92 FACTS RELATING TO GROTON, MASSACHUSETTS. 



Our movements were slow, and we spent the first night at Water- 

 town with a widow lady, known as Madam Coffin, whose husband 

 had been a member of Congress from Nantucket and whose son 

 George W. Coffin was for many years State Librarian and Land Agent. 

 Previous to my father's service in the war, in 1S12, he had lived with 

 Madam Coffin for five years in charge of her farm. She entertained 

 us, as it appears to me now, with great consideration. The next day 

 we went to Boston to Quincy Hall Market, where my father stationed 

 his wagon at the first stand, on the upper end, southerly side where 

 the contents of the wagon were sold. During the forenoon, my father 

 visited the corner grocery store of Joseph Mead on Lyman Place. 

 Mead had been a boy on a neighboring farm. During my father's 

 absence I made sale of the poultry and I had the unpleasant sugges- 

 tion upon my father's return that he thought the receipts had not 

 equalled the depreciation of poultry in the wagon. His suggestion 

 was met the next Sunday by the discovery in my trousers pocket of a 

 two dollar bill which I recollect was embellished, as bills were embel- 

 lished in those days by a red coloring which extended over a portion 

 only of the surface. 



The following night we spent with a friend of my father's at Newton 

 Corner and the day following we went to the Brighton Cattle Market, 

 where my father bought 24 head of cattle, g of them being oxen for 

 which he paid $250. I aided in driving them home where the cattle 

 were deposited on the Almshouse farm, of which my father was then 

 one of the overseers. As you have a few facts of my early life, I will 

 add that I was for a brief time a salesman in Quincy market and a 

 drover of cattle on the highway. 



Yours very truly, 



Geo. S. Boutwelx. 



NO THOROUGHFARE. 



On March 6, 1871, the town by vote shut up the thorough- 

 fare leading westerly from the neighborhood of Fitch's Bridge, 

 and at that time for some distance forming the boundary be- 

 tween Groton and Pepperell. The extreme western end of 

 this road, which many years ago was the principal thorough- 

 fare to Townsend, had previously been shut up by public 



