Littleton, Massachusetts, USA
1848 - Littleton

This town was formerly a gore of land not included in any of the adjoining towns: it remained in this state many years after they were incorporated. It was but thinly inhabited by some English people, together with Indians living on their ancient settlements, and was known by the name of Nishoba. In 1715, upon the petition of one Whitcomb and Powers, this place was incorporated into a town, by the name of Littleton. It was so called after the name of the Hon. George Lyttleton, Esq., member of Parliament, and one of the commissioners of the treasury. In return for the honor done to his name, the noble gentleman presented this town with a church bell; but, on account of an error in spelling the name, caused by substituting the i for the y. which formed the word Littleton, the valuable present miscarried, and was finally withheld, under the pretence that no such town as Lyttileton, to which the bell was to be presented, could anywhere be found. It is stated, that the same bell is now in the possession and use of the town in this commonwealth which purchased it. The first settled minister was Rev. Benjamin Shattuck, who was ordained in Dec. 1717. He continued in the ministry about 13 years, and was succeeded by Rev. Daniel Rogers, who died in 1782, after a ministry of more than half a century. He was succeeded by Rev. Edmund Foster, who was ordained in 1781.

Littleton is principally an agricultural town. Population, 876. Distance, 10 miles from Concord, 5 miles from Groton, and 26 from Boston. Mr. Gookin, in his history of the Indian tribes, gives the following account of this place:

“Nashoba is the sixth praying Indian town. This village is situated in a manner in the center between Chelmsford, Lancaster, Groton, and Concord, about 25 miles west north west of Boston. The inhabitants are about ten families, and consequently about fifty souls. This village is four miles square. The people live here as in Indian villages, upon planting corn, fishing, hunting, and sometimes labouring with the English people. Their ruler of late years was John Ahatawana, a pious man. After his decease, Pennekennet, or Pennekannet, became their chief. Their teacher's name was John Thomas, a sober and pious man. The father of this John (Thomas) was murdered by the Maquas Indians, in the most secret manner, as he was fishing for eels at his wear. He was a pious and useful man ....... In this place are orchards of apples. Near unto this town is a pond. wherein, at some seasons, there is a strange rumbling noise, as the Indians affirm; the reason thereof is not yet known. Some have considered the hill adjacent as hollow, wherein the wind, being pent, is the cause of this rumbling, as in earthquakes. At this place they attend civil and religious order, as in other praying towns; and they have a constable and other officers. This town was deserted during the Maquas war in 1676; but is now again peopled, and in a hopeful way to prosper."

"The pond above mentioned" (says Mr. Foster in his Century Sermon in 1815) "must be Nagog ....... It lies on the eastern extremity of this town." The report of a strange noise, heard occasionally in this pond, was not without foundation. But the noise was not in the water, as they imagined, but from a hill, lying in a north-west direction, and about half a mile distant from the pond, partly in Littleton and partly in Westford, known by the name of Nashoba Hill. A rumbling noise, from time to time, has been heard from this hill ever since the settlement of the town. It has been repeated within two years past, and is called "the shooting of Nashoba Hill."

At the south-easterly part of the town, and on the northerly side of a pond lying there, the Indians erected and maintained a fort, which gave to the waters adjoining the name of Fort Pond. The fort was built on an elevated spot of ground, occupied and im-. proved by the Indians, according to their manner of cultivation. The principal owner, or oldest possessor, of this plot of ground, was an. Indian by the name of Spean; and the land is known to this day by the name of "Spean's Hill." "The oldest dwelling house in this town (says Mr. Foster) was erected as a garrison house for the defence of the English settlers against their Indian enemies. This ancient and much decayed building is situated on the south-easterly side of Nashoba Hill. It is in possession of the family of Mr. Samuel Reed, deceased, is now inhabited by his widow, and is said to have been standing more than 170 years." In the Indian war, Isaac and Jacob Shepherd were killed, and a young maid, about the age of 15, was taken captive by the Indians. She had been set to watch the enemy on a hill, which lies about a third of a mile south of Nashoba Hill, on the road leading to Boston, and was called Quagana Hill. Tradition says that this girl was carried by the savages to Nashawa, now called Lancaster, or to some place in the neighborhood of it; that in the dead of night, she took a saddle from under the head of her Indian keeper, when sunk in sleep, increased by the fumes of ardent spirit, put the sad die on a horse, mounted on him, swam him across Nashawa river, and so escaped the hands of her captors, and arrived safe to her relatives and friends.

Historical Collections Relating to the History... John Warner Barber, Worcester, Warren Lazell, 1848

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