The Merrimack River: its source and its tributaries. Embracing a history of manufactures, and of the towns along its course; their geography, topography, and products, with a description of the magnificent natural scenery about its upper waters./ By J. W. Meader.

ITS SOURCE AND ITS TRIBUTIPIES.
hence the word as applied tb the Indians of that locality. Several
localities in Essex County are now known by names contracted and
derived from this Indian word, TVonnesquamisauke; as "Squam,"
the name of a pleasant harbor and village upon the north side of
Cape Ann, and' Swamscott,' the name of a pleasant village in the
eastern part of Lynn."
The city of Lawrence, the ancient seat of the Agawams, is
another of those magnificent and forcible illustrations of the almost
incredible power and capacity of the Merrimack. For two centuries
the river and the land literally ran to waste; but sparsely settled,
in productiveness meagrely requiting the tiller's industry, it seemed
destined, like the other points of manufacturing interest along the
MIerrimack, to a career of barrenness and comparative worthlessness,
until the splendid water-power caught the eye of the sagacious manufacturer, when a change, rapid as wonderful, came over the scene
the desert waste grew green, active, busy life dispelled the unpleasant silence, and the solitary place forthwith resounded with the
cheerful rattle of machinery, the ring of the anvil, the vigorous
strokes of the artisan and mechanic, the whirl and bustle of trade,
and the constant rush of steadily augmenting thrones where once
the few hardy fishermen, along the falls, at the mouth of the Shawsheen and the Spicket, captured the magnificent and delicious salmon,
the bony shad, and the slimy, squirming eel, a change is wrou,ght,
sudden and complete. Monster factories, and a beautiful city of
elegan't public buildings, handsome, convenient, and comfortable
dwellingcs, workshops, school-houses, and churches, a large, enterprising and industrious community, now adorn, enliven, and beautify
the place. As early as 1835, lion. Josiah G. Abbott, and other
gentlemen interested in manufacturing, examined this water-power
with a view to the establishment of extensive works: but it was not
until ten years later that active and decisive steps were taken which
have resulted in the spring,ing up, as if by a touch of the enchanter's wand, of this extensive manufacturing city.
About 1835, the enterprising people of Methuen discussed the
project of turning the Merrimack River into the Spicket, as there
was a fine fall of thirty feet on the latter stream, but an insufficiency of water for very extensive operations. -Surveys were made
* Potter's History of Manchester.
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