He had been (mis) informed that it was the toll-house of the turn-pike corporation, and had used the picture as a lantern slide in his talks on ‘Picturesque Medford.’ It has also been shown in illustrations of the Middlesex Canal, several times, as the toll-house beside the Canal, and in all instances without question. Its exhibitors, being later-comers to Medford, were dependent on the testimony of others, which was incorrect.
As to Mr. Swan's sketch; the illustration is a photographic reproduction. It was drawn on a pale blue paper, the river and canal shaded with a dark blue and the turnpike a brown color. The letter A in the corner, refers to a duplicate made by him on the page of the History of Medford to which it was attached. The Rock he referred to is the outcropping slate ledge in the adjoining hill-side. Mr. Swan doubtless knew of the extent of Governor Winthrop's farm and could not have intended to convey the impression that the small portion of his sketch thus marked was the entire Ten Hills Farm. Again, the sketch is not drawn to any scale, but is an observer's illustration of what must have been in those days a busy corner of Medford, including the river traffic, the boating in the canal, the turnpike travel and the tide mill work, all converged in that narrow space.
A few words concerning the Blessing of the Bay. Mr. Brooks styles it ‘the first keel laid in this western world.’ In a former number of the Register Mr. Hooper has shown that Mr. Cradock had the Rebecca built here in 1629, but was there not one built still earlier at Popham, on the coast of Maine?
And now a foreword. In this issue is a poem relating to the Royall House. We think it worthy of preservation, but present it with some trepidation, warning our readers that poetic license must account for bricks brought over sea, as well as the location of the wigwam of Sagamore John. That same license provided Medford with a village clock when Revere rode over Cradock bridge nearly a half century before Mr. Brooks really gave one.
