Manufactures and Commerce. 165 



of elaborate design. Among the persons who followed this pur- 

 suit in Hingham before the introduction of modern machinery, 

 were Caleb Andrews, Jacob Beal, John Beal, Elisha Cushing and 

 his son Theodore, Jerom Cushing, Ned Cushing, Abner Hersey, 

 Caleb Hobart, Seth Kingman, Caleb Lincoln, Lot Lincoln, Peter 

 Lincoln, Jared Jernegan, Joshua Thayer, and probably others. 



After- improved methods and power were introduced, and the 

 furniture dealers of Boston became wholesale purchasers, enabling 

 them to supply distant markets, the demand for a greater pro- 

 duction increased, and several manufactories were established 

 here. The best known of these were carried on by Caleb Hobart, 

 Jr. and his son Seth L. Hobart, on South Street, West Hingham ; 

 Nchemiah Ripley, Jr., afterwards N. Ripley, Jr., & Co., on South 

 Street near Thaxter's Bridge, and later on Fountain Square ; 

 Mead & Vose, at the corner of North and Main Streets ; Ripley & 

 Newhall, near Hobart's Bridge ; Abner L. Leavitt, at Hingham 

 Centre ; Samuel Bronsdon, at Hobart's Bridge ; George Studley, 

 Josiah L. Gould, and Augustus L. Hudson. 



In 1837, Hingham had three manufactories of chairs and cabinet 

 ware. In 1845 there were four, and in 1855 but two. The latter, 

 however, gave employment to thirty-four persons. Manufacturing 

 in this line, to any extent, is now among the past industries of the 

 town. 



Doors, blinds, and sashes were manufactured for more than 

 thirty years at the sawing, turning, and mortising mill of Benja- 

 min Parker on South Street, near Thaxter's Bridge. Mr. Par- 

 ker's sons Benjamin and Rufus L. succeeded to the business, which 

 was quite a successful industry before their removal from town. 

 The mill was supplied with steam power, and from six to eight 

 hands were employed. 



The business of planing, sawing, and turning was carried on for 

 a while in the building formerly known as the Willard Academy 

 on Main Street near the Old Meeting-house, by Walton V. Mead, 

 bv Jesse Churchill, and afterwards by Job S. Whiton. This was 

 between 1843 and 1847. 



Thomas J. Leavitt has also followed this pursuit for many years 

 at Shingle-mill Pond. 



•&* 



Carriages and chaises were imported from the mother country 

 before the Revolution, and but little was done here in the way of 

 manufacturing in this line of business, until a more recent period, 

 except, perhaps, in the making of horse and ox carts, sleighs, and 

 sleds. In 1 749 there were three residents of the town who owned 

 vehicles called chairs. They were Capt. Ebenezer Beal, Dr. 

 Ezekiel Hersey, and Major Samuel Thaxter. Two chaises were 

 also owned at the same time, probably with square tops and 

 wooden springs ; one by Col. Benjamin Lincoln, the other by 

 Dr. Hersey. There is a tradition which says Rev. Henry Colman 

 owned the first four-wheel wagon in Hingham, which he after- 



