Manufactures and Commerce. 163 



Burr, Brown, & Co. on the southerly side of Main Street. This 

 copartnership, under the firm name of Frederick Long; & Co., con- 

 tinued until March 22, 1870, when Mr. Brown withdrew. Mr. 

 Long subsequently carried on the business here until his new fac- 

 tory building- on Elm Street was completed, which was in the 

 spring of 1873. Feb. 9, 1874, the business was organized as the 

 Hingham Manufacturing Co., with David Whiton as its president, 

 and Andrew C. dishing as treasurer. This company had but a 

 brief existence. Dec. 30, 1875, the factory building belonging to 

 the " Hingliam Woollen Co." on Elm Street, occupied by Frederick 

 Long, Avas sold at auction to Whittemore, Cabot, & Co., of Boston. 

 The purchasing firm dealt largely in wool and knit-wool goods, so 

 that the product of the Hingliam factory, which they carried on 

 for a while, was in their line of business. A few years later, how- 

 ever, the building was again closed. Subsequently Charles E. 

 Stevens bought the factory and rented it to Henry C. Lahee, and 

 afterwards to Lahee & Eacly. They adopted the name of " South 

 Shore Mills," introduced new machinery, and manufactured cardi- 

 gan jackets, leggins, and underwear. This firm gave up business 

 in 1888, and the machinery was sold. 



The factory remained vacant again until August, 1891. At 

 that time the Shawmut Manufacturing Company, manufacturers 

 of leatherette, moved its machinery to Hingham, and established 

 its works in this building. This company had been for fifteen 

 years in business at Turner's Falls, Mass., before moving to Hing- 

 ham. It continues here at the present time (T893). 



For more than two centuries after Hingliam was first settled, 

 the products of its various coopering industries were widely known 

 and extensively used. As a local specialty the business in its 

 different departments gave employment to a larger number of per- 

 sons than did any other mechanical pursuit in the town. The 

 ware was usually collected by our local traders and shipped by 

 them, in the small vessels belonging here, to Boston, or other dis- 

 tributing points along the seaboard, even as far south sometimes 

 as the West India Islands. Not infrequently the small trader or 

 producer made an occasional land trip to Boston with a load of 

 ware, especially in the winter season, when his stock was accu- 

 mulating too rapidly. It was frequently disposed of, however, 

 along the road in exchange for corn, flour, and other staple com- 

 modities which were salable at home. In fact, the " Hingham 

 Bucket " was a necessity throughout New England. So also were 

 the large and small tubs, the hoop and nest boxes, the dumb- 

 bettys, wash-tubs, keelers, piggins, etc. It was not until about 

 1840 that these were sold in unbroken lots at the wholesale stores 

 in Boston. Previously, for nearly forty years, purchases at whole- 

 sale as well as at retail were made from on board the Hingham 

 Station Packets at Long Wharf, and this in a great measure su- 

 perseded the earlier plan of shipment. To give a full account of 



