Col Arial Bragg / Memoirs of Col Arial Bragg Written by Himself 1st Edition 1846

Description: Memoirs of Col. Arial Bragg, Written by Himself Author: Bragg, Col. Arial Title: Memoirs of Col. Arial Bragg, Written by Himself Publication: Milford, MA: George W. Stacy, Printer, 1846 Edition: First Printing Description: Hardcover. 12mo, 6.25 x 4 inches, publisher's dark brown embossed cloth gilt, very good. 86 pp. Very uncommon in the trade and not in Howes. Bragg (1772-1855) was orphaned during the Revolutionary War. As a boy he was apprenticed to a shoemaker and some of the book is on his experiences in the shoemaking industry. Bragg was Holliston's first shoe and boot maker, as well as its first wholesale manufacturer; and Braggville (now incorporated into Holliston & Milford) was named after him. Here is more information about him from the Holliston Reporter's archives: "It was in 1793 that Colonel Arial Bragg (pronounced Ar-EYE-el), the community's namesake and founder, returned to Holliston a free man. He was many occupations throughout his life -- a shoe manufacturer, farmer, soldier for 29 years, a state representative and senator. However, before becoming a noted figure in the village, the town and the state, Arial faced a many adversities along the way. For nearly his entire existence up to 1793, he had lived a life of penury and squalor. His father, an adamant patriot, enlisted in a militia during the American Revolution while Arial was still very young, leaving his mother behind to raise him and his siblings and tend to the family's farm. The latter proved impossible however, as colonists loyal to the British, the "Tories", in bitterness and malignancy, destroyed the family's fields, letting their swine eat what was left of the crops. His mother was far too weak and poor to look after her children, and her husband never returned. It seems, he wasn't spared in the war. Around 1780 she would send her second born son, Arial, to live with Daniel Fould of Wrentham until his uncle, Alexander Bragg, would pick him up at a later time. Soon after his uncle's arrival, it was decided by the board of Wrentham selectmen that Arial, being an impoverished child, should serve an indentured servitude to his uncle until the age of 16. Initially Arial received good treatment from his uncle with all of the terms of their contract filled. However, as soon as he and his master moved out of the house shared by his mother and grandfather, this all changed almost overnight. His uncle purchased land in Holliston on March 8th, 1785, and from that day forth, despite his uncle's relative wealth and well-being, Arial would literally grow up with only one shirt at a time. He was kept past his contract, having not received the payments agreed in its terms, and was kept by his uncle (whom he bitterly referred to as his "pretend master") as an indentured servant to the age of 18. Had it not been for his own wit and complaints he might have been kept until the age of 22, as his uncle often insisted. After a bout with smallpox and the paying of his debts, Arial returned to Holliston with ten dollars (about $150 today), the clothes on his back and his rights restored. After settling in and getting his affairs in order, Bragg began a career for which Holliston would later be famous -- the craft of shoemaking. He learned the trade in part from his former master and otherwise from Asa Norcross, whose family first took him in at his arrival and who would later work in his shops. At this time, footwear wasn't fitted for a left or a right foot, and most boots and shoes were either tailored individually by cobblers or bought in barrel loads of cheaper British imports. Arial's initial lot of 22 brogan shoes was made in 1793, using a borrowed horse and capital to start his venture. He was successful, having sold the entire lot in Providence not long after their completion. One of his descendants, Ernest A. Bragg, an amateur historian and geologist, to whom we owe much of the community's history, states in one of his books that he believed Arial's was the first strictly wholesale boot and shoe business not only in Holliston but in the entire United States. However, whether or not this historic claim can be verified by another source remains to be seen. By the end of 1805 Arial Bragg had already built his first shop, and with each additional year from his start in 1793 had hired an additional man to his workforce. In 1809 he constructed a new residence for himself and his children along with enough room for twelve journeymen shoe workers. Much of his help were skilled bachelors who would travel across New England looking for work where the opportunity presented itself. Once enough shoes were made for a shipment, Bragg, accompanied by Norcross or one of his other workers, would take them by carriage into Boston or Providence, even selling them as far away as Baltimore at one point. He and his second wife (his first dying at the age of 19) went on to have many children. With his success he began to gradually buy land from many of his neighboring farmers in southwestern Holliston, accumulating over 175 acres between 1803 and 1830." According to rarebookhub, not seen at auction since 1959. Very good. Seller ID: H38108 Subject: Americana RAREBOOKSTORE RareBookStore is a long-established eBay seller specializing in used and rare books in all fields-plus prints, ephemera, maps, music, photography, and the occasional painting. We sell good books at good prices and want you to be satisfied with your purchase. Be sure to add us to your "favorite" sellers and check back to see new items listed daily! We pride ourselves on our high standards, high eBay ratings, and helpful staff, so please contact us directly if you encounter any issues. Standard shipping is via USPS Media Mail. Expedited options are available at checkout. Payment is expected within 2 business days unless otherwise arranged. Our warehouse is staffed Monday-Friday and we respond to inquiries as quickly as possible. We hope you enjoy browsing our selection of great books. Happy reading!This listing was created by Bibliopolis.

Price: 238 USD

Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

End Time: 2025-01-21T12:33:36.000Z

Shipping Cost: 0 USD