shua
which avoided much of the hilly way." As appears by a later petition
Prescott was the pioneer of this new path. In 1657 he was appointed by
the government a member of a committee upon the building of bridges "at
Billirriky and Misticke." In 1658 he with his son-in-law Jonas Fairbank
was appointed to survey a farm of six hundred and fifty acres for
Captain Richard Davenport, upon which farm the chief part of West
Boylston now stands.

To the General Court which met October 18, 1659, the following petition
was presented:

"The humble petition of John Prescot of Lancaster humblye Sheweth,
That whereas yr petitioner about nine or ten yeares since, was
desired by the late hon'red Governour Mr. Winthrop, w'th other
Magistrates, as also by Mr. Wilson of Boston, Mr. Shephard of
Cambridge with many others, did lay & marke out a way at ye north
side of the great pond & soe by Lancaster, which then was taken by
Mr. Hopkins & many others to bee of great vse; This I did meerly
vpon the request of these honored gentlemen, to my great detrimt,
by being vpon it part of two summers not only myselfe but hiring
others alsoe to helpe mee, whereby my family suffered much: I doe
not question but many of ye Court remember the same, as alsoe that
this hath not laine dead all this while, but I haue formerly
mentioned it, but yet haue noe recompence for the same; the charge
whereof came at 2's p day to about 10'l; it is therefore the desire
of y'r petitioner yt you would bee pleased to grant him a farme in
some place vndisposed of which will engage him to you and encourage
him and others in publique occasions & y'r petitioner shall pray
etc."

One hundred acres of land were granted him, and speedily laid out near
the Washacum ponds, where now stand the railroad buildings at Sterling
Junction.

We get very few glimpses of Prescott from the meagre records of
succeeding years, but those serve to indicate that he was busy,
prosperous and annually honored by his neighbors with the public duties
for which his sturdy integrity, shrewd business tact, and wisely
directed energy peculiarly fitted him. He had taken the oath of fidelity
in 1652. Such owning of allegiance was by law prerequisite to the
holding of real estate. Refusing such oath he might better have been a
Nipmuck so far as civil rights or privileges were concerned. He was not
yet a member of