Manufactures and Commerce. 175 



erected by M. & F. Burr upon their land on the northerly side of 

 Mansfield's Cove, nearly opposite the old steamboat landing. Sub- 

 sequently other works were built by Scarlet Hudson on the west- 

 erly side of the harbor, between Goose Point and the entrance to 

 Broad Cove. Hudson's salt works were afterwards sold to Orin 

 Sears, who was the last person engaged in the manufacture of 

 salt here. The product of the three establishments in 1836 was 

 20,077 bushels ; but owing to the subsequent decline of the fish- 

 eries and the increased importation of salt, the two which re- 

 mained in 1854 produced only 1,500 bushels. 



The manufacture of cordage in Hingham was commenced be- 

 fore the close of the last century by Hawkes Fearing. A vessel 

 from Copenhagen loaded with hemp had been wrecked on Long 

 Beach (Nantasket), and as the cargo came ashore in fair condition 

 it was sold, as it was landed, to Mr. Fearing. The venture proved 

 to be a successful one, and was the prime cause of establishing 

 this industry in Hingham Centre. At first the process of work- 

 ing this hemp into cordage was performed in the open air. Mr. 

 Fearing's journal, however, shows the exact date in which he 

 erected the first building for manufacturing cordage here as 

 follows : " 1794, October 11. Raised 50 feet of my Rope Walk." 



After Mr. Fearing's decease the business was carried on by his 

 sons, Hawkes, David, Morris, and Albert ; other additions were 

 afterwards made to the buildings, and the production was greatly 

 increased. The statistics of Massachusetts for the year ending 

 April 1, 1845, show that there was one manufactory of cordage 

 in Hingham ; that its product was 150 tons, valued at $28,000, 

 and that the amount of capital invested in the pursuit was 

 $10,000 ; the number of hands employed was twenty-two. 



The Hingham Cordage Company was incorporated May 25, 

 1853, its principal stockholders being members of the Fearing 

 and Whiton families of this town, who had previously been inter- 

 ested in the business here. The continued prosperity of the com- 

 pany down to the present time is owing to the foresight, business 

 energy, and enterprise of the late David Whiton, who was for 

 many years its president. 



On Sunday, June 4, 1865, the works of the Hingham Cordage 

 Company, embracing the rope-walk, about one thousand feet long, 

 together with the storehouse containing a large quantity of Manilla 

 hemp, was entirely destroyed by fire. The brick building, con- 

 taining the spinning and engine rooms, and most of the machin- 

 ery, however, was but partially burned. In the storehouse there 

 was hemp valued at over $30,000, which was all consumed. About 

 one hundred barrels of tar were destroyed. The buildings, stock, 

 and machinery were insured for about $70,000, but this amount 

 did not cover the whole loss. About eighty hands were thrown 

 out of employment. A new ropewalk was soon erected where 

 the former one stood, and for some years afterwards the steam- 



