Benjamin Hale: New England Stagecoach Pioneer

By Dr. G. William Freeman

Hale started as a young Jehu in his father’s single coach business, and at age 26 he was managing the family business. He then organized and consolidated opposing stage lines to launch the Eastern Stage Company. During the difficult times of economic hardship in Newburyport, Hale continued to provide passenger and mail service from Newburyport to Boston and Portsmouth NH. In 1814, Hale purchased a large brick building for the new Wolfe Tavern which became the headquarters of Eastern Stage. The Eastern Stage Company was successful and became an acknowledged power in the stagecoach industry for more than 20 years. In 1833, Eastern had 500 horses and 60 stages, was debt-free, and had no accidents or injuries. Hale was later awarded a Presidential appointment as the Postmaster in Newburyport, a prestigious position in town.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services
• Release date: Sep 27, 2016
• ISBN: 9781483456584

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Freeman

Copyright © 2016 Dr. G. William Freeman.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means—whether auditory, graphic, mechanical, or electronic—without written permission of both publisher and author, except in the case of brief excerpts used in critical articles and reviews. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this work is illegal and is punishable by law.

Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright ©1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-4834-5659-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4834-5658-4 (e)

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Lulu Publishing Services rev. date: 09/01/2016

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

Preface

I. Introduction

II. Early Years

III. The Stagecoach Era

IV. Traveling By Stagecoach

V. Early Stagecoaches in Newburyport

VI. Hale Stagecoach Line

VII. Newburyport Turnpike

VIII. Eastern Stage Company

IX. Hale Purchases Wolfe Tavern

X. End of an Era

XI. Hale Appointed Postmaster

XII. Tribute to Benjamin Hale

APPENDIX A. Benjamin Hale: Annotated Straight Line Genealogy

APPENDIX B. Family Misnomer Regarding Benjamin Hale

APPENDIX C. Family Misnomer Regarding Captain Nathan Hale

APPENDIX D. Transcription From 1808 Bible Benjamin Hale Family Record

Bibliography

To my son,

Benjamin Hale Freeman,

a seventh generation

descendant and namesake

of Benjamin Hale.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I am indebted to the following people for their support and assistance with my book:

To my wife, Dr. Juliette Z. Loring, who read my manuscript and who aided, counseled, and supported me at every stage of my research and writing.

To my son, Benjamin Hale Freeman, who photographed some of the images for the book, did the photographic editing, and provided valuable assistance in the preparation and submission of the images and my manuscript.

To John Green, Newburyport, historian, former teacher, and friend who read my manuscript and whose comments were instrumental in the development of the book’s presentation.

To Dr. Steven Jansen, historian, assistant professor, former museum director, and fitness friend who read and edited my manuscript and offered valuable advice.

To Jessica Gill, archivist, and the staff of the Archival Center at the Newburyport Public Library, who provided valuable assistance in locating records, images, and historical information.

PREFACE

This is a historical narrative of Benjamin Hale, a successful stagecoach owner and manager for more than forty years who resided in Newburyport, MA. This book describes the historical background of Benjamin, his success in the stagecoach industry, his purchase of the new Wolfe Tavern, and his presidential appointment as the Postmaster in Newburyport.

This is a companion book following the publication of my award-winning book, The Holy Terror: Captain William Nichols. The National Society United States Daughters of 1812 recently honored me with a Spirit of 1812 Award for that book, indicating that it reflected insights of living in that era.

Benjamin Hale and Captain Nichols were friends and associates in Newburyport who lived their entire lives in Newburyport. They were close in age and lived during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.

They were both involved in transportation, but in different ways – Captain Nichols was a maritime merchant trader and privateer, while Benjamin was a stage driver who managed a large stagecoach enterprise between Boston and Portsmouth NH.

Both were resolute men who had an inner determination to persevere and succeed through the many trials and losses in their respective lives. They both became leading citizens in Newburyport, and later in life were awarded with important government appointments.

Benjamin’s son married Captain Nichols’ daughter. It was not uncommon during those times for families of friends to intermarry.

Both Benjamin and Captain Nichols are sixth generation ancestors of mine. I am among twelve cousins who are direct descendants of both Benjamin Hale and Captain Nichols. We are related to them through our great grandfather, George Hale, who was the only child of Benjamin Hale, Jr. and Lydia Balch Nichols. George was the grandson of both Benjamin Hale and Captain Nichols.

After completing the story of Captain Nichols last year, I sent a copy of my book to my cousins. One of them responded to me saying, Now you have to do Benjamin Hale. It was then that I realized that Benjamin’s story also had to be told.

When I was a young boy I was living with my mother and grandparents in Haverhill, MA. My cousins and I often heard fascinating stories from our grandmother, Genevieve Hale Baumgartner, about our two illustrious ancestors from Newburyport. It’s important to keep those memories alive. Genevieve was the descendant of both Benjamin Hale and Captain Nichols, and there were numerous artifacts from her two great grandfathers in her home.

Initially, what was to be a short monograph about Benjamin Hale, soon expanded to a book-length manuscript. Considerable information was discovered from both primary and secondary sources when conducting research about him.

This narrative traces Benjamin’s journey from his father’s stagecoach business to the management of the large and successful Eastern Stagecoach Company. It describes the Golden Age of Stagecoaches, of which Benjamin was part, during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries that lasted until the railroad arrived in town.

The book provides a history of Newburyport’s well-known Wolfe Tavern, in which Benjamin made a personal and financial investment. After the original Tavern burned in the Great Fire of 1811, Benjamin purchased the building and property for the new Wolfe Tavern in downtown Newburyport. He was closely invested in the Wolfe Tavern for more than a quarter of a century, as it rendered service to local townspeople and provided respite for stage passengers, serving as the headquarters for the Eastern Stage Company.

Benjamin suffered multiple family losses during his lifetime, and he witnessed the end of the stagecoach era when his successful business came to an end with the arrival of the railroad. But he always stood fast and was able to endure the losses and persevere through the many tragedies he experienced.

While the story of Benjamin Hale does not have the excitement and adventure of the naval encounters of his friend Captain Nichols, Benjamin was a smart, astute, and enterprising man who had good business acumen and foresight. He came from humble roots, but he rose to manage the largest and most successful stagecoach business in New England.

Four Appendices provide additional genealogical information about Benjamin and the family.

Appendix A shows an annotated straight line genealogy of Benjamin to the twelve cousins in the sixth generation.

Appendices C and D provide clarification of some family misnomers that have persisted within the family over the years.

Appendix D is a transcription of the handwritten record of family marriages, births, and