The shipbuilding industry required iron and shortly an iron works was set up at Saugus, where bog iron from the neighboring swamps and meadows was smelted. The enterprise was financed in London and largely worked by Scotch prisoners sent over after the defeat at Dunbar, but the quality of the product proved unsatisfactory, save in the way of casting pots and kettles, and before long the enterprise got into financial difficulties and was abandoned.
The high cost of imported iron forced the colonists to fashion wood to serve their needs not only for agricultural implements but for nearly all the utensils used in the household. Massachusetts staves and hoops were important articles of export to the sugar islands in the West Indies.
The raising of flax and the manufacture of linen were attempted early to supply domestic needs in country households. Families in seaport towns very generally bought their fabrics in the local shops which imported their stocks from London or Bristol.
In 1642 it was estimated there were a thousand sheep in Massachusetts and it was not long before the colony was sending wool to France and Spain in exchange for wines, fruits and other luxuries.
The history of early American manufactures has been told in Edward H. Knight's American Mechanical Dictionary, 3 volumes, Boston, 1876, and William B. Weeden's Economic and Social History of New England (1620-1789), 2 volumes, Boston, 1894, makes easily available an immense amount of research. In the following pages are printed gleanings from Boston newspapers and court records that supplement these works and have the readable flavor of their period.
Anvils. Samuel Bissel, anvil smith, lately come from England, living at New-Port on Rhode Island, makes all sorts of Blacksmiths and Gold-smiths' anvils, Brick-irons and stakes and new Faces old ones, at reasonable Rates, and may be spoke with or wrote to, at his House or Shop near the Topsaile Street in said Town.—Boston News-Letter, Mar. 4-11, 1716-17.
Apothecary. William Woodcocke of Salem, apothecary, was licensed to still strong water and sell at retail.—Essex Co. Court Records, Mar. 25, 1662.
Aquæducts. For the Public Good, aquæducts made & sold by Rowland Houghton which Instrument being properly applyed to the outside of a Pump Tree, prevents said Pump from freezing tho' scituate in the most bleak Place & sharpest Season.
Said Houghton has lately improv'd on his New Theodolate, by which the Art of Surveying is rendered more plain & easy than heretofore.—Boston Gazette, Jan. 17-24, 1737.