Medford Historical Society Papers, Volume 17.

Mr. Dame gave his High School boys at one time as a subject to write on, ‘The Brooks of Medford,’ advising an actual search and tracing to their sources. Doubtless the young people found the latter interesting. One brook is today a sort of ‘lost river’—the tributary of Meetinghouse brook, which has its source near Smith's lane between Woburn and Winthrop Streets. We were told to look there for remains of the projected Stoneham railroad, but found instead that Lily pond lane (near the rock-cut) crosses the Albree brook which flows underground for many rods before it emerges to view in another enclosed field, where must have been the mill-pond of John Albree, the Medford weaver.

Some rods from the lane are parallel stone walls, about three rods long, through which the brook flows, and in the open space between, the ground slopes in either direction to the brook.

No, this wasn't the railroad at all, but was a drinking-place for cattle, unique but useful, and an arrangement not often seen.

Will some one find for us the boundary lines agreed upon by Caleb Brooks, John Hall, Thomas Willis, Stephen Willis and John Whitmore of Medford, in 1680, or locate the points named?

‘From a great tree in the orchard, to a black oak tree * * * to a stake standing up in the land between Brooks and Francis * * * to a little black oak * * * to an old stub in clay land * * * to a little black oak bush near the river.’