In former days, each town was required to pay its own Representatives in the General Court, and was liable to a fine if not duly represented. This town, however, on the 14th of May, 1750, “Voted, that the town will make choice of two Representatives to represent them at the next General Court, or Assembly, provided the same serve the town gratis: also voted, that they will proceed to choose two Representatives, upon that condition only, that those who are chosen be not the Representatives of said town unless, upon their choice, they declare that they will serve the town gratis, as aforesaid. Then Andrew Bordman and Edmund Trowbridge Esqs. were chosen Representatives,” and both accepted the office. The same course was pursued the next year, and the same persons were elected. But, in 1752, Andrew Bordman refused the office on this condition, and Henry Vassall was elected in his stead. This practice was soon afterwards wholly abandoned.
April 19, 1754. The territory lying west of Sparks Street and south of Vassall Lane was transferred from Watertown to Cambridge by the General Court, by a line described thus: “To begin at Charles River, and from thence to run in the line between the lands of Simon Coolidge, Moses Stone, Christopher Grant, and the Thatchers, and the land of Colo. Brinley and Ebenezer Wyeth, to the Fresh Pond, so called.” 1 Several acres were subsequently added to Cambridge, bounded westerly on Coolidge Avenue, extending to and including the Cambridge Cemetery.
Some excitement was occasioned as late as 1754, by the appearance of a bear in the easterly part of Cambridge, long after we might suppose this section of the country to have been rid of wild beasts. The “Boston News Letter” of September 19, contained this paragraph.
On Tuesday last, a Bear, that had wandered down to Cambridge, was discovered on Lieut. Govr. Phips' farm,2 and being closely pursued took to Charles River; whereupon several boats put off from Charlestown, and one from
