History of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 166

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1534

USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > History of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 166

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789

BROOKLINE.

The boundaries of the town of Brookline have, for the most part, remained as originally laid out by the different committees from the adjoining towns, and as agreed upon in 1639 and 1640. The principal changes that have been made were on the easterly and northerly borders of the town, adjoining Roxbury, Boston ; these have been varied several times. The first of any account was made in 1824, when a com- mittee was chosen to establish the boundary line be- tween Boston and Brookline. This committee con- sisted of the mayor and aldermen of Boston, and the selectmen of Brookline, who proceeded to view the premises, and agreed upon the bounds. Upon the 22d day of February, 1825, the Legislature ratified said agreement.

The next change made was by the Legislature in 1844, the act having been signed Feb. 24, 1844.

On account of the annexation of Brighton to Bos- ton, it became desirable that Boston should be joined to her own territory in Brighton. For this purpose Brookline relinquished a portion of her land on the northerly borders of the town, adjoining Charles River, as appears by the following act of the Legis- lature :

" AN ACT to annex a portion of the Town of' Brookline to the City of Boston.

" Be it enacted, &c., as follows :

"SECTION 1. That part of the town of Brookline contained within the line described as follows : beginning at a point in the centre of the channel of Charles River on the boundary line between the town of Brookline and the city of Cambridge, where the westerly line of St. Mary's Street, in the town of Brookline, extended in a northerly direction, would intersect the said boundary line; thence running southwardly by the westerly line of said St. Mary's Street extended to the south- erly line of Brighton Avenue; thance continuing in the same direction by the westerly line of St. Mary's Street, to the north- erly line of Ivy Street; thence turning a little and running south-easterly by the south-westerly line of St. Mary's Street, and by the continuation of the same to the present boundary line between Boston and Brookline in the centre of the channel of Muddy River ; thence easterly following said boundary line to the present boundary line in the centre of the channel of Charles River ; thence by the centre of said channel of Charles River to the point of beginning,-with all the inhabitants and estates therein, is hereby set off from the town of Brookline and annexed to the city of Boston, and shall constitute a part of the sixth ward thereof, until a new division of wards shall be made; and such territory so annexed shall form part of the county of Suffolk : provided, that the said territory and the in- habitants thereon, set off' as aforesaid, shall be holden to pay all such taxes as are already assessed or ordered to be assessed by said town of Brookline for the present year, in the same manner as if this act had not been passed; and provided, fur- ther, that all paupers who have gained a settlement in said town of Brookline, by a settlement gained or derived within said territory, shall be relieved or supported by said city of Boston, in the same manner as if they had a legal settlement in said city of Boston.

"SECTION 2. The said inhabitants hereby set off to the city of Boston shall continue to be a part of Brookline for the pur- pose of electing state officers and members of the executive council, senators and representatives to the general court, repre- sentatives to Congress, and electors of president and vice-presi- dent of the United States, until the next decenial census shall be taken, or until another apportionment shall be made; and it shall be the duty of the board aldermen of said city of Bos- ton to make a true list of the persons residing on the territory hereby annexed to said city, qualified to vote at such elections, and post up the same in said territory, and correct the same as required by law, and deliver the same to the selectmen of said town of Brookline seven days at least before any such election ; and the same shall be taken and used by the selectmen of Brook- line for such election, in the same manner as if it had been pre- pared by themselves.

"SECTION 3. This act shall not be construed to divest or de- prive the town of Brookline of any legal rights of drainage which it now possesses.

" SECTION 4. This act shall not take effect until accepted by the city council of Boston.

" Approved, June 18, 1870."

Again, in 1872, the Legislature was called upon to change the course of Muddy River for the purpose of public improvement, and for sanitary uses, etc. This act was approved April 27, 1872.

Geology of the Town .- The geological formation | of Brookline is not devoid of interest. Its principal features are of the amygdaloid or conglomerate rock, so common in Eastern Massachusetts. "Brochant" describes this rock, so common in this vicinity, as a kind of . wacke," a substance intermediate between basalt and clay, resembling indurated clay. A range of hills and ledge of this conglomerate species of rock extends from Chestnut Hill on the west to Cohasset, and towns on the South Shore.

The rocky portions of Brookline are of the gray- wacke formation, and of moderate elevation.

Graywacke is sometimes beautifully amygdaloidal, -that is, it contains numerous rounded or almond- shaped nodules of some other mineral. Such is the formation in Brookline. These rocks are commonly called " plum-pudding stone."

In the westerly portion of the town, near where the ancient saw-mill formerly stood on Newton Street, and also on Hammond Street, are some beautiful speci- mens of " diorite," or greenstone. It is found in rounded masses and in small quantity. In that sec- tion of the town near the New Jerusalem Church on High Street, are occasionally found some clear, fine specimens of transparent quartz rock.

In the extreme westerly portion of the town there is some slate rock, but not enough to make any note of, while just over the line is a large amount of that kind of rock, near Newton Centre.

The graywacke stone, common in this town, fur- nishes a coarse stone only fitted for a common wall;

790

HISTORY OF NORFOLK COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

but sometimes its stratification is so regular, and its and in its course took everything with it that could grain so fine, that it is much used for underpinning stepstones, etc. Fine specimens of this variety are quarried in Brighton near the line of Brookline, and in the ledge at Parker Hill.

In the vicinity of Boston the graywacke occupies a basin, of which the Blue Hills form a southern boundary, the porphyry hills of Lynn and Malden, a northern, and the greenstone ranges of Weston and Waltham a western, boundary. The argillaceous slate connected with the graywacke is all found along the northern and southern sides of this basin, while the central portion of this basin, including Brookline and Roxbury, are occupied by conglomerates and graywacke.

Although this rock is prominent in the limits of Boston Highlands, this rock in no place rises to any- thing like mountain ridges, and for the most part it occupies extensive plains or gently undulating ground. Diluvium also is so abundant over every part of it that it is only occasionally, and at distant intervals, to be seen. Among these, the most noticeable in Brookline, and perhaps the best and most marked, is in the vicinity of the First Parish Church, where there are some fine samples, which are plainly to be seen. The next best is the ledge beyond the dwell- ing-house of Timothy Corey, near to the line of Brighton, and so on through the southerly part of Brighton and Newton to Chestnut Hill.

On account of the low level, and the transported fragments spread over this rock in many places, it is difficult to ascertain its exact limits. But it is quite evident that it underlies nearly, if not all, of the sur- face of the town of Brookline and the immediate vicinity to the depth of seventy-five to one hundred feet at least. The bed-rock of this conglomerate mass may be seen in the gravel-bank at Babcock Hill, on | Harvard Street, owned by John Gibbs and others. There may be seen one of the clearest proofs of the glacial drift in the striated surface of these rocks, showing it to have been the original surface of the rock previous to the deposits of the drift period. The material of which this hill is composed is not very different from the other hills in the town, but is a confused mass of pebbles, clay, and bowlders, with some sand.

It is pretty well decided by those competent to judge, that at some time in ages past the whole of this section of country was covered with ice to the depth of from one to two thousand feet, hiding all trace of the earth's surface, and that this field of ice crept over the same in a northwest and southeasterly direction. This mass of ice covered the highest hills,

,possibly be moved, bearing in its folds large bowlders | and various débris, polishing and grooving the tops of rocky hills in its onward course to the sea. As this mass of ice melted, the accumulation of stone and rubbish of every description that adhered to the same was deposited wherever it chanced to be, and oftentimes in large masses. The hills of Brookline and Boston also are the results of these deposits. If we penetrate to the centre of Corey, Aspinwall, or the other hills near by, we should find a mass of clay, pebbles, and bowlders mixed in the most confused manner, the matter remaining to this day just where it was left ages ago. Around these hills, and near the central core of till, we find beds of sand, clay, and coarse gravel. The lowlands in the vicinity of the marshes, and elevated somewhat, are mostly sand and gravel, from the washing and waste of the bowlder clay. The black peat, or soils of the low ground near the brooks and rivers, are of a more recent formation, and are composed of vegetable matter.

Description of the Land .- The soil of Brookline and vicinity has from the early settlement of the country been of excellent quality for agricultural and horticultural purposes, as may be seen from the fol- lowing letter, written in 1629, one year previous to the settlement of Boston, by Rev. Mr. Higginson to his friends in London :

" I have been careful to report nothing but what I have seen with my own eyes. The land at Charles River is as fat, black earth as can be seen anywhere. Though all the country be, as it were, a thick wood for the general, yet in divers places there is much ground cleared by the Indians. It is thought here is good clay to make bricks, and Tyles, and earthern pots, as need be. At this instant we are sitting a brick kiln on work.

" The fertility of the soil is to be admired at, as appeareth in the abundance of grass that groweth everywhere, both very thick, very long, and very high, in divers places.

" But it groweth very wildly, with a great stalk; and a broad and ranker blade; because it never had been caten by cattle, nor mowed by a scythe, and seldom trampled on by foot. It is scarce to be believed how our kine and goats, horses and hoggs, do thrive and prosper here and like well of this country. Our turnips, parsnips, and carrots, are here both bigger and sweeter than is ordinary to be found in England. Here are stores of pumpions, cowcumbers, and other things of that nature. Also divers excellent pot herbs, strawberries, pennyroyal, wintersaverie, sorrell, brookelime, liverwort, and watercresses ; also leekes and onions are ordinarie, and divers physical herbs. Here are plenty of single damask roses, very sweet; also, mul- berries, plumbs, raspberries, currants, chessnuts, filberds, wal- nuts, smalnuts, hurtleberries, and hawes of white-thorne, near as good as cherries in England. They grow in plenty here."

The soil in this vicinity is mostly composed of the graywacke, of a deep brown color, and is among the best in the State, as it contains more calcareous matter than the slate variety, decomposes more readily,

791

BROOKLINE.

and furnishes the best soil found over this formation of rock.

We judge that all the land in this vicinity was fer- tile and well wooded upon the arrival of the English settlers, as we find the following statement as early as 1633, that there was " good ground, large timber, and a store of marsh-land and meadow." Here also was " arable ground and meadow."

While the land in most parts of the town is well adapted for the purpose above named, there is also a portion of country in the extreme southwest border of the town which has not been of much use, and any one visiting the city and riding for pleasure would be surprised to find within a circle of six miles from the State-House a place of such uncultivated territory.

To the west of Newton Street there is an extensive tract of land which is comparatively an unknown re- gion. Once heavily timbered, the original forest was cut away, and no heavy timber has since been allowed to grow there, yet it is an unreclaimed wild, covered with birches, alders, red maples, and many trees of larger growth. Bears lingered there long after they were exterminated elsewhere, and foxes, muskrats, minks, owls, and other wild game have until re- cently, and do perhaps still, tempt adventurous sports- men to tramp through these rocky and swampy fast- nesses.

The land lying hereabouts on both sides of the street, both in Brookline and in Newton, to the ex- tent of several hundred acres, was in the year 1650 conveyed by Nicholas Hogdon, of Boston and Brook- line, to Thomas Hammond and Vincent Druce. John Druce, his son, received it by will from his father.

Erosamon Drew, whose name is spelled in six dif- ferent ways in old documents, came from Ireland in his youth. He married Bethiah, Vincent Druce's daughter. The elder Druce, who seems to have been a wealthy man for those times, left his son-in-law con- siderable property.

A most curious and elaborate old deed, dated in 1683, conveys a tract of sixty-four acres of woodland | justice of that name.

for fifty-five pounds to Erosamon Drew, from " Vin- cent Drusse and Elizabeth his wife," in which an im- . perfectly scrawled V for his name, and E for hers, are their only attempts at penmanship.

John Druce was a soldier in Capt. Prentice's com- pany, a troop of horse, in King Philip's war, and in July, 1675, was mortally wounded in the battle near Swanzey. He was brought home, and died in his own house ; he was but thirty-four years of age. His son John, who was but a child then, was probably the father of the doctor who settled in Wrentham.

An examination of the new map of the town will !

i show a slight curving bit of roadway near Newton line, diverging from the street on the left, and joining it again at Newton line.

The passer-by upon the street would scarcely notice the grassy entrance to this curve, and perhaps fail to observe, unless attention was called to it, an old roof, to be seen almost on a level with the street, below the brow of the hill. Yet this curved bit of road was the original street or old road dipping down into the valley, for what good reason nobody now living knows, unless it was because down here was " Erosamond Drew's saw-mill," and there must be a way to get to it.

A brook, which is the natural outlet of Hammond's Pond, flows through the swampy lot opposite and un- der the road. It is nearly concealed by the rank bushes and young trees of this swamp, which was once an open meadow, and was flowed at certain sea- sons of the year, by which means water-power enough was gained to run the saw-mill.

Below the level of the road, down the declivity of the hill, and standing endwise to the now de- serted and grassy old roadway, is a low house1 (the roof of which was above mentioned) falling into ruins, though still inhabited. It is not less than two hundred years old, and perhaps more. This was Erosamon Drew's house, and over the brook close to it stood his saw-mill, and here all the sawing of boards for miles around was accomplished. The owner of the saw-mill was evidently a thrifty and good citizen, as he held various offices of trust in the town, being one of the selectmen, assessor, a member of the grand jury, and one of the committee on building the first church.

There were three sons of Erosamon and Bethiah Drew, who died young, or at least unmarried.

Ann, the only child of this parentage who lived to marry, was born in 1683. In 1710 she became the wife of Samuel White, Esq., and was the Madam Ann White of whom an account was given.

Ann White, the only daughter of this marriage, became the wife of Henry Sewall, son of the chief

One of her sons married into the Sparhawk family, of Cambridge. There are also descendants of one of the daughters still living bearing the name of Wol- cott and Ridgway. From one of the sons comes a branch of the Goddard family, so that there are still lineal descendants of Erosamon Drew in existence.

An old deed of Isaac Hammond in 1693 conveys land bordering on the saw-mill lot to Erosamon Drew. By another deed in April, 1731, Drew conveyed ten acres of his land to his son-in-law, Samuel White,

1 Since destroyed by fire.

792

HISTORY OF NORFOLK COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

" by reason and in consideration of the Love, good- flows, and which were once rich with cranberry-vines, will and affection which he hath and doth bear toward are now all bush-grown. The old road down which him," which was certainly a very substantial proof of | teams drew heavy logs and took away the finished his satisfaction with his daughter's marriage.

This deed was witnessed by James Allen, the first minister of this town, and " hugh scot ;" but Erosa- mon Drew's signature, alas, was only "his mark," -- a round scrawl, for he could not write his name.

The deed was acknowledged before " Samuel Sewall, J. Pacis," and rounds off in sonorous Latin, " Annoq , otherwise neglected spot. The picturesque old place

Regnis Regis Georgius Magna Brittanica quarto," etc.

In August of the same year by another deed he gave his house and all his movable property to his son-in-law, wife, and two children for his being " help- ful to him in his old age." In fact, from 1711 to this late date he seems to have been at short intervals be- queathing all his worldly goods to this beloved son- in-law. The gravestones of all the Drews are still to be seen in Newton Cemetery. The last of the Drews was gone before the middle of the last century, and large portions had been sold off the Druce and Hammond property and that part of Samuel White's land which he inherited from his wife's father.

In the Revolutionary times this great tract which still lies wild, was in the hands of Tories, who, it is said, secured some of King George's cannon and hid them in the thick woods, intending, when the right time came, to use them for the royal cause. But that time never came, and the Tories were forced to escape to the British provinces, where they stayed till their property was confiscated. It was sold and divided among many owners, and so remains. The old saw-mill came into the hands of one of the Jack- son's, and afterwards of Edward Hall, who formerly was a blacksmith on Washington Street.

For many years Erosamon Drew's old house was called " the huckleberry tavern," because the tenant then occupying it was skillful in making a kind of wine from the abundant huckleberries of the sur- rounding pastures, and on election days and other festive occasions the scattering residents of the adja- The usual course of proceeding in such cases was to obtain, from the chief or sachem of the .tribes in- habiting the territory wanted, a deed of release, which was based upon such consideration as might be agreed upon, the General Court confirming their title, or such conditions as they thought best. cent parts of Brookline and Newton often resorted thither for the mild stimulants of society and huckle- berry wine. The old saw-mill was taken down about thirty years since, and time, with the slow fingers of decay, is taking down the old house. It was a curi- ous old place, the roof behind sloping almost to the Thus we find, soon after the arrival of the early settlers with their charter, they commenced negotia- ground.1 A part of the old flume and some of the stone underpinning of the saw-mill are still to be | tions with the natives, and procured a deed of release scen.

The extensive meadows through which the brook

1 Destroyed by fire a few years since.

boards is so narrow, rough, and winding as to be almost unsafe. At the side of the road, and near the end of the house, is a little patch fenced with brush, which was every summer blooming and gay with purple amaranths and other well-kept flowers, which lent a bit of brightness to the lonesome and is a fit one for the location of the scenes of a poem or a novel.

Title to the Soil .- When the success of the plan- tation at Plymouth had become well known through- out a large portion of England, it aroused a great in- terest in the cause of colonization, and preparations for emigration were made in earnest. Between 1620 and 1630 the number was small that came to New England, and only a few settlements were made.

In 1628 an energetic movement was made, having in view the settlement of Massachusetts. A patent2 was granted to Henry Rosewell and others, convey- ing land lying between a line drawn three miles north of the Merrimac and a line drawn three miles south of Charles River, and extending east and west from the Atlantic to the Western Ocean. In the follow- ing year (1629) the number was enlarged, a royal charter obtained creating a corporation under the name of the " Governor and Company of the Massa- chusetts Bay in New England." The territory of Brookline, then a part of Boston, lies within this grant, under this patent.

The jurisdiction over and general property in the soil within the limits named in the above royal grant was conferred by the charter given to the Company of the Massachusetts Bay, while at the same time it was conceded by the colonial government that the native Indians had a prior right. In other words, the power given in the English charter was little more than a right or permission to purchase of the natives. .

2 The original document is among the archives of the State at the State-House, Boston, with the following indorsement : " A perpetuity granted to Henry Rosewell and others of parte of Newe England, in America. Wolseley."

793

BROOKLINE.

from them, signed by " Chickatabut," chief of the Massachusetts tribe. the evidence of which we find in the following confirmatory deed given, over fifty years after their first settlement, thus establishing the fact that the same was honorably purchased and ami- cably arranged :

INDIAN DEED.

" Co all to fohome these prests. shall tome. I Charles Josias, ALIAS JOSIAS WAMPATUCK, sone and Heire of Josias Wampatuck, late Sachem of the Indians Inhabiting the Massa- chusets in New England, and Grandson of Chickatabut, the fformer Sachem Send greeting :-

" FORASMUCH as I am Informed, and Well Assured from Severall Antient Indians, as well those of my Council as others, that upon the first Comeing of the English to Sitt Downe and Settle in these parts of New England, my Above-named Grand- ffather, Chickatabut, the Chiefe Sachemn, by and with the Ad- vice of his Councill, for encouragement thereof, upon Divers good causes and Considerations him thereunto moving. DID give, grant, Sell, alienate convey and confirme unto the English Planters and Settlers, respectively and to their Severall and respective heires and Assignes forever. ALL THAT NECK, TRACT OR PARCEL OF LAND, scittuate, Lyeing, and being, within the MATTACHUSETTS COLONY, in Order to their Settling and Build- ing a Towne there : now knowne by the Name of BosTox, as it is Invironed and Compassed by the Sea, or Salt Water, on the Northerly, Easterly, and westerly sides and by the Line of the Towne of Roxbury on the Southerly side, with all the Rivers, har- bours, Bayes, Creekes, Coves, fflatts and appurtenances whatso- ever thereunto belonging. As also severall other outlands belong- ing unto the sd Towne on the Southerly and Easterly sides of CHARLES RIVER. And the Island Called DEER ISLAND, Lyeing about Two Leagues Easterly from the said Towne of Boston, betweene Pudding-Point Gutt and the Broad Sound, soe called, sd Island containeing One Hundred and Sixty or Two Hundred Acres of Land more or less; with the privilidges and appurte- nances thereunto belonging. WHICH, SAID NECK & LANDS have since been Distributed and granted out among themselves into particular Alotments and other Conveniences, and given, Alien- ated, and Transferred, to and from one another, Haveing been peaceably and quietly possessed, used, Occupied and Enjoyed, for the Space of about fifty and five years last past by the said ffirst Grantees yr heires Successours and Assigns. And now stand quietly and peaceably possessed thereof at this day.

" WHEREFORE, I the sayd Charles Josias, alias Josias Wam- patuck, Sachem and William Hahaton, Robert Momentauge, and Ahawton, Senior, my Councellors (by and wth the allow- ance and advice of William Stoughton and Joseph Dudley, Esqrs my Prochain Amy's and Guardian's), as well for the rea- sons and Considerations abovemencond as for and in Consider- ation of a Valuable Summe of Money to me and them in hand well and truely paid by Elisha Cooke, Elisha Hutchinson Esqrs, Messrs Samuel Shrimpton, John Joyliffe, Simon Lynde, John Saffin, Edward Wyllys, Daniel Turel Sent, Henry Allen, John Faireweather, Timothy Prout Sent, and Theophilus Ffrary, of Boston, afforesaid, for and in the behalft of themselves and the rest of the Proprietated Inhabitants of ye towne of Boston, above- said the receipt of which sd summe of Money as ffull and Lawfull Consideration, wee do hereby acknowledge to have received; and thereof, and of every parte, and parcel thereof, doe ffully acquitt and discharge the sd Elisha Cooke, Elisha Hutchinson, Samuel Shrimpton, John Joyliffe, Simon Lynde, John Saffin, Edward Wyllys, Daniel Turel Sent. Henry Allen, John ffaire- weather, Timothy Prout Sent. and Theophilus Ffrary, and

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History of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 166

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1534

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1534