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McIntire Country
Revised March 15, 2002

At the Battle of Dunbar, Scotland on September 3, 1650, Oliver Cromwell’s troops killed 3,000 Scots and took another 10,000 prisoner. About 5,000, those ‘wounded and fatigued by flight’ were released almost immediately on parole. Cromwell ordered 5,100 Scottish soldiers marched south from Dunbar into captivity in England. Three McIntire’s were among those 5,100 Scots’ prisoners of war: Micum, Robert, and Philip. Approximately, 1,500 prisoners were lost during the march. Some escaped, but most died of disease and wounds or were killed by their captors while attempting to flee home to Scotland. For a period of time during their captivity, the Scots were housed in Durham Cathedral, where they perished at a rate of thirty per day. Only 1,400 of the 5,100 men who started the march from Dunbar in September were still alive two months later, when England’s traders in flesh came for them. 150 of those prisoners, including the three McIntire’s, who were thought to be brothers, were put on board the ship Unity and sent to the colonies, indentured to the Company of Undertakers, the owners of the Ironworks at Lynn, MA. While there is no positive proof that Philip was at the Ironworks, it is documented that Micum and Robert were there. Micum was later sent to work at a sawmill on the Piscataqua River in New Hampshire and later relocated to York, ME. Robert may have gone to work at an ironworks in Connecticut. Philip showed up at Reading, MA about 1660 and settled near John Upton, who had been a blacksmith at the ironworks. Philip’s family intermarried with that of John Upton, and the family of George Thomson, another of the Scots’ prisoners. It is documented that Thomson was at the ironworks, and it is assumed that Philip was there as well. The above information was excerpted from "The Battle of Dunbar" by Dennis Bell-Sept 20,1998. http://www.geocities.com:0080/Athens/5568/dunbar.html

Begin your tour at the ‘Saugus Ironworks National Historic Site’, a property of the National Park Service, US Department of the Interior, 244 Central Street, Saugus, MA 1-781-941-2372. www.nps.gov/sair

Saugus Ironworks Mcintire Country Map

Driving instructions: Total Route: 30 miles
  1. Saugus Ironworks After visiting the Ironworks continue your tour by exiting the driveway and turning right onto

    Central Street. Follow Central Street around the Ironworks and when you come to a large smokestack, bear left

    continuing on Central St. Central Street ends at Walnut Street. Turn left onto Walnut Street, pass over Rte 1, and

    continue on Walnut Street bearing right when Rte 129 goes left. Continue on Walnut St. past reservoir, past lights at

    Salem St., under Rte 128, and past Colonial Country Club on your left. Walnut St ends at Summer St. Turn left onto

    Summer St. Follow Summer Street until you see Lynnfield Town Hall on left. Turn left into T.H. parking lot and park to the right.
  1. Lynnfield Center. From here you can see in front of you across an open field, two burial grounds. This is where you will find John Upton, died 3/27/1743, aged 60yrs, 16 days. Across to your right is the Lynnfield Public Library containing the Genealogy Room, supported by the Essex Society of Genealogists. There are two Upton genealogies there. The Upton Memorial, 1874, and a contemporary one by Ken Upton.

    Note: The reason I have included Upton and Thomson sites is because so many McIntires are also descended from John Upton and George Thomson. John Upton was a Blacksmith at the Ironworks. George Thomson was McIntire’s fellow POW from Dunbar. The three families lived in close proximity to each other and their families intermarried. Many of us, myself included, are descended from all three men.

    Exit the parking lot and turn left onto Summer Street, keeping to the right of the town common. Turn right onto Main Street. Follow Main Street until Lowell Street crosses at a four-way stop. Turn right onto Lowell Street. John Upton’s house, built in 1658 is at 735 Lowell Street. It is on the left, sets back from the road, and is painted red. As you pass it on your left, you can take your next right turn and make a u-turn and stop in front of the Upton house.
     

  2. John Upton House ca. 1658. You can’t miss this house, it has a sign board out front. John Upton built this house while working at the Ironworks. This house is currently in West Peabody, but in 1692 during the Witch Trials, it was part of Salem Village. John had moved to Reading by that time, but his family still occupied the house. In later years, this house was occupied by McIntires until the 1970’s. Upon leaving the John Upton house, (you did turn around didn’t you?), you will bear right onto Birch (or Burch) Road. A few hundred yards on your right is the Upton burial ground.

    3A. 1818 Gardner Upton Burial Ground No McIntires here, stop if you want. Continue on Burch Road, this is a windy road and for sure it is the same road that existed in Colonial times. If McIntires and Uptons visited, this is the path they would have traveled. Burch Road ends at Russell Street. Turn left onto Russell Street and proceed to stop sign. Turn right and cross the Ipswich River. The Ipswich is the main watercourse in North Reading. On your right, at the corner of River Street is the Samuel Flint House.
     

  3. Samuel Flint House, ca 1746.This house would have been built after Philip died but the Flints and the McIntires were neighbors in colonial times. There were marriages between the two families. Continue past the Flint house and turn left onto Rte 62 West, Elm Street. On your left you’ll come to the Thomson Country Club.
     
  4. Thomson Country Club. This club was founded by the General Electric Company of Lynn, MA and was named for Elihu Thomson. No connection that we know of to our ancestor, George Thomson who came to Reading about 1660. Continue west on Rte 62 Elm Street. MacIntyre Drive will be on your right.
     
  5. MacIntyre Drive. It was along this stretch of roadway that Philip probably settled. When Barbara O’Brien, an officer in "The North Reading Historical and Antiquarian Society, was contacted by the developers regarding a suitable name for their development, she suggested McIntire be used in the name because Philip had settled in this part of town. The developers thought that ‘MacIntyre’ was "CLASSIER" than ‘McIntire’, so they named the development MacIntyre Crossing. The houses here are priced from $750,000.

    Continue west on Elm Street to Riverside Cemetery on your right.
     

  6. Riverside Cemetery THIS is where most all the local McIntires are buried. Enter and take the first lane to the left. The oldest part of the cemetery is between this lane and Elm Street. Drive to the far end of the lane but do not go away from Elm Street. Stop here and look around. The more you look, the more McIntires you will see. All different spellings, too.

Every time I visit Riverside, I think of how Philip McIntire’s descendants in Charlton donated the land for a burial ground there. The fact that Philip settled along the stretch of road where Riverside is, and the fact that so many McIntires are interred here, makes me wonder if at any time this was McIntire land.

Exit the cemetery and turn right onto Elm Street.

  1. As you go past the cemetery you come to the area where I found mention of Raynor’s on the old maps. Robert Harry McIntire’s book tells us that Philip probably settled ‘where there was an old cellar hole on the northeast corner of the "Raynor Place’. Swan Pond is off to our right here and I’ve always thought that Philip may have settled somewhere between the pond and the river. FYI: The Ipswich River is keeping us company just on the other side of Elm Street.

Continue on to 207 Elm Street, on your right at the corner of Turner Road.
  1. Ebeneezer Upton House, ca 1732. 207 Elm Street, see historic plaque.

Continue on to John Upton, jr house. Only two houses from here.
  1. John Upton jr. House. 215 Elm Street. The ancient looking black colonial house with the center chimney at the corner of Harvest Lane is the house that Barbara O’Brien tells me was built by John Upton, jr.

Continue west on Elm Street bearing left at the blinking yellow light and continue on Washington Street to the North Reading Shopping Center.

Turn left onto Park Street and Macville.
  1. Macville. This end of Park Street, from here to Chestnut Street, was called Macville because of all the McIntires living here. The old maps in Flint Library attest to that. There are no known McIntire houses left from colonial days. The last McIntire homestead in Macville burned in 1959.

Continue to end of Park Street and turn right onto Chestnut Street. Follow Chestnut Street bearing left at Flint Street. Go past Harmony Vale Cemetery, there are no McIntires there, and continue to stop sign at Haverhill Street. Cross Haverhill Street bearing left and continue on Chestnut Street bearing right at New Street. Turn left on Upton Avenue. Go to #12 on left at end of street.

  1. Amos Upton House. Built in 1702 by Francis Nurse, son of Rebecca Nurse of Salem Village who was hanged in 1692 for witchcraft. We will see her homestead later. Reverse direction and retrace your steps to Haverhill Street.

Turn left onto Haverhill Street. Just before crossing the Ipswich River you’ll see Railroad Ave. This is the roadbed of the old Lowell & Salem RR that followed the river through North Reading. There have been McIntires killed on the RR tracks, and there have been McIntires drowned in the river. At the stop sign at Park Street you will see on the hill ahead of you the Third Meeting House. The war memorials are in front of the Meeting House. Turn right onto

Park Street and take your next left turn being careful to note that this is a rotary intersection. Proceed to Meeting House and enter the first driveway and park to the left.

  1. Third Meeting House. In front of you near the flagpole are the War Memorials listing many McIntires and Uptons.

    2. Looking to your left you will see the Flint Memorial Hall Public Library, then the Damon Tavern, then the Rev Daniel Putnam House, home of the North Reading Historical and Antiquarian Society, and in the back, the old West Village Schoolhouse. In the foyer of the Flint Library are two marble wall tablets on which you will find the names of four McIntires including one that died at Andersonville, during the Civil War. On the second floor is a local history room that has the Philip McIntire, and Micum McIntire genealogies and two Upton genealogies. On the second floor of the Damon Tavern is a large hall decorated with Rufus Porter murals. The drapes are kept drawn to protect the murals from the light. On page 135 of "The Genealogical History of Reading" you can see that four Mcintires were among the petitioners for common land on which to build a house for the Rev Mr. Putnam. The Putnam house is in need of a new roof. The Historical Society is currently raising funds for that purpose. Your donation in the name of Philip McIntire Clan Association(or in your own name), in any amount, would be appreciated. I will forward any donations sent to me. Make payable to ‘North Reading Historical and Antiquarian Society’.

    Exit the parking lot turning right onto Bow Street. Enter the rotary and then exit left onto Park Street. At the North Reading Shopping Center bear left onto Washington Street. At the blinking light, bear right onto Elm Street. We are retracing our earlier route. We will pass, all on our left: #10, the John Upton, jr house, 215 Elm Street, at the corner of Harvest Lane; #9 the Ebeneezer Upton House at 207 Elm Street; #8, area on left near Swan Pond Road that is probably where Philip settled; #7, Riverside Cemetery; #6, MacIntyre Drive; and on your right, the Thomson Country Club.

    Continue on Elm Street and bear right at fork before stop sign. Turn right after stopping, and then left onto River Street. Stay left at Natsue Drive. River Street is about two miles long, and ends at traffic lights at Rte 114. Turn right onto Rte 114 ( South Main Street). Within a couple hundred feet, on left, is Log Bridge Road which will take you to the site of the ‘log bridge’ that the colonials used to cross the Ipswich River on the way to Salem Village.

  2. Site of Log Bridge. The site is not marked but if you watch the river while driving Log Bridge Road, you can see where the river narrows and is the only natural spot for a bridge. It is less than ˝ mile from Rte 114.

    3. Reverse direction and return to Rte 114. Turn left onto Rte 114 and continue east to Watson Parkway (at traffic lights). Turn left on Watson Parkway and continue to end. Turn right onto Center Street and then turn left BEFORE RTE 1, (do NOT enter rte 1), go down, turn right and go UNDER rte 1 and rte 95.

    You are now traveling east on Center Street, entering Salem Village. Watch on left for the Training Field. Turn left at far end of Training Field and park. From here you can walk back across the Field and see the John Upton Tavern.

    14A. John Upton Tavern, ca. 1710 at the west end of the Field. I’m still trying to find out just which John Upton owned this tavern. Speaking with the inhabitants hasn’t helped me make a determination.

    14B. East of the Training Field, on the left side of 65 Center Street, there is a grass covered lane that will take you to the cellar hole of the Rev Parris homestead, the very spot where the infamous Salem Witch Trials travesty took root. Note the many historic signs on the neighborhood houses, and also the Training Field. There are granite memorials in front of where you parked on Ingersoll Street. Few houses remain from the 17th century.

    Regain your car and continue driving down Ingersoll Street, away from Center Street. The street becomes a lane and then a dirt lane, continue past Endicott gardens on your left, and Endicott Park on your right. Enter Glen Magna to the left of the sign.

  3. Glen Magna. The Derby Summer House mentioned on the sign is the McIntire Tea House. See "The Woodcarver of Salem: Samuel McIntire, His Life and Work", by Frank Cousins and Phil P. Riley, 1916. You can buy this book at the Salem Visitors Center at the conclusion of this trip, or order from Higginson Book Company, 148 Washington Street (a Samuel McIntire house), P.O. Box 778, Salem, MA 01970 www.higginsonbooks.com. Park facing the mansion, and the Tea House will be to your right at about two o’clock. Pick up a brochure on the main path entering the grounds and please leave a donation for the Danvers Historical Society, the owners of this magnificent estate. The Derby Summer House (McIntire Tea House) formally on Elias Haskett Derby’s Peabody farm, was moved to Glen Magna in . The life-sized, hand carved figures on top of the tea house are the ‘Reaper’ and the ‘Milkmaid’.

    4. When you are done, retrace your steps to the Training Field and turn left onto Center Street. Take your next left turn onto Hobart Street. Watch on your right for the granite "Witch Trials Memorial". Turn in and park off the road.

  4. Witch Trials Memorial. The names of all nineteen persons hanged, and one who was pressed to death, for witchcraft are listed here. The Meeting House where some trials took place was directly across the Street. Exit Witch Memorial and turn right onto Hobart Street, continue to stop sign.

    5. Turn right onto Pine Street. Proceed straight through traffic lights at Holten Street. Watch on your right side for the historic sign announcing the "1678 Rebecca Nurse Homestead".

  5. 1678 Rebecca Nurse Homestead. This was the home of Rebecca Nurse, hanged for witchcraft in July 1692. It was her son Francis who built the house back in North Reading (#12 on map). The Homestead is open to the public and the hours should be posted at the end of the driveway, but drive in anyway and look around. There is a burial ground down behind the house. Because this location is so well preserved, Hollywood movies have been filmed here.

    6. Exit the grounds and turn right onto Pine Street. Pine Street becomes Collins Street. Bear right onto Sylvan Street at Sylvan Street Grille. Move left and position for a left turn onto Rte 114 East. Continue on Rte 114 past the Northshore Shopping Center, continue over Rte 128. Follow signs for Rte 114 east to Salem. (There are a number of turns) The first is a left onto Pulaski Street, and then a right onto Gardner Street. At end of Gardner Street, at lights, turn right onto North Street (Rte 114 east to Salem). Continue into Salem on North Street (rte 114 east). In colonial times, Salem was comprised of the present day towns of Salem, Peabody, and Danvers. Watch for brown signs directing you to "Salem Visitors Center". That is your destination. Keep right over the rte 107 (Bridge Street) overpass and make cloverleaf to your right at end of overpass onto rte 107 (Bridge Street) north. Watch for brown "Salem Visitors Center-National Park Service" signs. Enter rotary and proceed ˝ revolution and exit on rte 107 north (Bridge Street, about 11:30 o’clock), pass Morency Manor on right, At stop sign turn right onto Winter Street rte 1A south, bear left at Statue of Roger Conant. At Hawthorn Hotel, turn right onto Essex Street. At the stop sign, turn right, you are at the Salem Visitor’s Center. Park in the garage across from the VC.

  6. Salem Visitors Center, National Park Service. Here is the start point for your Salem tour. You may want to look around and get the feel of Salem today and come back tomorrow for a whole day of sightseeing. There are many things to see and do. Be sure and ask for a brochure for "The McIntire Historic District Walking Trail". If they don’t have any, tell them who you are, they may be hiding some. They are always in short supply for some reason. Here you can buy the "Woodcarver of Salem" book. Also books on the Witch Trials. Ask for directions to the OLD Customs House and see a replica of the McIntire eagle over the door (you can see the original at the Phillips Library, a part of the Essex-Peabody Museum. It is on display with other original woodcarvings by McIntire. Just ask the receptionist as you enter the library, and she will direct you). Stop in at the Chamber of Commerce at Old Town Hall in Derby Square. Walk the McIntire Trail. When on Summer Street, note that McIntire lived at 31 Summer Street, now home to an insurance company. In the rear of his house stood the shop where most of the wood finish and exquisite carving for McIntire’s houses was prepared. About 1840 this building was moved to Tapleyville, Danvers, and built onto a dwelling there. Stop in at Higginson Books at 148 Washington Street, see the McIntire woodwork, and pick up some genealogy catologues. Lots of good stuff. Save at least four hours for the Peabody Essex Museum. Lots of Samuel McIntire things here, mostly at the Phillips Library. Visit McIntire graves at ‘The Burying Point Cemetery’ on Charter Street. Memorial to those hanged for Witchcraft is incorporated into the boundary wall. Visit Pickering Wharf, Derby Wharf, The NPS Maritime Visitors Center, The 1819 Customs House (get tickets at Maritime Visitor Center), The House of Seven Gables and much more. Joseph True carved the eagle on the 1819 Customs House in 1825, receiving $25 for his work. True apprenticed under Samuel McIntire.

    7. I hope this guide has helped you in some way. Comments, additions, and corrections are welcome.

Stuart A. McIntire
P.O. Box 863
Andover, MA 01810
SAMCO1208@aol.com

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