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Holliston, Massachusetts

Holliston is a New England town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States in the Greater Boston area. The population was 14,996 at the 2020 census. It is located in MetroWest, a Massachusetts region that is west of Boston. Holliston is the only town in Middlesex County that borders both Norfolk and Worcester counties.

History

At the time of the earliest European settlements, where Holliston exists now was part of the territory of the Awassamog family of Natick (the first Nipmuc Praying Town), who also held authority over land near Waushakum Pond at Framingham and land near Annamasset at Mendon. In 1701, a large tract of land that included the west half of Holliston, eastern Milford and parts of Hopkinton and Ashland was given to the local Nipmucs in a land exchange with Sherborn. Their ownership of the tract was brief, as settlers purchased tracts of land there until all traces of Nipmuc presence disappeared. The Nipmuc village of Mucksquit (translation – "place of much grass"), located on the shore of Wennakeening (translation – "smile of the great spirit") was near the site of the Morse family farm, today known as Lake Winthrop. The Morses, Sheffields, Marshalls and Bullards and many others followed Pout Lane (an old Native American foot-path, now partly modern day Rte 16 and Highland St., respectively) out to the new territory and settled along the path, thus forming a cluster of farms that would eventually become Holliston. John Eliot and Daniel Gookin (Christian missionaries) also followed the path in search of converts to Christianity and encouraged the Nipmucs to gather into villages, which made their task of finding them easier. Though not as famous as the Bay Path or the Old Connecticut Path, Pout Lane played a major role in the settlement of Holliston and other points southwest of Boston. Holliston, then part of Sherborn, was first settled by Europeans in 1659 by Massachusetts Bay Puritans. The town of Holliston was incorporated on December 3, 1724, by virtue of approval by the General Court petition requesting that "the western part of Sherborn be a Town." The name was taken in honor of Thomas Hollis of London, a benefactor of Harvard College. The first town meeting was held at the house of Timothy Leland on December 23, 1724, "at which five selectmen and all other required officers were chosen." The town has grown from a community of a few hundred residents setting aside ten pounds per year for public education to a community of over 13,000 with an annual budget of over $40 million including more than $23 million for a nationally recognized school system. In "Holliston" by Images of America and the Holliston Historical Society, it is written: An article in a local newspaper in 1894 heralded the charms of Holliston as the quintessential New England village, which, the story said, sprang into existence solely due to the talent of its people. Perhaps this is so, for there was no great moment in history to mark the founding of this town. Holliston has become a reflection of the accomplishments of the inhabitants of this place for more than three hundred years, and although the town had to admit to no magnitude of greatness to rival Boston, Lexington, or Concord, Holliston did define itself as a home to heroes of the commonplace. The feature story of 1894 said:

"Many cities have sprung into existence because of their advantageous situations. The prosperity of Holliston is solely due to the genius of its people. A visit to such places stirs the blood, quickens the pulse and produces an enthusiastic desire to have a share in the developing good times. Massachusetts may be Whittier's land, and the region from Marblehead to Amesbury may be full of legendary and spectral armies, and witchdom, and Buddha knows what, but the imaginative and the poetical must submit to the rights of the commonplace. The commonplace is honeycombed with the uncommon heroisms of the patient, everyday existence that make up the life of such plucky towns as Holliston. These are the things the average man is most interested in. Average life is but a portfolio of views of struggles with the commonplaces of everyday existence" (Holliston 1997).

The town was once the largest producer of shoes in the United States. Although many of the shoe factories have been lost by fires and other problems, the largest company, the Goodwill Shoe Company, still has remaining empty factories on Water Street, many of which are now used as artists' studios. Competition from overseas factories is largely to blame for the loss of the industry.

Holliston's Mudville neighborhood claims to be the location of the 1888 Ernest Lawrence Thayer poem, "Casey at the Bat", and maintains an ongoing rivalry with Stockton, California, which makes the same claim regarding the poem's setting.

The Legend of Balancing Rock
On the north side of Route 16 heading into Milford sits a large rock, some 20 ft in length, 10 ft in width, 6 ft thick, and weighing easily over 5 tons (4.5 metric tons). The rock appears to be balanced precariously on an outcrop of granite ledge. On November 6, 1789, General George Washington led his entourage from Boston to New York via this route. He recalled in his diary the road in Holliston that would eventually be honored with his name, "an indifferent road, diversified by good and bad land, cultivated and in woods, some high barren, others low, wet and piney." Legend has it that, as they came across this "Balancing Rock," they took the opportunity to have some fun and tried their best to tip over the rock. It is said that the General himself, quite amused at the spectacle, added his muscle in an attempt to push the rock off its natural pedestal. Their efforts—and those of many others over the years—were to no avail. On September 22, 2020, Balancing Rock appears to have finally fallen. The rock is on the property of the Balancing Rock development, a community for "active" adults over the age of 55.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 19.0 sqmi, of which 18.7 sqmi is land and 0.3 sqmi is water. Water covers 1.73% of the town's total area. The Charles River passes near the southern region of town.

It is located 21.6 mi west of Boston and is within short driving distance of Interstate 495 and the Massachusetts Turnpike (part of Interstate 90). Massachusetts Route 16 and Massachusetts Route 126 pass through the town.

Historic districts
With a history spanning nearly three centuries, Holliston has many smaller divisions within its borders with names tied to a host of historic and cultural origins. Although the town is only served by one post-office today, several of its historic villages originated from previous post offices as well as train stops on the Boston and Albany Railroad's Milford line. Today the town retains two official historic districts, both of which contain smaller landmark areas of historic significance. There are several additional residential developments and other areas of Holliston which retain their own colloquial names, however at this time the following are the only areas officially recognized as historic by the town and the U.S. Geologic Survey.

 * Braggville
 * East Holliston
 * Gooch Corners
 * Metcalf
 * Thomas Hollis Historic District
 * Mudville
 * Brentwood
 * Lakeside

Adjacent towns
Holliston is located in eastern Massachusetts, bordered by:

 * Sherborn on the east
 * Millis on the southeast
 * Medway on the south
 * Milford on the southwest
 * Hopkinton on the northwest
 * Ashland on the north

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 13,801 people, 4,795 households, and 3,842 families residing in the town. The population density was 737.8 PD/sqmi. There were 4,868 housing units at an average density of 260.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 96.7% White, 0.9% African American, 0.9% Native American, 1.2% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.4% of the population. Ancestries of Holliston residents are reported to be Irish (29.4%), Italian (18.3%), English (17.8%), German (9.7%), French (5.6%), and Polish (5.6%).

There were 4,795 households, out of which 44.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.2% were married couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.9% were non-families. Of all households, 16.4% were made up of individuals, and 6.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.87 and the average family size was 3.25.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 30.0% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 26.9% from 45 to 64, and 8.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.8 males.

In 2000, the median income for a household in the town was $78,092, and the median income for a family was $84,878. Males had a median income of $48,473 versus $36,405 for females. The per capita income for the town was $32,116. As of the census of 2000, about 1.5% of families and 2.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.

In 2009, 79% of Holliston residents age 25 and over held bachelor's degrees or higher and 35.8% held graduate or professional degrees.

Government
Holliston retains its original open town meeting form of government, in which registered voters act as the town's legislature. The town's day-to-day affairs are overseen by an elected Board of Selectmen with a Town Administrator.

Education
The Town of Holliston has a public school system which serves students from kindergarten through twelfth grade. Schools in the district include two elementary schools, a middle school and a high school. Public schools include: Sam Placentino Elementary School, Fred W. Miller Elementary School, Robert H. Adams Middle School, and Holliston High School.

Holliston High School was ranked among the top 150 best public high schools in Greater Boston.

The Holliston public school system also maintains a Montessori and French Immersion program that students can enroll in upon entering kindergarten.

Environment
Within Holliston there are five registered Superfund sites. Three of these sites are still monitored by CERCLIS (Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Information System).

An archived status indicates that the site has been cleaned, requires no further investigation, and poses little to no threat. A Non-NPL status indicates the sites are not considered to be the most hazardous by the EPA and are therefore not included in the NPL, but the clean-up of the site has not been completed. Non-NPL sites are still monitored by CERCLIS and are considered open or active sites. An NPL status indicates that the EPA considers the site to pose serious health and environmental risks. NPL sites are considered to be the most hazardous sites in the nation.

Axton Cross Corp
Established in 1967, "the site was an Industrial Chemical Distributor for the textile, paper, rubber, metals and plastics industries." In the early 1990s the company filed for bankruptcy and the facility closed. The site is 8.6 acres of developed and undeveloped land which consist of two buildings. The buildings are being considered for demolition.

According to the Mass DEP Axton Cross is considered to be a Disposal Site. The chemicals recorded by the Mass DEP were oil and other unknown hazardous materials. According to locals, "Axton-Cross polluted the property it owned and the land surrounding it and the wildlife with toxic chemicals." According to the EPA's last inspection (August 8, 1995), the water was not impaired, but the Ozone is considered to be a Non-Attainment Area. No further data was recorded.

Bird Property (Prentice Street Property)
In 1966 a gravel mining permit for the property was granted to a Charles Bird. Mining of the land continued into the late 1970s. Through the late 1960s to early 1980s the mined areas were filled with building debris and commercial solid waste. The property was also used for tire stockpiling. The site is approximately 53 acres. The land is being considered for the construction of residential housing.

Since then the Mass DEP and EPA have ordered remedial activities which included the removal of: potential contaminants, solid waste, construction debris, tires, and over 70 tons of impacted soils. The groundwater plume from the site contains low levels of a chemical called TCE. Due to the low and naturally declining levels (due to the removal of the source) the Mass DEP to conclude that no further water clean-up is required. Other chemicals recorded by the Mass DEP were VOCs. According to the EPA's inspection the Ozone is considered to be a Non-Attainment Area. No further data was recorded.

Photofabrication Engineering Inc.
Founded in 1968, Photofabrication Engineering, Inc. (PEI) manufactures precision metal parts for computers and semiconductors. The company moved from Holliston to Milford, MA in 1984. The newer facility has helped PEI become an environmentally cleaner manufacturer.

Chemicals recorded by the Mass DEP were chlorinated solvents, metals, and wastewater discharge. The Mass DEP considers the site to be in phase IV of V. In this phase a cleanup plan is implemented. According to the EPA's inspection, the water was not impaired, but the Ozone is considered to be a Non-Attainment Area. No further data was recorded.

Points of interest

 * Bogastow Brook Viaduct, also known as the Arch Bridge, off Woodland Street, named as one of the 1,000 places to visit in Massachusetts
 * Bullard Farm, the preserved homestead of the Bullard family, some of the first settlers of the town. Established in 1652, it served as the family's farm until 1916.
 * Fatima Shrine, a restful haven in a peaceful rustic setting, Fatima Shrine is an oasis for prayer, reflection, and meditation. The rosary walk at Fatima Shrine is believed to be the world's largest rosary.
 * Fiske's General Store, founded in 1863, is the oldest retail business in town. Known for its catchphrase, "'most everything".
 * First Congregational Church of Holliston, built on the site of Holliston's original meeting house, is the holding institution of the King James Bible donated by Thomas Hollis in 1724.
 * Holliston Police Station is host to one of the American sycamore trees which flew as seeds to the moon on Apollo 14.
 * Lake Winthrop is nearly 1 mi in diameter and covers approximately 140 acre. It was originally called "Dean Winthrop's Pond." and used as a boundary marker for his land. Dean was the son of John Winthrop. The town history states that the Nipmuck tribe, a clan of the Algonquian Indians, lived on the lake's southwestern shore in the village of Musquit near present-day Lake Grove Cemetery. The lake was then called Wennakeening, meaning "smile of the great spirit" or "pleasant smile". Today, Lake Winthrop offers fishing, kayaking, and swimming. In season 5 episode 4 of the sitcom "Cheers" Woody, Norm and Cliff go on a fishing outing to Lake Winthrop.
 * Mount Hollis Lodge A.F. & A.M., founded in Holliston on February 14, 1865. This Masonic Lodge resides in a historic building that was once the Methodist Church in Holliston.
 * Upper Charles River Trail, a scenic, recreational path for bicycling, walking, cross-country skiing, roller-blading, and other non-motorized uses. When completed, the 20 mi trail will connect Holliston to Ashland, Hopkinton, Milford, and Sherborn.
 * Upper Charles River Trail, a scenic, recreational path for bicycling, walking, cross-country skiing, roller-blading, and other non-motorized uses. When completed, the 20 mi trail will connect Holliston to Ashland, Hopkinton, Milford, and Sherborn.

Golf courses

 * Pinecrest Golf Club, 18-hole golf course

Parks and playing fields

 * Goodwill Park, playground for children, tennis courts, baseball and soccer fields
 * Patoma Park, Stoddard Park's sister park offers woodland trails for hiking and recreational activities
 * Pleasure Point, located on Lake Winthrop with a beach, picnic area, playground, and boat launch
 * Stoddard Park, located on Lake Winthrop with a beach, picnic area, and recreational area (two youth baseball/softball diamonds)
 * Weston Pond, multi-sport practice and soccer playing fields.
 * Damigella Field, large baseball diamond and softball fields, part of the elementary and middle school complex.
 * Kamitian Field, multi-sport artificial turf surface, part of the high school complex.
 * Marshall Street Soccer Fields (Private, managed by Holliston Youth Soccer)

Notable people

 * Arthur Judson Brown, clergyman, missionary, author
 * Lyndon Byers, retired NHL right-wing, formerly a radio personality for The Hill-man Morning Show
 * Mike Condon, goalie for the Ottawa Senators, played for the Montreal Canadiens and briefly for the Pittsburgh Penguins
 * McKay Coppins, journalist, political personality
 * Joseph Fish, first Major League Baseball player from Holliston, signed by the Boston Red Sox in 1957. Played in the Red Sox minor league system for one year.
 * Adam Green, director, writer and or actor for movies Hatchet and Frozen among other horror films
 * Mike Grier, forward for Edmonton Oilers, Washington Capitols, Buffalo Sabres and San Jose Sharks
 * Michael Mantenuto, actor (Jack O'Callahan in Miracle)
 * Greg Mauldin, center for Austrian Hockey League's KHL Medveščak Zagreb, previously played for the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Islanders, and Colorado Avalanche
 * Jo Dee Messina, popular country music singer
 * Andrew Natsios, director, United States Agency for International Development
 * Shirley Nelson, award-winning author
 * Albert P. Rockwood, early Latter Day Saint leader
 * John Sencio, national television personality – HGTV, NBC, MTV
 * Ken Stone, UFC bantamweight fighter
 * Mark Sweeney, first baseman, pinch hitter for San Diego Padres, Milwaukee Brewers, Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Dodgers
 * Kevin Systrom, co-founder of Instagram
 * Jeff Taylor, founder of Monster.com, University of Massachusetts graduate
 * Amy Townsend-Small, director of the Environmental Studies Program at the University of Cincinnati
 * Kara Wolters, professional basketball player and Olympic medal winner
 * Ron LaPointe, NFL player

title: Holliston, Massachusetts


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South Lake Tahoe, California

South Lake Tahoe is the most populous incorporated city in El Dorado County, California, United States, in the Sierra Nevada mountains. The city's population was 21,330 at the 2020 census, down from 21,403 at the 2010 census. The city, along the southern edge of Lake Tahoe, extends about 5 mi west-southwest along U.S. Route 50, also known as Lake Tahoe Boulevard. The east end of the city, on the California–Nevada state line right next to the town of Stateline, Nevada, is mainly geared towards tourism, restaurants, hotels, and Heavenly Mountain Resort with the Nevada casinos just across the state line in Stateline. The western end of town is mainly residential, and clusters around "The Y", the intersection of US 50, State Route 89, and the continuation of Lake Tahoe Boulevard after it loses its federal highway designation.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 16.6 sqmi, of which 10.2 sqmi is land and 6.4 sqmi, or 38.80%, is water. Its elevation is about 6237 ft above sea level.

Demographics
The 2010 United States Census reported that South Lake Tahoe had a population of 21,403. The population density was 1,289.1 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of South Lake Tahoe was 15,733 (73.5%) White, 182 (0.9%) African American, 232 (1.1%) Native American, 1,186 (5.5%) Asian, 39 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 3,230 (15.1%) from other races, and 801 (3.7%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6,665 persons (31.1%).

The Census reported that 21,034 people (98.3% of the population) lived in households, 181 (0.8%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 188 (0.9%) were institutionalized.

There were 8,918 households, out of which 2,421 (27.1%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 3,100 (34.8%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 983 (11.0%) had a female householder with no husband present, 594 (6.7%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 857 (9.6%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 67 (0.8%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 2,918 households (32.7%) were made up of individuals, and 652 (7.3%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36. There were 4,677 families (52.4% of all households); the average family size was 3.06.

The population was spread out, with 4,400 people (20.6%) under the age of 18, 2,478 people (11.6%) aged 18 to 24, 6,416 people (30.0%) aged 25 to 44, 6,013 people (28.1%) aged 45 to 64, and 2,096 people (9.8%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 113.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 115.7 males.

There were 15,087 housing units at an average density of 908.7 /sqmi, of which 8,918 were occupied, of which 3,473 (38.9%) were owner-occupied, and 5,445 (61.1%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 4.5%; the rental vacancy rate was 14.6%. 7,684 people (35.9% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 13,350 people (62.4%) lived in rental housing units.

There was a difference in population based on the 2020 United States Census, which reported that South Lake Tahoe had a decrease in population from 21,403 in 2010 to the most recent census, of July 2020 to 21,175 inhabitants.

South Lake Tahoe education rate from 2017-2021, high school graduates or higher, 87.0% of persons age 25 years+.

Education
South Lake Tahoe and the surrounding unincorporated communities are serviced by Lake Tahoe Unified School District, which is composed of four elementary schools (Bijou Community School, Sierra House Elementary School, Tahoe Valley Elementary School, and the Lake Tahoe Environmental Science Magnet School) a middle school (South Tahoe Middle School) and a high school (South Tahoe High School).

Due to budget cuts, Al Tahoe Elementary School and Meyers Elementary School closed in 2004; however, Meyers Elementary School reopened as Lake Tahoe Environmental Science Magnet School after a year's absence.

South Lake Tahoe also houses a community college, Lake Tahoe Community College.

Politics
The city council of South Lake Tahoe is composed of five elected members: three council members, a Mayor, and a Mayor Pro Tem. The Mayor changes every year and is elected by the City Council.

In the state legislature, South Lake Tahoe is in, and.

Federally, South Lake Tahoe is in.

History
The city incorporated in 1965 by combining the previously unincorporated communities of Al Tahoe, Bijou, Bijou Park, Stateline, Tahoe Valley, and Tallac Village. A post office was established in 1967.

Gambling arrived at the Lake in 1944, when Harvey's Wagon Wheel Saloon and Gambling Hall opened in Nevada as one of the area's first gaming establishments. Competition soon sprang up and so did the need for more permanent accommodations. By the 1950s, roads began to be plowed year-round, enabling access to permanent residences. When the 1960 Winter Olympics came to what is now Olympic Valley, Lake Tahoe was put firmly on the map as the skiing center of the western United States.

In 2012, the Lakeview Commons Park was renamed. As reported in the local media, "The Washoe Tribe has presented the name Tahnu Leweh (Pronounced Tah-New Lay-Way) which, in native language, means 'all the people's place.' It is a name the Tribe would like to gift to El Dorado County and South Lake Tahoe as a symbol of peace, prosperity and goodness."

In August 2021, the entire city was forced to evacuate due to the Caldor Fire.

Crime
Some notable crimes have taken place in, or been linked to, South Lake Tahoe.

On December 8, 1963, Frank Sinatra Jr. was kidnapped by Barry Keenan, Johnny Irwin, and Joe Amsler. Sinatra was released, unharmed, soon after.

The disappearance of Donna Lass on September 6, 1970, has been linked to the Zodiac Killer.

The bombing of Harvey's Lake Tahoe in 1980, took place just outside the city limits in Stateline, Nevada.

On May 18, 1987, Herbert James Coddington was arrested for the murder of two women and the kidnapping of two teenagers. He was found guilty of these crimes and sentenced to death in 1988.

In 1991, Jaycee Lee Dugard (age 11) was abducted from a bus stop in South Lake Tahoe; she was found alive in Antioch, California, in 2009.

Transportation
South Lake Tahoe is served by a major east–west highway, U.S. 50, which links the area with Sacramento, California, and Carson City, Nevada. Highway 50 often faces closures during winter due to bad weather conditions.

The Lake Tahoe Airport serves general aviation, while the closest scheduled passenger airline service is available via the Reno–Tahoe International Airport in Reno, Nevada.

Local bus service is operated by the Tahoe Transportation District. El Dorado Transit operates service between South Lake Tahoe, Placerville, and Sacramento.

Amtrak Thruway 20C provides a daily connection to/from Sacramento Valley Station to the west, with a few stops in between.

Climate
South Lake Tahoe has a snowy highland climate featuring chilly winters with regular snowfall, and summers that feature warm to hot days and cool nights with very low humidity. The climate is either classified as a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb), using the 27 F isotherm of the original Köppen scheme, or a dry-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dsb), using the 32 F isotherm preferred by some climatologists. Summertime is also the dry season, with August averaging only 0.36 in of precipitation, in contrast to February's 3.75 in. Depending on the year, snowfall can be extremely heavy in winter, with an average of 88 in, while the wettest “rain year” has been from July 2005 to June 2006 with 31.12 in and the driest from July 2002 to June 2003 with 9.26 in. December 2005 has been the wettest month with 13.83 in of total water-equivalent precipitation.

South Lake Tahoe averages 1 day per year that reaches 90 F or higher, most commonly occurring in July and August. Every month of the year averages at least 1 night with a low temperature of 32 F or lower and overall there are 223 mornings in an average year that fall below freezing, although only 5 fall to 0 F. High temperatures below 32 F occur on average on 12 days per year. The all-time record high is 99 F, set on July 22, 1988, and the all-time record low is -29 F, set on December 29, 1972, and subsequently tied on February 7, 1989.

Angora Fire

On June 24, 2007, a wildfire broke out at the Seneca Pond recreation area near Meyers, three miles south of South Lake Tahoe. The Angora Fire, so named for its proximity to Angora Ridge, stands as the worst forest fire in recorded Lake Tahoe history.

The fire spread throughout the Angora region rapidly, destroying dozens of homes and large tracts of forest. Highway closures followed by evacuations put the residents in the direct line of the fire. Hotels in the area responded by opening their doors to the hundreds of evacuees who needed shelter.

On June 25, 2007, a state of emergency was announced by Lt. Gov. John Garamendi acting on behalf of the absent Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was traveling in Europe. There were no deaths, but over 3,000 acre were burned, while more than 275 structures, including 254 homes and 26 other buildings, were damaged or destroyed. On June 27, 2007, Schwarznegger toured the area after he returned to California.

Full containment of the fire was announced on July 2.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: South Lake Tahoe, California


text:
Lincoln, Massachusetts

Lincoln is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 7,014 according to the 2020 United States Census, including residents of Hanscom Air Force Base who live within town limits. The town, located in the MetroWest region of Boston's suburbs, has a large amount of colonial history and a sizeable amount of public conservation land.

History
Lincoln was settled by Europeans in 1654, as a part of Concord. The majority of Lincoln was formed by splitting off a substantial piece of southeast Concord and incorporated as a separate town in 1754. Due to their "difficulties and inconveniences by reason of their distance from the places of Public Worship in their respective Towns," local inhabitants petitioned the General Court to be set apart as a separate town. Because the new town was composed of parts "nipped" off from the adjacent towns of Concord, Weston (which itself had been part of Watertown) and Lexington (which itself had been part of Cambridge), it was sometimes referred to as "Niptown."

Chambers Russell, a Representative in the Court in Boston, was influential in the town's creation. In gratitude, Russell was asked to name the new town. He chose Lincoln, after his family home in Lincolnshire, England. His homestead in Lincoln was later known as the Codman House property, which was occupied after his death by his relatives, the Codman family.

Lincoln is reportedly the only town in America named after Lincoln, England (and not the Revolutionary War Major General, Benjamin Lincoln or President Abraham Lincoln), although Lincoln, New Hampshire, was named for the 9th Earl of Lincoln, an English nobleman and incorporated in 1764, 45 years before Abraham Lincoln's birth.

Paul Revere was captured by British soldiers in Lincoln on the night of April 18, 1775. Minutemen from Lincoln were the first to arrive to reinforce the colonists protecting American stores of ammunition and arms in Concord. Colonel Abijah Pierce of Lincoln led his troops, armed with a cane. He upgraded his weapon to a British musket after the battle. Five British soldiers who fell in Lincoln are buried in the town cemetery. A substantial portion of the first battle of the Revolutionary War, the Battle of Lexington and Concord, was fought in Lincoln.

Reverend Charles Stearns (1753–1826), a Harvard-trained minister, served the Congregational Church in Lincoln from late 1781 until his death. Only a handful of his sermons were printed, most in the early 19th century. In addition, Stearns was principal of the Liberal School, a relatively progressive and coeducational institution that opened in early 1793. While at the school, Stearns wrote and published a number of education-related works, including Dramatic Dialogues for Use in Schools (1798), a collection of 30 original plays that were performed by the students. After the school closed in 1808, Stearns continued to tutor students privately. Among his pupils were Nathan Brooks, a Concord lawyer, and George Russell, a Lincoln physician. Stearns's published works can be accessed at Early American Imprints, a microform and digital collection produced by the American Antiquarian Society. A summary article that surveys Stearns as a producer of children's drama is "The Dramatic Dialogues of Charles Stearns: An Appreciation" by Jonathan Levy, in Spotlight on the Child: Studies in the History of American Children's Theatre, ed. Roger L. Bedard and C. John Tolch (New York: Greenwood, 1989): 5–24.

Education
Lincoln is home to one public K–8 school, the Lincoln School. High School students attend Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School in Sudbury. In December 2018, voters in Lincoln approved the construction of a new K–8 school building and a Proposition $2 1/2$ property tax override to pay for the school. To date $80 million financing has been raised via bond issuance for a $93.9 million renovation project at Lincoln School.

Geography
Lincoln has a total area of 15.0 sqmi, of which 14.4 sqmi is land and 0.6 sqmi is water, representing 4.26% of the town's total area. (Source: United States Census Bureau).

Demographics
At the 2000 census, there were 8,056 people, 2,790 households and 2,254 families residing in the town. The population density was 560.7 PD/sqmi. There were 2,911 housing units at an average density of 202.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 87.16% White, 4.84% African American, 0.38% Native American, 4.17% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.33% from other races, and 2.09% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.97% of the population. The 21.03% drop in population between the 2010 and 2000 censuses was the largest of any municipality in Massachusetts. Diversity in the public schools is higher due to the METCO program.

There were 2,790 households, of which 45.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.4% were married couples living together, 5.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.2% were non-families. Of all households 15.8% were made up of individuals, and 7.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83 and the average family size was 3.18.

Age distribution was 30.7% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 31.2% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.7 males.

The median household income was $120,844, and median family income was $202,704. Males had a median income of $142,788 versus $61,786 for females. The per capita income for the town was $74,402. About 0.3% of families and 0.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.2% of those under age 18 and 2.4% of those age 65 or over.

The majority of the land in the town is zoned for residential and agricultural use.

Points of interest

 * Arborvitae Cemetery
 * Bemis Hall
 * Codman House
 * DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum
 * Drumlin Farm
 * The Food Project
 * Gropius House
 * Hanscom Field and Hanscom Air Force Base
 * Hartwell Tavern
 * Lincoln Center Historic District
 * Lincoln Public Library
 * Massachusetts Audubon Society Headquarters
 * Mount Misery
 * Virginia Road

Transportation
Commuter rail service from Boston's North Station is provided by the MBTA with a stop in Lincoln on its Fitchburg Line. Lincoln was previously home to a second railroad station, Baker Bridge station, which was the site of a deadly 1905 train wreck.

In popular culture

 * The 1988 They Might Be Giants album Lincoln is named after the town, as it is the band's hometown.
 * Lincoln is featured in the 2013 video game The Last of Us, as well as the 2023 HBO television adaption, although the game indicates that Lincoln is part of Amherst County, which does not exist; the real Amherst is a town approximately 75 mi west of Lincoln.

Notable people

 * Bradford Cannon, pioneer in reconstructive surgery
 * David Herbert Donald, professor and Pulitzer Prize-winning Author
 * Susan Fargo, Massachusetts state senator
 * John Farrar (scientist), Harvard scientist
 * John Flansburgh, musician, co-founder of the alternative rock group They Might Be Giants
 * Julia Glass, author
 * Diana Golden, disabled ski racer
 * Harriet Louise Hardy, first woman professor at Harvard Medical School
 * Mary Hartwell, who played a prominent role in the battles of Lexington and Concord
 * Maggie Hassan, Senator, New Hampshire Governor
 * Greg Hawkes, keyboardist for The Cars
 * Charles Kindleberger, Economic Historian and author
 * John Linnell, musician, co-founder of the alternative rock group They Might Be Giants
 * Nicholi Rogatkin, professional bike rider
 * Joseph M. Sussman, MIT professor
 * Ray Tomlinson, computer programming pioneer, inventor of e-mail
 * Lester Thurow, Dean of MIT Sloan School, author
 * Patricia Warner, spy for OSS during World War II
 * Charles Stearns Wheeler, Transcendentalism pioneer
 * Frank Wood, Tony Award-winning actor
 * Robert Coldwell Wood, political scientist, Under Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development

title: Lincoln, Massachusetts


text:
Littleton, Massachusetts

Littleton (historically Nashoba) is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 10,141 at the 2020 census.

For geographic and demographic information on the neighborhood of Littleton Common, please see the article Littleton Common, Massachusetts.

17th century
Littleton was the site of the sixth Praying Indian village established by John Eliot in 1645 consisting of mainly Native Americans of the Massachusett tribes. It was called Nashoba Plantation, on the land between Lake Nagog and Fort Pond. The term "Praying Indian" referred to Native Americans who had been converted to Christianity. Daniel Gookin, in his Historical Collections of the Indians in New England, (1674) chapter vii. says:

"Nashobah is the sixth praying Indian town. This village is situated, in a manner, in the centre, between Chelmsford, Lancaster, Groton and Concord. It lieth from Boston about twenty-five miles west north west. The inhabitants are about ten families, and consequently about fifty souls."

At the time of King Philip's War between the English and Native Americans, the General Court ordered the Indians at Nashoba to be interned in Concord. A short while later, some Concord residents who were hostile to the Nashoba solicited some militia to remove them to Deer Island. Around this time, fourteen armed men of Chelmsford went to the outlying camp at Wameset (near Forge Pond) and opened fire on the unsuspecting Nashoba, wounding five women and children, and killing outright a boy twelve years old, the only son of John Tahattawan. For much of the war, the English colonists rounded up the Praying Indians and sent them to Deer Island. When increasing numbers of Massachusetts Bay officers began successfully using Praying Indians as scouts in the war, the sentiment of the white settlers turned. In May 1676, the Massachusetts General Court ordered that Praying Indians be removed from Deer Island. Still, many died of starvation and disease. Upon their release, most survivors moved to Natick and sold their land to white settlers.

The town was settled by Anglo-European settlers in 1686 and was officially incorporated by act of the Massachusetts General Court on November 2, 1715. It was part of the Puritan and later Congregational culture and religion of New England.

In his book, An Historical Sketch Town of Littleton (1890), Herbert Joseph Harwood wrote:

"It is said that the name Littleton was given as a compliment to Hon. George Lyttleton, M.P., one of the commissioners of the treasury [one time Chancellor of the Exchequer], and that in acknowledgment he sent from England a church-bell as a present to the town but on account of the error in spelling by substituting 'i ' for 'y,' the present was withheld by the person having it in charge, who gave the excuse that no such town as Lyttleton could be found, and sold the bell.'"

18th century
The few survivors of Nashobah Plantation had extreme difficulty in reviving the village. The few that returned intermarried with some of the English settlers who had bought land from them and quickly outnumbered the natives. The new community petitioned the legislature and incorporated as a town in 1714 with its limits (including modern Boxborough) bounded by the existing towns of The Plantation of Groton to the west, Chelmsford to the north, Stow to the south and west, and Concord to the south and east. The meetinghouse of the town moved from the area of Newtown to eastern triangle of the Town Common in 1717. Sarah Doublet, the last Praying Indian, passed on in 1736.

New neighboring towns formed from larger towns abutting Littleton. West Chelmsford soon grew large enough to sustain its own governance, and was officially incorporated as Westford on September 23, 1729, A new town including parts of Lancaster, Groton, and Stow was incorporated in 1732 as Harvard. A large section of West Concord won approval of the General Court and incorporated as Acton on July 3, 1735.

Through the 1700s, new towns Littleton like most towns was served by several taverns, which were a fixture of small New England towns through to the early twentieth century:
 * The Long Store which was on Great Road across from the new Littleton Police Station was built around 1700.
 * The Fox Tavern, 35 Foster Street, was also built around 1700.
 * The Lawrence Tavern, also known as the Hartwell Tavern, was built on Crane Rd off Liberty Square in 1768.

In 1742, the Meetinghouse was moved to a new building (the present site of the Unitarian Church) at a cost of £900. This would be the community's only house of worship for the remainder of the 1700s.

Construction of Warren's Grist Mill (abutting 495 at the junction of Grist Mill Rd and Warren St) began in 1750. This mill processed the crops produced by the town residents through the eighteenth century.

Residents of Littleton contributed men to the militia system that was set up by the Crown to serve as self-defense against hostile First Nations peoples as well as the French in Canada. Men from Littleton served in the primarily Provincial Army that captured Louisbourg in 1745. This militia system evolved into the organization that confronted the British Regulars on April 18, 1775.

The minutemen and militia of Littleton marched and fought at Concord and the Battle Road on April 19, 1775. The militia company and the minutemen squads mustered at Liberty Square located on the southwest side of town on the Boxborough line (then part of Littleton). They marched from there through what is now Boxborough Depot and over Littleton Rd/Boxborough Rd to Newtown Road (Littleton), up over Fort Pond Hill (stopping briefly at the Choate Farm) and along Newtown Rd (Acton) to Acton Center. From there they marched the Isaac Davis Trail to Old North Bridge. Some writing suggests that the minutemen sped ahead to join the other minutemen at the bridge.

In 1782, the third request to incorporate as a separate town by the residents of present day Boxborough was granted by the General Court and incorporated on February 25, 1783, taking away almost a quarter of Littleton's area on the south abutting Stow and Harvard.

In 1795, the town built its first public schools which served the children of Littleton until 1870:
 * North School House, Old Great Road
 * East Schoolhouse 540 Newtown Road
 * South School House, 279 Foster Street
 * West Schoolhouse, Sanderson Road

According to local lore, the town had a contingent of Loyalists who remained after the revolution and thwarted attempts to rename King Street as Main, Washington, or Adams streets. This has been the source of ribbing from neighboring towns, who call Littleton a Tory town.

19th century
During the 1800s, Littleton grew at a slow pace. It became known for its apple orchards and the cider produced in town. The Warren Gristmill changed over to operating as a sawmill in the second decade.

In 1822, Baptists in town decided to create their own society and build a church at the corner of King Street and Goldsmith Street. This was influenced by Unitarianism beginning to take hold in New England.

The lyceum movement, a Scottish and English means of spreading education; especially in the sciences to the masses came to Littleton when, following the example of Millbury, Salem, and Concord, Littletonians on December 21, 1829, decided, in their words, "to promote mutual improvement" through the formation of the Littleton Lyceum. By the time of its 25th anniversary, the Littleton Lyceum took the form and operation it would have for almost a century of lectures followed by questions and debate. During the Civil War or shortly thereafter, most lyceums petered out, but not in Littleton. Besides bringing about a brief return to public debating, the War was also long a subject for Lyceum, a venue where veterans lectured about their experiences and travel.

In 1840, the community fractured on sectarian lines. As a result the remaining members of the town meetinghouse, now Unitarians, realized that they needed a larger building and funded it by selling pews to the members. The Orthodox Congregational Society funded their building in the same manner the same year, 1841. The two churches have occupied their locations on Foster and King Streets to the present day.

The industrial revolution continued in Littleton with the arrival of the Fitchburg Railroad in 1844. The original station was built in 1845. A new train station was erected in 1879 and was used until it closed in 1970. This line served to be influential in the development of the town. Commuter service into North Station along this line began in the 1880s.

The Fitchburg was not the only railroad to arrive and serve Littleton in the Nineteenth Century. The Stony Brook Railroad line running from present day Ayer to Chelmsford maintained a station in North Littleton by Forge Pond. Just over the line in North Acton, there was also a passenger station with service on the Framingham and Lowell Railroad beginning in 1871.

With the railroads, local farmers grew in response to the availability of transport for their produce to markets in Boston. Some of the local farmers located along the rail line began to diversify their crops for sale in Haymarket, a few farms began to concentrate on dairy production, but Littleton became known for the number of orchards producing apples.

Abolitionism and Transcendentalism became popular movements in Littleton during the 1800s and were much discussed at Littleton Lyceum. Several Littleton men served in the Federal forces during the Civil War and are memorialized on a plaque on either side of the Houghton Memorial Building.

Further development of stores, shops, and business centered on the Common and the now growing Depot. By the common, the Conant Houghton Co. Mill was erected in 1880. Initially, it processed apple products, but moved into the production of clothing and military equipment in the late 1890s. In 1885, the quarantine station for the Port of Boston moved from Waltham to a farm on the Fitchburg railway line on the south west side of Mill Pond. Used to clear wild and domestic animals and made Littleton a center for horse-dealing and training.

In 1894-95, the Houghton Memorial Building was designed by Perkins & Betton and built to house the municipal library. It was a gift from Elizabeth and Clement S. Houghton, he was the son of one of Boston's wealthiest merchants, William S. Houghton. The elder Houghton, a Littleton native, had in 1884 made a bequest to the town for the establishment of a library collection in honor of Reuben Hoar, who had financially assisted his father in a difficult time.

20th century
Littleton continued to grow through the twentieth century. Prior to World War I, the mill at the common moved into the manufacturing of military webbing to supply the US Armed Forces. The advent of the war drew more people to town to work in the mill. Young men from Littleton also left to serve during the war. Upon their return, they founded the two veterans' posts, American Legion Post 249 and VFW Post 6556.

With the advent of the automobile, Littleton saw two more expansions of agri-business. The existing dairy farms grew larger and became commercial. Cloverdale Farm/Dell Dale Farm, on Mannion Place off Great Road edging up to the shores of Lake Nagog, became a well-known local dairy operating until 1986, first by John Mannion and then Thomas and William Byrne from Hopedale. Herbert Whitcomb also ran a commercial dairy, which he sold in 1942 to J. Fred Herpy, a dairyman who had moved to Littleton from Rome, New York. Herpy relocated the pasteurizing business to Great Road in 1952. Business was good in the post-war years, and Herpy's Dairy thrived.

On the site of the Great Road plant, Herpy built two large swimming pools, and added a bathhouse, grill and ice cream stand. The pools provided swimming lessons to the residents of Littleton and surrounding towns. By the last year the pools were open, 1968, over a thousand children learned to swim at Herpy's. It closed a year later, in response to Littleton's expansion of alcohol sales.

Like many towns along the state roads radiating from Boston, the advent of motor transport saw the arrival of truck farms which sprang up along Route 119/2A. These were market gardens that were operated on a large scale to supply produce for Haymarket in Boston. While earlier commercial market gardens had sprung up along the railways, motor transport allowed the formation of produce wholesalers in outlying cities such as Fitchburg and Lowell which signed contracts with local farmers to provide goods on a daily basis for sale in Haymarket. The trucks would leave the yards and drive down the state roads buying produce from the farms for resale in town. Almost all truck farms kept a portion of their produce for sale at their roadside stands. The farms in Littleton were operated by a mix of older Yankee residents and newer Irish, Italian, Quebecois, and Greek families who had bought the farms as a commercial venture. One can see what most of Route 2A looked like running in through Acton, Concord, Lexington, and Arlington during the first two-thirds of the century by looking at present day, Route 119 moving northwest from Beaver Brook Road.

Arthur Rowse bought Standard Vinegar Co. in Somerville, in 1865 in 1900, changed the name to New England Vinegar Works in 1907. In 1919, he added the Veryfine brand name for pasteurized apple juice. He moved the company to Littleton, Massachusetts, in 1930 to be closer to Massachusetts' apple orchards, setting up his plant at the Depot. While in Somerville, Arthur Rowse, known for integrity and honesty, had refused to do business with bootleggers in a state where Prohibition was overwhelmingly unpopular. He continued his refusal after moving to Littleton.

Due to the Yankee character of the town, it was notably dry during Prohibition. Although Prohibition was repealed in 1933, Littleton did not permit the sale of alcohol again until 1960, and then in just two locations, the Johnson's store at the Depot and the Nashoba Package store at Donelan's shopping center. Only in the late 1980s, with the building of DEC's King Street facility, was a bar allowed to open in town (this later became Ken's American Cafe, which closed in December 2008. It was followed by what is now the Chip Shot on Ayer Road). For years, residents could go to establishments just over the town line that served alcohol, in the surrounding Acton, Westford, Groton, Ayer, and Boxborough.

Littleton has remained a predominantly Yankee town, with the bulk of the population belonging to the Congregational Church of Littleton, The First Baptist Church, and First Church Unitarian churches. In the post-World War II era, Roman Catholic immigrants from Ireland, Quebec, Canada, and Italy moved into Middlesex County and Littleton. The Roman Catholic parish of St. Anne's was established in 1947 and is currently the largest congregation in town. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints established a chapel in 1979. In 1956, the Church of Christ was built on Harwood Avenue. It disbanded in 1985 due to the closing of Ft. Devens and the resultant dwindling membership.

Many of the early families are represented by descendants in the town to the present day: Blanchard, Bulkeley, Crane, Hartwell, Hathaway, Kimball, and Whitcomb. The neighborhoods around Mill Pond (also known as Lake Warren): Long Lake, Forge Village, and Spectacle Pond, include numerous summer cottages or "camps" that have been converted into year-round residences. Many ethnic Irish, Italian, Québécois, and Finnish families moved here in the 1950s and 1960s in a kind of suburbanization after leaving their more dense, first and second-generation neighborhoods in Arlington, East Boston, Cambridge, Lowell, and Somerville.

Due to its location between Fort Devens and Hanscom AFB, Littleton has been a popular location for military retirees from the 1960s to the present day.

Author John Hanson Mitchell wrote a book titled Ceremonial Time (1984), which details a history of fifteen thousand years over one square mile located within the town.

The arrival of Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC, later part of Hewlett-Packard) in the 1970s connected the town to other businesses in the Boston-area high-tech corridor. Digital built a very large facility on King Street near the Common, as well as offices on Porter Road and Foster Street.

21st century
In 2007, IBM purchased the King Street facility from Hewlett-Packard and announced that it would become its main New England location.

In 2014, Littleton embarked on a year of celebration for its 300th anniversary.

In 2022, the Boston Globe reported that the Littleton mill had the highest concentration of federally-licensed firearms dealers in the United States.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 17.5 sqmi, of which 16.6 sqmi is land and 0.9 sqmi  (5.30%) is water.

Littleton borders the following towns: Groton, Westford, Acton, Boxborough, Harvard, and Ayer.

Demographics
At the 2020 census, there were 10,141 people, 3,657 households and 2,218 families residing in the town. The population density was 492.5 PD/sqmi. There were 3,889 housing units at an average density of 183.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 80.71% White, 1.34% African American, 0.15% Native American, 8.17% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.33% from other races, and 5.03% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.25% of the population.

There were 3,657 households, of which 23.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.0% were married couples living together, 22.1% had a female householder with no spouse present, 10.3% had a male householder with no spouse present, and 3.6% were non-families. Of all households 19.6% were made up of individuals, and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.16.

Of the population 23.2% were under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.3 males.

The median household income was $123,413 and the median family income was $143,233. About 2.4% of families and 3.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.9% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.

Littleton public schools

 * Littleton High School
 * Littleton Middle School—new building 2006
 * Russell Street Elementary
 * Shaker Lane Elementary

Other public schools

 * Nashoba Valley Technical High School: public regional vocational technical high school located in Westford.
 * Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School: a public charter school in Devens that serves students in grades 7 to 12.

Local private or parochial schools

 * Academy of Notre Dame: co-educational Roman Catholic elementary school, K1 through 8th grade, in Tyngsborough, and an all-girls Roman Catholic preparatory school for grades 9–12 run by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur
 * Applewild School: established in 1957, a private, independent co-educational day school for grades preschool – 8th grade located in Fitchburg.
 * Concord Academy: a private, co-educational, independent, college preparatory school for grades 9–12, located in Concord.
 * Country Day School of the Holy Union: coeducational Roman Catholic elementary school, Pre-K through 8th grade, in Groton run by the Sisters of the Holy Union.
 * The Fenn School: an all-boys private school in Concord, serving grades 4–9.
 * Groton School: a private, Episcopal, college preparatory boarding school for grades 9–12 located in Groton.
 * Lawrence Academy at Groton: a private, co-educational preparatory school for grades 9–12 located in Groton.
 * Middlesex School: a private, independent preparatory school for grades 9–12 located in Concord.
 * Nashoba Brooks School: an independent co-educational school for Pre-K (age 3) through 3rd grade and all-female from grade 4th through 8th grade.
 * Oak Meadow School: a private, independent Montessori school serving Pre-K (18 months through 8th grade) is the only private school located within Littleton.

Library

The public Reuben Hoar Library first opened in 1887. In fiscal year 2008, the town of Littleton spent 1.5% ($432,744) of its budget on its public library—approximately $49 per person, per year ($60.01 adjusted for inflation in 2021).

Media
The local newspaper is called the Littleton Independent.

Littleton Community Television (LCTV) has a new and improved studio at 37 Shattuck Street behind the town offices at the Littleton Town Hall.

Historical, civic and cultural organizations
Littleton like other small towns has many local charities and organizations that are active in the town. Non-profit town specific groups include the Littleton Conservation Trust, the Littleton Country Gardeners, and Littleton Historical Society (a non-profit partner to the town's Historical Commission). The Littleton Lyceum and the Indian Hill Music Center are two of the local cultural organizations. The Littleton Rotary Club is active in Community development/service. Local Fraternal organizations that serve the town of Littleton are the Tahattawan Masonic Lodge, the Bishop Ruocco Council 9275 Knights of Columbus, the Acton Lions Club, and the Chelmsford and Maynard Elks. Charity groups serving Littleton are the Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry at Devens, the Acton Community Food Pantry, Habitat for Humanity, and the St Vincent De Paul Society. Finally, local veterans have two posts, American Legion Post 249 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6556 co-located at the Post in the Depot.

Houses of Worship
Littleton was, like most small colonial New England towns formed around a congregation of a house of worship. Following the horrific demise of the Praying Indian village of Nashoba, Anglo settlers and immigrants bought land from the surviving members of the Nashoba congregation and built their meetinghouse in 1715 on the site of what is now the First Church Unitarian, at 19 Foster St. The First Baptist Church Littleton, at 461 King St, was the second congregation in Littleton built in spring of 1822 because "Prayer meetings on weekdays, itinerant preaching, and all efforts for the conversion of the heathen, were stigmatized as the doings of fanatics." In 1841, more Calvinists following the Congregational doctrine decided that the main congregation had moved too far away from Calvinism but did noit agree with the Baptists split off and built what is now the Congregational Church of Littleton, UCC, at 330 King St. Littleton Protestant schurches remained the only ones in town until the twentieth century. The next creed to establish itself in Littleton was Roman Catholicism driven by the influx of Irish, Italian, Quebecois, Polish, Norwegian, and Portuguese immigrants. The first Mass offered in Littleton at the Town Hall Christmas Day 1911. Littleton's first Catholic Church was established in 1916, with its patron Saint Anne. At that time, forty Catholic families resided in Littleton. Serving as a mission to St Mary's in Ayer, it became its own parish in 1945. By the late fifties, the congregation had grown larger so they built the present building at 75 King St and relocated there in 1960. During the Cold War, an increasing number of Mormons moved into the area. With evangelization and this influx, the local Mormon community built the Littleton Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 616 Reat Road in the 1980s. The town has an ecummenical group, The Greater Littleton Interfaith Council that cooperates on various charity, faith, and relief activities. As well as the resident congregations it works with congregations in surrounding towns. Other religions in Littleton are served by Wat Buddhabhavana (Buddhist) in Westford, Church of the Good Shepherd (Episcopalian) in Acton, Congregation Beth Elohim (Judaism) in Acton, Shirdi Sai Temple (Hinduism) in Groton, Islamic Community Center in Acton, Mt Calvary Lutheran Church in Acton, and St Matthews United Methodist Church in Acton.

Transportation
Commuter rail service from Boston's North Station is provided by the MBTA with a stop in Littleton on its Fitchburg Line. The LRTA 15 bus line ends in the IBM parking lot. Other transportation services in Littleton are provided by the regional transit authority MART.

Freight travels daily through Littleton over the tracks of the historic Stony Brook Railroad. The line currently serves as a major corridor of Pan Am Railway's District 3 which connects New Hampshire and Maine with western Massachusetts, Vermont, and New York.

Littleton has I-495, Route 2, Route 2A, Route 110, and Route 119.

Notable people

 * Shawn Andrews, actor
 * Ron Borges, sports writer for the Boston Herald
 * Jeanne Munn Bracken, author and journalist
 * Steve Carell, worked as a mail carrier in the town before going to The Second City
 * Levi L. Conant, mathematician and developer of the Number Concept in 1896
 * Ed Fletcher, politician who served as California State Senator until 1947
 * Lucie Caroline Hager (1853–1903), author
 * Alonzo Hartwell, engraver and portrait painter; father of Henry W. Hartwell
 * Henry W. Hartwell, architect with Hartwell and Richardson
 * Margaret Harwood, astronomer
 * Greg Hawkes, keyboard player for the 1970s–1980s New Wave group, The Cars, lived in Littleton during the band's early years before moving to Lincoln
 * Jim Hollister, historian and National Park Service ranger
 * Erik P. Kraft, author and illustrator
 * Sean McAdam, sports writer for ESPN and The Providence Journal
 * John Hanson Mitchell, author
 * Tom Nepanet, husband of Sarah Doublet and emissary during King Philip's War
 * Jonathan Prescott, a British officer
 * Harrison Reed, governor of Florida until 1899
 * Peleg Sprague, New Hampshire politician who served as a U.S. Senator until 1835 and a US District Court Judge until 1865

title: Littleton, Massachusetts


text:
Littleton Common, Massachusetts

Littleton Common is a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Littleton in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,065 at the 2020 census, up from 2,789 in 2010.

Geography
Littleton Common is located in northwestern Middlesex County at 42.54611°N, -71.47306°W (42.536606, -71.471984), in the eastern part of the town Littleton. It is bordered to the northeast by the town of Westford and to the northwest by Interstate 495, with access from Exit 79 (Routes 2A and 110) and Exit 80 (Route 119). It is bordered to the southwest by Harwood Avenue and to the southeast by Newtown Road, Shaker Lane, and Power Road.

Massachusetts Route 2A and 110 (King Street) go to the west out of the community, leading 7 mi to Ayer, and Routes 2A and 119 (Great Road) leave to the southeast, leading 7 mi to West Concord. Route 110 leads northeast 10 mi to Lowell, and Route 119 leads northwest 7 mi to Groton.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 3.70 sqmi, of which 3.54 sqmi are land and 0.16 sqmi  (4.40%) are water. Long Pond is in the southern part of the community. Beaver Brook flows northward through the western side, part of the Merrimack River watershed.

Demographics
At the 2000 census there were 2,816 people in 1,098 households, including 774 families, in the CDP. The population density was 311.5/km$2$ (807.1/mi²). There were 1,142 housing units at an average density of 126.3/km$2$ (327.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 97.02% White, 0.28% African American, 0.07% Native American, 1.31% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.25% from other races, and 1.03% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.21%.

Of the 1,098 households 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.6% were married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.5% were non-families. 23.6% of households were one person and 9.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.05.

The age distribution was 24.0% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 34.1% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% 65 or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.2 males.

The median household income was $60,323 and the median family income was $69,375. Males had a median income of $46,806 versus $38,571 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $26,966. About 4.7% of families and 5.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.9% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.

title: Littleton Common, Massachusetts