History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. III, Part 87

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co
Number of Pages: 1278

USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. III > Part 87

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

The history of this library, to gather up the ex- perience of twenty years in a single statement, has shown that the best books, the most carefully selected and sometimes the most costly, brought at the op- portnne moment when the want had been created, the assimilative powers being in condition, have sup- plied the material for the want of which perhaps a life failure would have resulted rather than the laying of a foundation for future growth.

The great need of a young man or a young wo- man who finds that it takes most of his time and strength to live, whose whole life and energy is ab- sorbed in the material and mechanical conditions of existence, is to catch some glimpse of the world of mind, of imagination above him. Doubtless other libraries than this have been able to catch such an one's attention by a printed page not too obscure for his enlightenment and his enjoyment.

Not to spend too much time in describing individ- ual cases in the history of the library, it may be claimed, doubtless without fear of contradiction, that some in every condition of mental development, the more the higher we go, have found it a garden of de- light and of refreshing, the open door to new views and more effective labors. Such will prove their grateful appreciation by leading others to still greater help, stili higher and wider, and more constant men- tal activity.

In this town, a model New England town, with its full share of dull material existence, the library has been evolved in the course of progress as the repre- sentative of the best intellectual forces, as that con- meeting link, if one ean excuse the figure, which binds this toiling, busy life to the onward car of pro- gress. It is for the masses what the schools are to

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the young, what the university is to the scholar. It is, in fact, the university of the masses.

It requires men yet on its board of control. It re- quires administration with firmness, freedom to try new means and measures, and intelligence to observe results and draw conclusions.

OFFICERS OF THE WATERTOWN FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY, IN68-1890.

TRUSTEES.

Rev. John Weiss, 1868-72 (chairman, 1868-69 ;) Alfred Hosmer, M.D., 1868-79 (secretary, 1868, '69, '70, chairman, 1871, '73-176 ; ) Josiah Stickney, 1868-72; Joseph Bird, 1868-09 ; Jesse A. Locke, 1868-73 (chairman, 1870); Abiel Abbott, 1868-69 ; Rev. Jas. M. Bell, 1808-69 ; David T. Huckins, M.D., 1868-69 (treasurer, 1868) ; Charles J. Barry, 1868, '69, 1873-83 (secretary, 1875, '76, chairman, 1877-83) ; Joshua Coo- lidge, 1868-85 (treasurer, 1871, chairman, 1872, '83-87 ; ) George N. March, 1869-87 (secretary, 1871, treasurer, 1869, '70, '72-84, '85-'87) ; Geo. K. Snow, 1872-84 (secretary, 1877-81); A. C. Stockin, 1872-84; (sec- retary, 1872-74) ; Charles F. Fitz, 1879-81 ; Rev. Robert P. Stack, 1882- (treasurer, 1884); William Cushing, 1884 (secretary, 1884); Rev. Ed- ward A. Rand, 1884-87 ; Edward E. Allen, 1985- (secretary, 1885, '86, treasurer, 1890-); A O. Davidson, 1885-90 (secretary, 1889) ; Chas. S. Eusign, 1887-90 (secretary, 1887, chairman, 1888, '89 ); Horace W. Otis, 1888 (treasurer, 1888) ; Charles Brigham, 1889- (treasurer, 1880, cbair- man, 1890); Geo. E. Priest, 1889- (secretary, 1882) ; Herbert Coolidge, 1890 -; Wm. 11. Bustin, 1890 -.

LIBRARIANS.

Solon F. Whitney, librarian, 1868 -; M. Agnes Gribble, assistant li- brariao, 1872-73 (now Mrs. Geo. H. Chapiu) ; Nelly Bradford, assistant librarian, 1873-77 (now Mrs. Solomon B. Stebbins) ; Jane Stockwell, as- Restant librarian, 1877- ; Ella Sherman, assistant librarian, 1885-88 ( now Mrs. James Norcross) ; Helen Cushing, assistant librarian. 1888 (now teacher in Philadelphia ; T. E. Macurday, assistant librarian, 1889 (uow in Boston Public Library) ; M. Louise Whitney, cataloguer, 1880 -; Mabel Learned, assistant, 1890 -.

THE WEARS-THE SOUTH SIDE-MORSE FIELD.1 -History narrates that Captain John Smith, when exploring the Massachusetts coast, in 1614, proceeded up a river which he named the Charles, landed on the south bank, probably within a few rods of the present Watertown Bridge, and his party refreshed themselves from the pure springs located in this vicinity.

When the settlers of the town located within its territory they considered themselves the sole proprie- tors of the territory on both sides of this river, but preferred to settle on the north bank, as it was better adapted for immediate cultivation, and safer from the Indians, who frequented the opposite shore for hunt- ing and fishing, and who had a settlement at a place called Nonantum. The land on the south side was marshy, back of which extended bluffs heavily tim- bered, or high bluff's rising abruptly from the shore.

For home-lots the south side was too inconvenient and too remote from the main settlements in case of danger from the neighboring Indians.

When the settlers in Newtown (Cambridge, from 1638) crossed the river and settled in “ Little Cam- bridge " (Brighton), and extended to New Cambridge (Newton), they were gladly welcomed by the planters

in Watertown. So, when in May, 1634, the colony, under Rev. Thomas Hooker, who had, under the order of the General Court, in 1632, removed from Mount Wollaston to Newtown, complained to the General Court for lack of room, particularly meadow land, Watertown and Boston offered them land, which was accepted. This offer included a part, if not all, of the thirty acres of land granted by the Court, No- vember, 1632, to Mr. George Phillips (the minister in Watertown), " on the south side, beginning at a creek a little higher than the pines, and so upwards towards the wears." Bond says that the plot was nearly op- posite the United States Arsenal ; but it may have extended beyond and reached nearly to the present Watertown Bridge. The Court, in September, 1634, "ordered that the ground abont Mnddy river (Brook- line), belonging to Boston, and used by the inhabit- ants thereof, shall hereafter belong to Newtown, the wood and timber thereof, growing and to be grown, to be reserved to the inhabitants of Boston : provided, and it is the meaning of this court, that if Mr. Hooker and the congregation now settled bere, shall remove hence, that then the aforesaid meadow grounds shall return to Watertown, and the grounds at Muddy river to Boston."

By the permission of Governor Winthrop, granted in April, 1632, without the order of the General Court (for which he was severely condemned by his nu- friendly deputy, Dudley), the inhabitants of Water- town were allowed to construct a fish-wear. May 9, 1632, "it was ordered" by the General Court, " that the town of Watertown shall have that privi- lege and interest in the wear they have built up Charles river, according as the court hereafter shall think meet to confirm unto them."

Johnson, in his " Wonder Working Providence," says, " This town (Watertown) abounds with several sorts of fish at their seasons, bass, shad, salmon, frost fish and smelts."

Wood, in his " New England Prospect," 1633, nar- rates, " A little below the fall of waters " (the present dam across the river) " the inhabitants of Watertown have built a wear to catch fish, wherein they take great store of shads and ale-wives. In two tides they have gotten one hundred thousand fishes."

Historians say that the leading spirit in the buikdl- ing of the wear was Mr. John Oldham, a freeman in 1631, " whose house near the wear at Watertown way burnt in August, 1632." Sept. 4, 1634, the General Court "ordered that no man shall fish with a net nearer the wear at Watertown, than the further part of the island in the river, and there also never to cross the river wholly with any net except it be at high water or after."

In April, 1635, a committee was appointed by the General Court to determine the bounds between New- town and Watertown, and reported, " It is agreed by us whose names are under written, that the bounds between Watertown and Newtown shall stand as they

! By Charles S. Ensign, LL B., a life member of the New England Histor- ic Genealogical Society ; member also of the Historical Society of Water- town.

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are already, from Charles river to the Great Fresh pond, and from the tree marked by Watertown and Newtown, on the northeast side of the pond, and over the pond to a white poplar tree on the northwest side of the pond, and from the tree up into the conn- try, northwest by west, upon a straight line by a meridian compass ; and further, that Watertown shall have one hundred rods in length above the wear, and one hundred rods beneath the wear in length and three-score rods in breadth from the river on the south side thereof, and all the rest of the ground on that side of the river to lye in Newtown. William Col- bron, John Johnson, Abraham Palmer."

This tract contained by estimation, on the south side, about seventy-five acres, afterwards called the Wear lands. In town-meeting, Jan. 3, 1635-36, it was "agreed that there shall be four rods in breadth on each side of the river, and in length as far as need shall require, laid (ont) to the use of the wear so it may not be prejudicial to the Water Mill. Also, one hundred and forty acres of ground to the wear upon the other side of the river, to be laid ont in a conven- ient place."

" Agreed, that there shall be laied out to the use of the Water Mill twenty acres of ground neare to the Mill & foure rods in breadth on either side the Water, and in length as farre as need shall require, so it be not preduiciall to the Ware."

Mr. Hooker and his company never settled upou the grants of land made by Watertown and Boston, and continuing dissatisfied and complaining, finally were permitted to remove to Connecticut and settle upon land which later was called Hartford. My direct ancestor, James, was one of that colony.

The General Court thereupon appointed a committee to settle the boundaries between Newtown and Muddy River (Brookline), which made the adjustment in April, 1636. Newtown retained the large territory gained in 1635, comprising Brighton, Arlington, Lex- ington, Billerica, part of Bedford, part of Tewksbury, extending to the Merrimack River, while Watertown never recovered the territory which it had originally granted. The reason for this may be accounted for in the fact, " it was not a shire town, nor place for much trade, no shipping-port, only reached by small vessels, and no resort for official men and capitalists." " After Sir Richard Saltonstall's departure, until 1686, there were no resident assistants or magistrates. The people were devoted to agriculture and some mechanical trade in the intervals of farming," plain in their habits and simple in tastes, and had no inter- est or pride in municipal aggrandizement.

In 1679 when the boundaries between Cambridge and New Cambridge or Cambridge village, (that is, Newton,) were fixed, it was stipulated " that this Watertown reservation on the south side of Charles River, two hundred by sixty rods, should be main- tained and held by Watertown for the protection of her fish wears."

The boundaries not being satisfactory, were in 1705 again readjusted so that this territory was increased by estimation to eighty-eight acres. It is stated that the lines have been since rearranged so that the total num- ber of acres, including that covered by water, is one hundred and fifty, and is surrounded by Newton, except on its northern boundary, which is the Charles River.

From the orders of the General Court it would seem that the wear built by the town in 1632 was public property. But soon after it became private property and was held in shares.

The General Court had granted the "Oldham farm," on the north side, to Mr. John Oldham, April 1, 1634. He mortgaged this grant to Mr. Matthew Cradock. The land was not ordered laid out until June 2, 164I, after Oldham had been murdered by the Pequot Indians at Block Island, July, 1636. But Oldham had soon after sold this grant subject to the mortgage of Thomas Mayhew, and this plot included the wear. For the General Conrt confirmed the town's grant of one hundred and fifty acres with the wear (Jan. 3, 1635-36) on June 2, 1641, when it was "agreed that Mr. Mayhew shall enjoy the one hundred and fifty acres of land on the south side of Charles River by Watertown wear."

Thomas Mayhew, a freeman in Medford, May, 1634, came to Watertown in 1635. He received six large grants from the town. He was a townsman or selectman from 1636 to 1640 inclusive; also in 1642; also representative to the General Court from 1636 to 1644. He is deseribed as a merchant in his deeds. From 1638 to 1642 he was a commissioner for Water- town " to end small causes." On October 10, 1641, Nantucket and two other adjacent islands, and on the . 23d of October, Martha's Vineyard and Elizabeth Islands were granted to him and his son Thomas by James Forett, agent of the Earl of Stirling, who con- stituted him Governor. Ile removed to Martha's Vineyard in the spring or summer of 1645.

He built the first bridge, a foot-bridge, in 1641 over Charles River, and one record states that this was the reason for the grant of 150 acres on the south side of the river.

In 1643 the General Court granted to him "three hundred acres of land in regard to his charge about the bridge by Watertown Mill and the bridge to be- long to the County."

Thomas Mayhew Sept. 29, 1638, granted to Simon Bradstreet, of Ipswich (Governor of Massachusetts, under the first charter from 1679 to 1686), for six cows worth about $200 each. " All that his farm con- tainynge by estimation 500 acres lying in Cambridge wth all the buildings thereto belonginge."

Sept. 23, 1646, Simon Bradstreet, Andover, gent, for £110, conveyed this tract to Edward Jackson, Cambridge, naylor, described as " his farm of 500 aeres, which was lately in the 'tenure of Thomas Mayhew, adjoining the wear lands."

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This tract commenced near the division line of Newton and Brighton, and included the present New- tonville.

His mansion-house, the first dwelling-house in New- ton, was located only a few rods from Washington Street, near the Catholic Church.

Feb. 27, 1639-40, Mayhew conveyed to Governor Dudley for £90 the rent of his wear for the last four years, leased to Robert Lockwood, Isaac Sternes and Henry Jackson for six years. Also the river side and inheritance of the wear forever, subject to a certain mortgage (referring to that made to Cradoek).

March 2, 1643-44, Dudley sold to Edward How for £59 10s. 2d. all right and income to the wears in Watertown, except £22 15s. 2d. due from Stearnes and Lockwood.

Elder How, by his will June 3, 1614. conveys to his heirs " the wears with all their privileges thereto belonging," which continued in the possession of his sons in law, Nathaniel Treadway and John Stone for many years.

Treadway, with Sufferanna (How), conveyed one- halfinterest, May 30, 1662, to Nathaniel Coolidge, Sr., and Stone the other half, May 25, 1663.

At a town-meeting held April 12, 1671, " Upon consideration that the Indians being like to buy the privilege of the wears and fishing at the river, which the town apprehended will be much to the damage of the town, they (the Indians) being like to be bad neighbors, the town voted, all, as one man, that they were altogether against their having the wears, or that they should set down so near the town." It was voted to purchase the same for the town's use, and a committee chosen to negotiate with the owner, Na- thaniel Cooledge, Sr.

Since this period the wears have been the town property, and rented every season for the highest price to be obtained as regulated by law.

In 1738 complaints were made to the General Court by the people of Newton, Needham, Weston. Medfield, Sherburne and the Indians at Natiek against the inhabitants of Watertown for stopping the course of the fish in Charles River.

In 1745 an act was passed making it an offence to raise the dam of the mill between the breaking up of the ice in winter and the 1st of May so as to prevent the fish from passing over, with a penalty of £5 for each offence.

In 1798 an act was passed authorizing the in- habitants of Watertown, Weston and Waltham to reg. ulate the fishing within the said towns, the proceed- to be divided among said towns as each paid towards the expenses of maintaining the Watertown bridge.

Weston and Waltham becoming in later years freed from this charge, lost all rights under the law.

In 1805 an act was passed authorizing Newton to regulate the fishing within its town limits.

In 1815 and 1856 acts were passed constituting Brighton and Watertown one fishery, and regulating

the same. This interest, once valuable to the town, has ceased on account of the pollution of the stream by the numerous factories established along the banks of the river. Possibly it may be re-established as soon as the projected sewer system shall become in use and the stream of water again fresh and pure.

Mayhew sold the Oldham farnı, March 18, 16-47-48, to Nicholas Davidson, Charlestown, attorney of Re- becea Cradock, alias Glover, with the mortgage can- celed for 1000 acres in Martha's Vineyard. Soon after it was seized on execution granted to Richard Dum- mer against Mayhew, and on March 21, 1648-49, it was appraised at £70. It is sometimes called the "Dummer farm" in the early record-, but is not that tract on the south side generally known as such.

Possibly this Dummer claim arose from this trans- action : " Tho. Mayhewe of Watertown March& granted to Rich. Dummer Newberry Gent'l. and his heires (in consideration of fower hundred pou (nds) in hand payed) his farme in Watertown, wch he bought of Sim (on) Broadstreet Gent'l. containing five hundred ac. And all the Weire and one hundred and forty ac. of land thereto belonginge wth certaine provisones by way of mortgage in the same expressed, and this was by indenture dated the 29th of the 7th (Sep- tember) 1640."

Mayhew mortgaged to Dummer in 1640 the parcel he had sold to Bradstreet in 1638, unless he only intended to mortgage the farm to secure the payment for the six cows, while Bradstreet treated it as a valid sale. When Bradstreet sold it to Jackson in 1646, he gave a "warranty and bond of £2 to secure it from any claim, either against himself or Thomas Mayhew."

The Court of Assistants made Bradstreet a special grant of 500 acres of land on the south side of Charles River, condition that "he was to take no part of it within a mile of Watertown wear, in case the bounds of Watertown shall extend so far on that side of the river," which gave him a confirmance of title.

Through this territory were laid out two roads,- one designated the "Country or County road "-con- structed in 1635-37, the present Galen Street, and the great thoroughfare from Boston over Boston Neck, Roxbury, Brookline, New Cambridge (Newton) and over the Mill Bridge through Watertown to Walthanı and Weston, and by this road Roxbury people went to the Watertown grist-mill. This was the only road leading to the west until the Worcester turnpike was built. It was probably laid out by or through the wear lands, under the town votes of September 14, 1635: " Agreed that John Warren and Abraham Browne shall lay out all the highways and to see that they be sufficiently repaired," and that of 1637: "Ordered, that there shall be eight days appointed for every year for the repairing the highways; and every man that is a soldier or watchman to come at his appointed time with wheelbarrow, mattock, spade or shovel, and

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for default hereof to pay for every day 5s. to the town, and a cart for every day to pay 198."

The other highway was laid out in 1725-26 and forms the present Watertown Street, it having orig- inally commenced at the corner of the present Cali- fornia Street and Fifth Avenue. Through this terri- tory, from its sources near Newtown Centre, runs "Cold Spring " Brook, in early history called "Smelt Brook," by reason of the fish of that name that used to pass up the water, which flows through Boyd's and Cook's Ponds into the Charles River.

Prezentment was made against the town in 1695 and 1705 for want of a bridge over Smelt Brook. In behalf of the town in 1705 Jonas Bond, Esy., (known as the "marrying squire") answered it was a shallow place, and a good bottom, and needed not a bridge. The Court ordered that the said way be forthwith mended on pain of paying £5.

In 1632 Newtown (Cambridge) had granted to Thomas Shepard, late pastor, 300 acres of land be- yond Watertown mill, adjoining that which was Thomas Mayhew's, also 200 acres more near Samuel Shepard's farm.

The Rev. Mr. Shepard died in 1649 and this land passed to Richard Park, although there is no record of such transfer. Some authorities state that a small part of the northeasterly portion of this tract along the Charles river or weir lands was in Watertown. Excepting this small portion the residue of the terri- tory of the south side came into the possession of Richard Dummer as has been shown, which was con- firmed by a grant from the General Court.

Richard Dummer sold to William Clements of Cambridge for £60, twenty-five acres bounded souther- ly by the highway from Watertown to Roxbury, (pres- ent Washington street, Newton), - northeasterly on Charles river, and partly in Watertown and partly in Newton. Clements sold the same to Daniel Bacon of Bridgewater, tailor, for £60 in 1669. Daniel's sons, Isaac and Jacob, settled on this tract, Isaac having in 1681, bought five and one-half acres from his brother Daniel of Salem. Jacob's house was sit- uated on the present Galen Street, probably on the site of the hill; while Isaac's house was located far- ther towards Newton, probably near Williamis Street. Isaac's part subsequently was conveyed to Oaks An- gier, who kept a tavern on the site where the Nonan- tum house now stands. March 19, 1692-93 Jacob sold seven acres for $39 to John Barton, and John Barton. Jr. and James, sold their interest in 1742, to Jonas Coolidge, of Newtown, a house-carpenter.

In 1672, Jeremiah Dummer, son of Richard (?) of Boston, sold to Gregory Cooke, shoemaker, Cam- bridge, 112 acres lying partly in Cambridge (Angier's corner, Newton) and partly in Watertown, with house and barn thereon, for $145; bounded on the enst by the highway, north by the Charles river, Month by Falward Jackson and Daniel Bacon, and west by Thomas Park's land, and this included the

weir lands. The old Gregory Cooke mansion stood on the southerly side of the site of Mr. Henry Full- er's house in Newton.

Abraham Williams of Watertown, freeman. in 1652, purchased in 1654 a house and six acres of John Callon or Callow, and married Joanna Ward about 1660, and in 1662 purchased a house from Wm. Clements situated on the Country Road, (Galen Street) southerly from Gregory Cooke's farm. The present Williams Street leading from Galen, was named from him, as he dwelt near it on the west side of the main-road. James Barton, a rope-maker, in Boston, of large means, in 1688 bought 103 acres in Newton, a portion of which bounded on the May- hew farm. He bought other lands extending over the Watertown line, and erected his dwelling-house on the south side of Charles river, probably situated not far from the present Watertown Street.

He and his wife Margaret were buried in Newton. His daughter Ruth married John Cooke, the grandson of Gregory. His son John sold the homestead to Daniel Cooke.

Gregory Cooke died in 1690-91 and his only son Stephen administered upon his estate, appraised April 7, 1691, at £191.118. His second wife, the widow Susanna Goodwin, married September 15, 1691, Henry Spring, who died 1695. He was from 1680 to 1695 the town " prizer " of Watertown.

Stephen Cooke was born 1647, married November 19, 1679, Rebecca, the daughter of Thomas and Mary Flagg of Watertown ; admitted into full communion in Mr. Bailey's church March 4, 1687-88, and possibly chosen deacon June 30, 1697 ; died in Newton, 1738, aged ninety-one. He built a grist-mill on his land near Smelt Brook, which he conveyed to his son Stephen in 1733.

Stephen Cooke's large estate came into the posses- sion of his grandsons, Stephen and Daniel.

Daniel, who married in 1722, for his second wife Mary, the daughter of Abraham and Elizabeth (Bis- coe) Jackson, died in 1754, his three children having died before him. In 1735 his father deeded to him the homestead, probably the house being the one occupied by Gregory, his grandfather. Daniel left his large estate to his nephew, Captain Phineas, the son of his brother Samuel, of Windham, Connecticut.

Captain Phineas built in 1760 the house at present standing on the corner of Centre and Pearl Streets, over the Newton line. He married in 1759, Abigail Durant, by whom he bad seven children, and died in 1784. One daughter, Mary, married Captain John Fowle, and another, Sukey, the youngest, married Dr. Walter Hunnewell.

Stephen, the brother of Daniel, had an interest in the mill on the north side of the river, which he sub- sequently soll. Jle received the mill built by his grandfather on the Cooke lands, and on September 1, 1749, he deeded it to his son John, with forty acres, with dwelling-house, barn, mill-house and corn-mill.

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History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. III, Part 87

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed Publication date: 1890 Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co Number of Pages: 1278

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co
Number of Pages: 1278