150 NATURAL HISTORY AND TOPOGRAPHY OF GROTON, MASS, 



and also speaks of the " Lower sledge " and " Smith's sledge," 

 different parcels of land in the same neighborhood. These 

 patches, and perhaps others, probably comprised what was 

 known then as "the sledges." Nod and Naumox are names 

 of places used at a very early period in the annals of the town. 

 See Vol. I., No. XV. (pp. 8, 17, 18) of the Groton Historical 

 Series, for a reference to these localities. 



Theodore Bainbridge, of Philadelphia, was attending school 

 at Groton Academy in the year 1815 ; and I am told that he 

 was a nephew of the Commodore. 



Mrs. William Gragg Blood (formerly Mrs. John Lawrence), 

 of East Pepperell, a daughter of John Lakin, since told me that 

 she remembered distinctly the time when Commodore Bain- 

 bridge owned an interest in the farm, which he would visit 

 occasionally, and give general directions in regard to its man- 

 agement. At certain seasons there were, according to her 

 recollection, as many as 2000 sheep and lambs on the place, 

 which were raised more for the fleece than the mutton. At 

 that period every farmer's wife had a loom, and homespun 

 fabric was used in every household ; but, independently of 

 this, large mills were then projected, and manufactures were 

 slowly creeping into New England, at Waltham and elsewhere, 

 thus creating a demand for wool. It was thought that merino 

 sheep-raising was to be a great industry, which the actual 

 result did not bear out. 



In former times many wild pigeons were caught in this 

 neighborhood, during the harvest season, by means of nets ; 

 and in other country towns generally, until the whistle of the 

 locomotive, and the growing settlements, drove away these 

 birds from their old haunts. To such an extent was the busi- 

 ness carried on in Massachusetts that as late as March 13, 

 1849, the General Court passed "An Act for the protection 

 of Pigeon Beds," as the places were called to which the birds 

 were tolled. During my boyhood there were on this farm a 

 pigeon stand or roost, and a pigeon bed, near the Tuity Road, 

 where David Lakin, Jr., in the season used to catch large 

 numbers and sell them in the village. 



