#NewThisDay Writing From My Photo Stream

March 10, 2017 Kelly DuMar

. . . this too shall pass. . .

Death's Bridge, Sherborn/Medfield Line, Charles River, Route 27

My first stop on my morning walk is this riverbank view to Death's Bridge over the Charles. Charlie and Suzi stop and drink, sniff the air for scent of coyote and white tailed deer - who has crossed their territory during the night, they'd like to know.

This mid-March morning, light flakes are falling and slowing the traffic over the bridge on Route 27. Look - without this modern car crossing, this view of the bridge might be from another century, as is the one below. It's pretty close to where I'm standing this very moment – from a camera held in some other hiker's hands from the opposite bank, over a century ago, in 1905.

Death's Bridge, Charles River, Sherborn, MA circa 1905

. . . .During the Indian attack on Medfield on Feb. 21, 1676, the Native-Americans, under the leadership of Monaco, burnt all three bridges leading over the Charles River when they fled the town after burning half of the houses and outbuildings. On the bridge to Sherborn, the Native-American, known as James-the-Printer, left a note on the ruined bridge warning the settlers: the note reads as follows: “Know by this paper that the Indians that thou hast provoked to wrath and anger will war these twenty-one years, if you will. There are many Indians yet. We come three hundred at this time. You must consider that The Indians loose nothing but their lives, you must loose your fair houses and cattle.” . . . . The bridge to Sherborn was known as Death's Bridge, after Death family that lived there on the Sherborn side of the Charles River. The current bridge, which takes Route 27 from Medfield into Sherborn is a 1965 construction by the Commonwealth and replaced the original bridge, which stood a short distance up the river. The original Death's Bridge was the spot that James-the-Printer chose to pin his infamous note after the attack on Medfield during the King Philip War. That bridge was rebuilt after the war, and was kept in repair and not completely rebuilt until 1915. At that time a plaque commemorating the historic spot was made a part of the bridge. When Route 27 was re-routed and the current bridge was built, the old bridge was demolished. Today, the old fieldstone abutments are all that remain and are visible from the present bridge. In the 19th century, the Death family, for obvious reasons, changed their name to Dearth and so the bridge was also sometimes called Dearth’s Bridge.

By Richard DeSorgher (Patch) January 6, 2012

You can read more of Desorgher's article here.

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