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Note |
Note to the Map of Concord
The material used in this Map of Concord has been derived from a variety of
sources. The town bounds, streets, and residences have been taken from a
township map of Middlesex County made by H. F. Walling in 1856, reference
also being had to a local map of Concord by the same engineer, dated 1852,
on which credit for the surveys of White Pond and Walden Pond is given to
"H. D. Thoreau, Civ. Engr." The course of the Concord River is drawn from an
elaborate manuscript plan of Thoreau's, based on earlier surveys, showing
the river from East Sudbury to Billerica Dam. This plan, on which Thoreau
has entered the results of his investigation of the river in the summer of
1859, is now in the Concord Public Library, The outlines of Walden and White
Ponds have also been taken from Thoreau's original surveys, now in the
Concord Library. Loring's and Bateman's Ponds are according to surveys by
Mr. Albert E. Wood of Concord, and Flint's Pond is from a survey for the
Concord Water Works by Mr. William Wheeler, also of Concord.
All names of places are those used by Thoreau, no attention being given to
other names perhaps more current either in his own time or at present. Only
such names of residents are given as are mentioned in the Journal.
A
few old wood roads, pasture lanes, etc. (Thoreau's preferred highways), are
indicated, as to their general direction, by dotted lines.
The irregularity of the northeastern boundary of Concord arose from the fact
that when Carlisle was set off from Concord in 1780, the farmers living on
the border were given the option of remaining within the bounds of Concord
or of being included in the new town . In 1903 the Massachusetts Legislature
abolished this old division and continued the straight line forming the
western half of the boundary directly to the river.
The identification of localities which were named by Thoreau apparently for
his personal use alone has been accomplished, so far as it has proceeded, by
a careful study of all the Journal references to each locality, an
examination of a large number of Thoreau's manuscript surveys, and an
extended personal investigation on the ground. Many of these localities are
given more than one name in the Journal, and in a few cases the same name is
given to different localities. Where doubt exists as to any particular
location, the name is omitted from the map.
Hon. F. B. Sanborn, Judge John S. Keyes, Dr. Edward W. Emerson, the Misses
Hosmer, and others among the older residents of Concord have been consulted
in the preparation of the map, and have kindly supplied helpful information
from their personal acquaintance with Thoreau.
H. W. GLEASON.
December, 1906.
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