The Proceedings of the Cambridge Historical Society, Volume 7, 1911–1912 ​ TABLE OF CONTENTS TWENTY-THIRD MEETING...................................................................5 THOMAS WENTWORTH HIGGINSON MEMORIAL.............................5 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS...............................................................5 RICHARD HENRY DANA PUBLIC CAREER OF THOMAS WENTWORTH HIGGINSON....................11 BY SAMUEL W. McCALL THE HELPER OF A WOMAN'S CAUSE................................................17 BY LUCIA AMES MEAD THE CITIZEN AND NEIGHBOR.........................................................22 BY SAMUEL McCHORD CROTHERS THE MAN OF LETTERS.....................................................................26 BY BLISS PERRY TWENTY-FOURTH MEETING................................................................31 THE PLACE OF JUDGE STORY IN THE MAKING OF AMERICAN LAW......................................................................................33 BY ROSCOE POUND TWENTY-FIFTH MEETING.....................................................................51 AN HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF SOME BRIDGES OVER THE CHARLES RIVER....................................................................................51 BY LEWIS M. HASTINGS THE BUILDING OF HOLWORTHY HALL................................................63 BY WILLIAM COOLIDGE LANE A PETITION OF DR. DANIEL STONE, MARCH 4, 1672/3, AND SOME ACCOUNT OF HIS FAMILY AND ANCESTORS.................70 BY WILLIAM E. STONE JOHN TAYLOR GILMAN NICHOLS, M.D., 1859-1911............................77 BY OSCAR F. ALLEN 3 TWENTY-SIXTH MEETING. EIGHTH ANNUAL MEETING...........................................................................................89 REPORT OF THE COUNCIL AND SECRETARY...........................................89 REPORT OF THE CURATOR....................................................................92 REPORT OF THE TREASURER................................................................92 ELECTION OF OFFICERS.......................................................................94 MERCHANTS OF OLD CAMBRIDGE IN THE EARLY DAYS...........................94 BY MARY ISABELLA GOZZALDI MAJOR-GENERAL DANIEL GOOKIN.......................................................95 BY WARNER FOOTE GOOKIN GIFTS TO THE SOCIETY...........................................................................103 NECROLOGY...........................................................................................104 MARY BRADFORD FOOTE..................................................................104 EDWARD HENRY HALL........................................................................104 BENJAMIN VAUGHAN............................................................................105 OFFICERS...............................................................................................106 COMMITTEES...........................................................................................107 MEMBERS................................................................................................108 REGULAR..........................................................................................108 ASSOCIATE......................................................................................111 HONORARY....................................................................................111 BY-LAWS..............................................................................................112 ILLUSTRATIONS BRIDGES ACROSS CHARLES RIVER. PLAN.............facing 51 CHURCH AT GREAT BROMLEY.......................facing 72 CHURCH AT NAYLAND..................................facing 74 PROCEEDINGS of THE CAMBRIDGE HISTORICAL SOCIETY THE TWENTY-THIRD MEETING THE TWENTY-THIRD MEETING of THE CAMBRIDGE HISTORICAL SOCIETY was held in memory of Thomas Wentworth Higginson on the twenty-first day of December, nineteen hundred and eleven, at a quarter after eight o'clock, in Sanders Theatre, Cambridge. The President, RICHARD HENRY DANA, presided. The order of exercises was as follows: INTRODUCTORY REMARKS --- RICHARD HENRY DANA. PUBLIC CAREER OF THOMAS WENTWORTH HIGGINSON, --- HON. SAMUEL W. MCCALL, LL.D. THE HELPER OF WOMAN'S CAUSE --- MRS. LUCIA AMES MEAD. THE CITIZEN AND NEIGHBOR --- REV. S. M. CROTHERS, D.D. THE MAN OF LETTERS --- BLISS PERRY, LL.D. President DANA made the following introductory remarks: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MEMBERS OF THE CAMBRIDGE HISTORICAL SOCIETY: The Committee of the Cambridge Historical Society in charge of the proceedings this evening have permitted me, as President of the Society, to say a few words about Colonel Higginson's work in Cambridge politics. He represented Cambridge in the State Legislature for 5 two years, 1880 and 1881. The time at my disposal is too short for me to say more than that we were proud of him, and wished he might have continued to honor us with his presence in the General Court for many years thereafter. He showed his independence by opposing the bill for biennial elections - though it was favored by most of his prominent supporters - believing that on any issue not involved in the campaign a Representative, after hearing all that could be said on both sides, should act on his own best judgment. Beside running for Congress as Free Soil candidate in 1850, before he came to Cambridge, he accepted in 1888 the Democratic and Independent nomination for Congress in our district against Gen. N. P. Banks, then an old man, an ex-Governor, ex-Speaker of the national House of Representatives, and a distinguished orator, the Republican candidate in a district that was supposed to be overwhelmingly Republican. This was the year when President Cleveland after his first term was defeated by Mr. Harrison, and when there was a general return to the Republican party all over the country; and Colonel Higginson, too, was contesting the seat against a candidate about whose name had gathered much sentiment and even romance. Notwithstanding all these disadvantages, Colonel Higginson reduced the usual Republican majority by about one-half, ran ahead of the vote for Electors for President Cleveland in the district, and, I believe, prepared the way for the choice in the next congressional election of 1890, on the same platform and from the same district, of Mr. Sherman Hoar. In his letter of acceptance Colonel Higginson said in part: "It [the election of Mr. Cleveland] has put an end to the delusion that only one of the two great parties is truly patriotic or can be trusted with the government, this being a theory which strikes at the very root of Republican institutions. For the first time in many years we have a president who prac- 6 tically leads both parties." And again: "Every party which elects upright men is entitled to the credit of their good action, just as every party which nominates unscrupulous men, or even takes them for its real leaders while going through the form of. nominating some one else, drops to their level and is responsible for their misdeeds." During the campaign, being pressed to answer the question what he should do in Congress if a question came up from the Committee on Elections as to the admission of a certain member, Republican or Democrat, he replied: "What should I do as a Democratic member? I should do just the same, I trust, as if I were a Republican member -look into the facts as they were and give my vote without fear or favor. You say, 'It is easy to talk, but you would n't find it so easy when the pressure came.' What is the 'pressure'? What pressure need be brought to bear upon a man who is nominated by a party without his asking, without its asking for any pledges, nominated by acclamation, simply with the request that he should go to Washington and do what he thinks right? They say, 'It is n't so easy when you get there.' I dare say not. It is n't to do easy things that men are sent to Washington, I supposed; I supposed it was to do difficult things .... I don't say it is an easy thing for a man to stand up against his own party, but I think that every man who dares to represent this or any district of Massachusetts in Congress ought to be able to say as Dr. Channing said when he was asked what he would do under certain circumstances. He said: 'What I can do in the hour of trial may be doubtful, ​ ​ what I ought to do is plain, and what I desire to do is known to the Searcher of all hearts.'" ​ ​ Colonel Higginson was a regular voter at both caucuses and elections up to the very last, no matter how old or feeble he was or how bad the weather. In Cambridge municipal 7 affairs he was a member of, and contributor to the various associations for good government that succeeded one another in this city. He presided and spoke at many of the campaign meetings, and his name and influence were eagerly sought on every local issue; but no one need think that he signed his name, as so many do, because requested. No matter how influential were the leaders of the organization who brought a paper for his signature, he always, as I know from my own experience, asked the most searching questions and brought to bear his rich knowledge of men and policies before deciding what action to take; and this care often resulted in improved wording of the circulars, and in some cases in a changed course of action. At political meetings, whether as speaker or presiding officer, he maintained the same self-possession and delightful sense of humor which so brightened his literary work. This is illustrated by one occasion when, Mr. Higginson being in the chair,