name is often mentioned in the General Court records, in connection with the laying out of lands and towns, and many of whose plans are still preserved among the Archives in the State House.  Danforth was the man wanted at first for the undertaking; and after Noyes’s death he took charge of it, and his elder brother, Thomas, was associated with him.  The plat or plan of the land, however, does not appear to have been completed until April, 1668.  The survey was made during the preceding year.  At a meeting of the selectmen of the town, held on November 23, 1667, it is recorded that a rate should be levied in order to pay “the Artest and the men that attended him and his diet for himself and his horse, and for two sheets of parchment, for him to make two platts for the towne, and for Transportation of his pay all which amounts to about twenty pounds and to pay severall other town debts that appear to us to be due.”

[Illustration:  Groton Plantation as shown on a plan made in 1668 by Jonathan Danforth]

A little further on in the records a charge of five shillings is made ‘ffor two sheats of Parchment.’  These entries seem to show that two plans were made, perhaps one for the town and the other for the Colony; but neither copy is now to be found.  An allusion is made to one of them in a petition, presented to the General Court on February 10, 1717, by John Shepley and John Ames.  It is there mentioned that “the said Plat tho something defaced is with the Petitioner;” and is further stated “That in the year 1713 M’r Samuel Danforth Surveyor & Son of the aforesaid Jonathan Danforth, at the desire of the said Town of Groton did run the Lines & make an Implatment of the said Township laid out as before & found it agreeable to the former.  W’h last Plat the Petitioners do herewith exhibit, And pray that this Hon’ble Court would allow & confirm the same as the Township of Groton.”

While the original plan has been lost or destroyed, it is fortunate that many years ago a copy was made, which is still preserved.  In June, 1825, the Honorable James Prescott was in the possession of the original, which Caleb Butler, Esq., at that time transcribed into one of the town record-books, and thereby saved it for historical purposes.  Even with this clew a special search has been made for the missing document, but without success.  If it is ever found it will be by chance, where it is the least looked for.  There is no reason to doubt the accuracy of the outlines or the faithfulness of the copy.  The relative distances between the streams emptying into the Nashua River, however, are not very exact; and in the engraving for the sake of clearness I have added their names, as well as the name of Forge Pond, formerly called Stony Brook Pond.