History of Townsend, Massachusetts, USA

Townsend, Massachusetts
Middlesex county. The surface of this town is rather level; some parts are pine plains. The soil is generally light, but in some sections it is productive, particularly of fruit trees. It is watered by a branch of the Nashua, a beautiful mill stream, on which are divers mechanical operations. "Townsend Harbor," on the road from Groton to New Ipswich, N.H., is an active, pleasant village. The manufactures of this town consist of leather, palm-leaf hats, boots, shoes, ploughs, straw bonnets, fish barrels, nail kegs, and dry casks; annual value, about $75,000. This town was incorporated in 1732. Population in 1830, 1,506; 1837, 1,749. It lies 38 miles N. from Boston, and 22 N.W. from Concord.

Townsend is situated at the northwestern extremity of the county, and were it not for Ashby, it would be the end of the towns, as its name implies.

Several small streams unite in this town and form the Squanicook, which is a branch of the Nashua.

A considerable village in the eastern part of the town, is called Townsend Harbor.

The chief manufactures are palm-leaf hats, and leather, but the chief dependence is upon agriculture.

Distance from Concord, 22 miles ; from Boston 38.

This town was incorporated in 1732. The land in this township is more level than the towns to the north and west; most of it is gently undulating, and some of it consists of level pine plains. The soil generally is not of the first quality; there are, however, some good farms in the town, and the soil is generally good for fruit-trees of all kinds which are common in this part of the country. In the central part of the town there is a village, containing two Congregational churches, one of which is Unitarian. Several brooks unite in this town, and form Squanicook river, which discharges its waters into the Nashua. In the eastern part of the town there is a village called Townsend Harbor, where there are several mills, stores, &c. Population, 1,749. Distance, 22 miles from Concord, 8 from Fitchburg, and 38 from Boston, in 1837, there were manufactured here 159,700 palm leaf hats, valued at $22,750; the value of fish barrels, nail kegs and dry casks manufactured, was $9,357; there were...

Townsend, a post-village in Middlesex co., Massachusetts, 40 miles N. W. by W. from Boston, on Squanticook river, and the Peter borough and Shirley railroad, contains 2 or 3 churches. Pop. of the township, 1947.

Townsend Harbor, a post-village in Middle sex co., Massachusetts, on the Peterborough and Shirley railroad, 42 miles N. W. from Boston, contains a number of mills.

Townsend is a large town of unusual scenic beauty in the northwesterly section of Middlesex County, 45 miles northwest of Boston. Pepperell and Shirley bound it on the east, Lunenburg on the south and southwest, Ashley [Ashby] on the west, and Mason and Brookline, in N.H., on the north.

Harbor, Little Goose, Davis, Worden and Walker ponds beautify the town. The Squannacook River, formed in the western part of the town, flows across its midst southeasterly, affording, with its numerous tributary brooks, many useful powers. Along its valley runs the Peterboro and Shirley Branch of the Fitchburg Railroad, having stations at the villages of Townsend Harbor, Townsend (centre) and West Townsend, which are also post-offices. Other villages are Townsend Hill in the northeast and Rogersville in the southwest. Several beautiful eminences beautify the landscape along the southern and western borders, while Barker and. West hills, in the northern section, are wild and woody heights; while over ...