The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1915-07-09

and Milk streets where is now the old South
Meeting house. and this 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 hgh-water
mark at the present Kiby 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 now
North Market street and the Quincy market (the
first Mayor Quincy's monument) and over the
site Of Faneu hall to Dock square, which be-
came the Town dock. Other pioneer highways
we're the nucleus of the present fremont street,
originally running along the northeastern spurs
Of the then broadspreading Beacon hill and pass
ing through the Common; Hanover street, at first
a narrow lane, from what is now Scollay square.
and Ann, afterward North street from Dock
square both leading to the ferries by Copps hill,
where tradition says the Indians had their ferry.
Court street was first Prison lane, from the Mar
ket place to the prison, gruesome dungeon,
early set up, where now stands the modern City
Hall annex In its day II harbored pirates and
Quakers and Hawthorne fancied 1t for the open
ing scenes of his Scarlet Letter" School street
took it's name from the first schoohouse and the
first school, whence sprang the Boston Latin
school, which felcitates itself that 1t antedates
the university at Cambridge and "dandled Har-
ward college on its knee" Milk street first Fort
lane" was the first way to Fot hill on the harbor
front Summer street, first "Mylne lane" led to
"Widow Tuthilps Windmill" where was
Church Green, up to which the water came
Cow lane" now High street, led from Church
Green. Mill lane, to the foot OF Fort hill Essex
street was originally at its eastern end part or
the first cartway to the Neck and Roxbury
beach road that ran along the south shore OF the
South cove, another expansive indentation, ex
tending from the harbor on the south side or
Fort hill to the Neck. Boylston street originally
Frog lane" and holding fast to this bucolic ap-
pellation 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
to a pebbly beach at the Commons western edge
and TO the present Park square.
Here, then, the levels about the Great cove
in the form OF a crescent, facing the sea and
backed by the threepeaked 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 Faneuil hall; 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 or
Kilby, water and Batterymarch streets Soon.
however the limits expanded, reaching southwark
to Summer street. and not long after to Essex
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 MIL cove" with busy
mills about 1t, indentation on 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
nnsulas north end, which early became the seat
Of gentility
No further expansion OF moment made
through the colony period. and the extension
slight during the Province period Beacon Hill,
except It's slopes remained till after the Revolu-
tion 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
gnting Back bay 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 towns
southern limit, except a few houses toward the
Neck on tho fourth link OF the highway to Rox-
bury (called Orange street in honor Of the house
or Orange). 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 10 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 tive
years past
So the "stored town" remained. till the close
OF the historic chapter little one. the built-up
t1rritory OF which could easily be covered In a
stroll OF day or 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 desis-
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 "Bos-
ton Chartsr-