USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Chelmsford > History of Chelmsford, Massachusetts > Part 5
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The following is the decree of the Court. [Massachusetts Records, Vol. 4, p. 430.]
1660 31 MAY EXCHANG OF LAND BETWENE YE INDIANS & CHELMSFORD.
To all people to whom this present writing shall come to be seene or read.
Whereas the honnored Gennerall Court of the Massachusetts was pleased of their free beneficence & bounty to graunt vnto the Indians of Patucket a parcell of land adjoyning to the bounds
32
HISTORY OF CHELMSFORD
of Chelmsford plantation, the scittuation whereof being by experience found to be prejudiciall vnto the mutuall peace of the sajd plantations,-now, this wittnesseth that the Indian inhabitants of the abouesajd plantation, wth the consent and approbation of the Reuerend Mr. John Elliott, Sen, haue coue- nanted and agreed to make an exchange of land wth the inhabitants of Chelmsford, in manner following. vizt: tat the partition & dividing ljne betweene the sajd English & Indian plantation shall beginn at the Great Swampe, the sajd swampe being left wthin the bounds of Chemsford, excepting only about tenn foote in bredth, and from thence the ljne to be continued by the marked trees, as the former comittee sett out the same, vntill it reacheth Merremacke Ruier; and all the land lying on the northeast side of the sajd ljne, formerly belonging to Chelmsford, shall henceforth be the propper right & to the sole vse of the sajd Indian plantation; and all the land on the southwest side of the sajd ljne, excepting only what is hereafter graunted vnto James Parker, whither of the Indians old or new graunt, & euery parte thereof, shall foreuer be & remajn the proper right & to the sole use of the inhabitants of Chelmsford.
And Whereas there is a parcell of land lying & being at the west end of the Indians graunt, wch is not wthin the bounds (of either plantation) as aboue exprest, this wittnesseth that the sajd parcell of land, be it more or lesse, is, by the free consent of both the abouesajd plantations, given, graunted, & alienated vnto James Parker, of Chemsford, abouesajd, for and in con- sideration of his great pajnes and costs wch he hath necessarily expended in setling the bounds, as aboue is expressed, betweene the abouesajd plantations, to haue & to hold the sajd parcell of land, wth all the appurtenances thereof, vnto him, the sajd James Parker, his heirs and assignes for euer, to his and theire only propper vse & behoofe. And to the true performance of the aboue named exchange & graunt, mutually made by & betweene the sajd plantations, and also theire joinct graunt and guift vnto the sajd James Parker, on condicons & in manner aboue expressed, both the sajd plantations doe hereby respectively bind themselves, theire heires, execcutors, & administrators, each to other & joinctly, to the sajd James Parker, his heires & assignes, firmly by these presents; in wittnes whereof these whose names are subscribed as the deputjes & lawfull trustees of the abouesajd plantations, haue herevnto putt theire hands & seales.
Aprill the third, 1660.
Signed in presence of Willjam Simmes, Samuell Greene, James Converse,
James Parker, & a seale, William Felther,
Tho: Hincksman, & a seale,
John Elliott, in wittness of my appro- bation.
Petucket Bridge
my may
Asculte
mas
County road
Farol Saw mill Saw mill. maury this
Salumi Loquios noc-
Tebetriers mill
Tewksbury
fruit milk
Con cord Rever 15 roos wie
Town road.
Canal
Locke
Stony Brook
=middlesex Canal
Great Road to Boston 25 miles to th
Musimac River 25,000 wide
grut mill
Jours road
meeting
Brook
moz
Road
togrist mille
River Meadow
2 to Boston
39 3, W 3 miles 172 mois.
Billerica
I Court house
As Plan of Chelmsford. Romacted by a Scale of 200 mol to an Inch Lunges Nos 17gt by Treduc French 2.3 miles & Cambridge Courthouse -
No. 4
MAP OF CHELMSFORD IN 1794
33
THE BEGINNING
The names of ye cheife inhabitants of Pmatucket, testifying theire consent and sattisfaction in this deed :-
The marke of ()
Puntahhun.
John Tohatowon.
The mrke.
Kussinauscut,
The marke of O
Pannobotiquis,
The mrke Un of
Nomphon,
The mrke of @
Peter,
The mrke of Ot
Nonnoit,
The mrke of Us
Wampannooun.
Wee doe testify these markes & names were sett doune lawfully at a publicke meeting, the 14th of the 3d. 1660
John Eliot, Sen. John Eliot, Jun.
This deed is acknowledged by Wm Fletcher, Tho Hincksman, together wth James Parker, as trustees for ye Indians, to be thire act & deed, this 5 2mo 1660
as attest Tho: Danforth.
In ansr to the petition of the inhabitants of Chelmsford & Patuckett, the Court Judgeth it meete to confirme theire agree- ment, & orders the same to be recorded.
In order that their title to the land might be further strength- ened and to satisfy any claim that the Indians might presume to hold upon lands within the town a deed was obtained, April 26, 1665, from the Indians, who deeded the land lying "within the bounds and limitts of the said Towne of Chelmsford, and is bounded Southerly by the lands of the Towne of Billerica and West Southerly partly by the lands of the towne of Concord and partly by the Indian plantation of Nashoba, and E' S'thly by the Countryes land. Northerly by the lands of Mr. Edward Ting, and on the North by Merrimacke River, and on the East and North East by the plantaccon of the Indians called Patuckett."
In that year the town levied a rate of £31, 17s., 8d. for "A Toune rate and for the parches of the plantation of ye Indians."
In 1665 the line was more definitely established between Chelmsford and Wamesit by committees from Chelmsford and Billerica and the Indians of Wamesit. It appears from the description of the line as established by them that it began at Concord river at what was subsequently known as Wamesit stake, from there crossing the river meadow and over the ridge on what is now the Lowell city farm to great swamp, through which later the Middlesex canal was constructed, and by the line of what is now Baldwin street to Merrimack river.
34
HISTORY OF CHELMSFORD
The following is as this agreement appears in the town records. [Transcript of 1742, p. 142.]
THE BOUNDS BETWEEN CHELMSFORD & WAMASETT.
June the: 8th: 1665: Ensign Hinchman and Sergeant Fletcher being apointed by the Town of Chelmsford: and Sergeant Parker with Jonathan Danforth of Billerica: and the Indians who are the Inhabitants of Wamasett being apointed by the Indian Court at Wamassett to Run the Line- between Chelmsford and Wamas- sett did attend the same: And the Bounds between them are as followeth: viz: we began at the stake by the side of Concord river which is the most Northerly Corner of Billerica & on that side of the River: and from that stake we Run a Streight Line untill you Come over the River meadow to a black oak marked with W and C: from thence westward Cross the high Ridge to a pine in the Bottom Marked as before: from thence it Runs by marked trees at a Little distance westward of the high ridge uto a Little white oak: from thence it turns to the great swamp by a great white oak marked on the east of Butterfields high-way: and from thence to the swamp: and Tenn foot within the swamp there being a White oak marked where we Com to the Swamp with: C and W: and so the Line is to, Run Tenn foot within the thick swamp: untill you Come to Ensign Hinchmans meadow there it comes from the Swamp to Tenn White oaks standing together: one being marked: and from thence by marked trees Leaving the swamp and meadow to Chelmsford: and Continue the Line to Merimack : Also it is agreed that Chelmsford is to have Conveniant high wayes through this Land in any place as shall be found need- full: as also a Covneniant highway by their Line from Merimack River to Ensign Hinchmans Damm. This was agreed by us: there was present and Consented
Nob How John Line Misstick George Frances. Samuel: alias Manatoques
Thomas Hinchman William Fletcher John Parker Jonathan Danforth
old Rogger.
This above is a true Copy of the origanall Recorded the : 27th : of January: 1691 : By me Solomon Keyes Town Clerk
35
THE BEGINNING
FIRST SAW MILL.
It has always been a marked characteristic of the New Englanders from the very first, that they manage to provide for themselves comfortable and substantial dwellings.
There being no saw mill nearer than Concord or Woburn, and neither roads nor bridges between those places and Chelms- ford, the first who came must have been compelled to erect log houses for their shelter, although there is a tradition that William Fletcher had a frame house in 1654. There is a tradition also that Josiah Richardson's first shelter was partly formed by digging into the bank.
The people were not long content to occupy such rude struc- tures, and very soon negotiated with the enterprising Samuel Adams to erect a saw mill, and also a mill for the grinding of corn.
Mr. Adams was a person of somewhat varied accomplish- ments. Rev. Wilkes Allen, in some notes made by him after his history of Chelmsford was published, states, upon the authority of some old deeds and other papers in the Adams family, that he was a millwright. "He was also somewhat skilled in medicine & exercised his skill to ye advantage & benefit of this infant settlement while they were destitute of a physician better informed."
He was a Captain in the military, Clerk of the Writs, and for twenty years town clerk. The records in his handwriting are still mostly quite legible.
The Town was quite liberal with Mr. Adams, giving him 100 acres of land in consideration of his "erecting & maintaining a Corn Mill for the Towns suply," and he was given 450 acres in consideration of his erecting a saw mill.
These with other grants made his holdings "by estimation about six hundred acres." * * *
The following is the vote of the Town in reference to the saw mill as it appears in the town records [Transcript, p. 32]:
"1656, July Day ye third. At a Public meeting of the whole town, it is Granted to Mr. Samuel Adams in Consideration of Setting up a Saw-mill: and thereby supliing the Town with Boards at three Shillings the hundred, or the Sawing of one Board log for the providing and bringing of another to be Redy to work by the next March ensuing. In consideration Whereof it is hereby Granted to the Sd Mr. Adams to have the Sum of Four hundred and fifty acres of Land upon the South Side of the meadow
1149675
36
HISTORY OF CHELMSFORD
belonging to the Sd Mr. Adams, called brook meadow; Farther that the Sd Mr. Adams Shall have Liberty to make use of the Pines upon the Common. And to hold the fore Sd Land to him and his heirs for ever."
And "Mr Adams is granted Libberty to sett Flood gates for the advantage of his Mill pond at the Mouth of Hart pond this was granted by the Town for the use of his Mill to him and his heirs forever"*
This mill was upon Great, or River Meadow brook, about two miles, a little east of south, from the center of the town. A saw and gristmill was maintained there by five successive genera- tions of the Adams family. It then passed by purchase to Mr. Abbot Russell, who was followed by his son, the late Lincoln H. Russell, since whose death in 1899, the mill has not been used.
PETITION TO TRADE WITH INDIANS.
The following petition to the General Court, asking for the privilege of trading with the Indians, gives their representation of the difficulties which they encountered in providing for their families in "this Remoat Corner of the wildernes."
The 33 names signed to the petition probably included very nearly all of the adult males then living in town.
Chelmsford
May: 17: 58 To the honered Coart Assembled at Boston
the humble petistion the in habetants of the towne off Chelmsford Sheweth: that we have as god by his Providenc haveing despoased off us with our famelies into this Remoat Corner of the wildernes: whare not with Standing the improvement of all Lawfull Liberties and Advantages put into our hands wee have and doe find as the State of things now standeth Much dificalte to : nay imposebile [ ] of procuering such nesesarie suplye as boath Church and familie ocations doe call for to the great hasard boath of uss and owrs as wee dout not but yr wisdoms are sensable off which difecalltie is much increased to uss by beeing prohibeted from tradeing with the indiens which we doe Conseive to bee our Lawfull Liberte: owr humble Requeste tharfore is that yr honers would bee pleased to take this Case into yr Consideration: and grant your petiscioners thare Lawfull Liberte which wee Conceive ought not to bee Menopolised in as much as it is no nue inuention and that the Lord would kepe boath you and yours in his feare and truth wee your petiscioners shall for ever praye
*Town Records, Transcript, p. 34.
37
THE BEGINNING
wee doe further in [ ] your honer to Rate for this inserted Leter to bee our townes brand or Leter of marke as Law injoyneth Vss: C:
James Parker Thomas Adams
Josiah Richardson
William Fletcher
Edward Spalden
John Fiske
Henry Farwell Tho Chamberlin
Georg byam
Berabin butterfild
Beniamin buterfild Roberd Procter
Daniel Blodget
Edman Chamberlin
Edward Kempe James Blud
John Spalden
Joseph Parker
Roberd Flecher Samewell Foster
Joseph Gilson: Games Hildereth:
William Underwod
John Shiple:
Richard Hildereth
John Nutting
Abraham Parker
John Right Jacob Parker
Edward Spalden
John Shiple
Joseph Parkis
Samewell Kempe
[Massachusetts Archives, Trade &c., Vol. 119, p. 19.]
What action was taken upon this petition does not appear, but the privilege asked for was probably not granted, because it would have interfered with a valuable source of revenue to the Colony, the statute holding that " * * *
the Trade of Furrs with the Indians in this Jurisdiction, doth properly belong to this common-wealth and not unto particular persons."*
EARLY ROADS AND LOCATION OF HOUSES.
In fixing upon locations for their dwellings an important consideration, to the early settlers, was to be convenient to the meeting house. Mutual protection and social considerations would prompt them to cluster about this social center, and the General Court had decreed in 1635 that no dwelling should be placed more than half a mile away from the meeting house in any new plantation. But the physical condition of the country was such that these desires could not well be carried out, and they were forced to locate at places which offered the best promise of support for their families.
*General Laws, 1672, p. 75.
38
HISTORY OF CHELMSFORD
When the committee first explored this tract with a view to settlement, the only land mentioned as under cultivation was the Indians' cornfield upon Robins hill. With that exception the territory which these men surveyed from this eminence was probably an almost unbroken forest, excepting upon the meadows which skirted the streams, or upon land too barren to support vegetation. This, at least, would be the condition unless the land had been devastated by Indian fires.
As the meadows furnished a supply of food, easily obtained, to carry their animals through the winter, we find many of the first inhabitants located near the borders of such meadows.
One of the first necessities in promoting the development of the town was for suitable highways to enable the people to pass from house to house and to "mill and meeting house." Highway surveyors were chosen at the second town meeting in 1655 and annually thereafter. Often the aboriginal paths were widened and graded by the early settlers into roads.
If there were any roads laid out by the town before 1659, they are not recorded. There were, however, roads in use previous to that time. One of the first of these passed between the cemetery and common, following the line of Worthen street and Crosby place to the house of William Fletcher, some thirty rods beyond the Crosby house. Soon, if not at first, this continued toward what is now the house of Jas. L. Stearns and from there by Golden Cove road and Stedman street towards the Merrimack river.
The "town-way to the mill" led to Saml. Adams' saw and corn mill and corresponded to what is now the Boston road as far as the Hazen place. Originally it passed around (through what is now called Adams street) by the present house of C. E. Bartlett. It made a turn to the left near J. E. Warren's house, and, after crossing Farley's brook swung around to the east to avoid the hill.
The "road to the Bay" was what is now Billerica road. This was the line of travel to Boston for Groton and Lancaster as well as Chelmsford, and those three towns were required to help build and support the bridge across the Concord river in Billerica.
Upon these roads the houses in or near the village were located. The house of Mr. Fiske, the minister, was near the meeting house, of course. Wm. Fletcher's house has been men- tioned. His brother, Samuel, lived near him. John Bates' was
39
THE BEGINNING
near Mr. Fred E. Russells', and the house of Dea. Cornelius Waldo, who came here from Ipswich in 1665, Allen tells us was in his garden, probably where the house of Edward J. Robbins was recently erected.
Abraham Parker, the first settler, had his homestead lot on the south side of the Billerica road near the present town farm (he was bounded easterly by his river meadow, and north by the highway to the Bay), but later we find his house at the village, where he and his sons built a mill near the upper dam of the Mill pond.
Jacob Parker, the town clerk in 1658 and several years fol- lowing, was near the first location of his brother, Abraham.
Deacon Henry Farwell, the tailor, was nearer the village on the same road.
John Nutting was on the south side of Beaver brook and east of the road to the mill and he had for near neighbors, James Blood and Joseph Parker. These last three and James Parker soon removed to Groton where their lot was made bitter by the repeated attacks upon that town by the Indians.
Steven Pierce, a tailor, the progenator of the Pierce family in town, came from Woburn and married a daughter of Jacob Parker. His home was in the village. He was granted land in 1671. "A small parsill to sett a house upon south west side of Beaver brook bridge."
Samuel Adams we should find at his mills on Great brook, and between him and the village was Moses Barron, near the place of the late Chas. Sweetser; and for a short time his near neighbor was Francis Gould and his wife Rose, who had come from Braintree.
Farles brook and Round meadow are named in the description of Barron's land.
John Blanchard probably lived at what is now the Joseph E. Warren place. Dea. Joseph Warren came into possession of this land about 1700, since which time it has remained in that family. Benjamin Butterfield lived on the same road, nearer the village.
The Beaver brook meadows west of the village attracted a number of families into that section. This was known as the "West End." One of these families was George Byam's, one of the original families which came from Wenham with Mr. Fiske They settled where Geo. A. Byam now lives (1905). The place has been continuously in the Byam family.
40
HISTORY OF CHELMSFORD
A near neighbor to the Byams was Thomas Chamberlain. The spot is pointed out a few rods east of the Hunt place, where his house is supposed to have stood. The earliest record of any highway in town started from his house.
"January: 7: 1659
George Biam and Thomas Barrett are apointed a comitee to state the High-way that gos to Tadmuck before Thomas Chamberlains hous: The tree at his Hogs Coat is concluded one bound and so to Run his due bredth acording to order towards the Brook Cald Beaver brook."*
Edmund Chamberlain, Richard Hildreth, Robert Proctor, the brothers, Jacob and Arthur Warren, and perhaps Dea. Edward Kemp and his son-in-law, Dea. Samuel Foster, both of whom were of the Wenham company, were in this neighborhood.
Thomas Chamberlain's highway mentioned above presupposes one already in use for this neighborhood to go to the meeting house.
This was formally laid out
"3d 1 month 1662-3.
Thomas Adams and Josiah Richardson being chosen a committee to Joyn with Groton committee to Lay out a High- way from Town to Town the work is performed by them and the way is Laid out from Beaver Brook Bridge over the North side of Robbins-hill and thence through Richard Hildreth's yard and so to the west end of Hart pond over the swamp and so to Thomas Chamberlins meadow and so on towards Groton, on the east side of Tadmuck great meadow" t
This was the road over which the Groton people passed in going to Boston.
All of this road which lies in Chelmsford is still in use, although upon some parts of it the travel is very limited.
Another road started on the south side of Robins hill and, passing around on the west side of the hill and into the road above described, at what is now John Byam's place.
The description given in the records of this is:
:7th: 8: month :: 1673: Laid out by the selectmen the Day above for the use of the Town a high-way which is Bounded Between Henry Gidleys Lott and John Blanchards meadow and so all a Long between the meadow and Robbins hill Runing into the way that coms from George Biams to the meeting hous:
This road accommodated Thomas Barrett, who had come from Braintree with his father, Thomas, and bought, ten years before, a house and land on the south side of Robins hill, where *P. 42, Town records, Transcript. Book A, p. 36.
41
THE BEGINNING
C. W. Byam now lives. Henry Gidley may have lived at the Wm. Fay place, although there are marks of one or two old cellars on that road, over one of which his house may have stood.
Quite a number of families settled in the northeast quarter of the town, near the Indian line, where they had near access to the fisheries on the Merrimack river. This section was called the "North End," and that term, later, included the section from Wamesit to the north schoolhouse (Dist. No. 2).
Henry Bowtall, or Boutwell, who came from Cambridge with his wife and Jerathmell Bowers, her son by a former marriage, located upon what is now Stedman street, in Lowell. His house stood just north of where the stream crosses the road. In this neighborhood was Joseph Parkhurst,* the progenitor of the Parkhurst family in town, and on either side of him, John Wright and Thomas Sewall.
North of these were John Shepley, Jona. Butterfield, and Eleazer Brown. Thomas Henchman was in what is now Middlesex village, his land being bounded east by the Indian line, and north by the river, and joining him at the south was his son-in-law, James Richardson.
The picturesque John Webb, alias Evered, the former mer- chant of Boston, was the first man to cross over and plant himself on the opposite bank of the river.
The first road which accommodated this section was called the "Highway to Merrimack." There is no record of its having been formally laid out. It terminated at "Poorman's bridge." Where that bridge stood there is neither record nor tradition to enlighten us, although it is mentioned from time to time in the records for 150 years. An examination of the old roads and paths in this section reveal its probable site.
There is evidence of an old road leading from Stedman street towards the swamp just south of Mount Pleasant, and at Black brook, opposite to where this comes out at the edge of the swamp there are still to be seen some remains of a foundation to a bridge.
The late Sewall Bowers, an old and lifelong resident of this section, stated that formerly a road crossed the swamp in the direction of Pine street.
The road to Poorman's bridge was extended to Merrimack river in 1673, passing on the east side of Mount Pleasant, and from there the line corresponded to what is now Baldwin street. It is thus described in the records.
*The records in regard to his house lot are contradictory, but the weight of evidence locates him as above.
42
HISTORY OF CHELMSFORD
[In margin] 20: 3: 1673 A highway
Will vnderwood Will Flecher and Abraham parker being apointed to lay out a highway for the inhabitants on other sid meremake Do determin that it shall beegine att the Country way att pore mans bridge and so a longe bettwne the to swamps and ouer will vnderwods medow all along bowndid by markd treese on both sids and so runeth below mr hinchmans Dame and so to the Endian line to Answer the Contry Rode att meremake and on this side this is atrew rettorne of the Comity as Aboue Datted and heare entred by order of the selecttmen ** * *
Samell Adams clerk.
Jerathmell Bowers, when he reached maturity, settled where his descendant, Joseph Bowers, now resides on Wood street. The place has been continuously in the family. The house, said to be over two hundred years old, is undoubtedly the oldest building now standing in Lowell. Another road which helped to develop this section was laid out from the newly incorporated town of Dunstable, viz .: [In margin] Country Way The 1 Day of January 1674 leften Thomas hinchman and liften Samuell Foster beeing Apointed by the Towne to Joyne with leftenant Whealer and Abraham parker the Cometty to lay out the Contry Way from-Donstable to Chelmsford thay Doe Joyntly Agree on both parties that the Way shall in Chelmsford bowns beegine at mr Tings Farme and so to bee sixe polle wid and so to Continew as by marked treese Downe to Jerathmell bowers land and so to black brooke into the Contry way that Comes From merimack this is a trew Rettorne of the Comity as above Datted wittis Samell Adames clerk
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