[p. 36] bordering on the river.
[Register, Vol. 2, p. 53, and Vol. 15, P. 46.] The first roads laid out in Medford were Main street, then called the Charlestown road; Salem street, called Salem path to Mistick ford, also the road to Malden; Woburn road, from Medford square to Woburn.
A portion of this road (from the square to Brooks' corner) is now High street, and High street continues to Arlington line over what was called the way to the Wears.
There is another way to be mentioned in connection with these roads, although, like the greater part of Main street, it was originally in the town of Charlestown—South street.
It was first called the way to the ford, still later, Fish-house lane.
It is impossible to tell to which of these roads should be given the claim of priority.
In 1715. . . they fixed the width of the road at the bridge at two rods and twelve feet. . . . [P. 52.]The width of the bridge was then fourteen feet, and eight feet was added from each post at the foot of the bridge, making the width of the road at the bridge thirty feet. The width, at the corner of High and Main streets, was fixed at four rods; and at the southwest corner of the present Mystic church lot the width was fixed at two rods and twelve feet. This line cut off ten feet from the north corner of the great barn. [Register, Vol. 7, p. 41.]
March 9, 1761. Many inhabitants of the town petitioned the Court of Sessions for a road across the marshes at Labor in Vain. . . [P. 54.]This was not for a road, but for the cutting of a canal across Labor in Vain point, in order to straighten the river. [Register, Vol. 4, P. 71.]
Mr. Cradock's Agent (Davison) commenced the building of a bridge over the river in 1638. [P. 59.]This bridge is shown upon a map made in the year 1637, it was finished by order of the General Court in 1639; it was, no doubt, in use in 1638. The bridge was one hundred and fifty-four feet and five inches long and
