History of Quincy, (Norfolk County) Massachusetts United States of America

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Local History Notes:

QUINCY, a post-township of Norfolk county, Massachusetts, bordering on Quincy bay, in Boston harbor, and intersected by the Old Colony railroad, 8 miles S. by E. from Boston. It is celebrated for its quarries of granite, commonly known as Quincy granite, which is exported in great quantities to all parts of the Union. About 1000 persons are constantly employed in working it. Blocks have often been quarried weighing as high as 300 tons. The first railroad ever constructed in America was here put in operation in 1826, for the purpose of transporting the granite from its bed to tide-water, in Neponset river, a distance of 3 miles. The village, which is considered remarkably beautiful, is situated on an elevated plain near the centre of the township. In a stone church, completed in 1828, at a cost of $40,000, is a beautiful marble monument, erected to the memory of John Adams and his wife. The town house, a fine granite edifice, 85 feet by 55, is deserving of notice. One newspaper is published in the village, which also contains 2 banks. Quincy is celebrated as the birthplace of several of the most eminent men who have borne a part in the affairs of the nation. Among these may be mentioned John Hancock, Josiah Quincy, Jr., and the two Adams'. The estate of the Quincy family in this town is one of the finest in New England. Incorporated in 1792. Population in 1830, 2201; in 1840, 3486; in 1850, 5017.

Biographies:

Augustus Frederick Nightingale, educator, was born in Quincy, Mass., Nov. 11, 1843; son of Thomas J. and Alice (Brackett) Nightingale; grandson of Samuel B. and Mehitable (Brackett) Nightingale, and of Joseph G. and Charlotte (Newcomb) Brackett, and a descendant of John Nightingale, who settled in Hull, Mass., 1634 or 1654. He was graduated from Wesleyan university, A.B., 1866, A.M., 1869, and was professor of ancient languages at Upper Iowa university, Fayette, Iowa, 1867-68; acting president of Northwestern Female college, Evanston, Ill., 1868-71; professor of ancient languages and teacher of elocution in Simpson Centenary college, Indianola, Iowa, 1871-72; superintendent of public instruction in Omaha, Neb., 1872-74; principal of Lake View high school, Ravenswood, Ill., 1874-90; assistant superintendent of public instruction in Chicago, Ill., 1890-92; superintendent of the public high schools of Chicago, 1892-1901, and in March, 1902, was elected president of the board of trustees of the University of Illinois. He was married, Aug. 24, 1866, to Fanny Orena, daughter of the Rev. C. H. Chase. He was elected president of the Nebraska State Teachers' association in 1878; president of the Nebraska State Sabbath School association in 1873; of the Illinois State Teachers' association in 1887; of the secondary department of the National Educational association in 1888, and president of the North Central association of colleges and secondary schools in 1898. He was a member of the National Educational association and chairman of the national committee on college entrance requirements, 1895-1899. He received from Wesleyan university the degree of Ph.D. in 1891 and of LL.D. in 1901. He is editor of Twentieth Century Text Books (100 vols., 1899 et seq.), and the author of: A Hand Book of Requirements for Admission to the Colleges of the United States (1879); and with George Howland of Two Educational Essays (1881), besides many reports and educational papers.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

John Hancock, signer of the Declaration of Independence, was born in Quincy, Mass., Jan. 23, 1737; son of the Rev. John Hancock (1703-1744), a graduate of Harvard in the class of 1719; librarian of the college, 1723-26, and preacher at Braintree, 1726-44, and grandson of the Rev. John Hancock (1671-1752), Harvard, 1689. He was a nephew of Thomas Hancock, 1702-1764, bookseller, merchant, founder of the Hancock chair of Hebrew and other oriental languages in Harvard, for which purpose he bequeathed ?l000. He also gave ?1000 to propagate the gospel among the Indians, ?600 to the town of Boston for the erection of an insane asylum, and the remainder of his large fortune to his nephew, John Hancock, the signer. John was adopted by his uncle Thomas, was graduated from Harvard in 1754, and was then admitted to his uncle's counting house, finally inheriting the business. He was a representative in the Massachusetts legislature, 1766-72; a member of the committee to demand of the royal governor the removal of the British troops from town, 1770; a member of the provisional congress assembled at Concord, 1774-75, and was elected its president. The efforts of the royal governor to secure the persons of Samuel Adams and John Hancock led to the battle of Lexington, and caused General Gage to exclude these two men from the general pardon offered to the rebels. He was a delegate to the Continental congress, 1775-80, and 1785-86, and was president of that body from May, 1775, till October, 1777. He was made major-general of the Massachusetts militia in 1776, and commanded the Massachusetts contingents in the expedition against Rhode Island in August, 1778. He took part in the constitutional convention of 1780, and served the Commonwealth as governor, 1780-86, and 1787-93. He received four electoral votes for President of the United States in 1789. He was the most wealthy man in Boston, and his money was subject to the needs of his country. In a discussion as to the best way to drive the British out of Boston, he is credited with meeting the issue with the suggestion to burn the town, and in the latter part of 1776 congress did give Washington instructions to do so, if it should be necessary in order to dislodge the enemy, and the authority was signed by Jetta Hancock, president of congress. He received the degree of A.M. from the College of New Jersey and from Yale in 1769, and that of LL.D. from Brown in 1788 and from Harvard in 1792. He was a fellow of the American academy of arts and sciences, and was treasurer of the corporation of Harvard college, 1773-77, being removed from this office by the fellows of the corporation for neglect in making an accounting and settlement for the funds that passed through his hands. In October, 1765, he ordered from London an invoice of books to be specialty bound for the library of Harvard college to replace books burned in the fire of 1764. The cost of the invoice was ?500 and the Hancock alcove in Harvard library contains the 1098 volumes as presented. He gave ?1000, and the mahogany pulpit, deacons' seats and communion table to the Brattle Street church, soon after used as barracks by the British. He was married at Fairfield, Conn., Aug. 28, 1775, to Dorothy Quincy, and their only child, John George Washington Hancock, died Jan. 27, 1787, aged nine years. On Sept. 10, 1896, the monument over John Hancock's grave in the Granary burying ground in Boston was unveiled. It was secured by an act of the legislature of Massachusettes, passed Feb. 3, 1894, providing $3000 for the purpose. He died at Quincy, Mass., Oct. 8, 1793.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Josiah Quincy, politician, was born in Quincy, Mass., Oct. 15, 1859; son of Josiah Phillips and Helen Fanny (Huntington) Quincy; grandson of Josiah and Mary Jane (Miller) Quincy and of Charles Phelps and Helen (Mills) Huntington. He prepared for college at the Adams academy, and was graduated from Harvard, A.B., in 1880. He taught at the Adams academy; studied at the Harvard Law school; was admitted to the bar in 1883, but never engaged in the active practice of the law. He became connected with the Independent movement against Mr. Blaine's candidacy for the presidency in 1884, and soon after became an active member of the Democratic party. He was a representative in the state legislature, 1887?88 and 1890?91, and was the Democratic candidate for the 51st congress in 1888, but was defeated. He was secretary of the Democratic state committee in 1890, chairman of its executive committee in 1891, and chairman of the full committee in 1892. He was elected the Massachusetts member of the national Democratic committee in 1892. He was appointed first assistant secretary of state by President Cleveland in 1893, but resigned the office after serving for six months and returned to Boston. He was elected mayor of Boston in 1895, and was re-elected in 1897, serving four years. While mayor he was especially identified with the extension of public baths and play-grounds, and with the specializing of the administration of the city charities under unpaid boards. He was married, Feb. 17, 1900, to Mrs. Ellen Tyler, widow of William R. Tyler, and daughter of Dr. Franz Hugo Krebs of Boston, Mass.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Freeman Hunt, publisher, was born in Quincy, Mass., March 21, 1804; son of Nathan and Mary (Turner) Hunt and grandson of Adam and Hannah (Stetson) Hunt. When twelve years of age he entered the printing office of the Boston Evening Gazette, where be learned the trade of printing. He was subsequently employed on the Boston Traveler. In 1828 he established the Ladies' Magazine, with Sarah J. Hale as editor. He sold the magazine and renewed the Penny Magazine, which he abandoned to become managing director of the Bewick company, an association of authors, artists, printers and bookbinders. For this company he established and edited the American Magazine of Useful and Entertaining Knowledge. He also published the Juvenile Miscellany. In 1831 he removed to New York city and established The Traveler, a weekly newspaper. He conceived the publication of the Merchants' Magazine in 1837, and issued the first number in July, 1839. He published the first volume of the "Library of Commerce" in 1845, and continued to edit Hunt's Merchants' Magazine up to the time of his death, when it was carried on by his successors till 1870. At the close of its sixty-third volume it was merged in the Commercial and Financial Chronicle. He was married to Elizabeth T., daughter of William Parmenter, of Cambridge, Mass., and their son, Freeman, was graduated from Harvard, A.B., 1817, LL.B., 1881, and was a member of the Cambridge school committee, 1883-87; of the common council, 1888, and of the state senate, 1891. Freeman Hunt, Sr., was elected a member of the New England Historic Genealogical society in 1855. He received the honorary degree of A.M. from Union college in 1856. He is the author of: Anecdotes and Sketches of Female Character (1830); American Anecdotes (2 vols., 1830); Comprehensive Atlas (1834); The Hudson River and its Vicinity (1836); Worth and Wealth (1856); Lives of American Merchants (2 vols., 1856-57). He died in Brooklyn. N.Y., March 2, 1858.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor