History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

314 HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.
strip of land belonging to Somerville east of the Bos-
ton and Elaine and Eastern railroads. The tallj-ho
of the morning boat aroused k\\' passengers from
Somerville, neither did the boats bring to or carry [
away from the town much merchandise, nor was
the population perceptibly increased by this new ;
pathway of travel. With the opeuuig of steam
railroads the prosiKrity of the canal gradually de-
clined until its discontinuance in 1843. At pres-
ent few traces of it remain within the city limits, a
short section of grass-grown bed just east of its ,
intersection with Mystic Avenue and near the old
toll-house being nearly all that now exists. !
In 1804 the Medford Turnpike, now known as
Mystic Avenue, was opened. Medl'ord Street was
constructed about the year 181i, after the comple-
tion of Craigie's Bridge. A \
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In 18£0 there were three school-houses within the
limits of Somerville, — the ililk Row school-house, ! ! Warren,
built in the last century in the southern corner of the i
lot consecrated as a cemetery in the early years of
the century, the Medford Street school-house, at the I
junction of iledford, Shawmut, and Ci;oss streets,
and one in the AValnut Hill district.
For many years in the early part of the century
Captain Joseph Miller, who carried on a blacksmith's
shop at the eastern corner of Washington
Street and Asylum Avenue, was the only assessor
in this part of Charlestown. He would take the
property returns and statements of sales from the
farmers, as they came to him with work, — for he
numbered nearly the whole district as his patrons,
and then would take a day to drive in his chaise
to the upper limits of the town to finish the work
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of assessment.
During the seventeen years preceding 1S4:Z be-
ginnings were made whicli were the sources of
much of the growth of the future city. The commencement
of this era was marked by the opening
of !\lilk Street, now Somerville Avenue, from the
west end of Bow Street,— first to Medford Street,
and a few years later to East Cand)ridL;'c, — for
the better accommodation of travrl (jvci- Craigie's
Bridge through Somerville.
In 18:i0 the Boston and Lowell Bailroad Com-
pany procured a charter, and .shortly afterwards be-
gan surveying the land and laying the track for
their road. Tliis innovation upon the established
methods of travel encountered much ojiposition from
the inhabitants of Somerville. Jlany were incred-
ulous of its utility, and others thought it would de-
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ing ground were first opposed with arms, but the
road was finally successfully laid, and cars began to
run June 25, 1835. The Charlestown Branch
Eailroad Company a few years later constructed a
road to Waltham, which was subsec[uently bought
by the Fitchburg Railroad Company.
The citizens now began to awaken to a sense of
the importance of this appendage of Charlestown.
They felt that their territory was neglected by the
town government, and their wishes disregarded;
that they were taxed for supporting institutions,
and making improvements in the benefits of which
they did not participate, and that they did not re-
ceive returns at all commensurate with the amount
of money they contributed. In 1S3S an attempt was
to obtain separation from the mother town.
petition was sent to the legislature praying for
an act of incorporation for a new town, to be called
and counsel was retained. The petitioners
j made
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were given leave to withdraw, however, and although
the subject was kept fresh in the minds of the peo-
pie, no further attempt was made to secure a sepa-
existence for thirteen years. The grievances
previously complained of had not been abated at
end of this period, and the town was under
indictment by the grand jury for the dangerous
condition of Broadway, ]\Icdford Street, and l\Iilk
Row; when, one day in November, 1841, Colonel
Pritchard, who lived on Washington Street,
between Medford and Boston streets, stepped into
the freight-office of the Lowell Railroad, where
Messrs. Charles E. Gilman and Hiram Hackett
were employed, and declared he would pay no
more taxes into the Charlestown treasury. His
house was in the fields, and unsalable merely be-
cause it was in Charlestown outside of the neck.
It was proposed, in pleasantry, to make a new town,
where affairs coidd be managed more in accordance
with the wishes of the residents. The proposition
was received in {•nrncstncss. Notices were im-
mediately ]u-epare(l, :nid pnsted in conspicuous
in tl\e district, calhng a meeting, Novem-
22, at the Prospect Hill School-house, to ascer-
tain the minds of the residents in regard to the
establishment of a new town with the division line
at the neck. Captain Joseph Miller was elected
chairman, and Edwin ^funroe, Jr., secretary of the
meeting; and a committee, consisting of Messrs.
Francis Bowman, Asa Pritchard, Edward Cutter,
Robert G. Temiey, IJenjamin Iladley, and John S.
Edgerly, was appointed to notify the citizens more
stroy the brick-carrying trade. The workmen break- generally, and to obtain their views more definitely