USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Brookline > Proceedings of the Brookline Historical Society at the annual meeting > Part 23
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In the Brookline records of 1713 and 1715, it was called the " roadway leading to Roxbury," and also "the Country road that
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leadeth from Roxbury to Newton through Brookline along by Leftenant Gardner's House."
Chapter 67, Massachusetts Acts of 1806, incorporated the Wor- cester Turnpike and authorized Aaron Davis, Luther Richardson, Samuel Wells, Charles Davis and William H. Sumner, Esquire, to lay out a turnpike from Roxbury to Worcester, "commencing at or near Roxbury street and running near the house of Stephen Hig- ginson, Jr., in Brookline, thence near Mitchell's Tavern in Newton, thence crossing Charles River near General Elliott's Mills and running near the house of Enoch Fiske in Needham (this part of Needham is now Wellesley), thence to the Neck of the Ponds, so called, in Natick ; thence near the house of Jonathan Rugg in Framingham; thence near the house of. Deacon Chamberlain in Southborough ; thence near Furbush's Tavern in Westborough ; thence near the house of Jonathan Harrington in Shrewsbury ; thence crossing Shrewsbury pond and running north of Bladder pond to the street in Worcester near the Court House ; with power to erect four toll gates thereon, at such places, not being on any old road, as the committee appointed by the Act shall determine."
In the records of the Court of Common Pleas for Norfolk County is the report of Bezabeel Taft, Nicholas Tillinghast and Silas Robinson, the committee under the Act of Incorporation to lay out the Worcester Turnpike. This report is technical, full of references to stakes, and piles of stones, small oaks or crotched apple trees, but lacks - what would be of greatest interest today- the names of the owners of the lands through which it was laid out, except in a few instances.
Until 1844, that part of Brookline between Pearl street and the Parkway belonged to the town of Roxbury. This portion of the old road, and as far as the Newton line, is described as follows, omitting the technicalities :-
Beginning with the paved street near the brick school house in Roxbury we located said Turnpike over the old road,- the same being four rods wide, till it comes to the easterly end of Ebenezer Crafts' faced wall in front of his dwelling house, and on the * southerly side of said road, thence * * by William Wyman's land to A stake near the S. E. corner of an old dwelling house, thence to a stake at the easterly side of said Wyman's front yard, near the south east corner of said yard, thence through the said Wyman's front yard and out at the westerly side thereof near a small elm tree; then on the old road by the Punch Bowl Tavern in said Roxbury and Brookline and to the northeasterly corner of the dwelling house and store of Thomas White on the southerly side of said turnpike road; then from said corner to a heap of stones on Walley's Hill, thence by "various stakes and stones" by Col. Hammond's land to a bound where the location of said turnpike road commences at the town of Newton in the county of Middle- sex, etc.
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From a study of the old valuation and tax lists of Brookline from 1796 to 1808, the following were probably those from whom land was taken when the Turnpike was laid out :---
Thomas White, White and Sumner, Eliphalet Spurr, George W. Stearns, Samuel Slack, Widow Elizabeth Davis, Thomas Walley, Samuel Clark, Widow Partridge, John Goddard, Benjamin God- dard (no poll in 1809), David Hyslop, Esq., John Lucas, Esq., William Ackers, Ebenezer Heath, Jonathan Mason, Esq., Ben- jamin White, Ebenezer Richards and Jonathan Hammond.
The Turnpike location followed the "old road" from the brick schoolhouse in Roxbury to the Punch Bowl Tavern, but after the committee had stopped and refreshed themselves for awhile with Landlord Laughton they must have become decidedly optimistic, for they paid no further attention to the "old road " which had served the public for a hundred and fifty years between Boston and the Upper Falls in Newton.
They paid attention to nothing but the compass, and, standing under the sign of the Lemon Tree and Punch Bowl, they laid the line a few degrees south of west and began to drive stakes and run lines straight away for Richards' Tavern, regardless of the steep grades over Walley's Hill.
As they began to climb the slope of this hill, they crossed the "New Lane," as it was called (now Cypress street), which was laid out in 1720 and 1721, as " a way for the North End inhabitants to go to the meeting house." On the other side of the hill they struck the old Sherburn road in front of Benjamin Goddard's land and absorbed it into the turnpike as far as Ackers corner, in accor- dance with the written agreement made with the town. At Ackers corner the old road was abandoned again, as the compass pointed straight for the high hill belonging to the Hon. Jonathan Mason, (now Lyman's Hill,) and to go around instead of over a hill was not to be thought of. From Ackers corner the road to Little Cambridge (now Chestnut Hill avenue) had been staked out in 1796 over lands of John Lucas and Isaac S. Gardner.
Down grade from Mason's Hill, the pike soon came in sight of Richards' Tavern, which stood facing the old Sherburn road. At this point there branched to the right an old highway, which long before 1700 extended through the lands of Vincent Druce and various members of the Hammond family towards Watertown. This old highway, which was called Cross street in the Brookline records and map of 1844, has been known as Hammond street since 1855.
With fresh courage imbibed with the hospitable welcome of Landlord Richards, who foresaw the great prospective increase to the patronage of his house, and with his words of encouragement
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to urge them on, the committee took another look at their com- passes and started into the thick woods, across the swamps near the great pond belonging to Col. Hammond, over hills and through meadows straight for the river at the point where the Indian fish weirs and wading places existed before ever Boston was settled, and to which the Sherburn road came by a more circuitous route.
Drake's Roxbury (page 304) says :---
" Roxbury street, laid out in 1652, was in 1663 described as ' the highway from the upper end of the lane towards the meeting house, and so down by the old mill and so forward to Muddy River.' It was also called the highway to Dedham, then the Cambridge Road, afterwards the Worcester Turnpike, and later as Washington and Tremont streets."
This portion of the original laying out was discontinued as a turnpike by Chapter 76, Acts of 1826 (Feb. 15, 1826), which pro- vided - " That from and after the passage of this Act, so much of the location of the Worcester Turnpike as was over the old road, or ancient highway, in the town of Roxbury, be discontinued and annulled ; and that the easterly end of said turnpike shall hereafter be at the arch, in Brookline, where said turnpike leaves the ancient highway ; provided the said turnpike corporation pay to the town of Roxbury the sum of $250.00 on or before the first day of May next." The Arch in Brookline " where said Turnpike leaves the ancient highway," stood at where now is Burns' blacksmith shop, at the corner of Washington, High and Boylston streets.
· Referring to the points specified in the legislative act which authorized the turnpike laying out :-
Stephen Higginson, Jr.'s, house was on Heath street, near the corner of Pound lane. His father gave, the bell when the new meeting house was built in 1806.
Mitchell's Tavern in Newton was located at the present junction of Centre and Boylston streets in Newton Highlands. The land- lord was Edward Mitchell, who went from Brookline and kept this tavern which had formerly been owned by Lieut. John Marean (d. 1788), who probably was of the old family who lived both sides of the line between Brookline and Newton in the early days.
General Elliott's Mills. (From Smith's History of Newton.)
In 1768 Simon Elliott, a tobacconist of Boston, purchased about 35 acres of land with dwelling house, barn, malt house, and the saw-mill, fulling-mill, grist mill, and eel-weir, which were already established. He erected snuff mills in addition to the other in- dustries and it is said "that the business carried on here in the manufacture of snuff and tobacco was the most extensive in that line in New England."
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Elliott's son, Simon, a Major-General in the Militia of Suffolk County, (who died in 1810,) was very active in the business in New- ton and hence the name-"General Elliott's Mills." In 1814, the property, including screw factory, wire mill, four snuff mills, annealing shop, etc., was sold to the " Elliott Mfg. Co." In 1799, the Newton Iron Works Company purchased from Bixby, who owned just below the falls, and erected a rolling mill in 1800. In 1809, a new factory was added to manufacture cut nails, and this building was afterwards used as a paper mill. In 1813, a 3000- spindle cotton mill was built, which was burned in 1850.
In 1809, the Worcester Turnpike passed directly by the nail and rolling mill, bridging the river at that point.
Forbush's Tavern. (From History of Worcester County, 1889.)
Very early in its history we find references to various inns and taverns in Westborough. The house now standing near the corner of the Turnpike and Lyman street, the old Forbush Tavern, seems to have been the first one which in any sense was like our ideas of a tavern. This was already built when the turnpike was run so near it that it was almost at the door, and was immediately utilized as a place to change horses, rest and feed passengers, get and deliver mails. The stages with their two, four or six horses and rumbling wheels rushed up and down the steep hills. The usual number of passengers in one of these coaches was four and the fare, Boston to Worcester, was $2.00.
The Neck of the Ponds in Natick means Lake Cochituate.
(From Temple's History of Framingham.) "This pond (Cochi- tuate) originally presented the appearance of two bodies of water united by a narrow strait. This strait was an Indian fording place and fishing place, and by dumping in large quantities of small stones the early settlers made a passable roadway." From this lake, which took its name from the Indian village located on it, the water was taken for the supply of Boston in 1846.
Shrewsbury Pond was what was later named Lake Quinsigamond.
The other places and persons mentioned in the laying out were all well known in their day, and are referred to in the local histories of the respective towns.
The first meeting of the incorporators of the turnpike was held October 30, 1806, at Concert Hall in Boston, east corner of Court and Hanover streets. The stock consisted of six hundred shares of the par value of $250- a small amount of money to build forty miles of road.
The building of an air line road from Boston to Worcester brought a new era to all the country tributary to it, and what it meant to the towns along the line is well told by a few quotations from some of the local histories.
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From Lincoln's History of Worcester (1836) :-
" The Turnpike to Boston going out from the north end of the village went through a considerable eminence by a deep cutting, passed a deep valley on a lofty embankment, ascended the steep slope of Millstone Hill, crossed Quinsigamond on a floating bridge,* and climbed to some of the highest elevations of the country it traversed, when inconsiderable circuit would have given a better and less costly route. These undertakings (turnpikes), of great convenience and utility in the period of their construction, have been more beneficial to the public than the proprietors."
From Temple's Framingham :-
"The old stage road between Worcester and Boston was via Northboro', Marlboro', So. Sudbury, Weston, Waltham. The new road (The Worcester Turnpike) considerably shortened the dis- tance between Boston and Worcester. The steep hills kept off the teaming of heavy merchandise, but a stage route was at once established, and as Framingham was the central point for chang- ing horses and making repairs, it gave a great impetus to local business. The through travel rapidly increased - and the prompt- ness of the service made this the favorite route, so that for a long term of years not less than seventeen stages passed through this town (Framingham) daily. From 1810 to 1835, the stageman's horn was a signal as common and well known as the engineer's whistle of today."
From the History of Westborough : -
" An event that was for a time of great importance was the building of the Boston and Worcester Turnpike. It took its course, like all the turnpikes of that period, in a bee line towards its point of destination, passing over all the hills and scorning all the obstacles. Its coming made the era of the stage coach and way- side inn. Scores of coaches used to rattle by in a single day along the great through line, and the bustle and excitement at the part- ing places was great. It brought the outside world with all its news and budgets past the little towns that had lived without it so long."
The morals of the community one hundred years ago, so far as honesty goes, were no better than they are in the present genera- tion. We often think we have made a great saving if in some way we are overlooked when the conductor collects the fares in a crowded car, and few of us, I fear, put ourselves out to see that the railway company gets every nickel to which it is entitled. Human nature is much the same in all generations, and the law passed in 1809 (Chap. 71), is sufficient commentary on the tendency of the church-going New Englander in the first years of the last century.
"Whereas the Worcester Turnpike road as the same is now located and made, makes such intersections of various old roads, over which the same crosses and passes, as to render it easy at all
* The floating bridge crossing Lake Quinsigamond sank on September 19, 1817, and it was soon after replaced by a more substantial structure.
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times for persons to travel on the same a greater part of the way, and by turning off on said old roads, near the several places assigned to receive toll, to avoid the payment of the same; and whereas there are several portions of said turnpike road, over which there would be great travel, provided the said corporation were authorized to erect gates subdividing the toll established in and by their act of incorporation, which would be a great saving and convenience to many people who wish to travel on certain portions of said turnpike if it could. be done without paying full fare .... Be it enacted," etc.
By which authority was given for such sub-division of toll, with the necessary gates and signs, but no more toll could be taken in the whole, on any ten miles, than provided by the original act.
Although of great benefit to the travelling public, the Worcester turnpike did not prove a profitable enterprise to its proprietors, even with sub-divided tolls. It paid few dividends, never six per cent, and finally the whole capital involved was totally lost. After it had been travelled for say twenty years, it probably was not in the best of condition, for, at the town meeting in Brookline, March 5, 1827, Benjamin Goddard, Ebenezer Heath, and Elisha Penni- man were appointed a committee to see that the contract between the town and the turnpike corporation was at all times fulfilled, and that the road generally, so far as it passed through Brookline, was kept in repair ; and the said committee were given authority to prosecute for any breach of contract.
According to the County Commissioner's Records of 1832, a committee authorized by a legal meeting of the turnpike corpora- tion petitioned "that that part of said turnpike between Kimball Tavern in Needham and the Punch Bowl Tavern in Brookline be laid out and established as a common and public highway,- that the incorporators were desirous of abandoning and relinquishing their franchise in that part of the turnpike road. "
The Commissioners held several meetings at the Punch Bowl Tavern for the purpose of hearing all those interested, and viewing the location. At the meeting January 8, 1833, there was not a quorum and on March 6, 1833, no business was done because " the roads were so blocked with snow as rendered the location of said road difficult or impracticable."
Finally, on April 9, 1833, the Commissioners did adjudge that "common convenience and necessity require that the road should be laid out and established as a public and common high- way, " etc. .
" Beginning at the northeasterly corner of the house and store formerly occupied by Thomas White and now occupied by George W. Stearns, the line runs 17 rods to a heap of stones in land of said Stearns; thence 201 rods II links to a heap of stones on
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Walley Hill; thence 31 rods to beginning of land of Benj. Goddard and so on to the intersection of a town road near the house of Ebenezer Heath, Esq." Beyond that point the abuttors mentioned are Ebenezer Guild, Esq., Ebenezer Richards, Jr., and Ebenezer Richards, Senior, at the boundary line between Brookline and Newton.
Except through the home lot of Benjamin Goddard, where it was " contracted to thirty feet a's the side walls and fences now stand, " the road was laid out four rods wide, and the description sets forth specifically that the lines, courses and width of the road as laid out " correspond exactly with the lines, courses and width of the Worcester turnpike within the said termini, excepting through the land of said Goddard."
Brookline objected to this proposed laying out. The town did not fancy the idea of being burdened with the expense of keeping the road in good condition, to say nothing of the great amount of repairs which the committee of that day reported as absolutely necessary. As a result of this objection, after conferences and consultations a written agreement was made between the town and the turnpike corporation, whereby the latter was to pay $500 to be used in making the necessary repairs, and on these terms the town no longer opposed the laying out .*
At the Brookline town meeting of March, 1837, the Highway ap- propriation was divided among the different highway districts. The Worcester turnpike from Newton line to the Brighton road near William Ackers' house was allowed nine per cent, and from said Brighton road to the eastern end sixteen per cent annually, or twenty-five per cent from the Village to Newton line.
Votes passed at the March meeting in 1838 throw a side light on the tendency of human nature to get all that it can for its own, even if it comes to boldly appropriating land for private purposes by fencing in the public highway.
" Whereas there are parts of the Turnpike road so called which are encroached upon by fences within the lines of said road as located by the Commissioners, and in some places where the travelling part would not be essentially injured with proper re- strictions,- It is therefore Voted that the Selectmen be directed to remove all fences and other obstructions that now exist or may hereafter exist within the lines aforesaid, excepting where a railing is necessary for the security of Travellers,-in those cases, where the use of the lands between said railings and the lands adjoining may be of benefit to the owners of said lands, in such cases the Selectmen are Authorized and requested to grant license to said Owners to Occupy said lands, provided they will enter into a written agreement to erect such a railing where it is not already
*The original manuscripts of the agreement, the report of the committee and the notification of the County Commissioners' hearing are in the Town Clerk's Office.
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erected and keep the same in repair and also to keep in repair any railing which is already erected. "
If these conditions were not observed, the Selectmen were to revoke the license and remove fences.
In 1839, a petition was presented to the County Commissioners by Jabez Fisher, 2d, and others, for certain changes in the side lines of the street near the lands of Benjamin Goddard, where, in 1833, the width was contracted to 30 feet.
Certain exchanges of land were made so as to straighten the line, as a result of which a strip on the southerly side of the road was discontinued-8 1-4 feet wide and 98 1-3 rods long, from the land of Thomas W. Sumner to the New Lane, so called.
In 1841, the proprietors of the turnpike petitioned to surrender their charter, and Chapter 62 of the Acts of 1841 accepted their petition, whereby after September Ist of that year all the turnpike road except such portions as had been laid out as town or county highways was discontinued, and the turnpike corporation formally discharged from all liability. The same act provided for a con- tinuation of tolls over Long Pond Bridge (Lake Quinsigamond) provided it should be laid out as a highway by the towns of Shrewsbury and Worcester.
In the same year (1841), at the March town meeting a committee was appointed to name the streets and avenues in Brookline. The description and names of those at the time connected with the turnpike road were as follows : -
Road from Roxbury to Brighton - Washington street.
Washington street to Mr. Fisher's corner - Cypress street.
Worcester turnpike - Boylston street.
From Post Office by Dr. Pierce's Church to Boylston street - Walnut street.
From Worcester turnpike or Boylston street by Mr. Heath's to Newton line - Heath street.
Heath street to Boylston street by Mr. Penniman's - Pound street.
The description of Boylston street by Deacon Elijah F. Wood- ward of Newton, who completed the survey and made the drawings for the new town map in 1844, gives the following names of princi- pal abuttors, and locates them very accurately.
BOYLSTON STREET. (1844.) Rods
From Newton line to the house of T. W. Wellington 56 1-2
thence to J. Clark's 68
to J. W. and S. Warren's . 204
to Gen. Lyman's avenue 8 to Mrs. Penniman's 27
to Guide Post, junction of Heath and Boylston streets 59 1-2
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Rods
From Guide Post to Acker's gate 12
to Hammond's avenue
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to Hayden's gate
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to Perkin's do. .
59
to Goddard's brook
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154
From Brook to B. Goddard's lower gate 33
to F. Gerry's
18
to centre Cypress street 75
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From C. street to Dr. Shurtleff's 36 2-5
to Artemas Newell's 26 3-5
to Thomas Kendall's 3
to Hay scales 78
to Elm tree near junction of Boylston and Walnut streets 8 3-5
152 3-5
Total 855 3-5
The total length of Boylston street was a little more than one- sixth of the total length of all the streets in the town supported at public expense.
The name of what previously had been called Walley's Hill was changed about 1845. In that year Nathaniel Pulsifer requested the lowering of the road where it crosses " Bradley's Hill." The town acknowledged by vote that " an improvement of the roads in any part of the town is always a public benefit", and gave permis- sion to Pulsifer and his associates to lower the road in the place described in his petition, provided the expense was defrayed by subscription, and the work was done under the direction and super- vision of the Selectmen. The new name was given to the Hill out of respect to Capt. Benjamin Bradley, sexton, constable, collector of taxes, and in many ways a picturesque character, who ruled over the heterogeneous collection of little old wooden houses which he built on the hill, and which were removed about 1870.
During the period from 1833 to 1870 there were many changes in Brookline along the line of the turnpike road, made by the town in accordance with the votes passed in town meetings. There were widenings, relocations, changes in grade, and other improvements, but none changed essentially the original character of the road.
The Selectmen of the present day are struggling with the prob- lem of what to do in Village Square. The town faced the same question in 1847, but under conditions decidedly different from
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those of today, as we learn from the report of a committee to con- sider and report on the claim of Samuel A. Walker to the land on which the hay scales were located, and his petition for the filling up of a portion of Boylston and Washington streets, which report contains the following :-.-
"Walker purchased from the White estate situated at the corner of Boylston and Washington streets, a parcel of meadow land which he desired to prepare for building lots. To aid in the scheme he requested the town to remove the bank wall on Boylston street, and to the line of said Walker's land, and fill up and raise the interven- ing strip of land to a level with the present travelled part of said street. Also to widen the present travelled part of Washington street by building a new wall on the line of said Walker's meadow, and laying a bridge over the water course or brook now running between the front line of said meadow and the brook wall support- ing the present elevation of the travelled part of said street."
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