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 Copy 1 
 
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 OLD 
 
 HIGHWAYS AND LA5FM 
 
 Groton Mas aCHUSetts, 
 
 FRANi ■, MARION BOUTWELL 
 
 (J EOT ON: 
 
 ' M S 4 . 
 

OLD 
 
 HIGHWAYS AND LANDMARKS 
 
 Groton, Massachusetts 
 
 FRANCIS MARION BDUTWELL, 
 
 GROTON: 
 
 1884. 
 
f^ 
 
 A- 
 
 G^"^ 
 
 
^^ 
 
 To THE Memory of 
 
 To -whose clear recollection of persons long since passed away, and of 
 
 events -ivJiich occurred even before the birth of most pei-- 
 
 sons nozv livinff, I am indebted for much 
 
 valuable information relating to the 
 
 early history of the town, 
 
 THESE CHAPTERS ARE RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED. 
 
 Note. — Miss Farn.sworth was born October 19, 1792, and died February 2, iS 
 
 ^^ 
 
CHAPTEK I 
 
 OLD HIGHWAYS. 
 
 From an examination of the records I find that there are 
 many miles of road now in use in Groton, that were laid out 
 two hundred years ago or more. 
 
 Hollis street from the first meeting-house, or near the 
 present site of my father's barns, south and to its intersection 
 with Main street, the latter south of the corner of Hollis, and 
 the Boston road certainly as far as the present site of Ridge 
 Hill Tavern, seem to have constituted the main, and no doubt 
 the original highway of the town. This piece of road appears 
 to have been in existence before the twenty-third of June, 
 1662, the date of the first record of which we have knowl- 
 edge, for I find no account of its being laid out. I am also 
 firmly of the opinion that fully twelve families, or nearly one- 
 quarter of the inhabitants, were living upon this section of 
 road within the first twenty-five years after the settlement of 
 the town. This latter fact, which an examination of my 
 pamphlet upon the Old Homesteads of Groton will show, 
 seems to be very good proof that this road has existed in the 
 main as it now exists, from the very beginning. The present 
 Boston road was originally known as the Bay highway, 
 because it led to Massachusetts Bay. 
 
 Our first settlers laid out many of the highways six rods in 
 width, and hardly any were less than four rods. Hollis street 
 in many places, especially near the Cliampney place, and 
 Main street and the Boston road, still bear the marks of this 
 elaborate l)eginning. 
 
The road now known as Chicopee Row has been in use 
 fully two centuries ; also the highway running from the 
 cemetery as far as the Nashua River, at the present village of 
 East Pepperell (Bahbitassett). All this latter territory has 
 been included within the limits of Groton, since the memory 
 of the present generation. This road appears to have been 
 built in three sections, and at three diffei-ent times. It was 
 first laid out from the present Hollis street to the house of 
 William Longley, the father of William Longley in memory of 
 whose family the monument upon the farm of Zachariah Fitch 
 was erected. But father and son both occupied the same 
 farm. The road was next extended as far as the four corners 
 at the foot of the hill north of the house of Zachariah Fitch, 
 and these four corners were then formed, for the road from 
 the four corners at " Nod " to Reedy Meadow seems to have 
 been built before the time that the road was extended beyond 
 William Longley's house, and the section between the four 
 corners first mentioned and the river at East Pepperell was 
 built subse(piently, but at an early period. 
 
 The present Martin's Pond road from the corner of Hollis 
 street to the north side of Baddacook Pond, is probably one 
 of the very oldest highways in town. It led from the old 
 meeting-house to the region called in the records Baddacook 
 Woods. When this road was first l)uilt the end near the 
 raeeting-liouse was fenced, and bars had to be taken down 
 whenever a team passed. 
 
 The road leading from Hollis street, near the house of 
 Charles A, Murphy, was laid out first as far as the house then 
 occupied by Richard Blood, which was, no doubt, near the 
 site of the house known as the Captain William Shattuck 
 place, now unoccupied. This road cut through the farm of 
 
Joseph Gilson, who lived near the site of the present house 
 of Charles A. Murphy. Mr. Murphy's recent purchase of the 
 Champney place probably reunites, in a measure at least, the 
 original estate of Joseph Gilson. The lower portion of this 
 road, from the house of Richard Blood to the four corners 
 at " Nod," and also the road from Nod to Reedy Meadow, 
 were not laid out until a few years later at least than the road 
 between Mr. Murphy's and the Captain Shattuck place. 
 There seem to have been patlis only at first from the house 
 of Richard Blood to that of John Lakin, aad thence to 
 James Blood's, which latter two men lived near the four 
 corners and upon the road from JNod to Reedy Meadow respect- 
 ively. I am satisfied that my statement in regard to these 
 two latter roads is substantially correct, and thus the theory 
 is dispelled that the first meeting-house was originally at 
 Nod — for it seems probable that, as our early settlers had 
 roads elsewhere, they would certainly have had one leading 
 to their meeting-house. 
 
 What was known in my boyhood as the Bi-eak-neck road, 
 leading from the East Pepperell road, near the house of 
 Amos P. Carlton, to the Captain William Shattuck place 
 before mentioned, is an old highway. 
 
 Among the very early roads was one which seems to have 
 been a semi-private way. This left Hollis street, near the 
 present site of my father's farm-houses, and passed along the 
 eastern l)ase of the hill upon which his barns are situated. 
 This road seems to have been built originally for the accom- 
 modation of Timothy Cooper, who appears to have owned a 
 piece of land bordering on the west side of Martin's Pond 
 road, and running back toward Half-moon Meadow. At a 
 later period Timothy Allen, the first sexton of the town, seems 
 
8 
 
 to have had his house upon this lot. What I believe to be a 
 portion of this old cross-road is still in existence and used by 
 my father as a farm road. It was fenced at its junction with 
 the present Hollis street, as in the case of Martin's Pond road. 
 
 The roads at present known as School, Elm, and Pleasant 
 streets from the corner of Elm to Farmers' Row, the last 
 named road in its entire length, and the road passing through 
 the Community, as far as the house on the Pollard place, all 
 seem to have formed a part of the Lancaster highway, and 
 are probably more than two hundred years old. Instead of 
 raaii;ing the two turns, one at the Pollard place and the other 
 at the Major Amos Farnsworth place, (now owned by Solo- 
 mon Achorn,) as it does now, the road ran directly down to 
 the Nashua River from near the site of the Pollard house. 
 It then ran up the right bank of the stream, crossed l)y a 
 ford about a mile above the present site of Page's Bridge, 
 and so on to Lancaster. 
 
 The late Elizabeth Farnsworth is my authority upon the 
 location of the Lancaster highway. Her grandfather Farns- 
 worth, as well as her father, lived upon the farm now owned 
 by Solomon Achorn. The old house occupied by her grand- 
 parents, however, stood just below the present site of Mr. 
 Achorn's barn. Miss Farnsworth's grandmother she well 
 remembered, and the former lad}" recollected well the old 
 highway. From the foregoing statement as to tlie situation 
 of the old Farnsworth liouse, it is obvious that it stood back 
 from the old road just aljout the distance from the present 
 barn of Mr. Achorn to the Pollard house. Miss Farnsworth's 
 grandmother gave hei* an interesting account of the difficulty 
 experienced l)y her husband, in sev^eral successive town-meet- 
 ings, of convincing the citizens that it was their duty to 
 
change the course of the Lancaster highway so that it should 
 pass his door. The peculiar elbow in the road at present, is 
 proof of the success of his efforts. A most casual observa- 
 tion shows that the town finally built about one-half mile of 
 new and indirect road in place of a direct one, for the single 
 purpose of passing one man's house. Those of us who are 
 familiar with the exciting town-meeting debates of the present 
 day, can easilj^ imagine the warm discussions upon this propo- 
 sition, the success of which speaks well for Mr. Farnsworth's 
 will and determination. 
 
 A perusal of the foregoing pages shows the great impor- 
 tance which the early settlers in our New England towns 
 placed upon their house of worship. It was to them the 
 centre of all things. 
 
 The first meeting-house probably stood upon the high land 
 now belonging to my father, l)etween his barns and Hollis 
 street, and it is evident that most of the roads thus far 
 described, radiated, as it were, from this central point. h\ 
 fact most of the votes for laying out these roads, as they 
 are found recorded, begin thus : " Beginning at the meeting- 
 house,''' tfec. 
 
 Until comparatively recent years the meeting-house in a 
 small New England town was the only public building, except 
 the district school-house, which was not large, and thus unfit 
 for any but small gatherings. And the meeting-house was 
 the place for holding town, and other meetings. Our present 
 town-house was the first building ever erected or owned by 
 the town for the ordinary purposes of a town hall, and this 
 building dates back only to November, 1859. Before that 
 time a large room under the old (Unitarian) meeting-house 
 was used for town-meetings, and known as the town hall. 
 
10 
 
 Liberty Hall, which was situated upon the site at present 
 occupied by the store of Thomas K. Stevens, though private 
 property, could be hired for public purposes. 
 
 The New England Puritans adhered to the policy of sup- 
 porting the church with the public funds, and the meeting- 
 houses were originally built and the churches supported wuth 
 the town money. This being the case the meeting-houses 
 were public property, and could be used for such purposes as 
 the town might clioose. 
 
 There was, no doubt, always a road from the main street 
 as far as rhe house now owned by Joseph F. Hall, for in the 
 very early days of the town that farm was occupied by 
 Natlianiel Lawrence, an ancestor of Amos and Abbott Law- 
 rence, vvlio subsequently bought the farm now owned by 
 William Peabody, upon wliich latter place Abbott Lawrence's 
 father and grandfather were both born. The road to 
 Nathaniel Lawrence's first house may have been the same 
 which now passes the south side of the Unitarian meeting- 
 house, but this is not certain ; it may have left the main 
 street farther north, near where the hotel stands. 
 
 In earl}^ times tliere was a road, long since discontiimed, 
 whicli left the present Lowell road near the house of 
 Nathaniel Lawrence, (the Joseph F. Hall place,) and followed 
 along the western base of Gibbet Hill until it connected 
 with the Martin's Pond road near where tlie latter crosses 
 James's Brook. There seems to have been but one house 
 upon this highway, and that was the home of Nathaniel 
 Bh>od. 
 
 The road now known as Love Lane, and its extension east 
 as far as Brown Loaf, is a very old highway. Though the 
 Lowell road east of Joseph F. llalFs house is very old. 
 
11 
 
 at least for several miles, it does not appear to liav^e been 
 built for some time after the settlement of the town. 
 
 The Broad Meadow road, which leaves Main street be- 
 tween the houses of Charles Gerrish and of the late Ben- 
 jamin P. Dix, is very old until it reaches the meadow, and 
 so is also the west end of the same highway from Farmers' 
 Row to the meadow, but the early settlers did not incur the 
 expense of building roads upon soft meadow land, if it could 
 be avoided ; and in this case it was not necessary, for the 
 records make it evident that the east end at least, of this 
 road, was built originally to enable the farmers to get hay 
 from Broad Meadow. It may have been for the same reason 
 that the west end was laid out, but in the latter case the 
 object, in part at least, might have been to provide Joseph 
 Parker with means of going to Farmers' Row, then the 
 Lancaster highway, which was Iiis only way of getting from 
 his home. His house seems to have stood upon the James 
 Farnsworth place, now owned by Prescott Lawernce. 
 
 The i"oad called in the records the Mill highway is no 
 other than the section of the present road from Groton 
 to Ayer, between the corner near the residence of the late 
 John G. Park and the corner of the Ayer and Harvard 
 roads, a short distance S(mth of the present house of Sumner 
 Graves, in Ayer. The old road beyond this latter point 
 is the present Harvard road. This highway was built to 
 enable the inhabitants of Groton to go to their grist-mill, 
 wliich was upon the stream near the present Harvard town 
 farm. This was indeed a long distance to go to mill 
 through an Indian country, but as all the machinery, in- 
 cluding the mill-stones, had to be imported, a mill was a 
 very expensive thing to build and maintain, in proportion 
 
12 
 
 to the resources available for the purpose. Because of 
 these facts, it was probably thought uecessary that the 
 building should be so situated as to accorarnodate as many 
 persons as possil)le, and it is likely that by having it where 
 the}' did, some of the inhabitants of Lancaster could avail 
 themselves of its beneiits. The town of Harvard was not 
 then in existence, and the mill was within the limits of 
 Groton. 
 
 The Mill highway, as originally laid out, was six rods witle, 
 except the section along by the hill upon wliich the houses of 
 AViliiam Peabody and Charles Jacobs stand, as far as the 
 crossing of James's Brook, near the house of Henry M. Gaut. 
 This part of the road was but four rods wide, because of the 
 fact that the hill came so near to the valley of James's Brook 
 as to render a wider way impracticable. Evidences of the 
 great width of this road are still plainly visible, noticeably 
 near the house of the late Stuart J. Park, and also upon the 
 high land near the present residence of Sumner Graves. It 
 is ol)vious that the road for some distance south of the hill 
 below Mr. Graves's place must of necessity have been quite 
 narrow, but the records show the fact that the road was but 
 four rods in width upon tlie section first mentioned. 
 
 The road leading from the old road to Ayer at a point 
 near School-house No. 2, to the road formerly the Mill 
 highway, and intersecting with the latter just at the foot 
 of the hill south of the house of Sumner Graves, is very old, 
 and was built to furnish a direct way to the mill for the men 
 living upon the present Farmers' Row, and in that vicinity. 
 
 The Snake Hill road, so called, which leaves the road to 
 Ayer at a point a short distance south of the house of Henry 
 M. Gaut, was l>uilt very early, and partly at least for the pur- 
 
13 
 
 pose of enaliliiig farmers to get hay from the south and east 
 portions of Koek Meadow, which is described in the next 
 chapter. Miss FaviiSM^orth once told me, however, that Mat- 
 thias Farnsworth, the father of Matthias who lived upon the 
 farm now occupied by Henry M. Gaut, lived near Sandy 
 Pond, so it is possible that this road might have been built 
 for his accommodation, at least in part. It is now mostly in 
 Ayer, and but little used. 
 
 The highway which we know as the old road to Ayer, 
 leading from the south end of Farmers' Row, past the house 
 of Nathan F. Culver, is a very old highway. It is probable 
 that this was the way for going to Nonacoicus, which was 
 near the present village of Ayer, and the road may have 
 been in use before Groton was burned by the Indians. 
 
 Major Simon Willard, the father of Rev. Samuel Willard, 
 and the commanding othcer of the troops in this region dur- 
 ing the early part of King Philip's war, lived at Nonacoicus. 
 Major Willard's house was burned at the time the town was 
 destroyed, in March, 1676, when he removed to Charlestown, 
 and died in a short time. It is hardly necessary to say that 
 Nonacoicus was a part of Groton. 
 
 The road which intersects with the old road to Ayer at a 
 point just south of where the above-named road crosses James's 
 Brook, and which extends across to the road from Groton to 
 Shirley, is an old highway. Also, the road leading from Far- 
 mers' Row along the south end of James Lawrence's farm, 
 certainly as far as the river, is very old, and probably was in 
 use on the west side of the river at an early day, for there 
 was a ford just below the present Red Bridge, and a begin- 
 ning was made to lay out the lands west of the river as early 
 as the year 1681. 
 
14 
 
 The Russell road, so called in old times, was discontinued 
 many years ago. It left the road from Groton to Ayer at a 
 point very near where the house on the Sumner Boynton 
 place (now belonging to AV^illiam H. Drake) stands, and 
 went across to the old road to Ayer, intersecting with the 
 latter at a short distance above School-house No. 2. There 
 are marks of the road still to be seen at its west end, and 
 at the eastern end back of Mr. Drake's house, where the 
 road is now quite a good one, and is used for his farm 
 teaming. This road is also plainly visible from the railroad. 
 
 The highway which intersects with the Boston I'oad just 
 south of Andrew Robljins's farm-house, and leads to Brown 
 Loaf, is very old ; as is the road leading from Ridge Hill 
 Tavern certainly as far as the Pierce place, as well as the 
 one which connects with the latter at a sliort distance east of 
 the Pierce place, and joins the Boston road at a point nearly 
 opposite to the house formerly known as the Blodgett place. 
 The road leading from the tavern above mentioned, through 
 the present Forge Village, and so on to Chelmsford, is one of 
 the oldest in town. It was originally known as the Chelms- 
 ford highway. 
 
 Tlie highway which leaves the road from Groton to Ayer, 
 near the Eber Woods place, now ow^ned l>y John McGilson, 
 and leads to Farmers' Row, is very old as far as Broad 
 Meadow End, described in the next chapter, or to a point just 
 west of the present highway bridge over the i-ailroad. This 
 piece of road was originally built, as were several others 
 before mentioned, to enable farmers to get their hay, but it 
 was extended past tlie place now owned by Jackson N. 
 Potter, known as the Stephen Kendall place, to its intersec- 
 tion with Farmers' Row, at a very eai-ly day, certainly as 
 
15 
 
 soon as the early part of the last century, when John Longley 
 was living on the Stephen Kendall place, and Benjamin 
 Farnsworth resided on the opposite side of the same road, 
 l)ut nearer to Farmers' Row. 
 
 The end of Broad Meadow, above referred to, was spanned 
 by a bridge in those days, no doubt to save the expense of 
 filling such soft land, which then had probably not been 
 drained at all, and was of course much more wet even than 
 now. The structure, after a while, received the name of Swill 
 Bridge, and I once leai-ned from Miss Elizabeth Farnsworth 
 the reason which she had heard alleged for this peculiar name. 
 The following is the story, which I will preface by stating 
 that John Longley, before mentioned, was Miss Farnsworth's 
 great-grandfather, and that she remembered well her grand- 
 mother Farnsworth, who was Mr. Longley's daughter Lydia ; 
 and so we get this account thus directly from Lydia Longley 
 Farnsworth, who was born on the Stephen Kendall place in 
 1716. 
 
 During tlie first quarter of the last century, or perhaps until 
 a later day, there was a fortified house near the site of the 
 present Eber Woods house, and at times of Indian alarm Mr. 
 Longley placed his live-stock, and, among other animals, hogs, 
 at the fort for safety. From Miss Farnsworth's account it 
 seems that it was in the winter, and during such an alarm, 
 that Mr. Longley had placed some hogs at the fort for 
 safety, and was obliged to carry swill to them. As he 
 crossed the bridge he naturally spilled more or less of the 
 swine-food, and in the spring the spots were of course visible, 
 and thus from this trivial cause the bridge derived its name, 
 by which it has ever since been remembered. 
 
CHAPTER II 
 
 OLD LANDMARKS. 
 
 Gibbet Hill, Brown Loaf, Broad Meadow, Half-Moon 
 Meadow, Reedj Meadow, James's Brook and Hawtree Brook 
 have borne these names ever since the settlement of the town, 
 but there are names found in the records, whicli, to most of 
 the inhabitants of the present day, are unintelligible. To 
 these names I hav^e given some careful attention and study, 
 and venture to make known the result of my investigation. 
 
 The Indian Hill or the Indian Hills (both terms being used 
 in the records) were probably one and the same, and the 
 names seem to refer to the entire rano;e of hills extendins: 
 from and including the hill opposite to the house of Charles 
 Jacobs, all the way to and including the hill upon which the 
 house of Captain Moses P. Palmer stands. 
 
 Shepley Hill, mentioned in the records, is the range of hills 
 extending in a northerly direction from the soapstone quarr}', 
 along the western base of which the Worcester and Nashua 
 railroad runs. 
 
 Ferny Meadow is the large tract of low land on the high- 
 way which leads from the Boston road, nearly opposite to 
 the house of Captain Moses P. Palmer, to Brown Loaf. 
 This meadow extends along the south and southeast side of 
 this road from near the Boston road, for quite a distance. 
 
 Rock Meadow is no doubt the one, the northwest end of 
 which borders on the road leading from Groton to Hai-vard, 
 and just over the hill south of the corner where the Harvard 
 
17 
 
 road leaves the road from Groton to Ayer. This is a large 
 tract of land, and is now entirely in the town of Ayer. 
 
 Flaggy Meadow is situated east of the highway leading 
 from tlie old Captain Noah Shattnck place, now owned by the 
 heirs of the late Captain William Shattnck, to the north side 
 of Baddacook Pond. This meadow is near the house of 
 Henry P. Shattnck, which stands in the tield away from the 
 road, and it forms a part of his farm. It is certain that this 
 is the meadow referred to in the records, for Mr. George D, 
 Brigham, the town-clerk, has told me that when calling at 
 Mr. Shattuck's a few years since. Flaggy Meadow was men- 
 tioned hy some one of the family as being a part of their 
 farm ; and when Mr. Brigliam asked where it was, he was 
 told that it is the low land which partly surrounds their 
 house. It seems that the name had been handed down 
 through the different owners of that estate, but had long 
 been lost to public knowledge. 
 
 Little Half -Moon Meadow is situated between the Martin's 
 Pond road and the knoll in my father's meadow east of his 
 barns, which knoll is called by the farmers in the neighbor- 
 hood '• the Island," and has been so called from the early 
 days of tlie town. An examination of the locality will show 
 the reason why this little meadow was given the name it 
 bears. One of the points of the half-moon is the strip of 
 meadow between the high land upon which Andrew Spaul- 
 ding's farm barn stands, and the Island, and the other point 
 passes between the west end of tlie Island and the high land 
 npon which my father's barns are situated. Both of these 
 points pass through and unite with Half-Moon Meadow west 
 of the Island. This knoll is entirely surrounded by Half- 
 Moon and Little Half-Moon Meadows, and hence its name. 
 
18 
 
 The Unquetenori^et Meadows are the low lands along the 
 brook at the north part of the town, now known by the 
 name of Unquetj, which is a contraction of the full name 
 Unqnetenorset, by which it was originall}' called. 
 
 I am of the opinion that Qnosoponagon Meadow is the 
 large tract of low^ land near the Captain John Rockwood 
 house in Squannacook. This meadow is on l^oth sides of 
 the road, just east of the house, and forms a part of that 
 farm. But in this opinion I may be in error. 
 
 Broad Meadow End seems to have been the name given 
 to the narrow portion of Broad Meadow at its southerly 
 end, near the present highway bridge ovei' the Worcester 
 and Nashua railroad, south of the station. 
 
 In this connection it may not be out of place to consider 
 the reason why in New England we give a different meaning 
 to the word meadow from that affixed to it in England. 
 There the word is applied to all mowing land whethei- low 
 or high, but here we call all low land meadow. The reason 
 no doubt is that the lii-st settlers in this country found 
 the high land covered, for the most part, with heavy timber, 
 and for a few men, with few and poor teams and tools, to 
 reduce this land to a condition for cultivation, was very hard, 
 slow work. But hay with which to feed their cattle in winter, 
 was an immediate necessity. The low lands being usually 
 covered with brush and small trees only, could be easily 
 burned over, and with the ashes thus produced, serving as a 
 fertilizer, grass, though no doubt generally of a wild and poor 
 character, was raised. The records of this and other towns 
 show that meadow laud was a choice possession, granted to 
 the inhabitants in small lots, and often in the outskirts of the 
 town, no man having a large piece of this land in any one 
 
19 
 
 place, unless, perchance, he were possessed of so much money, 
 as was tlie case with Captain James Parker, as to enable him 
 to pay rates (taxes) upon a large tract of this valuable land. 
 Captain Parker, being well off, owned a large portion of 
 Half-Moon Meadow, and also a great part of Broad Meadow, 
 but men of less means were obliged to content tliemselves 
 with small lots of meadow in widely separated sections of the 
 town. Some of those who lived in the village owned small 
 pieces of Rock Meadow, the situation of which I have 
 described, and wei-e obliged to go haying at that long distance 
 from home, and in an Indian country. 
 
 The number of roads originally built to enable tlie inhabi- 
 tants to get liay from the meadows of the town, as described 
 in the former chapter, attests the value and importance which 
 was then attached to this low land. 
 
 Thus these Englislimen, our forefathers, referred only to 
 mowing land when they used the word meadow in tlieir 
 records ; but as their meadow was at lirst low land in fact, the 
 generations since have given this name to all low land. 
 
 The low tract of land at the northwestern ])ase of Brown 
 Loaf, and extending from the present Lowell road to the road 
 which leads from Martin's Pond to the north side of 
 Baddacook Pond, was no doubt the place designated in the 
 records as Brown Loaf Plain. That portion of the record 
 which relates to the laying out of the road which we call 
 Love Lane, and its extension easterly, makes it seem certain 
 that this tract of land is Brown Loaf Plain. 
 
 By the General Fields was probably meant the large tract 
 of land bounded on the northwest by the road which passes 
 through the Community, and whicli then formed a part of 
 the Lancaster highway, and was also bounded in the same 
 
20 
 
 direction between the present corner, near the Pollard place 
 and the river, by the Lancaster highway, the old location of 
 which I ha^■e described in the previous chapter. These fields 
 were l)ounded on the east, southeast, and south by what is 
 now known as the old road to Ayer, and they were l)ounded 
 on the southwest and west either by the road leading from 
 the corner south of the Benjamin Moors place to the present 
 Shirley road, or they may have extended all the way to the 
 river. The roads which I have mentioned were all in exist- 
 ence two hundred years ago, as shown in the previous chapter.' 
 This tract was common land, and was used for pasturing the 
 herd composed of the cattle which belonged to the men living 
 in the west and south parts of the town. As the cattle owned 
 by the first settlers were pastured, for the most part, upon the 
 common land, the town was divided into three sections for 
 this purpose, each section having a herd, and every owner of 
 stock in a section was obliged to pay his proportion of the 
 expense attending the herding of the cattle in that section, 
 even though one or more owners might pasture their cattle 
 within their own enclosure. But in the general absence of 
 fences except for enclosing cultivated land, and as prol)ably a 
 good deal of this even was unfenced, the careful herding of 
 the stock pastured upon the common land was considered of 
 such general importance as to warrant an assessment upon all 
 those who could be in any way interested. 
 
014 078 554 4