HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY,

MASSACHUSETTS,

CONTAINING CAREFULLY PREPARED HISTORIES

OF

EVERY CITY AND TOWN IN THE COUNTY,

BY WELL-KNOWN WRITERS;

AND

A GENERAL HISTORY OF THE COUNTY,

FROM THE EARLIEST TO THE PRESENT TIME.

BY

SAMUEL ADAMS DRAKE,

AUTHOR OF "OLD LANDMARKS OF BOSTON," "NOOKS AND CORNERS OF THE NEW ENGLAND COAST," ETC.

VOL. I.

ILLUSTRATED:

BOSTON:

ESTES AND LAURIAT, PUBLISHERS,

301 WASHINGTON STREET.

1880.

PREFACE.

THE

HE purpose of an historical introduction to these volumes is, chiefly, to present a narrative of public events which would dispense with frequent repetitions in the histories of the separate towns constituting the county, and thus secure a unity otherwise unattainable. For this design a general outline of the colonial history of Massachusetts was found to be indispensable.

No history of Middlesex could be written that did not largely embody the annals of Charlestown, the parent of all the towns of the county; the important part has, therefore, been related in the introduction, instead of in a separate article.

The history of Brighton, which so long formed a constituent part of the county, was also deemed essential to the general completeness of the work, more especially as the municipality has no separate written history of its own.

Deeming such a course not only equitable, but for the interests of historic truth, the authors of the articles in this work have freely expressed their own views upon controverted questions, but the editor accepts the responsibility only for what is embraced in the introductory chapters.

MELROSE, August 20, 1879.

SAMUEL ADAMS DRAKE.