This Week in Marblehead History: 1878

Every week, Marblehead Patch digs through the Marblehead Messenger microfilm archives at Abbot Public Library to find out what was happening on this week in local history.

On this week in 1878:

Accident: Wednesday morning as Mrs. Moses Quimby of Forest River was driving from Salem, and near the junction of the Marblehead road and the turnpike, a bolt dropped out of the shafts, letting them down on the horse's heels. The animal became unmanageable and ran into a tree on the roadside, badly damaging the buggy, and throwing the occupant to the ground. Mrs. Quimby was badly cut about the head and one side was considerably bruised.

Police Court:

• Yesterday, Benjamin Ashton paid two dollars and costs for a drunk.
• This morning, Michael Gallagher was before the court charged with obtaining goods under false pretenses. He shipped to go fishing in the Emelline M. Russell and ran away from the vessel while in Boston. The fact that he had no papers, was a minor, and that he had worked on the vessel a sufficient time to pay for the goods, was deemed sufficient for Justice Nutting to discharge him.

Improvement at Peach's Point: B.F. Crowninshield, at Peach's Point, is laying out a new road through his estate on which it is expected are long several summer residences will be erected.

Another Rascal: Another specimen of the boarding-house beat, calling himself Frank E. Rand, and claiming to be an agent of the Faber Lead Pencil Company of New York, came to town about two weeks ago and took up his abode at the house of J.N. Davis on Rowland Street, where he continued for about a week when he suddenly disappeared, leaving his board bill unpaid. Rand is represented as being a young man, apparently about twenty years of age, short in stature, of slight build and altogether an insignificant looking fellow.

Abbot Library: From the opening of the library for the delivery of books, Wednesday, April 17, to Saturday, Sept. 21, twenty-four thousand, eight hundred and sixty-three books have been given out and about eight hundred new books added. Last Saturday was taken out the greatest number in thirteen weeks.

Changes to the Weather: On Saturday last the thermometer stood at 89 in the shade; on Sunday it was much cooler; on Monday and Tuesday morning Jack Frost put in his appearance in the lowlands of Marblehead.

Do you recognize any of these names, locations or events? Let us know in the comments section below.