World Lightweight Title Fight held in Lawrence, MA January 14, 1887

In 1887, a rich, retired doctor used his clout to bring a world title fight to a blacksmith’s shop in Lawrence, Massachusetts.

Lawrence was spanking new when Aaron Ordway arrived in 1847 and like many other country boys he came seeking fortune and excitement.

Bottle from the Joe Bella Collection/photo by Kevin Harkins

Ordway was a respected physician but his fortune came from selling health elixirs like the pictured Dr. Ordway’s Pain Destroyer. Ordway was also a serious boxing fan.

Harry Gilmore

In the winter of 1887, Canadian lightweight champion Harry Gilmore and his US counterpart, Jack McAuliffe were stuck in a Boston tavern, waiting for someone to find a venue safe from a sheriff’s interference. For different reasons, talk of their title fight had both fans and the law very excited.

Jack McAuliffe

During the late 1800s, prizefighting was akin to kidnapping and pugilists could be arrested just for showing up in town. Moneymen became very creative in avoiding detection and many famous fights occurred on barges, in barns and in well-hidden woods. Fighters would hide out in their rooms and the one weigh-in would often happen days before the fight.

Much in the sporting world assumed the fight would take place in Boston. Ordway's plan for providing a secure venue  persuaded nervous promoters to take the fight up north. On a Friday night, January 14^th, 1887 two horse drawn sleighs brought Gilmore and McAuliffe to Morris’ Blacksmith Shop on the corner of Broadway and Methuen Streets. Upstairs from the actual blacksmith shop was a large office-type room used by the Lawrence chapter of the Salvation Army. The group held their revival-style meeting in the office above and their singing blotted out the sound of punches landing on flesh.

Star Taxi, formerly the George A. Morris, Horse Shoer , 15 Broadway

The few who were privy to the location made their way to Lawrence traveling solo and used varied routes. Forty-three men paid between $10 to $25 to watch the fight and most were out-of-town movers and shakers.  The windows were covered up with black cloth and all were instructed to make no noise. Instead of a raised platform,  the ring was outlined with a clothesline. Both men wore skintight gloves, which were meant to protect a boxer’s hands and not their opponent’s faces.

There was a brief scare at the start of the match when two uninformed blacksmiths actually showed up to work. Luckily, the smithies weren’t snitches and were thrilled to be included.

Fights in 1887 lasted as long as the fighters were still standing and in this case it took 28 two minute rounds, over an hour and 52 minutes. Gilmore and McAuliffe inflicted a great amount of damage on each other and the fight was of similar stature to the modern day epic battles of DeMarco vs. Basilio or Ward vs. Gatti . By the 28^th round, McAuliffe’s eyes were so tightly swollen shut that he was fighting on instinct while Gilmore, not as badly marked up, could barely stand. A blind, wobbly McAuliffe managed to land a knock out punch in round 28.

McAuliffe passed a hat around to collect money for Gilmore as the loser got nothing. He also gave the still-unconscious Gilmore his his reserved room. Three Lawrence rooming establishments turned McAuliffe  away and he settled briefly in an area roadhouse outside of the city. Once the news of the fight hit the papers he left the Lawrence area and hid out at the St. Charles Hotel on Middlesex Street in the city of Lowell.

White Street Paint is located on this spot today.

White Street Paint, 15 Broadway photo by J. Godsey

And on Essex Street the carved block letters of the Ordway Building spell out the name of the man who brought a world title fight to Lawrence.

What Aaron Ordway left behind

Reporter Larry Thyne of various local papers including the Lowell Sun was largely responsible for recording the story of the fight. Prior to the fight, Mr. Thyne planted misinformation that kept other reporters away from Lawrence,  frantically searching Boston for the fight.  Two men from the Boston Police News, Captain Samuel Cooke and Ed Holske were credited along with Ordway in using  humble Lawrence as an unexpected location for such a monumental fight.

McAuliffe later said he was given a belt to go along with his title which he hocked immediately and bet the money on a horse in the Brooklyn Handicap. His horse lost.

At his 1897 retirement party,  when asked to turn his belt over for the next champion,  McAuliffe produced a hock ticket.  Master of ceremonies John L. Sullivan  "nearly tore off" McAuliffe's fancy suit.