USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Lexington > History of the town of Lexington, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, from its first settlement to 1868, with a genealogical register of Lexington families > Part 4
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This grant of Shawshine, like most of the grants at that day, was very indefinite, so far as limits are concerned ; it is impossible to say, with precision, what was included. It is generally admitted that the Shawshine grant extended to the Merrimack River. It is sufficient to our purpose to know that it included all the town of Billerica, the greater portion of Bedford, and all that part of Lexington north of the eight-mile line. Billerica was incorporated in 1655 into a town by the consent of Cam- bridge. It was at that time a large territory, bounded on Cam- bridge Farms, Chelmsford, Andover, Woburn and Concord.
It is difficult to determine, with precision, the date of the first settlements at Cambridge Farms, as the territory was included in Cambridge ; and the records of any event in that town, do not generally specify in what part of the town it occurred. Had Lexington been an independent community, with records of its own, many dates could have been fixed, which are now left to conjecture. This part of the town appears to have been regarded as the wood lots and the hay fields of Cambridge. We have seen already, a complaint that they had a deficiency of meadows. Such land at that time was held in high estimation, as it was generally
' Colony Records : Williams's Century Sermon, preached at Lexington, March 31, 1813.
,
38
HISTORY OF LEXINGTON
free from wood,1 and in a condition for mowing fields without the labor of clearing. The people could therefore avail them- selves at once of the grass from the meadows, and thus support their herds of cattle, much earlier and more easily than if they were compelled to clear dense forests and subdue the soil. . Lexington, at that period, had a considerable share of open land, and hence it was sought by those who resided in the old town. The consequence was that the first lands taken up were held in a good degree by non-residents.
As early as 1642, Herbert Pelham, Richard Champney, Edward Goffee, John Bridge, Edward Collins, John Russell, Golden Moore, Edward Winship, Richard Park, John Betts, and Thomas Danforth were proprietors of land within this town- . ship. It is probable that most of them, instead of removing to their lands, continued their residence in Cambridge proper, or in some of the settlements near Boston. Most of these gentlemen were among the early and prominent settlers of Cambridge, and were largely engaged in land speculations, not only in Cambridge Farms, but elsewhere. Such men would not be very likely to remove from comfortable homes in Cambridge to a new settle- ment, where they would be subjected to many privations and hardships.
Nor is it easy to determine where their lands were situated. The Proprietors' Records cast but little light upon the subject. Where A is bounded upon B, and B upon A, we are simply informed that these lands were contiguous, without knowing the locality of either. Occasionally we find an item bearing upon the location of some of the lots. In 1642, we find a grant to Herbert Pelham : " At the further side of Vine Brook, one house and 600 acres of land ; Concord line north, John Bridge west." The same record the same year contains the following entry in favor of Edward Goffee : "By Vine Brook, 600 acres of land,
1 At the first settlement of the country, most of the meadows and some of the uplands, were found free from wood and brush, like the prairies and open- ings at the West. This is generally ascribed to the periodical fires set by the Indians, for the purpose of destroying the hiding places of their game, and at the same time to enable them to discover, in open land, the approach of an enemy, and to give them an opportunity of attacking them from their coverts, while the enemy was exposed in the open ground. The fact that these meadows are so strongly inclined in these days, to grow up to wood and brush, shows that some such cause must have kept them open then.
39
TO ITS INCORPORATION AS A TOWN.
more or less. Herbert Pelham and John Bridge on the north." Under date of January 15, 1645, we have an entry which not only shows to whom the grant was made, but also the indefinite character of the description or boundary, so common at that day. " According to a former act of the townsmen in the year 1643, as appears unto us by their acknowledgment under their hands, it is now also ratified by these presents, a grant unto John Bridge, sen., of twenty acres of ploughed land on this side of Vine Brook eastward, near. unto the place where his stacks of hay did stand, in lieu of his lot in the neck, viz., unbroken land only with timber and wood."
It is impossible to state when the first settlement was made at the Farms. As this part of Cambridge was used to obtain hay, it is most likely that the first residents spent only a portion of the year here, and, like fashionable gentlemen at this day, had both a summer and a winter residence. But, be this as it may, it appears that Pelham's grant, in 1642, had a house standing upon it, and that John Bridge had stacks of hay upon his land near Vine Brook, prior to 1645. These lands must have been situated in the southwesterly part of the town near the source of Vine Brook, and were probably among the first lands settled. There is one peculiarity in relation to the settlement of this town- ship, viz., the earliest settlers were generally located near the respective borders of the town, as we shall have occasion to show hereafter. This probably arose from the fact that it was an appendage to another town. Had it been an independent, original grant, some central point would have been selected, around which the population would cluster. Then they would have had their own records, and any act of an individual would have been set down as a part of the history of the place. But as it is, we have to look to the Records of Cambridge, and are unable to say whether they resided at the Farms or in Cambridge proper.
Without pretending to state the exact order or the date of their settlement, we can safely say that the Bridges, Winships, Cutlers, Fiskes, Stones, Bowmans, Merriams, Russells, Wellingtons, Munroes, Tidds, Reeds, Whitmores and Smiths were among the earliest settlers and the most numerous families. We will endeavor to give the general location of these and the
40
HISTORY OF LEXINGTON
other early families. To begin with those who settled on or near what is now the line of West Cambridge :1 Edward Winship was one of the original .owners of land within the present limits of Lexington, though he probably never lived within the township. He owned a large tract bordering upon West Cambridge line, extending from near the main street or Concord road, as it is called in the old Records, north of Gilboa, including the lands now occupied by Oliver Winship, one of his descendants, and also Mount Ephraim, which took its name from his eldest son, Ephraim, who resided near it. Edward Winship, or Lieut. Winship, as he was generally called, erected a saw mill on what was then denominated Mill Brook, on or near the site of the present fur factory. This was undoubtedly the first mill set up within the township. At what time it was erected, we are not able to say ; probably as early as 1650. Lieut. Winship, according to the custom of that day, kept his property in his own hands during life, and left it by will in 1688, to his sons Ephraim, Edward, Samuel, and Joseph. The greater part of this property remained in the Winship family for several generations. They were large landholders, and were prominent among the early settlers. Nor were their possessions confined to the northern side of the Concord road ; they owned land on the hill on the south side.
Francis Whitmore was an early settler in Lexington, and must have resided on the southerly side of Main street, below Cutler's Tavern, near the present line between Lexington and West Cambridge. The act constituting Cambridge Farms a legal Precinct, refers to the residence of Francis Whitmore in describ- ing the boundary line as "running on the southerly side of Francis Whitmore's house towards the town of Cambridge." Mr. Whitmore married a daughter of Richard Parke, one of the first proprietors of lands at the Farms, about 1648, and probably came to the place soon after his marriage. He became a large
1 The tract of territory which till recently has been known as West Cam- bridge, was a part of Cambridge till 1807, when it was erected into a town. Its Indian name was Menotomy, and it was afterwards known as the West Precinct. In 1867, the inhabitants petitioned the Legislature for a change of the name of their town, and it was changed to Arlington. Wherever in this work the name of West Cambridge appears, the reader will substitute Arlington.
41
TO ITS INCORPORATION AS A TOWN.
land-holder in Cambridge and the neighboring towns. He died in 1685, and his son Samuel succeeded him on his place.
Southwesterly of Francis Whitmore, and near the present Arlington and Belmont lines, was the Bowman family. Na- thaniel Bowman, of Watertown, purchased land of Edward Goffee, in Cambridge Farms, to which he removed. He died in 1682, leaving his real estate to his son Francis, by will, dated 1679. Francis died in 1687, leaving, among other children, Francis and Joseph, who became very prominent men in Lexing- ton. They resided on or near Watertown street, in the neighbor- hood of the present residence of the Lawrences.
Southwesterly of the Bowmans were the Wellingtons, the descendants of Roger Wellington of Watertown, though they did not come to town till a later period. A portion of the original farm is in possession of the Wellingtons at the present day.
Farther to the west were the Smiths, who came to Lexington from Watertown and Waltham, then a part of Watertown. They were in possession of a large portion of the southerly part of the town, where many of their descendants reside at the present day. They were not, however, among the earliest settlers at the Farms.
Westerly of the Smiths, on lands now partly in Lexington, and partly in Lincoln, were the Abbots, who came from Ando- ver, the Stones, who came from Cambridge, and the Merriams, who came from Concord. Northerly of these and nearer the centre of the town, were the Bridges, who came from Cambridge, and were among the very first permanent residents in the place. There were also living in the southwesterly part of the town- ship at a later period, John Parker, Daniel White, Thomas Hastings, John Palfrey, Benjamin Stearnes, George Adams, Daniel Hoar, Judah Clark, Thomas Nelson, and Nathaniel Whittemore. Still more northwesterly, on what was then Concord line, James Cutler, the ancestor of those of that name in Lexington, settled as early perhaps as 1648, and consequently was among the very earliest settlers. He took up his abode on what is now known as Wood street, on or near the spot where William Hartwell now resides.
In the northerly part of the town, on Bedford street, and on land still in possession of his descendants of the same name,
6
42
HISTORY OF LEXINGTON
William Reed from Woburn settled about 1685. He was a large landholder, and had numerous descendants. He and his son William became prominent in the town. Northwesterly of the Reeds, on the other side of Tophet Swamp, so called, Thomas Kendall, probably from Woburn, settled at an early day. On Bedford street, at or near the late residence of James Pierce, originally from Watertown, resided as early as 1694, John Lawrence. He was the ancestor of the Groton family of Lawrences, of whom Amos and Abbott were prominent members. Northwesterly of this, and on what is now known as the Page Place in Bedford, Joseph Fassett, for many years a prominent citizen of Lexington, resided as early as 1700. Jonathan Trask was a resident in Lexington at a period some- what later. He lived on the northerly side of the meadow westerly of Bedford street. He was one of the largest farmers in the town. In the neighborhood of Lawrence and Fassett, Nathaniel Dunkley resided ; and William Grimes had his abode northwesterly of John Lawrence, and near the present line of Burlington.
The northerly part of the town bordering upon Woburn, now Burlington, was first settled by the Lockes, who came from Woburn ; their houses were on the Woburn side of the line. Thomas Blodgett, from Woburn, came to Lexington about 1690, and settled on Adams street, near the Gibbs Place. Be- tween the Blodgetts and the centre of the town, were William Carly, John Johnson, and John Harrington, who was the ancestor of one branch of the numerous family of the name of Harrington.
The Tidds, who came from Woburn, settled in Lexington about 1680. They were at one time quite a numerous family, and lived where Mr. Charles Tidd now resides. The resi- dence of Mr. Nathan Chandler was originally a Tidd place. In the same neighborhood Mr. Joseph Simond settled about 1681. He was also from Woburn, and, marrying into the Tidd family, located himself near his father-in-law, on the place now owned and occupied by Mr. Charles Johnson.
Further to the east, on what is now Woburn street, William Munroe, the ancestor of the numerous family of that name in Lexington and vicinity, settled at an early day near Woburn
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TO ITS INCORPORATION AS A TOWN.
line. He became a large land-holder, and six of his sons settled around him. As the Munroes were of Scotch descent, they gave the name of their fatherland to that section of the town, which has retained the name of Scotland to the present day. He probably came to Lexington about 1670. In the same neighborhood, but nearer the centre of the town, the Russells, who came early from Cambridge, fixed their abode. They were also large land-holders, and owned several tracts of land on the easterly side of what was then familiarly known as Mill Brook. Col. Phillip Russell resides upon land long in possession of his ancestors of the same name.
The Fiskes, a somewhat numerous family, were among the first settlers at the Farms .. They were located on East street near the residence of the late Joseph Fiske. One branch of the family fixed its residence on the place now occupied by Joseph F. Simonds, on Hancock street. Some of the family subsequently settled on the Concord road, and hence the name of " Fiske Hill."
Having drawn this general outline, and spoken of the families who resided in the out parts of the town, it will be expected that we fill up the picture, and give the names of the families who resided in the centre. We have already intimated that the first settlers resided near the boundaries of the town, when there were no inhabitants in what is now regarded as the village. As their families increased, and the idea of becoming a separate parish was agitated, they would naturally turn their minds to some central point for a village. This would, as a matter of course, induce some of the sons of the first settlers to seek lands near the proposed village for their abode. There were also some families coming into town which would naturally desire the same central location. This contributed to the increase of population in the village. Among those who came into town and settled in the centre, was Benjamin Muzzy, probably from Malden, who bought his farm in 1693. He came to the precinct about that time, and took up his habitation on the place which Rufus Mer- riam now occupies. He was the ancestor of all the Lexington men of that name. A few years later, John Mason from Water-
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HISTORY OF LEXINGTON
town settled on the Main street near the old Munroe tavern, and hence the name of " Mason's Hollow."
There is no plan of the township with the lots laid down, and hence it is impossible to state the exact location of the carly families. The description given above will serve as a general guide, and other incidents and facts disclosed in the sequel will cast further light upon the subject.
The growth of the settlement was at first slow. A large share of the land being held by speculators, they would natu- rally retain it in their hands with the hope of an advance in price. The unsettled state of our relations with the Indians, would doubtless deter many from leaving the older settlements, where they felt perfectly secure, and settling in a more exposed township. It it true that the place was never disturbed by the incursions of the savages, yet the fact that during Philip's War, they burnt Sudbury, and Groton, and Andover, and Chelms- ford, must have spread terror and dismay through this settle- ment, at least so far as to check its increase. But after that dessolating struggle had terminated by the death of Philip in 1676, the people had rest ; and this, as well as other new settle- ments, received some accessions. In 1682, the number of the families at the Farms amounted to about thirty, and the number of souls to about one hundred and eighty. Several of these families had come to the place within two or three years.
But in addition to the unavoidable privations of a new settle- ment, they were destitute of what was considered by our pious fathers, one of the indispensable prerequisites to the growth and prosperity of the place. They had no ministry among them, and so had no convenient opportunity of enjoying the ordinances of the Gospel, without traveling from five to ten miles. With this state of things they could not long be contented. Johnson, in his "Wonder-Working Providence," has justly said of our fathers, " It is as unnatural for a right New England man to live without an able ministry, as for a smith to work his iron without fire." Actuated by such feelings as are here implied, in October, 1682, the people petition the General Court to be set off as a distinct parish. This petition was signed by James Cutler, Matthew Bridge, Jr., David Fiske, Sen., Samuel Stone, Sen., Francis Whitmore, John Tidd, Ephraim Winship, and
45
TO ITS INCORPORATION AS A TOWN.
John Winter, in behalf of themselves and the inhabitants of the Farms. The people of Cambridge zealously opposed the sepa- ration, and the prayer of the petitioners was not granted.
The application, however, was renewed in 1684, when the Court appointed a Committee to inquire into the merits of the case ; and if they were satisfied that the prayer ought to be granted, to report a suitable boundary for the parish. The Committee, after due investigation, reported favorably to the petitioners ; but the opposition of Cambridge again prevailed, and the report of the Committee was defeated. Conscious of the rectitude of their intentions, and the justice of their cause, they renewed their petition in 1691; when the Court, in view of the inconvenience under which they labored, and of the growth of the settlement, granted their request, as will be seen by an entry upon their Journal under date of December 15, 1691.
" Upon reading the petition of the farmers within the precinct and bounds of the town of Cambridge towards Concord, therein setting forth their distance, (the nearest of them living about five miles) from Cambridge Meeting House, their place of wor- ship, praying that according to a former application by them several years since made unto this Court, for the advantage of themselves, families, and property, they may have this Court's favor and license in order to the calling of a fit minister for dis- pensing the Gospel among them ; also that they may become a distinct village for the end proposed in their said petition ; the Selectmen of Cambridge having had a copy of said petition sent them with a notification of the time for their being heard there- upon this day, and accordingly attending :
" After a full hearing and consideration of what was offered by both parties, it is granted and ordered by this Court, that the Petitioners be and they hereby are permitted and allowed to invite and settle an able and orthodox minister, for the dispen- sing of the Gospel among them, and that all the inhabitants living within the line formerly stated by a Committee of this Court, A. D. 1684, 'beginning at the first mentioned water or swampy place over which is a kind of bridge in the way, on the south side of Francis Whitmore's house towards the town of Cambridge aforesaid, across the neck of land lying between Woburn line and that of Watertown side, upon a southwest and
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HISTORY OF LEXINGTON
northeast course,' do pay unto the minister's maintenance there, and are hereby empowered annually to choose three or five meet persons to assess their inhabitants for the support and main- tenance of their minister ; as also a constable or collector to gather the same, by warrant from said assessors. The said farmers not being hereby discharged from paying their propor- tion as formerly unto all public charges in the town, except what refers to the ministry, so long as they maintain an able minister among themselves."
In the description of the boundary of the Precinct only one line is mentioned ; the other portions bordering on Watertown, Woburn, Concord and Billerica, rendered a description of those lines unnecessary. The order conferring corporate powers upon the people of the Farms, constituted them a Precinct and gave them authority to manage their parochial affairs; but in all other respects they remained a part of Cambridge as before.
Being incorporated December, 1691, the people assembled for the first time under the act, on the 22d of April, 1692, and made choice of David Fiske, Sen., as Clerk, "to write the votes of the inhabitants of the place, and to keep a record of them." This was the first corporate act of the farmers, and here their records commence. Before this date, all we know of the people of Cambridge Farms, is gleaned from the Cambridge records, and other records and papers found in the hands of individuals. At their first meeting, April 22d, after organizing by the choice of a clerk, they proceeded to carry out the object for which they had sought corporate powers, viz. that of obtaining a stated ministry-by voting " That Mr. Benjamin Estabrook shall be the man that shold be invited to preach to them, by a clear voat, and that he shall be spoken to to preach to us, a year from the first of May, 1692 ; and that Samuel Stone, Sen., and David Fiske, Sen., shold speak to him to come and preach to us as aforesaid."
" Voted, That we will give him forty pounds for a year, half in money, viz., twenty pounds, and twenty pounds in other pay at money prise, and that it should be for his salary, and to supply for his entertainments."
Previous to this meeting and probably immediately after obtaining their act of incorporation in December, 1691, an
47
. TO ITS INCORPORATION AS A TOWN.
effort was made to erect a meeting house in the Precinct, and a subscription was set on foot to obtain funds for that purpose. This subscription is preserved, and is the oldest paper upon our records ; and it becomes exceedingly .valuable, as it bears the names of the principal inhabitants, and shows the interest they felt in the cause of religious institutions. This paper, which we shall give entire, is valuable in several respects. It not only contains the names of the inhabitants, but is generally a fair relative valuation of the property which each one possessed ; for it should be remembered that at that day and for such an object, the people generally contributed according to their means. I shall have occasion to refer to this list frequently in the sequel.
The Subscriptions of several Persons towards the first Building of a Meeting House.
NAMES.
SUM.
NAMES.
SUM.
£ s.
£ s.
David Ffiske, Sen.,
2 10
Brought up,
38 03
Samuel Stone, Sen.,
2 10
Joseph Teed,
1 00
Matthew Bridge,
2 10
Joseph Locke,
1 00
Ephraim Winship,
2 10
William Stearns,
. 00
John Winter,
1 00
James Cutler,
1 00
Joseph Symonds,
2 00
Daniell Stone,
. 00
William Munroe,
2 00
John Cutler,
12
John Russell,
2 12
John Hewes,
1 10
Thomas Cutler,
2 00
Jonathan Knight,
2 00
David Ffiske, Jr.,
2 00
William Johnson,
1 10
Philip Russell,
1 16
Samuell Whitmore,
1 10
William Carley,
1 10
Matthew Bridge, Jr.,
1 00
Corp. John Stone,
1 10
Thomas Blodgitt,
1 10
John Johnson, 'North,'
1 10
Samuel Stone,
1 00
Corp. William Reed,
2 00
David's son,
16
John Merriam,
1 10
Josiah Hobs,
10
Robert Merriam,
1 10
John Teed, Sen.,
2 10
Thomas Johnson,
1
5
Joseph Merriam,
1 10
John Munroe,
1 00
Samuell Stone, ' West,'
1 00
John Stone, ' West,'
1 00
Benjamin Muzzy,
2 00
£ 38 03
£ 62 01
Samuel Winship,
2 00
John Winter, Jr.,
It will be observed that several of the names in the above list are distinguished by the points of the compass, as "North," and
7
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HISTORY OF LEXINGTON
" West." This addition was for the purpose of distinguishing them from persons of the same name, and was a poor substitute for senior and junior.
The following is the Tax Bill for the payment of the minister's salary from May 1, 1692, to May 1, 1693 :
£ s. d.
£ s. d.
David Fiske, Sen., 1 10 0
Brought up,
27
2 11
Samuell Stone, Sen.,
2 2 0
John Cutler,
10 6
Widow Merriam,
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