Medford Historical Society Papers, Volume 4.

---

[p. 95] which trade he followed through life. His thoroughness and skill still speak in the fine work on the interiors of the houses of Gen. Samuel C. Lawrence, James W. Tufts, George L. Stearns, and Hon. Edward Brooks. He was a member of Volunteer Fire Department of General Washington, No. 3, and was instrumental in detecting the incendiaries who made the year 1855 one of terror. On his advocacy the cemetery was constituted a separate department of town government. He served six years on the first Board of Trustees. His zest for nature was keen. He knew every rare plant, and where in our woods it grew. His knowledge of shade and fruit trees was sought, and he shared his secrets with his neighbors. He passed away on Feb. 17, 1897.

Mr. Cram, the pump-maker, lived in the low house just opposite Pleasant street. He was always in demand. Judah Loring's home was next above Mr. Cudworth's. He was a ship-carpenter, having a shop located near the present railroad crossing.

Mr. Samuel Clark, who has just built a house on the site of Jonathan Sampson's homestead, came to Medford from Hanover in 1834 and was apprenticed to Edward Eells, a former ship-builder in Hanover who came to Medford in 1822 and did the joiner-work for many of the vessels built here. He died in 1838 and his son Robert L. succeeded him in business. Mr. Clark married the youngest daughter of Edward Eells in 1845 and lived many years in the old home. He is the only survivor of all the workers in the ship-yards living on this old street, and is in his eighty-fourth year.

The long tenement house known as ‘the Colleges’ still stands. How it ever came to have a name like that is not known. An old deed conveying the property from one John Cutter, of Woburn, to Samuel Cutter, of Charlestown, dated Oct. 23, 1824, describes it as ‘a large dwelling-house . . . known by the name of “the Colleges. ” ’