There are times that I think back to my early years and simply marvel at the simplicity of some tasks. Life was less complex, though we were still held to a higher standard. There was pride in workmanship, morals, ethics and many other factors at play, but there was indeed a time when life was simple.
When my family arrived in Concord during the year 1850, they had journeyed for many months. They were unfortunate victims of the potato famine in Ireland where they worked as tenant farmers. They would lease the fields in Ireland to plant a fresh crop of potatoes, borrowing money to pay for seed and promising the landowner a healthy financial return when the crops were harvested at the end of the growing season. They lived a simple life and appreciated the fact that they were able to feed and clothe their families. When the potato famine arrived, they departed with nothing but a deep pocket full of dreams for themselves and their children. They were quickly recruited at dockside and found themselves indentured servants destined for America. My great-grandfather and his brothers signed a contract that provided passage on a steamship destined for Boston Harbor, their repayment for passage was their obligation to work for two years in the mills at Manchester, New Hampshire. Once they completed their indentured servant period, they traveled north to Concord seeking employment on Rattlesnake Hill as quarrymen. A simple life, hard work and a dream about a brighter future for themselves and their families.
When the Spain brothers traveled north from Manchester to Concord in the year 1850, they simply packed their belongings in a canvas sack and walked the 18 miles. Their fellow Irishmen already established in Concord welcomed them to local rooming houses at the north end of town in the shadow of Rattlesnake Hill. My great-grandfather and my great-grandmother spent the remainder of their lives in a frugal manner in the same house, never owning a horse or carriage and walking to most destinations.
As the 1800s progressed and my ancestors returned from the Civil War there was much excitement about our town. To survive the war was a miracle, to be employed with steady income was even better. They counted themselves as very fortunate on many different levels. My earliest Concord ancestors enjoyed the Concord State Fair on Clinton Street where they witnessed their very first hot air balloon. They stood on the banks of the Merrimack River as the very first Steam Ship arrived from the Boston area. They saw the first railroad tracks placed with the very first train arriving later. A beautiful train depot was constructed using the very same granite they cut and transported from their beloved Rattlesnake Hill. My great grandparents lived difficult and challenging lives, but they were fortunate in many ways. Their appreciation was grand and they remained fascinated as each and every year brought something new to the city of Concord.
In the last decade of the nineteenth century, there was once again change on the Concord horizon. A crowd gathered down on Main Street and the people continued to arrive. A festive group naturally inquisitive, they gazed upon yet another modern invention, something that was certainly appreciated but not quite understood. In the middle of the cobblestone Main Street stood a small carriage with just three wheels attached, one in the front and two larger wheels measuring about four feet in diameter in the rear. A young couple and their child sat upon this small carriage, glistening black in the afternoon sunlight. People shouted to the gathering crowd, where are the harnesses, where are the horses!
As the people gathered around and the occupants were satisfied with their attention, the young man stood and asked the crowd to disperse so that he could travel down Main Street in his new carriage. With that request, the crowd opened and the little black carriage moved along at a slow pace. As it arrived at the intersection with Pleasant Street, it turned in a broad circle and traveled back to the area in front of the State House. The people were all quite astonished to see this modern marvel, this horseless carriage that mysteriously moved along in silence.
At the conclusion of this demonstration the young man, woman and child disembarked and allowed the people of Concord to examine the carriage for themselves. It was the very first time anyone in Concord had seen anything quite this amazing. It was the first time an electric carriage had traveled our cobbled streets.
Over a century ago, just like our current days, there was a keen interest in developing a carriage that ran on electricity. This particular vehicle enjoyed power supplied by 16 E.P.S accumulators that provided enough electricity to travel for six hours. The battery cells were placed under the seat and the electric motor was suspended on hangers beneath the carriage. The motor in turn connected to a countershaft in front of a Reynold’s steel link chain. There were also a series of blocks fitted to the carriage about a foot apart with a second steel chain passing from the countershaft around these blocks. The thought was neat in appearance and had the advantage of reducing the weight of the gear to a minimum. The motor weighed about 40 pounds, propelling the vehicle at speeds from 4 to 9 mph, depending on road conditions. There was much attention to this very early electric car, years before Henry Ford entered the scene. Key development was ongoing in both England and France as well as within the United States.
As the sun set over the horizon, the men, women and children walked backed to their homes and farms in anticipation of another routine day at work. Sometimes it is the simplest pleasures in life that are the most enjoyable.