den, was the first to set up a distillery in Medford.
It was on the south side of the river. . . afterward used by Hezekiah Blanchard the innholder, who distilled anise-seed, snake-root and clove-water.
While authentic history places Andrew Hall's beginning of the rum making in 1735, it also credits this same Hezekiah Blanchard with a similar plant a little farther away behind Dead Man's alley, otherwise River street.
Certain it is, that the latter was engaged both in tavernkeeping and dg of Medford.
What more convenient place for their gathering for business than the well appointed inn of mine host Hezekiah Blanchard?
And so this old time-worn bill of his comes to us, a mute witness of men and times long gone.
Here it is; we bespeak for this carefully made copy a critical reading.
The Directors for the Andover & Medford Turnpike road
To Hezh Blanchard Drd cents
1805
NovbrTo 4 Botwls Ginn Toddy 1s/6d$1.00
To 8 Suppers 2s/3d3
To 1 Bottle wine
d tolerate no rival pulpit in his domain, regarding all such as interlopers.
But this could not always be.
The parting of the ways was near—indeed had been reached the previous year, as we will later notice.
Under the system of church and parish then operating, any dissenting views or doctrine must find other than the meeting house for promulgation.
In 1823, places of public assemblage were few, and consisted mainly of such halls as the taverns afforded, notably that earlier of Hezekiah Blanchard, and then and later, the Medford House.
To those who forsook the stately meeting-house up old High street, and turned into the lane (now Ashland street) and climbed the stairs to the second floor of Mr. Francis' bake-house that summer day, the contrast must have been great.
Perhaps it was too great, as only two Sabbaths were spent there, and better quarters secured.
Again this quotation tells us where.
Mr. Cummings in his excellent paper only says—
A hall in the neighborhood
their toll-gatherer, or others by them employed, shall unreasonably delay or hinder any passenger or traveler at the gate, or shall demand or receive more toll than by this act established, the corporation shall forfeit and pay a sum, not exceeding $10.00 or less than $2.00, to be recovered before any justice of the peace for the county of Middlesex.
The first meeting of the proprietors of the Medford Turnpike Corporation was held on the eleventh day of April, 1803, at the house of Hezekiah Blanchard, Jr. Benjamin Hall was chosen moderator and Luther Stearns clerk.
May 5, 1803.
Voted that General Brooks, Luther Stearns and Capt. Andrew Hall be a committee to draw up a subscription, and that the number of shares shall be 100.
The following is a list of the proprietors of the Medford turnpike road, with the number of shares which they hold annexed to their names:—
Benjamin Hall10 shares, Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,9, 10.
John Brooks3 shares, Nos. 11, 12, 13.
Samuel Buel
66.
Its unruled pages are enclosed in stiff board covers, eight by thirteen inches in size.
These were once covered with two layers of leather, shown by fragments remaining and folded over the edges, and fly-leaves securely pasted over them.
On the first of the latter, in the upper left-hand, appears (in pencil), 3 Qr. $1.50.
Following the transcript of the charter is a copy of advertisement in the Centinel, calling the first meeting to be held on April 11, 1803, at the tavern of Hezekiah Blanchard, Jr. Benjamin Hall was its moderator, and Luther Stearns clerk, continuing as such until 1821.
This is the book referred to by Mr. Hooper in this issue.
Since his article was written there has been published a work entitled, The Turnpikes of New England.
Its author, a civil engineer, in preparing a report on some public utility, ventured (as he says) into the historical side of the matter.
Search in an extensive library, under the head of turnpikes, yielded him nothing but in one
