker of the house of repre-
sentatives 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 1643 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
1773, and the '.tea" and other taxes de-
nounced. A company of women, emu
Tating the Boston Tea party, went to
the shops and destroyed all the tea in
the town. John Mansfield and Eben-
ezer BurriIl, representing the shoe and
leather trade at that time, were MEM
bers of provincial congress which con-
vened at Salem in 1774 to choose a
committee of safety" Four Lynn men
fell at Bunker Hill The trade revived
after this war. though there was but
little money.
AS early as 1883 Lynn asked that q
protective tariff be imposed. 1t was at
this time that Ebenezer Breed, native
of the town, used his wealth and his in
fiuence to improve the trade. After him
came the johnson family, which accom-
plished much toward the building up OF
the town. Then came the Breed family.
hardly less well known
From 1900 to 1910 West Lynn, under
the inspiration of Ebenezer Breed, soon
became a manufacturing mart, probably
the most fiourishing of any In the state.
Farming became of secondary impor-
tance. Large factories were built. The
famous Salem and Boston turnpike was
then completed QeO3) and an imposing
hotel constructed. The population Of
Lynn increased at this period more than
ever before-from 2,837 in 1900 to 4, ,087
In 1910.
Ebenezer's son, Isaiah, inherited the
spirit OF his father. He was progressive
and above all philanthropic.
At the time when schools were few
and education difficult to obtain he
built school house onto his home, and
for thirty years maintained, at large
expense, the best school in town.
Workmen's mutual benefit" associa-
tions were organized in 1914, and in the
same year we find the Lynn Mechanics
bank incorporated with q capital Of
$3.50, 900.
In 1882 the first directory Of Lynn was
published. In it was list Of shoe man-