Page:History of Gardner, Massachusetts (1860) - Glazier.djvu/16

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History of Gardner.

runs four or five miles on the south-west side of the town.

There is a brook having its rise in Winchendon, called the Bailey brook, running through the westerly part of the town and uniting with Otter river near the Goodnow mills, so called.

Another, by the name of Kneeland brook, rises in the northerly part of the town and runs in a southerly direction nearly parallel with the Bailey brook, terminating in Otter river, just below Parker & Bancroft's saw-mill. On this stream there is a large tract of meadow-land which is supposed to have been cleared by beavers, as there was no wood or timber thereon at the time of the first settlement.

There is another, rising in the north part of the town, between the other two, called the Wilder brook; after running in a southerly direction it unites with the Kneeland brook at the upper end of heaver meadow.

About one-half a mile north-east of Gardner center, may be found the head of a stream running in a north-easterly direction, through South Ashburnham, a corner of Westminster, and onward, losing itself in the Nashua river.

There are two streams rising in the east part of the town; after making very circuitous courses,