Businesses

swain, Earle & co. 

Both Clinton and Mercantile Street were bustling with commerce in the 19th and 20th century. One of the companies who contributed to making this a business hub was Swain, Earle, & Co. located at 63 and 65 Commercial St. It was originally called Swain, Platt & Earle and was founded in 1868. The name changed to Swain, Earle, & Co. once Mr. Platt retired In 1883. The founders were Theron Swain, Platt, and Edward Earle. Swain, Earle, & Co. were importers and wholesale dealers in tea, coffee, spices, and fancy groceries. The 1882 Sanborn map on the bottom right shows the "Roasters Attic" as well as the "Coffee & Spice Mill" that were located in their coffee and spice factory at 5-7 Mercantile.

1873 city directory advertisement for Swain, Earle, & Co.
1882 Sanborn map screenshot of 5-7 Mercantile

Top: Sampson, Davenport, & Co., The Boston Directory, 1873.

Bottom: Sanborn, Insurance Maps of Boston, 1882.

Founders & Employees

Edward B. Earle, one of the founders, appears in this 1880 census with his occupation being listed as "wholesale grocer." He lived in Newton with his wife Julia and their two sons (Raymond and Swain).

1880 Census for Edward B. Earle

U.S. Census Bureau; Fourteenth Census of the United States: 1880-Population.

Theron Swain, another founder, is not found in the United States Census, however, is found in many city directories. One such result is in the 1870 city directory (left) where he is associated with Swain, Platt, & Earle. As mentioned above, in 1883 the name changes, which is evident in the 1883 city directory (right).

1870 city directory result for Theron Swain

Sampson, Davenport, & Co. The Boston Directory, Embracing the City Record, a General Directory of the Citizens, and a Business Directory. (Boston, MA.: 1870). 

1883 city directory result for Theron Swain

Sampson, Davenport, and Company. The Boston Directory, Containing the City Record, a Directory of the Citizens, and Business Directory. (Boston, MA.: 1883).

Bryon Thayer started at Swain, Earle, & Co. as a bookkeeper and eventually became a managing partner once Earle died in 1884.

1876 city directory for Bryon Thayer

Sampson, Davenport, and Company. The Boston Directory, Embracing the City Record, a General Directory of the Citizens, and Business Directory. (Boston, MA.: 1876).

This is a holiday greeting card that Swain, Earle, & Co. would sent out to its customers to encourage more orders. 

"Greeting card for Swain, Earle & Co., teas, coffee, spices and fancy groceries, 63 & 65 Commercial Street, Boston, Mass., December 1, 1880."

1883 Boston Globe article about fire at Swain, Earle, & Co.

In 1883, Swain, Earle, & Co. suffered a fire that went through 63 and 65 Commercial as well as their factory located in 5-7 Mercantile. 

"ROASTED COFFEE.: VERY HEAVY LOSS TO SWAIN, EARLE & CO, ON COMMERCIAL STREET." 1883. Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922).

g. b. houghton & Co.

Another prominent business in this parcel was G. B. Houghton & Co. which was located at 59 Clinton. Gilman Baldwin Houghton was the owner and was a wholesale fruit distributor.  

Photo of G.B. Houghton & Co. building front

"G. B. Houghton & Co. 59 Clinton st. [sic]." Photograph. [ca. 1890–1915]. Digital Commonwealth.

Gilman Baldwin Houghton appears in the 1910 census living on Glenway (mistyped in the census) Street with his wife Josie, daughter Constance, and son Harvey. His occupation is listed as a dealer in the fruit industry.

1910 census for G.B. Houghton

U.S. Census Bureau; Fourteenth Census of the United States: 1910-Population.

Billhead for G.B. Houghton & Co. (1903)

A 1903 receipt showing produce (bananas, cabbage, and oranges) sold to a Nelson & Wallace, E. in Vermont.

“Billhead for G.B. Houghton & Co., Wholesale Fruit Distributors, 59 Clinton Street, Boston, Mass., Dated September 4, 1906.” Historic New England.

Job advertisement for G.B. Houghton & Co.

A 1908 job advertisement for G.B. Houghton looking for packers.

The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.), 26 Nov. 1908. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. 

bibliography

“Billhead for G.B. Houghton & Co., Wholesale Fruit Distributors, 59 Clinton Street, Boston, Mass., Dated September 4, 1906.” Historic New England. Accessed November 4, 2022. https://www.historicnewengland.org/explore/collections-access/gusn/249556/


"G. B. Houghton & Co. 59 Clinton st. [sic]." Photograph. [ca. 1890–1915]. Digital Commonwealth, https://ark.digitalcommonwealth.org/ark:/50959/p2677g53j.


"Greeting card for Swain, Earle & Co., teas, coffee, spices and fancy groceries, 63 & 65 Commercial Street, Boston, Mass., December 1, 1880." Card. 1880. Digital Commonwealth, http://gusn.us/246857.


"ROASTED COFFEE.: VERY HEAVY LOSS TO SWAIN, EARLE & CO, ON COMMERCIAL STREET." 1883. Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922), Oct 27, 4. https://holycross.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=cas&url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/roasted-coffee/docview/493048468/se-2.


Sampson, Davenport, & Co. The Boston Directory, Embracing the City Record, a General Directory of the Citizens, and a Business Directory. (Boston, MA.: 1870). 


Sampson, Davenport, and Company. The Boston Directory, Embracing the City Record, a General Directory of the Citizens, and Business Directory. (Boston, MA.: 1876). https://www.ancestryheritagequest.com/discoveryui-content/view/466699601:2469?_phsrc=MIe149&_phstart=successSource&gsfn=Byron&gsln=Thayer&ml_rpos=14&queryId=acc405fad036dbbda39e2bd63aa13d29


Sampson, Davenport, & Co. The Boston Directory, Embracing the City Record, a General Directory of the Citizens, and a Business Directory. (Boston, MA.: 1873). https://books.google.com/books id=NqHNAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA1078&lpg=PA1078&dq=%22Swain,+Earle,+%26+Co.%22+mercantile+st+boston&source=bl&ots=-pGCXOKPw4&sig=ACfU3U0h8fww6ARC6VwX-lxibXGxVoqv9Q&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjLzeyY2LP7AhUbk4kEHfuQBWU4ChDoAXoECAUQAw#v=onepage&q=%22Swain%2C%20Earle%2C%20%26%20Co.%22%20mercantile%20st%20boston&f=false.


Sampson, Davenport, and Company. The Boston Directory, Containing the City Record, a Directory of the Citizens, and Business Directory. (Boston, MA.: 1883). https://www.ancestryheritagequest.com/discoveryui content/view/1451364120:2469?_phsrc=MIe150&_phstart=successSource&gsfn=Theron&gsln=Swain&ml_rpos=1&queryId=90e0b02f481dc4c0ad46bfc9c3c9737c. 


Sanborn Map & Publishing Co. Insurance Maps of Boston. (1882). New York. Boston Public Library, via Atlascope. 


The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.), 26 Nov. 1908. Chronicling America: Historic  American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84022565/1908-11-26/ed-1/seq-2/>.


U.S. Census Bureau; Fourteenth Census of the United States: 1880-Population; using Ancestryheritagequest.com; https://www.ancestryheritagequest.com/discoveryui-content/view/43953239:6742?tid=&pid=&queryId=192a8499d75069cd958cad92ec07c11b&_phsrc=MIe142&_phstart=successSource


U.S. Census Bureau; Fourteenth Census of the United States: 1900-Population; using Ancestryheritagequest.com; https://www.ancestryheritagequest.com/discoveryui-content/view/75510852:7602?tid=&pid=&queryId=d1df43731b9d916051f3c0eb44f8818b&_phsrc=MIe166&_phstart=successSource.


U.S. Census Bureau; Fourteenth Census of the United States: 1910-Population; using Ancestryheritagequest.com; https://www.ancestryheritagequest.com/discoveryui-content/view/11616306:7884?tid=&pid=&queryId=d1df43731b9d916051f3c0eb44f8818b&_phsrc=MIe166&_phstart=successSource