29 



Salem, a graduate of Dartmoutli College, in 1811, was settled in Essex 

 in 1814. Among other valuable services rendered to the town he 

 wrote a history of Essex printed in 1853, which his son, Prof. E. P. 

 Crowell of Amherst College, is about to supplement and republish.* 



The President remarked that at the previous meeting in Essex, the 

 members of the Institute were much instructed by remarks from Hon. 

 David Choate, who is present on this occasion and could interest us 

 still farther by giving information concerning this town and its inhab- 

 itants. 



Thus called upon, Mr. Choate in thoughtful and sprightly terms 

 addressed the meeting. 



He said that in ten years a town ought to have made progress, but 

 he feared their visitors to-day could not see the signs of life and 

 growth they have been wont to notice in many of the towns in 

 Essex County which they had recently visited; they were on the line 

 of railroads, but Essex was too remote from these facilities of com- 

 munication. Here we should see the same river, the same vessels 

 built and sent to the same market ; yet he thought there were some 

 things in their natural history of interest. He believed in the exist- 

 ence of rich deposits of iron from the fact that in certain localities 

 the magnetic needle was more deflected than by the mines consid- 

 ered so valuable at Canaan Mt., in Connecticut. There are also nat- 

 ural paint mines, although at present unwrought. 



At the former meeting much was said concerning various specimens 

 belonging to natural history, but he did not remember that anything 

 was said about the people. There was a great deal to be said con- 

 cerning the early settlers of Essex, then the Agawam or ancient Che- 

 bacco district, which the present generation should keep in remem- 

 brance. "When the records of the last Field Meeting of the Institute 

 were read, he realized that we were doing a good work in keeping 

 fresh and present the useful facts of the past, and in instructing the 

 communities we visited, especially the younger members of them con- 

 cerning their local history. 



Our people have had an opportunity to show their patriotism in the 

 late war, and twenty-four of our citizens gave up their lives in the 

 country's cause. Essex furnished one hundred and ninety-flve men 

 for the war, of whom one hundred and forty-three were her own citi- 

 zens. Most of the twenty-four who gave up their lives were shot 

 down on the battle-field. Since the last Field Meeting here we have 

 had a railroad chartered, this being the third. It was chartered two 

 years ago; and he humorously alluded to a threat he had received 



♦This book was published in the latter part of the year 1868, with sketches of 

 the soldiers in the war of the rebellion, by Hon. David Choate, 1 vol., 8vo, pages 

 488. Essex, 1868. 



