By Marianne Salza
During the late 19th Century, Slade’s Mill operated actively along Rumney Marsh’s edge. The tidal-powered factory situated on the creek produced a distinctive atmosphere, with rooms filled by the scent of exotic spices—paprika shipped from Spain and ginger from the Orient—marking the birthplace of the spice grinding industry.
“It was here, in an old Massachusetts mill
that the most interesting step in the distribution of spices began,” explained Jeff Pearlman, an educator and historian. “Inside Slade’s Mill the air was golden
brown from grindings of pure spices.”
On April 27, the Bellingham-Cary House Association held its Annual Meeting, where Pearlman presented information about Slade’s Tidewater Mill and its historical ties connecting Revere and Chelsea. As a member of the Revere Society for Cultural and Historic Preservation, a non-profit dedicated to safeguarding and advancing community heritage, Pearlman shared his expertise.
Chelsea’s origins trace to four farms, with the earliest acquired by Henry Slade, who established the town’s first church, bank, and City Hall on waterfront property. Starting in 1734, Slade operated the mill for grinding tobacco and corn.
“The charter states the following,” Pearlman noted. “’This mill must at all times hold itself in the readiness to grind
corn for any citizen of Chelsea, provided that the corn is raised in Chelsea.’”
By 1837, Slade’s sons David and Levi launched spice grinding operations, importing varieties from worldwide sources. The D and L Slade Company had grown into New England’s leading spice manufacturer by 1850.
“The boys ground up a half barrel of
cinnamon, slung the barrel between two poles, and trudged across the marsh to
Boston,” Pearlman noted. “The cinnamon was sold to grocers, and a new
industry was born: the business of spice grinding.”
The production process involved several stages: magnetized steel plates initially filtered contaminants like nails and wire from incoming spices. Grinding rolls then reduced the spices to fine powder. Continuous buckets transported the powder upward for sifting before it was packed into barrels destined for Boston packing facilities.
“Spices were not only used to stimulate
jaded appetites; but their sweet, pungent odor made them useful as medicine and
deodorants,” Pearlman added. “Up to this time, spice had been sold to the
housewife whole, and each had a hand-grinder.”
Following a fire, the facility underwent renovation in 1918 and subsequently came under Bell Seasonings’ ownership. The transition to electric power occurred in 1932, with operations continuing until July 1, 1976.
The structure now appears on the National Register of Historic Places.
A 2004 renovation transformed Slade’s Mill into apartments, now housing 18 studio and one-bedroom units. The ground floor features a museum displaying original machinery, historical photographs, and a spice cabinet containing vintage Slade’s and Bell glass and metal containers.
“Spices are now a
common household necessity. No longer are they counted as the choicest
possession of the wealthy,” Pearlman concluded. “Men and women live longer in a
spice-laden atmosphere. Perhaps there is something in the theory that spices
have a beneficial effect on health and appetite of the human race. I wonder
where the saying, ‘Spice of life,’ came from.”