280: Percy Wells Bidwell 



vated their land thoroughly and grew large crops.^ The population 

 of this town grew rapidly, showing an increase of 25 per cent in the 

 decade I8OO-I8IO.2 



In Lynn the shoe manufacture seems to have been the chief in- 

 dustry of the rapidly growing population, although probably a 

 considerable number were employed in the fisheries of Marblehead.' 

 This town and Gloucester were celebrated for their fishing fleets. 

 The former had 100 fishing vessels and 40 merchantmen, employing 

 together in their crews some 1,100 men.* The Gloucester fleets em- 

 ployed about half that number.^ 



President Dwight sums up the fishing industry of these and other 

 towns in Essex County as follows: 



"Salem, Newburyport, Gloucester, Marblehead, Beverly, Haver- 

 hill, and Manchester are commercial and fishing towns; and contained 

 together, in 1800, 33,620 inhabitants. (In 1810, 40,517.) To these 

 may be added from Ipswich, Amesbury, Salisbury, Bradford, &c., 

 enough to make the number 40,000; a greater number than are em- 

 ployed in this business in any county of the United States; if we except 

 the cities of Philadelphia and New York. The commerce of this 

 county is very great; and the fish caught and exported by its inhabi- 

 tants, are more, it is believed, than one-half of all, which are exported 

 from the Union. Its wealth is proportionally great .... 

 The surface of this county is generally pleasant; the soil in most 

 places pretty good; and the agriculture creditable to the inhabitants. 

 The farmers are, accordingly, in good thrift. "^ 



{2) The Ports Along Long Island Sound. 



In the second general region of commercial activity, the northern 

 shore of Long Island Sound, the principal points of concentration of 



' The answers returned in 1807 to the questionnaire of the Massachusetts 

 Society for Promoting Agriculture showed this town to be far in advance of others 

 in regions farther inland. Its farmers ploughed the land destined for grain crops 

 twice instead of once, as was usual elsewhere; and they applied fertilizers more 

 liberally. The results were average crops which were considered high in those 

 days. Their com yielded 40 bushels per acre; their potatoes 200 bushels; barley, 

 25 bushels; rye, 20 bushels; and wheat, 10 to 18 bushels. Papers for 1807, in Vol. 

 n., p. 15. 



« From 4,076 to 5,176. 



»The shoe industry we have already considered. See p. 273. 



^ Morse, Gazetteer, 1810; Dwight, Travels, I. 421; Kendall, Travels, III. 28; 

 Rochefoucauld-Liancourt, Travels, I. 477. 



6 Morse, Gazetteer, 1810. 



• Travels, I. 424. 



