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This is a manuscript collection of the Lane’s Cove Pier Company, Gloucester, MA. regarding the professional, legal and financial affairs of the Lane’s Cove Pier Company. It includes paper, 35 mm photographs, ledgers, and ephemera. The paper contents range from a variety of correspondence to bank deposit slips to a church bulletin to warranty deeds and numerous legal documents and hand-drawn maps. The collection begins in 1828 when the Lane’s Cove Pier Co. was granted a charter on February 23rd to build a seawall that would protect the Lanesville harbor. This led to the formation of the Lane’s Cove Pier Co. in 1843, demonstrating the pier’s eventual importance as a commercial center. The collection ends with the sale of the Company in 1973 to the Conservation Commission, Gloucester, MA. The bulk of the collection dates from the 1930s and 1940s.

The largest series covers the legal, business, and financial affairs of the Lanes Cove Pier Company.

I. Correspondence (1900-1971)

II. Original Deed, Charter and Agreement of Association of the Lane’s Cove Pier Co. (January 2, 1843)

III. Ledger, Journal, Cash Book and Payment Receipts (1917-1955)

IV. Liquidation of Lane’s Cove Pier Co. (1970-1972)

V. Maps (1830, undated)

VI. Envelopes and stationery (undated)

VII. Ephemera (1947 and 1957)

VIII. Photographs - 35 mm positive and negatives (undated)

Box 1

Series I – Folder 1. Correspondence

a. Business, Office of the Harbormaster or Wharfinger

b. Business, Wharfage and dockage fees

c. Business, Annual Meetings

d. Legal, Renewal of license agreements

e. Legal, License Agreements

f. Legal, Land Leases

g. Legal, Boundary Dispute

h. Legal, Seawall Repair

i. Legal, Purchase and sale of Lane’s Cove Pier Co. stock

j. Financial, Dividend sheet 

Series II – Folder 2. Original Deeds, Charter and Agreement of Association of the Lane’s Cove Pier Co.

a. Agreement to incorporate the Lane’s Cove Pier Co. (1843)

b. Land Court. No. 11654. Petition by Clifford H. Wilson to use Sargent and Walden Right of Way (September 8, 1926)

c. Warranty Deeds

1. George Sargent et al to Lane’s Cove Pier Co. (July 10,1896)

2. George Sargent 2d to Lane’s Cove Pier Co. (September 15, 1896)

3. F. Henry Young to Lane’s Cove Pier Co. (January 16, 1889)

4. Nathan Todd & Wife to Enos Griffin (January 1, 1866)

5. William unknown to Lane’s Cove Pier Co. (September 23, 1844)

6. Winthrop Sargent to Lane’s Cove Pier Co. (February 3, 1844)

d. Quitclaim Deeds and blueprints

1. Epes Young and Rhoda Young to Lane’s Cove Pier Co. (December 23, 1847)

2. Epes Young et al Lane’s Cove Pier Co. (May 24, 1847)

3. William Langford et al to Lane’s Cove Pier Co. (December 21, 1870)

4. Ebenezer Bent et al to Lane’s Cove Pier Co. (September 23, 1844)

5. One original and 1 copy ‘Plan of Land in Lanesville, Gloucester, MA’ blueprint. ‘Made in accordance with the Land Court Instructions’ (July 6, 1926)

e. Misc.

1. Irrevocable Stock Power. Alice G. Steer to Lane’s Cove Pier Co. (July 10, 1852)

2. True Copy of Extract from Essex Registry of Deeds. Wm Langford et al to Joseph Blood et al (April 10, 1832)

Series III – Folder 3. Ledger, Journal, Cash Book and Payment Receipts (1917-1955)

a. Double Entry Ledger that includes: (various dates 1941-1955)

1. List of customers with page number for transaction detail

2. Individual customers by name with boat descriptions

3. Transactions (charge and payment) by customer name: land rent, moorage fees, licenses, etc.

b. Cash Book (circa 1940-1955)

1. Cash receipts by year and customer name (circa 1940 -1955)

a. Record of charges and payments for land rent, purchase of coal, rental of derrick

c. Journal (with pre-printed page numbers)

1. Account of S.R. Harvey (1917-1920, 1922-1935) (Page 1)

a. Receipts of payments from various customers for power boats, dories, sailboats, rent (1941-1942)

2. Cape Ann Granite Corp. (various dates 1917-1936) (Page 25)

a. Record of charges and payments

3. Land rent by year and customer name and dockage fees for boats by year and customer name (1917-1932) (Page 40)

d. Lane’s Cove Pier Co. receipts for payment (1941-1942) stored in envelopes

Series IV – Folder 4. Liquidation of Lane’s Cove Pier Co.

a. Closing Statement of Lane’s Cove Pier Co. to Gloucester Conservation Commission detailing Selling Price, Total Deductions and Net amount to Lane’s Cove Pier Co. Includes City of Gloucester Receipt No. 333 and adding machine tape in the amount of $1106.59 (October 20, 1970)

b. Legal correspondence Form letter to stockowners or their ancestors regarding an offer to purchase said stock Legal correspondence regarding disbursements for the Land Court proceedings (undated)

c. Business correspondence Granite Savings Bank passbook, Gloucester National Bank and Cape Ann Savings Bank and Trust deposit slips, blank checks, etc. Correspondence relating to the location and sale of company stock. (1970s)

d. Two Lane’s Cove Pier Co. envelopes addressed to John T. Geary and Wesley R. Burnham (undated)

Series V – Folder 5. Hand drawn maps, undated, circa 1850

a. Rockport Village (undated)

b. Annis Squam Village [sic] (undated)

c. Gloucester Harbor Village (undated)

d. Lanes Ville [sic] circa 1850

Series VI – Folder 6. Envelopes and stationery (undated)

Series VII – Folder 7. Ephemera

a. Newsletter. ‘The Gap at Lanes Base’ Lanes Cove, Gloucester, MA. Vol 1 - No. – 1. (June 14, 1947)

b. Bulletin. The Orthodox Congregational Church. Lanesville, MA (March 17, 1957)

Series VIII. Photographs (separate) - 35 mm positive and negatives

a. 87 35 mm positives and negatives undated)

1. Subjects sports, i.e., hockey, swimming, skiing and misc. other subjects