no added buildings, and about five years later, I think, Boston street was opened and a few houses built, and, later still, more.
We made our own sidewalk, put a lamp at the foot of the street, one neighbor helping in this, and felt we were getting into city ways, and were happy.
The taking of Prospect hill to fill Miller's river gave a large tract of land that has been well improved, and the old hill is now a place of pleasant residences.
It is interesting to look back and see how Somerville has grown in all these years.
I am not sure what the population was at that time, but I can tell something of the schools and churches.
The high school had been built about two years, and I am told there was great opposition to it, many thinking it was a useless expense for so few pupils.
There was a wooden schoolhouse on Sycamore street, another at the corner of Broadway and Franklin street, another on Somerville avenue, land the Prospect Hill, which is still used, but is twice its o
mber 2, business meeting; December 9, Historic Trees in and About Boston, Miss Sara A. Stone; December 23, With the Army of the Potomac, 1864, George B. Clark; January 13, What Historic Comsiderations Lead to, Mrs. M. D. Frazar; January 27, Minor Causes of the Revolution, Walter A. Ladd; February 10, Somerville Fire Department and Somerville Fires, J. R. Hopkins; February 24, Old-Time School Books, Frank M. Hawes; March 10, Department of the Gulf, Levi L. Hawes; March 24, Recollections of Somerville, John R. Poor, Boston.
1902-1903: November 13, Middlesex Canal, Herbert P. Yeaton, Chillicothe, O., (read by Miss Sara A. Stone); November 20, Separation of Church and State in Massachusetts, Charles W. Ludden, Medford; December 18, Early Schools of Somerville, Frank M. Hawes; January 8, Neighborhood Sketch, Quincy A. Vinal; Reminiscences, Timothy Tufts; January 29, Literary Men and Women of Somerville, Professor D. L. Maulsby; February 19, Reminiscences of Old Charlestown, Hon. S. Z. B
ures, while strange and rare birds of beautiful plumage could be seen swimming in a little pond in one corner of the estate.
At one time buffaloes could be seen by passers-by, as the colonel had two or three feeding in his pasture.
He also had fine dogs, greyhounds and spaniels, and a kennel of fox hounds, kept not for ornament, but for use; and he often awakened the echoes of the neighboring hills in the early morn by his bugle or the cry of his pack.
Many a resident of Charlestown and Somerville still remembers being awakened from his sleep by the sound of the fox hunter's tally-ho.
Colonel Jaques' Charlestown house is now standing, on Washington street, between what is called Washington place and Washington square.
He is particularly worthy of remembrance, for such early times, as an horticulturalist, agriculturalist, and breeder; a great fondness for animals was his distinguishing trait.
He owned the famous thoroughbred stallion, beautiful in form and of the richest bay i
were drawn largely from enlisted men of proved merit, and the government was compelled, by the exigencies of the contest, to utilize these staunch battalions and batteries to the uttermost.
They never failed to fight with steadfast courage, were proof against demoralization, and even when reduced to one-fifth of their original numbers would advance to the assault with undiminished intrepidity.
The Army of the Potomac was a wonderful fighting machine, leavened by the early volunteers, and Somerville cannot afford to forget them, though they were widely dispersed.
I shall now briefly mention a few of those who should be specially commemorated.
Luther V. Bell was physician in charge of the McLean asylum for several years, and a leader in town affairs, and of recognized influence in the politics of the state.
He was possessed of large means, but went to the front as surgeon of the Eleventh Massachusetts Volunteers.
He visited us, the Fifth M. V. M., before the battle of Bull Run at
decree of the County Commissioners required that it should be built with a draw, or with a movable section so as to allow for the passage of vessels.
The bridge at Boston avenue was built in 1873; it is situated in the cities of Medford and Somerville, and its abutments and piers are the same that supported the aqueduct of the Middlesex canal, which crossed the river at that point.
The bridge at Auburn street was also built in 1873.
Middlesex-avenue bridge was built in 1873, by the County of Middlesex; it is situated in the cities of Medford and Somerville, and is maintained at the joint charge of those cities; the care of the bridge and the appointment of draw-tender devolves upon the city of Medford.
The bridge over the Boston & Lowell Railroad at College avenue was built in 1861, by the town of Medford, and is the only bridge over that railroad whose maintenance is chargeable to Medford.
The bridge over this railroad at Winthrop street was originally built eighteen
Third Rangeway.—Then we began on Menotomy road, and measured the third Rangeway northerly, partly open, and then still northerly, shut up 20 rods, partly by Dickson, partly by Smith, this being Medford bounds, then proceeded still northerly to Medford river to a Rock, which measured 160 rods, shut up and improved by the Rev. Mr. Smith.
This way has since been opened as a public way, except that portion between West street and the river, and is known as North street in both Medford and Somerville.
The rock above mentioned must have been the southerly point of Rock hill, on the opposite side of the river.
The Rev. Mr. Smith's house stood on land at the corner of North and Auburn streets.
The Charlestown records also give a description of two landing-places, on the south side of the river, owned by that town.
There is a piece of land, about one-half an acre belonging to the town for a landing or fishing place on Medford River, which is bounded as follows, viz.: on land fo
In the minds of many the infant will expand to a giant form and swallow canals and turnpikes.
This was prophetic, but he seems to have recovered somewhat, by his report of the next year, possibly, by the necessity of repairs and the increase of business.
At this time much money was expended within the bounds of Medford.
The tavern at Landing No. 4 was enlarged to double its original size, a new lock was built, and the aqueduct across the river into what was then Charlestown, but now Somerville, was, with the exception of the abutments of boulders, entirely renewed.
In other places such renewal suspended business for some weeks.
Mr. Eddy's executive ability is seen in the fact that he had the material all upon the site before the season closed, the granite being boated from Tyngsborough, and the framing done at Billerica in 1827. Eight days sufficed to remove the timbers of the lock and aqueduct with the piling that supported the latter.
All the iron was saved, and the wood s
er life.
Of those connected with Mrs. Rowson's school, who belonged in Medford, I have obtained the following list:
Lydia Bishop.
Rebecca Bishop.
Fanny Blanchard.
Lucy Brooks.
Lucia Gray.
Sallie Richardson.
Ann Rose.
Hannah Swan.
Peggy Swan.
Catherine Thompson.
Fanny Tufts.
Peggy Tufts.
Sarah Wait.
Harriet Wait.
Mary Warner.
Sallie Burgess.
There is also given Mary Lane of Ten Hills Farm, Medford; but I am told Ten Hills Farm belongs to Somerville.
Of this number the fullest account is of Miss Hannah Swan, as she considerately kept her own name to the end. Miss Hannah Swan and Miss Ann Rose of London were Mrs. Rowson's assistants.
The former was the daughter of Major Samuel Swan and Hannah (Frothingham) Lamson, and was born August 13, 1785.
She died in Medford, August 8, 1862, aged seventy-six years, eleven months. Mr. Abijah Thompson gives the following account of Miss Swan:—
My first remembrance of Miss Swan was in my yout
the boulevard through the twenty-four rods by the riverside of the Broughton mill site.
This is at Medford's doors, and of interest if we ask, Who is our neighbor?
A year ago the Medford Historical Society took steps looking to the restoration of the ancient and appropriate name of the boundary stream which, neglected, had become a menace, and also to suggest an appropriate one for the bridge, built at a cost of $10,000. The societies of Cambridge (New-towne), Arlington (Menotomy), and Somerville (Charles-towne), cities and town that butt & bound thereon, have co-operated.
The result is petitions to the Park Commission, which it is hoped will secure the names in future of Menotomy river and Dunster bridge.
The former has historic precedent, and abundant warrant by documentary proof.
What can be more fitting than the name of the learned college president, who suffered for conscience sake, and through it all foresaw the coming of the time of liberty of conscience for all men; who
mage and loss of two hundred thousand fish, which we judge will be a hundred pounds damage to the town in their crop, and tending to the inevitable impoverishing of divers poor families.
Paige says—writing in 1877, The practice of fishing their Indian corn was long ago abandoned by cultivators in Cambridge; but the privilege of taking fish in Menotomy river remains valuable.
Some arrangement was perhaps made whereby Charlestown might take fish below the Cambridge weir.
In 1842, when Somerville was set off from Charlestown, Lorenzo W. Dow, Jesse Simpson and George W. Hayes were appointed the first Fish Officers, and Mr. Dow informs us that alewives were taken in seines in large quantities and sold in Boston for bait.
Somerville fishermen were allowed to take fish on certain nights, and those of West Cambridge or Medford on the alternate nights, and it was the duty of the fish officers to see that this law was followed.
The northwesterly part of the town of Cambridge was ma
