Came Over on the Mayflower

Revere & Son Bell Returns Home

Joseph Warren Revere walked across the dusty path that lead from his house to the nearby bell foundry. A pair of drowsy eyed oxen waited hitched to a heavy oak cart. It was a delivery day and a new bell had been cast that would be sent to another faraway place. Revere took a personal interest in each of the bells as they were made. The words “Revere Boston” were cast along the upper part of the bell that left the foundry in Canton.  Paul Revere had taught his son the importance of personally inspecting each and every bell that left the forge. Running his fingers across the family name, Revere then watched the wagon roll out the gates on a 700 mile trip to Cleveland, Ohio. That very same bell is about to return to Canton, tomorrow, after a 3,000 mile trip across America. Tomorrow – the bell comes home. 

 

The Revere family had a long history with church bells. As a boy, Paul Revere signed a contract with Christ Church (the Old North Church) to serve as a bell ringer, even though he attended the New Brick Church of Boston. During the American Revolution, Revere took on the role of his lifetime and is widely hailed as a true founding patriot. After the war, Revere returned to his roots of metallurgy and began casting a number of useful items for the economic growth of the United States, bells among his line of products. 

 

It all started in 1792, when Revere’s congregation of the New Brick Church sought to replace their bell that had cracked. Revere, with the a reputation for taking on impossible tasks, believed he could cast the large bell to replace the one that had been “injured.” The casting of the 912 pound bell was not entirely successful. The bell had visible imperfections and a poor tone quality. Revere persevered and through the iterative process of failures and successes, the bells became better and more refined. Working closely with Joseph Warren, the enterprise flourished and he proclaimed that "we know we can cast as good bells as can be cast in the world, both for goodness and for sound.”

 

Originally located in the North End, Revere’s foundry began by producing materials for shipbuilding, such as nails and fittings, before developing the ability to produce more recognizable items like bells and canons. On October 9, 1804, an unusual late-season storm yielded vast amounts of snow, rain, and powerful winds across the northeastern United States. Known as the Storm of October 1804, it was the first first hurricane in recorded history known to have produced snowfall. The devastation was widespread and included the foundry that was located along the waterfront in Boston. Revere and his son decided to move the entire operation to Canton where the copper rolling mill had been established in 1801. In November 1804, Joseph Warren set off for Europe in order to gain even more technical knowledge of both copper rolling and the production casting large bells. 

 

Upon Paul Revere’s death in 1818, Joseph Warren took on the primary role in the casting of bells and through subsequent corporate name changes continued bell making until 1843. The name “Revere Boston” appeared on bells as early as 1822 through 1843 and the last bell entry in the Revere stockbooks was dated 1828, though bells made after 1824 did not carry a date on them. More than 969 bells were cast with the Revere name, and many were cast right here in Canton in a foundry building that was demolished after 1965. 

 

In Cleveland, Ohio there is a landmark church called the Old Stone Church. The congregation was formed in September 1820. Officially known as The First Presbyterian Church of Cleveland, it was founded at a time when Cleveland was a village of a few hundred people. The first church building was dedicated in 1834. Since it was made of gray sandstone, it became known as “The Stone Church”; as the sandstone darkened, it was later called “The Old Stone Church”. The bell that left Canton was likely the bell that hung in that steeple. A slightly larger structure was constructed in 1853 on the original church site as Cleveland began to grow rapidly. It was about that time that the First Congregational Church in Vermillion, Ohio formed a bell society whose object was to purchase a bell. The bell this society bought had hung in the belfry of the Old Stone Church in Cleveland. 

 

From 1853 to 1954 the bell was in the hands of the Congregational Church. When the building was sold to the Baptist Church, the bell continued to peal on Sundays and special events. In the early 1980’s the church was sold and passed into private hands. The bell was bought by Jeannene and Robert Shanks. Amy Shanks Miller tells the story of the bell. “Mom told us that she was buying a bell, and we all thought she was kidding. But, the way mom saw it, the bell needed a home and for around $1,000 she made the purchase.” In 1958, Jeannene and Robert had relocated to Vermilion, Ohio when Robert took a new position with Ford Motor Co. Jeannene was a housewife and real estate agent in Vermillion. They remained in Ohio until Robert's retirement from Ford in 1983. The bell was purchased near the end of their residency in Ohio, which meant that when she and Robert moved to California, they would move the bell with the Mayflower Moving Company. “Mom would joke that the bell came over on the Mayflower!”  

 

The bell sat in a storage locker for a time, and then between 1990 and 2008 it was at Jeannene’s house in Chino Hills, California. When Jeannene died, the bell moved less than a mile to Amy’s garage where it was rung ceremoniously on July 4^th. “About ten years ago I began to think about a home for the bell,” Amy explained, “a rancher from Texas offered us a lot of money and said that if it didn’t work out he could always melt it down for scrap salvage.” Amy was shocked, and began working to find a suitable home for the bell. 

 

Carl S. Zimmerman is an industrial archeologist and noted campanologist – a person that studies bells. This author first worked with Zimmerman in 2008 when trying to save the Revere Rolling Mill and Joseph Warren Revere Barn. Zimmerman talks of bells – the headstock, the bearing blocks, the clapper, the cannon, retaining yoke and gudgeon. After seeing photos of the Revere bell he marveled, “it is the real deal, and that octagonal wrought iron from which the ball of the clapper hangs is quite interesting.” There is much more to learn about this bell, and we are just getting started. “Revere had the time, opportunity and interest and was one of the earliest men to cast bells in the United States.” Folklore suggests that a tiny bit of silver was the secret ingredient in perfecting the tone of Paul Revere’s bells. 

 

Thirteen years had passed since first meeting Zimmerman and the Revere Heritage Site is a reality. Zimmerman was now helping Amy find a home for what she affectionally called her “younger sibling” – the Revere Bell. One of the first calls was to the Paul Revere House. There is a Revere Bell from 1804 on exhibit in the North End home of Revere in the museum courtyard. They referred Zimmerman to this author. In September 2021, this author began to talk and email extensively with Amy. Of great relief, Amy wrote, “I am interested in knowing the bell would have good purpose and care.”  

 

Thus over the next several months we all worked to have the bell contributed to the Revere & Son Heritage Trust. On January 14, 2022 the bell was donated by Amy Shanks Miller and her brother, Robert Shanks as a gift from the legacy of their parents to the Paul Revere Museum of Discovery and Innovation. Only one problem remained – getting a 2000 pound bell, frame and cribbing home to Canton, Massachusetts. 

 

Through the efforts of several individuals, several thousand dollars was raised to ship the bell back east to Canton. Alan Hines, a Heritage Trust Director, solicited friends and colleagues and raised the money needed to get the bell east. And, once again, Mayflower Moving Company loaded the bell onto a truck for the transcontinental trip to Canton. Tomorrow, if all goes according to plan, the bell cast here in 1834 will arrive back with much fanfare. It will be the second Revere Bell in Canton, as the first hangs in the belfry of the First Parish Church and dates to 1824. To bring this bell home took almost seven months and much planning. 

 

The bell will be in temporary storage while ideas are underway for a permanent public display. Plans are to show the bell at the Canton Heritage Day event on May 14^th.  Cast at the hands of Joseph Warren Revere, this bell took a fascinating trip through history and five trips to come full circle. Welcome Home! 

A long trip for Hank Williams' coat

From a glass plate negative. The Neponset Mills in Canton.
(Courtesy of the Canton Historical Society)

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame sits on the shores of Lake Erie in Cleveland, Ohio. My wife and I stopped in while driving to Chicago when we needed a halfway point to rest. The hall of fame is a shrine to rock in all its forms — from jazz to punk and all genres in between. We received our tickets and began our tour through the labyrinth of exhibits.

Within two minutes, we found ourselves in front of a case of items that recognized the contributions of Hiram King Williams — “Hank” — the American singer-songwriter who is considered one of the most important country music artists of all time. In the case were his hat, his boots and a coat he wore. The coat caught my eye — hanging on the hook you could plainly see the label, and it read “designed by Monarch — Neponset Emberglo.” Turning to my wife, I explained that no matter how far we travel, Canton is never far away. In true wife fashion, she rolled her eyes and moved on. I lingered on and thought how far that coat had traveled.

The Emberglo coat was crème colored and a heavy wool dyed with a western pattern, and according to the description was made in 1950. Emberglo was a trademark of the Neponset Woolen Mills, located on Walpole Street. The label had the word Neponset neatly stitched. Hank Williams’ coat started in the hands of factory workers from Canton. The coat tells a rich story that reaches beyond Hank Williams and into American history and the age of our industrial revolution.

The mill on Walpole Street is gone, but only recently. One of the most important mills in America, this site was first developed in 1801. When you stand here, you are on the original site of the second cotton factory in the colonies, the first being the 1799 Samuel Slater Mill in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Today, a modern condominium complex, built by local developer John Marini, sits on this historic site.

The establishment of the cotton mill in Canton was due to the enterprise of a 22-year-old James Beaumont, a young man who had come from England to America in the spring of 1800. No stranger to manufacturing, Beaumont was born in Denby, a parish between Huddersfield and Sheffield, two important manufacturing towns in Yorkshire, England. Growing up on estates that produced wool and being part of a rather well-off family, Beaumont’s eye was on America. In 1799, Beaumont received a letter from two friends who had left England and settled in Lebanon, New Hampshire. The letter told of the opportunities that could be prospected in this new country. Beaumont sent a return letter with a draft of a spinning machine, which helped his friends begin their business in Lebanon. Soon thereafter, Beaumont decided he “got a hankering to go there and see what they were about.”

To leave England with secrets of manufacturing was risky, and if caught, Beaumont would face the full wrath of the English government. In order to avoid detection, he bought casks of hardware and cutlery along with bolts of cloth, and at the custom house in Liverpool he explained that he was simply a farmer’s son going to America on a trading trip.

Beaumont sailed to America on a trip that would take 56 days and would forever change textile manufacturing in the fledgling country. Landing in Salem, he visited a few factories, and by the winter of 1800 he had settled in Boston. An English acquaintance by the curious name of “Slimsey” (a nickname for sure) informed Beaumont that there was a fine mill-privilege in Canton, on which its two owners wished to set up a cotton factory, and that they were willing to erect a dam and the mill “if they could find somebody who would put in about $400, to pay for the machinery.”

Beaumont visited Canton, where he was so pleased with the mill-privilege that he agreed to furnish the machinery; his partners, Lemuel Bailey and Abel Fisher, would erect a substantial dam and a building for a factory. The construction of the dam and factory progressed during the year of 1801, and the machines were running by 1802. The first work of the factory was the manufacture of wickyarn for candle-makers. Soon thereafter, the mill began to make yarn for warp and filling for domestic fabrics. The first piece of cloth made was for sheeting. Beaumont said of it: “This, in 1802, was the first piece of cotton cloth ever made in America from mule-yarn, either all or in part produced.” Beaumont was mistaken: Cotton cloth had been made in 1794 in a factory in New York, but Beaumont’s mill was nonetheless producing fine cloth that sold for 50 cents a yard.

James Beaumont's House on Neponset Street
 (now demolished). Circa 1900. (Courtesy of the
Canton Historical Society)

Beaumont did very well in this venture, and by 1823 at age 45, he retired from manufacturing and became a gentleman farmer. For a time he had a small mill in what was known as the British Block, not far from his original factory. His innovations continued, and he produced some of the first satin products in America. In 1808 he had erected the second brick house in Canton, the first being the Endicott House on Washington Street. In this handsome house Beaumont spent time with his family and friends and lived an entire life in his adopted home. Beaumont died in Canton in 1868 at age 90 and is buried alongside his wife, Abigail (Gookin), and his children at the Canton Corner Cemetery.
 
On February 18, 1823, the factory on Walpole Street was sold to Joseph W. Revere for $3,500. Within a year, Revere sold the mill to Darius Blake Holbrook, Charles Parker, and Dexter and William Hill, of Boston, for $120,000. These gentlemen, along with others, organized the Boston & Canton Manufacturing Company. The area quickly built up around the massive stone factory and included boarding houses, a school and even medical facilities. In three years the area prospered, and great growth led to the construction of a dirt road across the Fowl Meadows to support shipments to Boston. Quite literally, Canton burst forward under the growth of the mills along this section of town. Unfortunately, the business failed in 1827 and the mill would be vacant for four years.

On April 22, 1831, the Boston & Canton Manufacturing Company conveyed the mill to the Neponset Company. The new officers were well-known philanthropists and politicians from Boston. The certificate of which was recorded July 22, 1832, showing that the capital stock was $200,000, and that the officers were Harrison Gray Otis, president, Caleb Loring, Samuel Fales, and Robert G. Shaw, directors, and John S. Wright, clerk and treasurer.

Worth noting is the fact that this was the same Harrison Gray Otis, the prominent Boston businessman, lawyer and politician and arguably the most important member of the Federalist Party. Otis’ venture also failed, and by 1837 the site was again abandoned. Over the next 66 years many factories operated on this site, including a bleachery in the early 1880s, and by 1903 it was again making cotton and wool products for caskets and other uses under the name Neponset Woolen Mills.

The Neponset Woolen Mills survived into the mid 1950s, and this is where the Emberglo Jacket comes in. Some of the finest wool was manufactured and dyed in Canton in both the Neponset Mill and at Draper Mills. The trademark Emberglo figured prominently in advertisements and in store displays. Rich thick plaids were used for sportsman’s outerwear. The logo proudly proclaimed that the products were “loomed by Neponset craftsmen” since 1824 and featured the signature mill tower and the Canton Viaduct in the background.

A postcard view of the Neponset Woolen Mills

As the textile industry died in Canton, the site became the home of Emerson & Cuming, where they manufactured flotation devices for oilrigs. The early use of dyes and then the subsequent use and storage of advanced polymers on this property allowed the site to become heavily polluted. Eventually, the Emerson & Cuming site earned the dubious distinction of becoming one of Canton’s five hazardous waste “Superfund” sites.

In 2005 the original historic factory was demolished, and the site was remediated to deal with the chemical pollution. To pay tribute to the thousands of men and women who worked on this site for over 200 years, the Canton Historical Commission asked the developer to salvage some of the original stone and to build a replica of the bell tower. The original tower and bell was likely built during the 1800s, and around the turn of the 20^th century it had been rebuilt. Used to mark the passing of the workday, the bell was likely melted down when the tower became unsafe and was removed around 1930.

The new complex, known as Rive­­r Village on Walpole Street at Neponset, is one of our town’s newest architectural landmarks. The focus is an impressive tower and stone lobby that serve as the grand entrance. But, honestly, what could match the original grandeur of the factory that once stood “stone-faced” on this property. And every time I hear an old Hank Williams song and slip on my wool coat on an autumn afternoon, I will think about Emberglo and the history of the Neponset Woolen Mill.

The Comet at Canton Junction

The Comet at Canton Junction

The railroad has always been a major connecting point for the Town of Canton. It all began in 1834 when Joseph Warren Revere, the son of Paul Revere was a director on the fledgling Boston & Providence Railroad. Several routes were laid out for the connection between Boston and Providence, Rhode Island, but the one that won out was a line that would run directly through the property owned by Paul Revere & Sons Copper Rolling Mill.

Building the railroad meant building over a 70 foot span of the Neponset River. To do this would require building a bridge, and so the Canton Viaduct was created. The engineering firm of Dodd & Baldwin was enlisted to design a granite structure that would stand the weight of engines and the test of time. Indeed, this had been done at a time with no heavy equipment and with the labor of Irish immigrants.  What stands today, still in use, is the Canton Viaduct. The structure is on the National Register of Historic Places and is an engineering landmark.  

The film clip features a rare view of The Comet as it arrives at Canton Junction.  The Comet was built in 1935 for the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad by the Goodyear Zeppelin Company. It was initially placed into service between Boston, Massachusetts and Providence, Rhode Island on a 44-minute schedule; later, intermediate stops were added at Back Bay, Boston and Pawtucket/Central Falls, RI on an advertised "44 miles in 44 minutes" schedule. It ran 5 daily round trips on weekdays, and was often used for weekend excursion trips. This service lasted until the beginning of World War II.  The train was scrapped in 1951. 

While this is a black & white film, the Comet was brightly whorled with a blue and gray enamel paint job. The front end had a futuristic bullet shape and this was a formidable looking train.

Also, as a bonus are a few shots of the Canton Viaduct which made the rail lines through Canton possible.  Rail fans will undoubtedly have much to say on this subject, so please feel free to post your comments on the history of this rail line. In 2010 the Viaduct will celebrate 175 years of service, I am sure we will find many people that will be willing to support the demisemiseptcentennial. 

Neponset Woolen Mills

Neponset Woolen Mills

The new complex known as River Village on Walpole Street at Neponset is one of our towns newest architectural landmarks. The focus is an impressive tower and stone lobby that serves as a grand entrance. Few people may know that this is the site of an original tower that served to call the beginning and end of the day to thousands of industrial workers for over 150 years. This is also the site of many failed ventures and a handful of businesses that thrived on the western shore of the Neponset.

Long before condominiums were the rage, a small group of businessmen recognized the importance of the attraction of the Neponset River. In 1802 James Beaumont, Able Fisher, and Lemuel Bailey formed James Beaumont & Co. to spin cotton into candlewicks and fibers for cloth. By 1824 (before the Viaduct was built) another group of investors contracted for the water privileges  to the Neponset River from none other than Joseph Warren Revere. The men built a large stone factory along what is now known as Walpole Street and the name of the company became the Boston Manufacturing Company. The area quickly built up around the massive stone factory and included boarding houses, a school and even medical facilities. In three years the area prospered and great growth led to the construction of a dirt raod across the Fowl Meadows to support shipments to Boston. Unfortunately the business failed in 1827. 

Soon after the failure the Neponset Woolen Company set up shop under the directorship of Harrison Gray Otis the prominent Boston businessman, lawyer, and politician and arguably the most important member of the Federalist Party. This venture also failed and by 1837 the site was abandoned. Over the next 170 years many factories operated on this site including a bleachery, another cotton factory, wool and cotton for caskets, and a plastic and adhesives factory. 

In 2005 a local developer purchased the site and gained demolition approval from the Town's local Historical Commission. In homage to the thousands of men and women who worked on this site for over 200 years, the Commission asked the developer to salvage some of the stone and to build a replica of the tower. The original tower and bell was likely built during the 1800's and around the turn of the 20th Century it had been rebuilt. By 1930 the tower became unsafe and was removed. As we watch the economy, we watch to see if this will be a successful venture for the New River Village, LLC - and not a repeat of failed ventures.

The tower we pass today is a connection to our past through a new use for dozens of new families. Kudos to the Canton Historical Commission for suggesting the tower to Shesky Architects who have made this the centerpiece of this project.

Canton Center Railroad Depot

Canton Center Railroad Depot

For the past twenty-five years or so, I have been commuting into Boston on the MBTA. With so many days that start and end with a commute, it is hard not to be fascinated by trains. For many years my stop in-bound and out has been Canton Center. I like the rural charm of the stop and it is very close to our house which makes it very convenient. And, while it looks like a simple parking lot and a single platform, the photo above attests to it's one-time importance.

The connection to the railroad in Canton has been especially strong and ever since 1834 we have had a close relationship to trains. In fact, but for Joseph Warren Revere (Paul Revere's Son) we might never have had the rail line through Canton, and this is especially true for the Stoughton Branch. Revere was on the Board of Directors of the fledgling Boston & Providence Railroad, and it is likely his pledge of Stock and money to support the enterprise led to the decision for the line to run through his father's factory - The Revere & Sons Copper Rolling Mill. The Stoughton Branch line runs right past the first railroad spur in America, built specifically for the Revere Company.

The image above is a postcard, one that recently sold on eBay. Take a look at the small shelter on the right hand side, and also note that in fact this is a time when the rail-line was "double tracked" to Stoughton. If you look closely at the details in the photo you will see the flag man who has stopped traffic (traffic???), the man on the strange bicycle contraptions mounted to the tracks, and the lady under the shelter dressed in her finest early 20th century duds. The depot h as a spur for freight that runs just behind the building and you can see the freight cars awaiting their shipments. To the left is the large depot station, and the photo hints at the bucolic nature of the period - way in the background in the far left is a small bard with a cart loaded for the day.

At some point the buildings were removed. The small waiting room structure (which had a beautiful architectural roofline,) and the larger depot building were no longer needed and fell victim to neglect. Eventually the second rail line through the center was also removed. There are few vestiges (if any) from the scene left today. The retaining wall for the small historic house is still there, but all else seems like a dream from another time and place. Next time you drive through the center and cross the tracks, take a moment to reflect at what stood at this crossing in another age.

Snuff Box

The Snuff Box

I remember the day I held it in my hand. In my boyhood, I had already begun to develop an affinity for local history and the strong connection that the Revere Family had to the Town of Canton. Paul Revere came to Canton in 1801 at the age of 65 and began a close connection with the town. There are small and large reminders all around town - Revere Street, The Revere School, the Viaduct, his Rolling Mill, his son's House is still standing, and in the Canton Historical Society many artifacts serve as further reminders.

My earliest education was under the influence of none other than Paul Revere. Well, actually it was in a small four room schoolhouse named for the famous patriot and over the mantle of the fireplace in the common room hung a portrait of the man himself. And so, at a very early age I was intensely curious about all things "Revere" and the connection of that family to our community.

Not to soon thereafter, Danny, one of my schoolmates offered to trade me a genuine "artifact" from the Revere Family. I can not remember the terms of the trade, but I do remember that the provenance of the origin was a bit shaky. On the appointed day my buddy brought me a small round metal box which was well worn and quite beaten by time. "It is a snuff box" he proclaimed, and he traded it to me for what may have been a handful of Dutch beads for all that I can recall. The only additional elements of the transactional history was that the box was dug up from behind Danny's house and at one time Paul Revere owned the land where Danny lived.

So, that was good enough for me. An eight year old with an antique snuffbox that was carried in the pocket of the great Patriot Paul Revere. Thinking back to being eight years old there was a new vein of active curiosity and intellectual growth that would be part of my life forever.

I hold onto the legend of the Revere Snuffbox for almost 35 years (please do not do the math). It turns out that in fact if the "digging up in the backyard" part of the story is true, then yes it was land owned by the Revere's. Most likely it was from the property of Joseph Warren Revere who had a house that abutted the property of my young friend. And, the road that ran behind Danny's house was the road that led to the Revere Copper and Rolling Mill.

The small box of tin or brass has always been a simple symbol of another time and place. The cover seems to have a Spanish Soldier in bas relief. Not a marking to indicate the date or the origin, very small and quite well worn. This has always had a gentle feel in my hand and as I turn it in my palm I imagine the waistcoat that once pocketed the box. It is my earliest curiosity and always has a special place on the shelf of my bookcase surrounded by volumes and pamphlets on the local history of the town.

I will never know the true owner of the box, and quite frankly it does not matter to me. The thing is, these artifacts are around all of us and they always tell a story. That is the power of saving such items, such is the amazing connection we have to the past. We work to document and save historic houses, we mark historic sites, we snoop out old cellar holes, we research documents and fight the battles that will at times feel quixotic. But in the end, we are actually working to preserve ourselves, we are staking out lines to support preserving places so that in the future we have a backdrop to the history of who we are and who came before us. This is what makes us vital and what creates legends and stories.