History of Wayland, Massachusetts, USA

The cannons were captured from the British at Fort Ticonderoga and Crown Point. They were transported from Lake Champlain to Dorchester Heights, Massachusetts and used by George Washington's army on March 17, 1776 (Evacuation Day) to free Boston from British control during the American Revolutionary War.

General Henry Knox Trail - Historic Marker reads:
"Through this place passed General Henry Knox in the winter of 1775-1776 to deliver to General George Washington at Cambridge the train of artillery from Fort Ticonderoga used to force the British army to evacuate Boston."

Wayland, Massachusetts
Middlesex county. The name of this town was East Sudbury, from 1780 to 1835. It lies on the east side of Sudbury river, and is bounded east by Weston. The surface of the town is pleasant; the soil is generally good, and contains some well cultivated farms. There are 4 forges in this town, and manufactures of chairs and cabinet ware; but the principal manufacture is that of boots and shoes; the annual value of which is about $25,000. Wayland is 16 miles W. from Boston and 7 S. from Concord. Population, 1837, 931.

The name of East Sudbury was changed to Wayland in 1835, probably in honor of Francis Wayland, President of Brown University.

This town is separated from Sudbury by Sudbury River, a sluggish branch or source of the Concord, which annually overflows its banks, enriching the lowlands, and producing large crops of hay.

Boots and shoes are manufactured here, but not to a very large amount.

Distance from Concord, 7 miles; from Boston, 16.

This town bore the name of East Sudbury from 1780 until 1835. It is separated on the west from Sudbury by the river of that name, a sluggish stream, which annually overflows a large tract of low lands, which produce great crops of hay without the necessity of cultivation. In February, 1722-3, the church at Sudbury was, by a vote of the members, divided into two distinct churches. Mr. Cooke was ordained the pastor on the east side of Sudbury river, in March, 1723; he died in 1760. In 1765, the number of houses on the east side was 112; the number of families, 129; the number of white inhabitants, 698. There are two Congregational churches in this town, one of which is Unitarian. It is 7 miles south of Concord, 7 north east of Framingham, and 16 west of Boston. Population, 931. In 1837, there were manufactured in this town 230 pairs of boots, and 29,666 pairs of shoes, valued at $22,419. There were 4 forges, which manufactured 8 tons of bar iron, valued at $2,600.

Wayland, a post-township in Middlesex co., Massachusetts, 16 miles W. by N. from Boston. Cochituate lake, from which Boston is supplied with water, lies partly on its southern boundary. Population, 1115.

Wayland is an agricultural and shoemaking town of 1,946 inhabitants, nearly central in the southerly section of Middlesex County, 16 miles west of Boston by the Central Massachusetts Railroad, which runs through the midst of its territory. Lincoln lies on the north, Weston on the cast, Natick on the south, and Framingham and Sudbury on the west. The assessed area is 9,248 acres.

The Sudbury River winds slowly northward through the "Sudbury Meadows," in the western part, receiving the Larnum Brook from Sudbury, another pretty streamlet near the centre, — and forms the western line of the northern part. Dudley, Heard's, Baldwin's and Rice ponds add beauty and interest to the scenery; and Cochituate Lake covers a considerable extent of the southwest line. The gray old gristmill among the willows by a wood-encircled pond is a picturesque and pleasing bit of scenery. Reeves Hill, near the western line, is the highest elevation; being the southwestern point of a range of hills which...