Its source is a set of small ponds located near the intersection of Partridge Road and Washington Street, about one-third of a mile from Hall's Corner in Duxbury.

[4] In 1803, Duxbury’s leading shipbuilders including Ezra Weston I, Joshua Winsor and Seth Sprague, began to put pressure on the town to build a bridge over the Bluefish River.

With shipyards and various establishments being built on both banks, merchants no longer wished to make the long trek around the river estuary simply to get to the other side.

Eventually, the opposition was circumvented when shipbuilder Joshua Winsor agreed to build the bridge at half the estimated cost.

[5] The main proponent of the bridge, Ezra Weston I, gained the nickname "King Caesar" due to the autocratic pressure he applied at town meetings.

In 1972, the Duxbury Rural and Historical Society persuaded 95% of those owning marshland on the Bluefish River to grant easements prohibiting filling or altering of the marshes.

In 1978, the state of Massachusetts established regulations protecting wetlands, which were more stringent than the easements formerly declared, and effectively ended disposal of dredged contents onto Bluefish River marshes.

[12] The dike and ice pond were constructed by the wealthy Wright family who had a large estate nearby in the late 19th century.