Medford Ship building Notes
The Brooks History of Medford gave a (presumably) complete list of five hundred and thirteen Medfordbuilt vessels, including the year 1854. Mr. Usher in his later work (1886) gave the names of twenty-four builders of five hundred and sixty-four vessels of all styles, but gave no names of owners, style or tonnage.Prior, however, to his publication there appeared in the Mercury of April 1, 1882, the following, which is also presumably correct, though it lacks the owners' names.
Built by James O. Curtis:—
| 1855 | Barque | Young Greek | 500 tons |
| 1855 | Ship | Conquest | 1100 tons |
| 1856 | Ship | Silver Star | 1200 tons |
| 1856 | Ship | Flying Mist | 1200 tons |
| 1856 | Ship | Bold Hunter | 900 tons |
| 1856 | Barque | Young Turk | 350 tons |
| 1857 | Ship | Bunker Hill | 1000 tons |
| 1857 | Barque | Lizzie | 500 tons |
| 1857 | Wild | Gazelle | 480 tons |
| 1858 | Ship | Nautilus | 550 tons |
| 1858 | Barque | Curib | 212 tons |
| 1858 | Ship | Industry | 80 tons |
| 1859 | Barque | Mary Edson | 368 tons |
[p. 51]
| 1859 | Steamship | Cambridge | 900 tons |
| 1860 | Barque | Rebecca Goddard | 475 tons |
| 1860 | Ship | Mermaid | 500 tons |
| 1860 | Steamer | Young Rover | 417 tons |
| 1861 | Ship | Cutwater | 850 tons |
| 1862 | Ship | Somersetshire | 1035 tons |
| 1862 | Barque | Pearl | 500 tons |
| 1862 | Steamship | D. C. Molay | 1300 tons |
| 1863 | Ship | Nesutan | 826 tons |
| 1864 | Steamship | Fall River | 932 tons |
| 1865 | Ship | Horatio Harris | 1100 tons |
| 1866 | Brig | Nelly Hastings | 550 tons |
| 1867 | Barque | John Worster | 600 tons |
| 1868 | Ship | Springfield | 1000 tons |
| 1869 | Ship | Cashmere | 900 tons |
Built by Joshua T. Foster:—
| 1855 | Ship | Pleiades | 600 tons |
| 1855 | Ship | Luecothea | 950 tons |
| 1856 | Ship | Addie Snow | 1000 tons |
| 1856 | Ship | Hesperus | 1020 tons |
| 1858 | Ship | Templar | 800 tons |
| 1859 | Ship | Mogule | 800 tons |
| 1860 | Ship | Matilda | 875 tons |
| 1860 | Ship | Punjaub | 760 tons |
| 1860 | Barque | Mogul | 500 tons |
| 1861 | Ship | Quisnell | 1012 tons |
| 1862 | Ship | Agra | 875 tons |
| 1862 | Ship | Tangore | 916 tons |
| 1863 | Ship | Nepaul | 935 tons |
| 1863 | Ship | Cosamundal | 600 tons |
| 1863 | Ship | Eastern Belle | 1030 tons |
| 1867 | Ship | Mistic Belle | 755 tons |
| 1868 | Ship | Don Quixote | 1174 tons |
| 1869 | Ship | J. T. Foster | 1207 tons |
| 1873 | Ship | Pilgrim | 650 tons |
| 1855ZZ | Barque | Zephyr | 40 tons |
| 1855 | Ship | Rival | |
| 1855 | Ship | Electric Spark | 1200 tons |
| 1855 | Ship | Goddess | 280 tons |
| 18ZZZ | Ship | Thatcher Magoun | 1200 tons |
| 18ZZZ | Ship | Goodspeed | 280 tons |
| 18ZZZ | Barque | Captain Paine | 512 tons |
| 1866 | Ship | Henry Hastings |
[p. 52]
Enumerated in the earlier list of five hundred and thirteen was one not named and ‘not sold.’ Adding the fifty-five above listed gives a total of five hundred and sixty-eight, or four more than the total given by Usher (page 427). The queries arise, what was the name given the one ‘not sold,’ built by Captain Foster? Assuming the Usher totals correct, what the names of those four, and who the owners?
From the names given we might infer that some were built for the East India trade.
The ‘half models’ of six are preserved in the Historical building. One of these is that of the Avon, built in the short time of twenty-six days—a privateer in 1815. Another reminder of the vanished industry is the rigged model of the ‘Syren’ (see Register, Vol. XXII, p. 76) and a photograph of the same lying at wharf. Besides these we have the framed photo of the ‘Ellen Brooks,’ and a faded photo of the steamship Cambridge, of the above list. The last ship built in Medford was by Captain Foster in 1873, and Mr. Woolley's excellent water-color is also framed and hangs in the society's assembly hall, and the artist's story of the launching and brief history of the ‘Pilgrim’ in Vol. XVI, p. 71, of the Register. Also in Vol. XXI, No. 1, may be found the view of the wreck, and story of the ‘Living Age.’ Further than these there is little to tell us of Medford's once famous industry.
