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Old North Bridges

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Old North Bridges CONTINUITY IN CONCORD: THE SEVEN SUCCESSIVE OLD NORTH BRIDGES “History is an endless chain of inventive and spurious continuities, as in the case of Concord’s Old North Bridge1, Old North Bridge2, Old North Bridge3, Old North Bridge4, Old North Bridge5, Old North Bridge6, and Old North Bridge7.” — Austin Meredith 1635 October 6: The Reverend John Jones arrived in Boston, bringing a large number of settlers destined for the new inland plantation on the meadows of the Musketaquid River, to be called Concord. For the first 17 or 18 years of its existence, until 1653, Simon Willard would be functioning as the Town Clerk of this new inland town. Prior to the arrival of this group of English intrusives, the indigenous Americans had been utilizing as a seasonal campsite the ford of the Musketaquid (meaning “marsh-grass river”) or Concord River in the vicinity at which there is now the Battle Bridge or Old North Bridge. That river ford itself was presumably clear of vegetation and a part of the Great Fields.1 1. Remnants of roadbeds dating to this period before 1650 are still to be noted in the marsh west of the bridge. HDT WHAT? INDEX SEVEN BRIDGES SPANNING A FLOW OF CONTINUITY BRIDGE #1: THE VERY FIRST OLD NORTH BRIDGE (1654-1760) “History is an endless chain of inventive and spurious continuities, as in the case of Concord’s Old North Bridge1, Old North Bridge2, Old North Bridge3, Old North Bridge4, Old North Bridge5, Old North Bridge6, and Old North Bridge7.” — Austin Meredith 1654 In approximately this year the 1st bridge was constructed at the ford of the Concord River, where the Battle Bridge or Old North Bridge now stands, linking Concord to that district of Concord that would become Acton, and to Groton and the world beyond. (I know of no evidence to support what the Park Service now asserts to be “widely held,” that a bridge had been there since the 1630s.) 1659 In Concord, Thomas Brooks was again deputy and representative to the General Court. Concord petitioned the General Court for aid in the maintenance of a bridge in the vicinity of where Battle Bridge or Old North Bridge now stands. CONCORD RIVER 2 Copyright Austin Meredith HDT WHAT? INDEX SEVEN BRIDGES SPANNING A FLOW OF CONTINUITY 1660 In Concord, Thomas Brooks was again deputy and representative to the General Court. In Concord, until 1670, John Hoar would be functioning as an attorney and counsellor at law. There were three new bridges in Concord, the famous North Bridge or Battle Bridge, the great South Bridge, and one where Derby’s Bridge over the Assabet River (Gleason F4) would later stand. OLD NORTH BRIDGE The first bridge was built across the Concord River from the point of land below Joseph Barrett’s, Esq., to Lee’s hill. In 1665 it was washed away, and another built the next year, where the present [1835] south bridge stands. Six or seven new bridges have since been built on the same spot. In 1660 there were three new bridges in the town, the north bridge (which the events of the 19th of April, 1775, have made memorable), the great south bridge, and one where Darby’s bridge now [1835] stands. A few years previous to that time, the town had been allowed £20 by the county towards maintaining these bridges. An effort was then made to have the whole expense borne by the county, but the town could obtain but £30 annually for that purpose. When they were first supported entirely by the town, is uncertain. They have been often swept away by the floods; and large sums of money are annually raised to keep them in repair, which has very much increased the expenses of the town. The bridge by Captain Hunt’s was first built about 1792, that by the Rev. Dr. Ripley’s in 1793, those on the turnpike in 1802, and that beyond Deacon Hubbard’s in 1802. There are now [1835] eight bridges entirely supported by the town.2 2. Lemuel Shattuck’s 1835 A HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF CONCORD;.... Boston MA: Russell, Odiorne, and Company; Concord MA: John Stacy, 1835 (On or about November 11, 1837 Henry David Thoreau would indicate a familiarity with the contents of at least pages 2-3 and 6-9 of this historical study.) “Stack of the Artist of Kouroo” Project 3 HDT WHAT? INDEX SEVEN BRIDGES SPANNING A FLOW OF CONTINUITY The Saugus Iron Works established an “Iron Farm” of about three square miles on the south bank of the Assabet River above Derby’s Bridge, where the Assabet River curves eastward as it crosses the line between what has now become Acton and Concord. The citizens voted to grant land for worker housing, to encourage the industry to establish itself. This was the 2d bog-iron smelter in America. A dam with a gate and channel was constructed,3 a head of water was raised, and a water hammer installed. Pudding furnaces, and a forge, were founded. The pudding furnaces were stone 3. This dam, although breached at the right side in the flood of Spring 1968 when 7 inches of rain fell on eastern Massachusetts within a 3-day period, is still to be seen. 4 Copyright Austin Meredith HDT WHAT? INDEX SEVEN BRIDGES SPANNING A FLOW OF CONTINUITY truncated pyramids, perhaps as much as 40 feet high, with interiors in the shape of a bottle. They were charged from the top with a mixture of the bog iron ore known as limonite (HFeO2), charcoal, and a flux of lime ordinarily produced from ground-up seashells. WEBSTERS UNABRIDGED DICTIONARY: Li”mon*ite (noun) Etymology: Greek for any moist grassy place, a meadow In French limonite, in German limonit Definition: Hydrous sesquixoide of iron, an important ore of iron, occurring in stalactitic, mammillary, or earthy forms, of a dark brown color, yellowish brown powder. Includes bog iron. Also called brown hematite. The pudding furnaces began to demand not only the flooring of the local meadows but also the piles of charcoal being produced in nearby woodlands such as the Walden Woods. These furnaces would remain constantly hot until about 1685, and then what could be moved would be moved and what could not be moved would be abandoned, to gradually meld and mellow into the landscape through which Henry David Thoreau would walk. PANTRY BROOK SWAMP GEOLOGY.— The geology of Concord, though it has not been very thoroughly explored, exhibits considerable variety and some peculiarity. The situation is low and the surface generally level, not giving to the streams of water sufficient current to afford many sites for manufacturing purposes. A few small hills only appear to beautify the scene and relieve the eye from a uniform prospect. Among these may be mentioned Ponkawtassett, or Barrett’s, in the northwest; Annursnuck, in the northwest; Nawshawtuct, or Lee’s, near the centre; Fairhaven, in the south; and Rocky Hills, near Walden Pond, partly in Lincoln. There is also a sandy hill, apparently of secondary formation, extending “Stack of the Artist of Kouroo” Project 5 HDT WHAT? INDEX SEVEN BRIDGES SPANNING A FLOW OF CONTINUITY about a mile in length, easterly of the village. The uneven soil at the north and northeastern, and the south and southwestern parts of the town, appears to be of primary formation, and is composed chiefly of a thin, gravelly loam, mixed with various combinations of sand, clay, decayed vegetable matter, and rocks. Though not uniformly well calculated for agricultural purposes, it contains some highly productive farms. A large section, lying on the borders of the rivers, and extending from the southwest to the northeastern parts of the town, and through the centre, appears to be principally either secondary formation or alluvial deposits, and free from stones. The meadows and some part of the upland contain a dark, rich, fruitful soil; and others a loose, sandy one, easily affected by drought and hardly worth cultivation.4 Clay is rare. It is sometimes found in its usual beds, and sometimes in peculiar strata between others of sand. It has been wrought into bricks in several places. Marl is found, though not abundantly. Peat, fibrous and compact, is found in great abundance, composing extensive meadows, and affording an inexhaustible supply of fuel and manure, for which purposes it is used by the inhabitants. It is formed of the vegetables which have grown or been deposited where it exists. In some instances it seems to rest on the surface of water, and when cut in sections for roads or other purposes, the included parts, if heavily loaded, have been known to sink. Geologists divide all rocks into three classes, — primary, secondary, and trap. The rocks in Concord are principally of the primary class, and varieties of granite, sienite, and mica- slate. Granite, suitable for building material, is not very common in Concord, but is found in abundance in Acton, Carlisle, and Lincoln. The following minerals, some of which are rare, are found in Concord: Several species of lime-stone in the north part of the town; formerly manufactured into lime. Calcareous Spar, a sub- species of the carbonate of lime, composed of lime and carbonic acid, is common. Garnet in beautiful crystals. Cinnamon-stone, a very rare mineral, is found in the north part of the town. Several varieties of quartz generally distributed. Mica, in large laminæ and in several varieties. The lamellar hornblende, actynolite and pargasite, sub-species and varieties of hornblende, frequent. Feldspar is found in great variety; the cream-colored is the most beautiful.
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