174 History of Hingham. 



year. 1 M. L. & C. Humphrey, in addition to barrel-coopering, 

 were also large manufacturers of fish-kits. This industry, which 

 was commenced at the harbor about 1840, was afterwards removed 

 to Concord, N. H. 



Sail-making, as an industry connected with the maritime inter- 

 ests of the town, has an interesting history covering a period of 

 more- than a century. In addition to the local demand, there 

 were frequent calls at the lofts to have sails made or repaired for 

 vessels belonging in Boston, Weymouth, Hull, and elsewhere. 

 Among those who have been prominently engaged in this pursuit 

 at the harbor, were William Lovis, Melzar Gardner, George Lin- 

 coln, Caleb B. Marsh, Leavitt Hobart, John M. Mayhew, Benja- 

 min F. Palmer, and Henry Nye. 



In 1748 there were eighteen hundred superficial feet of wharf 

 owned in Hingham. The owners of this property were taxed in 

 1754 as follows: — 



Hezekiah Leavitt, 1 wharf £9-00-00 



Samuel Bate, of the second precinct, 1 wharf £3-00-00 



Elisha Leavitt, h a wharf £3-00-00 



Capt. Francis Barker, h a wharf £3-00-00 



Several persons were also taxed about this time for a right in 

 the flats. 



In 1792 Loring & Thaxter, " merchants," and Jacob Leavitt, 

 and the company of Andrews & Loring, " merchants," and Jotham 

 Lincoln, " mariner," and Beza Lincoln, " mariner," and Reuben 

 Stockier, Jr., " shipwright," and Elijah Waters, Jr., " gentleman,"' 

 enjoy in common a certain wharf at the town cove known by the 

 name of the new wharf, which ownership they agree among 

 themselves to divide. Said wharf is bounded S.E. on the road ; 

 N.E. on the cove ; N.W. by Jairus Leavitt's wharf partly, and 

 partly by the cove; S.W. on land belonging to heirs of Elisha 

 Leavitt. 



Down to 1850 the wharves in Hingham, other than those pre- 

 viously mentioned, were known as Major's, 2 Souther's, 2 Long, 2 

 Nye's, 2 Bassett's, Humphrey's, Union (or Barnes's), Central, 

 Packet, Mill (or Town), Jackson, Commercial, Davis's, Foundry, 

 Lane's, and Hersey's ; also the steamboat piers at Barnes's Rocks ; 2 

 and at Lorinsr's 2 near the entrance to Mansfield's cove. 



•© 



The manufacture of salt in Hingham was commenced by R. & C. 

 Lane at Broad Cove, near " Major's Wharf," probably soon after 

 the close of the last war with England. In 1825 the fishing busi- 

 ness had so far increased in importance that other works were 



1 The names of the master workmen who followed barrel-coopering as an occu- 

 pation are given in Vols. II. and III. of this History. 



2 Since gone to decay. 



