History of Templeton, Massachusetts, USA

Templeton, Massachusetts
Worcester county. Several streams, affording good mill seats, water this town, and pass to the Connecticut, by Miller's and Chickopee rivers. The surface of the town is uneven, but not mountainous; the elevated parts afford good pasturage, and the valleys, excellent crops of grain and hay. The manufactures consist of woolen goods, boots, shoes, leather, iron castings, shovels, hoes, spades, forks, palm-leaf hats, chairs, carriages, and cabinet, tin and wooden wares: value, the year ending April 1, 1837, $145,400. The village is very plesantly located, and presents some beautiful landscapes.

This town lies 60 miles W.N.W. from Boston and 26 N.N.W. from Worcester. Incorporated in 1762. Population, 1837, 1,690.

This town was granted to some of the heroes of Philip's War, in compensation for their services.

It was probably named in honor of the Temple family, to which Gov. Winthrop was related, and it originally contained Phillipston, and part of Gardner.

It is watered by sources of Miller's, Swift, and Ware rivers, on which are a factory and many saw-mills. Boots, shoes, cabinet ware, and palm-leaf hats are the chief articles manufactured.

Distance from Worcester, 24 miles; from Boston, 58.

This town was an original grant to certain persons who did service in King Philip’s war, or to their heirs, and was known by the name of Narragansett No. 6 until its incorporation, in 1762, when the name of Templeton was given to it. The first meeting of the proprietors of this tract was held at Concord, in 1733.

Its settlement was greatly retarded through danger from the Indians, hut after the close of the French wars inhabitants moved in and the settlement rapidly improved. The first church was gathered here in 1755, and Rev. Daniel Pond was ordained pastor. He was dismissed in 1759, and succeeded by Rev. Ebenezer Sparhawk in 1761. The next minister, Rev. Charles Wellington, was ordained in 1807. Rev. Lemuel P. Bates was installed pastor of the second church in 1833. He was succeeded by Rev. Lewis Sabin in 1837.

This is a pleasant town, of uneven surface, hut contains much good land. It is watered by branches of Miller’s and Chicopee rivers, and has many excellent mill-sites....

Templeton, a post-township in Worcester co., Massachusetts, 55 miles TV. by N. from Boston. The Vermont and Massachusetts railroad crosses the N. E. part of the town ship. Population, 2173.

Templeton is a pleasant agricultural and manufacturing town of 2,627 inhabitants in the northerly part of Worcester County, 69 miles northwest of Boston, and bounded on the north by Royalston and Winchendon, on the northeast by the latter and Gardner, on the southeast by Hubbardston, and on the southwest and west by Phillipston. The assessed area is 18,026 acres. The Fitchburg Railroad has stations at Otter River in the northeast and Baldwinsville in the north, and the Ware River Branch of the Boston and Albany at Templeton (centre) and Baldwinsville. These and East Templeton are the post-offices, and other villages are Brooks', Partridgeville and South Templeton.

The surface of the town is broken and picturesque. Rounded hills, fertile valleys, romantic glens and verdant meadows, all conspire to beautify the town. Crow Hill, in the northwesterly section, is a conspicuous elevation; and Mine Hill, in the southeasterly part, is noted for an old excavation, disclosed in 1824. The...

Templeton, a post-village in Templeton township, Worcester co., Mass., 3 mile from Templeton Station of the Ware River Railroad, and 10 miles S. of Winchendon. It has a savings-bank, a hotel, 6 churches, and manufactures of chairs, furniture, tin-ware, woollen goods, and boots and shoes. Pop. 2764. The township also contains East Templeton, Baldwinsville, and Otter River.