Descriptions of the in ; with emphasis on the

MOMONTAGUENTAGUE CANCANALAL

as published in

THETHE AMERICANAMERICAN UNIVERSALUNIVERSAL GEOGGEOGRAPHYRAPHY 11912912

And

Dickinson's View of MASMASSACHUSETTSSACHUSETT S PROPEPROPERR 19191313

compiled with annotations by Ed Gregory 12.12.201612.12.2016 Both publications are tenant in the Historical Library of Ed Gregory

11

2

THE AMERICAN UNIVERSAL GEOGRAPHY;

_A VIEW OF THE PRESENT STATE 7 +. OF ALL “THE KINGDOMS, ero eS, AND COLONIES HE KNOWN WORLD. IN vWwo. VOLUMES. THE FIRST VOLUME scription of the reteag AmericanAa * ‘Coritlia ious Introd ‘to the eee oo roved urea THE SECOND VOLUME : ical Science—a brief Geography of the i, Sonttinnn y of the EasternCort Earth—a general Description a oie in King an Ancoant of North Aanetees onine and aia mine “Account of is rious Divisions, particularly of the Uni loms and riptio Stater—a general ‘Acetiint of the West- 2 Asia, faking cea general Dex ieee ; = the i = a {sands 2% Ariens ithe umeros feds ay ic are naturally div rn Geographers ler | Hraimte Aecoint of the several | Ilaids— names of ‘Austral san eral Description -A meriea, ote Heotipion 0a, i te ‘ticular. Account of its various of ate Stat Bates + and ProeietorrF ed. a brief De- Wade ‘ it -1o et / | TO WHICH ane ADDED

ay. ABRIDGEMENT OF THE LAST CENSUS O¥ THE A CHRONOLOG CAL TABLE OF REMARKABLE EVENTS FROM xa5 2 _ CREAT . THIS TIME—AN IMPROVED LIST OF. AN-: CIENT AND MODERN LEARNED AND EMINENTMEN i AND A COPIOUS INDEX TO THE WHOLE WORK: — “THE WHOLE COMPREHENDING A COMPLETE

= SYSTEM OF MODERN laid oth, EOS ae ¥.

o h _AGoOMPANIED BY A NEW AND ELEGANT. ¥ ick i bi aga fees Ala of: the Werth

——_eo = BY JEDIDIAH ‘sonde, D. D. F. A.A. St 8 : Minister of the Congregational Chrarch in Charlestown, ° -

SIXTH EDITION. Arranged on a new plan, and improved in every part by a laborious pee vera of most of the late respectable Vo;pyaare and Travels, in Europe and Asia, use of the information in the Abri gement of Pinkerton’s excellent Gengtauhy, andand by the late admirable Statistical Tables of Hassel. VOLUME I.

___—X—KKK—KXXKK—K——X—X__—o—kRKeF[a[[_ BOSTON : PUBLISHED BY THOMAS & ANDREWS, AND SOLD, WHOLESALE AND RETAIL, AT THEIR BOOKSTORE, No, 45, NEWBURY-STREET—-MAY, 1812, % 7. BUCKINGHAM, PRINTER, WINTER-STRERT.

3

THE AMERICAN UNIVERSAL GEOGRAPHY;

OR

A VIEW OF THE PRESENT STATE OF ALL THE

KINGDOMS, STATES, AND COLONIES IN THE KNOWN WOULD.

IN TWO VOLUMES.

THE FIRST VOLUME Contains a copious Introduction, adapted scription of the regaining American Isl- to the present improved statestateof of Astronom- ands. ical ScienceScience—a—a brief Geography of the THE SECOND VOLUME EarthEarth—a— a general Description of AmericaAmerica—— Contains a Geography of the Eastern Con- an account of North America, and its va- tinent—a tinent—a general Description of Europe, rious Divisions, particularly of the United and a minutminutee account of its various King- StatesStates—a—a general account of the West- doms and StatesStates—a—a general Description of IndiesIndies, , and of the four groupes of Islands Asia, its Kingdoms, Provinces, and Islands into which they are naturally divided, and Account of the numerous Islands arrang- a minute Account of the several IslandsIslands—— ed by modern Geographers under the a general Description, of South-America names of AustAustralral Asia and Polynesia-a and a particular Account of its various general DesDescriptioncription of Africa, and a a partic- States and ProvincesProvinces—and—and a a brief De- ular Account of its various States and Islands.

TO WHICH ARE ADDED

AN ABRIDGEMENT OF THELAST LAST CENSUS OF THE UNITED STATESSTATES—— A CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF REMARKABLE EVENTS FROM THE CREATION TO THISTHIS’ TIME----ANTIME----ANIMPROVED IMPROVED LIST OF AN- CIENT AND MODERN LEARNED AND EMINENT MENMEN------AND A COPIOUS INDEX TO THE WHOLE WORK.

THE WHOLE COMPREHENDING A COMPLETE

SYSTEM Of MODERN GEOGRAPHY.

ACCOMPANIED BY A NEW AND ELEGANT General Atlas of the World,

CONTAINING (INA A SEPARATE QUARTO VOLUME,) SIXTY THREE MAPS,

Comprising, as far as they could be obtained, all thethe latest Discoveries tothe present time.

BY JED1IDIAHJED1DIAH MORSE, D. D. F. A. A. A. S. H. $.§. Minister of the Congregational Church in CharlestownCharlestown. .

SlXTHSIXTH EDITION Arranged on a new plan, and improved in every part bbyy a laborious examination of most of the late respectable Voyages and Travels, in Europe and Asia, by a free use of the information iu the Abridgement of Pinkerton's exexcellentcellent Geography, and by the late adadmirablemirable Statistical Tables of Hassel.

VOLUME I.

BOSTON: PUBUPUBULISHEDLISHED BY THOMAS & ANDREWS, AND SOLD, WHOLESALE AND RRTAIL AT THEIR BOOKSTORE, NO, 45, NEWBURY-STREETNEWBURY-STREET—-— - MAY, 1812.1812. J. T. BUCKINGHAM, PRINTER, WINTER-STREET

4

323 CanalsCanals.’. 1 At MMiller'siller's falls,falls , in MMontague,ontague, ththee ConConnecticutnecticut descendsdescend s in a shorshort t courcoursese 6666 feefeet.t. The pprincipalrincipal fallfall is atat ththee hheadead of thethe cacanal.nal . HeHerere a ddamam hhasas beenbeen built,built, 11000000 feetfeet long,long , andand 28 feefeett highhigh ffromrom thethe top to ththee susurfacerface of ththee waterwater below.below. This rraisesaises ththee ssurfaceurface ooff ththee riverriver above,above, so highhigh as to directdirect a ppartart ooff it intointo ththee cancanal,al, which is oonn thethe east sside.ide . The canalcana l iiss cut acracrossos s a ppieceiece of land,land, anandd iiss alalmostmos t ththreeree mmilesiles llong,on20g , 20 feetfeet wide,wide, andand 2½2% ddeep.eep . ThereThere aarere 1414 locks,’locks, 2 each 73 feetfeet long,long , 12120°0 3 wide,wide, anandd ddrawingrawing threethree feetfeet water.water . TheyThey are formed byby stonstonee walls,walls, 8 feefeett ththick,ick, linleded withwith pplank.lank . The guardguard lock, at thethe headhead of ththee ,canal, andand clcloseose to thisthis dam,dam , is susupportedpported on thethrivere rive r siside,de, byby a wallwall of stonstone,e, 4400 feetfeet high,high , andand 28 feetfeet thick;thick ; aand,nd, on lalandnd siside,de, byby a rrockyocky shorshore.e. The canalcana l entersenter s ththee riverriver againagain a few rodsrod s belowbelow tthehe mouthmouth of DDeerfieldeerfield river.river . Four miles above this dam and 250 rods below the mouth of Miller's river, is the upper dam. It reaches also across the Connecticut, is1s 330830 feet long and 8 feet high; and is built like the other, of solid timber. This raises the water in the river sufficiently to overcome the rapids at the mouth of Miller's river. Boats avoid this dam by a short canal on the east side, consisting of a single, lock, 100100 feet long and 20 wide. There are two canals at South-Hadley. The descent at the upper falls is 55 feet. At the head of the falls, a dam of solid timbertmber is built obliquely up the river, for 100100 rods, whence it strikes across the river, 60 rods. The oblique dam is 1414 feet high, but the heheightigh t of the direct dam is less. At the bottom of the dam is the guard lock, for half that distance. The canal is 2 miles long and has a narrow strip of pasture between it and the river's bank. The first mile is dug through low land; the remainder through solid rocks, to the depth of 20 and 25 feet. The width of the canal, in the narrowest place, is1s 23 feet, and generally much wider; ititss depth is 2½2% feet.* A mile below the mouth of this canal arethe the Willimanset falls, the whole descent of which is 1616 feet. A canal of one mile in length,leads leads round them, which has two locks. By these various canalscanals,t;† an immensely important inland navigation is opened the whole breadth of the state, through the rich and productive county of Hampshire. connects the Merrimac with Boston harbor. The whole distance is1s 30 miles; viz. 6 miles from the MerrimMerrimacac

*This“This canal has undergone some changes, with the particulars of which, the author has not been made acquainted. †+ The stock of the two companies concerned in these canals, is divided into 10081008 shares, one half of which belongs to gentlemen in Holland. The amount expended about 200,000 dollars.

1' See page 1111 (this(this paper) ⁋ 2 for more accurate canal specifications. 2* Ten (10)(10) locks. *3 Printer's error. The width is 1212 feet wide.

5

324 to Concord river, and 25 thence to Boston harbor. Concord river is a sluggish stream, and has a fall in it, in the town of Billerica, 4 miles from its mouth. The canal commences in the Merrimac a a little above Patucket falls; and, in a southeast course of 3¾3° miles, ascends, by 338 locks, 21 feet, to the level of Concord river above its fall. It crosses Concord river on its surface; and, in a southeast course of 25 miles, descends 107107 feet, by 1313 locks, to the tide water of Boston harbor. The locks are all 90 feet by 1212 of of solid masonry, and excellent workmanship. The width of the canal is 24 feet, and draws 4 feet water. Both parts of the canal are fed by Concord river. From that river, southward, it prepreservesserves the same level for the first 1111 miles. In this distance it was necessary to dig, in some places, to the depth of 20 feet; to cut through two difficult ledges of rocks; and to throw several aqueducts across the intervening rivers. One of these, across the Shawshine, is 280 feet long, and 22 feet above the river. There is another across Mystic river, at Medford. At the end of the 1¾14 milesmules from Concord river, is a lock with 7 feet descent, and a mile and a half farther another of the same height. Thence to Woburn the canal is level. Boats of 24 tons,75 75 feet long and 11wide,1lwide, can navigate it. They are generally, however, smaller, and are drawn by two horses, at the rate of 3 miles an hour, common boats pass from one end _ to the other in 1212 hours. A raft, one mile long, and containing 800 tons of timber, has been by two oxen, part of the way, at the rate of one mile an hour. The whole expense of the work was above $550,000. The tolls have not exceeded $17,000 per annum. The vast quantities of timber around WiumnnipiseogeeWiinnipiseogee lake, on Merrimac river and branches, and Massabesic pond, and the produce of a great exteextentnt of very fertile country, will, in the end, be transported on this canal to Boston. It need not be added, that this is the greatest work of the kind yet completed in the United States. The Essex canalgoes goes round Patucket fallsin in the Merrimac. These, as the river runs, are 40 miles from the sea. The whole descent is 34 feet. The canal has 3 locks, and is 4 miles long. It receives boats drawing3% 3½ feet water. From the mouth of the canal to the head of the tide at Haverhill, the whole descent in the river is 45 feet, yet it is1s navigable the whole distance.

6

7nN

ese ieee = ag gram — 5 we = ~~ +p

Sy eee. ts f , . Gy.ZL 4oe. Lor Prue =

AND STATISTICAL ~aad GEOGRAPHICAL

vi WwW. 4

MASSACHUSETTS

S s PROPER:

4 = tee ert-eoenrr | Br RODOLPHUS DICKINSON, Es¢. 4-2DES ED ED

GREENFIELD; - $RINTED BY DENIO AND PHELPS, eeverecesersce seeee

8

A

GEOGRAPHICAL AND STATISTICAL

VIEW

of

MASSACHUSETTS

PROPER.

By RODOLPHUS DICKINSONDICKINSON, , Esq.

GREENFIELD, PPRINTEDRINTED BY DENIO AND PPHELPS.HELPS.

1813.

9

29 CANALSCANALS. . The Middlesex canal may be regarded as one of the most important efforts to advance internal navigation, that has been made in the United States. Thisvaluable valuable work, which was completed in the year 1804,1804, is about 25 miles in length, and extends from Boston harbor, in a considerably direct, north westerly route to the river Merrimack, in the town of Chelmsford; and besides presenting great advantages to the intervening country, opens an extensive communication between our metropolis and a large and fertile division of the state of New Hampshire, extending even to its centre, which is spread upon that river and its waters. Concord river, which is the reservoir of the canal, is 21 feet higher than the Merrimack where the canal unites with it, a distance of about six miles; and 107107 feet above the waters of Boston harbor at full tide. The ascent from the Merrimack to the level of the canal, is surmounted by three locks, constructed of freestone, laid inm mortar, and represented as of superior workmanship. That next the river is 90 feet in length, and 1212 in breadth. To prepreventvent the undermining of the works, a channel is opened below the bed of the river, and filled with a great quantity of stones, on which is founded a double floor of timber covered with plank, and forming the base of the walls, which are 1818 feet high, and about 7 feet thick. The second lock is 16,16, and the third 1414 feet in height, and both are of the same length and construction as the first. From the third lock the canal proceeds to Concord river, which it crosses on its surface, passes the Shawsheen and several other streams on aqueduct bridges, that over the former being more than 20 feet above its surface, and preserves the same level for eleven miles. In two places in this course, were ledges, and the opening of the channel was there very laborious and expensive. With these exceptions, it was not found necessary to dig the canal any where more than 20 feet deep. At the end of eleven miles, there is a lock of 7 feet descent, and another a mile and a a half below. Thence to Woburn the land is favorable to the design, and there is1s no lock in that distance: but to preserve the level of the cacanal,nal, banks 1212 feet in height have been in some places raised at considerable expense. It proceeds through that town, passes over Mystick river in Medford, where it has a sufficient elevation above the tide to admit of an aqueduct bridge, crosses the isthmus at Charlestown, and enters the estuary of Charles river between that village

30 and Cambridge. Near the foot of the canal there are three locks. The locks between Concord river and the sea, are constructed of wood, and each contains 100100 tons of timber, strongly built, planked on the inside, and supported without by stone walls. The whole course of the canal is in the county of Middlesex.

1010

There are two canals in Massachusetts, of small extent, on the eastern bank, of , which have much improved its navigation, and are of great importance in the transportation to market of immense quantities of lumber and other produce, from a vast and productive northern country, as well as in facilitating the return of foreign merchandize. The upperupper or MMontagueontague canal,’canal, 4 in FrFranklinanklin cocounty,unty, susurmountsrmounts thethe rapidsrapid s of ththatat river,river , whichwhich cocommencemmence justjust aboveabove ththee mouthmouth of MMiller's,iller's, andand terminateterminate withwith thatthat ooff DDeerfieldeerfield rriver,iver , a ddistanceistance ooff aboutabout sevsevenen mmiles.iles. A little below the entrance of Miller's river, a dam is thrown across the Connecticut; which overcomes Miller'sMuller's falls, a descent of about 8 feet. At this dam, on the left shoreshore’ 5 of the river, the first guard lock is situated, which is secured on the river side by a wall of stone, and is very extensive. FFourour milesmiles below,below , anotheranother damdam is builtbuilt acrossacros s ththee CoConnecticut,nnecticut, atat a pplacelace formerlyformerly cacalledlled thethe GreGreatat Bar.Bar. It isis constructedconstructed of heavyheavy timtimber,ber , iiss 40 feefeett inin itsits ggreatestreatest hheight,eight, andand aaboutbou t 333300 yardsyard s in length.length . ThisThis ssubduesubdue s thethe rrapidsapid s above,above , as farfar aass ththee othotherer ddam,am , anandd furnishesfurnishes thethe waterswater s ooff ththee canalcana l below’,below6 , for ssurmountingurmounting ththee MMontagueontague falls.falls . HHereere is thethe headhead ooff ththee canal,canal, anandd ththee secosecondnd gguarduard loclock.’k. 7 ThisThi s lock is alalsoso susupportedpported on thethe ooutwardutward sisidede by a wallwall of sstone,tone, pointedpointed withwith lime,lime, 32 feetfeet in breadthbreadth at ththee base,base, 1818 at thethe toptop, , andand 36 feefeett inin hheight.eight. It is ssustainedustained oonn ththee othotherer ssideide by a boldbold rrockyocky margin.margin . The cancanalal extendsextends for threethree mmilesiles throughthrough a llightight ssandyandy pplain.lain . The ditchditch waswas ororiginallyiginally 20, butbu t is nownow aboutabout 25 feefeett inin breadth;breadth ; anandd drawsdraw s aaboutbout 3 feetfeet of water.water . ThereThere areare eighteigh t lockslock s belowbelow thethe second guardguard lock,lock, one ooff whichwhich is sisituatedtuated aboutabout hhalfalf wayway down,down, andand two neanearlyrly equidistantequidistant fromfrom ththatat andand ththee fivefive lowerlower locks, at ththee foot of ththee cancanal.al . EaEachch of ththeselocksese lo cks is 7755 feefeett long,long , 20 wide,wide , anandd 1212 deep,deep , withwith wallswalls of ststoneone on ththee backback sside,ide , 8 feefeett ththick,ick, whichwhich as wellwel l aass ththee base,base, are titimberedmbered anandd planked.planked . The whole descentdescent of ththee ccanalana l is 65 feefeet,t, of which ththee fivefive lowerlower llocksocks makemake 4400 feefeet,t, aandnd ththee rremainderemainde r iiss aboutabout eqequallyually divideddivided betweenbetween thethe othotherer ththree.ree . This ccanalana l sasavesves a landland carriagecarriage of sisixx miles.miles . It commencedcommenced its opoperationeration in 11800."800. 8 The lower or South Hadley canal, in the county of Hampshire, surmounts the rapids of the Connecticut, between the mouth of a stream called Stony Brook, and the entrance of Chickopee river, a distance of about seven miles. From the head of the canal, a dam from 8 to 1212 feet in height, constructed of timber, extends up the river about 50 rods, and at a a little distance from the shore. At the foot of this passage is the first guard lock, and about 40 rods below is another, occasionally used when the waters break away above, and

4‘ The name “Montague Canal” is used here via “artistic license.” During my extensive canal research I’ve no knowledge of this canal being named or called the “Montague canal” or any other proper name. *5 The “left shore” would be looking downstream or the south bank of the ConneConnecticutcticut River. *6 This would be the 17981798 Barge Canal. 7” The first Guard Lock would be located at the canal source/mouth at Montague City. 8* The Montague Canal opened to commercial traffic in 1798.1798. The Bellows Falls, VT.VT. Canal opened in 1800.

1111

both of which are supported by walls of stone. The canal is two miles in length, 20 feet in breadth, and draws about 3 feet of water. It passes on the margin of the river through level feasible ground, until it approaches the foot, where it 1s is forced for some distance through a bed of rocks, bordered on the lower side by a precipice, and terminating in1n a considerable declivity. This channel is in one place 40 feet deep. Here are two locks sustained by natural walls, and justjust below them, the canal, supported on the water side by a wall of stone, after meeting three other locks, passes off to the river. Each of the five lower locks is about 20 feet in breadth, and 75 in length, except the upper one, which is 150150 feet. The whole descent of the canal is 40 feet. It saves a land carriagecarnage of six miles. It was originally completed in 1795,1795, though on a a plan greatly differing from the present.

31 About a mile below the canal are the Willemanset rapids, which are avoided by the opening of a channel a mile in length on the western shore, secured by a dam of stone extending parallel with the bank, at the distance of about 20 feet. Of the canals on the Merrimack, incidentally mentioned in the description of that river, it is impossible to suggest any particulars. Projects for canals in other parts of the state, have been contemplated, but remain to be executed.

End

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—― NOTES ―—

1313