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at more than one thousand.”
1 The principal land-holders had not hitherto manifested a very strong desire to transfer their lands to new owners.
Perhaps each waited for the others to sell, hoping to share the benefit of augmented prices without parting with their own property at a low rate.
Mr. Watson sold very few lots before 1801;
Judge Dana bought more than he sold; and
Mr. Bordman seems not to have sold a single lot, or even to have made preparation for sales by obtaining access to the
Main Street.
Indeed
Judge Dana and
Mr. Watson did not afterwards sell freely; but much the larger portion of their lands descended to their posterity.
Mr. Bordman, on the contrary, in 1801, united with others in laying out Windsor Street; giving all the land through his own estate, from School Street to Webster Avenue, and in the same year he sold that portion of his estate lying east of Windsor Street and south of Harvard Street, somewhat more than six acres, to
Charles Clark and
Daniel Mason, who immediately divided it into small lots and brought it into the market.
In 1803, he laid out into building-lots all his lands west of Windsor Street and south of Harvard Street; and in 1804 he sold all which remained of his farm on the east side of Windsor Street, sixty-five acres, to
Rufus Davenport and Royal
Makepeace, who offered it for sale in small lots, but were disappointed in the result.
Mr. Austin, who purchased the
Jarvis Mansion-house, with forty-seven acres of land, laid out several lots on Main Street between Temple and Inman streets, and opened Austin Street through its whole length, with building-lots on both sides, in 1801: he also sold a section east of Norfolk Street between Washington and Harvard Streets, to
Davenport &
Makepeace, who prepared it at once for the market.
From this time there was no lack of accommodations for all comers; the supply was fully equal to the demand.
In addition to the efforts of individuals to increase the market value of their own lands, by means of dikes and streets, other improvements of a more public character were projected for the general advantage of the community.
Expensive avenues into the country were constructed to attract travel and business.
The “Cambridge and Concord Turnpike Corporation” was established March 8, 1803, with authority to make a turnpike-road from the westerly side of Cambridge Common to Concord;2 and two years afterwards, March 8, 1805, the corporation was authorized to
