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up the street of that name — the same that has recently been renamed Sargent avenue—into which it opened at right angles.
Fitch Cutter owned a tract of grass land to the south of the Mills estate, and on Walnut street there were no houses between Mills and Town Clerk Gilman, on the westerly side.
Directly northeast from our house, there were few, if any, houses between us and Broadway.
Mr. Samuel D. Hadley, a music teacher (father of S. Henry Hadley), built a house on Everett avenue, the first one in that vicinity, about 1859 or 1.860.
Seemingly, he was away off in the pasture, for none of the streets, Otis, Auburn avenue, Bonair, Pearl, Flint, or Gilman, had been opened at this time.
It was all grass or pasture land from Cross to Walnut to School street, and beyond to Sycamore.
With the exception of the few mentioned on Walnut street, no buildings stood until you came to the Forster schoolhouse—a wooden structure on Sycamore street—but away to the right of it, along Broadway, could be seen the few houses which existed at that time.
Marshall, Dartmouth, and Thurston streets were not in existence.
Looking still further toward the east across the fields to where Mt.
Pleasant street and Perkins street are only a few houses could be seen; the John Runey house and the Pottery buildings on the northerly side of Cross street, about where Flint street is, the houses of Charles Williams, Horace Runey, a Mr. Appleton, and two or three others along that part of Cross street, and then no buildings till you reached the Galletly Rope Walk, the Towne residence and hot houses off Washington street, the Bailey and Guild houses on Perkins street, with possibly two or three others near by.
All between Perkins and Cross streets was pasture land, and one would let down the bars near Mt.
Vernon street, on Perkins, and walk unmolested to a point opposite the Runey pottery, where, letting down another set of bars, he would find himself on Cross street. Clay pits were numerous along Oliver street, between Franklin street and Glen.
Winter evenings we could see the bonfires lighted by the skaters, and hear their voices plainly.
Of the near-by neighbors, I recall Charles Munroe and James
Somerville. Historical Society. , 1904.
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