HISTORICAL REFERENCES: MASSACHUSETTS. 709 



N AH A NT. 



NAHANT IN 1033. The fallowing deseiiption of the laud on winch Nahant stauds was written in 1633: 



" ' Vpon the South side of the Sandy Reach, the Sea hmtclli, which is a true prognostication to presage atomics and 

 f'oule weather, and the breaking up of the Frost. For when (he storine hath been, or is likely to be, it will roare like 

 Thunder, being heard sixo miles; and after stormes casts up great stores of great Clammes, which the Indians, taking 

 out (if their shels, carry home in baskets. On the North side, of this Bay is two great Marshes, which are made two 

 by a pleasant River, which rnnncs between them. Northward up this river goes great store of Alewives, of which 

 they make good Red Herrings ; insomuch that they have been at charges to make them a wayre, and a Herring house 

 to dry these Herrings in ; the last year were dried some 4 or 5 Last [l, r >0 barrels] for an experiment, which proved 

 very good ; this is like to prove a gieat inrichmeut (o the laud, being a staple commodity in other Countries, for there 

 bo such innumerable companies in every river, that I have seen ten thousand taken in two hours, by two men, with- 

 out any weire at all saving a lew stones to stop their passage up the river. There likewise come store of Basse, which 

 fhe English aud Indians catch with hooke and line, some fifty or three score at a tide. At the mouth of this river 

 ruunes up a great Creeke into that great Marsh, which is called Rumney Marsh, which is four miles long and two miles 

 broad, halfo of it being Marsh ground, andhalfe upland grasses, without tree or bush ; this Marsh is crossed with divers 

 ereekes, wherein lye great store of Geese and Duckes. There be convenient Ponds, for the planting of Duck coyes. 

 Hero is likewise belonging to this place divers fresh Meddowes, which afford good grassc, and fount spacious Ponds, 

 like little Lakes, wherein is good store of fresh Fish, within a mile of the Towue ; out of which runnes a curious fresh 

 liroocke, that is seldom frozen, by reason of the warmness of the water; upon this stream is built a water Milne, and 

 up this river come Smelts aud frost fish, much bigger than a Gudgeon."" 



Tin-: CLAM INDUSTRY IN 1712. Beyond the above little is known of the early history of Nahant. The following 

 item from Lewis &. Xewlmll's- History of Lynn shows that the waters of Nahant furnished great quantities of clams: 



" 1712. This year, all the shells, which came upon the Nahant beaches, were sold by the town, to Daniel Brown 

 and William Gray, for thirty shillings. They were not to sell the shells for more than eight shillings a load, contain- 

 ing forty-eight bushels, heaped measure. The people were permitted to dig and gather the clams as before, but 'they 

 were required to open them on the beach, and leave 1 tin. 1 shells. The house in which I (Newhall) was born, was plas- 

 tered with lime made from these shells." 



NAHANT IN RECENT YEARS. Fur many years this romantic spot has been famous as a seaside resort. Handsome 

 summer houses gradually replaced the fishermen's huts that once dotted the shores, until now there is scarcely a spot 

 where the fishermen can congregate. One vessel owned here is employed for a part of each year in the lobster fishery. 



LYNN FROM 1G33 TO 1857. William Wood wrote in 1033: "The laud aftbrdeth to the inhabitants as many 

 varieties as any place else, and the sea more ; the Basse continuing from the middle of April to Michaelmas (September 

 2'J) which stayes not half that time in the Ba^ (Boston Harbor); besides, here is a great deal of Rock cod and Macrill, 

 insomuch that shoales of Bass have driven up shoales of Macrill from one end of the sandy Beach to the other; which 

 the inhabitants have gathered up in wheelbarrows. The Bay which lyeth before the Towne, at a lowe spring tyde 

 will be all llatts for two miles together; upon which is great store of Muscle Banckes, and Clam banckes, aud Lob- 

 sters amongst the roekes and grassie holes." 



In the early part of the year 1031 the resources of Lynn were very limited. We are told by Lewis and Newhall 

 that " provisions were very scarce, and many persons depended for subsistence upon clams, ground-nuts, and acorns." 



In the next year the town authorities passed an order whereby the fish, bass, and alewives could ascend the Sau- 

 gus River to the Great Pond. This order, dated October 3, and recorded by Lewis and Newhall, reads: 



" 1G32, October 3 : It is ordered, that Saugus plantation shall have liberty to build a ware upon Saugus Ryver; 

 also, they have promised to make, and continually to keepe, a goode foote bridge, upon the most convenient place 

 there." 



This weir w:is chiefly built by Thomas Dexter, for the purpose of taking bass aud alcwivcs, of which many were 

 dried and smoked for shipping. 



The following additioual facts, recorded by Lewis and Xewhall, show the condition of the fisheries from 1633 to 

 1857: 



"At 11 town meeting on the 12lh of July, 1(!33, Edward Richards testified that Mr. Tomlins 'was not to stop or 

 hinder the alewives to go up to the Great Pond.' " 



And in KiKi the following was a condition in a deed of property: "To allow sufficient water in the Ould River 

 for the Alewive to come to the wyres before the Grantor's house." 



A sin ilar petition to that permitted for flic benefit of the people of Saugus was also granted in favor of the people 

 of Reading in n spouse to their prayer of October 3, Ie79, viz: "That the alewives might be permitted to come up 

 to Reading pond, as before; that they might find no obstruction at the iron works, but 'come up freely into our 

 ponds, where they have their natnial breeding place,'-'' which was granted. 



In lG9(i immense numbers of great clams were thrown upon the beaches at Lynn by storms. The people were 

 permitted, by a vote of the town, to dig and gather as many as they wished for their own use, but no more; and no 



'History of Lynn by Lewis & Ncwball, p 144. 



