History of Swansea, Massachusetts, 1667-1917; - citizen hylbom blog

88 History of Swansea
tury, Samuel Lee came to this country in the interest of
English people, to look after timber land. He settled on
Shewamet Neck and built a house near the residence of Mr.
Wm. M. Chace, establishing a shipyard at the landing, where
for several years he carried on a large industry. In 1707 a
ship of 120 tons,—a large craft for those times—was launched.
In 1708 a brigantine of fifty tons and a ship of one hundred
and seventy tons, in 1709 two brigantines of fifty-five tons
each, and in 1712 a sloop of eighty tons were built in Swansea.
The river upon which Mr. Lee located his yard soon after his
advent took and has since retained his name, Lee's River.
Vessels have been built near the residence of Mr. William
H. Pearce, on Cole's river.
Prior to 1801, when he moved to New York, Jonathan
Barney built several small vessels on Palmer's river. In 1802
his son. Mason Barney, being then less than twenty years of
age, contracted to built a ship. Although young Barney was
acquainted with the nature of ship building, through his
father carrying it on, he himself did not know the use of tools.
His courage and self reliance in taking such a contract, when
so young and inexperienced, foreshadowed the character of the
future man. By his zeal, enthusiasm and determined will he
overcame the great difficulties which to most men would have
been insurmountable. From this beginning sprung up the
ship building business at Barneyville, and Mr. Barney's subsequent
great prominence in business circles. He sometimes
employed two hundred and fifty men, annually disbursing
large sums of money. The sails of the good substantial vessels,
which in the course of a half a century he built, whitened almost
every sea.
During his business career he built one hundred and fortynine
vessels, from the small fishing smack to the ship of 1,060
tons, the largest vessel that had then been launched in this
section of New England.
It has been publicly stated, without denial, that Mr.
Barney built more vessels than any other man in this country
had then built.
The financial crisis of 1857 found him with two large ships
upon his hands, with no market. In them he had invested a
large part of his fortune, which was thus entirely dissipated,
and he was compelled to give up business. With him passed
away the ship building interest of Swansea.
Mr. Barney died on the first day of April, 1869. The
house in which he was born in 1782 which dates from old
colonial times, was destroyed by fire some years ago.
He was a fine specimen of an earnest, enthusiastic and