Lucius R. Paige, History of Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1630-1877, with a genealogical register

[241] parish line would not be observed by a stranger. East Cambridge also, though more slowly, approached Cambridgeport, especially on Cambridge Street; and an extensive system of improvement has been recently commenced, which promises to convert the northerly portion of the Great Marsh into dry land, and at no distant day to unite the inhabited portions of the two villages “along the whole line.” Meanwhile, it was natural, in the early days when the two new villages were struggling into existence, that a spirit of rivalry, sometimes attended by jealousy, should become manifest between each other and between both and the ancient town. Their interests were sometimes adverse. Sharp contests between Cambridgeport and East Cambridge, or rather between the large landholders in the two places, in regard to streets and bridges, have been mentioned elsewhere. The renoval of the courts and the public offices to East Cambridge, by the authority of the County Court, was a sore grievance to the people of Old Cambridge, and by no means agreeable to the inhabitants of Cambridgeport, whose access to the Court was easier before than after the removal. It was another grievance to Old Cambridge, that the municipal government should be removed from its time-honored seat to Cambridgeport; but this was approved by East Cambridge, because the new place was easier of access. On the other side, the new villages had long standing grievances, growing out of a real or supposed unwillingness of Old Cambridge to give them their full share of schools, streets, and other public conveniences. Especially in regard to streets, they frequently complained that they were required to pay their proportionate share of the expense of keeping all the old streets in repair, and at the same time to pay the whole expense of making and repairing the streets necessary for their own convenience, including those which were constantly used by Old Cambridge in passing to Boston. At the expiration of half a century after the erection of the bridge, many of those sources of mutual jealousy had disappeared, and time had at least partially healed the wounds occasioned by events which were beyond remedy. The new villages had become sufficiently strong to protect their own interests and to secure for themselves a fair and equitable proportion of public conveniences. At the same time, no one section was able to control or oppress the two others; and it does not appear that any desire to do so was cherished. Many of those who had been active in the early struggles had passed off the stage; a great majority of the inhabitants had become such since