The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1915-07-10


and Milk streets, where is now the old South
Meeting house and this was early called Corn
hill Soon however a further advance was made
to Summer, this extension later being called
Marlborough street, in commemoration of the VIC
tory of Blenheim. In a few years third street
was added toward Essex and Boylston streets
named Newbury The sea then came up IN the
Great cove from the harbor fairly close to the
present square of State street, for hlgn-"ater
mark was at the present Kilby street on the
South side and Merchants row on the North SIDE
The Great cove swept inside Of these streets
Merchants row followed the shore northward to
a smaller cove, stretching from where Is NO"
North Market street and the Quincy market tthe
first Mayor Quincy's monument) and over the
site of Faneuil hall to Dock square, which De-
came the Town dock Other pioneer highways
were the nucleus of the present fremont street.
originally running along the northeastern spurs
of tbe then broad-spreading Beacon hill ana pass
ing through the Common; Hanover street, at nrst
a narrow lane, from what is now Scollay SQUARE
and Ann afterward North street, from DOCK
square both leading to the ferries by Cops nlii'
~horo tradition saws the Indians had their ferry
Court street was first Prison lane, from the MAJ
ket place to the prison, a gruesome ouhseoh'
aarIv set I'D where stands the modern Clty
uaII annex In it's day 1t harbored pirates ana
Ouoters and Hawthorne fancied it for the open
inc scenes of his Scarlet Letter.. SchooI street
took its name from the first schoolhouse ana Tue
first school, whence sprang the Boston Laun
school which felicitates itself that 1t anteoaIes
+bo university at Cambridge and "dandled Har-
yard college on its knee" Milk street, first fort
lane" was the first way to Fort hill on the narOor
front Summer street, first 'Mylne lane, LED 10
widow TuthiIPs Windmill, near Where was
rbnrcb Green I'D to which the water came
Cow lane" now High street, led from Church
Green or Mill lane to the foot OF Fort hill Essex
street was originally at its eastern end part OF
the first cartway to the Neck and Roxbury'
boocb road that ran along the south shore Of the
South cove another expansive indentatlon eX-
tending from the harboF~ on the south sloe OF
Fort hill to the Neck Boylston street, originally
'E1rog lane" and holding fast to this bucohc ap-
nollation into the nineteenth century was
swampy way running westward along the south
side of Boston Common toward the open BACK Day
the back basin of the Charles-then flowing up
to a pebbIy beach at the Commons western edge
and to the present Park square
Here, then on the levels about the Great cove,
in the form of crescent, facing the sea and
backed by the three-peaked hill, the town was
established
The first occupation was within the scant ter
ritory bounded, generally speaking on the east
side by State street at the high-Water line OF
the Great cove; northerly by Merchants row
around to near the site OF Faneun haIl;' north
westerly by Dock square and Hanover street;
westerly by the great hill and fremont street;
southerly by School and Milk streets; and Milk
street again to the water. then working up toward
the present Liberty square at the junction OF
Kilby water and Batterymarch streets. Soon,
however the limits expanded, reaching southwark
to Summer street, and not long after to Essex
and BOyIStOn streets; eastward, 10 the narDoT
front at and around Fort hill; westward and
northwestward, about another broad cove-this
the North cove, later the Mill cove with busy
mills about it. an indentation the north OF
Beacon hill by the widening OF the Charles river
at it's mouth, and covering the space now Hay
market square; and northward, over the Pc
ninsula's north end, which early became the seat
of gentility.
No further expansion Of moment was made
through the colony period and the extension was
slight during the Province period Beacon hill,
except its slopes remained till after the Revolu-
ton in its primitive state, its long western reach
place of pastures over which the COWS roamed,
and the barberry and the wild rose grew.
The foot of the Common the margin OF the
glinting Back bay was the towns west boundary
till after the Revolution and into the nineteenth
century. Till then the tide Of the Back bay
flowed up the present Beacon street, some 200
feet above the present Charles street The town 8
southern limit except a few houses toward the
Neck on the fourth link of the highway to Rox-
bury (ca1led Orange street in honor OF the house
or Orange), was still Essex and Boylston streets.
The one landway to the mainland, till after the
second decade Of the nineteenth century. remained
the long, lean Neck to Roxbury. The only water
way, at the beginning Of the town was by means
of ships, boats, afterward by scows No bridge
from Boston built till the Revolution was two
years past
So the "storied town remained till the close
of the historic chapter. little one, the built-up
territory of which could easily be covered in a
stroll of day two.
From its establishment as the capital Boston's
history was interviewer with that of the Colony
that in England the Colony early to be desig-
mated the ~Bostoneers," and the charter which
the founders brought with them, and for the
retention of which the colonists were in an
almost constant struggle, termed the Dos
ton Charter"