The highway or Canal through Labor in Vain point.
The first great highway connecting the settlement at Mistick with the other settlements on
Massachusetts bay was the Mistick river.
After the building of Mistick bridge, no other bridge spanned its waters so as to interfere with its free navigation until the building of
Malden bridge, which was opened to public travel Sept. 29, 1787.
Governor Cradock's interests in trading and fishing, and, after his death and the sale of his estate, the growing commerce of the town, required
[p. 72] many boats or lighters on the river, and the management of these boats or lighters gave employment to a hardy class of men called boatmen or lightermen.
The navigation of the Mistick river with this class of vessels was no easy task.
With sails, oars, poles, and the towline, assisted by the incoming and outgoing tide, did those hardworking men pursue their arduous employment.
The tortuous channel of the river winding through the marshes sometimes caused a journey of nearly half a mile, when in a straight line the distance to be travelled was only a few rods.
One particular curve in the river, near the foot of Foster court, by reason of the difficulties of its navigation was called Labor in Vain point.
For one hundred and thirty-one years several generations of boatmen labored almost in vain round this point.
The first successful attempt at straightening the river, and to remedy this obstruction to navigation, was made in the year 1761, when a number of the inhabitants of
Medford petitioned the
Court of
General Sessions of the Peace for a new highway across a point of salt marsh and flats in
Medford called Labor in Vain point.
The court appointed a committee to view the premises, and to report upon the necessity and convenience of the proposed highway.
The committee reported that a highway at the place above mentioned was both necessary and convenient, and the court thereupon appointed a new committee to lay out the way and to estimate the damage that might accrue to any person or persons in their property by the laying out of said way.
April 21, 1761, the committee reported as follows:
‘We the subscribers have viewed and laid out the highway therein set forth, with as much convenience to the public and with as little prejudice to private property as (in our judgment) can be, which highway is bounded westerly by the dividing line between
Col. Isaac Royall and
Samuel Brooks,
Esq., and easterly
[p. 73] by the stakes set up in the aforesaid
Samuel's marsh, as the same now stand, leaving two rods between the last-mentioned stakes and the channel proposed to be cut through the aforesaid marsh.
And are of the opinton that the damage that accrues to the said
Samuel Brooks,
Esq., by laying out the aforesaid highway is thirty-three pounds six shillings and eight pence.’
The way was laid out twelve rods wide, and the town paid
Samuel Brooks the amount of the award.
This return of the committee was accepted by the court, and it was ordered to be recorded, so that the same might be known and used as a public highway.
This laying out of the highway was not satisfactory to the town of
Medford, for at a meeting of the court, held Dec. 8, 1761, the
Selectmen petitioned that the width of the way be reduced to six rods, and that the remainder of the old way be discontinued.
The court appointed a committee to inquire into the expediency of making the change.
The committee, after due examination of the premises, reported in favor of the petitioners; the court accepted the report and ordered that the width of the way be reduced to six rods, and that the remainder of the old way be discontinued.
This action of the court was anticipated by the town, for at a meeting held May 13, 1761, a committee was appointed ‘to cut a canal through Labor in Vain point, the work to be done by subscription; and authorized them when the canal was cut, to sell and convey such part of the marsh which the town paid
Samuel Brooks,
Esq., for, as should be more than sufficient for a highway across Labor in Vain point.’
The committee proceeded to cut the canal, and Dec. 14, 1761, only six days after the court had reduced the width of the highway, sold to
Isaac Royall, for the sum of thirteen pounds six shillings and eight pence, that part of the old way that had been discontinued, ‘
together with all the mud and turf thrown and now laying on said marsh.’
Samuel Brooks quitclaimed to
Isaac Royall [p. 74] all his right, title, and interest in and to the above-named piece of marsh.
It is possible that the canal was not cut to its present depth at that time, but that the action of the tides may have rendered very material assistance to the undertaking.
