Charles A. Nelson , A. M., Waltham, past, present and its industries, with an historical sketch of Watertown from its settlement in 1630 to the incorporation of Waltham, January 15, 1739.

1 [52] to be the model roads of the Commonwealth.¹ The same month a fine of 20s. was voted a penalty for every tree cut down upon the common without order. In 1637, it was also ordered ‘that whosoever shall take any wood of the 40 Acres of ground granted to the meeting-house without leave, shall pay for every cart load 10s., and for every man's burthen 1s.’², This vote of April 23, 1638,; explains itself:—‘Ordered, that those Freemen of the Congregation shall build and dwell upon their Lotts at ye Towne Plott, and not to alienate them by selling or exchanging them to any forrainer, but to Freemen of the Congregation, it being our real intent to fitt down there clofe togither, and therefore these Lotts were granted to thofe Freemen yt inhabited most remote from ye meeting-house, and dwell most fcattered;’ but a later note states, ‘For want of a Penalty set, this order of no force.’ The same date an order was passed relative to the ‘measuring out the remote meddows’ (probably in Weston). July 17, 1638, there was a grant of Waltham lands in the order ‘yt all those Freemen yt have no Lotts at ye Towneship shall have 12 Acre Lotts beyond Bever Plaine and all other townesmen shall have six Acre Lotts in ye said Plaine.’ December 10, 1638, three orders of general interest were passed; one confirming ‘the Highway to ye little Plaine beyond the Mill,’ another ordering ‘that ye Highway leading to Concord shalbe 6 rods broad,’ and a third ‘yt whosoever shall kill a wolfe in ye Towne shall have for ye fame 5s.’ Wolves were constantly giving trouble, and frequent bounties were offered as in this last order. In 1647, the town sold their right in the palisade that enclosed the ‘wolfe pen.’ Another evidence that the inhabitants lived ‘scatteringly’ is furnished by the order of December 31, 1639, imposing a fine of 2s. 6d. upon each Freeman absenting himself from any public town meeting after being duly warned to

2 In 1637 an order was passed, ‘that there shalbe 8 days appointed for every year, for the repairing of the Highwaies, and every man that is a Souldier or Watchman to come at his appointed time with a wheelbarrow, mattock, spade, or shovel, & for default here of, to pay for every day 5s. to the towne, and a cart for every day to pay 19s.’

3 At a later date a vote was passed to mark the shade trees by the wood side with a W, and fining any person who should fell one of the trees thus marked the sum of 18s.