Your search returned 22 results in 9 document sections:

HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF MEDFORD, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, FROM ITS FIRST SETTLEMENT, IN 1630, TO THE PRESENT TIME, 1855. (ed. Charles Brooks), Chapter 2: (search)
16: Voted £ 5 to be raised for the repairing their meeting-house and mending Gravelly Bridge. The bridge over Gravelly Creek, in Ship Street, was built by a few Medford persons, in 1746, for the purpose of making a road to the tide-mill. March 4, 1751: Voted to build a new bridge of stone where the present Gravelly Bridge is. This continued till recently, when a new one, built of stone, has been widened so as to cover the entire street. March 7, 1803: Voted, that the bridges over Meetinghouse and Whitmore's Brooks, so called, be rebuilt with stone. The bridge over Marble Brook, in West Medford (called Meeting-house Brook in later times), was made of wood at first, and so continued for more than a century; it was then built of stone, in 1803, and so continued till 1850, when it was rebuilt of stone, and made as wide as the street. The same remarks belong to the small bridge, called Whitmore's Bridge, farther west, and near the Lowell Railroad Station in West Medford. The
Medford Historical Society Papers, Volume 2., The development of the public School of Medford. (search)
aid Samuel Brooks, Jr., for teaching at the same time that another teacher was employed for the school kept in the building then owned by the town. This Samuel was possibly a brother of Caleb, the first teacher for the west part. The agitation for a new meeting-house which began in 1716, and completely buried the proposed new schoolhouse in 1720, reached a climax in 1726, when the second meeting-house was built on the low land just east of Marble creek which has since been known as Meetinghouse brook. This was finished and occupied in 1727. After the minds, and likewise the purses, of the inhabitants had had a proper period of rest and recuperation from the bitter contest of ten years, they bethought themselves once more of a school-house. The warrant for the town meeting of Nov. 17, 1729, contains an article as follows: And also to know whether the town will have the old meeting house taken down and the material improved towards building a scoole House for the use of the Town
Medford Historical Society Papers, Volume 8., West Medford in 1870. (search)
at surmounted the top story of the steeple. Below the meeting-house the terraced gardens of the Bigelow estate sloped away from High street to the mouth of Meetinghouse Brook, while scattered along the road were the old-fashioned houses, some now demolished, among them that of Parson Turell, others remodeled and still remaining. Ward Six, west of Allston street and Hillside, west of railroad, 681 voters. 6 × 681 = 4,086. Part of Ward Three, east of Allston street and west of Meetinghouse Brook and up Winthrop street (to conform to West Medford of ‘70), contains about 120 houses. If averaging five residents, would add 600 to 4,086 = 4,686. In 1870 there were 13+10 = 23 houses on High street, between Meetinghouse Brook and Lowell Railroad; 26+28 = 54 on side streets and 20 west of railroad, making 97. If averaging six occupants, would give a total population of 582. As there was but one of the Smith estate houses occupied, and that by only two persons, it is fair to pr
Medford Historical Society Papers, Volume 13., The last Medford Indian. (search)
e had the fear thereof that the gruesome relics may well be supposed to inspire. At the present time, both the site of the hut and spring are ten feet below the surface of the water of the middle reservoir, from which the hanging rock or ledge rises. Doubtless the spring boils up as clear as ever, but at the time the man wrote this reservoir was not complete, and being higher than the south reservoir, the water flowed in that direction, thus making this spring one of the sources of Meetinghouse brook. Along the eastern edge of Turkey swamp was the old Indian trail to the Merrimack; and across the swamp westward, doubtless the way the aged Indian woman went for the last time on that winter day, was another. A causeway of logs made passage through the bog secure; these were with some difficulty removed in preparing the reservoir, which lies between two ranges of hills. But not all of the old swamp where Hannah Shiner roamed and gathered herbs or basket stuff has disappeared. Ne
Medford Historical Society Papers, Volume 17., Notes about town. (search)
, as yet disused. We are told that the owner of the new structure is interested in educational matters, which adds to the surprise and regret occasioned by the seeming needless removal of the old scientific landmark. 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
Medford Historical Society Papers, Volume 22., A Rill of water-troughs. (search)
A Rill of water-troughs. As a matter of history, be it noted that Medford has gone dry (this in 1914) in the matter of public watering places for horses. Within the memory of our oldest people the principal highways passed through Meetinghouse, Gravelly and Whitmore brooks, as well as over their various bridges. There horses and cattle could drink or the family carriage be washed. Mr. Woolley has preserved a view of the first-named in his picture of the second meeting-house. Time was when the town-pump was indispensable and its condition carefully noted by the fire engineers. To such, a necessary adjunct was the old-time watering-trough, kept full by the laborious effort of each comer, though some thoughtless ones did not fill it. After Spot pond water was introduced, the old troughs disappeared and drinking fountains of various patterns were installed. In the square, and at West Medford, a big iron vase with a lamp-post rising from its center made an ornamental feature,
Medford Historical Society Papers, Volume 24., Henry Putnam of Medford. (search)
the Dwelling House Barn Well &c thereon bounded Southerly by a highway Easterly on Jonathan Watson's land. Northerly on John Bishop's land. Westerly on land of Stephen Hall Esqr. [Dated Oct. 8. 1770. acknowledged before Simon Tufts J. P. June 2. 1772. recorded Aug. 1774.] There were but few highways in Medford a century and a half ago. For this acre and a half, to be thus bounded by a highway and by land of persons named, it would seem most probable to lie in the valley of Meetinghouse brook, near and on the same side of the road as the present Home for the Aged. At that time there was no Winthrop street. Parson Turell had purchased his house fifty years before, which was between present Rural avenue and Winthrop street. The original portion of the Puffer house (formerly Swan, now the Home) built in 1689, was till 1872 nearer the street and to the brook, which left a sufficient space between for an acre and a half of narrow frontage (as was also Turell's). It seems more p
Medford Historical Society Papers, Volume 28., Changes along
High street
. (search)
was a year ago transformed into the Church of Christ, Scientist. The large double dwelling next Winthrop street has in its rear the Pitman Academy, while recently a diminutive structure beside the street houses the gas booster, —some apparatus of the Gas Light Co. About ten years ago, and subsequent to the acquiring of the Puffer residence by the Home for the Aged, plans were issued and auction sale advertised of the Puffer estate, intersected by Winthrop and High streets, also by Meetinghouse brook. The lots were restricted to one and two-family dwellings,—the bidding not very spirited and but few sales made, at unsatisfactory prices. The former site of the house was said to be added to the present Home, and seven one-family dwellings were later erected between lower Winthrop street and the brook. The big elm in the sidewalk succumbed to the ice-storm which damaged trees everywhere. At this point was once the civic center of Old Medford. Beside the brook was erected the se
Medford Historical Society Papers, Volume 29., The Cradock house, past and future. (search)
use, and probably the part of the old house at the corner of High street and Hastings lane, the Deacon Bradshaw house, are only houses standing today that were standing in 1690. Medford was practically a private plantation owned by two men, Cradock on the north and Winthrop on the south. By the General Court both had access to the weirs at Mystic lakes, where vast quantities of smelts and alewives swarmed in season. I can remember myself when the alewives in early spring darted up Meetinghouse brook. By a grant of the Court, also, all the land betwixt the lands of Mr. Nowell & Mr. Wilson on the East, and the partition betwixt Mystic ponds on the west, bounded with the Mystic river on the south and the rocks on the north is granted to Mr. Matthew Cradock merchant to enjoy to him and his heirs forever. In 1636, the indefiniteness of the rocks on the north was changed to read, a mile into the country from the river side in all places. If Cradock owned practically all of Medford