The Mill Pond was formed by the building of a causeway across the head of
the cove, as the street now runs, where there was, it would seem, a sort
of Indian causeway, or pathway, at some prior time. It is represented by
writers on the subject to have been built from Leverett Street to the
Charlestown Ferry; but as this would include the creek, built some ten or
twelve years before, this seems to be impossible; for if the creek was
connected with the pond, without a gate to shut it off, there could be no
mill-power. The creek, therefore, must have been separated from the pond
by a gate, while there was a gate from the pond into Charles River.
However, the causeway was built, and the mill-pond and the water-power it
furnished, used for more than a hundred years without any special
publicity or inquiry concerning them. In fact, it would seem as if the
subject, and the large piece of territory involved, had been pretty much
forgotten; so that in 1765, in March, a committee was appointed to inquire
"by what terms the mill-owners held the mill-pond mills." In May
following, this committee reported, that on the 31st of July, 1643, there
was granted to Henry Simons, George Burden, John Hill, and their partners,
all the cove on the north-west side of the causeway leading towards
Charlestown, with all the salt marsh bordering thereupon, not formerly
granted, on these conditions: that within three years they erect thereon
one or more corn-mills, "and maintain the same forever; also make a gate
ten feet wide to open with the flood for the passage of boats into the
cove," &c. This gate was also to be "maintained forever."
The Mill Pond, it is said, included about fifty acres,--nearly as large as
the north end island,--and, of course, must have furnished during the time
it was available--from an hour or two after full tide until an hour or two
before the next tide, night and day--a very large and extensive
water-power, and was, no doubt, though probably not half used, a very
valuable property.
It is stated by Drake, as if it were a consequence of the action of the
committee, that, "four years after the above report, a committee took
possession of the premises, as having reverted to the town." These
proceedings, it will be noticed, all refer to the "mill-pond mills," but
may be presumed to include the pond and the whole grant made in 1643; so
that in 1769 the property was in the hands of the town, as appears from
these statements.
After this time, by some means or other, the Mill Pond Company, or
Corporation, came into possession of the property, as Shaw says, "for the
consideration of five dollars;" and in 1807, the town became a partner in
the matter of tilling it up, the town to have the streets, we presume, and
one-eighth of the lots filled within twenty years. Permission was also
given to use the gravel of Beacon Hill for the purpose. The filling was
completed more than fifty years ago, and the entire space has long been
covered with buildings, and in 1832 included a theatre. The Boston and
Maine Railroad Station stands over the creek; and the large depot
buildings of the Fitchburg, Eastern, and Lowell Railroads are all on land
taken from the river outside the ancient causeway: so that no one of the
great railroad depots in the city stands upon the original land of the
town.