2l6 HISTORY OF COHASSET. 



There is a marked peculiarity in tbie highways of our 

 town which fails to impress the native inhabitants as it 

 does newcomers, — that is the uneven boundaries at the 

 side of nearly all highways. It is rare that two adjacent 

 lots front upon the same straight line. It was partly 

 caused by the uneven contour of the Fisher plan, but 

 more by the encroachments of private owners upon the 

 highways. After much grumbling throughout the whole 

 town, a committee was appointed to look into the matter 

 of encroachments, and the part of their report referring to 

 Cohasset is as follows : — 



The committee to whome was Reffered the Considerations of 

 the Incroachments Repoart as followeth May the loth 1762. 

 The Committee Appointed by the town to Enquire into the 

 Incroachments made on the Highways Preceded on the Affair 

 and after the most Careful View find the following Pieces of 

 Land included by the Persons hereafter Named within their Out 

 Side Fence (Exclusive of all Yards & Gardains fenced by them 

 Selves) Vizt. James Hall a piece by his House, by Samuel Bates 

 South of his House & West of the Road, by Thomas Nichols a 

 piece Included within his Meadow Fence near Peck's Meadow, 

 by Capt. Beal's a piece included within his meadow fence at 

 Beach Island — &c. &c. 



The roads were formerly used as pastures, and cows 

 with tinkling bells or horses or pigs or geese were not 

 uncommon sights upon the public way. 



The same spirit of public ownership would lead to 

 fencing in a little of the unused land for a garden, as 

 nowadays front lawns sonietimes are pressed far out to 

 the edge of the wheel tracks. The decay of boundary 

 marks left people with only their slippery memories for 

 authority in the matter. At times there would arise 

 reformers to urge the town rights, and charge§ would be 

 made upon various citizens for encroachments, and the 

 town would give deeds to bits of the highway. 



One marked instance is in the center of the town be- 



