Digital Library
The Digital Library is a selection of historical resources that tell the story of Amesbury and the surrounding region. When possible source and access information is provided for these materials that have been made available for educational purposes.
Photograph by John Mayer
Digital reference library
The museum manages a growing collection of digital materials that document the history of the region. These digital materials are drawn from items in the museum research library and from a variety of online sources. These virtual objects are available for educational and research projects.
For information about the collection, please contact: collections@amesburycarriagemuseum.org
Essex County Histories
Newhall, James R., Essex Memorial for 1836: Embracing a Register of the County. Salem: Bookstore of Henry Whipple, 1836.
See pages 41-49 for a description of the town and industries of Amesbury.
“Topographical Sketches of the County of Essex”, The Massachusetts Magazine, (Jan. 1792).
This publication has one of the earliest descriptions of the industries of Amesbury from 1792
Amesbury Histories
Merrill, Joseph, History of Amesbury Including the First Seventeen Years of Salisbury, to the Separation in 1654; and Merrimac from its Incorporation in 1876. Haverhill, Mass.: Press of Franklin P. Stiles, 1880.
Probably the best known and most referenced detailed Amesbury history, including the years before its separation from the Town of Salisbury in 1654.
Pettingell, Charles I., “Powow River Industries,” Essex Institute Historical Collections, Vol. 82, (October, 1946), pp. 307 – 333.
Pettingell provides a rich overview of the early industrial activities along the Powow beginning with European settlement in the 1600s.
Smith, Emily B., A Chronological Record of the Principal Events that have occurred in Amesbury, Massachusetts. Amesbury: J.E. Brierly, printer, 1901.
Smith’s chronology is a handy reference for the history of Amesbury.
Textile Manufacturing
Aubin, Joshua. A Few Particulars in Relation to Woolen Manufacturing during an Agency in Amesbury of 31 Years Commencing in 1821 and Ending in 1852. Unpublished typescript, date unknown.
Aubin’s memoir provides a personal perspective about the growth and development of the textile industry in Amesbury.
Carriage Manufacturing
Allen, John J, History of Carriage Manufacturing, Automobile Body Building, and Accessories in Salisbury, Amesbury, West Amesbury, and South Amesbury. Unpublished typescript, ca. 1955.
For those interested in an introduction to carriage builders, Allen’s History is a valuable encyclopedia of this important industry.
Note – see the ACM news article about John Jewell Allen (1868 – 1960).
Algrove Press, Amesbury, Mass., the Carriage Centre of the World, 1893.
Amesbury carriage makers sent a collection of their finest vehicles for display at the 1893 Chicago Worlds Fair and Columbian Exposition. At the time, Amesbury carriage makers were well known for the quality of their products.
Published for the exposition, this pamphlet shows many of the carriage styles available from Amesbury carriage manufacturers. This version is an Algrove Press reproduction. The pdf file was produced by museum volunteer, Mike Harrold.
T. W. Lane, T. W. Lane Fine Light Carriages. Product catalogue, ca. 1910.
T. W. Lane was one of about ten carriage manufacturers still operating in Amesbury in the early 1900’s. This postcard-size catalogue shows the variety of carriage types produced at the company’s Chestnut Street factory.
The pdf file, including an introduction to the catalogue, was created by museum volunteer Mike Harrold.
Moses M. Dennett, M.M. Dennett – Builder of Fine Carriages, Amesbury, Mass. USA. Trade catalog, ca. 1890.
One of the major carriage-building firms in Amesbury was the M.M. Dennett Co., operated by Moses Morrill Dennett (1841-1930) from 1881 until he went out of business around 1893.
This trade catalog belonged to Sally Howe Gordon Bixby, Moses’ granddaughter, who allowed the original to be copied and shared for research and enjoyment by others.
Automobile Body Manufacturing
Allen, John J, Chronological History of Carriage Manufacturing, Auto Body Building and Accessories in West Amesbury, South Amesbury, Amesbury and Salisbury, from 1800 to 1955. Unpublished typescript, ca. 1955.
This chronology provides an outline of the growth and decline of the automobile body industry in Amesbury.
Automobile Body Builders Association, “Amesbury as Body-Building Center,” Autobody, Vol.4, No. 4. (October, 1923), pp. 139 – 144.
This period article offers a list of the major companies at work in Amesbury.