184: History of Hingham. 



River, on Whiting Street, we come upon dishing Street, crossing 

 the old turnpike. We will turn to the right and proceed a few 

 rods until we strike Derby Street, which leads from the intersec- 

 tion of Gardner with Whiting Street, westward into Weymouth. 

 This country is all in the old Fourth Division. Ancient land- 

 marks are plentiful in this corner of Hingham, although many 

 of them can with difficulty be distinguished, owing to the country 

 being now extensively covered with woods where formerly were 

 farms. Consequently, in most cases their location merely can be 

 pointed out. 



South of Derby, and immediately west of Gardner Street, lies 

 Huckleberry Plain, famous for the abundance of the fruit from 

 which it derives its name. West of this, and south of Derby 

 Street are the Farm Hills. Between Derby and Abington Street 

 and Rockland, is Mast Swamp, where formerly grew very large 

 pines, suitable for masts of vessels. North of Derby Street, and 

 between it and Whiting Street, are the Smooth Hills. To the 

 south again are the Three Hundred Acres, a tract once be- 

 longing to Madam Derby. Derby Street was named in honor 

 of this lady. Just before this street enters Weymouth, it passes 

 through Musquito Plain, so called from the supposed super- 

 abundance of these insects. 



Retracing our course over Derby Street, we will turn into 

 Gushing Street and proceed almost due north. Between this 

 street, Whiting Street, and Plymouth River, is Breakneck Hill, 

 now not a specially perilous descent where it invades the high- 

 way, however steep it may formerly have been. East of dishing 

 Street, at this point, is Hoop-Pole Hill, where great quantities 

 of trees were cut in the days when the mackerel fishery was in 

 its prime, to furnish hoops for the barrels made at the harbor for 

 packing the fish. Woods now cover nearly all the hills in this 

 romantic and almost deserted portion of the town. A branch of 

 Plymouth River crosses and recrosses the road along the base of 

 these hills six times. The next point of interest is Mullein 

 Hill, a sharp ridge lying on the east side of the road. The 

 extensive growth of mullein in this locality in past days gave 

 this hill its name. The somewhat abrupt ranges next crossed, 

 and extending west of the road, are those of the High Hills. 



The country all about here has a peculiarly broken surface, 

 and the woods covering it are principally oak. 



White-Oak Neck lies between Plymouth River, just before it 

 enters Cushing's Pond, and Eel River, a little stream which 

 flows north, crossing Cushing Street, and also emptying into this 

 pond. The road turns abruptly to the eastward here, and crosses 

 the southerly extremity of Cushing's Pond, a pretty sheet of 

 water lying among wooded hills, upon the banks of which have 

 been carried on some of the most noted industries of the town. 

 Here is the Bucket Factory, where for generations were made 

 the celebrated "Hingham buckets" which were sold, far and 



