There is a plan in the City Engineer's office, Cambridge, bearing date of 1862, and on which is shown a foot bridge crossing the river about 740 feet northerly or down stream from Massachusetts avenue. Just below this bridge appears on the plan the word ‘fisheries.’
It would appear that here was located the ancient fish weir where shad and alewives were taken by the early inhabitants for ‘fishing their Indian corn.’
The foot bridge was just at the point where the high land draws close to the river on either side, forming the outfall of the basin in which lie Fresh and Spy ponds and the Fresh pond meadows. It would be the natural place to locate a weir, for above, the ‘Great Swamp’ spread out on either side, while a short distance below, the river was crossed by the Charlestown line, beyond which the weir could not be located according to the grant.
The General Court agreed March 3, 1635-36, that ‘Newe Towne bounds shall run eight myles into the country from their meeting house.’
This grant, among other lands, included a part of the present Arlington; the line between Newtowne and Charlestown was extended nearly straight back into the country. The district north of this line, from the line to Mystic river and from Menotomy river westward to near Alewife Meadow Brook,1 was known as Line Field.
There is among the records of the Middlesex County Court a plan of the ancient Line Field on which is shown the line from which the land takes its name, and parallel with it a road, designated in the Commissioners' Records as the ‘Bridgeway.’ In the Charlestown Records, under date of November 13, 1637, appears the following agreement, ‘That a ffooteway bee made over Wenotamies & a way between the lotts lefte 3 pole wide.’
As near as can be ascertained the ‘ffooteway’ crossed Menotomy river where Broadway (Somerville and Arlington) crosses now, but the ‘Bridgeway’ has entirely disappeared, except a short portion of it northwest of
