11 



mission was granted to Walter Price, Henry Barthole- 

 mew, John and Samuel Gardner, for building a mill on 

 the South River near Mr. Ruck's. This "New Mill" was 

 completed in 1664, and in 1666 the town incorporated 

 this dam into the public travelled way and continued it 

 from the Mill Dam through the South Fields to the little 

 gate in the fence, where it joined the old road to Marble- 

 head. This was on the site of the "South Mills," so 

 called, and now occupied by the Eastern Railroad com- 

 pany for the new Engine House. The town in remun- 

 eration for the injury done to the Pickerings (John and 

 Jonathan) by the erection of the dam, and the laying 

 out of the way over the same, which run through their 

 shipyard, granted them a site at the Town's End, or in 

 Hardie's Cove, if they should find it most convenient. 



A general discussion followed the reading of the paper, 

 participated in by Messrs. W. P. Up ham, James Kimball, 

 the chair, and others. Several suo-o-estions were made 

 having a reference to the subject of priority of the differ- 

 ent mills ; allusion being made to Saltonstali's Mill in 

 Ipswich, granted in 1635 ; a description also was given 

 of the early mode of grinding, probably on the principle 

 of the trip hammer, the use of stones having been intro- 

 duced at a later date. The building of various mill dams 

 and bridges in this vicinity, that of the North Bridge in 

 1764, was specified. A vote of thanks was passed to 

 Mr. Kimball for his interesting and valuable communica- 

 tion and he was requested to prepare the same for publi- 

 cation in the "Historical Collections." 



The Secretary read the following correspondence : — 



William S. Elwell, Springfield, Jan. 10; Frank E. Hotchkiss, Xew Haven. Dec. 

 30; William Stevens Perry, Geneva, N. Y., Dec. 28, Jan. 7; Geo. Henry Preble, 

 Charlestown, Jan. 14. 



The Librarian announced the following additions : — 



