Major Swan subsequently left Charlestown and made Medford his permanent home. He died there in 1825.
Chelsea bridge was built in 1801. The Selectmen of Medford, Benjamin Hall, and John Brooks1 were a committee who vainly opposed it.
Mr. Hall was zealous in prosecuting the building of Middlesex Canal, but was not in favor of extending it to Boston. He wrote, ‘In 1792 there was a petition preferred the General Court for liberty to make a Canal from Merrimack River into Medford River the Petitioners were Chiefly Inhabitants of Medford. When the Corporation Act Past there were twelve Person named in Said Act Eight of which was of Medford a Committee was appointed by the Corporation to Purchase Land in Chelmsford, Billerica & Wobourn and Stake Out the Same. One half of said Committee were allso of Medford and spent Many Days About itt att there Own Expense. . . . Itt is Very Evident that itt was not the Design of the Corporation to go Any further than Medford when the Corp. Act Past as itt then Fixtthe tol to Medford Bridge . . . itt is Presumed that the Corporation has not Fullfill'd there Part of the Act Untill they have Lockt the same in Medford River. . . there may be Sufficiency of water to go into Medford River by Locks and not Enough to Procede to Charlestown for these two years Past there has Not been water sufficient in the Canal After July Untill October and what has been we May Expect will take Place Again Sooner or later. itt is a Very great Misfortune for the Proprietors that they Proceded Any further than Medford before the Land was Purchased they Intended to have made use of.’
To connect the canal with ‘Medford River,’ as Mr. Hall calls it, he was the prime mover in building a ‘Branch Canal’ in 1807. This was mostly used in carrying ship timber to the various shipyards of Medford. It left the main canal at Mystic avenue. Benjamin,
