51 



Bear Hill may be mentioned. This lies near the George- 

 town Road, on the northerly side of the town. It has the 

 same general form as the rest, and seems only one of a series 

 of hills that begin near the Meeting House, in Boxford, and 

 are known in some parts as the Perley Ridges, 



This wavy or furrowed figure has jDrocured for these hills 

 many subordinate names, as the particular hillocks were 

 regarded. Thus, Pingree's Hill includes Dwinnell's, occu- 

 pied by the Danvers road, and Towne's, by that to Wenham, 

 while another height is known as Peabody's, and Rea's Hill 

 is a small ridge running into Danvers. Others might be 

 named, but all belong to one general elevation. So of that 

 undulation called Great Hill, which lies northeasterly from 

 Towne's Hill (on which the Hotel stood). It has no claim 

 to a separate consideration, forming, undoubtedly, with 

 Towne's, only one real elevation. 



The soil of these hills and its fitness for agricultural and 

 other purposes, are next to be considered. In these respects 

 all seem much alike. The soil is always loose, with sand 

 and gravel, a small amount of clay, and stones, large and 

 small, near the surface. On penetrating deeply, however, 

 the earth becomes more compact and very firm. Water, 

 enough for man and beast, has been obtained on all these 

 hills by means of wells. Of springs flowing out at the sur- 

 face, there is no lack, but wells have been dug to all depths, 

 from ten to twenty-five feet, to obtain more convenient sup- 

 plies. The deepest well ever dug in the town was at the 

 Hotel. This was carried down to eighty-five or ninety feet ; 

 but the only water-vein, that was found, occurred about 

 twenty feet from the surface, and yielded some twelve gallons 

 per day. As forty horses were to be kept at the place, this 

 supply was thought too limited, and the work went on, to 

 the above depth. But as the lower strata seemed even dryer 

 than the upper, the effort was abandoned and the well stoned 

 up. It filled with water, however, and has never been dry 

 since, but yielded abundantly. At one time, considering 

 that a bucket was never lowered in it further than forty or 

 fifty feet, the part below, of some forty feet more, was filled 

 with stones, as useless, and so remains without affecting 

 the supply. 



In 1855 a well was dug near Mr. Pingree's house, about 



