Chelmsford’s location, near the confluence of the Concord and Merrimack rivers made it a prime location for trading with the Indian tribes from Northern New England. Especially the lucrative business of trading furs. This potentially profitable business activity convinced many settlers from Wenham to follow Reverend Fiske to Chelmsford.
After Chelmsford was incorporated as a town in 1655, the provincial court gave Simon Willard and Edward Johnson, the men who initially surveyed Chelmsford plantation, exclusive rights to trade with the Indians in the area thus limiting the settlers ability to profit from fur trading. In spite of this monopoly, the settlers from Chelmsford began and continued to trade with the Indians for the next 20 years. This allowed them to supplement their income.
This additional income stream helped make Chelmsford more viable than Wenham, which had struggled with poor soil and low growth. It enabled Chelmsford to attract a larger and more diverse population, which contributed to the town’s expansion.
In addition to the fur trade being an economic benefit, it was also a strategic driver in Chelmsford’s founding, influencing who moved there, how they supported themselves, and how the town negotiated its relationship with the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Though the monopoly curtailed official profits, the underground trade flourished and helped support Chelmsford’s early survival and growth.
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