•"-'. ■'•■.. -^-i. --»... \-. •». .:•? .
h» Si^
% -W- ?
# r. •'
i * '4
K:*n 'wK:^?\\ri'^-v->r'i^-
W V
I i I* I* *r
V-mh^Mrm.^i^.
■ V 'ti.' > >>■ r. «»- ■?
■ .: 5?,- it jfe r ■
P >' ,r, P*. ^^-^ ^
:>>, >•
Class _r'7>4^
Book.i.Hi4^U_ Gop}Tight N" _
COFl'KIGHT DEPOSrr.
T H E
History of Melrose.
(Eountij of 2Ui6Mo5cx,
niassacl^usctts,
r>Y
ELBRIDGE HENRY GOSS,
r^BLlSHED BY
i 111'; crrv '>!-' mi- i k< >^v
ilkiiMMMHtUiMttitil
Hi.
\
(yc^-^-iy -€$
lHr-^
/ /
Rl;. 7fe'-' %■ fe W -r^. 'A _^ T-^
T II E
History ot Melrose,
(lounty of 21IibMc5Cx,
IHassact^usctts,
BY
ELBRIDGE HENRY GOSS,
I'UnMSHKD 1?Y
THE CITY OF MKLROSK 1902.
THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS,
Two Copies R«c«iv«<l
MAY 5 190?
^ Cepyiight EnVry CUSS Ou XXc No. COPY B.
Copyright, igoj By Elbridge Henry Goss.
MELROSK, Mass. : A. W. DuNTON & Co., rrinters.
to
PREFACE.
MORE or less had been written about the History of Mel- rose, before this work was undertaken. The Town's action in the Civil War I had recorded in The Melrose Memorial: The Annals of Melrose, in the Great Rebellion of l86l-6^, published in 1868; a short history of the town pre- pared for Samuel Adams Drake's History of Middlesex County, in 1880; and another for J. W. Lewis & Co.'s History of Middle- sex Connty, in 1890.
Notwithstanding this, there came to exist a desire on the part of many citizens, that a more thorough and complete history of our municipality be written. Possibly this wish was stimulated by the near approach of the time when Melrose would become a city, and, of the completion of the first half century since it was incorporated, May 3, 1850. But, be it remembered, the history of our territory reaches back over two and a half centuries.
Early in the year 1898, in accordance with this often expressed wish, Franklin P. Shumway obtained the following names to a petition, requesting that the History of Melrose be written:
Franklin P. Shumway. Allen C. Goss.
Charles H. Adams. Charles A. Patch.
Mary A. Livermore. Harry W. Sawyer.
Moses S. Page. Henry M. Sylvester.
Levi S. Gould. Joel C. Page.
Sidney H. Buttrick. George L. Morse.
William E. Barrett. Henry A. Leonard.
Frank W. Hunt. Fernando C. Taylor.
Royal P. Barry. Daniel Norton.
Leonard S. Leighton. B. Marvin Fernald.
Harry A. Batchelder. Alonzo G. Whitman.
John Larrabee. Rev. Daniel P. Livermore.
Wingate P. Sargent. Rev.Thomas Sims, D. D.
Daniel Russell. Rev. Burke F. Leavitt.
vi PREFACE.
Oliver A. Roberts. Rev. Clifton Fletcher.
John W. Farwell. Rev. Joseph K.Wilson,
John O. Norris. Rev. George N. Howard,
L. Frank Hinckley. Alonzo V. Lynde.
Benjamin F. Robinson. Charles H. Isburgh.
George E. Munroe. Nathan D. Blake.
Jesse A. Dill. Dr. Julius S. Clark.
Norman F. Hesseltine. Dr. Ernest S. Jack.
Curtis C. Goss. Albert B. Franklin.
Francis S. Hesseltine. Alonzo A. Knights.
Charles C. Barry. Frank L. Washburn.
John Buffum. Royal B. Leighton.
Seth E. Benson. George L. Wildes. George C. Stantial.
The next action was taken at a Town Meeting, held April 4^ 1898, when Mr. Shumway offered a vote which is embodied in the following letter:
Town Clerk's Office.
Melrose, Mass., Apr. 21, 1898. Elbridge H. Goss, Esq.
Dear Sir: — At the Annual Town Meeting you were unanimously invited to write a history of the Town of Melrose, under the following vote :
That the Town invite, and authorize Mr. Elbridge H. Goss to write an illustrated history of the Town of Melrose. That the Town grant him full access to, and the privilege of copying or reproducing any records, maps, illustrations, &c., from the Town records and files, that he may desire, on the condition that he shall not receive any compen- sation from the Town for his services.
Respectfully yours. Attest: W. DeHaven Jones,
Town Clerk, pro tern.
The task thus imposed upon me, in such a complimentary manner, by both town and citizens, became a command ; and, although undertaken with some hesitancy, has proven to be a pleasant work; and I have executed it to the best of my ability. It is now submitted to my fellow-citizens with the hope that the record is one which they may peruse with some degree of pleasure and satisfaction.
For very many items concerning the early history of the town of which the "North End" or "North Maiden" was
PREFACE.
Vll
quite an important part, I am indebted to that very excellent History of Maiden, recently issued, by Deloraine P. Corey; a most thorough, exact and pains-taking historian; one who is full of antiquarian zeal, who possesses a masterly knowledge of the local affairs of his native town, and, withal, who controls the '• pen of a ready-writer." For these reasons the citizens of Maiden are in possession of a work of superior value; one they may well take pride in.
I wish to acknowledge my indebtedness to the papers and memoranda left by the late Artemas Barrett; although in a somewhat disconnected and unsatisfactory state, still I never could have written what I have about the original families that occupied this territory without the aid thus rendered. Other citizens have aided with documents, facts communicated, and old papers; among them Hon. Levi S. Gould, George A. Fuller, Maurice G. Cochrane, Edwin C. Gould and the late D. Alvin Lynde.
For the photographs for the half-tone illustrations, I am indebted to several of my fellow citizens; among them, Dr. John Dike, Walter C. Stevens, Walter L. Wedger, Dexter Pratt, Rev. Edwin C. Bolles, D. D., Henry Lynde, Hon. Levi S. Gould, William R, Lavender, Archie B. Mcllwraith, William L. Kirmes and William L. Kershaw; and to Charles H.Adams for the use of a number of plates from Melrose: Town and City . For kindly aid I am also indebted to our City Clerk, W. De Haven Jones, and his assistant, Victor C. Kirmes; and to many of the officers of our various institutions my ackowl- edgements are due.
The history having been written the next thing to be done was its publication. A committee of the Board of Aldermen, consisting of Oliver B. Munroe, William A. Carrie and Edward S. Page, having been appointed to consider the] matter, made its report June 9, 1902, which was accepted and adopted. It embodied the following vote:
Be it ordered, That the sum of fifteen hundred dollars is hereby appropriated for the printing, publication and sale, under the direction of the Trustees of the Public Library, of one thousand copies of a History of Melrose, compiled b}- Elbridge H. Goss; that the aforesaid amount so appropriated is for a temporary loan and in anticipation of the taxes of the municipal year of the city of Melrose, commencing January i, 1902, and is expressly payable therefrom; that the treasurer
viii PREFACE.
is authorized and directed to borrow the sum of fifteen hundred dollars for the purpose aforesaid and make and deliver therefor a note or notes of the city of Melrose payable in not exceeding one year from the date thereof at a rate of interest not exceeding four per cent. ; and that all moneys received from the sale of said work, after the payment to the city of whatever sum of money may be expended in the publi- cation of this work, and the payment of a reasonable selling commis- sion, shall be used by said Trustees for the purchase of books for the Public Library.
In accordance with this vote the Trustees of the Public Library made a contract with the house of A. W. Dunton & Co. for the printing and publication of the work, which was dated June 30, 1902; to which date this History, as regards our local institutions has been completed.
Melrose is the youngest city in the Commonwealth of Massa- chusetts. From a small, sparsely settled town, it has grown, during its little more ^than a half century, to be an influential city of more than thirteen thousand inhabitants. Its history as a municipality has been eminently patriotic, noble and prosperous. Honesty and integrity have characterized its citizens. Its religious and educational interests are well established and liberally sustained. May the coming years be, by God's good guidance, equally blessed with peace, happiness and prosperity.
Elbridge H. Goss.
Melrose, June 30, 1902.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I. Early Exploration.
Pagb
Captain John Smith's voyage of 1614 — His description of New England — Visits of other navigators — The Northmen — Myles Standish — New England grants — Inland exploration — Our territory visited — The Spragues — Description by Gov. Win- throp, Rev. Francis Higginson, Thomas Morton, and others — Home of Nanepashemit and other Indians i
CHAPTER II.
Territory.
Charlestown subdivided — Territory deeded by Squaw Sachem and Webcowet — Mystic Side incorporated as Maiden ^ — The Commons divided — Greenwood set ofif to Reading, the High- lands to Stoneham — Melrose incorporated — Its territory — Summits — Cascades — Ponds — Villages — Railroads — Our names — Deprivations of early settlers 10
CHAPTER III.
Roads, Streets and Highways.
First road, Winnesemett to Reading — Petition of Thomas Lynde for change of location — Tufts 1795 map — Roads laid out — Streets — Sidewalks — Picture of in former days . . .41
CHAPTER IV.
Old Families and Homesteads.
The Lyndes — Spragues — Greens — Barretts — Uphams — How- ards— Vintons — Emersons — Boardmans — Hemenway . . 58
X CONTENTS.
CHAPTER V.
Ecclesiastical History.
Page The First Methodist Episcopal Church — Orthodox Congrega- tional Church — Highlands Congregational Church — First Baptist Church — Fells Baptist Church — Highlands Baptist Church — First Free Baptist Church — First Universalist Church
— Trinity Episcopal Church — Unitarian Congregational Soci- ety— Liberal Christian Union Church — ^ Saint Mary of the Annunciation Church — ^ Old-time Church Going . . .136
CHAPTER VI.
Educational History.
Early Maiden Schoolmasters — First School — Nathaniel Jenkins, Jr. — First Schoolhouse — Robert Gerry — Old High School — Franklin — Whittier — Converse —Ripley — Lincoln — Wash- ington — New High School — Dedication — Maker Tablet — School Committees 185
CHAPTER VII.
Military History.
Wars — French and Indian — King Philip's — King William's — Drafting — The Revolution — Maiden's patriotic Resolutions and Instructions — The Lexington Alanii — Rolls of Minute- Men Companies — Service of North Maiden men — The Civil War, The Great Rebellion of 1861-5 — Town Action — First enlistments — Rallying Committee — Recruiting Committees — Drafts — War subscriptions — Number of men furnished — Suiplus — Relief of soldiers and their families — Various con- tributions— Roll of soldiers and sailors — Minute-men medals
— Battery C. — Spanish- American War — Army enlistments — • ' Navy enlistments — Army Christian Commission — Y. M. C. A. Army Christian Commission 206
CHAPTER Vlfl. Military Organizations.
U. S. Grant Post 4, G. A. R. — Letter of U. S. Grant — Memorial services — Veteran bounty bill — Woman's Relief Corps No. 16
— William Francis Barry Camp No. 79, Sons of Veterans — Ladies' Aid Society, No. 23 — Soldiers' memorials — Soldiers' monument . . . . . . . . . . -254
CONTENTS. xi
CHAPTER IX. First and Last Town Meeting.
Page
First meeting May 6, 1850^ Town officers — Salaries — Town meetings — Last meeting Nov. 9, 1899 — Final action . . 264
CHAPTER X.
City of Melrose.
Action contemplating change from town to city — Legislative action — -Charter granted — First election — Officers elected — Second and third elections — Officers elected — License Question 268
CHAPTER XL
Town and City Officers.
Provisions of city charter — Town moderators — Gould testimo- nials— List of selectmen — Town and city clerks— Treasurers — Collectors — Auditors — -Town and City counsel — Sinking fund commissioners — Registrars of voters — Members of Congress — Senators — Representatives- — Other officers . . . .277
CHAPTER XIL
Spot Pond Water Works.
Spot Pond Water Company franchise — Commissioners — Contract for works — List of water bonds — Sinking fund — Franchise damages — High service system — Metropolitan water system — Town action — Settlement correspondence 290
CHAPTER Xin.
Sewerage.
Metropolitan sewerage system act — Town action — Sewer com- missioners — Sewer bonds — Table of sewers built — Cost ap- portionment — ■ Cost of sewer system — Miles constructed — Sinking fund — Annual payments 3°'
xii CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XIV.
Drainage and Health.
Page The Dyer dam trouble — Town action — Legislative action, 1 869
— County commissioners' hearings — No damages awarded — Spot and Ell pond brooks widened and deepened — Further town action — Correspondence — Legislative action invoked — Surface drainage system instituted — Board of Health estab- lished— Members — Good health of Melrose . . . .307
CHAPTER XV.
Parks and Boulevards.
Home Association lands— The Melrose Common — Park com- missioners elected — Barry Park — Sewall Woods Park — Ell Pond Park — New boulevard proposed — Park properties — Middlesex Fells 3^8
CHAPTER XVI.
Cemeteries.
The Village Burial Ground — Wyoming Cemetery — Pratt Farm
— Cemetery trust funds — Jewish Cemetery .... 328
CHAPTER XVII.
Young Men's Christian Association.
The first association — Present one organized — Y. M. C. A. Building — Woman's AuxiUary — Fairs 33^
CHAPTER XVIII. The Melrose Hospital Association.
Organization and Ofificers— Fairs — Hospital Sundays — Hospi- tal Guild — Hospital Home — Nurses' Home . . .341
CHAPTER XIX.
Public Lihrary.
When and how founded — Franklin Fraternity Gift— Trustees- Donations — Bequests — The Carnegie Gift— Site chosen for new library 2)y>
CONTENTS. xiii
CHAPTKR XX.
LlTKRARY AND MUSICAL ASSOCIATIONS.
Page The Franklin Fraternity— Shakespeare Club — Woman's Club- Highlands Woman's Club — Education Society — Roundabout Club — Unit}^ Club — Centennial Club — Avon Club — Melrose Lyceum — Amphion Club — Choral societies — Bands — Orches- tras—Geraldine Farrar — Walter Emerson . . . -355
CHAPTER XXI.
Bibliography.
Adams — Austin — Babson — Burnham — Dorchester — Drake — Eddy — Gooch — Hey wood — Kidder — Leigh ton — Livermore — Lockwood — Nash — Noyes — Peck — Pool — Roberts — Sewall — Torrey — Wright — Gould — Melrose Bibliography . 367
CHAPTER XXH.
Newspapers.
The Melrose Advertiser — Melrose Journal — Melrose Reporter — Free Press — Enterprise 3^3
CHAPTER XXHL Fire and Police Departments.
388.
The Old Endeavor Engine— The Grundy Hose Co. — N. D. Blake Hose Co. — Gamewell alarm system — Central Fire Station- Steam fire engine — Hose companies — Police officers — Police association
CHAPTER XXIV.
City Hall, Clocks and Seals.
Cost of hall— Dedication — Flagg Staff — First, second and third town clocks — Water Bond seal — Town seals — City seal . 394
CHAPTER XXV.
Various Institutions.
Melrose Savings Bank — Melrose National Bank— Melrose Co- operative Bank — Post Offices — Street railroads — lelegraph — Telephone — Street lights — Electric light plant — Pounds — Field drivers — Fence viewers— Stone crushers — Drinking fountains "*
xiv CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XXVI. Charitable and Improvement Associations.
Page
Melrose Charitable Association — Board of Associated Charities
— Melrose Improvement Society — Highlands Improvement Association 411
CHAPTER XXVII.
Anniversaries.
The 50th Anniversary — looth Anniversary — Maiden's 250th An- niversary — Old Home week — Dedication soldiers' monument .415
CHAPTER XXVIII.
Temperance Matters.
Early action — Siloam Temple of Honor — Siloam Social Temple
— Woman's Christian Temperance Union — St. Mary's Catho- lic Total Abstinence Society — Early votes of Maiden . . 425
CHAPTER XXIX.
Societies — Associations — Clubs.
Freemasons — Odd Fellows — Daughters of Rebekah — Athletic Club — Melrose Club — Highland Club — The Stone Fort — Bellevue Golf Club — Daughters of the American Revolution
— Daughters of the Revolution — Sons and Daughters of Maine — Amateur Gardeners' Society — Boys' Brigade — Fraternal and benevolent societies . 431
CHAPTER XXX.
Political.
Australian ballot — Precincts and wards — Parties — Union League
— Municipal League — Public Franchise League . . . 446
CHAPTER XXXI.
Miscellaneous.
Widening of Main Street — List of signers — Eleanor Brown Toothaker Fund — -Memorial services- — The Stars and Stripes
— Curfew bell — " 49ers " — Slavery — • Revolutionery incidents
— The Maiden Beacon — Action concerning tea — Recruiting committee — Old customs — Addenda 450
APPENDIX.
A. Act OF Incorporation 477
B. Report OF Adjustment Committee 478
C. Act to Annex part of Stoneham to Melrose . . 482
ILLUSTRATIONS.
PORTRAIT OF THE AUTHOR, with autograph signature, Frontispiece.
Page
THE CASCADE. From plate in Metropolitan Park Commission- ers' Report of 1903, by permission, facing 26
SPOT POND BROOK CASCADE. From photograph by Archie
B. Mcllwraith 27
THE GOULD HOMESTEAD, at Spot Pond. From sketch by
Miss Hannah Lynde 34
SPOT POND — 1876. From photograph by E. C. Swain, facing . 34
SPOT POND — 1902. From Metropolitan Commissioners' Report, 35
PLAN OF MALDEN, by Peter Tufts, Jr., 1795. reduced. By per- mission of Deloraine P. Corey 5°
ENSIGN THOMAS LYNDE HOMESTEAD— 1670. From pho- tograph by Dr. John Dike 61
BOSTON RUBBER SHOE COMPANY'S WORKS. From plate
kindly furnished by the Company 67
VIEWS IN PINE BANKS PARK. From plate of the New
England Magazine ^°
OLD CORN, OR SAMP MILL. From photograph by Archie B.
Mcllwraith ^9^
WARREN LYNDE HOMESTEAD. From photograph by Henry
Lynde 72
JOSEPH LYNDE HOMESTEAD. From photograph by Walter
C. Stevens 73
JOHN LYNDE HOMESTEAD. From photograph by Robert J.
Chute 74
OLD JOHN GREEN HOMESTEAD. From daguerreotype, kind- ness Dexter Pratt 92
PLATTERS AND WINE GLASSES. From photograph by Rev.
Edwin C. Bolles, D. D 93
PARLOR AND CORNER BUFFET. From photograph by Archie
B. Mcllwraith, 97
OLD AMOS UPHAM HOUSE. From photograph by Dr. John
T->-1 . . .Ill
Dike
INTERIOR OF AMOS UPHAM HOUSE. From photograph by
Mrs. Addie K. Robinson, "3.
X V i ILL US TRA TIONS.
Page JESSE UPH AM HOUSE. From photograph by Dr. John Dike . 115 DOLLY UPHAM HOUSE. From photograph by William R.
Lavender jjg
OLD HOWARD HOUSE. From photograph by Robert J. Chute 119 PRATT FARM HOMESTEAD. From photograph by kindness of
Sidney H. Buttrick j2i
RICHARDSON HOUSE AND TOWER. From photograph by
Walter L. Wedger jjs
VIEW CORNER FRANKLIN AND GREENWOOD STREETS.
From photograph by Walter L. Wedger 126
EZRA VINTON HOMESTEAD. From photograph, kindness of
Miss Sarah A. Chever J27
INTERIOR OF EZRA VINTON HOUSE. From photograph by
Mrs. Addie K. Robinson . . . . . , . .128
THE CLEFT BOULDER. From photograph by Archie B. Mc-
Ilwraith j2q
EZRA WAITE HOUSE. From plate, kindness of Frank A.
Woodward j,2
THE EMERSON TAVERN. From drawing in possession of
Charles P. Lynde j,,
ABIJAH BOARDMAN HOUSE. From plate, kindness of Frank
A. Woodward ........... i->c
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH AND PARSONAGE. From
plate, kindness of the M. E. Church 140
ORTHODOX CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH. From oil paint- ing by T. C. Bartholomew 146
ORTHODOX CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH. From photograph
by A. Shepherdson j^g
BIRTHPLACE OF CHURCH. From plate, kindness of Highlands
Congregational Church jc6
HIGHLANDS CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH. From photo- graph by A. Shepherdson jcg
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH. From photograph by William L.
Kirmes ............ 162
MELROSE HIGLANDS BAPTIST CHURCH. From photograph
by A. Shepherdson igr
MELROSE HIGHLANDS FIRST FREE BAPTIST CHURCH.
From photograph by A. Shepherdson 167
FIRvST UNIVERSALIST CHURCH. From plate, kindness of
Charles H. Adams ito
TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHURCH. From photograph by William
R. Lavender jy^
THE MELROSE ABBEY STONE. From photograph by Archie
B. McUwraith l-g
ILLUSTRATIONS. xvii
Page UNITARIAN CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH. From plate, kind- ness of the Church . . 179
vST. MARY'S CATHOLIC CHURCH. From photograph by A.
Shepherdson 182
THE JENKINS DESK. From photograph Ijy Archie B. McIIwraith 189
THE OLD SCHOOLHOUSE—ou 1053 road 190
THE OLD HIGH SCHOOLHOUSE. From photograph by Walter
C. Stevens 192
FRANKLIN SCHOOLHOUSE. From plate by kindness of the
School 195
WASHINGTON SCHOOLHOUSE. From photograph by A.
Shepherdson ........... 196
LINCOLN SCHOOLHOUSE. From plate, kindness Charles H.
Adams ............ 197
HIGH SCHOOLHOUSE. From photograph by A. Shepherdson 199 MEDAL OF THE MINUTEMEN OF 1801. From photograph
by Archie B. McIIwraith 245
REAR ADMIRAL N. MAYO DYER. From plate, kindness of
Charles H. Adams 249
DYER SWORD AND SCABBARD. From photograph by Mrs.
Addie K. Robinson . 250
GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC BADGE. From plate,
kindness of U. S. Grant Post 4 257
THE SOLDIERS' MONUMENT. From photograph by Archie
B. McIIwraith 263
THE LAST BOARD OF SELECTMEN. From plate, kuulness
of Charles H. Adams 266
THE CHARTER PEN. From photograph l)y A. Shepherdson . 270 HON. LEVI S. GOULD. From photograph by Elmer Chiikering, 272 HON. JOHN LARBABEE. From photograph by A. Shepherdson, 274 TOWN TESTIMONIALS TO HON. LEVI S. GOULD From
photographs, kindness of Mr. Gould ...... 279
THE RAVINE ROAD. From photograph by Archie B. McIIwraith 324 THE V. M. C. A. BUILDING. From photograph by William L.
Kershaw 337
MELROSE HOSPITAL. From plate, kindness of Charles H.
Adams ........•••• 343
THE AMPHION CLUB. From photograph by Elmer Chickering, 364
HON. DANIEL W. GOOl H 37°
MRS. MARY A. LIVERMORE 373
HON. SAMUEL E. SEWALL. From plates, kindness of Charles
H. Adams 379
XVlll
ILLUSTRA TIONS.
OLD ENDEAVOR ENGINE. From a daguerreotype in possession
of Fire Department 389'
THE CENTRAL FIRE STATION. From photograph by A.
Shepherdson 391
CITY HALL. From photograph by Archie B. Mclwraith . . 395
FIRST TOWN SEAL 399
SECOND TOWN SEAL 400
WATER BOND SEAL 401
CITY SEAL 401
THE SOUVENIR PLATE. From plate, kindness of Deloraine P.
Corey 421
MASONIC TEMPLE 433
HOME OF THE MELROSE CLUB 436-
HIGHLAND CLUB HOUSE. From plates, kindness of Charles
H. Adams 437
THE STONE FORT. From photograph, kindness of Charles E.
French 438
THE FIRST MALDEN PIANO 475
FACSIMILES.
Original report of running Stoneham and Maiden bounds
Vote concerning Division of the Commons.
Assessors' Report for Melrose in 1849, reduced
Petition of Ensign Thomas Lynde
Receipt of Ensign Thomas Lynde's heirs
Page from Rev. Joseph Emerson's Sermon
Page of Melrose Advertiser, reduced
16
la 21 46
63
64 384
AUTOGRAPHS.
William Bogle . Gov. John Winthrop Ensign Thomas Lyndt- Joseph Lynde . Joseph Lynde, son Col. Joseph Lynde Benjamin Lynde John Lynde William Sprague William McKinlev
|
Page |
Page |
|
|
36 |
Richard Sprague |
80 |
|
43 |
John Sprague |
88 |
|
61 |
John Upham |
108 |
|
66 |
Lieut. Phineas Upham |
109 |
|
66 |
Phineas Upham, son |
no |
|
7' |
Thomas Vinton . |
122 |
|
72 |
Nathaniel Jenkins, Jr. |
189 |
|
73 |
Robert Gerry |
191 |
|
. 79 |
Ulysses S. Grant |
255 |
|
. 363 |
Last Board of Selectmen . |
267 |
ESCUTCHEONS.
Melrose Club
Sons and Daughters of Maine
435 Knights of Columbus , . 444 442 Knights of Pythias , . 445
CHAPTER I.
EARLY EXPLORATION.
ONE of the many \0yas4es of the intrepid and heroic naviqator. Captain John Smith, was made in 1614, when he first \isited the New England coast. He sailed from London, in the month of April, with two ships and forty-five men. The object of the voyage was, "to take Whales, for which we had one Samuel Cramton, and diners others expert in that facultx', and also to make tryalls of a Myne of Gold and Copper; if those failed, Fish and Furs were then our refuge to make our selues sauers hovvsoeuer.'"^
Not meeting with much success, and finding "this Whale- fishing a costl)' conclusion," and filled with his usual spirit of exploration, he says: "Whilst the Sailors fished, myself with eight others of them that might best bee spared," ranged up and down the coasts of INIaine and Massachusetts, "in a small boat," \isiting the \arious harbors and rivers. During this time, he continues: "I was \-p one riuer fortie miles, crossed the mouths of many, whose heads are reported to be great Lakes." When he entered Boston Harbor, he says: "I tooke the fairest reach in this Hay for a ri\-er, whereupon I called it Charles Ri\er, the name of our Royall King Charles. "-
How far inland, around the Charles, Mystic and Maiden Rivers, Captain .Smith penetrated is not known. He ma}' have visited our pleasant \alle\- and its surrounding hills, but he has made no record of such an event. Without doubt he traversed a goodly portion of the territory of Charlestown and Maiden, as three months were occupied in these travels and explora- tions. This is abundantly e\'idenced l)\- the enthusiastic ac- count of what he had discovered, and the minute description of the country and its productions, which he had seen, and
^ Smith, 77/1? General Historie ^ Sniitb, The True Travels, Ad-
of New England, 1606-1624, Arber ventures, and Observations of Cap- Edition, 697. tain f oh n Smith, Arber Edition. 949.
2 HISTORY OF MELROSE.
which he \\rote in i6i6, after his return to London; and also by the fact that he constructed a ma}:) of the region he then visited, which he presented to Charles I. In this Descript'uvi of New Eng/a)id, he sa>'s:
And then the Countrie of Massachusetts, which is the Paradise of all those parts. For heere are many lies all planted with corne, groues, mulberries, saluage gardens, and good harbours. . . . And of all the foure parts of the world that 1 haue yet seene not inhabited, could I haue but means to transport a Colonic, I would rather hue here than anywhere : and if it did not maintaine it selfe, were wee but once indif- ferently well titted, let vs starue. . . . there is victuall to feede vs, wood of all sorts to build Boats, Ships, or Barks; the fish at our doores ; pitch, tarre, masts, yards, and most other necessaries onely for making? And here are no hard Landlords to racke vs with high rents, or extorted fines to consume us ; no tedious pleas in law to consume vs with their many years disputations for Listice ; no multitudes to occa- sion such impediments to good orders, as in popular States. So freely hath God and his Maiesty bestowed those blessings on them that will attempt to obtaine them, as here euery man may be master and owner of his owne labour and land: or the greatest part in a small time. If hee haue nothing but his hands, he may set \'p his trade : and by in- ' dustrie quickh- grow rich ; spending but halfe that time wel, which in England we abuse in idlenes. worse or as ill.
Again he says:
\\'e found the people in those parts \-er\- kinde. but in their fury no lesse valiant; for vpon a quarrell. we fought with forty or fifty of them, till they had spent all their Arrowes, and then we tooke six or seuen of their Canowes. which towards the euening they ran.somed for Beuer skinnes.
Other naxigators had \isitccl our Massachusetts coast before this. In 1602, Bartholomew Gosnold came to Massachusetts Bay, entered Boston Harbor, and then landed on Cape Cod, which he named and explored. He afterwards made an at- tempt at a settlenu'Ut on Llizabeth Island, uow Cutt_\'hunk-, but it was soon abandoned. Martin Bring, another Lnglish navigator, \-isited the New I^ngland coast in 1603, exphu-ing man}' of its ri\ers and iidets. There is exidence that he N'isited the region of Plymouth, but none I hat he enti-red Boston Harbor. He landed on, and named the group of islands Martin's Vine^'ard, afterwards ccM'rupted to Martha's \'ine\-ard.
EA RL Y EX PL OR A TION. 3
After Priiig's visit Samuel cic Chanijjlain cntcrecl Boston Harbor, in 1605, and anchored on the westerly side of Noddle's Island, now East Boston. He saw and entered Charles River, which he called Ri\er dii Guast. As this expedition was so short a time in the harbor, probably no inland exploration was undertaken, but the sliores and islands of the harbor were visited.
Still other navigators and explorers had been to our New England shores, landing on the islands, and travelling over the country surrounding Boston Harbor and Massachusetts Bav.
The first explorers of our continent were the Northmen. Leif Eriksen, in the \ear lOOO, was the first European to travel the great mainland southwest of Greenland, and the first to ex- plore the territory of Massachusetts, which he called \'inland. The beautiful statue of this Northman, by Anne Whitney, on Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, commemorates the discover\- of the continent of America by this hardy race of explorers. And within a few years there has been tliscovered on the banks of the Charles Ri\er, what has been claimed to be "the site of Fort Norumbega, occupied for a time by the Bretons, some four hundred years ago, and as many years earlier still built and occupied as the seat of extensi\e fisheries, and a settle- ment by the Northmen." •"■
Massachusetts Bay had been \isited by other explorers be- sides those already named, and pre\'ious to the }-ear 1600; among them Gilbert, Raleigh, and \'errazano; the latter as early as 1524. From the topographical descriptions contained in a letter from X'errazano, dated July, 1524, it is seen that he sailed along the coast from North Carolina to the Penobscot Ri\er, in Maine, \'isiting many of the inter\ening harbors, and exploring the adjoining territorw*
And in the year 1542, the French explorer, jean AUfonsce de Saintonge, was the first to explore in detail the shores of
'^ Horsford, T/u- Discovery of the May [1524], passed to the south of
Ancient City of Nontmbci^a. Pub- Martha's Vineyard aud Nantucket,
lished iu 1890. with numerous il- which he mistook for portions of
lustrations. the mainland, rounded Cape Cod,
and went ashore probalily sonie-
^ " From this harbour of refuj^e where between Nahant and Cape
[Narragansett Bay] the worthy Ann." l-'iske, The Dutch and
Florentine set sail on the sixth of Ono/cer Co/onirs in .linrririi \. h^-6.
4 HISTORY OF MELROSE.
Massachusetts Bay; then visiting the islands in Boston Harbor, and the adjoining territory.
But the more important explorations of the territory around Boston Harbor were made after 1600. After Gosnold, Pring, Champlain and Smith, came the Pilgrims who landed at Pl}'mouth in 1620.
In September, 1621, ten men, under the leadership of Captain Myles Standish, with Tisquantum, or Squanto, and two other Indians, left Plymouth on a voyage of discovery. They were gone four days. They landed, evidently, on the Maiden shore of the Mystic Ri\er, and travelled up through Medford:
On the morrow we went ashore, all but two men, and marched in Amies vp in the Countrey. Hauing gone three myles, we came to a place where Corne had been gathered, a house pulled downe, and the people gone. 5
They went as far as the residence of the former Chief Nanepashemet, parleyed and bartered with some Indians and returned to Plymouth, reporting the result of their observa- tions. Many other exploring expeditions were made by those' who followed the Pilgrims to our shores.
These were engendered by the different grants made in England about this time. The territory of which Melrose forms a part, was granted to Robert Gorges bv "The Council established at Plymouth, in the County of Devon, for the planting, ruling, ordering, and go\-erning of New England in America," of which the P^arl of Warwick and Sir Ferdinando Gorges, father of Robert, were the most prominent members. This Council claimed authority "over the region extending from Delaware Ba}- to Newfoundland and westward over un- known countries to the great South Sea." This grant to Robert Gorges con\-eyed
all that part of the mainland commonly called Messachusiac. on the north-east side of the Bay known by the name of Massachuset, to- gether with all the shores along the sea for ten English miles in a strait line towards the north-east, and thirty miles into the mainland through all the breadth aforesaid.
^ Henry Martyu Dexter's editiou pany and wrote the account of this
of MourVs Relation, or Journal of expedition, above quoted, in his
the Plantation at Plymouth, 127. A Relation of Ovr Voyage to the
Edward Winslow was of the com- Massachvsetts.
EA RL Y EX PL OR A TION. 5
Soon after Robert .^ranted to .j(thn ( )l(lham and John Dorrell
all the lands \v"nn Mattachusetts Bay betweene Charles River and Abousett [Saugus] River, Containfi in lengt by a streight Ij-ne 5 myles vp the said Charles River into the maine land north west from the border of the s^ Bay including all Creekes and points by the way and 3 myles in length from the mouth of the foresaid river of Abousett V[y into the maine land \pon a streight lync S: \\": including all Creeks and points, and all the lajid in bredth and length betweene the fore- said Rivers, w''' all p'rogatives Ryall Mynes excepted.
March 4, 1628-9, a royal charter was issued to the "Goxernor and Company of the Mattachusetts Bay in New En^dand. one bod\- politicjue and corporate in deed, fact, and name."
Under the authority of the grant from the Council for New England, and while negotiations for the royal charter were in progress. John Endicott, a gentleman of Dorsetshire and one of the original grantees, sailed in the ship "Abigail," Ciauden. master, from the little harbor of Weymouth, with a small company, and arrived at Naumkeag. Sep- tember 6, 1628. Others had preceded him and were seated along the shore from Cape Ann to Scituate. Among these were Roger Conant. Peter Palfrey, John Balch and John Woodbury at Naumkeag. the Mavericks at Noddle's Island and \\'innisimmet, Thomas W'alford at Mishawum, David Thompson at Neponset or Thompson's Island, William Blackstone at Shawmut, and John Bursley and William Jeffrey at \\'essaguset. Some of these had been followers of Robert Gorges and had scattered in fa\"orable trading places around the Bay ; others were single adventurers or perhaps agents for those who claimed lands by former grants. Besides these "the mad Bacchanalian." Thomas Morton, was still at Merry-Mount, and a gathering of fishermen and traders had become a permanent settlement at Nantasket.''
The next year man\- other settlers came to Salem, amoni( them Ralph, Richard and W illiam Sprague, sons of Edward Sprague of Upwa}-, in Dorsetshire. Soon after arri\•in.i,^ these brothers, with several others, with the approbation of Goxernor Endicott, went on an exploriiiLj- expedition, in a westerly direction, traversing- the inter\-enin<^ territory between Salem and Charlestown; thus jjassing through and examining on the way, portions of Lynn, Saugus, Melrose, INIalden and Medtord; fording three rixers, Saugus, Maiden and Mystic, liefore reach- ing their destination, Mishawam, now Charlest(n\n. Ri'turning
^ Corey, Hislory of ISIaldcii, 18, 19.
6 HISTORY OF MELROSE.
the Sprague brothers remained in Salem but a short time; for they soon after retraced their steps and settled in Charlestown, and were among those referred to in a letter written in 1629,
by Rev. Francis Higginson.'
*
There are in all of vs both old and new planters about three hundred, whereof two hundred of them are settled in Neihumkek, now called Salem : and the rest have planted themselves at Masathulets Ba}', beginning to build a towne there which wee doe call Cherton, or Charles Towne. "^
As soon as Gow John Winthrop arri\'ed at Salem, June 12, 1630, other explorations into the interior began. Five days later, he says in his Jcnniial :
We went to Mattachusetts to find out a place for our sitting down. We went up Mistick River about six miles.
After a few days more of observation, he writes to his son John, in England, under date of
Charlton, Jul}^ 23, 1630. For the country itself I can discern little difference between it and our own. \\'e have had only two days, which I have observed more hot than in England. Here is as good land as I have seen there, but none so bad as there. Here is sweet air, fair rivers, and plenty of springs, and water better than in England. Here can be no want of anything to those who bring means to raise out of the earth and sea.-'
Higginson seemed as well pleased with the air as was Winthrop, as is evidenced by the oft-used quotation from his New Engiaiicfs Plantation, "A sup of New England's aire is better than a whole draught of Old England's ale."
Other enthusiastic commendations were written to the home friends in England, by Hutchinson, Graves and others. Hig- ginson states that in one place might be seen "thousands of acres of ground as good as need to be and not a tree in the same."
The general appearance of the country was not entirely that of " an uncouth wilderness;" for a pleasant feature which struck the early
' Further details concerning the "* Hit;ginsou, in Forceps Tracts,
Spragues and their history are vol. i.
given in the chapter, "Old Fanii- '' Winthrop, Life and Letters of
lies and Homesteads. " Jolm Wiiitfn op, ii. 43.
EARLY EXPLORATION. 7
comers was the extended and frecjuent areas of open lands around the margins of the marshes and meadows and upon the phiins. — lands ready for the plough and tillage without much labor.'"
Thomas Graves wrote home to I^ni^land:
It is very heautifull in open lands, mixed with goodly woods, and again open plaines, in some places five hundred acres, some places more, some lesse, not so much troublesome for to cleere for the plough to goe in. no place barren, but on the tops of the hils: the grasse and weedes grow up to a man's face, in the lowlands and bv fresh rivers aboundance of grasse and large meddowes without any tree or shrubbe to hinder the sith."
These open lands were accounted ffir l)\- Thomos Morton as follows:
The Salvages are accustomed to set fire of the C'ountrv in all places where they come, and to burne it twize a yeare, viz : at the Spring, and the fall of the leafe. The reason that mooves them to doe so, is be- cause it would other wise be so overgrowne with underweedes that it would be all a coppice wood, and the people would not be able in any wise to passe through the Country out of a beaten path. And this custome of firing the Country is the meanes to make it passable : and by that meanes the trees growe here and there as in our parks: and makes the Country very beautifull and commodious. '-
There were many other descriptions of our New Hngland territory sent home to England by these earl\' achenturers, some of which seem to us of today somewhat oxerdrawn and too enthusiastic; but none of these writers were so thorough and enthusiastic as was William Wood, who, after his return to England in 1634, gives a complete and detailed history of this whole territory. His work was entitled, ''New Englamis Pros- pect. A true, lively, and experhnentall description of that part of America, coiiintonly called Neiv England: discovering the state of that Countrie, both as it stands to onr neiv-co)ne English Planters; and to the old Native Inhabitants. Laying doivne that which may both enrich the knoivledge of the mind-travelling Reader, or benefit the future Voyager. ' '
The Hon. E. Moody Boyiiton pidDJished an exact reprotluc- tion of this book in 1898, and in h;s introduction he says:
^^' Corey, History of Maiden, 21. '-' Morton, Xcic Em^lis/i Canuan,
" jl/assac/iKsetts, Historical Col- 52, 54. lections, i. 124.
8 HISTORY OF MELROSE.
This book, righth' entitled T/ie Prospects of Neiv England, contains the first description of the prospects, surroundings, settlements and territor}' of the Massachusetts Ba}^ Colony at the period when its principal towns and cities were located. He remained four years, from 1629, to August 15th, 1633, when he sailed for London in the Hopewell.
In the second part of this work Wood gives a complete description of the Indian tribes then inhabiting- this region. It has besides, the first map of '"The SoutJi Part of N civ-Eng- land, as it is Planted this Yean\ i6j4f wherein he locates the ^'arious rivers, settlements, etc. Herein is shown our " Spott pond," " Misticke pond," " Horn ponds," and others.
As Mr. Boynton says: "To those who highly regard the first steps in the founding of a great nation this little work is of rare value and historical interest."
The exaggerations of the first comers, with other causes, added to the tide of immigration, which was very much increased in 1630, and Cambridge, Boston. Dorchester, and other places received their first inhabitants. The disappointments and sufferings of those who were not well prepared to meet the hardships and dangers of a pioneer's life were, no doubt, as strongly set forth to their friends in England as had been the attractions and advantages of the country before. As a consequence, in part, immigration nearly ceased, and some returned to England. But after a }'ear or two ship after ship continued to arrive in the liarbors of Salem and Boston : and growing communities of sturdy Puritans attested at once the troubles which had befallen the mother land, and the permanence of the refuge which Providence had opened upon the bleak shores of Massachusetts Bay. A new empire had been founded ; and upon a narrow strip of countr}-. between unknown forests and the barren sands and sombre nx^ks of an unkind coast, a handful of earnest men and women, in tlie language of the time, "chosen vessels" and "precious seed." began to work out that problem of freedom which forecasts the coniing (rlory of the Ages. From the green lanes and ancient towns of Essex, full of the traditions and as.sociations of a thousand years, to the tangled forests and the wild shores of a new world : from the old English homes to the land which God had prepared for the chosen seed whose fruitage was to be a great nation, — these are to us of the nineteenth century but the turning of a leaf; but to the men and women of i(i2S. a stormy waste of waters and many weeks of anxiety and distress, of weeping and praying, lay between the homes of their childhood and the unknown land where they were to watch and work and la\- their bones to rest.'''
1-^ Corey, History of Maldoi, 28, 29.
EARLY EXPLORATION.
9
Two large and powerful tribes held sway in this region when our fathers landed, — the Massachusetts and the Pawtuckets. The re- nowned sachem of the Pawtuckets was Nanepashemit. who took up his abode on the Mystic River in 1615. and was killed there three or foiir years later. He was the father of Sagamore John of the Mystic, Sagamore James of L}nn. and Sagamore George of Salem. George finally filled the place of his father, and was sachem of the Pawtuckets. During the residence of Nanepashemit in Medford. his lodge was on Rock Hill, where he could best watch the approach of his enemies. . . . The territory for many miles round Mystic Ri\er was owned and occupied by small tribes or detachments, each hax'ing its own head. Medford and some of the adjoining territory belonged to Sagamore John, whose Indian name was Monohagnaham. and who. was friendly to our ancestors, and gave our fathers permission to settle, and after- wards apprised them of premeditated attacks by unfriendly Indians.'-*
Sagamore John had his headquarters in Maiden, his home beint^- in the southern part of the town, now Ex'erett, "upon a creek, which runs from the marshes between Powder- Horn Hill and Winnesimmet. into the M\stic Ri\-er at Sweeetzer's, or Beacham's, Point." ^"^
i-* Brooks, History of IMedJovd, 91, 92.
^^ This creek is now kuowu as Island End River, or Chelsea Creek . The point has been known as Van Voorhis, and Wormwood. — some- times corrupted into Wormal's Point. For a complete history of the various tribes of Indians that were found in this rejrion bv the
early settlers, and the policy which governed those who "saw in the apparent!}' aimless wanderings of the Indians no traces of that occu- pancy and subjugation of the earth which civilization has made a ne- cessity and the Scripture enjoins as a duty," see the History of ^falden, IMassachusetts, 1633-1JS5, by Delo- raine P. Corey, pp. 29-53, chapter, " Discoverers and Indians."
CHAPTER II.
TERRITORY.
MALDEN.
ORIGINALLY the territory of Melrose belonged to the town of Charlestown, which was settled in 1629, and was a far more extensix^e region than that now belong- ing to it. It then included what is now Somerv'ille, Maiden, Everett, VVoburn, Burlington, Melrose, Stoneham, a small part of Cambridge, West Cambridge and Reading, and a large part of Medford. Town after town was taken from it, grad- uall}' diminishing its territory until it became the smallest town, territorially, in the State. Woburn, comprising Bur- lington, was taken from it and incorporated in 1642; Mai- den, in 1649; Stoneham, in 1725; Somerville, in 1842. In 1717 and 1725, a large tract called "North Charlestown," was set off, part to Maiden and part to Reading. In 1754, another tract, including several large farms, was set off to Medford, and now forms the eastern part of that city. A tract was set off to Cambridge in 1802, and to West Cam- bridge in 1842. Thus was Charlestown, now a district of Boston, reduced to its present limits.
Very early in the history of Charlestown, differences of opinion connected with the boundaries of the different towns arose, which necessitated a settlement by the General Court; and at "A Court, holden att Boston," July 2, 1633, M\-stic Side, or Mystic Field [now Maiden] was granted to Charles- town, it being then ordered
That the ground lyeing betwixte the North RyV [sometimes called " Three Myle lirooke."' now Maiden River] & the creeke on the north side of M' Mauacks, & soe vpp into the country, shall belonge to the inhabitants of Charlton.
As " N])]) into the country" did not determine how far the line should go, another order passed "Att the Gen''all Court, holden att Newe Towne, March 3, 1635," was more definite:
TERRITORY. 11
Ordered, That Charles Towne bounds shall run ei,i,dit myles into the country from their meeteinji;' howse, if noe other bt)unds intercept, reserueinj"; the pprietie of ffernies j^raunted to John Winthrop Esq., M"" Nowell, M"" Cradocke lS: M"" Wilson, to the owners thereof, as also ffree inijresse ^: e,t;resse for the serv's & cattell of the said gent. iV- cofiion for their cattell. on the backeside of M^ C'radocks ffernie.
In 1836, a commission consisting" of Abraham ralnu-r, \\il- liam Cheeseborou.^di and William Spencer, decided and deter- mined the bounds as follows :
Agreed by vs. whose names are vnder written, that the bounds betweene Boston iS: Charles Towne, on the noreast .syde of Misticke Ryver, shall run from the mked tree vpon the rocky hill above Rumney Marshe, neere the w ritten tree nore-norewest vjDon a straight lyne by a meridean compas vpp into the countrie.
Corey, in his History of Maldoi, in Samuel Adams Drake's History of Middlesex County, iSSo, saws :
This line, running from near " Black Ann's Corner "" in Linden, has never been changed, and is still the eastern limit of Maiden and Melrose. The rocky hill, called in 1635 •' a point of rock, on the side of the high way to Mistick,"' may still be recognized, and is a promi- nent feature in the landscape; but the "marked tree," an ancient pine, after having been a landmark more than a century, disappeared many years ago.
This boundary (luestion is a.^ain referred to in the Charles-^ town records of 1638, as follows : "the Gen" Court had setled theire Bounds by L^n-antinij;- eight miles from the old Meeting- house into the Contr\' XtM'thwest Xorthrly."
A year later Charlestown received the following deed from the original owners.
Of this Indian deed of our territory- given by Squaw Sachem and Webcowet, recorded in Middlesex Count\- Deeds, i. igo, Corey, in his History of Maiden, p. 34, says :
In 1639 the two signed a deed by which they conveyed to the inhabitants of Charlestown, with some reservations, all the lands which the Court had granted them, including the bounds of the present cities of Maiden and Kverett, and the town of Melrose. This document is of interest to us as being the hrst and only con- veyance of the aboriginal title in the territory which we occupy. The consideration, or " sattisfaction," proves how little the Indians valued their rights and how cheaply the settlers quieted their claims.
12 HISTORY OF MELROSE.
The I 5 ''3 of the 2. mt; 1639.
Wee Web Cowet & Squaw Sachem do sell vnto the Inhabitants of the Towne of Charlestowne, all the land with in the lines granted them by the Court (excepting the farmes and the ground, on the West of the two great Ponds called misticke ponds, from the South side of mr Nowells lott, neere the \'pp'' end of the Ponds, \-nto the little run- net that Cometh from Capt Cookes mills which the Squaw reser\-eth to their vse, for her life, for the Jndians to plant and hunt vpon, and the weare above the Ponds, they also reserve for the Jndians to fish at whiles the Squaw liveth, and after the death of Squaw Sachem shee cloth leave all her lands from m"' Mayhues house [Cradock house on east bank of the M^-stic River] to neere Salem to the present Gov- erno'', m'' Jn" Winthrop Sen'', m'' Increase Nowell, m'' Jno Wilson, m'' Edward Gibons to dispose of, and all Jndians to depart, and for sattisfaction from Charlestowne, wee acknowledge to have received in full sattisfaction twenty and one coates ninten fathom of \\'ampon, & three bushels of come. In witnes whereof we ha\e here vnto sett o^ hands, the day and yeare above named.
the marke of Squa Sachem, m^ the marke of Web cciwet. m. Subscribed in the p^sence off
Jno HUMPHREV
Robert Feake. This is to testifie that the aforenamed purchase was made at the charges of the Jnhabitants of Charlestowne. and to their vse, and for so much as lyeth with in their limitts. we do accordingly resigne, and yeld vp all our interest therein to the vse of the said towne. according to the trust reposed in vs. lot'' m'.' iStii, 1639.
Jno Winthrop Gondii''. Jncrease Nowell. Jn'o Wilson. Entred tS: Recorded. 23111 ,S nv; 1656.
By Thomas Dan forth Recorder.
Nothwithstanding the near presence of the natixes, the people of Charlestown began at a very early period to push out into the adjacent country, and within and without the borders of that town to settle where\er they could find land suited to their needs. New colonists were constanth' arri\ing from England, and during the first ten years after the arrival of Winthrop it is estimated that four thousand families had reached the shores of New England, including more than twenty- one thousand persons. The}' had come from a countrj' where the ownership of land was a prize which only the wealthy were able to secure, and the almost limitless bounds of the western world attracted a continued wave of emigration, with liberal homesteads and farms,
TERRITORY. 13
almost free of cost, as the expected rewards of their enterprise. The eagerness displayed in our own day by the settlers of Oklahoma and other newly-opened Territories to possess advantageous sites for homes, finds a parallel in the days of our fathers, when almost for the asking the poor English laborer, with only sufficient means to secure a passage across the Atlantic, could become the lord of lands on a footing, so far as ownership was concerned, with the more favored in his English home.'
In a few years after the settlement of Charlestown, the inhabitants from that town and other sources, bej^an to cross over the Mystic River, and settle at ]\I>'stic Side; it was thus known as earl)- as 1634; and when Thomas Coytmore, "a right godly man," built a dam, and soon after a mill at " Black Rock," on "Three Myie Brook," near the present center of Maiden, quite a settlement had been established ; and, owing to their distance from Charlestown proper, very soon the inhabitants began to think of forming a new town, and hav- ing taken the necessary steps, on May 11, 1649, the General Court passed the following vote :
In answer to the peticon of seull inhabitants of Misticke side their request is graunted, viz., to be a distinct towne of themselves, ^: the name thereof to be Maulden.
Concerning the formation of this town. Captain Edward Johnson, of VVoburn, in his Wondcr-ivorking Providence of Siivis Saviour in Neiv England, published in London, in 1654, sa^•s that Maiden was settled
by certain persons, who issued out of Charlestown. and indeed had her whole structure within the bounds of this more elder Town, being severed by the broad spreading river of Mistick the one from the other, w-hose troublesome passage caused the people on the North side of the river to plead for Town priviledges within themselves^ which accordingly was granted them ; the soyl is very fertile, but they are much straitened in their bounds, yet their neerness to the chief Market Towns, makes it the more comfortable for habitation.
Maiden was named after the town of Maldon, England, by Joseph Hills and others, who came from that town. "The affections of the first })lanters of New^ England still clung, as was natural, to the soil of their nativity; and they designed, by the names they bestow^ed on the places of their
1 Davis, History of jVa/dcii, for Lewis' History of Middlesex County, 1S90.
14 HISTORY OF MELROSE.
abode, in this land of their adoi:)tion, to keej) ali\-e in their breasts the tender associations of home.'"" Mr. Hills was not only an early settler in Mx'stic .Side, but a \'er)' prominent citizen, and a man of marked ability. He took a \'ery prom- inent part in the rexision of the jNlassachusetts laws, in 1648, which were first issued in 164 1, as the Body of Liberties by Nathaniel Ward, and which became the authorized code of la\\s for New England.
In 1727, Maiden lost (|uile a lari;e tract of territory which would now ha\'e formed a part of Melrose had this action not ha\-e taken place. A number of families who liwd at the extreme northerl>' part, became dissatisfied by lieini^-
so remote from the Middle of the Town, that they are under ,>;reat Inconveniences & Ditlficulties to attend the pul^lick Worship there, cV their Cavil i.\: Military Duties in the Said Town cV that they ly much nearer to Reading".
The\' therefore made application In- ])t(itiim, to be annexed to that town; and at that time the town ot ReadiuL;- \-oted:
That ujjon the jjetition of our nei.uhbors of North end of Maiden, Richard I'pham and William dreen rei)resentinj;- them, we will j^etition the (jeneral Court that a number of our ueiuhbors of North Knd of Maiden be set to Readin.^-.-'
The town of Maiden Noted, .May 2J, 1727:
That yt' tenn famel\s \t ha\e i)etioned to be Laid off from this Town, unto y^' 'lown of Reding-. ha\e lal)erty to goe to Redini;- with there Estates Acordins;- to their petion.
-Ill ils ])rL-seiit aspect, Maldon New Entiland. . . . Out of thi.s retains mam- of the features which ancient IMaldon came in 16:^8, Jo- were familiar to that little band of sejdi Hills, a woollen-draper, and pil!.,M-iiiis who, aliout the first of with him, or a little later, Jt)hn .\l)ril, 1638, sailed down the river Wayte, who married his daui^hter in an "Ipswicli Ilye." Its single Mary. . . . These men became main street, running about a mile early holders of land in the vicin- east and west, and now intersected ity of Wayte's Mount, on Mystic by several cross streets, its vener- vSide. . . . The misuse of many able churches and halls, the ebbing years, bv substituting Maiden for and flowing river washing its an- Maldon, has ])ermanently fixed the cieiit wharves, the green fields incorrect ft)rni of the same which around, and all those kindly in- we now use. Corey, History of fluences which have made Essex Matdcn, 9, 12.
the garden of Kngland, were often , v.^u.xx, Hhtorv of Rcadino-, 142. remembered by wistiul hearts in
TERRITORY. lo
The Legislature accortlingly confirmed tlie wishes of both parties as follows:
Resolved. That the Prayer of the Petition be granted. \' that the said ten Families & their Estates be annexed to «S: accounted as Part of the Town of Reading for the future, according to the Line set forth in the Petition ; Any Law, Usage or Custom to the Contrary Notwithstanding. Jn Council: Read \- ConcurVl
Consented to, \\ '" l)i mmkr.^
The section thus lost to Maiden shortened the town more than a mile, and carried with it some of the wealthiest inhabitants. It is to this addition to the limits of the old town of Reading that the town of Wakefield owes the peculiar configuration of its southerly portion em- bracing the present \illage of Cireenwocxl.'"'
The names of the ten families thus changing their town connections were: William Green, Thomas Upham, Nathaniel E\-ans, David Green, John Walton, .Samuel Evans, John K\-ans, Richard Upham, .Samuel Howard and Thomas Cireen. In 1734, still another tract of the northwestern ])art of Maiden was set off, by Legislati\e act, to the town of .'~>t()neham. There was a cluster of Green families in this part of the town who were also remote from religious ]jri\ileges, and who were not embraced in the action of \J2j. A petition to the General Court, June Ji, 1734. signed by John Green. Isaac Green, John Dexter and Jonas Green of Maiden, and Da\icl Green, Thomas Green and Samuel Cireen of Reading, which petition set forth "their Difficulty to attend the Public Worship of Cjotl in their Towns by Reason of their Remoteness from the meeting house; "and praying "That they and their family's and I-'.slates may by order of this Court be annexed to the Town of Slone- ham." Fa\-orable action was grantetl Dec. Ji, 1734. This territory comprised most all of that now known as the Mc-Jrose Highlands, and it remained a j^art of .^toneham until 1853, when, after much opposition on the }jart of that town, it was reunitetl to the territory of Melrose.
* Cowra/ Co/ii/ A'tio/(/s, xiii, T,22. "^ Corey, History of Ma/drn. ^^)2.
16 HISTORY OF MELROSE.
-^•cl <^llf^^ S^J!, ^Oc Y *^a.;f 4^^rr /2. 5^,1^^ M, ,^ ^/6,v,
t^f^ Of<^— /? *,i<r7- ^ H' --^ (2rT>n>,-^u^ -^yC^-rv *ru^^ '^ArJ/l^x^
The Commons. This was an extensive tract of land belong- in,<4- to the town of Maiden, embracing about thirty-five hund- red acres, which was nearly one-half of the town, as then con- stituted. About twenty-three hundred of these acres covered all of the eastern part of what is now Melrose, and most of what was once the northerly part of Maiden; that portion now known as Greenwood. It was the land lying east of Ell Pond, and east of Lebanon and Green Streets, extending from a little way below Swain's Pond in the south, up into Wakefield, then Reading, to Smith's Pond, now called Crystal Lake; and to within about half a mile of Reading meeting-house. It was "full of statel\- timber." and, say the Charlestown records:
''The above is a facsimile of the Peter Hay aud Daniel Greeu, Jr.,
report made by the Selectmen of of the running of the bounds be-
Maklen, Jonathan Barrett, Deacon tweeu Stoneham and Maiden, after
Thomas Lynde and James Hovey ; this tract had been annexed to
aud Stoneham, Jonathan Green, Stoneham.
TERRITORY. 17
"indeed generally all tlu- country round about was an uncouth wilderness."
It was the home of the Indian and the wild beast.
We are told that when our ancestors made their settlement at Shaw- mut, now Boston, they sent out a number of persons to examine the country to the North, who, havin<j searched the first range of hills, probably the range near us, then covered with forests, returned and reported, that, having reached a mountainous and rocky country, they deemed it best to come back, as there was little probability that the settlement would ever extend beyond these mountains. ^
In the process of time these lands came to be very desirable both for woodland and pasturage; and the Town of Maiden had been greatly troubled, not only by its own citizens but by their "Charlestown neighbors," to whom frequent warnings had been given, prohibiting them from thus trespassing, and cutting and teaming wood and timber from this common land, or in pasturing sheep and cattle. Therefore action was taken by the town looking to its preservation and utility'.
In March, i6S-'4 it was \-oted:
That no fyrwood shall be feld or cutt \ppon the common this yeare ensueing but what is or shalbe lying on the ground on penalt}' of hue shillings p"" tree. Excepting on the south syde of the rocks from Joseph Wayts house to Lem" Jenkins & from thence on the South^ly side the swamp to the Town lyne.
In 1687 "^ citizen was fined £"3. lo for "carriing and cutting timber of the common contrar}' to a Town order ; " and in 1691,
John green Jn"" Joses Bucknam Se^ Thomas newhall Isak Hill Jacob parker thay were chosen as a committ}- to prosecute in a course of law any that shall offend by cutting and earring wood of maiden common.
Action was taken for a division of these "Commons" among the freeholders, by the Town, July 12, 1693, when a committee was appointed "to Run y line between the common and pro- prietors land;" and March 26, 1694:
The former Coniitie met and l<.un y<^ bounds Round Keedy pond ye bounds Are first a great buttenwood tree before Joseph Lines dore. and so bounded Round with seuernll trees marked with letter C next common.
And erected seuerall heapes of stons
The same day Run ye line about Joseph waits plain : and niarkt seuerall trees with letter C next ye common.
' Adams, Bi-Ccntcnnial Book of Maiden, p. 94.
18 HISTORY OF MELROSE.
ye same day Run ye line Round Swains pond nieddow and marked seuerall trees with letter C next ye common :
ye same daj' ye bounds was Run about wilkesons -land [near Long Pond] and marked seuerall trees next ye common with letter C.
The same day ye bounds was Run about Squiers meddo and marked seuerall trees next y^ common with letter C.
Nov. 20, 1694, a committee consisting of three men, not resi- dents of Maiden, was appointed to devise a plan for this division of these common lands amono- the inhabitants of Mai- den; and it was then also \-oted: "That y* common shall be deuided: bottom and top y* is land And wood."
2iJ^t'^<^i- fn Ji<yn cPY-a^' cj^i-^fn oi -AitVM^ -{^fd^fcrpi^t^c^i^ic np^tulc.
rf ft^ 4,f c^r.y ^/i^ff^ : Jy^3 ^^ <r^'rt U/^-^ U «<»w '^^ ^.u-h^> ^c.,. tf-'^' ^fc^. -^vAr^ ^'/i/^/'-o <r^.M, ^»;;
That committee made the following report:
Nov. 26, 1694. Whereas, we Subscribers are Requested or Im- powed: by ye inhabitants of Maldon To prescribe a way for y^ deuid- ing of their common both Land and wood : — we considering the seuerall methods and way of Their Raising of Town Charges for time past: first we doe adjug their be a commite chose of Indeferant men To set out so much land for i^eipatuall common as they shall see meete.
2b-. that there be a true Invoice taken of every true proprietors estate And twenty pounds aded for the heads of euery free-holder according To town vote whather male or famale.
3'>- then for 5^e Rest of ye common draw lots for equall proportions Acording to the Inuoice beginning your lots at }e ^iper end of jour common next Reding : at ye southwest corner and so Run dowards in two deuisions or more if you see cause.
Major William Johnson. Capt John Smith. CAPT John Brown.
Dec. 25, Deacon John (ireen, John Greenland, Tr\-al New- berry, Phineas Upham, Thomas Newhall, Lieutenant Joseph Wilson and Henry Green were chosen to proceed with the division of the "Commons" according to the direction "of y*^ formar commite nameh' those gentillmen That are chosen out
TERRITORY. 19
of this town." Many other \otes gi\-ing details for accomplish- ing this important matter were passed; among them it was:
Also agreead upon by ye conimitie y' for y^ deuidin<:j of y^ common euery properioters name shall be writ distintl}- : and }' y^ lots be well shutied together: And one man chose by y^ town: To draw y" out of a bag: and \^ first man y' is drawen shall have y^ first lot in y^ com- mon begining as aforsaid And so sucksesiuely as y^ are all drawen To the proportion of looo accres and then to proseed in \^ same way and method for another looo accres.
It is also agreead upon by ye commite That there shall be 2 pols in breadth between euery Raing of lots for high wais : and that euery mans lot shall Run Eighty two pool in leangth for }' end.
Also that " this comitee hes pouer to improue An artis to lay out ye lots," and that John Sargeant Jr., be authorized " To draw y^ out of a bag."
Mr. Corey, who has made a verj' thorough study of these "Commons" and their disposition, says:
The allotment was finally completed; and the record begins as follows :
Recorded May 3-^ 30 : 1695 : An a Greement of the Town of maiden In deuiding of The common The tirst deuision begining at the upar end next to nathaniell eueness land by Charlstown line: In mannar as followeth : y^ lots Runing 82 pool in length.
This division, which contained nine hundred and thirty-one acres and fifty-one poles, was laid out in seven ranges and seventy-four lots. It comprised the northern portion of the town between the bounds of Boston and Charlestown. The Evans farm of sixty acres, on the westerly side of the road, and the woodland, which had been reserved for the ministry, on the easterly side, alone parted it from the Reading line at Smith's Pond. This tract of common was broken by the Green farm, by a piece of land north of L Pond which belonged to the estate of Thomas Coytmore as early as 1653, by ten acres of meadow " aboue the old cow pen in Mauldon " which Joseph Hills had sold to Henry Evans in 1660, and, perhaps, by smaller lots of appropriated land. ['I'his division extended to our present Howard Street.]
The second division of the two thousand acres, containing nine hundred and forty-two acres and twentj-eight poles, was laid out in six ranges and seventy-five lots. [Extending from Howard Street to south of Grove Street.] Beginning " by elle ponde," it stretched over the highlands towards the Bo.ston line, covering the country east of the Reading Road [Main Street] and north of Swain's Pond. [Quite a large proportion of this territory is now known as East Side.] Some of the ways reserved for passage between the ranges in this division be- came highways in time and still exist. [I'orter. L'pham. and Grove
20 HISTORY OF MELROSE.
Streets.] . . . These two divisions comprised the territory known as the two thousand acres and contained, together, eighteen hvuidred and seventy-three acres and seventy-nine poles, as measured by Mr. Fisk. the " artis."
The third division is described as "The third diuision for the Remander of the wood Land one the este sid the mill brook called the three hundred ackrs Begining at sargent Skiners Lote and are to rune 40 poles in length." Its seventj'-four lots embraced three hundred and eleven acres ^nid fifty-eight poles of the woodland between Swain's Pond and Scadan. [Now known as " South East," and includes the high summit of Mount Hood.]
The balance of these "Commons" now di\-idecl, was on terri- tory now Maiden. There were seventy-four proprietors and freeholders who shared in this allotment; the names are all given by Mr. Core}', in his History of Maiden, pp. 376-7.
Soon after this division w-as made many of the lots were sold to persons who had no interest in the common land, and about the year 1700, many of the people who already owned, or now- bought, began to build houses and settle upon their lots.
A piece of land at the eastern end of Ell Pond, where now^ stand the ice-houses, was reser\ed for a watering place, and for the washing of flax, the material of which the home-made clothing of the early inhabitants was made. It appears that the abutters began to encroach upon this public water resort, and April 17, 1699, Corporal John Green, Phineas Upham, and Joseph Floyd were chosen to run
y*^ bounds and renew }•« marks between proprioters land : and 3-^ small peece of common land : adjoining to L pond : which was left for convenence of watering.
Still later, at the annual meeting held March 4, 1765, another x'Ote concerning this public privilege was passed:
It was put to vote to see if the town will give liberty to mr Samuel Green and others to run a fence between ell pond and the highway, provided they leve a convenient way open for watering of cattle at the pond And keep convenient draw bars or a gate for people to pass and repass with their teams in the usual place of their going to and from said pond with their tlax. .\nd it passed in the affermative.
MELROSE.
At the time the Boston and Maine Railroad was completed,, the territory of Melrose, then know^n as "North Maiden," and earlier as " North End," was very sparsely settled. Very
TERRITORY.
21
soon after it commenced operation. July 4, 1845, people from Boston and other places, began to investigate our pleasant vale for residences; and in a short time many families had here made their homes. The church, business, town and social relations were so separated from the centre and main town of Maiden, that the citizens began to agitate a separation from the mother town, and the setting up of a municipality b\- itself; and in 1848, and 1849, ^^'^^^ matter was most earnestly can- vassed, and action taken. On March 22, 1849, ^n act was reported to the House of Representatives for the incorpora- tion of the Town of Melrose, which was passed April 10, almost unanimously; but it failed to receive the concurrence of the Senate b}- a vote of twenty-seven to three."^
Later in this same year, 1849, Maiden, foreseeing that with these railroad facilities, and the varied and natural beauty of our situation, we should in a very few >'ears become a growing, thrift)' and prosperous community, and cherishing the most kindly and friendly feelings for their brethren in the north
part of the town, wisely con- cluded to make no further objection to such separation; and, at a legal meeting of the inhabitants of the town of Maiden, held Nov. 26, 1849, it was voted:
To choose a committee to view and report to the town such line as the committee shall think to be the proper line between the town of Maiden and the pro- posed town of Melrose.
The selectmen were chosen to act on this committee; and at a town meeting held Dec. 21, 1849, the selectmen re-
ayz
\
ported the divisional line which was then adopted and is in existence today. The town also \oted at this same meeting, to instruct their Representative elect
* Diary kept by the late Aarou called Melrose — was to be set off
Green, for 1849. But so thoroughly from Maiden, that assessors were
convinced was every one that appointed to take the valuation of
North Maiden — now regularly this part of the town ; and accord-
22 HISTORY OF MELROSE.
that if the inhabitants of Meh'ose petition tlie Legislature for the divi- sion Hne as reported by the Selectmen to advocate the setting off of Melrose but if any other line be asked for then to oppose the setting off.
A petition was presented to the Legislature early in 1850, by Elbridge Green and others, praying that the northerly part of Maiden, which had been called North Maiden for many years, be set off and incorporated as a separate town to be called Melrose.
At a town meeting held in Maiden, February 7, 1850, it was voted:
That whereas, a petition had been presented to the Legislature, by Elbridge Green and others, praying that the northerlj^ section of Maiden may be set off and incorporated as a separate town, to be called Melrose, and whereas an order of notice has been issued on said petition therefore, Resolved, That we, the citizens of Maiden in town meeting assembled, called according to law, to act on said order of notice, do hereb}' express our approval of said petition.
Resolved, That the line of separation petitioned for is a proper line, and one that meets our approval, and which, in our opinion, ought to be adopted, and the prayer of said petition be granted.
Resolved, That the representative be, and he is, hereby instructed to aid the petition, in all honorable ways, to accomplish the object of their petition, keeping always in view the interest of the town in word- ing the act of incorporation.
The Joint Special Committee, in reporting to the Legisla- ture, April 27, 1850, among other advantages enumerated these:
This part of the town, which bears the name of Melrose, is separated from the other by a natural barrier ; the proposed line of division run- ning through a wild, unimproved, and almost uninhabitable territory, constituting, in most respects, a far better boundary than a line passing through a cultivated and populous region, cutting farms, and sep- arating immediate neighbors into different towns.
The business and social relations of Melrose are not with the other
ing to this same diary, now iu the rose as appeared iu 1849. A True possession of Maurice G. Cochrane, Coppy From Maiden Book. Real a grandson of the diarist, they Estate, 336,352 ; Personal Estate, commenced their duties May i, of 48,509; Total, $384,861. Number that year, and finished May 11. Polls, 272. Aaron Green, S. h. The result as given in a written Taylor, W. J. P'arnsworth, asses- poster was as follows : sors of Melrose. Valuation of the Town of Mel-
TERRITORY. 23
portions of Maiden ; it seems to form a distinct community, and, in the opinion of the committee, is destined to become a separate town, and that a separation would contribute to the convenience, harmony, and prosperity of the inhabitants, and would be no injury or disadvantage to the remaining part of Maiden. It would leave a fine, pleasant, and prosperous town, within full \iew, and in the immediate vicinity of Boston, affording- many eligible building sites, and containing num- erous valuable farms.
In accordance with the mutually expressed wishes of the inhabitants of both sections, an act was drawn and reported to the Legislature, which was adopted; and Melrose was in- corporated May 3, 1850. It then had 1,260 inhabitants, and an assessed valuation of $483,446.00.
A committee of three from each town was appointed " to make a just and ecjuitable settlement of all the financial concerns appertaining to said towns & the property belong- ing to the same." Gilbert Hax-en, Lemuel Cox, and Daniel A. Perkins were appointed for Maiden, and George Emerson, Isaac Emerson and Aaron Green for Melrose.
In 1853, that part of Maiden which was set off to Stone- ham in 1734, most of the territory of which is now known as the Melrose Highlands, and which embraced also what is now- the Sewall Woods Park, containing about twenty-five houses with sevent}--fi\'e inhabitants, was set off and annexed to Melrose. The residence of Hon. Samuel E. Sewall was until then in Stoneham; and he was elected Senator to the Massachusetts Legislature in 1852, from that town. A move- ment had begun sometime previous to this to have this sec- tion set off to the new town of Melrose, for the reason that the inhabitants could be much better accommodated with school, church, business, and town facilities. For this pur- pose an act was introduced in the Legislature of 1852, but it was unsuccessful. The next year an act of annexation was passed, March 15, 1853, thus adding three hundred and eighty-one acres to the area of our territory, making a total of thirty-one hundred and fourteen and seventy one-hundredths acres.
Melrose is situated in the eastern part of the County of Middlesex, and is se\en miles directly north of Boston. It is bounded on the north by Wakefield, on the east b\- Saugus, (which is in the Count}' of Essex,) on the south by Maiden,
24
HISTORY OF MELROSE.
and the west by Stoneham, and a small corner of Medford. Its shape is somewhat irregular, having a width on the Wake- field line of about a mile and a half, on the Saugus line two and a half miles, a little less than three miles on the Maiden,
and nearly two and a half miles on the Stoneham and Medford line.
It is most charmingly sit- uated, possessing a surface diversified with a great \'ari- ety of natural scenery; it has hills, valleys, ponds, streams and wildwoods; it contains a portion of the famous Mid- dlesex Fells, now embraced in the extensive Metropoli- tan Park System. It is particularly fortunate in possessing numerous high and unwooded summits, from which may be obtained unobstructed views of ocean, cities, towns, wood ranges, surro.unding hills and distant mountain peaks.
Perhaps the one from Mount Hood — formerly known as " Bear Hill," situated in the southeasterl}' part of the town, near the line between Melrose and Saugus, affords the most interesting and far-reaching of these views; although not so much of our own valley and its residences is seen, as from some of those more centrally located. In a clear day the view is one of great grandeur. Some fifteen years ago, Mr. Wen- dell P. Hood built a small house on the top of this mount, sunk a well, set out fruit trees, and ploughed and sowed several of the surrounding acres with grain. But in process of time the house was burned, cultivation neglected, and the region has now resumed its wild and old-time appearance.
From this summit, beginning in the northerly direction, in plain \'ievv, there rises the extensive establishment of the Danvers Insane Asylum; thence the eye sweeps along over the Lynn Woods Reservation, crowned with the Lynn Water Works standpipe, which is situated on Pine, or Reservoir Hill, to the City of Lynn, the Town of Nahant, and a portion of Swampscot, with the Town of Saugus nestling in the interven- ing valley; then from Lynn Harbor, a strt'tch of ocean sweeps around to the south shore and Boston Harbor, dotted with the
TERRITORY.
25
white sails of commerce and pleasure, and the smoke of passing steamers; Boston Light and Minot's Ledge Light- house are in view; over the towns of Winthrop and Revere, and the cities of Chelsea and Everett, the gilded dome of the State House rises from out of the midst of the "Hub;" heyontl stretches the long line of Blue Hills of Milton, with the observatory on the summit of Great Blue Hill, the whole being now known as the Blue Hills Reservation, and is a part of the Metropolitan Park System; in the west, beyond a reach of wilderness, known as the "Scadan Woods," ^ glimpses of Maiden are seen, with Wayte's Mount, crowned with the Maiden Reservoir; beyond is College Hill with its cluster of Tufts College buildings; and above the intcr\cning towns and hills, far away, is seen the crown of Mount Wachusett; while still farther north, over Melrose itself, with the hills be>-ond, stands old Monadnock and many other summits; the whole presenting a most enchanting and soul-inspiring scene.
Nearer the center of the town, yet in the southerh' part, on the easterly side of the valle)-, Boston Rock commands a wonderfully charming landscape; the \alley below with the extensive plant of the Boston Rubber Shoe Company, and the still remaining old-time Lynde homesteads, and many highl\- cultivated acres; Wyoming Cemetery — " God's Acre," — where sleep those who have joined the " silent majority," directl>- beneath; an expanse of ocean; the cities of Maiden, Everett, Chelsea, Somerville, Charlestown and Boston, and the Blue Hills beyond; nearer, the Pine Banks Park and Wayte's Mount, on which summit was placed one of the beacons during the Revolution, with which to warn the surrounding country of approaching danger. For a number of years Boston Rock was the home of a hermit.^"
* Quite au extensive tract, being roads, some still in use, were laid
all that territory embracing the eastern part of Maiden, beyond Faulkner, including "Black Ann's Corner," and the southeastern portion of Melrose adjoining, was known under the general name of "Scadan." It had within its bor- ders, not only hills, woods, swamp, plain and upland, but a number of inhabitants were scattered through- out its territory. A number of
out therein, by a committee ap- pointed by the town, April 8, 1695, the details of which are given by Corey in his History of I\Ialden, pp. 372-3.
i'^ The name of this hermit was J. Wesley Dodge, whose mind had become unsettled in a love affair, and who, about .1852, erected a small house and workshop on the summit of this rock, where he
26
HISTORY OF MELROSE.
Across the valley, , on the west, there is a line of rugged hills, embi-acing the finest cliff scenery in the vicinity of Boston, in the centre of which Black Rock, the highest point is situated, and from which a ver_v extensive and most beau- tiful \-iew is obtained; even more extensive than that from Boston Rock, on the opposite side of the valley, as it is considerably higher; not only the open plain below with the many grass co\-ered and cultivated acres, but, on either hand the Cities of Melrose and Maiden, lay spread out before you in their entirety. The \'iew in the east and south is quite similar to that from Mount Hood, already described; but to the west it is quite different, as it appears to be a dense wilderness; but this wilderness somewhat belies its appearance; for it has not onl}' long been penetrated by innumerable foot-paths, but now has been thoroughly interlaced with good roads and fine boulex'ards, made under the superintendence of the Metropoli- tan Park Commissioners, which afford a \ariety of most charm- ing drives to the thousands upon thousands of pleasure seekers who avail themselves of the wild scenery embraced in the Middlesex Fells; and it is a perfect paradise for bicycle riders. And here, in the centre of the bold and rugged cliffs which guard the eastern edge of the Fells, between Black Rock and White Rock, plainly in view from the passing railroad trains and electric cars, a large portion of the year, comes gliding down from the brow of these cliffs, a most beautiful waterfall which forms one of the many attractions of this wild region. This cascade is as attractive, and as well worth seeing, as many another, to which traxellers go hundreds of miles to admire. The swamps of the numerous valleys, the springs of the hills, and the overflow of many little lakelets existing in the elevated plateau above, far more extensive than any one unacquainted with them can imagine, unite to contribute their waters to this most charm- ing waterfall. One of its tributaries, the main one, bears
lived as a recluse. He had au inventive cast of mind, but his principal occupation was that of a stencil -cutter. He afterwards married and lived at Oak Grove, Maiden, and his former house was burned. The cellar-hole still ex- ists. He died a few years ago. A
very pretty romance connected with these circumstances was contrib- uted to the Roundabout Budget, under the title " The Hermit of Boston Rock,'.' by B. Marvin Fer- uald. It was afterwards printed in the Melrose Jourtial of March 3, 1888.
TERRITORY.
27
the unique name of " Shilly-Shally Brook." In dry seasons the supply of water is so meagre that its beauty disappears, only to come again when the rains and snows of another season form a supply. In the winter a very interesting ice- work formation affords a pleasing exhibition to the visitor. Of this cascade, the late Artemas Barrett gave this reminis- cence:
From cutting of the forest to clear the land, and turning the water in other directions this cascade Hows but little compared with forty years ago. In my boyhood with what admiration have I gazed upon this cascade from this very spot, as the waters came tumbling in such torrents down those rocky sides. Many have been the nights in my
SPOT POND BROOK CASCADE.
youth after retiring to rest, [he then lived in the old " Mountain House," at the corner of Maple and Vinton Streets] that I have listened to the music of these falls when the waters went plunging and roaring down its rocky pathway. Alas, its glory has now nearly departed !
Another pretty but smaller waterfall, which ma\- be called Spot Pond Brook Cascade, is situated not far from the one just described, on Spot Pond Brook, a short distance north of where formerly stood the IIa\-wardvillc Rubber Works, better known as the Red Mills. Years asfo the brook was dammed
28 HISTORY OF MELROSE.
to make a pond of water for water-power purposes of the near- by mill, and this cascade is its o\'erflow.
The water that supplies Spot Pond Brook no lonj^er comes from Spot Pond itself, but from Doleful and Dark Hollow Ponds, which are small ponds situated a short distance to the north and west, respectively, of Spot Pond. These waters do not now flow as formerl>' into Spot Pond, but b\- open channel and conduits are taken beneath that pond just west of Old Pepe's Cove, and thus supply Spot Pond Hrook.
Unlike the Cascade between l^lack and White Rocks, which is lion est in midsummer, the waters from these two sources, Doleful and Dark Hollow Ponds, are sufficient to maintain this waterfall constant!)-; sometimes it is necessary to hold back by ,q;ates a portion of the water, during- a wet season, to prevent too great an oxerflow; thus inundating the lower lands of Melrose.
This charming , little waterfall, picturesquely situated in a deep gorge, easily reached, is about ten feet high, and directly over it is a rustic bridge, the view from which is wild and romantic. Thus by the action of the State in taking Spot Pond into the Metropolitan Water S>'stem, enlarging and beautifying it as it has, has Ijeen added another attraction to the scenery of Melrose, which had ceased to exist after the taking of Spot Pond for the supply of water for Maiden, Medford and Melrose.
West Hill, erstwhile called " \'inton Hill," then "High Rock," situated in the northwest corner of Melrose, near the Stoneham and Wakefield line, easily accessible from P'ranklin Street, atTords another \-iew of this charming scener}'; more far-reaching than either Boston Rock or Black Rock, but not more extensi\'e than that from Mount Hood, although differing from that somewhat.
From this summit is obtainod by far the i)est \iew oi our own Melrose, as it embraces the city in all its \-arious parts, with the exception of the western portion of Wyoming, which is hidden by the interxening Sewall Woods Park; all its hills and \alleys; its churches, public buildings and dwellings from the extreme southerly part at the I^Ydls to the Melrose Highlands in the north, including P^ordell and Columbus Parks, and the settlement of (ireenwood, in Wakc^field, just beyond. And riijht here 1 venture the assertion that but
TERRITORY.
29
comparatively few of our thirteen thousand inhabitants ever availed themselves of the beaut>' and ma;j;nificence of this exquisite view, afforded them from this eminence existin.L,^ in their very midst, so easily reached, and with so little exertion!
Mt. Zion, in the extreme northeast, and Pine Hill in the east, are minor summits, affording a less extentled view than those already mentioned; thus is our residential valley centre completely surrounded by elevations from which so much can be seen. One more >'et remains to be spoken of; Barrett Mount, situated in the westerly centre of the city. From this you not onl.\' i^et a distant view -down the valley, but a near overlook of the whole cit\', in all directions; nestled in the valley and climbing the hillsides are the resi- dences of our busy population; church spires and public buildings; and in the very centre lies Ell Pond, with the recently purchased land for park purposes on its northerh- side, and many handsome residences on its immediate border."
Ell Pond is the largest body of water within the bounds of Melrose. It contains about 30 acres, and was so named from its shape. It was thus known as early as 1638, in the Charles- town records. In legal documents it has been variously spelled as Ell, P^le, Eel and L; the different spelling proba- bly arising from a misapprehension of the sound. In 1648, say the Charlestown records: " Robt. Hale and Thomas Lynde were ordered to ' lay out \-ong Thomas Coitmores twoo lotts by Ell pond.'"
In the inventory of the widow Martha Coytmore's estate, made in 1648, appears the item: "150 acres land at ell pond;" and when the road from Winnissemit to Reading was laid out in 1653, it was called the same. Thus earl>- known and named let us reverence and continue the old name and not try to change it for something a little more mellifluous, possilily.
As early as 1663, a dam was l)uilt at the outlet of Ell Pond,
" Nestling withiu an embrace of hills of unusual attractiveness, in their native ruggeduess and shaded slopes, lives one portion of the town, while on many a command- ing site are pleasant homes which sweep at a glance the country round, including lake and wood, peaceful plain and shaded hilltop,
inland stream and ocean wave. — the church spire, the school house and the town house — exhibiting at one view the beauty which adorns your prosperity and the enterprise which evidences your appreciatiou of opportunities. Address of George F. Stone, at the dedication of the Town Hall, June 17. 1S73. MSS.
30 HISTORY OF MELROSE.
by Samuel Howard, whose dwelling was nearby, and a saw- mill erected. A dense forest of large cedar trees once existed on the north side of the pond. Fifty }'ears later it would seem that the surrounding timber had been so exhausted that the mill had been converted into a grist or cornmill, as it is thus referred to in a deed from Jonathan Howard to Samuel Howard, wheelwright, dated Jan. 8, 1721.
In this pond both shad and alewives used to be taken in large numbers giving food to the earlier inhabitants. Fish ladders were formerly made at the mill-dams on the brooks below, to enable the fish to reach the pond; and when the mill-owners came to make opposition to this method, it is said that the fish were carried to the pond in tubs of water. Rev. S. Osgood Wright, in his discourse at Maiden, Dec. I, 1831, states that
much excitement has prevailed at different periods in the town, since 1695. concerning the passage of alewives from the tide-water up to Ell Pond, in the north part of the town. Much time and money have been expended upon this subject, to little or no purpose. i-
The water is not as high now as formerl}'; the time has been when it flowed up towards the Highlands quite a distance beyond its present limits. In 1S62, an animated controversy took place among our citizens; one party wishing to lower the water, the other to have it remain as it was. Those in favor of lowering it pre\-ailcd; and in consequence wells became dry, border walls tumbled, and consequent damages were paid by the town. The pond is fed by two or three bro.oks which enter it from the west and north, the prin- cipal one taking its rise in the northwesterly part of the Highlands; and so great is the supply that water is always flowing from its outlet at Main Street, at its southeast corner.
An efl'ort was made a few years ago to change the name of this prett)' little sheet of water in the centre of our city, from Ell Pond to Crystal Lake; and this new name has crept into some of the ma})s. But the old one, and many others in our immediate neighborhood. Spot, M)-stic, Horn, Spy,
1- The Alewife fishery was con- late matters. Sometimes the right
sidered of considerable importance to fish during the season was sold
by the town and committees were to the highest bidder. Letter of
chosen from time to time to regu- Deloraine I'. Corey, April 24, 1899.
TERRITORY. 31
Long, Swain's, Smith's and Humphrey's, received their names from the early settlers; ours as early as 1638, and frequent mention of it as such, occurs in deeds and records all the \va)' down the centuries; and "succeeding generations have reverenced the first nomination." During the year 1874, the "Crystal Lake Boat Club" was formed ,and a boat-house built near the outlet of the pond on Main Street; and for several seasons rowing and sailing on the pond was \'ery popular, and man>- boat races took place; but like the effort to change the name, now seldom heard in speech, if ever, the club is 710H est; the boat-house stood in ruins for many years, but has now disappeared, and the good old name remains.
The other ponds within our borders are .Swain's, Bennett's, and Long Pond. Until within a few years, a small bod_\' of water, known as Dix Pond, existed in the rear of City Hall. It has now been filled up and is no longer one of the ponds which contributed to our first name, " Pond Feilde."
Swain's Pond, so known in the Maiden records as early as 1695, containing an area of sixteen acres, is in the south part of the town, and is situated in a wild and secluded region, with but one or two habitations near it, being now used only for ice-cutting purposes. There was once, in days gone by, a saw- mill at its outlet, when the surrounding district IkuI a plentiful suppl)' of timber. ^-^
Long Pond, containing fi\'e acres, is in the southeastern part of the town. Like Swain's, it has been known by that name since 1695; and like both Ell and Swain's Ponds, it once had its sawmill, which was situated near the present Upham Street, on the brow of the hill nearly opposite the residence of John Doherty, and a portion of the pond still exists on the northerly side of the street. From here the brook descends, skirting the romantic cliffs on the right, thence on till it reaches the Saugus River. This sawmill is referred to in a deed of 1783, from John Flagg to John Edmunds, the Revo- lutionar}' soldier, conveying the old I^lnathan ]h-eeden house
^^ The site of the mill of John days of its builder; and uii the
Grover could be found in 1894, iu west side of the brook the shape
the meadow on the easterly side of and size of the little mill could be
Swain's Pond Avenue, near its traced. Qorey, //is/ory o/J/ii/i/cn,
junction with Lebanon street. The 447. dam was then as distinct as in the
32 HISTORY OF MELROSE.
and land, situated on the old Saugus and Lynn road, on the present Parker estate, wherein liberty was granted to the owners of the mill, which was near these premises, to flow a part of «aid land from December i to April lo, in each year. The mill and the house have long since disappeared. In this neighborhood, a little to the east, there was once a house belonging to a family b}' the name of Herring; but that also is a thing of the past; nothing but the cellar-hole remains. What was known as Cowen's dam, the site of which is a con- tinuation of Waverley Avenue, reaching from the residence of Frank H. Brown to the road leading to Andrew J. Burnett's homestead, was built to overflow the large meadow at the west of the Pond, thus giving more power to the mill pri\ilege.
Another outlet to Long Pond was an artificial one, made at its eastern end, by a sluice-wa\' built by Frederick Tudor, in the beginning of the nineteenth centur)^, and who also built and. lived in what is now the Saugus Poor House. This outlet was made for the purpose of aiding the overflow of the meadows at the south of his residence. Here- was cut in a primitive way, for commercial purposes, " the first ice, which was teamed to Charlestown, loaded and exported to the West Indies, where it was sold for twenty-five cents per pound. "^-^ John Edmunds was one of the workmen at this time. A iVIelrose pond thus furnished the water for the ice, which was here first cut, and first exported by the pioneers in that business, the Tudors.
Bennett's Pond is a small one situated in the northeast part of the town, and is now only utilized for the cutting of ice. Its outlet is one of the tributaries of the Saugus River. Like all of the other ponds, it once had its dam for mill purposes. A gristmill was built by Robert Gerry in i8i6, who then bought of Jonas Green, for $25.00, the pri\ilege of flowing an adjoining pasture to a certain height. This mill was burned nearh' half a century ago. South of this pond, in the field, about a third of the way between it antl Porter Street, there exists an old cellar-hole, where once stood the house of Samuel Green. During the Battle of Bunker Hill,
!■* William Tudor, [agent of his Bay to cut ice from the ice-bergs,
brother Frederick] who supplied Edward Everett Hale, in James
ice to the tropics, and when a Russell Lozvell and His Friends,
winter failed him in New England, p. 264. sent his schooners up into Baffin's
TERRITORY.
33
his wife Hannah, was so friohtene.d at hearinsj the reports of the cannonade, that she died in convulsions. Possibly a hus- band, son or relative had gone thither to participate in the fight ! Up to within a few years there existed on Franklin Street, at the Highlands, a pretty little sheet of water, fringed with large and handsome willows, known as High- land Pond. Hut the stream which entered it, on its way to Ell Pond, has been di\'erted, the pond drained, its bed filled, and all signs of its former existence have disappeared; and a portion of its site is now occupied b)' the old church building, which stood on the opposite side of the street, where now stands the new and handsome edifice of the Highland Con- gregational Church. This old building was bought b\' the Shepard ^Manufacturing Company, which carries on a large silver-ware business therein.
Spot Pond is not within the limits of Melrose, but lies so close to its border, and has been so closely connected with its history that it deserves mention here. It is a most beautiful sheet of water, .situated among the higher lands of Stoneham and Medford. The surrounding country is mostly wild and wooded; but there are a few fine residences on its border, with the "Langwood Hotel" charmingly situated on an eminence, overlooking the pond.^'^
This view was taken from "Saddleback Hill," near "C)ld Pepe's Cove," in 1S76, and shows the pond as it appeared when supplying the three municipalities of Maiden, Medford and Melrose with water, the history of which is given under " Spot Pond Water Works." ^'^
Spot Pond is first mentioned by Governor John Winthrop in his Journal, under date of February 7, 1632. He sa\^s:
The governour, Mr. Nowell, Mr. Eliot, and others, went over Mistick River at Medford, and going N. and by E. among the rocks about two or three miles, they came to a very great pond, having in the midst an island of about an acre, and very thick with trees of pine and beach ; and the pond had divers small rocks, standing up here and there in it,
'■' Tlie " Laucjwood " was burned April I, 1902. The origiual stone mansion to which additions had been made for hotel purposes, is to be restored and used for a sani-
tarium, by Dr. Charles H. Coggs- well, the present owner.
"' Reproduced from a photograph by Charles E. Swaiu. the negative being owned by Frank. E. Wootl- ward, of Maiden.
34
HISTORY OF MELROSE.
which the}- therefore called Spot Pond. The}- went all about it upon the ice. From thence (towards the N. W. about half a mile,) the}- came to the top of a very high rock, beneath which, (towards the N.) lies a goodly plain, part open land, and part woody, from whence there is a fair prospect, but it being then close and rainy, they could see but a small distance. This place they called Cheese Rock, [now Bear Hill, with its observatory,] because, when they went to eat somewhat, they had only cheese, (the governor's man forgetting, for haste, to put up some bread.)
From that day to this the pond has borne the name then gi\-en it. "Succeeding generations iiave reverenced the first nomination."
" Spott pond," with its island, appears on a map of this part of New England, in \\'illiam Wood's Nczv Englands Prospect, which was published two }-ears later, in 1634.
A thrilling tragedy, the murder of David Gould, occurred Nov. 25, 1819, in the Gould homestead, then standing on the Stoneham road, now Pond Street, only a little distance from the border of the pond.
The inevitable saw-mill once existed at the pond's outlet,
long a thing of the past, which was built b}- James Barrett, in 1706.
The accompanying repro- duction is. from a sketch b}- Hannah L}'nde in 1844. The house was built before 1700, was torn down in 1 850, and was the home of Jacob Gould and his two sons, all three GOULD HOMESTEAD. minute-meniu Capt. Samuel
Sprague's Compan)^ at Lexington. The house pillaged and son Da\-id murdered as above.
Spot Fond has now been taken into the great Metropolitan Water System, and has become a storage and distributing reser\-oir, and is under the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Water and Sewerage Board. To prepare the Pond for this purpose, the State, through the Metropolitan Water Board, before its consolidation with the Board of Metropolitan Sewer- age Commissioners, in 1901, expended ^the sum of $541,474.36, in ^^draining, cleaning, excavating,] and enlarging; in gate-
TERRITORY.
35
houses, and the draining of Doleful Pond and Dark Hollow- Pond into Spot Pond Brook. ^"
Spot Pond has been raised to a minimum depth of fifteen feet, and when full has an area of 326 acres; and will have a level of twenty-nine feet above that of Chestnut Hill reservoir. In its enlargement its former beauty has been greatly enhanced.
SPOT POND— 1002.
Showiug Old Pepe's Cove, Pond Street, Saddleback Hill, with "Cheese Rock," now Bear Hill, in the distance.
Ell Pond Brook, the outlet of that poiul, runs through the centre of the town as far as Wyoming, where it is joined by the Spot Pond Brook, the former outlet of Spot Pond, but now of Doleful and Dark Hollow Ponds, and a little lower down the valley "Shilly-Shall>- Brook," from the neighboring cas- cade, unites its waters thereto. These brooks, thus united, continue on through Melrose and Maiden, flowing into ami forming the Maiden River; the "Three M>-le Brooke" of " \-^- olden time." Another brook in the northeastern part of the cit\- runs into Bennett's Pond.
Melrose is divided into several tlistinct villages, or settle-
1' Considerable damage has Ijeeu our citizens brought suit on this
caused to owners of lauds abutting account against the Coniniouweallh
on Spot Pond Brook, from the and recovered 5109.56, 527.39 and
drainage of these two ponds, by an I100.79, a total of 5237.74, besides
extra overflow of water ; three of interest and costs.
36
HISTORY OF MELROSE.
ments: the Middlesex Fells, — generally shortened into Fells, — and Wyoming in the southern part of the city; the Centre; the Melrose Highlands, in the north, — each of these having a station on the Boston and Maine Railroad; — Norrisville in the northeast; and East Side. These two are reached by the electric cars of the Lynn and Boston Street Railway Com- pany; the main line of which, through the centre of the city, running from Chelsea to Woburn, superceded the Maiden and Melrose Horse Railroad in 1892, and the East Side branch commenced running in 1897.
These lines are now met by the Wakefield Railway Com- pany, at the junction of Main, Franklin and Green Streets, which runs through Main Street to Greenwood and Wakefield, and thence on to other connections. Many different lines of street railroads have now been consolidated under the name of the Boston and Northern Street Railway Company. ' Our name, Melrose, was adopted by the advocacy of the late William Bogle, a natixe of Glasgow, Scotland, who had been a resident several years before our incorporation, and before the Boston and Maine Railroad was built, in 1845, ^"^1 when he had to go back and forth to his business in Boston by the stage-coach line which ran between Boston and Reading; and which was established in 1798. Mr. Bogle evidently had at least two objects in x'\<t\\ in offering us our name: one, a sweet sounding one, that had not been in common use, we being the first to adopt it in our country; an- other, as a memorv' of his nati\e land.^'^
^* The uanie was adopted by a couimittee, consistiug of the late Hou. Daniel W. Gooch, William Bogle, David L. Webster and Johu vSheltou, which met at Mr. .Shel- tou's house, No. 75 Lake Aveuue.
In this connection an extract from Mr. Bogle's will, dated Dec. ID, 1890, is of interest as showing his interest in Melrose, and indicat- ing a future possible benefit to be derived by the Melrose Public Library. Items. " Should all my children die, leaving no issue of mine surviving, or should all issue
of mine die before mj' youngest living grandchild arrives at the age of twenty-one years, then said Trustees shall pay, make over, and convey the whole of said Trust Fund, whether consisting of real estate, or personal property, or both, to the Town of Melrose, a municipal corporation in said Massachusetts, and to which the testator gave the name of Melrose, to which Town of Melrose under the circumstances above named to occur, I give, devise and bequeath said Trust h'und, whether consist-
TERRITORY. 37
The derivation of the Scottish Melrose is variously defined by different authorities. The Gazetteer of Scotland gives its meaning as follows: from either the Irish " Moal Ross" — a bold promontory, or from the British "Mell Ross" — a projec- tion of meadow. Sharp's Gazetteer of the British Is/amis, has it "Moel" or "Mull Rhos " — a point. The late Prof. Herbert B. Adams, in a letter to the writer says:
Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Feb. 14, 1883.
Dear Sir : — I have taken my first leisure to find out the origin of the name Melrose. At the Peabody Library I looked in vain through a dozen or more books of names of places. But at last I think I have struck the truth. The word Melrose is Gaelic. It has nothing what- ever to do with the Latin Mel and Rosa, as one might suppose. It comes from the Gaelic Maol meaning " the brow of a rock; a cape or promontory," (see Macleod and Dewar's Dictionary of the Gaelic Language), and from Ros, signifying "a promontory; an isthmus, a peninsular," (see same Dictionary.) The two words together appear to mean a headland, or highland projecting into water. Considering the fact that " Old Melrose " stood upon a promontory upon the south bank of the Tweed, two miles below the modern Abbey, the above etymology would seem to cover the. ground. This \iew is further substantiated by the Latin name of the old cloister annals "Chronica de Mailros," (731-1275 A. D.) If the word Melrose had any connec- tion with the Latin Mel, this form Mailros would be inexplicable. I have seen the form Moel used in the same sense as Maol. In all probability the rocky island of Mull, which ^^'illiam Black has made so interesting in his novels, derived its name from the same physical idea of a promontory as may be seen in the geography of " Old Melrose."
Verj' cordially yours,
Herbert B. Adams. iiig of real estate or persoual by said Towu of Melrose to the property, or both, the same to be Scots Charitable Society of Boston, held by said town, as a perpetual Massachusetts, for the general uses Trust Fund, and to be called the and purposes of said society ; al- Bogle Fund, to invest the same and ways giving to said towu all and keep the same invested as a Trust the same powers from time to time Fund, and collect the income and to sell any or all property, real or profits thereof and therefrom, and persoual, at any time coustituting pay quarterly one-half of the net a part or the whole of said Trust income thereof to and for the uses Fund as is hereinafter given to of the Public Library of said town, my Trustees, and the right to rein- to be expended yearly in aid of vest the proceeds of such sales in said Public Library of the said such manner as said towu shall Town of Melrose, the other half of deem best and determine." said net income to be paid yearly
38 HISTORY OF MELROSE.
John Bower, in his Description of the Abbeys of Melrose ; mid old Melrose, zvith their Traditions, confirms Prof. Adams' view:
Old Melrose, or Malerose, which is a mile and a half from Melrose Abbey to the east, was originally called Mull-ross, signifying a bare promintory, Ross, in the ancient language, signifying a peninsular, and Mull, bare.
But in his description of the ruined Abbey, he gives a more poetic signification:
Upon the other buttress is a pedestal, supported by the thistle, having the mallet and rose upon the shield, for Melrose, of which the derivation may be this — the mell is intended to represent the instrument by which this beautiful fabric was erected; and b}^ the rose, which signifies sweet, it maj- well be termed sweet and pleasant to the eye, for the lightness and elegance with which it is finished.
The earliest local name applied to our territory, before it came to be known as " Maiden North End," and " North Mai- den," was "Pond Field;" so called when describing the posses- sions of Ralph and Richard Sprague, around Ell Pond, in the Charlestoivn Book of Possessions, 1638; it is there written " Pond feilde."
Although Melrose is one of the younger municipalities of this Commonwealth, its territory had been occupied, at the time of its incorporation, for a period of o\-er two hundred years. There are at least seven families whose ancestors made their abode in this beautiful valley, a part of them nearly, and a part o\'er two centuries and a half ago. These are the Spragues, the Greens, the Barretts, the Lyndes, the Uphams, the Vintons and the How^ards. Descendants of all of them are among its citizens today.
These early settlers left their homes, man}' of them from over the sea, and came into this then unsettled wilderness, in- habited only b}' the wild Indian, and still wilder beasts, and amid trials and sufferings, built their homesteads and founded their families. Long, cold and dreary winters must have been theirs. No sound of church bell greeted their ears, summon- ing them to the worship of God. Many were the deprix'ations experienced, many the hardships endured. Today we realize only to a limited degree what these hardy pioneers passed through.^-' But they possessed noble spirits, persevering and
1'' They were possessed of iron met those early dangers with corn- wills and iron nerve ; and they posure ; their life of privation and
TERRITORY. 39
upri.cjht characters. They came determined to succeed, and succeed they did. Would that we had a minute chronicle of man\' of the events that took place in the lixcs of these early settlers of Melrose. A few \-ears arjo, many of the past crcner- ation were living^, who could have related much pertaininfj to the earU- histor\' of the town, which the>- had received from their ancestors. But they have passed away, and with them man^• local incidents, events and anecdotes that would now be interestini;-, and which thc\- could have rehearsed, are no longer attainable.
In those earl\' da>-s, besides the prowling- and savage Indian, our surrounding forests, many of which have not >-et wholly disappeared, were full of wild animals; wolves, deer, bears, foxes, and wildcats. So plentiful were the;\' that laws were passed concerning them, and bounties offered to aid in the extermination of the most obnoxious and destructive of them. A law was passed by the Colony, in 1630, giving bounty for the killing of wolves; one in 1635 for wolves and foxes; and in 1640, the following law was passed:
Ordered, that every man that kills a wolfe w''' hounds shall have 40s alowed him. & whosoever kils a wolfe w^'^ trap, peece, or other engine, shall have lo^ alowed him, to bee paid by that towne where the wolfe is killed, & if hee bee kiled out of any towne bounds it shall bee paid by the Treasurer.
Wood, in Xeiv Englands Prospect, speaks of the "three great a.nno\-ances, of wolves, rattle-snakes and mosquitoes."
The former were nightly visitors among the unprotected herds and flocks. In the time of deep snows they hung around the settlements in great packs, and their fierce barking was a terror to man as well as beast. They infested the Saugus woods as late as 1753 and were not entirely extirpated until many years after. Bounties were offered for their scalps, and the grisly trophies were sometimes nailed on the meeting-houses. " For Beares," says Wood, " they be common being a great blacke kind of Beare, which be most feirce in Strawberry time." They are said to have been seen in Maiden woods within this century, and they yet prowl along sequestered roads in the traditions of old families.-'^
hardship ami toil, was encountered lives were yielded a willing sacri-
with cheerfulness for the praise- fice to the cause of freedom. MSS.
worthy object of securing; for them- of Artemas Barrett,
selves and their posterity, civil .„ (j^^ey, History of Maiden. 25. and religious liberty ; and their
40 HISTORY OF MELROSE.
In 1669, wolves had become so plentiful and destructive that our neighboring town of Reading ordered " that a bounty of twenty shillings be offered for e\-ery wolf killed in Reading for the ensuing seven years; " and in 1685, a "bount}' of 15s. for the killing of an old bear, and los. for the killing of a sucking cub." Charlestown offered a bounty of lO shillings for each wolf killed. In 1687, Samuel Sprague, Jr., of Maiden, was paid forty shillings for killing two grown wolves. The same year the records of Reading state that
the town paid James Stimpson 1 5^ shillings for killing an old bear ; paid John Eaton of ye plain, and some others, 2 £. for killing three young bears; paid John Upton, Jr., George Flint, and Steven Fish for killing one old bear and two young ones, i ;^. & i 5 shillings; and paid Richard Harnden i 3 shillings for killing one old bear.
In 1631, when Go\-. John Winthrop was at his Ten Hill farm, he entered the following item in his Journal :
Oct. 1 1 . The governour, being at his farm house at Mistick walked out after supper, and took a piece in his hand, supposing he might see a wolf, (for they came dail}- about the house, and killed swine and calves, etc.)
This pro\"ed quite an acK'cnture. It grew suddenl}- dark, he mistook his path, and coming across the empty little house of Sagamore John, passed the night therein; "Sometimes walking b}' the fire, sometimes singing psalms, and sometimes getting wood, but could not sleep;" meanwhile his serwints " ha\ing been much perplexed for him, and having walked about, and shot off pieces, and hallooed in the night, but he heard them not."
Concerning the topographical features of our territory, geologists ha\'e made the statement that the Merrimack River once flowed through this \alley to the sea; but that by some uphea\al of nature its course was changed to its present channel. Had that been so, and such a chanoe had not taken place, how different would ha\e been the his- tcjry of this regicni. I^ut such is not the case. In ])lace of a wide flowing ri\'er occupying nearl\' all of the le\el lands, we have the City of Melrose, most l)eautfully situated, with its charming and di\'ersified scenery, of \-alley, hill and wild- wood.
CHAPTER III.
ROADS, STREETS AND HIGHWAYS.
THE first roatl, and the only one for many years which passed through Melrose, was laid out by order of the General Court, two hundred and fort}'-nine years ago, at a session held Sept. lo, 1653. Some of the names of persons and places herein mentioned will be recognized as belonging to Melrose:
Thomas Marshall, John Smyth, & John Sprague. beinge chosen to la}' out the country highway betweene Reddinge & \\'inneseinett, [Chelsea,] do lay it out as follows: from Reddinge towne, through Maldon bounds, betwixt] the pond cSc John Smyths land. [Smith's Pond, in Wakefield; Maiden bounds extended thus far until what is now Greenwood was set off in 1727 to Reading,] & so by the east sicfe of M' Joseph Hills land, to New Hockley Hole, & so in the old way by the Cow Pen, [jDrobably in our present Highlands,] & thence along on the east side of Thomas Co3'tmores lott, by Ele Pond, in the old way, to Thomas Lynds land, then through the first tield, & so by the field by his howse.from thence, on the old way. by Maldon meeting howse, through the stony swampe, from the road there vpp betwixt Richard JAddams & John Uphams lottes, into Charlestowne bounds, through \\'"i Johnsons & Richard Dexters land into y^ way by the South Springe, & so on the south side of Tho W'hitamores howse into Mr Bellinghams land, [Governor Bellingham] into the way that goeth to the fferr)-; the sd way to be fower pole broade, in good ground. & six or eight where need recjuires.'
A report had been previously submitted, " V'^ act of which comissioners the Court appro\-ed of." on June 30, 1653, by this same committee wherein the>' recommended substantially this same route beginning their report as follows.
Wee, whose names are vnderwritten, being legally chosen by our towns, by virtue of a Court order, to lay out the countrie way betwixt Redding and Winnesemett, and ha\ing vejwed the sajd wajes, wee aphend it most con\enjent to be as followes.
' Mass. ColotiY Rrcoids. iii. 330.
42 HISTORY OF MELROSE.
In this preliminary report our Pond is rightly spelled " Ell," instead of " Ele." Both documents show that Maiden had a meeting-house as early as four >-ears after its incorporation, in 1653. " The old way," so often referred to, means the old, crooked, de\"ious Indian or bridle path, or trail, in use before this date, winding hither and thither, going around this hill, shunning that swamp or bog, and o\-er which the traveller wended his way between Chelsea and Reading. Some parts of this old original road are being tra\-ersed b\' the streets of today; but a large part is discontinued, although traces of it in some places, particularh- in Melrose, are quite distinct.
Several attempts to lay out this road had been previously made. The first one was by the town of Charlestown, when action was taken to build a road from Mystic Side up by Wayte's Mount, through the " Commons," and beyond Ell Pond; and the following committee was appointed:
[24. 12. 1644/3.]
It is agreed y^ The: Line, Robt Hale & The: Pearce should lay out A convenient Highway on Mistickside from y^ Woods to the head of the North River & to allow for ye Highway & to bound the Meadows from ye Mount to Ell Pond, & to allow them ye Highway in bound- ing ye Meadow.-
But May 26, 1647, ^'""^ General Court took action, and Lieut. Ralph Sprague and Francis Smith were appointed "to lay out y^ way fro'" W'innetsemet to Reading." This was a part of a general plan by which a continuous highway was opened to the settlements in New Hampshire, passing through Reading, Andover, and Haverhill; and its survey brought forth the first of that long series of humble petitions in which are preserved much of the history of Mystic Side and Maiden.^
In 1648, fi\e years before the road was finally established in 1653, it had been laid out in such a manner as to meet with opposition from the residents of Mystic Side and others, which seems to ha\-e been successful, and Ensign Thomas Lynde and Joseph Hills were added to act with the committee in select- ing a new route for this road, as will be seen b\- the following- petition:
16=3=48= To the HoiPd Court.
The humble peticon of seu'el the Inhabitants of Mestick side & others Jn Charles Towne. May Jt please you to und''stand. that there
'-' Charlestoivn Archives, xx., in ' Qorey, History of Ma/den, (^5.
loco.
ROADS. STREETS AND HIGHWAYS. 43
hath beene lately layd out A highway from wineseiiiet to Redding by Appointment of the gen^ll court, whose orders in all things, wee most willingly as dutie binds vs submit vnto, Assuring ourselves that their principall Ayme is the publ. good : wd' vnder fauour we conC is not consistent w'^ the Lying of that way as now it is done = soe that it thwarts neere twentie small Lotts & Allso many other Lotts = w^h if by means thereof, the owners be forced to fence out the way A great part of the Land must be sould to make the fence, the owners being many of them pore & not able to beare the charge thereof, some of them hauing foure fences AUreadie Against coiiion & highway ground, W'herefore o"" humble request is that the said Act may be recalled & that the way vnto wenesemet from Redding may be in the highway Leading toward the penie ferrie, vnto the house of James Barritt & so by the towne way leading directly vnto winesemet. Lying on the head of the fine Acre Lotts. by the South-spring, w^h is Allso A playne, firme. trodd way & but lit'le about, the w^i^ they now stand charged to fence Against & cannot secure their planting without it. So shall wee be bound to pray as wee desire dayly to doe for ye psptie & peace temporall & Eternall. J*? Greexland
RiCH^ Dexter Francis Wheeler George Ffelt.
In th name of the rest.
The mag"- consider it meet (\vh Reference to the Concurrence of it with the Deptys) that Tho=Line & Mr Jos=Hills may be ioyned wh the former Comittee to take a new survey of the most convenient place for the way in the petition mentioned. l\: to make certifi- cate to the Court of their ^^P * ^ ^ j 9> apprehensions therebout. yO\ii/l^tyC /Ccrh * ^0^\r^
The Dept'.e? Consent to o^ hono''d magists in answer to this pet=
W'M Torrev by order ^^ !^. ■*
The committee thus enlarg-ed made report to the General Court. May 9, 1649:
Mr Joseph Hill, Leff Sprauge, Tho Lyne, ^: Frauncis Smith, as a comittee, bringing in their retourne of a highway laid out by them from Redding to Winisemett, information was given that this was lesse behoofefuU to y^ country then the fornV ; wherevpon the Courte, considering y' it is and willbe of great concernement to the publicke that the best high wayes be layd out from toune to toune for publicke vse, wch concernes posterity aswell as ourselves, and that no private interest should hinder it. have ordered, that M"' Cleoments. John
■* Mass. Archives, cxxi, 21.
44 HISTORY OF MELROSE.
Osgood, and Frauncis Smith, as a comittee, shall have power to lay- out the most convenient way for a countr}- roade between e Redding and Winnisemett.5
But for some reason this committee did not perform this duty; the road still remained undesignated; and the following- order was passed Ma}- 31, 1652 :
Whereas this Court did long since appoint sundry psons to lay out the way from Reding to \Mnesemett, which is not 3-et determined, & some of the psons mentioned in the sd order are dead, and forasmuch as it was ordered by Cambridge Court, that it should forthwith be done by the townes of Redding & Maiden, it is now ordered by this Court, that the laying out of the sd highway shalbe clone by the townes of Redding & Maiden, according to the law in that case provided, any act of this Court to the contrary notw^'standing/^
Then, as we have seen, but not until over a \'ear and three months had passed, the ne\\- committee consisting of Thomas Marshall, John Smyth and John Sprague, laid out the long contemplated road in a manner apparently- satisfactor\- to all concerned.
The \'arious windings of this original road through Melrose may be traced as follows: Beginning at the boundary line between Wakefield and Melrose, it followed the present Main Street a short distance, crossing it twice, and lea\'ing it just before reaching the brow of Reading Hill on the easterly side; thence in the rear of the residence of the late Asa Church, and of the new houses recenth' built and parallel with the present Main street to Green street, a portion of the road being still clearly defined; thence through the whole length of Green Street, b}- the eastern end of Ell Pond, through Lebanon Street as far as Louisburg Square, where still stands the old John Lynde mansion, but now \\'ithout its once umbrageous elm; then down L}-nde Street to near where the "Dolly Upham " house now stands, when it left that street and skirted along che east side of Boston Rock, following somewhat nearly the course of the present Lin- wood Avenue, almost to Sylvan Street, crossing the field just before reaching the h'ltter street; a short section of this cross-cut is still preser\-ed, although the new stone-crusher, established in 1897, ^i^s nearly crushed it out of existence; thence diagonally across Wyoming Cemetery to its south-
^ Mass. Colony Records, iii, 159. '■ iMass. Colony Records, iii, 274.
ROADS, STREETS AND HIGHWAYS. 45
west corner; thence over hill and dale, through the woods, by the Forest Dale Cemetery, to Forest Street; entering that street near the old Jacob Pratt house; thence it followed the old " Salem Path " to the present Main Street, skirting Wayte's Mount, which has been known as " Mount Pros- pect," and "Captain's Hill."
That part of the old road from Wyoming Cemetery to Forest Street was remarkably well preserved and clearly defined, easily driven over, showing the wheel-rut abrasion of the old-time usage ver\- distinctly, until the time when the Lynde farm was bought by Hon. Elisha S. Converse, and the Forest Dale Cemetery established in Maiden; then the new road which was built between the two cemeteries entirely obliterated all traces of the old road of 1653.
The original Ensign Thomns Lynde farm was large, em- bracing what is now the \\'}-oming Cemetery, Pine Banks Park, and extended to and be\ond Forest Street; and this portion was referred to in the order la)-ing out the road in 1653; and in 1695, ^vhen the " Commons " were divided, his son Joseph Lynde, lived on Forest Street, and his house and land were exempted b>- the committee in the division of those lands, as per report in Maiden records of March 26, 1694, and as given on page 17.'
Parts of the old road in Maiden, Everett and Chelsea still exist; sections of Madison, Forest and ]\L-\in Streets in Maiden, Buckman and Chelsea Streets in Everett, and Washington Avenue in Chelsea traverse portions of it.
In the course of time, as will be seen by the following peti- tion of Ensign Thomas Lynde, a part of the road running through Melrose, just described, was somewhat changed:
To the Hoiior'i County Court at Charts Tounic.
20. 4: 71 [April 20, 1 671] The petition of Thomas Lynde of Maiden Humbly showeth : That whereas formerly a certaine Highway for the Countrj's use was laid out through a helde of mine commonly called my further field which if so continued and made use of will be very prejudicial to my self and posf'y by reason I have so litle land Improveable to corne.
And inasmuch as there may be a way w'ht [without] my said fielde
" This house was built by Deacon preseut Pratt house built near the Thomas Lynde for his son Joseph. entrance to Forest Dale Cemetery. It was demolished in 1S28, and the Corey, History of Maiden, 368.
46 HISTORY OF MELROSE.
in 1115- other land but a few poles difference and which for several 3'ears haue been made use of both b}' the Town and Countrj- M}' Humble request to this Honor^ Court is that the said wa}^ may be altered : to which end if this Court please the Towns mostly concerned may be ordered to choose such persons amongst themselves as they judge meet to reveiw the said way & having respect to the Countrys conven- iency and saffty with }'Our petitioners and Towns concerne therein and to make return to this Court that they may determine therein as in there wisdoms they shall judge meet.
And your petitioner shall be bound to pray &c.
Thomas Lvnde.
^^af^cu^ -^ ^ ^*>.r*/c^ "t^ <^*-f C^^S >z^4- r<rt^^ C/U^ ^^ *^^a*«reX 4^ <g/^'' rrx^y ^OL^
u/«^ <*Afp- "99*^ ^^ y**^ "" ***/ *^ii^ ■^^'^f*^ ^<^ «*- iL c^t^j^ ^Aff^i ^^j^ iy^y-^ «f^
FACSIMILE OF THK ORIGINAL PETITION FOR CHANGE OF ROAD, DATED
APRIL 20, 1671.
ROADS. STREETS AND HIGHWAYS. 47
That this petition was successful, and the road changed is made evident by the fact that the Court appointed "John Greene, Josiah Convers and Joatham Poole" to view the premises "against Thomas L>'nds Land in Maulden" and that they "settled the same to pass under the Rock where it now lyeth"and that the Court accepted and approved; and from that time, instead of continuing on the east side of. Boston Rock, as formerly, it left the present Lebanon Street, at the junction of Grove, passing through L\-nde Street, by the " Dolly Upham " house to the foot of Summer Street; ( Lynde Street, as now known, was not extended through to Main Street until 1857;) thence through Summer Street to Main to where Masonic Hall now stands; leaving Main Street soon after, it crossed the present Mount Vernon Street east of the "great rock" referred to later, and the houses of Edwin S. Small and others, continuing on between the present homesteads of Henry and the late D. Alvin Lynde, and on close beside the foot of Boston Rock, a portion of which road still exists, but unused, across the meadow in front of the Ensign Thomas Lynde house, then retentl>' built, and on through the Pine Banks Park to the old road again to Poorest Street, as ori«>-- inally laid out.
It is almost impossible to obtain exact information as to some of the earl\- roads. Many changes were made as time went on, and where first a road was travelled, after abandon- ment, and a new one utilized, the old became obliterated from disuse.
On a plan of Maiden, surve3-ed by Peter Tufts. Jr., of Mi'd- ford, in 1795, b\' authority- of a resoKe j)asse(l by the General Court in 1794, thf only roads hu\l down in what was then North Maiden, are, the main road as last described, called the "Reading Road," now ALiin Street, and the"Stoneham Road," which left this near where our Masonic Hall stands, and fol- lowed what is now our VVj'oming A\enue, Hurd. Cottage, P^oster and \'inton Streets, to the old count\- road leatling to Stoneham. now Franklin Street. This "Stoneham Road" had been laid out fi\e yt'ars before, in 1790. At the same time there existed, but not shown on this map, the road running towards the Chelsea line— Chelsea then bounded Maklen on the east,— which isr<j\\ out of the followiiiL;- action:
48 HISTORY OF MELROSE.
At a meeting held July 20, 1713, "It was putt to vote whethar ye Town will mend ye way y' Runs from ye country Road neere Sam" Grouars To John \\'ilkinsons between ye Raig of lots. And jt past on ye negitiue." In consequence of this vote, John Upham, Jonathan Barrett, and other inhabitants of the northern portion of the town petitioned the Court for convenient highways from their houses to the meeting house ; and the Court ordered the selectmen " to look to such matters."*
Sept. 2g, foilow'ing, it is recorded:
3-t ye select men doe lay out a conuenant high way for Them . . . 2 pols broad on ye northwardly side of That Raing of lots y^^ Runs from John Wilkinsons Land neer his hous down to ye cuntrey Road y*^ leads to Reding. — beginning at ye s'^ wilkinsons land.
"This was a confirmation to public uses of one of the rights of wa)' which were laid out between the ranges of common land in 1695." Thus early was the higher land between our present Upham Street, long know as Upham Lane, and Long- Pond, occupied by Wilkinson; and at that time or a little later, came others; among them Herring and Breeden. E\-identh' the road as laid out above to Chelsea (Saugus) line, was not, for many years, utilized only up as far as the Upham houses; for the following vote was passed many years later, laying out a new route for that end of the road:
At a Leagal Town Meeting in Maiden Nov"i 29, 1 796, the Town did accept of the Report of their Committe chosen to Consider of the Expedience of laying out a Road from Maiden to Chelsea line which was that the Select Men Lay out a Road so as to accommodate M^ Jesse Upham & M'' John Edmunds in the Best Manner they can & Aprise the Damages.
True Copy of the Record.
Attest : Ebenr Harnden, Town Cler
Maiden April 21*1 1801.
This road left Upham Street turning to the south just beyond the present Parker Farm Houses, and ran up over the hill by the houses then existing, but which have now- disappeared, and on down the hill again, over a still existing earth-bridge, through the woods to the lex'el, striking the Upham Street, as since continued down bv Mr. Uohert\-'s and the romantic ledges, and boulders. — our Palisades.
The Breeden house stood not far from where the road turns
* Corey, History 0/ iMaldoi, 442.
ROADS, STREETS AND HIGHWAYS. 49
to go to the Hood and Wyoming Kennels farms. It was built about 1730. In 1783, John Edmunds, the Revolutionary patriot, and grandfather of the late John Ouincy Adams Avery, bought it, together with twenty acres of land, bounding east on Long Pond, on the outlet of which then existed a saw-mill. Mr. Edmunds died in 1846, aged eighty-nine years; and his grave is in the southern part of Wyoming Cemetery. Soon after his death the old house was burned, and nothing remains but the old cellar-hole, covered by a temporary shed.^
The exact location of the Wilkinson house is not known.
Soon after the Upham road was first laid out, action was taken by the town concerning another one, as follows:
The select men of maiden mett ye 17. of feb 172"^ And doe alow of ye Two pools jn bredth y' lieth Att y^ south end of the first Raing of ye second Thousand acrs — from boston line to Reding Road To be a Town high-way :
The selectmen on the 15'^ day of noV. 1754 opened A town road from m"" James Barrets orchard to Chelsea line between the first and second range of lots in the second division.
Although the latter entries are nearly thirty-three years apart in time, they refer to a single way in North Maiden which had existed as one of the rights of way between the ranges, and now became a settled road. It was formerly Barrett's Lane, and is now Porter Street, Melrose. 1^
From Upham 's Lane, there ran another road not shown on this map, which wound up to the end of the present Spear Street, thence down througli the woods, through Mountain Avenue, to the present Lebanon Street; thence northerly to the old Howard homestead, afterwards the Pratt place, now the Poor Farm, and then westerly on to the Wyoming Ceme- tery, joining the old 1653 road which went up over the hill between Wyoming and Forest Dale Cemeteries, through the present "Hillside Terrace" of the Pine Banks Park — east of the "Intervale" — to Poorest Street. This was the way the Howardsand Prattsof that section travelled to Maiden Centre; and the road from Lebanon Street to the cemetery, through the farm, is ver\' clearly defined at the jjresent da\-.
■' John Edinoiuls, Maiden. Cor- 1780. Massac/iusctis Sohiicrs and
poral, Lieutenant-Coloners Co., Sailors of the Revolutionary War.
Col. Michael Jackson's regt. ; Con- Vol. v., p. 220.
tiueutal Army pay acconnts for '^" Corey , History 0/ Mahlen, .\.^. service from Jan. i, 1780 to Feb. r,
Eel Vo„J f-.J .1^
THE JiAA" •/ jV1aLI>£\
Surxcy'd jD //^y By
T'tc'r Tufh yua
ROADS, STREETS AND HIGHWAYS. 51
The various ponds are iiulicated on this map, incliuh'nij the no longer existing Dix, in the rear of the City Hall. A few of the houses then standing are rudely drawn thereon: On the old road, James Green, at the extreme north; Vining's next; then the William Emerson tavern, which "stood near the old well with a narrow cartway between the house and well;"ii William Upham, on the present Lynde Street, opposite the "Dolly Upham" house; Benjamin L)'nde, where now stands Henry Lynde's homestead, and the old Ensign Thomas Lynde House at the Fells, without a name. On the "Stoneham Road " appears the Phineas Sprague house which stood where now stands the residence of the late Mrs. Liberty Bigelow; then Captain Unite Cox, the old " Mountain House;" and last that of John Larrabee. This rude survey is the earliest repre- sentation of the topography of the town of which there is any knowledge. The present course of Main Street is indicated by the dotted lines. The dotted section on the northwest corner shows the portion set off from Stoneham in 1853, and added to the territory of Melrose.
Some roads were laid out at the time of the division of "The Commons," mostly in the"Scadan Fells," as will be seen by the following: A committee consisting of Lieutenant Joseph Wilson, Isaac Hill, Lemuel Jenkins and Nathaniel Upiiam. chosen April 9, 1695, niade this report May 8, following:
Wee subscribers have done according to the town vote at our under- standing in staking of highwayes in the sheep paster and the three hundred accres namly two poles wide with .stakes blazed one the in- side and pillers of stones at the bottom of them
I. as one the neck side from the Spragues Land, up through the neck unto John Greenlands lote in Charlestown bounds [Washington Street. going north from the R. R. bridge in Maiden.]
2ly. A Roade from Joseph Linds house [near " Reed}- Pond " on Forest Street, heretofore described] through the sheep paster to dexters Rockes [the great ledges in the woods between the westerly side of Swain's Pond and Lebanon Street,] then through the lots to the second diuision and from tiie foote of De.xters Rokes nortiieste up Squiers hill through to tiie seckend diuision.
3ly. A Roade from Joseph Hoyds through the sheepe paster antl three hundred accres to Swaines ponde into the seckend diuision. [heretofore referred to as coming from I'pham Lane through Spear Street, and through the woods to I^ebanon Street.]
^^ MSS. letter from his son, Rev. Warren Iviiiersoii.
52 HISTORY OF MELROSE.
4ly. A Roade from Ezekell Jankens a longe in the sheep paster [the territory' east of Wayte's Mt. through which Forest Street runs,] and crossing the Roade that comes up from Joseph floydes. and pasing on towards the O [Round \\'orld ; the territory west of Lebanon Street, in Maplewood, south of the Maiden Poor Farm,] then winding to the left through lots into the seckend diuision.
5ly. A Roade from Leftent Spragues land up through to the Road that comes from Joseph floyds :
61y. A Roade from haywards land branching out to dexters Rockes likewise branching up to Swaines pond brooke [the present Lebanon Street,] and through the lots to the Roade that comes from Joseph floyds : Joseph Willson Samuell Jankens.
NATHANELL UPHAM. ISACC HiLL.
These roads, with the exception of the first, traversed the Scadan woods, but it is not easy to indicate, only in part, just where. One ran easterly from Swain's Pond Road, near Leba- non Street, over into the Salem Road. Two of the old ways, running from the easterly end of Swain's Pond, are still used to some extent; they lead towards the old road which for- merly ran from the Salem Road to the iron works at Hammer- smith on the Abousett, or Saugus River. The roads which have been described were the only ones laid out for many years; no new ways were granted until after the Revolution. In the earlier days, the scattered and isolated farm houses of the old-time residents west of the " Reading Road," noted on the 1795 map, were reached b}^ various private paths and cart- ways, mostly unnamed. The original manner of reaching IVIalden Centre, from some of these western homes was a path- way which followed about on a line with our present Cleveland Street, crossing Spot Pond Brook, passing Capt. John Lynde's house to what is now Washington Street, thence down by the cliffs and cascade to Maiden; and the " Stoneham Road," pre- vious to the time it was laid out in 1790, had been nothing more than pri\ate ways or paths, from house to house, on the west side of our present Main Street, beginning at the house of Jonathan Howard, Jr., which stood where Masonic Hall now stands, and before which grew a majestic buttonwood tree, well remembered by some now li\ing.
One of these ways, which marks the origin of that part of our Main Street from above Island Hill, up along by the side of Pine Banks Park and Hog Island, was the subject of the following Town \-ote March i, 171^:
ROADS. STREETS AND HIGHWAYS. 53
That Jose Line has libart)' Granted to him and his haires To Raise the causewaj' y' Lyeth betweene >-« medo foniiarly cap' waits : und y« sd Lines medo so high as to flow y^ s^ lines meddo : and y^ s^ Lines doe obUge him self and his haires To maintain y^ s^ causway in good Repair suficant for both Town and countrey to pass : — so long as they se cause to flow y^ s"? medo Also y« said line has libarty to take earth and grauill on y^ high way on y^ Top of y« hill near y^ s<i caseway for ye ends aboue s^
This way accommodated some of the north end citizens with a "shorter cut" to the centre of the town.
These ways, or paths, were in such a condition in the year 1757, as to cause a petition to be drawn up "To the Gentlemen of the Selectmen of the town of Maiden," asking them to lay out a highway from
near the house of M^ Jonathan Howard Jun^ [at Masonic Hall] over his land westerly where the path now is that we usually pass on to the Land of phinehas Sprague and so over his land where the path now is near by his house [then on the site of the late Mrs. Liberty Bigelow's house,] to the land of M"" Samuel Sprague also over his land where we usually pass by his house [where L. Frank Hinckley now lives] and where Tho^ pratt ye 3d Dwells to our Land at the Gate near our house.
Among the reasons given were:
That Said way hath almost always been a Very wet muddy plungj^ and uncomfortable place for passing. Secondly our predecessors & we have been at a Very considerable expence in makeing and Repairing a Considerable Large bridge o\-er Ell pond Brook, said bridge hath usually been a Dangerous place to pass over By Reason of its being Generally out of Repair. . . . Thirdly another Difficulty we Labor under is a Number of uncomfortable Gates we are obliged to pass through the Chief of the year which when our wi\-es ride through although with Children in their amies are obliged to Git Down to open said Gates or Else they are in Danger of their Limbs and Lives too.
Other reasons are given, but the conclusion of the petition is as follows:
Be So Good as not to Impose taxes on us or dont be uneasy if we wont pay any Rates or if we must pay Rates and not have a Rhode to Go to meeting to mill ^: to market on be So Good as to be willing that we should be Set oft" to another town that will tind us ways.
Nevertheless, notwithstanding that these "Estates have been at so much of the cost of ways in the town both in purchasing and Repairing them for other peojjie of tiie town to pass on
54 HISTORY OF MELROSE.
for above 70 years," it would seem that this road so earnestly prayed for was not built until a period of over thirty years had gone by, in 1790.^'-^
A little later, a cart road over the present Lynde Street, was in use from the foot of Summer Street to the present Main Street, before the formal laying out and building of the same after the town was incorporated; and such was the case with other streets; Emerson Street, at the time William Emerson built his house on the corner of Main and Emerson Streets, was nothing more than a lane, with bars by his house, through which he drove his cows to pasture, which was situated west of our present central railroad station.
Howard Street, was laid out in 1788, and built through to Saugus, thus making a continuous County road from Stone- ham centre to Lynn.
Main Street, as it now exists, was laid out in 1806; w^hen finally, the very crooked old road of 1653, and the successive changes that had taken place therein during the intervening years, was made a straight street, excepting a moderate bend at "Island Hill," from Maiden centre to Greenwood, in Wake- field. After this, and until the Boston and Maine Railroad was built and opened in 1845, very little was done in the way of making new streets ; but soon after the town was incorpo- rated, in 1850, many new streets were laid out and built; among them Porter, Emerson, west from Main, Youle, Vinton,^ Myrtle, Walnut and Essex Streets; in 1852, a highway was built " from John Lynde's to Charles Pratt's Gate," now Leba- non Street; John Lynde's was the mansion on the corner of Grove and Lebanon Streets, and Charles Pratt's was our present Poor P'arm; the gate being situated at the top of the hill, at the corner of Forest Street ; not long after this road was con- tinued "from Charles Pratt's Gate to Maiden Line;" then by or before i860, there followed other streets; among them Lynde,
^- vSome years previous to this, private way from Jonatliau How-
iu 1751, six residents of North ard's house to that of Phineas
Maldeu — Phiueas Sprague, Na- Sprague. When finally built it
thaniel Howard, Samuel vSprague, became what is now the easterly
Thomas Vinton, Benoni Vinton endof Wyoming Avenue, beginning
and Phineas Sprague, Jr. — were at Main Street, thence through
allowed to work out, according to Hurd and Cottage vStreets to F'oster
custom thtn in vogue, their high- Street, way rates for three years, on the
ROADS. STREETS AND HIGHWAYS. 55
Essex. Green. Grove. Foster. Cottage, \V\-oniin!4- Avenue, IlurtI, Trenton, Melrose, Tremont, Sylvan, first called Cemetery Street, Vine, Ashland, Linwood Avenue, first called Chelsea Street, East Wyoming A\enue, Poplar, Willow. Laurel, now Cedar, Winthrop, Mt. Vernon, Linden. Otis, Lake Avenue, Summer, Upham from Main to Lebanon, first called Church Street. Cedar Park and others.
As the town increased in population, new dwellings were erected, and new streets built, year by year, until the present time, when we ha\e two hundred and eighty-sexen streets, avenues, courts and places, and fifty-three and nine-tenths miles of streets and ways, fort\--two and a c[uarter miles of which are public, or accepted streets; the balance are open to public use, but not accepted. Of these eleven and a half miles are county roads, and are included in the fort\--two and a quarter miles of accepted streets.
In the earh' days it was a common thing to place gates across the roads; and the Maiden records are full of votes that were passed concerning their construction and mainte- nance in the various parts of the town. "While travelling was entirel\' on foot, or on horseback, the incon\enience of gates was not great; but the gradual introduction of chaises and other \-ehicles rendered unobstructed roads desirable." '•'
Sidewalks. Melrose, if not the first, was one of the first towns to lay concrete sidewalks, under the provisions of an act of the Legislature, allowing appropriations especially for that object to be made, sidewalks built, and one-half the cost assessed upon the abutters. The first action, introduced on motion of Allen C. Goss, was taken at the Annual Meeting in March, 1878, when Si 000 was appro])riated for that jjurpose. Accord- ingly, Siooo was sj)ent l)y the town, and as much mori.' l)y the citizens in front of whosi- residences sidewalks were l)uilt; making S2000 worth of concrete- walks, which were laid the first year; and tlu- .Selectmen said in their report:
We feel that this money has been judiciously e.xpended, and that the construction of these walks has proved of great advantage not only as a convenience to our own citizens, but as an additional proof to strangers visiting our town, with the view to coming among us, that we are alive to the wants of the community.
From that day to this, year b\' \ear, an ap|)ro[)riation lias ^'■^ Corey, History of Maiden. 462.
56 HISTORY OF MELROSE.
been made, expressly for the purpose of extending new walks; $1000 each year until 1887 — except 1885, S900 — S2000 each year from 1887 to 1894, with $500 additional for repairs; and for the last seven years the amounts have been: 1896, S3000; 1897, i^3500; and 1898,^3500; 1899-1902,^2500 each; and the vote has been broadened so as to include either concrete or brick sidewalks; the amount to cover necessar}' repairs to old walks, and with the additional requisite that the applicant desiring a sidewalk be required to deposit one-half the esti- mated cost of same before building. In this manner, our town has now many miles of continuous sidewalks, which neces- sarily, is a source of great comfort and convenience, not only to our citizens, but quickly attracts the attention of anyone visiting our municipality with the view of becoming a resident. One thing is yet needed: an enforced ordinance making it obligatory upon each and every freeholder to clear off his sidewalk after snowstorms. That additional luxury will pro- bably be experienced in the near future now that " fair Mel- rose " has become a city!
Particularly connected with this subject of roads is the following unique description of travel from Maiden to Boston, written before the incorporation of Melrose, and about the time the railroad was opened for regular travel, by John Hay ward, in his New Eiigland Gazetteer.
Until the erection of Charles River and Maiden bridges in 17S6 and 1787, this town was as far " down east " in regard to its connection with Boston by roads and bridges as any town in the County of York, in the State of Maine, now is. In those days, a Maiden lady wishing to visit Boston by land, had to rise early and travel by wagon, side-saddle or pillion, through Medford, Charlestown, Cambridge, Little Cam- bridge (now Brighton), Brookline, Roxbury, and over the Neck to the great metropolis, and when she arrived w-as so fatigued by her day's journey that she had to rest a day or two before she was able to make her calls. But now, how changed ! Those cruel, turnpike killers and despisers of horseflesh, the legislators of Massachusetts, have granted permission to a number of men to set up a long, narrow building on trundles, a sort of travelling meeting-house, with a bell to it, and a row of pews on each side of the aisle, drawn by a savage-looking beast that keeps pufifing and whistling like a northeaster, and when started, seems as if Satan himself couldn't catch him. By this mode of travelling, a lady or gentleman at Maiden may leave home at almost anj' hour, go clown south to Boston, a distance of live miles, see their friends, do their errands, and return in one short sunnj- hour. There are now two
ROADS, STREETS AND HIGHWAYS. 57
delightful and flourishing \illages in the town through both of which the railroad passes. The number of inhabitants in 1S45, in the whole of Maiden, was computed at 2700.
This picture of tra\'el in those early days, partakes in part of the nature of romance; inasmuch as, previous to the time of building the Maiden and Charles Ri\-er bridges, the "Penny Ferry," crossing the Mystic River from Mystic Side to Charlestown had been established as early as 1640; and the ferry across the Charles River from Charlestown to Boston had existed since the year 1635. Thus a direct way for man and beast was made, by which a passage to and fro between Maiden and Boston, could be made in a much shorter time than that described b\' Mr. Havward.
CHAPTER IV.
OLD FAMILIES AND HOMESTEADS.
AS HAS been heretofore stated, the territory now Melrose, has been occupied by certain original families and their descendants for many generations. The genealogy of some of them has been published; that of the Uphams by Henry B. Upham, and the Greens and Vintons by Rev^ John Adams Vinton, in " Genealogical Sketches of the Descendants of John Vinton of Ly?i)i, 1648; and several Allied Fainiliesr
Much genealogical information concerning the Barrett and L^'nde families, although in a disconnected state, was left in . MSS. by the late Artemas Barrett; and much matter concern- ing the Sprague and Lynde families, has been collected by Wilton F. Bucknam, a descendant of both families, in his Biicknani Genealogy, now ready for the press.
But a genealogy of these families does not come within the province of this history; but certain facts have been gathered from various sources, and some interesting matter rescued from oblivion, concerning some of these original families and home- steads.^
The Lyndes. Among the early settlers in Charlestown was Thomas Lynde, who came from England, where he was born in January, i5g-;4. He became a freeman in 1634. He bought a tract of land which included the site of the present State Prison, and which was known until after the time of the Revo- lution as Lynde's Point. He was one of the Deputies to the General Court for several years, serving first in 1636. He was one of the Selectmen of Charlestown for man\' years, and dea- con of the Charlestown Church. He became a large land owner, and has been st^ded in different documents, "master," "malster," "gentlemen," and "yeoman."
^ This inforniatioti comes in a with citizens and descendants
variety of ways ; from the Barrett which took place at the time of
and Bucknam MSS., old records, the historical address, "TheCt-n-
printed matter, newspaper clip- tennial Fourth," in 1876; and,
pings, and personal interviews also, those of a more recent date.
OLD FAMILIES AND HOMESTEADS. ■ 59
In the CJiarlestown Book of Possessions, iox 1638, issued in 1878, as the Third Report of the [Boston] Record Co}/ii/iissioners, which has been called the Domesday Book of Mystic Side,'- Thomas Lynde is credited with thirteen items or parcels of real estate, besides his homestead "on the southeast side of mill hill." In the various allotments of out-lyinsr lauds which had been pre- viously made, he had received a uumber of tracts belonging to Mystic Side. One of them, evidently received in the division of ha\--lots, was described as follows:
Three Acres of meaddow by estimation, more or lesse. lying on the north side of mount prospect, [\^'a3'te's Mount, now crowned with Maiden's water reservoir,] butting southeast upon Edward Convers, and to the northwest upon the riverett, bounded b.\' the comon on the southeast and northeast.
He also received by allotment, " Eightie Acres of land lying in Rockefeilde." Concerning this tract, the following record occurs in Charlestoivn Arc/iives, xx:
[18. 12"." 1638.] Inasmuch as it app? y'. the Land in the great Letts y\ was laid out to Thomas Line & Rich'.' Sprague prooves altogeth"; un- usefull being nothing but Rockes Wj^ was wholly besides or intent, & only through oversight of the Surveyo'-s wee Judge it to bee Just & equall y'. they have allowance elswhere to theire satisfaction they leave- ing the affores*^ Rocks to lye Common.
Therefore, Aug. 26, 1639, it was agreed " y'. Tho: Line shall have some Land by the Mount Prospect, if upon view it may bee had by his Hay ground." This was laid out as proposed; and " Here, as the Lynde family increased, several houses were built, the oldest of which was probably built by Thomas, the grantee, on the site of the brick-end house now standing near the entrance of the [Forest Dale] Cemetery on Forest Street." =^
These two allotments of land formed the beginning of the future ownership, by Thomas Lynde and his descendants, of not only this land on the northerly side of Wayte's Mount, in Maiden, but of nearly all the territory adjoining and now included in the southern part of Melrose.
Deacon Thomas Lynde died in Maiden, Dec. 30, 1673. His will was dated Dec. 20, 167 1. In it the institution of slavery early makes itself manifest on our New England soil: "As also I give and bequeath to her [his wife Rebecca,] my Negro
2 Qovity, History 0/ Maiden, ()(). ■' Ibid.
60 HISTORY OF MELROSE.
Peter & Negro girl haru to Enjoy and Dispose of as she sees good."
Ensign Thomas Lynde, eldest son of Deacon Thomas Lynde, was born in England in i6i6, and came to Maiden some years before its incorporation, when it was known as Mystic Side. He may have lived for a while in the first house built by his father, before spoken of; but soon after, about 1645, ^'^ home- stead was built either by himself or his father, just south of Boston Rock on the present Sylvan Street, near the north- western entrance to Wyoming Cemetery.* This was the first house built on Melrose territory. As evidence of this early residence of Ensign Thomas Lynde, there is a remonstrance, dated March 16, 1648, recorded in the Massachusetts Archives, vol. 121, page 21, against the laying out of the highway from Winnesimet to Reading as then contemplated, in which refer- ence is made to his farm lands, the appointment of Mr. Lynde on a committee to take the matter into consideration, and the report of the committee thereon, in 1648; and his house is referred to in the final laying out of this road in 1653.^
He served many years in the Military Company of Maiden; was Sergeant in 1658, and Ensign in 1675. This was the time of "King Philip's War," and in August of this year Maiden was called upon to furnish "ten able horses well shod w"^ bridles & sadles well shod fitt for the Countreys seruice." The con- stable made the following return:
I haue im prest ten horses for the us of the centre a cordin to the
tener of the warent. Edmond Chamberlin.
Captin John wayt Leftinant John Sprag
Insine Thomas lind
Samewill Sprag Samewel lues
Benjamin whitemore
Joel Jenkins thomas grouer
Steuen grouer Symon grouer"
Ten years later, while still Ensign, he presented the follow- ing petition asking for his dismission from the service:
7]) the Hoiiorcti gcucrall Court : mno sit'ni!^ in Boston The petition of Thomas Lyiide of fiia/de/i Hiiini>/y Showeth: whereas you haue bin
* Geneatogies of the Lyndcs, in ^ These docunieuts are given iu
MSS. b)- .^rtenias Barrett and Wil- the chapter on " Roads, Streets ton F. Bucknam. and Highway's. "
" IMass. Archives, Ixvii, 234.
OLD FAMILIES AND HOMESTEADS.
61
pleased to Commission your Suplyant to y^ ofise of An Ensigne in y*: foot Comp> : military of maiden An throuj^h the Jnfirmytyes of age J find my Selfe altogether in capasytated to doe you any further Servis in Said ofise J beg therefore your dismission from y' servis: and shall pray for yo"" prosperyty and Remaine you"" Humble Serv' .
May 6th, 16S5
'^/A^<y \^^^iyj^
In the year 1670, Ensi\ni Thomas Lynde built, for his son Joseph, a homestead on what is now the corner of Main Street and Goodyear Avenue, which, with its farm of many acres, was owned up to within a few years by one of his descendants
ENSIGN THUJIAS I^VNDE IIUMESTEAD-KITU.
of the sixth generation, another Joseph Lynde. Soon after, Ensign Thomas left his old home under Boston Rock and went to live with his son Joseph, where he remained until his death in 1693; '"i<^' another son, Capt. John Lynde, occupied the old homestead of his father.
The house built b>- the father at this time, smaller then than now, is at present a large and commodious structure, and is an interesting specimen of the ancient colonial architecture. It is still in a most excellent state of preservation, and shaded b\- its ancestral elms. There are a few houses now standing in
"^ Mass. Archives, l.\x, 132.
62
HISTORY OF MELROSE.
New England that antedate this one; there are none that pre- sent so fine an appearance. Not many of our modern wooden houses will exist at the end of two and a quarter centuries! But this is a strongly built, large-timbered structure, capable of defying the elements for many more decades.'^
The original and main part of this house is the oldest now existing in Melrose. There are others that are very old, but none that equals this in age, being two hundred and thirt)'-two years old.
In the chapter on " Roads, Streets and Highways," will be found a petition signed by Ensign Thomas Lynde, with a fac- simile of the same, dated April 20, 1671. This was prelimi- nary to the change that was made in the first road of 1653; and the action of the Court thereon was as follows:
This 19 September 71.
In Order to what the County Court held at Charlestown the — of June 1 67 1 who hath Chosen and impowered James grene Josias Conuers and Jonathan Poole to state the hyway now Jn question towards Redding nere Ensign Thomas linds being in his grounds : : we Whos names are aboue mentioned do therefore Se Cause to remoue the hywaye from where Jt did former ly that Js to say through the Oald feld to the place vnder the rocks wliere the waye now lyes. Witness
our hands.
'^ For some interesting items con- cerning this old homestead, I am indebted to Mr. Wilton F. Buck- nam, author of the Bnckna))i Geiie- alogy, a lineal descendant of the vSpragues, Lyndes and Greens, by intermarriage, and who has given much attention also to the Sprague and Lynde genealogies, as well as historic matter relating to these families. In a letter dated July 10, 1899, he states that the original house as built by Ensign Thomas Lynde in 1670, was enlarged and its internal arrangements changed by his grandson Col. Joseph Lynde. It then had diamoud-paned win- dows, which came from England, the glass set with lead. These windows were afterwards trans- ferred to the Jabez Lynde house on
James Grene Josias Conuars Jonathan Poole*'
Washington Street, hereafter re- ferred to. The stair-rails, mould- ings and tiles for these alterations, also came from England. Some of the timbers are 14 inches square. He also states, that tradition in the Lynde family says, that owing to some disagreement between Dea. Thomas Lynde, the original settler in Charlestown, and his son, Col. Joseph Lynde, brother of Ensign Thomas, that the deacon came to live in this new house, which had bsen built in part by the father's money, and died tliere ; which would account for his having been buried in Bell Rock Cemetery, instead of at Charlestown.
Midd/t'se.x- Court Fi/rs, October,
1671.
OLD FAMILIES AND HOMESTEADS. G3
This changed the road from the east side of Boston Rock to the west side; "the place vnder the rocks where the wave now lyes," still existing, plainly seen and easily followed, leaving Sylvan Street a few rods east of Main Street, thence skirting the base of the "rocks" by the old stone wall, to the residence of the late D. Alvin Lynde, enters our present Main Street, opposite the Henry Lynde mansion. This change in the road accommodated the new houses then built and to be built by the L}'ndes.
From Ensign Thomas Lynde descended all the Lyndes that are now living, or have lived in Melrose. He was one of the Selectmen of Maiden during the years 1678, 1684, 5, 6, 7 and 8." He died Oct. 15, 1693, aged jj years. By his will, dated Oct. 3, 1693, on file in the Probate Court at East Cambridge, he divided his farm between his sons Joseph and John ; giving
r^i^r, f^M'-'-- ,.A.-'r — - - - - geict^Shl^'^^
to Joseph the southern portion, and to John the northcni. This farm embraced a region about as follows : Beginning at the southwestern corner and extending northerly along the line of Washington Street to near \V\-(Mning A\enuc ; thence easterly along the line of that Axeiuie, and nearly or ciuite to Lebanon Street, then southerly, embracing the territ(-)r\- of Boston Rock, W\oming Cemetery, Pine Banks Park, antl For- est Dale Cemetery, to Forest Street in Maiden; thence westerly- to Washington Street, embracing "Island Hill," between Main Street and the Boston and Maine Railroad, which in earl\- da\s
■" Elizabeth, (laughter of Knsigii of a receipt given the executors Thomas Lyude, and .sister to Joseph for their portion of the estate of and John Lynde, married Peter her grandfather, Ensign Thomas Tufts. Her daughter married Ja- Lynde. Tlie black spots were seal- cob Hurd, and above is a facsimile ing-wax seals.
64
HISTORY OF MELROSE.
a
i<4.^
■■^ '.-■■■
't^''*^
^^
11 The above iMlicr iacMiaile ui .1 l.yiide, Jauuary n, 1736. Mr.
page of a manuscript sermon which Emerson was the pastor of Mal-
was preached by the Rev. Joseph den, from 1721 to 1767. Emerson, on the death of Mr.
OLD FAMILIES AND HOMESTEADS. 65
was surrounded by the meadows of Three Mile Brook. This hill is fast disappearing by the restless hand of improvement and utility. One of the descriptions in this will contains this sentence: " Bounded by a great rock at the corner of John Lyndes about 20 rods beyond his house." This "great rock" was the well-remembered immense boulder which stood near the residence of George Washington Groxer, on IMain Street.
This house has disappeared; so, also, has a large part of the boulder. .These changes took place when Mount Vernon Place was laid out, and the houses built thereon, together with those on Main Street adjoining.
Joseph L\'nde, born Dec. 13, 1652, who received the old homestead, and the southern and eastern part of the original farm, embracing what is now Wyoming Cemetery, died in 1736, at the age of eighty-three years, lea\-ing his real estate to his son Joseph; he gax'e his " negro Dinah " to his wife.
In the Melrose Public Library is a small volume containing four of his printed sermons, which were preached during the year 1738. It was at this time that occurred the visitation of a terrible disease in Maiden, carrying off two, three, four, and in one instance five members of a family, mostly children. In the midst of this pestilence the inhabitants cried out " Be- hold ! The Lord hath created a new thing in the midst of us. It is a very strange punishment that He is inllicting upon us.'' It was called a " throat distemper." The titles of two of these sermons are: " Early Piety P^ncouraged; A Discourse occa- sional by the joyful and triumphant Death of a Young Wo- man of Maiden, Who died of the Throat-Distemper, Sept. 6, 1738. .-Etat. 21." This has an eight-paged "Dedication To the Chikh'en and Youth of Maiden." The other was " A Word to those that are afflicted very much. A Sermon Preach'd at the Lecture in Maiden, October 20th, 1738. On Occasion of the repeated and multii)lied Deaths of Children in many Families in said Town, by the Throat Distemper." This book belonged to one of our Howard family, as is shown by the autograph inscription on the fly-leaf: " Nathanael HowartI his Book god give him grace hearin to look in the >'ear of March the 14 Day 1758." This uniiiue and ancient volume was bought at an auction sale and presented to our Public Library by John W. P^arwell, Esq.^-
^2 Facsimiles of the title pages of Corey in his History of Muldtii, these two sermons are given by pp. 639, 640.
66 HISTORY OF MELROSE.
This farm of Dea. Joseph Lynde was bequeathed to his son Joseph, who was born September 2, 1690; and it was while in his possession that the changes in the old house, heretofore spoken of, were made, lea\'ing its outward appearance about as now seen. In finishing and embellishing the parlor, he adorned the large, old-fashioned fireplace with tiling. His father considered this a piece of extravagance, and was so incensed that he struck one of the tiles so hard with his cane that it broke; and it so remained for many years. When this house passed out of the possession of the Lynde family, a few years since, during a time C~^ /^ ^ ' — ^
of some repairs, these tiles ^_^^y'^^ ^^^ ^ ^^ oc<f 7^^ mysteriously disappeared.^-^ ___^_/
Joseph Lynde was an active man in town affairs; was one of the Selectmen for fifteen years, between 1735 and 1760, and a member of the Legislature in the j^ears 1739, 1741 and 1743. He died March 16, 1763, aged 72 years. In his will he bequeaths his "Negro Dinah," and his farm to his son Nathan, who was born July 13, 1732. From Nathan the homestead descended to his son Joseph, born July 30, 1769; and he be- queathed it to his son Joseph, . /^ w4io was born Nov. 19, 1804, and ,^Vv4Ry>-^ °^H never married. He tilled its -^ / acres until he died in 1875, ^^ ^^^*^ ^?>^ of seventy years, when the homestead passed into the possession of his sister, Mrs. Rebecca Lynde Eaton; and in 1881, the farm, then consisting of 175 acres, was bought b\' Hon. Elisha S. Converse of Maiden. Thus had these original acres remained in pos- session of the Lynde family, descending from father to son, through seven generations, and for a period of nearh' two and a half centuries. While the farm and homestead was in the possession of the L}'ndes, it always ex'idenced thrift and enter- prise. Beautifulh' situated in the \-alle}^ between ranges of hills, its spacious mansion, shaded l)y tall ancestral elms, its well-tilled acres, large and commodious barns, well filled with the products of the farm, flocks of sheep and herds of cattle, all indicated one of the good old-fashioned New England homesteads, which, alas ! grow scarcer as the years go by !
On the western portion of this farm, close under the tower-
^■^ Afterwards one was given to serted over one of his fireplaces. Hon. Levi S. Gould, who had it in-
c^fr«-«
OLD FAMILIES AND HOMESTEADS.
67
ing eastern ed^e of the Middlesex Fells, and near the Fells station, the Boston Rubber Shoe Company, of which Mr. Converse is the principal stockholder, built its extensive manufacturing- plant, known as Factory No. 2, the works at Edgeworth being No. i. This establishment gives em- plo3ment to hundreds of persons, many of whom are residents of our city, and for whom the Company has built numerous dwellings on the surrounding acres.'-*
."XtLROE. 'AA^^
This \-iew of the Boston Rubber Shoe Compan\''s Works at the Fells is taken from the summit of Black Rock. In the distance is seen the Maiden Water Reser\-oir, on the top of Wayte's Mount.
The eastern portion of this farm, south of Boston Rock and \\'yoming Cemeter}-, is now known as Pine Banks Park. This is a tract of one hundred and ten acres, nearly all of which are in Melrose; a few acres are across the line in Mai- den. Its surface is di\-crsified with hill and dale, bold crags and winding streams. It has in its central part se\eral pecul- iarly formed banks and knolls, and is mostly co\"ered with trees; the pine tree largely predominating; hence its appro- priate name.
Under the care and superintendence of Mr. John Davidson, Mr. Con\-erse has built man\- smo(Uh and handsome carriage
'* Since writing this the business Rubber Co.," but the business con- has been absorbed by the large tinues in tlie name of the Hoston trust known as " United .States Rubber Shoe Company.
68
HISTORY OF MELROSE.
roads, many of them bordered with shrubs and flowers, wind- ing through these acres in all directions, affording miles
constructed to its top. In the more central part is situated the "Summit," reached by a winding road, on which 111 observator}' has been erected; and from uiiicli a ciiarmmg view of the surrounding country is obtained. Nearby is "Island Pond" with its rustic bridge and adjoining picnic grove.
Between these summits there is "The Intervale," a densely
OLD FAMILIES AND HOMESTEADS.
G9
wooded glen, on the eastern brow of which, connecting Wyo- ming and Forest Dale Cemeteries, runs " Hillside Terrace," which traverses that section of the old 1653 road between Winnesimett and Reading; and on the northern part of this Park, bordering on Main and Sylvan Streets, there has been established the links of the Pine Banks Golf Club.
All of this magnificent territory-, luxuriously adorned by nature, and lavishly cared for, has been freely opened to an appreciative public by the generous owner. Here all are invited to enjoy the many walks and drives which intersect this sylvan retreat. It is justly becoming a famed resort for outing parties. Each season witnesses the coming and going of thousands of visitors.
There is one unique feature in this Park which is not open to the public; the rustic "Log Cabin," situated on " Island Pond Road," not far from the romantic "Lodge" at the main entrance. This belongs exclusi\ely to Mrs. Mary D. Con- verse, wife of the owner.
It is furnished with the old fashioned furniture of former days. Its walls are lined with pictures of historic interest. It contains many curiosities, trophies gathered from near and from far. Among the man>' interesting articles there may
be mentioned Egyptian can- dlesticks, a Roman shield, boar's head, Chinese gods, spinning and flax wheels, foot sto\"e, warming pan, sabres, pistols, powder-horn, guns^ one with a canteen, from the battlefield of " Fair Oaks," Confederate — cup and saucer from the Spanish "Maria Theresa," etc., etc. Occasion- al j:)arties are held herein; the marriage ceremony of one of the daughters of the Superin- OLD CORN MILL — NOW STANDING tendcut.was performed there- iN READING ROOM OF MELROSE [y^ a short time a<^o
PUBLIC LIBRARY. ' , . T ■ r
At the time this farm was sold, and the contents of the old homestead scattered b\' an
auction sale, there was fount! in the cellar a relic of the old
70 HISTORY OF MELROSE.
colonial husbandry, of "\'e olden time," indeed. It is made from an oak lo.o-, a little laro-er and taller than a common barrel, dus^- out like a mcM-tar, with iron hoops "around it- It has two heavy wooden pestles. It is an old corn or samp mill; in it was pounded the corn and grain for family use, doubtless before the building of the Coytmore mill, at Mai- den Centre, in 1640. At this sale of the farm belongings in 1881, this mill was bought by Homer S. Littlefield, who, a few years afterwards, presented it to the Town of Melrose. This curious and antique relic of by-gone clays is now safely cared for in the reading-room of the Public Library.
Col. Joseph L>'nde, a brother of Ensign Thomas, born June 8, 1636, was a prominent and wealthy citizen of Charlestown. He had much trouble with Gow Andros, in 1687, relativ^e to the title of his land. In 1695, he was commissioned by Lieut. Gov. William Stoughton, to pursue the Indians who had made an attack on the town of Billerica. His report of this expedi- tion is as follows:
Aug". 23';' 1695. Receiving" commission from the Honorable William Stoughton, Leutenant Governor, Commander in Cheif, over all the province of Massachusetts, with instructions for his Majesty's service in the County of Middlesex : pursuant where unto, I went that night to Billerica, where I found about three hundred men in arms from Woburn, Reading, Maiden, Medford, Charlestown, Cambridge, Water- town, under conduct of Major William Johnson ; Major Jeremiah Swaine; Major Wade Capt. William Greene; Capt. John Greene; Lt. Remington ; Lt. Haman Capt. Gerheld Sergeant Bond and Mr. Sherman. That night we marched to the river Merrimack, guarded the fords there, being three between Andover and Chelmsford, with about fort}' men at each ford, and with about one hundred men encamped that Night at Prospect Hill, that lies between Chelmsford and the river, on the northern side of the Great Swamp ; leaving the remaining forces to guard the town. As soon as it was light, on the 24 of Aug. instant, we sent men to the top of the said hill, where we had a view of the said swamp, and the country far about, but could discover no fire an}-where. Thence we proceed to range the woods between Andover and Chelmsford, but finding no sign of our enemies, we rendezvous at a place called Sandy Pond, about eight miles from Billerica eastward ; from whence about ele\'en of the clock that day we went to the Great Swamp, dismounted half our men, the other half taking their horses. We caused the men on foot to pass through the Swamp in a rank, each man at a distance as much as was conveient, appointed to rendezvous again at Prospect Hill. Major Johnson with
OLD FAMILIES AND HOMESTEADS. 71
about forty men compassing the swamp on the west side, and myself with the rest of the soldiers on the east side. Our men on foot with much difficulty got through the Swamp, gave us account that they saw a new track and smelt Indians in one place, but did not judge by their tracks there were above two. having again rendezvous about four o'clock, afternoon, near Prosect Hill, having before noon ranged the woods belonging partly to Andover and Chelmsford to the eastward of Prospect Hill, we proceeded to range the woods towards Chelms- ford; rendezvousing again near the time of sunsetting at the cheif fording place on the Merrimack below Hunts Garrison: where I advised with all our officers. Having no prospect of doing service against the enemy ; considering the evil that had accrued by diuiding of all the forces at once. I left a guard of ten men to guard that ford under the direction of Hunt and Foster of P>illerica. until the 2()^^ of Aug. instant, at night, and then to be dismissed without further order. Marching then up to Billerica town in di\erse parties, we rendezvous at the OrdinaiT, where paying off the army with thankfuU acknowl- edgements for the ready and willing services. — at their request I dismissed them according to their desires, to make the best of their way home which without doubt they attended: though with difficult}-. by reason of the darkness of the night. So concluding, I am Sir vour Servant
^Q>X^
Dated at Charlestown. Aug. 25, 1695.
Capt. lohn L\'n(k-, who r(jcei\ccl from his father, Ensi.L,Mi Thomas, the northern part of the farm, left the old orii,Mnal house at the foot of Boston Rock and built his new house in 1693, aiul it stood where lixcd the late Warren Lyndc. The farm and homestead is now owned b\' his son, Henry Lx'iide.
Warren Lynde. of the seventh generation, was born May 15, 1799, and (lied in I<S8(S at the age of eighty-nine \ears. The old house first built by Knsign Thomas Lynde, near the entrance to the W\omi ng Cemeter\- was abandoned.^" The old cellar-hole and well existed until the wall of the cenieter_\- was built. The story is told among the Lynde descendants, of a very severe winter in those early times. A long-continued
1^ Massac/utset/s Arc/iives. Vol. '" .Mr. I'.uckiiaiii slates in the
51, page 41. Col. Lynde died Jan. letter heretofore quoted, that this 29, 1727, aged 91 years. old abandoned house stood until
about i8(X), when it was torn down.
72
HISTORY OF MELROSE.
snow-storm completely buried the house from sight; and the relatives and neighbors went to the house on snow-shoes, and could only communicate with the snow-entombed family from the top of the chimney, through which provisions were passed and the inmates thus kept from starvation.
The Warren Lynde house, with its contents, was burned April 10, 1819, in the night time, the family barely escaping with their lives, and the present capacious mansion was built the following year by Warren's father, Benjamin Lynde, born Oct. 2, 1758, who inherited the place by will from his father, Joseph, together with " Island Hill " district of fifteen acres,
WARREN LVXDE HOMESTEAD.
situated in Maiden just south of the Melrose line, and the sixty acre "Hill Pasture "now known as Boston Rock. Benjamin was a member of Captain Benjamin Blaney's Maiden company- tnat marched to Lexington, April 19, 1775, "to resist the minis- teral troops."
^'
^ /^^*<?<K 6 >^ <r-y/^<^C^
Captain John L}'nde was one of the Selectmen of Maiden during the years 1695, 1700. 1703. 4 'i^^l 1708.^' At this period,
1'' John Lj'iide was impressed the Maiden military company about
January, iSy?'^; "hyres pemberton the beginning of the eighteenth
in his stead ;" was with Maj. Wil- century. Corey, History of Mal-
lard in 1676. He was captain of den, 325, 718.
OLD FAMILIES AND HOMESTEADS.
73
Maiden laws required all cattle to be marked in some manner, and each owner's mark to be recorded in the town book. Many different ear-marks put upon cattle by different farmers are upon record. These marks were snipped on the ears of these creatures in every conceivable shape. Under date of 1689, the record of the one adopted by Capt. Lynde, is as fol- lows: "The mark which cap. John Line doe put upon y"^ ears of those his creturs which be usually ear marks — That is, y*^ top of y^ near eare cut sijuare of, and a slit down in the same eare. Also a half peney cut out of y^ under side of y* furder eare."i*
Another Lynde homestead was that of another Joseph, brother of Benjamin, who died in 1798, gixinj^ to his son John, grandfather of Chief Fire Engineer, A. Wilbur Lynde, his farm of thirty acres situated between Grove and Upham Streets, east of Lebanon Street, ^ ^o
together with the homestead j?^>^/>t_ ^^X-^ 9^C^ now standing on the corner of ^y ^^^
Grove and Lebanon Streets. ^^^-^
This came to be known among the Lyndes as "the upper house." Until within a very few years a most magnificent elm tree stood in the square in front of this mansion. Old age, lightning and the gales made such havoc with its far spreading and aged branches, that it had to be uprooted; and the homestead it had sheltered for over a century knew it no
longer. Two other farms joining this on the easterly- side, belonging to John and .Samuel Grover, were pur- chased and added to this in 1786. The old home- stead still remains in the possession of the Lyndes, the present owners being Miss Louisa L>nde. Mrs. Sarah K. Gage, a sister, and Mrs. William LnmhU'. Init josKPH i.vxDH HOMESTE.^D. ^,^^. f.^^.,^^^ together with
some adjoining land, was bought in 1856, b>- Hon. Daniel \V. Gooch, Walter Littlefield and Otis Clapp; surve>ed. streets
" Capt. Lynde added much to to a great extent, buying house- his farm in his day. Was a trader hold necessaries in quantity and
74 HISTORY OF MELROSE.
built, and laid out in house lots, under the name of the " Home Association." Several lots in the square between East Foster, Sixth, Laurel and Larrabee Streets were reserved, and they form what is now know as "The Common." Most of these lots were then sold, or soon afterwards, and ha\e been very gener- ally built upon. Additional tracts of land were afterwards bought and many dwellings built thereon. The whole region has come to be known as East Side.
There were still other Lynde homesteads. The very old house on the corner of Glen and Russell Streets, is still in possession of the Lyndes, being owned by Franklin G. Lynde, who inherited it through a nmnber of generations, from the original owner. Captain John Lynde, who inherited the
JOHN LYNDE HOMESTEAD.
land from Ensign Thomas Lynde. It was built about 1700, by Captain Lynde, for his son John, born April I. 1672; after- wards it was bought by Jabez Lynde, born January lO, 1 744; from whom it descended to the late Jonathan Lynde, born January 15, 17S5. grandfather of the present owner; and who died in i86g, aged eighty-five years. The will of Jabez made in 1769, speaks of his negro Zachary. The oldest portion of this house, to which an addition was built many years ago, with
selling to the neighbors, taking his days for market. Buckuani, letter pay in " barter," and had regular of July 10, 1899.
OLD FAMILIES AND HOMESTEADS. lb
its low-studded, beam-crossed ceilings, is two centuries old. Paintinj^s and photos^^raphs vvithout number, have been taken, together with description for press and volume, illustrating its appearance and antiquity. It is still in very good condition. In it was born the late Aaron Green, whose father once tilled the farm, which then embraced the estate now owned by Hon. Daniel Russell; also the land now Russell Park.
Captain John Lynde also built for his son Thomas, born Oct. 24, 1685, at about the same lime, 1700, the old house situated about one hundred rods west of the previous one, being the last house on Washington Street before reaching the Stoneham line. It has been remodelled and now presents a modern appearance. Originally it had a very large chimney and fireplace, wide front door through which huge fire logs were taken, and 3x4 diamond-paned windows, the glass secured by lead instead of putty.
By his father's will, Thomas had the right "to pass and re- pass over to the Reading Road, leading to Maiden, providing he allows his brother John to pass and repass over past his house to the old road leading from Maiden to Spot Pond." This first way was aji old cart path leading from these home- steads north of the present Daniel Russell estate, over to the present Henry Lynde house to what is now Main Street, then the Reading Road. This was the only way the occupants of these farms had of getting out to the Reading road for many years. Captain John owned a negro boy, Samson, whom he disposed of by this same will made in 1747. The old home- stead remained in possession of the Lyndes for a number of generations. When owned by Jabez, it was alwa>-s spoken of as "the Jabe L>'nde place." It has since been known as the "Grundy place," having passed from the possession of the Lyndes in 1850. Jabez, son of Joseph, born in 1719, was Captain of the "Maiden Company of foot," in 1765. When troops were wanted for the movement on Crown Point in 1766, the following order was issued by Capt. Lynde:
To M' SaDiiiil Baldwin. Cor'
Sir you are Required in his Majesties Name forthwith to warn all the Training Souldiers Within your Linuiiits to meet at the House of Mr James Kettles Inhoklers in Maiden on Tuesday the 17 Day of this Instant June, at one of the Clock in the Afternoon with their arms Ammunition aquterments as the Law Directs and Make Return of this
76 HISTORY OF MELROSE.
warrant With your Doings herein at or Before the time Set for S^^ Training Dated in Maiden 1766 June g'^^ By Order of Cap' Jabez Lj-nds. Ezra Sargeant MiUtary Clark.
This is endorsed as follows:
I have warned and Caused to be warned agreeable to within written Warrant. Sam^-l Baldwin.
Capt. Lynde was one of the Selectmen of Maiden during the years 1766, 67 and 68. His son, Jabez, born Jan. 10, 1744, was sergeant in Capt. Benjamin Blaney's company that went to Lexington, April 19, 1775; also in the Point Shirley Expe- dition, June, 1776. He received six pounds bounty Dec. 9, 1776, "Voted by the Town of maiden for Prox'iding a Rein- forcement for the american Army."^*'
In 1781, this Mr. Lynde furnished the town some wood and pork, and the following from the Order Book of the Select- men of Maiden shows the unsettled state of the currenc)' at that time:
An order on the treasurer to Jabez Lynde for £^2$, equal to $1,083, and 2 shillings, in the first emission of Continental Dollars, for half a cord of pine wood; and for 125 lbs. of pork at ;?8 per lb. for the poor, as by his acct. dated Jan. 9, 1781, may appear.
Dated in Maiden, Jan. 11, 1781.
By order of the Selectmen,
Joseph Perkins, Town Clerk.
Thus it appears from the foregoing record, that nearly all of the territor}' now forming the southern portion of Melrose, with the exception of the wilderness portion belonging to the Commons and Scadan Woods, originally belonged to the L}'nde family; a goodh' number of its acres, which ha\'e been inherited from the first settler thereon, Ensign Thomas Lynde, still remain in possession of his descendants.
The following incident is here referred to to show how dif- ferently political office is regarded to-day from what it was in those early days. There is no date given, therefore it cannot be said which of the Joseph Lyndes, and there were many, of whom it is recorded, that instead of paying anj'thing to get an office, " insign Joseph lynde" paid the town of Maiden ;^5 to be excused from serving as constable.
The cost of tuition in the early part of the nineteenth cen- tury was somewhat less than it is at the beginning of the
^^ Corey, History of Maiden, 821.
OLD FAMILIES AND HOMESTEADS. 77
twentieth, as may be seen by the foUowin*,' bill paitl by Stephen Lynde, son of Capt. Jabez l-vnde, which, among other papers, belongs to Mrs. Sarah G. Crafts, nee Lynde:
Stoneham, Aug. 13, 1806. M?.- Stephen Lynde Dr to Patty Crooker for instructing two of his Children 12 weeks at Seven Cents for each Child per week $1.68
Rec'd pay Patty Crooker.
The Spragues. The Sprague families have ever been \ery prominent and intimately connected with the historx' of this town from its earliest days. It is quite certain that our terri- tory was visited and traversed by the three brothers, Ralph Sprague, Richard Sprague and William Sprague, who came over from England, at their own cost, and
who with three or four more, b}' joint consent and approbation of Mr. John Endicott, Governor, did the same summer of Anno 1628, undertake a journey from Salem, and travelled the woods above twelve miles to the westward, and lighted of a place situate and lying on the north side of Charles River, full of Indians called Aberginians. Their old Sachem being dead, his eldest son, [Monohaguaham] by the English called John Sagamore, was their chief, and a man natural!}- of a "gentle and good disposition,-'^ by whose free consent they settled about the hill of the same place b}' the said natives called Mishawum, [afterwards called Charlestown,] where they found but one English pallisadoed and thatched house, wherein lived Thomas W'alford. a smith, situate on the south end of the westermost hill of the East Field, a little way up from Charles River side, and upon survey, they found it was a neck of land generally full of stately timber, as was the main, and the land h'ing on the east side of the river, called Mystick River, from the farm Mr. Cradock's servants had planted called Mystick, which this river led up unto: and indeed generally all the country round about, was an uncouth wilderness full of timber.'"'-'
-'^ His home in Maiden was upon .Spragues could not have gone on
the creek which runs from the their journey during the summer
marshes between Powder Horn of 1628, as above stated. Corey, in
Hill, on which the Soldiers' Home a letter to the writer, dated Feb. i,
is now situated, and Winuisemmet, 1901, thinks that the Spragues did
into the Mystic River, at Sweetser's not come over with Gov. Endicott,
or Beacham's Point. in 1628, but with Higginson in 1629,
-^ Charlestown Records, Vol. r. and during that summer made their The above record was written by journey. This view is sustained by John Greene, in 1664, and is wrong Savage in his Gettcaloi^ical Die- in its chronology. Gov. Endicott tionary, and Erothingham in his did not arrive at Salem, until Sep- History of Charlestoxvn, p. 14. tember, 1628, con.sequently the
78 HISTORY OF MELROSE.
There is no doubt whatever, but that the Spragues and their companions, were the first civilized men whose feet trod upon the soil, and whose eyes gazed upon the territory now Melrose, who explored with the view of making a permanent settle- ment."^"-^ Undoubtedly other explorers traversed our territory very soon after the Spragues, for Gov. Thomas Dudley, writ- ing to the Countess of Lincoln, in England, March 28, 1631, in giving an account of the dispersal of settlers which had taken place before this date, at various places around Boston, says: " others upon the River Saugus between Salem and Charles- town." In travelling from Charlestown to Saugus, seeking out
-- Couceruiug the route of the Spragues during this exploration there is some controversy. Corey in his History of Maiden, p. 19, says: "Their probable course may be traced along the Salem path, which we may believe alread}- ex- isted as an Indian trail." Such a trail would necessitate the crossing of the Abousett, or Saugus River, in what is now East Saugus, and near its mouth where it is quite wide and deep. A bridge was built here about 1639, after which the Salem Path undoubtedly was much travelled. This entered Maiden b}- Black Ann's Corner, then after following the present Salem vStreet a while ran northwesterly through the Scadan Woods into the south- erly part of Melrose, thence wound around north of Wayte's Mount. But I am led to believe differently. It is distinctly stated in the Charlesto'iVn Records, that these ex- plorers " travelled the woods above twelve miles to the westward." The History of Ly>iii by Lewis and Newhall, p. 137, under date of 1631, shows a far more proV)able route of travel for this early date : " At this time, there was no bridge across Saugus River, and people who trav- elled to Boston were compelled to pass through the woods in the
northern part of the town, and ford the stream by the Iron Works, which were near the site of the present woolen factories in vSau- gus Centre." These factories were north of the vSaugus Town Hall. Here the river was easily forded. Traces of this trail existed until within a short time. From the ford it continued westerly, enter- ing the confines of Melrose, a little way south of the cliffs be- low John Doherty's, on Upham Street, entering the woods and passing over what became the road from Maiden through Sau- gus to Lynn, and which was laid out in 1796, a part of which is now known as Altamont Avenue; and so on to the region of Spot Pond. After reaching our valley it would seem that the Sprague party turned to the south, crossed the M3-stic, and ceased their journeying at Charlestown, where they soon afterwards settled. As we shall see, the Spragues owned land to the west and south of Ell Pond, on record as early as 1638, showing undoubted ownership some years before; clearly indicating to my mind, that this valley was thus explored and admired during that first expedition.
OLD FAMILIES AND HOMESTEADS.
a proper place for settlement, it is quite feasible to suppose that our valley was visited by them in their wanderings.
That the SpT-agues found this particular tract of country- pleasant and attractive, from its varied scenery and adapta- bility as a place of settlement, is evidenced by the fact that as early as 1638, only nine years later, the Spragues havinj,' left Salem and settled in Charlestovvn,-^^ both Ralph and Richard owned by allotment, a lar-,fe tract of land near \\\\ Pond,'-^ naming it "Pond Feilde."
This covered a large part of what is now the westerly part of the town. Ralph Sprague had "Ninetie acres of land by esti- mation, more or lesse, scituate in Pond feilde;" and Richard had
sixtie acres of land by estimation, more or lesse, scituate in pcjnd feilde,-^ bounded on the one side by Ralph Sprag^ue. on the northeast by ell pond and the river [that comes through the meadow into Ell pond. — (ireen,] and on the northwest by the comon.-''
All this territor}^ belonging to Charlestown, north of the Mystic River, was then called M\-stic Side.
These three Spragues were the sons of Edward Sprague, a fuller, of Upway, County of Dorset, England. Ralph and Richard were both prominent in Charlestown affairs, both being among the founders of the Church, members of the
General Court, Select- men for several years, atul oflicers in the Bos-
-^^^^
^i^^«-^ ^ ^j?^^,,^
-•' Richard Frothingham, in bis -■' " This makes it certaiu that _History of Chart cstonni, p. 20, gives the first recorded name of the see- the names of "The inhabitants tiou now known as Melrose, was yt : first settled in this place and Pond Feilde. It also fixes the tak- brought it into the denomination ing up of land here, as early as of an English Towue," and tlie 1638." .\ildress of Hon. Levi S. three Spragues, Ralph, Richard Gould, at annual bancjuet of the and William, are first on the list. Highlands Congregational Church
-^ Variously spelled in early doc- uments: Iv, Ell, Eel, Ele, in one place in the Charlestown Records &?, Elnie; and in the Cogan deed, hereafter referred to, " Yeale." It
in 1897.
-'' Charlestoii'ti Book of Posscs- sioiis, in "Third Report of the Record Commissioners of tlie City of Boston," pp. 33, 46. I'luloubt-
was evidently first nameil Iv on ac- e<lly the first compilation of the
count of its shape and it was always kind in America,
so considered by the early inhalj- -'" Traced from the original docu-
itants; but by general usage is now, meiit, now at City Hall, Hostoii. and has been, spelletl Ell.
80 HISTORY OF MELROSE.
ton Artillery Company. William remo\'ed to Hingham, where he also became prominent in town affairs.
Richard and William Sprague signed the document estab- lishing the first Board of Selectmen in Charlestown, and
Ralph was one of the eleven »--, / q ^
Selectmen then elected, Febru- /\^<^^-^^C^ ^tcc^c^aA^ ar>- 10, 1635. ' — ^
The choosing of Selectmen and other officers at Annual Town Meetings was first adopted by Massachusetts; and to Charlestown — of which we were originally a part — belongs the honor of establishing the first Board of Selectmen, in 1635, six years after its settlement. Dorchester, two years before, had tried a plan which approached this idea, but the inhab- itants of Charlestown matured and consuminated it, and adopted an order, the original of which is still preserved, with the signatures, and of which the following is a cop\-; and a facsimile of which ma)- be found in Frothingham's History of CliarlcsiozvUy p. 50.
An order made by the inhabitants of Charlestowne at a full meeting for the government of the Town by Selectmen.
In consideration of the great trouble and chearg of the inhabitants of Charlestowne by reason of the frequent meeting of the townsmen in generall and y' b}- reason of many men meeting thmgs were not so easely brought unto a joynt issue. It is therefore agreed by the sayde townesmeix iojmtly that these eleven men whose names are written on the other syde, (w^'' the advice of Pastor and Teacher desired in any case of conscience.) shall entreat of all such business as shall con- scerne the Townsmen, the choice of officers excepted, and what they or the greater part of them shall conclude of the rest of the towne willingly to submit unto as their owne propper act, and these 1 1 to continue in this employment for one yeare next ensuing, the date hereof being dated this: lo"' of February 1634 (1635.)
In witness of this agreement we whose names are under written ha\"e set o'r hands.
Soon afterward the General Court embodied this idea in its legislation, and proxided for general town government. Thenceforward, from that da)' to this, )'ear after )-ear, the people of the towns have met in open town-meeting, and with free discussion upon all questions, elected their Board of Selectmen, and other officers, and transacted all other necessary business.
-^ Traced from the original dociuneut, now at City Hall, Boston.
OLD FAMILIES AND HOMESTEADS. 81
The Town Mcctinij^s of New Kns^laiul have ever been its true ^Mory; and before the Revolution, they^ were, indeed, "the nur- sery of American Independence." Referrinrr to our earl\- town system, George William Curtis once said:
Each town was a small but perfect republic as solitary and secluded in the New England wilderness as the Swiss cantons among the Alps. No other practicable human institution has been devised or conceived to secure the just ends of local government so felicitous as the Town Meeting.
By the year 1640. the inhabitants of Charlestown had so increased that many of them had passed over the Mystic River and made quite a settlement a little to the south of Mount Prospect, now called Wayte's Mount.
In 1640, Thomas Coytmore, quite often spelled Coitmore, who became a freeman in that year, and who was one of the Deputies to the General Court from C harlestown, in 1640 and 1641, built first a dam. .md then a mdl at Black Rock, on Three Myle Brook, Mystic Side, on the power made by the water flowinnr from Kll and Spot Ponds, joining as they did at Wyo- ming; thus furnishing grist-mill privileges to these increasing families of Mystic Siders.
Years afterwards this site was utilized for manufacturing purposes. In 1806, three brothers, George, Thomas and Eben- ezer Odiorne, purchased the land and water-power at Black Rock, and established the manufacture of nails; being the first to cut and head them by one opera' ion. William Barrett had previoiisly. in 1803, established the silk-dyeing business, on a site near the Odiorne mill, and still carried on by his sons. It is known as the Alaldeii Dye House.
Among those who left Charlestown and settled in Mystic Side, was Ralph .Sprague, who built a homestead a little to the norihwt st of the Coytmore mill. Dxing in 1660, he bequeathed this homestead and its farm to his sons lohn and Phineas; and bis farm in Pond ImiIcIc, near l.ll Pond, to his sons Richard and .Sam ml
Ihis I{1I Pond farm was situated and bt)unded as follows: Beginning at Spot Pond Brook, below Wyoming Station, and running northeasti rly on a straight line on east sitle of Cottage Street, crossing West Foster Street and the Boston and Maine Railroad, through the late \\ illiam Bogle's land, thence cross- ing Essex and West Kmersoii -Streets and Lake Avenue, in
82 HISTORY OF MELROSE.
a straight line, to Ell Pond, just east of the residence of the late John Shelton; thence northerly, following the brook that runs from Charles Street through Otis Street, into Ell Pond. From about twenty rods beyond Charles Street the line ran straight to Spot Pond Brook, and then by the brook to the point of beginning. The oldest son, John, bought this Ell Pond farm of his brothers Richard and Samuel in 1652.-^ The part belonging to Richard contained sixtj'-seven acres of ploughed and meadow land, and was the westerly half. His homestead stood near Barrett Mount, on the southerly side of Maple Street, about twenty rods west of Vinton Street. The old cellar was visible within the memory of some now living. John Sprague was one of the Selectmen of Maiden for many years, and a Representative to the General Court in 1690. He was one of the committee on behalf of Maiden to la}' out the old road of 1653, from Winnesemit to Reading.
John Sprague died June 25, 1692, aged 68, and b}' his will bequeathed his farm to his sons John and Phineas; John li\ing on the old Maple Street place; and for Phineas a homestead was built out of the estate. This house stood where now stands the residence of L. Frank Hinckley, on West Foster Street, near the junction of Florence, Vinton and Maple Streets. The old well belonging to this homestead, with its ancient well-sweep, was on the opposite side of the street, near where now stands the beautiful and symmetrical elm tree; the spot is now covered by Florence Street, then only a pathway. This well was in use as late as 1850.
John Sprague was Captain in the Militar>' Company of Mai- den, and Phineas, Ensign, in 1689; and their pre\'ious military record is given by Corey in his History of Maiden, p. 327, as follows: "John was with Maj. W'illard in 1676;" and P^hineas "was with Lieut. Hase}- in the Three Count>- Troop in 1675 and 1676; was with Maj. Williard in 1676; and with Capt. Wheeler in 1676; John was at different times, linsign. Lieuten- ant and Captain in the Military Company of Maiden. Both lohn and Phineas were of the seventy-four proprietors and freeholders who shared in the allotment of the Commons.
His brother, Phineas, was a Representati\e to the General Court in 1691; and there is a record of hi.s pay as such mem- ber. He received £\0, iSs, 7d for eighteen weeks and two
^■' Middlesex Registry Deeds, Book 3, p. 207.
OLD FAMILIES AND HOMESTEADS.
83
da}'s service; about two shillings per day. Quite a contrast this, to the amount paid the present members of our Legis- lature.^''
As did Capt. John Lynde, so did Phineas Sprague, keep, not as a store, but in a limited way, a certain line of goods, which he bought in considerable quantities and "bartered" with his neighbors.^^
John Sprague, son of Capt. John, was a constable of Maiden, and during his term of service it became his duty to serve, among others, the following warning, duly recorded in the Town records of 1745:
To vir John Spragiic, constable of the town of Maiden, Greeting. In his magestys name you are required forthwith to warn Thankfull Burden that she forthwith depart out of this town, and that she take her child with her. and that they be not resident longer any in said town ; and make return of this warrant with 3-our doings herein to me the Subscriber. Dated in ]\Iaklen august the 26 day, 1745. By order of the Selectmen. John Shute, Town Clerk.
thankfull Burden above mentioned, is warned according to the tenor of the warrant per me. John Sprague, Constable.^-
Phineas Sprague, brother of John, died in 1736. He left two sons, Phineas and Samuel, to whom he bequeathed his two farms; and for Phineas he 'built, in 1720, a homestead on the spot where now stands the residence of the late Mrs. Liberty Bigelow, on West Foster Street, and to Samuel he gave the old homestead, which he afterwards deeded to his brother Phineas, in 1 761. Middlesex Deeds, book 63, p. 198. This Phineas died in 1775; and b>- his will the property passed into the possession of his son Phineas, the fourth of the name, who was born in
^'^ Sixty years later the compen- sation had not much increased as is witnessed by the following vote passed in Town Meeting in May, ^753- "Voted That the person or persons that shall be chose at this meeting to represent the town in General Court shall manifest to the town at sd meeting that he or they will draw out of the treasury the money that may become due by law to him or them for Sitting in said Court and then immediately deliver itjto the town to be for the towns use excepting two shillings and eight
pence per day to a man to be at his or their own dispose and if any person or persons refuse to serve upon said condition the town to proceed to another cho3-ce or choyces." Joses Buck nam was chosen Representative for that year and upon those terms.
■'1 Bucknam, letter of July 10, 1899.
•*- The practice of warning all new comers was followed in order that no one might become a " town charge."
84 • HISTORY OF MELROSE.
1725, in this West Foster Street house, where he lived and died. He had several sons, to one of whom, Jonathan, he gave the old homestead