William Trask was one of what are called the “First Planters.”  He came over before Endicott, had his residence on Salem Farms, was a most energetic, enterprising, and useful citizen, and filled a great variety of public stations.  He brought large tracts of land under culture, planted orchards, and established mills at the head of tide-water on the North River.  He was the military leader of the first age of the plantations in this neighborhood, was captain of the train-band from the beginning, and, by his gallantry and energy in action, commanded the applause of his contemporaries.  For his services in the Pequot Expedition, the General Court gave him and his associates large grants of land.  His obsequies were celebrated, on the 16th of May, 1666, with great military parade; and the people of the town and the whole surrounding country followed his honored remains to the grave.

Richard Davenport came to Salem in 1631.  His first residence was in the town; but soon he was led to the Farms.  In 1636, he received a grant of eighty acres; in 1638, of two hundred and twenty acres; and, in 1642, eighty acres more, to be divided between him and Captain Lothrop.  Besides these, he received several smaller grants of meadow and salt marsh.  Such grants were made only with the view of having them duly improved; and it cannot be doubted that he was zealously engaged in agricultural operations.  His town residence was on a lot reaching from Essex Street to the North River.  Its front extended from the grounds now the site of the North Church to North Street.  His house stood at some distance back from Essex Street.  This estate was sold by his administrators, in 1674, to Jonathan Corwin, whose family occupied it until a very recent period.  He left the town in 1643, and subsequently lived in what was afterwards Salem Village, until the public service called him away.  He sold some of his estates, but retained others, on the Farms and in the town, to the time of his death.  He continued the superintendence of his country estate, which seems to have been his family home, to the last.  His military career gave him early distinction, and closed only with his life.  In 1634, the General Court chose him “Ensign to Capt.  Trask.”  He was concerned with Endicott in cutting out the cross from the king’s colors.  The following is from the record of a meeting of the court, Nov. 7, 1634:  “It is ordered that Ensign Davenport shall be sent for by warrant, with command to bring his colors with him to the next court, as also any other that hath defaced the said colors.”  Davenport did not seem anxious to cover up his agency in this matter; for, when he offered his next child to baptism, he signified to the assembly that he was determined to commemorate and perpetuate the memory of the transaction, by having her christened “True Cross.”  It was necessary to make a show of punishing Endicott and Davenport on this occasion, to prevent trouble from the home government.  Soon after, we find