USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Bedford > History of the town of Bedford, Middlesex county, Massachusetts, from its earliest settlement to the year of Our Lord 1891 > Part 8
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The records show that the needs of a poor widow were annually discussed in town-meeting, for many years, without the slightest regard for her feelings. Further on the charge appears, " for Coffin, grave & gloves £1 5s., and a credit for the sale of her property at Vendue £2 13s. 4d."
The treasurer's account of 1802 has the following charge to the town : " Paid John Page for making a coffin for child and fetching the corps, $2.25."
In 1833 the town voted to buy a "poor farm and stock it." This being done, the care of the farm and support of the poor was placed in the hands of a board of overseers, who at the town's expense, employ a superintendent and matron, and public charity is dispensed according to the most approved plans. By a vote of the town, a simple stone, suitably inscribed, is placed at the grave of each pauper, thus preventing the increase of unknown graves in the burial-grounds.
CHAPTER XIII.
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BURIAL-GROUNDS.
A BURIAL-GROUND was indispensable to a well-reg- ulated town, and the incorporators of Bedford has- tened to assign a piece of ground convenient to the meeting-house for that use. October 23, 1729, "The selectmen met and laid out a burying-place in the land that Mr. Israel Putnam gave to the town." Later they changed the location a little, making mention of "a bridal way that leads from the road that runs from the meeting-hous to Woburn." In 1734 the town voted "to release John Mansfield's rates if he will keep the brush down in the burying- place." Thns the citizens early manifested a regard for this sacred spot. Having a central location, it has
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never been allowed to show signs of neglect that are too often noticed in towns of New England. For one hundred and eighteen years this was the only place of interment in town. The most careful estimate, aided by authentic records, leads to the conclusion that not less than fourteen hundred bodies have been returned to their kindred dust within that enclosure. The town set apart a corner for the burial of the African race, and there in the "African reservation," in unmarked graves, are Cnff, Dinah, Violet, Jack, Ishmael, Quimbo, Toney, Abraham, Domire, Pomp, Cæsar, Cambridge and others. In 1810 the town erected a house for keeping the hearse. It was in the southwest corner of the yard. The expense was $48.50. The contractor agreed to prepare the ground and underpinning, in addition to erecting the house, which, according to specifications, was "to be built with good material and painted twice over." Here were safely kept the hearse, bier and pall. The old, cracked bell was stored here for a while, and here was stored the town's stock of powder and other mili- tary equipments, all of which were associated with death or a state of uselessness. The absence of a record of consecration leads one to the conclusion that the incorporators of this town, like the earlier generations of settlers in New England, neither con- secrated their burying-ground nor dedicated their meeting-house by special religious service.
The only family reservations in the burial-ground were such as were secured through neighborly cour- tesy. The ground was extended according to the growing needs of the community. In 1795 Joba Reed and John Merriam were granted the privilege of erecting a family tomb; and in 1824 Capt. Robert Pulsifer built one adjoining it. In 1824 a private enterprise resulted in the erection of thirteen tombs, on land adjoining the public ground. These became the sepulchres of the leading families, and delayed the necessity of selecting a new place of burial for some years. In 1835 the first steps were taken towards ornamenting the grounds. The town appro- priated the sum of fifty dollars, and trees were plant- ed on the borders of the yard. In the early years of the observance of "Arbor Day " a large number of trees were planted and special care given to the ground then abandoned for the purpose of inter- ments. The advance from the austerity of the Pit- grims, progress in art and improvement in the finan- ciał standing of the sturdy yeomen is in no way more evident than in the memorials erected and attention given to the place of burial. The grim " death-head" gave place to the "willow and urn." In 1837 the first white marble słab was erected in the yard. So conspicuous was it, in the midst of scores of primitive słate stones, that it was an object of general com- ment.
The tombs built for permanence became so un- sightly through the crumbling of the exposed ma- sonry that they were rebuilt in 1887.
In 1849 the town laid out a new burial-place, about a mile east of the village. It is the western slope of a commanding hill-side, which terminates in the val- ley of the Shawshine River.
Shawshine (" Shawsheen ") Cemetery is of itself a fitting memorial of the perseverance and sacrifice of those who started the enterprise, all of whom now sleep without its borders. Both nature and art have contributed lavishly in making this cemetery an at- tractive spot. Bnriał lots are owned by individnals, subject to wise restrictions, and permanent care is in- sured by a deposit of funds with the town, agreeable to a statute of the Commonwealth, In 1852 John Merriam gave the town $100 to aid in fitting up the grounds.
CHAPTER XIV.
Highways-Bridges and Railrouds.
THE territory set off as Bedford in 1729 was inhab- ited by a good number of families who had estab- lished homes, but it was traversed by few public roads. The settlers had located their homes on the southern slopes and where they would be the least liable to attacks from the Indians. Neighborly inter- course was carried on by the shortest ents through comparatively worthless fields, and by the same wind- ing paths the scattered families reached the "coun- try road." The principal roads from town to town were called country roads, and were the only highways that received publie care. The ways for local con- venience were designated as "Trodden Paths," and were obstructed by gates and bars. The road from Billerica to Concord was laid out "19 12mo, 1660." The description of that portion of the road which was within the present limits of Bedford and on to Concord Centre, is as follows : " from ye entrance of Mr. Dudley's farme, until you come to Concord great swamp, it shall lye at least six pole wide; and from ye great swamp to Concord towne. Centre trees are marked aboute ye old road untill you come to the south corner of the widow foxes land; then leaving the old dirty road on the right hand, and passing through an opening of the swamp, acording vnto trees marked in ye center of it, we continued to cram- field gate, and from thence, keeping the common road, to ye meeting-house."
If one would follow the road through Bedford at present, he should start at Herrick's corner and con- tinne in the present highway to Proctor's corner and so on over the causeway road to the vicinity of the Sampson estate, entering the present highway east of the dwelling-house and so on in a southwesterly direction to the Henry Wood estate, and then con- tinuing to the " Virginia road," which was doubtless
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WINTHROP
DEED.
1.
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BEDFORD.
the road first laid from Cambridge to Coneord, and over which the pioneers of Concord brought their families and goods. The "Loop " by Josiah Davis is given by some authorities as the section of the Bil- lerica and Concord "Country " road, but loeal records do not support such opinions. It is evident that a road from Billerica to Concord was marked out some years later which crossed the higher land, very prob- the village; but if from "Concord road " to Mr. Lane's, it is the present highway from the Hartwell place to the village, which the town in 1734 tried to make William Hartwell "easy about." There was a road farther south from the Concord road towards Cambridge. It doubtless branched off at Proctor's eorner, before mentioned, passed Samuel Huekins' estate, and over Pine Hill by the Brown estate to the ably west of the present North Avenue. "Septem- | Page dwelling, and so on by the cemetery to Fassett ber 9, 1743, the selectmen made bounds to the high- way leading from Billerica to Concord, beginning at James Lane's " (Coolidge's), "and meeting the present highway at Joseph Fitches " (Wilkins' Hill). This way must have gone below Farrell's and past the mill site in Captain Lane's land. or William Page estate and to Lexington, then "Cambridge farms." Pine Hill road appears as a " country " road, in a deed of conveyanee in 1721, proving that it was a highway before Bedford was in- corporated. It is also described in 1718, in laying out a way from " Shawshine Bridge" to Concord River, near James Lane's house. A road from Concord to Wohurn was undoubtedly in use before the incorpor-
A road from Billeriea to Cambridge (Lexington) known as the road to Bacon's Mill, or Fitches' Mill, is first mentioned, "16 : 1 : 63"-" Will Tay & Pation, and followed substantially the present Main Street until it met the Billeriea and Cambridge road at the Page dwelling, which it followed as far as Web- ber's (Kenrick's) and then passed over "Cummings' Hill."
George farley are Apoynted to Lay out a highway from the Towne, leading to Mr. Michell's farme, on ye South East end of Mr. Winthrop's great meadow, to be layed out four polls wide." The condition of these early roads for many years is shown by an ae- tion of the town of Billerica, mentioned nineteen years later :
"23. 10. 82. Whereas Mr. Muzey makes a complaint for want of ye knowledge of ye highway from his farme, that hee bought of Timothy Brooks, to the town " (Brooks had a part of the Oakes grant now the Page estate), " The selectmen do order George ffarley, that was one of the committee that laid it out at ye first, & corp! Jnº ffreuch, forthwith to go and renue ye markes if ye said way, that it may be obvious to all travellers ; also to draw up a record as distinct that may bee, how it lyes that so it may be found afterward without inch difficulty."
It is obvious that a public way was marked out from Billeriea to Wilson's Mill (Staples') about as early as to Bacon's Mill, as it was " made passable " in 1683, and quite probable that it followed the pres- ent discontinued highway from Frost's by Hunne- well's. In April, 1694, a committee was directed " to lay out sufficient highway from Mr. Michael's farm, through Mrs. Page's land to Shawshin River ; and over Shawshin River unto Lt. John Wilson's Mill to Cambridge line; and from the same road to lay out a suphicient highway through Mrs. Page's land unto the land of Patrick Fasset, unto the house of Patriek Fasset, and from thence to state the highway in the most convenient place from Patrick Fassett's house leading up to Concord Road, and from there to Mr. Laines." This road may, doubtless, be traced at present over the hill by Wilson's honse (Ladds') to the Cummings road, which led eastward to Woburn, and westerly by the present highway, by the cemetery, crossing the Lexington road at Fitches' corner, hy Patrick Fassett's (William Page place), following the old road to Nathaniel Merriam's (Mudge's), and on to McGovern's, and over the discontinued road to the " Virginia " road to Concord. If "the road to Mr. Lane's " is understood as beginning at Fassett's, it may be indieated by the present highway from Mudge's to
Coneord and Woburn road is mentioned in a deed as going by Josiah Fassett's in 1721. Charles Wood's estate was bought by James Wright, of Fas- sett, which aids in the above conelusion. The " bury- ing-place" laid out in October, 1729, was bounded on the Woburn road; three months later the location was changed " a little to the northward," giving the present location of the burial-ground. " A bridal- way is alowed to goe from the road that leads from the meeting-house to Woburn." The bridle-way or horse track referred to represents, substantially, the present Spring Street, until it reaches the " country " road at Brown's corner.
The county roads or highways thus far mentioned constitute, very probably, all of the publie highways at the date of incorporation.
The meeting-house, which was nearly completed before the act of incorporation was passed, naturally became the nueleus of the village. The site had been selected as a geographieal centre, for it is ap- parent that the dwellings were as scattering here as in other loeations; there is positive evidence of only two within the present limits of the village, Deaeon Israel Putnam's, and Benjamin Kidder's, which was oceupied by Mansfield, after Kidder built the house now standing and owned by Miss C. M. Fitch.
The meeting-house was the centre from which the early roads of the new town radiated. September, 1730, in laying out the land about the meeting-house, "a trodden path that goes to Deaeon Nathaniel Merri- am's from the meeting-house" is alluded to, and "Mr. Bowes' compliment of land is laid out on the west side of the trodden path to Deacon Merriam's, next to Coneord Old Line," "leaving two poles for convenience for the highway." As Deaeon Merri- am's is represented by the Mudge estate of to- day, it ap- pears that the "trodden path " was the only road to
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BEDFORD.
the south part of the town. The reservation of two poles " for convenience for the highway" shows the width of the road later agreed upon. In 1731 the selectmen laid out the road from the meeting-house to Stephen Davis' (John Neville's) and on to Lex- ington line. This is substantially the present trav- eled highway from the village by the Mudge place to John Neville's where it may be traced in front (south) of the house, across the fields by a deserted cellar to Lexington line. The present traveled road from Neville's to Lexington is a more modern way. The front entrance of the house, when built, was conveni- ent to the road as then traveled.
At the same meeting a road was laid out from the meeting-house to John Stearns' land. This may be the road which, at first, passed north of the present Main Street, in the rear of the Fitch dwelling, and connected with the " country " road after going north- ward to the present estate of Edward Butters,
.
A road was at once laid out from Kidder's (Miss C. M. Fitch's) to Joseph Fitch's (Wilkins' place), "and over to Cedar Swamp to the land of Davis & Tay- lor, to Concord River meadow path." This at once suggests the present highway from Wilkins' Hill to the Sampson place.
In the same year, 1731, a highway, two poles wide, was laid out from the meeting-house to Lexington, which may be the present road by the Hosmer and Muzzy estate, over the causeway a few rods when it branched off to the south and passed the Mead's place to Lexington. In the descriptive record of this road, a causeway from Woolley's to Hartwell's, twenty-five feet wide, is mentioned, over which the road passed for a short distance. All the remaining road was two poles wide.
In 1734 the road from Benjamin Kidder's (Miss Fitch's) to Eusign James Lane's (Cooledge) was laid out, and later, relieved of its curves, became the pres- ent North Avenue.
In 1738 the road passing in the rear of Kidder's dwelling was exchanged for the present street, pass- ing south of the dwelling. It was widened at that time, and is the present Main Street from the Com- mon to Wilson Park.
March 4, 1734, "Town accepted the way that the selectmen layed out from south side of Oakes' farm to Kidder's land, so on to Deacon Israel Putnam's land by the buring-place, and gave him (Putnam), in ex- change for it, the Rangeway on the easterly side of his land." We here see, with slight alterations, the road from the springs to Main Street. In 1733-34 a road was laid out which corresponds with the present Con- cord road across the causeway (McGovern's).
From the descriptions thus far made, it appears that within the first decade of the town's corporate history highways were laid out to each quarter of the town, but this does not imply that they were in condition for travel ; on the contrary, these acts had been little more than official indications of prospective highways.
In almost every case the owners of the land were al- lowed gates or bars ; in some, however, the time for such accommodation was limited. It may be inferred by this that fences were to be built to divide posses- sions within a specified time.
The unimproved condition of the roads made it easy to change locations, as it seemed wise to do, after more mature consideration. Several decided changes were made during the first ten years, and some roads, of which there is record, are entirely lost.
September 18, 1732, the first highway rate was al- lowed (£50), and Cornet Nathaniel Page was the first highway surveyor, and in each succeeding year simi- lar sums were appropriated for the roads, but the roads were improved slowly, as more than a score ot miles had been laid out already.
The new town was favorably situated as regarded the building of bridges. The expense of preparing ways across the streams was very small for a good many years. In 1736 the bridge near the Kenrick place is referred to as the "great bridge on the road to Lex- ington."
The Hill's bridge "Episode," in which Billerica's first and perhaps only mob is seen, caused this town not a little anxiety, and in 1734 'Town voted that the way of Hill's Bridge is not a publie good and benefit."
Perhaps the people of this town thereby escaped being forced to contribute to the building of the bridge and road which the Court ordered to be done.
In 1747 the selectmen laid out a road leading from Joseph Fitch's house southerly, by the cedar swamp to the Concord and Billerica road. It passed through "Hastings' improvement," where he was allowed "to have gates or bars for a period of four years and no more." The road was over a trodden path before- mentioned. The name suggests the means of convey- ance of that time; the better roads were passable for carts, but very many of them could be traveled only on horse-back or on foot. Wagons were unknown, and the "one-horse chaise," which first appeared about 1800, was a luxury only enjoyed by the minis- ter and a few wealthy citizens. A special tax was levied on a chaise, and the aristocratic owner erected a house for its safe keeping.
The system of supporting highways, which continued until the recent method of appointing a commissioner to direct the whole business, was early in practice here. A separate highway rate was assessed and men were allowed to work out their shares, but only on legal highways without a special vote of the town, In 1745 "Col. John Lane is allowed to work out his rate on the way between his house and the Country Road." In 1748 the wages allowed were established by vote in town-meeting: "In the three summer months four- teen shillings each man pur day, in the mouth of September Eleven shillings pur day." No one was allowed full pay unless he was sixteen years of age.
In 1748 a road was laid out by the Court's commit- tee through land of William Reed and Timothy
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Hartwell. It was the extension from the present Loomis estate to connect with the Billerica and Cam- bridge road at the present cemetery gate. Eleazer Davis (2d) lost his life in building this piece of road in September, 1748.
From 1750 to 1790 but few new roads were called for-those already laid out were gradually improved -gates and bars were discontinued and an occasional bridle-way was opened to the public travel and care.
About 1790 citizens of the District of Carlisle began to take steps to bridge Concord River. A letter from them, dated December 9, 1790, was discussed by the voters of this town and the subject-matter referred to a committee.
Before that committee was ready to report, a peti- tion had been entered at the Court of General Ses- sions by the people of Carlisle and a meeting of the citizens of Bedford was held in December, 1791, when steps were taken to ascertain the best way to reach Concord River from the village. In the following February the committee reported that they had made surveys as follows : "From 16 mile-stone, near J. Fitches' to Brother Rocks, by Samuel Lane's (Huck- ins') two miles and one-half: From said mile-stone through the swamp by Job Lane's house (Farrell's) to the River meadow-Oak upland-one and a third miles and forty-eight rods; From said mile-stone over Zachariah Fitch's causway (Sampson's) to the River, near Oak upland, two miles and one hundred rods." The committee chosen to consider the feasa- bility of the plan of bridging the river made an ex- tended report, from which the following is taken: "To put the bridge where it is proposed by the peti- tioners would require the building of a road through four hundred rods of meadow, deep mirey swamp and low, flat land, and the whole of the same lying in Bedford (saving eight rods), when we have neither stone nor earth suitable within a mile,-Therefore we think it very unreasonable and imposing upon the town of Bedford for them to think for to make us their slaves for ever, as we shall be, if we should be held to maintain a highway where they propose."
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