[p. 27]
The Ford in the center of Medford continued in use. . . till 1639 and was about ten rods above the bridge. [P. 7.]The landing place of the ford on the north side of the river was through the Armory grounds. [Register, Vol. 4, p. 1.]
There was until recently but one island in the river and that is near the shore in Malden.There was also an island a few rods below Wier Bridge.
In 1761—the inhabitants of Medford proposed to cut a canal across this peninsula (Labor in Vain) . . . the plan failed.The canal was cut in 1761. [Register, Vol. 3, p. 71.]
In the Wade family there is a tradition that their ancestor, Major Jonathan Wade gave to the town, about the year 1680, the landing place now occupied by Mr. J. T. Foster. [P. 8.]This is merely tradition, there is no record of any such transaction, and further, the major never owned the land.
Brooks. [P. 9.]Whitmore brook has its source in Bare hill meadow; Marble brook in Turkey swamp; Winter brook in the region south of Winter hill; Two Penny brook (which Mr. Brooks does not mention) has its source south and west of Walnut Tree hill (now College hill); Gravelly creek has its source in the region south of Spot pond.
Medford Records,. . . its first twenty-five or thirty pages are gone. [P. 27.]The first book of records is complete. [Register, Vol. 9, p. 20.] Also see History of Medford in the proceedings of the two hundred and seventy-fifth anniversary of the settlement of Medford. [P. 14.]
This party from Salem, passing through Medford, were the first European feet that pressed the soil we now tread. ‘We went up the Mystick river about six miles,’ . . . and the English eyes in that boat were the first eyes of settlers that looked upon these fields on which we now live. [P. 32.]On the preceding page (31) is an account of a journey from Salem to Charlestown in the summer of 1628-9, from which I quote:—
