builds a fort at the carrying-place.-Dieskau designs to reduce dians.—Sir William Johnson's conduct considered.—Account Description of Wiscasset, and of the river Sheepscot, by the Rev. Alden Bradford, Minister at Wiscasset, S. H. S. List of publick offices, ecclesiastical preferments, &c. in Mary- : Union of the British American colonies, as proposed in the year Report of a committee of the assembly of Connecticut, respect- The reasons offered, by the Assembly of Connecticut, concern- Petitions, &c. from members of the church of England, in Bos- A Bill for better regulating of charter and proprietary Heads of Inquiry, relative to the state and condition of Con- Biographical Notice of the Rev. James Noyes, first minister Description and historical account of the Isles of Shoals, Ecclesiastical History of Massachusetts and the old colony of COLLECTIONS, &c. THE HISTORY OF CAMBRIDGE. BY ABIEL HOLMES, A.M. A MEMBER OF THE SOCIETY. -forsan et hæc olim meminisse juvabit. VIRGIL. A Topographical Description of Cambridge.* CAMBRIDGE is a shire town, in the county of Middlesex. It lies in 42°. 23'. north latitude, and 71°. west longitude from London. It is bounded on the northeast by Charlestown; on the north-west by Lexington; on the west by Watertown; on the south-west by Newton; on the south by Brookline, and on the south-east and east by Cambridge bay to Charlestown line. It is about three miles distant from Boston, on a right line; eight miles, as measured on the road leading through Brookline and Roxbury; about four miles and a half through Charlestown; and three miles, one quarter, and sixty rods from the old state-house, by the way of West-Boston bridge. The soil is various. In the south-west part of the town, within a mile of Charles river, the land is hilly, and abounds in springs. The soil is loamy, and natural to grass. In the north-west part of the town, the land is hilly, * For this Description, I am principally indebted to my worthy friend, and respectable parishioner, CALEB GANNETT, Esquire. and similar to that in the south-west part. The hills, in each part, afford large quantities of stone for mason's work. From the foot of the hills on the south side of Charles-river, excepting a quantity of marsh of about 300 acres on each side, the soil is mostly light, and intermixed with loam, lying upon a stratum of clay, at the depth of fifteen or twenty feet, though at some places it runs to or near the surface. The soil is the same through the first parish, and Menotomy plains. On the sides of the rivulet, which divides the first and second parishes, there is a large quantity of meadow land, producing but little grass, and of an inferior quality. This meadow, however, abounds with peat, which is used by the poorer inhabitants for fuel. The original growth of the land was oak, walnut, and pine. The orchards, planted by the first settlers, flourished greatly. The few ancient trees now remaining, being of a much larger size than any planted within half a century, denote vegetation to have been much more vigorous in former than in later years. From this cause, the quantity of fruit is greatly diminished. The plains, though not fruitful in grass, are well adapted to the raising of Indian corn, winter rye, and the common esculent vegetables. From the hilly and diversified surface of several parts, and the passage of Charles river through the middle of the town, it might be supposed that the air is very pure. Experience confirms the supposition. Many of the inhabitants have attained great longevity; and invalids, from other towns, have realized the beneficial effects of a salubrious air from a temporary residence in the town. Persons afflicted with chronic disorders have also received additional advantages, and sometimes effectual relief, by the use of the waters in a chalybeate spring in the south-west parish. The largest river in Cambridge is Charles river, which is navigable to the bridge leading to Brookline, for vessels of ninety tons, and for lighters to Watertown. Three ponds head a rivulet, which divides the first and second parishes, and which empties itself into Mystic river. The fish, usually to be found in fresh rivers and ponds, may, in their season, be caught in these waters. Anciently, the alewife fishery was of considerable value. Exclusive of the purpose of exportation, the fish were used as manure for the land.* This fishery is, at present, of little consequence. In the north-west parish, in Cambridge, on a small brook, which originates in Lexington, and empties itself into Mystic river, there are one saw mill, and three mills. Persons, transporting their grain from the n west part of the state to Boston, might avail themselves of these mills, with convenience, to convert it into meal; and thus render it more saleable in the market. In the same parish, there is a card manufactory which does great honour to American ingenuity. The machine, used in this manufactory, by a simple operation, bends, cuts, and sticks the card teeth. It was invented in the spring of 1797, by Amos Whittemore, of Cambridge; and, on the first of September, 1799, William Whittemore. and company commenced business. Twenty-three machines, now in operation, stick two hundred dozen pairs of cards, on an average, every week. Forty persons, male and female, employed in this manufactory, complete the above-mentioned number, weekly, for sale. The building, in which the whole work is done, is 46 feet square; and the average price of the cards is 7 dollars per dozen pairs. About fifty rods below the bridge leading to Brookline, there is a very commodious wharf, owned by William Winthrop, Esquire, at which great quantities of wood and lumber are annually unladen, to the great convenience of the mechanical interests, and to the general accommodation of the town. The breadth of Charles river here, is twenty-two rods. West-Boston bridge, connecting Cambridge with Boston, is a magnificent structure. It was erected at the expense of a company incorporated for that purpose; and cost 76,700 dollars. The causeway, on the Cam * This singular species of manure appears to have been much used in the infancy of the country. An early writer, in reference to the first settlers of Concord, observes: "The Lord is pleased to provide for them great store of fish in the spring time, and especially alewives, about the bigness of a herring many thousands of these they used to put under their Indian corne.' Wonder-working Providence of Sion's Saviour in New-England. |