History of Dunstable, Massachusetts, USA

1656 - Dunstable is settled

Massachusetts City and Town Incorporation and Settlement Dates

1661 - The original township of Dunstable, granted in 1661, consisted of two hundred square miles,
including the Massachusetts towns of Dunstable, Pepperell, Townsend and Tyngsborough, the New Hampshire towns of Hudson, Nashua and Hollis, and parts of other towns as well.
wikipedia.org

1673 - Dunstable is incorporated

Massachusetts City and Town Incorporation and Settlement Dates

1691 - September 28 - Massacre
SOURCE: History of the Old Township of Dunstable: Including Nashua, Nashville, Hollis, Hudson, Litchfield, and Merrimac, N. H.; Dunstable and Tyngsborough, Mass., by Charles J. Fox, Nashua: Charles T. Gill, Publisher, 1846.
(pp. 62-63)

". . . In the summer of 1691 the war was renewed and the Indian ravages recommenced. Small scouting parties attacked many of the neighboring settlements. . . On the evening of Sept. 2, 1691, they suddenly appeared in this town, and attacked the house of Joseph HASSELL, senior. Hassell, his wife Anna HASSELL, their son Benjamin HASSELL, and Mary MARKS, daughter of Patrick MARKS, were slain. There is a tradition that Mary MARKS was killed between the Hollis road and the canal about a quarter of a mile above the Nashua Corporation.
They were all buried upon the little knoll where Hassell's house stood, and a rough stone without inscription points out the spot.* A second stone stood there until within a few years, having been preserved for so long a... Read MORE...

1839 - Dunstable
Dunstable, Massachusetts
Middlesex county. Nashua river waters the N.W. part of the town, and passes into Nashua, N.H. The surface of the town is level;—some part of it is good land, but generally it is light and sandy. It has no manufactures, and only 315 sheep. Population, 1837, 570. Incorporated 1683. Dunstable lies 27 miles N.W. from Boston, 18 N. by W. from Concord, and 6 S. from Nashua.
The New England Gazetteer containing descriptions of all the states, counties and towns in New England: also descriptions of the principal mountains, rivers lakes, capes, bays, harbors, islands and fashionable resorts within that territory. By John Hayward, author of the Columbian Traveller, Religious Creeds, &c. &c. Boston: John Hayward. Boyd & White, Concord, N.H. 1839

1845 - DUNSTABLE. [Pop. 603. Inc. 1673.]
Dunstable, though now a small town, once comprehended Pepperell, Tyngsborough, and much land that is now in New Hampshire.

This town was the home of Captain Lovewell, the celebrated leader in that bloody fight with the Indians on the borders of what is called Lovell's Pond, in Fryeburgh, Maine. Both leaders and nearly all their followers were slain, but the whites were victorious.

Distance from Concord, 18 miles; from Boston, 37.
An Elementary Geography for Massachusetts Children by William Bentley Fowle and Asa Fitz, 1845
Get it HERE!

1848 - Dunstable
This town was incorporated in 1663. This is a small township; the land is rather level, and. the soil is light and sandy. Nashua river forms the western border of the town, and then passes into New Hampshire. There are three churches, 1 Congregational, 1 Baptist, and 1 Universalist. Population, 570. Distance, 18 miles from Concord, 6 south of Nashua village, and 37 from Boston.

Capt. John Lovell, (or Lovewell, as his name was formerly written,) the hero of Pigwacket, and six of his men, were from this town. He had distinguished himself in several bloody fights with the Indians, and taken several scalps, for which he received a bounty of 100 pounds each, from the treasury of the colony. In Feb. 1724, he and his followers surprised and killed a party of ten Indians, as they were sitting around a fire, and received 1,000 pounds for their scalps at Boston! In April, 1725, Capt. Lovell and Lieut. Joseph Farwell, Lieut. Jonathan Robbins, Ensign John Harwood, Sergeant Noah Johnson. Robert ... Read MORE...

1854 - Dunstable
Dunstable, a post-township of Middlesex county, Massachusetts, 30 miles N. W. from Boston, on the W. side of Merrimack river. Population, 590.
A New and Complete Gazetteer of the United States: Giving a Full and Comprehensive Review of the Present Condition, Industry, and Resources of the American Confederacy ... Thomas Baldwin (of Philadelphia.) Joseph Thomas January 1, 1854 Philadelphia : Lippincott, Grambo & Company 1854.

1859
DUNSTABLE, a township in Middlesex co., in the state of Massachusetts, U.S., 31 m. NW of Boston. Pop. 603.
A Gazetteer of the World: Or, Dictionary of Geographical Knowledge, Publisher A. Fullarton, 1859

1869 - Strict Laws
At Dunstable, Mass., in 1651, dancing at weddings was forbidden, and in 1660 William Walker was imprisoned for a month for courting a maid without the leave of her parents. In 1675 the wearing of long hair and ribbons to tie it were prohibited by severe penalties.
genealogybank.com
Cincinnati Daily Gazette
Cincinnati, Ohio
June 28, 1869

Dunstable Massachusetts, 1890
Dunstable is a quiet rural town on the northern border of Middlesex County, 33 miles northwest of Boston. Its boundary on the north is Nashua, N. H., on the east Tyngsborough, the same and Groton on the south, and Pepperell on the west. The area is 10,500 acres. Of this, 4,948 acres are woodland, mostly of young growth of pine and oak.

The town is pleasantly diversified with hill and valley, forest, meadow and tillage land; and the soil is generally good, as the ample barns and thrifty orchards will attest. Nashua River washes the northwestern border, receiving Unkety Brook as a tributary from the town; and Salmon River, from Massapoag Pond, flows northerly through the central part of the town into the Merrimack. Flat-rock Hill in the north, and Forest Hill in the east are both commanding eminences.

The town has 138 farms, on which the usual crops are cultivated; the value of the farm product in 1885 being $84,993. There are two or three saw and grain mills, and other... Read MORE...

1895 - Dunstable
Dunstable, diin'sta-b'l, a post-hamlet in Dunstable township, Middlesex co., Mass., 6 miles by rail S. of Nashua, N.H. It has 2 churches, 2 saw-mills, &c. Pop. of the township, 416.
Lippincott's Gazetteer of the World: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World Containing Notices of Over One Hundred and Twenty-five Thousand Places ... Joseph Thomas January 1, 1895 J.B. Lippincott

1916
Dunstable, a post-township (town) of Middlesex co., Mass., 6 miles by rail S. of Nashua, N.H. Pop. in 1900, 427.
Lippincotts New Gazetteer: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World, Containing the Most Recent and Authentic Information Respecting the Countries, Cities, Towns, Resorts, Islands, Rivers, Mountains, Seas, Lakes, Etc., in Every Portion of the Globe, Part 1 Angelo Heilprin Louis Heilprin - January 1, 1916 J.B. Lippincott - Publisher

Here's a list of places to go and things to do in Dunstable:
Dunstable Rural Land Trust Trails: If you're a nature enthusiast, you'll love exploring the trails maintained by the Dunstable Rural Land Trust. These trails offer a chance to hike, birdwatch, and enjoy the beautiful New England landscape.

Brookside Farm: This picturesque farm is a popular spot for families. You can pick your own fruits and vegetables during the harvest season, go for hayrides, and enjoy various farm activities. It's a great place for kids to learn about farming.

Dunstable Town Forest: This serene forest offers hiking and cross-country skiing trails. It's an excellent place for a peaceful nature walk and birdwatching. Don't forget to bring your camera to capture the beauty of the forest.

Historic Sites: Dunstable has a rich history, and you can explore it by visiting historic sites like the Old Burying Ground, which dates back to the 17th century. Take a stroll through this cemetery to learn about the town's early settlers.

Groton-Dunstable Regional High... Read MORE...