-12- 



any bushes, shrubs, or trees under the dimension of six 

 inches. From deed records it appears that at this time 

 there was a considerable growth of pines, many of which 

 exceeded six inches in diameter, extending down the center 

 of the island between the marsh and the beach (Waters, 

 1918) . The concern for the well being of the island at this 

 time is conveyed by the General Court: 



"Whereas appears to this Court that 

 there is a great and valuable estate, 

 consisting of salt meadow, lying on the 

 island at the bottom of Ipswich Bay, called 

 Plumb Island, which is exposed and liable to 

 be destroyed by horses, cattle, and other 

 creatures being turned or drove on said 

 island and feeding down the beach-grass, and 

 treading down the sea walls, and ill-minded 

 persons setting fires on said island, 

 whereby the shrubs and grass are destroyed 

 and open a course to the sea and sand, 

 which, if not prevented may overrun and 

 destroy said estate and interest, to the 

 great loss of proprietors and no small 



(damage) (prejudice) of the publick.." 



(Waters, 1918, pp. 11-12) 



By 1679 the residents of both Ipswich and Newbury were 

 improving the whole island by cutting the salt marsh grass, 

 while some from Ipswich were also planting small parcels 

 (Waters, 1918). Waters (1918), states that the first traces 

 of farming are found on Grape Island, which was easily 

 secured from the roaming animals because it is separated 

 from the main island by tidal creeks. It seems likely that 

 most of the uplands on what is now Cross Farm Hill, Stage 

 Island, and Bar Head were planted with crops. A map made by 

 Daniel Dole sometime during the 1830 's, has Bar Head labeled 

 as "Tillage", suggesting that it was under cultivation 

 (Waters, 1918) . 



As previously mentioned, during the first settlement 

 there was a considerable growth of pine woods fringing the 

 beach and extending down the island in the upland (Waters, 

 1918) . For many years these pines were a source of 

 controversy, at least for the residents of Ipswich. When 

 the town first allotted deeds to the island in 1665, it was 

 unclear whether the eastern boundary of the parcels was the 

 pines or the sea. These pines appear to have been present 

 at least until 1791 (Waters, 1918). It is unclear how long 

 these pine woods survived, but later descriptions of the 

 island suggest that they soon disappeared. Gushing (1826, 

 p. 37), in one of the earliest histories of the area, 

 provicSes the following description of the island in the 

 early 1800's: 



