Figure 52. — Mahogany surveying compass made by Samuel Thaxter of Boston. 

 Length, 13 in.; diameter, Iji in. Wooden frame slides off to permit removal 

 of glass and adjustment of needle. Sighting bars are of boxwood. In collection 

 of the writer. 



that his full name was Samuel Thaxter Gushing, and that he was 

 the grandson of the original Samuel Thaxter. S. T. Gushing con- 

 tinued to be listed as the owner of the firm until 1899, when he was 

 succeeded by A. T. Gushing, presumably a son of the former. 

 The old store was finally demolished in 1901.'°* Gomparison of a 

 photograph of the building just before its demolition with a copy of 

 Thaxter's trade card (fig. 51) of the mid-1 9th century shows that 

 the building underwent little change in the period. The "Little 

 Admiral" is barely visible in both views. 



In 1796, shortly after his marriage, Thaxter made his home on 



'°* Photograph and records in the collection of the Bostonian Society. 



101 



