The Raymer enterprise., 1915-07-08
eH MT Or az AlNG HZzzzRS

and MILK streets, WneTe ls now tue OLD SOutu
Meeting house. and this was early called Corn.
hill Soon, however, further advance was made
to Summer, this extension later being called
Marlborough street. in commemoration OF the VIC
tory OF Blenhem. In 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 high-water
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 northwaro 10
a smaller cove stretching from where is no"
North Market street and the Quincy market tine
first Mayor Quincys monument) and over tne
site of Faneul 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 the then broadspreading Beacon hill ana pass
ing through the Common; Hanover street, al nrst
a narrow lane from what is now Scollay square
and Ann afterward North street, from DOCK
square. both leading to the ferries by copps hiii'
where tradition says the Indians had their ferry.
Court street was first Prison lane, from the Mar
ket place to the prison, a gruesome dungeon
early set up where now stands the modern eity
Hall annex In its day II harbored pirates ana
ouakers, and Hawthorne fancied II for the open
ing scenes of his Scarlet Letter" School street
took It's name from the first schoolhouse and the
first school, whence sprang the Boston Latin
school which felicitates itself that It antedates
the university at Cambridge and "danded Har-
ward college on its knee Milk street. first Fort
lane" was the first way to Fort hill on the narpor
front Summer street. first "Mylne lane" LED 10
widow Tuthilps Windmill" near where was
Church Green. up to which the water came
Cow lane" now High street, led from Church
Green or MIL lane to the foot OF Fort hill Essex
street was originally at It's eastern end part OF
the first cartway to the Neck and Roxbury,
beach road that ran along the south shore OF the
South cove another expansive ndentation ex-
tending from the harbor on the south side OF
Fort hill 10 tbs NAck Boylston street originally
Frog lane" and holding fast to this bucolic ap-
pelaton into the nineteenth century was
swampy way running westward along the south
side OF Boston Common toward the open Back bay
the back basin of the Charles-then flowing up
10 a pebby 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 seant ter
rtory bounded. generally speaking on the east
side by state street at the high-water line OF
the Great cove, northery by Merchants row
around to near the site OF Faneuil hall; north
westerly by Dock square and Hanover street;
westerly by the great hill and fremont street;
sontherly 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
ca. nffnr Ie.n
and Boylston streets: eastward to the harbor
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 indentaton on the north OF
Beacon hill by the widening OF the Charles river
at its 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 on the margin of the
glinting Back bat was the towns west boundary
till after the Revolution and into the nineteenth
century TIL then the tide Of the Back bay
flowed up the present Beacon street. some zoo
feet above the present Charles street. The towns
southern limit. except a few houses toward the
Neck on the fourth link of the highway to Rox
bury fcaled 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 was built Till the Revolution was two
years past
So the "storied town" remained, TIL the close
Of the historic chapter a little one the built.ur
territory OF which could easily be covered in
stroll of day or two.
From Its establishment as the capital Boston'e
history was SO interviewer with that Of the Colony
that in England the Colony came early to be desie
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. was termed the Boo
ton Charter"