Embedded Files
Billhead of Bowker, Torrey & Co. with Image of Premises. 1868. Historic New England
Torrey, Bowker & Co.
What came to be Torrey, Bowker & Co. was a marble works company that specialized in Italian marble. Founded by Charles Torrey, the company started at 118 Portland Street in Brookline. When Torrey expanded his network, he moved to Beverly Street, using buildings on both sides, 78 Beverly Street as well as a quarter of the right side of the street by 1888.
The first indication of ownership at 78 Beverly St. is in 1883 and is only in Torrey's name.
Frank L. Bowker, a foreman, first worked at the Portland Street location. However, within the span of five years, Bowker joined the Beverly Street site. This is indicated in Atlascope, as Bowker's name appears next to Torrey's at 78 Beverly Street in an 1888 map.
Bromley, George Washington. Atlas of the City of Boston
There is some evidence to show why the marble company expanded their location. Since the company dealt with imported marble from Italy, it made sense that they had several buildings located near the head of the Charles river.
The proximity of the marble company to the different wharves would have made the transfer of marble much easier since it was only going across the street.
Like many other businesses located on Beverly Street, Torrey, Bowker & Co. experienced a fire at their building in 1906. Occupying the first floor, Torrey & Bowker experienced around $25,000 of damage. They shared the building with other businesses like: stonecutters, candy makers, cork manufacturers, a tool factory, and the Firestone tire and rubber company.
The fire was so strong that it gutted the building from the second floor up. It was reported that it was particularly hard to put out since the firefighters were overcome with such toxic smoke, due to the rubber and cork burning together.
Despite the fire, the company survived and was able to continue their business.
"250,000 FIRE IN NORTH END: BUILDING ON BEVERLY AND MEDFORD STS GUTTED. OCCUPIED BY TORREY MARBLE WORKS AND TOOL FACTORY." 1906.Boston Daily Globe
The Immigration Scandal
"LAW VIOLATED.: ITLIANS IMPORTED UNDER CONTRACT. CASE AGAINST BOWKER, TORREY & CO. REPORT SUBMITTED TO SECRETARY FAIRCHILD. THOROUGH INVESTIGATION ORDERED. EVIDENCE TO BE TAKEN IN BOSTON. 1888.Boston Daily Globe
Within the first year of Frank L. Bowker joining the Beverly Street business, there was a large setback for the company. On July 24, 1888 the Boston Daily Globe reported that Bowker, Torrey & Co. had imported 18 Italian marble cutters in the April of that year. The scandal reached a national level of investigation due to the company breaking immigration laws.
The case began at a basic level, first involving the New York commissioners of investigation and the collector of the port. Then the information was brought to the President Grover Cleveland. After an investigation done by the treasury, the report was handed over to Secretary Fairchild. Fairchild was "determined to most rigidly enforce the law forbidding the landing of alien laborers under contract." He also said that any employees involved in the violation of the immigration laws would be "rigorously prosecuted." Fairchild took the prosecution so seriously that he asked Congress for $50,000 in order to thoroughly enforce the law.
A few days after the scandal was first published in the Boston Daily Globe, the newspaper also published a new development. The Department of Justice wrote a letter to the District Attorney Galvin of Boston. The letter asked for an account of what Galvin was doing and what he had done in regards to the Bowker, Torrey, & Co. case.
The drama of the Bowker, Torrey & Co. case continued throughout the summer. On August 16, the Boston Daily Globe reported that Judge Colt--who oversaw the case--had overruled the demurrer.
While there is little reported on the conclusion of the case, what is clear is that the scandal was always associated with the Bowker, Torrey & Co. company.
Text Citations
Ancestry.com. U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011
Docema. “Boston 1872: City Directories.” DamrellsFire. Accessed December 12, 2022. http://boston1872.docema.com/cgi-bin/directory_search.pl?ds=5&ln=7238.
"250,000 FIRE IN NORTH END: BUILDING ON BEVERLY AND MEDFORD STS GUTTED. OCCUPIED BY TORREY MARBLE WORKS AND TOOL FACTORY." 1906.Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922), Nov 10, 1. https://holycross.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=cas&url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/250-000-fire-north-end/docview/500642713/se-2.
"LAW VIOLATED.: ITLIANS IMPORTED UNDER CONTRACT. CASE AGAINST BOWKER, TORREY & CO. REPORT SUBMITTED TO SECRETARY FAIRCHILD. THOROUGH INVESTIGATION ORDERED. EVIDENCE TO BE TAKEN IN BOSTON. SOLID MEN OF ROCKPORT. LIST OF LEAFING TAXPAYERS IN THE OLD TOWN ON CAPE ANN." 1888.Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922), Jul 24, 3. https://holycross.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=cas&url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/law-violated/docview/493740374/se-2.
"BOWKER, TORREY & CO,: A LETTER OF INQUIRY SENT TO MR. GAL VIN FROM WASHINGTON." 1888.Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922), Jul 29, 4. https://holycross.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=cas&url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/bowker-torrey-co/docview/493520521/se-2.
Image citations
Billhead of Bowker, Torrey & Co. with Image of Premises. Historic New England. Accessed December 12, 2022. https://www.historicnewengland.org/explore/collections-access/capobject/?refd=EP001.01.015.01.01.001.
Bromley, George Washington. Atlas of the City of Boston. Philadelphia: G.W. Bromley & Co., 1883. Boston Public Library, via Atlascope.
Bromley, George Washington. Atlas of the City of Boston. Philadelphia: G.W. Bromley & Co., 1888. Boston Public Library, via Atlascope.
"250,000 FIRE IN NORTH END: BUILDING ON BEVERLY AND MEDFORD STS GUTTED. OCCUPIED BY TORREY MARBLE WORKS AND TOOL FACTORY." 1906.Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922), Nov 10, 1. https://holycross.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=cas&url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/250-000-fire-north-end/docview/500642713/se-2.
"LAW VIOLATED.: ITLIANS IMPORTED UNDER CONTRACT. CASE AGAINST BOWKER, TORREY & CO. REPORT SUBMITTED TO SECRETARY FAIRCHILD. THOROUGH INVESTIGATION ORDERED. EVIDENCE TO BE TAKEN IN BOSTON. SOLID MEN OF ROCKPORT. LIST OF LEAFING TAXPAYERS IN THE OLD TOWN ON CAPE ANN." 1888.Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922), Jul 24, 3. https://holycross.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=cas&url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/law-violated/docview/493740374/se-2.
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