Fire Department

This scrapbook is a collection of newspaper clippings dating between 1857-1878 and covering a wide range of topics pertaining to the City of Lawrence. Topics include manufacturing, city government, reminisces of the early history of Lawrence along with the reporting of the Old Residents Club (or Association) and its officers. Also included is a page titled “Irish Famine” which is a copied letter from Charles S. Storrow to Josiah Quincy, Jr., Mayor of Boston, dated February 28, 1847, offering to Mayor Quincy a donation in the amount of $1,076.37 “contributed by the inhabitants of the new town of Lawrence for the relief of the sufferers in Ireland”; extracts from the memo book of C.S. Storrow titled “Storrow’s Memorandums/Extract from Memo Book of C.S. Storrow” which, among other things, mentions the riot at Liscomb House, the incorporation of the Essex Company and the viewing of Bodwell and Peters Falls in preparation for the harnessing of the Merrimack River. A notation, dated December 27, 1846, makes mention of the fact that there now 9 lawyers and ten physicians, as well as the first coffin maker, in the city. There are no clear identifiers in this scrapbook as to its owner. The first two pages contain an index referring to the newspaper clippings and handwritten entries. The handwriting of this index differs from the handwriting throughout the book. The transcribed portion of the book is in other handwriting styles (one of which may be attributed to G. A. Gaskell, professor of penmanship). Other pages contain handwriting which is very similar to that of Robert H. Tewksbury and based on that, it is believed this scrapbook may have been a compilation of articles to be used by Tewksbury as resource material for his extensive writings about the history of Lawrence. The book is located in Box B 76 in the 1st floor Essex Company vault.

This scrapbook is a 10' x 12" x 1-1/2' inch light brown covered book. The front cover bears the name "Scraps" and is bordered by an ornate geometric floral design. The scrapbook contains 82 hand-numbered pages.

The spine cover is missing but all pages are still bound. The front cover is separated from the spine.