STRETCHING southeastward from Medford square to Wellington farmhouse, shaded in part by buttonwoods, grass-edged, irregular, and rough, keeping in sight the river, in the early years of 1800 was a road known as the Town road or River road. The section of this road from the river landing opposite the foot of Cross street to Wellington was probably made to accommodate the two brick houses, then the only buildings in this part of Medford, with the exception of the Wellington farmhouse, built 1648-1652. One of these was at the eastern end of Governor Cradock's plantation, called the Old Fort, built in 1634, and the other about five hundred feet north of this road at a point opposite the first shipyard. In 1746 the section from the market (Medford square) to the tide-mill (near Cross street) was opened. - Medford Historical Society, May 20, 1901