64 NATURAL HISTORY AND TOPOGRAPHY OF GROTON, MASS. 



Punch Bowl — one of several natural depressions near 

 the Lowell road, below Brown Loaf. The name is also ap- 

 plied to the district or neighborhood. 



RED BRIDGE — over the Nashua River, on the road to 

 West Groton. 



SLEDGES — the name of a meadow northeast of Reedy 

 Meadow, mentioned in the early records, where John Lakin 

 owned land. Mr. Butler, in his History (p. 273), says that 

 " this word seems to signify strips of meadow or parcels of 

 low lands abounding in iron ore." Bog-iron is found in that 

 quarter of the town, and in old times was worked by a com- 

 pany formed for that purpose. 



Sodom — the district in the northeast part of the town, 

 near the Townsend line. The name refers to the quality of 

 the soil, and not to the character of the inhabitants. 



SQUANNACOOK — an Indian word, the old name of the 

 village of West Groton. 



Stony Fordway, or Wading-Place — near the site of the 

 Hollingsworth Paper-mills, on the Nashua River, a mile and 

 a half northwesterly of the village. 



Swill Bridge — was between the homesteads of Eber 

 Woods, Jr., and Joel Davis, — as given on Mr. Butler's map 

 of Groton, from a survey made in the years 1828 and 1829, — 

 a short distance west of the present railroad bridge. Origi- 

 nally it was a causeway, perhaps twenty rods in length, over 

 the southerly end of Broad Meadow, though now it is a solid 

 road. 



Thomas Tarbell's Fordway — was between where the 

 Red Bridge now stands, and Fitch's Bridge, which is a mile 

 and a quarter below. 



Tobacco Pipe Plain — on both sides of the road from the 

 Ridges to Sandy Pond, near Rocky Hill. It is mentioned in 

 the " Bye-Laws of Groton relative to Schools; and Instruc- 

 tions of the School Committee, 1805," and in old deeds. 



