Chapter 1: civil History.
Cambridge, the original shire town of Middlesex County, in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is situated in 42° 22′ north latitude, and 71° 6′ west longitude from Greenwich.1 It is bounded on the east by Charles River, which separates it from Boston; on the south by Charles River, which separates it from Brookline and Brighton;2 on the west by Watertown, Belmont, and Arlington; on the north by Somerville, and by Miller's River, which separates it from Charlestown. Though now small in territorial extent, embracing not more than about four and a half square miles, it is divided into four principal districts, each having a post-office, namely: Cambridge (often called Old Cambridge), Cambridgeport, East Cambridge, and North Cambridge. Like most ancient townships, Cambridge has had great enlargement and diminution in its boundary lines. At first, it seems to have been designed merely as a fortified place, very small in extent, and apparently without definite bounds. Charlestown and Watertown, on the northerly side of Charles River, had already been settled; but it is doubtful whether a distinct line of separation had been established. Between these two towns a spot was selected as “a fit place for a fortified town,” about six months after the arrival of Winthrop with the fleet of emigrants in 1630.3 Houses were erected here in 1631 by Thomas Dudley, Deputy Governor, and by a few others. It was ordered by the [2] Governor and Assistants, Feb. 3, 1631-2, that “there should be three scoore pounds levyed out of the several plantations within the lymitts of this pattent towards the makeing of a pallysadoe aboute the newe towne.” 4 But no definite line of division between the New Town and Charlestown appears to have been established until March 6, 1632-3, when “it was agreed by the parties appointed by the Court, &c., that all the land impaled by the newe towne men, with the neck whereon Mr. Graves his house standeth, shall belong to Newe-town, and that the bounds of Charlestowne shall end at a tree marked by the pale, and to passe along from thence by a straight line unto the midway betwixt the westermost part of the Governor's great lot and the nearest part thereto of the bounds of Watertowne.” 5 The line, thus established, was substantially the same as that which now divides Cambridge from Somerville. The “neck whereon Mr. Graves his house standeth,” was the upland included in East Cambridge. The line between Cambridge and Watertown was not definitely established until April 7, 1635.6 In the mean time, on complaint of “straitness for want of land,” at the Court held May 14, 1634, leave was “granted to the inhabitants of Newe Towne to seek out some convenient place for them, with promise that it shalbe confirmed unto them, to which they may remove their habitations, or have as an addition to that which already they have, provided they doe not take it in any place to prejudice a plantation already settled.” 7 After examining several places, “the congregation of Newtown came and accepted of such enlargement as had formerly been offered them by Boston and Watertown.” 8 This “enlargement” embraced Brookline, Brighton, and Newton. Brookline, then called Muddy River, was granted on condition that Mr. Hooker and his congregation should not remove. They did remove; and thus this grant was forfeited. But the grant of what was afterwards Brighton and Newton held good. [3] In the settlement of the line between Cambridge and Charlestown, no indication is given how far the bounds of either extended into the country beyond the line drawn from “the Governor's great lot,” or the Ten Hills Farm, to the “nearest part” of Watertown. But the Court, March 3, 1635-6, agreed that “Newe Towne bounds shall run eight myles into the country, from their meeteing house.” 9 This grant secured to Cambridge, on its northern border, the territory now embraced in Arlington and the principal part of Lexington; and, as the measurements of that day were very elastic, perhaps the whole of Lexington was included. But even this did not satisfy the craving for land. Accordingly a conditional grant of Shawshine was made, June 2, 1641, and renewed June 14, 1642: “All the land lying upon Saweshin Ryver, and between that and Concord Ryver, and between that and Merrimack Ryver, not formerly granted by this Court, are granted to Cambridge, so as they erect a village there within five years, and so as it shall not extend to prejudice Charlestowne village, or the village of Cochitawit,” etc.10 This grant was confirmed absolutely, March 7, 1643-4,11 and included the present town of Billerica, parts of Bedford and Carlisle, and a part of Tewksbury, or of Chelmsford, or of both. The terms of the grant—all the land lying between Concord and Merrimac rivers—would seem to include Lowell; yet an Indian village then occupied that territory, and such villages were generally protected. The township had now attained its full size. In shape somewhat like an hour-glass, about thirty-five miles in length, and wide at each extremity, it was not much more than one mile in width in the central part, where the original settlement was made, and where most of the inhabitants then resided. Such was its shape when Johnson described it in 1651. “This Town is compact closely within itselfe, till of late yeares some few stragling houses have been built: the Liberties of this Town have been inlarged of late in length, reaching from the most Northerly part of Charles River to the most Southerly part of Merrimack River.” 12 This description, however, does not comprehend the [4] whole territory then belonging to Cambridge; for both Brighton and Newton are wholly on the southerly side of Charles River. The portion of Dedham, which now constitutes the town of Needham, was the southerly bound. But Cambridge soon lost a part of its enormous length. In 1655, an amicable arrangement was made between the town and those of its inhabitants who had erected houses at Shawshine, for a separation; this arrangement was confirmed by the General Court, and Shawshine was incorporated as a town, under the name of Billerica.13 Soon afterwards the inhabitants on the south side of the river, in what is now Newton, where a church was organized July 20, 1664, petitioned for incorporation as a separate town. Cambridge objected; and a long and earnest controversy ensued. The Newton people triumphed at last, as will be fully related in another place, and in 1688 became a separate township. The northwesterly portion of the territory remaining in Cambridge was for many years called “The Farms,” and a church was organized there Oct. 21, 1696. The Farmers, as they were styled, subsequently agreed with the town upon terms of separation, and by an “order passed in Council and concurred by the Representatives,” March 20, 1713, they were incorporated as “a separate and distinct town by the name of Lexington, upon the articles and terms already agreed on with the town of Cambridge.” 14 From this period Cambridge was not curtailed of its proportions for nearly a century. Indeed, it obtained some additions. The present southwesterly portion of the city, lying west of Sparks Street and south of Vassall Lane, was set off from Watertown and annexed to Cambridge, April 19, 1754,15 except the “Cambridge Cemetery” and a few acres between that and the former line, which were annexed April 27, 1855.16 The line of Watertown was thus carried about a half a mile further westward; and the tract thus acquired embraces some of the most desirable land in the city for dwelling-houses. From Charlestown (now Somerville), the dwellings and a portion of the estates of Nathaniel Prentiss, Josiah Wellington, Stephen Goddard, Benjamin Goddard, and Nathaniel Goddard, including most of the tract bounded by North Avenue, Russell, Elm, and White streets, were annexed [5] to Cambridge, March 6, 1802;17 the estate of William Hunnewell, Feb. 12, 1818;18 and a portion of Professor Ware's estate, now the Norton homestead, June 17, 1820.19 These three annexations are indicated by the sharp angles on the map. The line at White Street was somewhat changed April 30, 1856, and the line between Cambridge and Belmont and Arlington, was straightened Feb. 25, 1862. The northwesterly part of the town was made a separate precinct Dec. 27, 1732, and was afterwards styled the Second Parish, or more generally Menotomy. The line of division was “Menotomy River from Charlestown till it comes to Spy Pond Brook; then on said brook till it comes to a water-course or ditch in Whiting's meadow, so called: the ditch to be the boundary till it comes to Hamblett's Brook, following the course of the Brook to the Bridge; thence on a straight line to the northwest corner of Mr. Isaac Holden's orchard, and continuing the same course to Watertown line.” 20 This tract, with the addition of the remaining territory on the westerly side of Menotomy River, was incorporated, Feb. 27, 1807, under the name of West Cambridge,21 which name was changed to Arlington, April 20, 1867.22 The inhabitants of the territory left on the south side of Charles River petitioned to be made a separate precinct, as early as 1748, and renewed their petition, from time to time, until April 2, 1779, when they were authorized to bring in a bill to incorporate them as an ecclesiastical parish, “excepting Samuel Sparhawk, John Gardner, Joanna Gardner, and Moses Griggs, and their estates.” 23 This was styled the Third Parish, or Little Cambridge. The whole territory south of Charles River was incorporated, under the name of Brighton, Feb. 24, 1837.24 By the incorporation of West Cambridge and Brighton, which was the result of an amicable agreement between the several parties, Cambridge was reduced substantially to its present limits. Several attempts have since been made for a further division; but its incorporation as a city has removed most of the difficulties which previously existed, and it may be reasonably expected that no more attempts of the kind will be made during the present century.
