166 History of H Ingham. 



wards sold to Hawkes Fearing ; and that Mr. Fearing subse- 

 quently bought another, which was the second four-wheel wagon 

 in the town. 



Wheelwrights, however, are known to have pursued their voca- 

 tion here soon after the first settlement in 1635 ; and among those 

 who followed this early industry were Matthew Cushing and his 

 nephew Matthew Cushing, John Low, Andrew Lane, and Stephen 

 Stodder of the second precinct. Then came Jacob Leavitt and 

 his son Ezra Leavitt; Bela Cushing at South Hingham ; and later 

 still, Charles Howard. Carriage-makers frequently do the work 

 of wheelwrights, and are included among the following : C. & L. 

 Hunt, William Sprague, Bela IT. Whiton, Dcmerick Marble, 

 George A. Tower, James A. Robertson, Our & Stodder. 



For the year ending April 1, 1845, there were in Hingham three 

 establishments for the manufacture of carriages ; hands employed, 

 seven. In 1855 there was but one; hands employed, four. 



It was not until the present century that any considerable 

 amount of business was carried on here in the manufacture of 

 leather, or in any of its dependent branches. Tanning and cur- 

 rying as an individual industry to supply the demand of the local 

 cordwainer, was generally done in connection with some other 

 pursuit. It was necessarily confined to the number of hides and 

 skins which the near-by farmer or butcher could supply ; and not 

 until a comparatively recent date were these imported, or steam 

 and improved machinery introduced. Among those who have car- 

 ried on tanning and currvinc in Hiinrham were George Bramhall 

 and his son Joshua, John Leavitt, 1 Solomon Cushing, his son Jo- 

 seph, and grandson Joseph., John Wheelwright, Thomas Hersey, 

 his son Laban, and grandson Laban, David Hobart and his son 

 David, Job Loring, his sons Job and Elpalet, and grandson Alfred, 2 

 John and Abel Fearing, " over the river," Seth Lincoln, Nehemiah 

 Cushing, 3 Laban Stodder, and perhaps others. 



Henry Thaxter was known in early life as a "leather dresser/' 

 His tan vats were on the easterly side of the town brook, near 

 Broad Bridere. He also was a copartner with Abner Lorimr. Thev 

 Avere manufacturers of leather breeches, which were extensively 

 worn here before the present century. Silas H. Sherman was for 

 several years, and until quite recently, a manufacturer of shoe stock 

 on Gardner Street ; so also was William Cooper, on French Street. 



Currying, as a specialty, was carried on by Benjamin King, 

 Jerom Leavitt, and Daniel Sprague, in the Middle Ward ; also for 



1 Hingham valuations for the year 1754 show that " 18 acres of land by Leavitt's 

 Tan Yard " were taxed by the assessors. 



- The last and by far the most extensive of these establishments was that of Alfred 

 Loring, on Main Street, South Hingham. Here all the modern improvements for 

 hastening production were in use, and the industry in its different departments, in- 

 cluding currying, gave employment to about twenty men. 



3 Nehemiah Cushing's tannery was located over Liberty Pole Hill. He was suc- 

 ceeded by Laban Stodder, who afterwards removed his business to the old Lewis 

 place on Main Street, near Tower's Bridge. 



