Littleton, Massachusetts on:
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_
Concord_may_refer_to:
_Meaning_"agreement"
*_Pact_or_treaty,_frequently_between_nations_(indicating_a_condition_of_harmony)
*_Harmony,_in_music
*_Agreement_(linguistics),_a_change_in_the_form_of_a_word_depending_on_grammatical_features_of_other__...
_to_the_south_and_east._The_meetinghouse_of_the_town_moved_from_the_area_of_Newtown_to_eastern_triangle_of_the_Town_Common_in_1717._Sarah_Doublet,_the_last_Praying_Indian,_passed_on_in_1736.
New_neighboring_towns_formed_from_larger_towns_abutting_Littleton._[ ne_time_Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer">Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer.html"_;"title="ne_time_Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer">ne_time_Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer_and_that_in_acknowledgment_he_sent_from_England_a_church-bell_as_a_present_to_the_town_but_on_account_of_the_error_in_spelling_by_substituting_"i_"_for_"y,"_the_present_was_withheld_by_the_person_having_it_in_charge,_who_gave_the_excuse_that_no_such_town_as_Lyttleton_could_be_found,_and_sold_the_bell."
Littleton (historically Nipmuc: ''Nashoba'') is a town in Middlesex County,
_
Chelmsford_()_is_a__city_in_the_City_of_Chelmsford_district_in_the_county_of_Essex,_England._It_is_the__county_town_of_Essex_and_one_of_three_cities_in_the_county,_along_with__Southend-on-Sea_and_Colchester._It_is_located__north-east_of__Londo_...
_to_the_north,_Stow,_Massachusetts">Stow_to_the_south_and_west,_and_Concord,_Massachusetts">ConcordMassachusetts
Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
, United States. The population was 10,141 at the 2020 census.
For geographic and demographic information on the neighborhood of Littleton Common, please see the article Littleton Common, Massachusetts
Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
.
History
17th century
Littleton was the site of the sixth Praying Indian village established by John Eliot in 1645 consisting of mainly Native Americans of the Nipmuc andPennacook
The Pennacook, also known by the names Penacook and Pennacock, were an Algonquian-speaking Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands who lived in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and southern Maine. They were not a united tribe but a n ...
tribes. It was called Nashoba Plantation, on the land between Lake Nagog and Fort Pond. The term "Praying Indian" referred to Native Americans who had been converted to Christianity. Daniel Gookin, in his ''Historical Collections of the Indians in New England'', (1674) chapter vii. says:
Nashobah is the sixth praying Indian town. This village is situated, in a manner, in the centre, between Chelmsford, Lancaster, Groton and Concord. It lieth from Boston about twenty-five miles west north west. The inhabitants are about ten families, and consequently about fifty souls.At the time of
King Philip's War
King Philip's War (sometimes called the First Indian War, Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, Pometacomet's Rebellion, or Metacom's Rebellion) was an armed conflict in 1675–1676 between indigenous inhabitants of New England and New England coloni ...
between the English and Native Americans, the General Court ordered the Indians at Nashoba to be interned in Concord. A short while later, some Concord residents who were hostile to the Nashoba solicited some militia to remove them to Deer Island. Around this time, fourteen armed men of Chelmsford went to the outlying camp at Wameset (near Forge Pond) and opened fire on the unsuspecting Nashoba, wounding five women and children, and killing outright a boy twelve years old, the only son of John Tahattawan. For much of the war, the English colonists rounded up the Praying Indians and sent them to Deer Island. When increasing numbers of Massachusetts Bay officers began successfully using Praying Indians as scouts in the war, the sentiment of the white settlers turned. In May, 1676, the Massachusetts General Court ordered that Praying Indians be removed from Deer Island. Still, many died of starvation and disease. Upon their release, most survivors moved to Natick and sold their land to white settlers.
The town was settled by Anglo-European settlers in 1686 and was officially incorporated by act of the Massachusetts General Court on November 2, 1715. It was part of the Puritan and later Congregational culture and religion of New England.
In his book, ''An Historical Sketch Town of Littleton'' (1890), Herbert Joseph Harwood wrote:
It is said that the name Littleton was given as a compliment to Hon. George Lyttleton, M.P., one of the commissioners of the treasury ne_time_ ne_time_Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer">Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer.html"_;"title="ne_time_Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer">ne_time_Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer_and_that_in_acknowledgment_he_sent_from_England_a_church-bell_as_a_present_to_the_town_but_on_account_of_the_error_in_spelling_by_substituting_"i_"_for_"y,"_the_present_was_withheld_by_the_person_having_it_in_charge,_who_gave_the_excuse_that_no_such_town_as_Lyttleton_could_be_found,_and_sold_the_bell."
_18th_century
The_few_survivors_of_Nashobah_Plantation_had_extreme_difficulty_in_reviving_the_village._The_few_that_returned_intermarried_with_some_of_the_English_settlers_who_had_bought_land_from_them_and_quickly_outnumbered_the_natives._The_new_community_petitioned_the_legislature_and_incorporated_as_a_town_in_1714_with_its_limits_(including_modern_ ne_time_Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer">Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer.html"_;"title="ne_time_Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer">ne_time_Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer_and_that_in_acknowledgment_he_sent_from_England_a_church-bell_as_a_present_to_the_town_but_on_account_of_the_error_in_spelling_by_substituting_"i_"_for_"y,"_the_present_was_withheld_by_the_person_having_it_in_charge,_who_gave_the_excuse_that_no_such_town_as_Lyttleton_could_be_found,_and_sold_the_bell."_18th_century
The_few_survivors_of_Nashobah_Plantation_had_extreme_difficulty_in_reviving_the_village._The_few_that_returned_intermarried_with_some_of_the_English_settlers_who_had_bought_land_from_them_and_quickly_outnumbered_the_natives._The_new_community_petitioned_the_legislature_and_incorporated_as_a_town_in_1714_with_its_limits_(including_modern_Boxborough,_Massachusetts">Boxborough)_bounded_by_the_existing_towns_of_Groton,_Massachusetts.html" ;"title="Boxborough,_Massachusetts.html" ;"title="Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer.html" ;"title="Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer.html" ;"title="ne timene_time_Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer">Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer.html"_;"title="ne_time_Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer">ne_time_Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer_and_that_in_acknowledgment_he_sent_from_England_a_church-bell_as_a_present_to_the_town_but_on_account_of_the_error_in_spelling_by_substituting_"i_"_for_"y,"_the_present_was_withheld_by_the_person_having_it_in_charge,_who_gave_the_excuse_that_no_such_town_as_Lyttleton_could_be_found,_and_sold_the_bell."
_
Chelmsford_()_is_a__city_in_the_City_of_Chelmsford_district_in_the_county_of_Essex,_England._It_is_the__county_town_of_Essex_and_one_of_three_cities_in_the_county,_along_with__Southend-on-Sea_and_Colchester._It_is_located__north-east_of__Londo_...
_to_the_north,__18th_century
The_few_survivors_of_Nashobah_Plantation_had_extreme_difficulty_in_reviving_the_village._The_few_that_returned_intermarried_with_some_of_the_English_settlers_who_had_bought_land_from_them_and_quickly_outnumbered_the_natives._The_new_community_petitioned_the_legislature_and_incorporated_as_a_town_in_1714_with_its_limits_(including_modern_Boxborough,_Massachusetts">Boxborough)_bounded_by_the_existing_towns_of_Groton,_Massachusetts">The_Plantation_of_Groton_to_the_west,_ ne_time_Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer">Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer.html"_;"title="ne_time_Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer">ne_time_Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer_and_that_in_acknowledgment_he_sent_from_England_a_church-bell_as_a_present_to_the_town_but_on_account_of_the_error_in_spelling_by_substituting_"i_"_for_"y,"_the_present_was_withheld_by_the_person_having_it_in_charge,_who_gave_the_excuse_that_no_such_town_as_Lyttleton_could_be_found,_and_sold_the_bell."_18th_century
The_few_survivors_of_Nashobah_Plantation_had_extreme_difficulty_in_reviving_the_village._The_few_that_returned_intermarried_with_some_of_the_English_settlers_who_had_bought_land_from_them_and_quickly_outnumbered_the_natives._The_new_community_petitioned_the_legislature_and_incorporated_as_a_town_in_1714_with_its_limits_(including_modern_Boxborough,_Massachusetts">Boxborough)_bounded_by_the_existing_towns_of_Groton,_Massachusetts">The_Plantation_of_Groton_to_the_west,_Chelmsford,_Massachusetts">Chelmsfordne_time_Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer">Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer.html"_;"title="ne_time_Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer">ne_time_Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer_and_that_in_acknowledgment_he_sent_from_England_a_church-bell_as_a_present_to_the_town_but_on_account_of_the_error_in_spelling_by_substituting_"i_"_for_"y,"_the_present_was_withheld_by_the_person_having_it_in_charge,_who_gave_the_excuse_that_no_such_town_as_Lyttleton_could_be_found,_and_sold_the_bell."
_
Chelmsford_()_is_a__city_in_the_City_of_Chelmsford_district_in_the_county_of_Essex,_England._It_is_the__county_town_of_Essex_and_one_of_three_cities_in_the_county,_along_with__Southend-on-Sea_and_Colchester._It_is_located__north-east_of__Londo_...
_to_the_north,_Stow,_Massachusetts">Stow_to_the_south_and_west,_and_ ne_time_Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer">Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer.html"_;"title="ne_time_Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer">ne_time_Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer_and_that_in_acknowledgment_he_sent_from_England_a_church-bell_as_a_present_to_the_town_but_on_account_of_the_error_in_spelling_by_substituting_"i_"_for_"y,"_the_present_was_withheld_by_the_person_having_it_in_charge,_who_gave_the_excuse_that_no_such_town_as_Lyttleton_could_be_found,_and_sold_the_bell."
_18th_century
The_few_survivors_of_Nashobah_Plantation_had_extreme_difficulty_in_reviving_the_village._The_few_that_returned_intermarried_with_some_of_the_English_settlers_who_had_bought_land_from_them_and_quickly_outnumbered_the_natives._The_new_community_petitioned_the_legislature_and_incorporated_as_a_town_in_1714_with_its_limits_(including_modern_Boxborough,_Massachusetts">Boxborough)_bounded_by_the_existing_towns_of_Groton,_Massachusetts">The_Plantation_of_Groton_to_the_west,_Chelmsford,_Massachusetts">Chelmsford_18th_century
The_few_survivors_of_Nashobah_Plantation_had_extreme_difficulty_in_reviving_the_village._The_few_that_returned_intermarried_with_some_of_the_English_settlers_who_had_bought_land_from_them_and_quickly_outnumbered_the_natives._The_new_community_petitioned_the_legislature_and_incorporated_as_a_town_in_1714_with_its_limits_(including_modern_Boxborough,_Massachusetts">Boxborough)_bounded_by_the_existing_towns_of_Groton,_Massachusetts">The_Plantation_of_Groton_to_the_west,_Chelmsford,_Massachusetts">Chelmsford_18th_century
The_few_survivors_of_Nashobah_Plantation_had_extreme_difficulty_in_reviving_the_village._The_few_that_returned_intermarried_with_some_of_the_English_settlers_who_had_bought_land_from_them_and_quickly_outnumbered_the_natives._The_new_community_petitioned_the_legislature_and_incorporated_as_a_town_in_1714_with_its_limits_(including_modern_Boxborough,_Massachusetts">Boxborough)_bounded_by_the_existing_towns_of_Groton,_Massachusetts">The_Plantation_of_Groton_to_the_west,_Chelmsford,_Massachusetts">Chelmsford_to_the_north,_Stow,_Massachusetts">Stow_to_the_south_and_west,_and_Concord,_Massachusetts">Concord
_to_the_south_and_east._The_meetinghouse_of_the_town_moved_from_the_area_of_Newtown_to_eastern_triangle_of_the_Town_Common_in_1717._Sarah_Doublet,_the_last_Praying_Indian,_passed_on_in_1736. New_neighboring_towns_formed_from_larger_towns_abutting_Littleton._Westford,_Massachusetts">West_Chelmsford_soon_grew_large_enough_to_sustain_its_own_governance,_and_was_officially_incorporated_as_Westford_on_September_23,_1729_A_new_town_including_parts_of_
ne_time_Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer">Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer.html"_;"title="ne_time_Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer">ne_time_Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer_and_that_in_acknowledgment_he_sent_from_England_a_church-bell_as_a_present_to_the_town_but_on_account_of_the_error_in_spelling_by_substituting_"i_"_for_"y,"_the_present_was_withheld_by_the_person_having_it_in_charge,_who_gave_the_excuse_that_no_such_town_as_Lyttleton_could_be_found,_and_sold_the_bell."
_
Chelmsford_()_is_a__city_in_the_City_of_Chelmsford_district_in_the_county_of_Essex,_England._It_is_the__county_town_of_Essex_and_one_of_three_cities_in_the_county,_along_with__Southend-on-Sea_and_Colchester._It_is_located__north-east_of__Londo_...
_to_the_north,_Stow,_Massachusetts">Stow_to_the_south_and_west,_and_Concord,_Massachusetts">Concord_18th_century
The_few_survivors_of_Nashobah_Plantation_had_extreme_difficulty_in_reviving_the_village._The_few_that_returned_intermarried_with_some_of_the_English_settlers_who_had_bought_land_from_them_and_quickly_outnumbered_the_natives._The_new_community_petitioned_the_legislature_and_incorporated_as_a_town_in_1714_with_its_limits_(including_modern_Boxborough,_Massachusetts">Boxborough)_bounded_by_the_existing_towns_of_Groton,_Massachusetts">The_Plantation_of_Groton_to_the_west,_Chelmsford,_Massachusetts">Chelmsford_to_the_south_and_east._The_meetinghouse_of_the_town_moved_from_the_area_of_Newtown_to_eastern_triangle_of_the_Town_Common_in_1717._Sarah_Doublet,_the_last_Praying_Indian,_passed_on_in_1736. New_neighboring_towns_formed_from_larger_towns_abutting_Littleton._Westford,_Massachusetts">West_Chelmsford_soon_grew_large_enough_to_sustain_its_own_governance,_and_was_officially_incorporated_as_Westford_on_September_23,_1729_A_new_town_including_parts_of_Lancaster,_Massachusetts">Lancaster,_Groton,_and_Stow_was_incorporated_in_1732_as_ ne_time_Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer">Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer.html"_;"title="ne_time_Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer">ne_time_Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer_and_that_in_acknowledgment_he_sent_from_England_a_church-bell_as_a_present_to_the_town_but_on_account_of_the_error_in_spelling_by_substituting_"i_"_for_"y,"_the_present_was_withheld_by_the_person_having_it_in_charge,_who_gave_the_excuse_that_no_such_town_as_Lyttleton_could_be_found,_and_sold_the_bell."
_18th_century
The_few_survivors_of_Nashobah_Plantation_had_extreme_difficulty_in_reviving_the_village._The_few_that_returned_intermarried_with_some_of_the_English_settlers_who_had_bought_land_from_them_and_quickly_outnumbered_the_natives._The_new_community_petitioned_the_legislature_and_incorporated_as_a_town_in_1714_with_its_limits_(including_modern_Boxborough,_Massachusetts">Boxborough)_bounded_by_the_existing_towns_of_Groton,_Massachusetts">The_Plantation_of_Groton_to_the_west,_Chelmsford,_Massachusetts">Chelmsford_to_the_north,_Stow,_Massachusetts">Stow_to_the_south_and_west,_and_Concord,_Massachusetts">Concord
_to_the_south_and_east._The_meetinghouse_of_the_town_moved_from_the_area_of_Newtown_to_eastern_triangle_of_the_Town_Common_in_1717._Sarah_Doublet,_the_last_Praying_Indian,_passed_on_in_1736. New_neighboring_towns_formed_from_larger_towns_abutting_Littleton._Westford,_Massachusetts">West_Chelmsford_soon_grew_large_enough_to_sustain_its_own_governance,_and_was_officially_incorporated_as_Westford_on_September_23,_1729_A_new_town_including_parts_of_Lancaster,_Massachusetts">Lancaster,_Groton,_and_Stow_was_incorporated_in_1732_as_Harvard,_Massachusetts">Harvard
._A_large_section_of_ ne_time_Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer">Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer.html"_;"title="ne_time_Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer">ne_time_Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer_and_that_in_acknowledgment_he_sent_from_England_a_church-bell_as_a_present_to_the_town_but_on_account_of_the_error_in_spelling_by_substituting_"i_"_for_"y,"_the_present_was_withheld_by_the_person_having_it_in_charge,_who_gave_the_excuse_that_no_such_town_as_Lyttleton_could_be_found,_and_sold_the_bell."
_18th_century
The_few_survivors_of_Nashobah_Plantation_had_extreme_difficulty_in_reviving_the_village._The_few_that_returned_intermarried_with_some_of_the_English_settlers_who_had_bought_land_from_them_and_quickly_outnumbered_the_natives._The_new_community_petitioned_the_legislature_and_incorporated_as_a_town_in_1714_with_its_limits_(including_modern_Boxborough,_Massachusetts">Boxborough)_bounded_by_the_existing_towns_of_Groton,_Massachusetts">The_Plantation_of_Groton_to_the_west,_Chelmsford,_Massachusetts">Chelmsford_to_the_north,_Stow,_Massachusetts">Stow_to_the_south_and_west,_and_Concord,_Massachusetts">Concord
_to_the_south_and_east._The_meetinghouse_of_the_town_moved_from_the_area_of_Newtown_to_eastern_triangle_of_the_Town_Common_in_1717._Sarah_Doublet,_the_last_Praying_Indian,_passed_on_in_1736. New_neighboring_towns_formed_from_larger_towns_abutting_Littleton._Westford,_Massachusetts">West_Chelmsford_soon_grew_large_enough_to_sustain_its_own_governance,_and_was_officially_incorporated_as_Westford_on_September_23,_1729_A_new_town_including_parts_of_Lancaster,_Massachusetts">Lancaster,_Groton,_and_Stow_was_incorporated_in_1732_as_Harvard,_Massachusetts">Harvard
._A_large_section_of_Concord,_Massachusetts">West_Concord_won_approval_of_the_Massachusetts_General_Court.html" ;"title="Concord,_Massachusetts.html" ;"title="Harvard,_Massachusetts.html" "title="Lancaster,_Massachusetts.html" ;"title="estford,_Massachusetts.html" ;"title="Concord,_Massachusetts.html" "title="Stow,_Massachusetts.html" ;"title="Chelmsford,_Massachusetts.html" "title="Chancellor of the Exchequer">ne time Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer.html"_;"title="ne_time_Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer">ne_time_Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer_and_that_in_acknowledgment_he_sent_from_England_a_church-bell_as_a_present_to_the_town_but_on_account_of_the_error_in_spelling_by_substituting_"i_"_for_"y,"_the_present_was_withheld_by_the_person_having_it_in_charge,_who_gave_the_excuse_that_no_such_town_as_Lyttleton_could_be_found,_and_sold_the_bell."
_18th_century
The_few_survivors_of_Nashobah_Plantation_had_extreme_difficulty_in_reviving_the_village._The_few_that_returned_intermarried_with_some_of_the_English_settlers_who_had_bought_land_from_them_and_quickly_outnumbered_the_natives._The_new_community_petitioned_the_legislature_and_incorporated_as_a_town_in_1714_with_its_limits_(including_modern_Boxborough,_Massachusetts">Boxborough)_bounded_by_the_existing_towns_of_Groton,_Massachusetts">The_Plantation_of_Groton_to_the_west,_Chelmsford,_Massachusetts">Chelmsford_to_the_north,_Stow,_Massachusetts">Stow_to_the_south_and_west,_and_Concord,_Massachusetts">Concord
_to_the_south_and_east._The_meetinghouse_of_the_town_moved_from_the_area_of_Newtown_to_eastern_triangle_of_the_Town_Common_in_1717._Sarah_Doublet,_the_last_Praying_Indian,_passed_on_in_1736. New_neighboring_towns_formed_from_larger_towns_abutting_Littleton._Westford,_Massachusetts">West_Chelmsford_soon_grew_large_enough_to_sustain_its_own_governance,_and_was_officially_incorporated_as_Westford_on_September_23,_1729_A_new_town_including_parts_of_Lancaster,_Massachusetts">Lancaster,_Groton,_and_Stow_was_incorporated_in_1732_as_Harvard,_Massachusetts">Harvard
._A_large_section_of_Concord,_Massachusetts">West_Concord_won_approval_of_the_Massachusetts_General_Court">General_Court_and_incorporated_as_
Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer.html"_;"title="ne_time_Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer">ne_time_Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer_and_that_in_acknowledgment_he_sent_from_England_a_church-bell_as_a_present_to_the_town_but_on_account_of_the_error_in_spelling_by_substituting_"i_"_for_"y,"_the_present_was_withheld_by_the_person_having_it_in_charge,_who_gave_the_excuse_that_no_such_town_as_Lyttleton_could_be_found,_and_sold_the_bell."
_
Chelmsford_()_is_a__city_in_the_City_of_Chelmsford_district_in_the_county_of_Essex,_England._It_is_the__county_town_of_Essex_and_one_of_three_cities_in_the_county,_along_with__Southend-on-Sea_and_Colchester._It_is_located__north-east_of__Londo_...
_to_the_north,_Stow,_Massachusetts">Stow_to_the_south_and_west,_and_Concord,_Massachusetts">Concord_18th_century
The_few_survivors_of_Nashobah_Plantation_had_extreme_difficulty_in_reviving_the_village._The_few_that_returned_intermarried_with_some_of_the_English_settlers_who_had_bought_land_from_them_and_quickly_outnumbered_the_natives._The_new_community_petitioned_the_legislature_and_incorporated_as_a_town_in_1714_with_its_limits_(including_modern_Boxborough,_Massachusetts">Boxborough)_bounded_by_the_existing_towns_of_Groton,_Massachusetts">The_Plantation_of_Groton_to_the_west,_Chelmsford,_Massachusetts">Chelmsford_to_the_south_and_east._The_meetinghouse_of_the_town_moved_from_the_area_of_Newtown_to_eastern_triangle_of_the_Town_Common_in_1717._Sarah_Doublet,_the_last_Praying_Indian,_passed_on_in_1736. New_neighboring_towns_formed_from_larger_towns_abutting_Littleton._Westford,_Massachusetts">West_Chelmsford_soon_grew_large_enough_to_sustain_its_own_governance,_and_was_officially_incorporated_as_Westford_on_September_23,_1729_A_new_town_including_parts_of_Lancaster,_Massachusetts">Lancaster,_Groton,_and_Stow_was_incorporated_in_1732_as_Harvard,_Massachusetts">Harvard
._A_large_section_of_Concord,_Massachusetts">West_Concord_won_approval_of_the_Massachusetts_General_Court">General_Court_and_incorporated_as_Acton,_Massachusetts">Acton_on_July_3,_1735. Through_the_1700s,_new_towns_Littleton_like_most_towns_was_served_by_several_taverns,_which_were_a_fixture_of_small_New_England_towns_through_to_the_early_twentieth_century: *_The_Long_Store_which_was_on_Great_Road_across_from_the_new_Littleton_Police_Station_was_built_around_1700. *_The_Fox_Tavern,_35_Foster_Street,_was_also_built_around_1700. *_The_Lawrence_Tavern,_also_known_as_the_Hartwell_Tavern,_was_built_on_Crane_Rd_off_Liberty_Square_in_1768. In_1742,_the_Meetinghouse_was_moved_to_a_new_building_(the_present_site_of_the_Unitarian_Church)_at_a_cost_of_£900._This_would_be_the_community's_only_house_of_worship_for_the_remainder_of_the_1700s. Construction_of_Warren's_Grist_Mill_(abutting_495_at_the_junction_of_Grist_Mill_Rd_and_Warren_St)_began_in_1750._This_mill_processed_the_crops_produced_by_the_town_residents_through_the_eighteenth_century. Residents_of_Littleton_contributed_men_to_the_militia_system_that_was_set_up_by_the_Crown_to_serve_as_self-defense_against_hostile_First_Nations_peoples_as_well_as_the_French_in_Canada._Men_from_Littleton_served_in_the_primarily_Provincial_Army_that_captured_Fortress_of_Louisbourg.html" "title="Acton,_Massachusetts.html" ;"title="Chancellor of the Exchequer">Chancellor_of_the_Exchequer.html" ;"title="ne time Chancellor of the Exchequer">ne time Chancellor of the Exchequer and that in acknowledgment he sent from England a church-bell as a present to the town but on account of the error in spelling by substituting "i " for "y," the present was withheld by the person having it in charge, who gave the excuse that no such town as Lyttleton could be found, and sold the bell."
18th century
The few survivors of Nashobah Plantation had extreme difficulty in reviving the village. The few that returned intermarried with some of the English settlers who had bought land from them and quickly outnumbered the natives. The new community petitioned the legislature and incorporated as a town in 1714 with its limits (including modern Boxborough, Massachusetts">Boxborough) bounded by the existing towns of Groton, Massachusetts">The Plantation of Groton to the west, Chelmsford, Massachusetts">Chelmsford Chelmsford () is a city in the City of Chelmsford district in the county of Essex, England. It is the county town of Essex and one of three cities in the county, along with Southend-on-Sea and Colchester. It is located north-east of Londo ...to the north, Stow, Massachusetts">Stow to the south and west, and Concord, Massachusetts">Concord Concord may refer to: Meaning "agreement" * Pact or treaty, frequently between nations (indicating a condition of harmony) * Harmony, in music * Agreement (linguistics), a change in the form of a word depending on grammatical features of other ...
to the south and east. The meetinghouse of the town moved from the area of Newtown to eastern triangle of the Town Common in 1717. Sarah Doublet, the last Praying Indian, passed on in 1736. New neighboring towns formed from larger towns abutting Littleton. Westford, Massachusetts">West Chelmsford soon grew large enough to sustain its own governance, and was officially incorporated as Westford on September 23, 1729 A new town including parts of Lancaster, Massachusetts">Lancaster, Groton, and Stow was incorporated in 1732 as Harvard, Massachusetts">Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
. A large section of Concord, Massachusetts">West Concord won approval of the Massachusetts General Court">General Court and incorporated as Acton, Massachusetts">Acton on July 3, 1735. Through the 1700s, new towns Littleton like most towns was served by several taverns, which were a fixture of small New England towns through to the early twentieth century: * The Long Store which was on Great Road across from the new Littleton Police Station was built around 1700. * The Fox Tavern, 35 Foster Street, was also built around 1700. * The Lawrence Tavern, also known as the Hartwell Tavern, was built on Crane Rd off Liberty Square in 1768. In 1742, the Meetinghouse was moved to a new building (the present site of the Unitarian Church) at a cost of £900. This would be the community's only house of worship for the remainder of the 1700s. Construction of Warren's Grist Mill (abutting 495 at the junction of Grist Mill Rd and Warren St) began in 1750. This mill processed the crops produced by the town residents through the eighteenth century. Residents of Littleton contributed men to the militia system that was set up by the Crown to serve as self-defense against hostile First Nations peoples as well as the French in Canada. Men from Littleton served in the primarily Provincial Army that captured Fortress of Louisbourg">Louisbourg Louisbourg is an unincorporated community and former town in Cape Breton Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia. History The French military founded the Fortress of Louisbourg in 1713 and its fortified seaport on the southwest part of the harbour ...
in 1745. This militia system evolved into the organization that confronted the British Regulars on April 18, 1775. The minutemen and militia of Littleton marched and fought at Concord and the Battle Road on April 19, 1775. The militia company and the minutemen squads mustered at Liberty Square located on the southwest side of town on the Boxborough line (then part of Littleton). They marched from there through what is now Boxborough Depot and over Littleton Rd/Boxborough Rd to Newtown Road (Littleton), up over Fort Pond Hill (stopping briefly at the Choate Farm) and along Newtown Rd (Acton) to Acton Center. From there they marched the Isaac Davis Trail to Old North Bridge. Some writing suggests that the minutemen sped ahead to join the other minutemen at the bridge. In 1782, the third request to incorporate as a separate town by the residents of present day Boxborough was granted by the General Court and incorporated on February 25, 1783 taking away almost a quarter of Littleton's area on the south abutting Stow and Harvard. In 1795, the town built its first public schools which served the children of Littleton until 1870: * North School House, Old Great Road * East Schoolhouse 540 Newtown Road * South School House, 279 Foster Street * West Schoolhouse, Sanderson Road According to local lore, the town had a contingent of Loyalists who remained after the revolution and thwarted attempts to rename King Street as Main, Washington, or Adams streets. This has been the source of ribbing from neighboring towns, who call Littleton a Tory town.
19th century
During the 1800s, Littleton grew at a slow pace. It became known for its apple orchards and the cider produced in town. The Warren Gristmill changed over to operating as a sawmill in the second decade. In 1822, Baptists in town decided to create their own society and build a church at the corner of King Street and Goldsmith Street. This was influenced by Unitarianism beginning to take hold in New England. Thelyceum movement
The lyceum movement in the United States refers to a loose collection of adult education programs named for the classical Lyceum which flourished in the mid-19th century, particularly in the Northeast and Midwest. Some of these organizations l ...
, a Scottish and English means of spreading education; especially in the sciences to the masses came to Littleton when, following the example of Millbury, Salem, and Concord, Littletonians on Dec. 21, 1829 decided, in their words, "to promote mutual improvement" through the formation of the Littleton Lyceum. By the time of its 25th anniversary, the Littleton Lyceum took the form and operation it would have for almost a century of lectures followed by questions and debate. During the Civil War or shortly thereafter, most lyceums petered out, but not in Littleton. Besides bringing about a brief return to public debating, the War was also long a subject for Lyceum, a venue where veterans lectured about their experiences and travel.
In 1840, the community fractured on sectarian lines. As a result the remaining members of the town meetinghouse, now Unitarians, realized that they needed a larger building and funded it by selling pews to the members. The Orthodox Congregational Society funded their building in the same manner the same year, 1841. The two churches have occupied their locations on Foster and King Streets to the present day.
The industrial revolution continued in Littleton with the arrival of the Fitchburg Railroad in 1844. The original station was built in 1845. A new train station was erected in 1879 and was used until it closed in 1970. This line served to be influential in the development of the town. Commuter service into North Station along this line began in the 1880s.
The Fitchburg was not the only railroad to arrive and serve Littleton in the Nineteenth Century. The Stony Brook Railroad
The Stony Brook Railroad (formally the Stony Brook Railroad Corporation), chartered in 1845, was a railroad company in Massachusetts, United States. The company constructed a rail line between the Nashua and Lowell Railroad's main line at the ...
line running from present day Ayer to Chelmsford maintained a station in North Littleton by Forge Pond. Just over the line in North Acton, there was also a passenger station with service on the Framingham and Lowell Railroad
The Framingham and Lowell Railroad was a railroad in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. It was incorporated in 1870 to provide a rail connection between the growing railroad hub of Framingham and the important mill city of Lowell, passing through ...
beginning in 1871.
With the railroads, local farmers grew in response to the availability of transport for their produce to markets in Boston. Some of the local farmers located along the rail line began to diversify their crops for sale in Haymarket, a few farms began to concentrate on dairy production, but Littleton became known for the number of orchards producing apples.
Abolitionism
Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the movement to end slavery. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people.
The Britis ...
and Transcendentalism became popular movements in Littleton during the 1800s and were much discussed at Littleton Lyceum. Several Littleton men served in the Federal forces during the Civil War and are memorialized on a plaque on either side of the Houghton Memorial Building.
Further development of stores, shops, and business centered on the Common and the now growing Depot. By the common, the Conant Houghton Co. Mill was erected in 1880. Initially, it processed apple products, but moved into the production of clothing and military equipment in the late 1890s. In 1885, the quarantine station for the Port of Boston moved from Waltham to a farm on the Fitchburg railway line on the south west side of Mill Pond. Used to clear wild and domestic animals and made Littleton a center for horse-dealing and training.
In 1894-95, the Houghton Memorial Building was designed by Perkins & Betton and built to house the municipal library. It was a gift from Elizabeth and Clement S. Houghton, he was the son of one of Boston's wealthiest merchants, William S. Houghton. The elder Houghton, a Littleton native, had in 1884 made a bequest to the town for the establishment of a library collection in honor of Reuben Hoar, who had financially assisted his father in a difficult time.
20th century
Littleton continued to grow through the Twentieth Century. Prior to World War I, the mill at the common moved into the manufacturing of military webbing to supply the US Armed Forces. The advent of the war drew more people to town to work in the mill. Young men from Littleton also left to serve during the war. Upon their return, they founded the two veteran' posts, American Legion Post 249 and VFW Post 6556. With the advent of the automobile, Littleton saw two more expansions of agri-business. The existing dairy farms got larger and became commercial. Cloverdale Farm/Dell Dale Farm, on Mannion Place off Great Road edging up to the shores of Lake Nagog became a well-known local dairy operating until 1986, first by John Mannion and then Thomas and William Byrne from Hopedale. Herbert Whitcomb also ran a commercial dairy which he sold in 1942 to J. Fred Herpy a dairyman who had moved to Littleton from Rome, N.Y. Herpy relocated the pasteurizing business to Great Road in 1952. Business was good in the post-war years, and Herpy's Dairy thrived. On the site of the Great Road plant, Herpy built two large swimming pools, and added a bathhouse, grill and ice cream stand. The pools provided swimming lessons to the residents of Littleton and surrounding towns. By the last year the pools were open, 1968, over a thousand children learned to swim at Herpy's. It closed a year later in response to Littleton's expansion of alcohol sales. Like many towns along the state roads radiating from Boston, the advent of motor transport saw the arrival of truck farms which sprang up along Route 119/2A. These were market gardens that were operated on a large scale to supply produce for Haymarket in Boston. While earlier commercial market gardens had sprung up along the railways, motor transport allowed the formation of produce wholesalers in outlying cities such as Fitchburg and Lowell that were sign contracts with local farmers to provide goods on a daily basis for sale in Haymarket. The trucks would leave the yards and drive down the state roads buying produce from the farms for resale in town. Almost all truck farms kept a portion of their produce for sale at their roadside stands. The farms in Littleton were operated by a mix of older Yankee residents and newer Irish, Italian, Quebecois, and Greek families who had bought the farms as a commercial venture. One can see what most of Rte 2A looked like running in through Acton, Concord, Lexington, and Arlington during the first two-thirds of the century by looking at present day, Route 119 moving northwest from Beaver Brook Road. Arthur Rowse bought Standard Vinegar Co. in Somerville, Massachusetts, in 1865 in 1900, changed the name to New England Vinegar Works in 1907. In 1919, he added theVeryfine
Veryfine is a juice beverage brand currently owned by Sunny Delight Beverages. The company was started as Standard Vinegar Co. in Somerville, Massachusetts, in 1865. Arthur Rowse bought the company in 1900, changed the name to New England Vinegar ...
brand name for pasteurized apple juice. He moved the company to Littleton, Massachusetts, in 1930 to be closer to Massachusetts' apple orchards, setting up his plant at the Depot. While in Somerville, Arthur Rowse, known for integrity and honesty, had refused to do business with bootleggers in a state where Prohibition
Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholi ...
was overwhelmingly unpopular. He continued his refusal after moving to Littleton.
Due to the Yankee character of the town, it was notably dry during Prohibition. Although Prohibition was repealed in 1933, Littleton did not permit the sale of alcohol again until 1960, and then in just two locations, the Johnson's store at the Depot and the Nashoba Package store at Donelan's shopping center. Only in the late 1980s, with the building of DEC's King Street facility, was a bar allowed to open in town (this later became Ken's American Cafe, which closed in December 2008. It was followed by what is now the Chip Shot on Ayer Road). For years residents could go to establishments just over the town line that served alcohol, in the surrounding Acton, Westford, Groton, Ayer, and Boxborough.
Littleton has remained a predominantly Yankee town, with the bulk of the population belonging to the Congregational Church of Littleton, The First Baptist Church, and First Church Unitarian churches. In the post-World War II era, Roman Catholic immigrants from Ireland, Quebec, Canada, and Italy moved into Middlesex County and Littleton. The Roman Catholic parish of St. Anne's was established in 1947 and is currently the largest congregation in town. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints established a chapel in 1979. In 1956, the Church of Christ was built on Harwood Avenue. It disbanded in 1985 due to the closing of Ft. Devens and a resultant dwindling membership.
Many of the early families are represented by descendants in the town to the present day: Blanchard, Bulkeley, Crane, Hartwell, Hathaway, Kimball, and Whitcomb. The neighborhoods around Mill Pond (also known as Lake Warren): Long Lake, Forge Village, and Spectacle Pond, include numerous summer cottages or "camps" that have been converted into year-round residences. Many ethnic Irish, Italian, Québécois, and Finnish families moved here in the 1950s and 1960s in a kind of suburbanization after leaving their more dense, first and second-generation neighborhoods in Arlington, East Boston, Cambridge, Lowell, and Somerville.
Due to its location between Fort Devens and Hanscom AFB
Hanscom Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force base located predominantly within Bedford, Massachusetts, with portions extending into the adjoining towns of Lincoln, Concord and Lexington. The facility is adjacent to Hanscom Fiel ...
, Littleton has been a popular location for military retirees from the 1960s to the present day.
Author John Hanson Mitchell wrote a book titled '' Ceremonial Time'' (1984), which details a history of fifteen thousand years over one square mile located within the town.
The arrival of Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC, later part of Hewlett-Packard
The Hewlett-Packard Company, commonly shortened to Hewlett-Packard ( ) or HP, was an American multinational information technology company headquartered in Palo Alto, California. HP developed and provided a wide variety of hardware components ...
) in the 1970s connected the town to other businesses in the Boston-area high-tech corridor. Digital built a very large facility on King Street near the Common, as well as offices on Porter Road and Foster Street.
21st century
In 2007, IBM purchased the King Street facility from Hewlett-Packard and announced that it would become its main New England location. In 2014, Littleton embarked on a year of celebration for its 300th anniversary.Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...
, the town has a total area of . of it is land and of it (5.30%) is water.
Littleton borders the following towns: Groton, Westford, Acton, Boxborough, Harvard
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
, and Ayer.
Demographics
At the 2020census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...
, there were 10,141 people, 3,657 households and 2,218 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...
was . There were 3,889 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 80.71% White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...
, 1.34% African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.15% Native American, 8.17% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 1.33% from other races, and 5.03% from two or more races. Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...
or Latino of any race were 3.25% of the population.
There were 3,657 households, of which 23.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.0% were married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...
living together, 22.1% had a female householder with no spouse present, 10.3% had a male householder with no spouse present, and 3.6% were non-families. Of all households 19.6% were made up of individuals, and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.16.
Of the population 23.2% were under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.3 males.
The median household income
The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two equal groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways ...
was $123,413 and the median family income was $143,233. About 2.4% of families and 3.6% of the population were below the poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 1.9% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Littleton public schools
* Littleton High School * Littleton Middle School—new building 2006 * Russell Street Elementary * Shaker Lane ElementaryOther public schools
*Nashoba Valley Technical High School
Nashoba Valley Technical High School is a four-year, public regional vocational high school located on Route 110 in Westford, Massachusetts, United States. Following a $25 million renovation and expansion, its service area covers 14 communities ...
: public regional vocational technical high school located in Westford
* Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School
The Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School (usually referred to as the Parker Charter School by the public, or simply Parker by students) is a public charter school in Devens, Massachusetts, United States that serves students in grades 7 ...
: a public charter school in Devens, Massachusetts
Devens is a regional enterprise zone and census-designated place in the towns of Ayer and Shirley (in Middlesex County) and Harvard (in Worcester County) in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It is the successor to Fort Devens, a military post t ...
that serves students in grades 7 to 12.
Local private or parochial schools
* Academy of Notre Dame: co-educational Roman Catholic elementary school, K1 through 8th grade, inTyngsborough, Massachusetts
Tyngsborough (also spelled Tyngsboro) is a town in northern Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Tyngsborough is from Boston along the Route 3 corridor, and located on the New Hampshire state line. At the 2020 census, the town popu ...
, and an all-girls Roman Catholic preparatory school for grades 9–12 run by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur
* Applewild School: established in 1957, a private, independent co-educational day school for grades preschool – 8th grade located in Fitchburg, MA.
* Concord Academy: a private, co-educational, independent, college preparatory school for grades 9–12, located in Concord, MA.
* Country Day School of the Holy Union: coeducational Roman Catholic elementary school, Pre-K through 8th grade, in Groton, MA run by the Sisters of the Holy Union.
* The Fenn School: an all-boys private school in Concord, MA serving grades 4–9.
* Groton School
Groton School (founded as Groton School for Boys) is a private college-preparatory boarding school located in Groton, Massachusetts. Ranked as one of the top five boarding high schools in the United States in Niche (2021–2022), it is affiliated ...
: a private, Episcopal, college preparatory boarding school for grades 9–12 located in Groton, Massachusetts.
* Lawrence Academy at Groton: a private, co-educational preparatory school for grades 9–12 located in Groton, Massachusetts.
* Middlesex School
Middlesex School is a coeducational, non-sectarian, day and boarding independent secondary school for grades 9-12 located in Concord, Massachusetts. It was founded as an all-boys school in 1901 by a Roxbury Latin School alumnus, Frederick Winsor, ...
: a private, independent preparatory school for grades 9–12 located in Concord, Massachusetts
Concord () is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. At the 2020 census, the town population was 18,491. The United States Census Bureau considers Concord part of Greater Boston. The town center is near where the co ...
.
* Nashoba Brooks School: an independent co-educational school for Pre-K (age 3) through 3rd grade and all-female grade 4th through 8th grade.
* Oak Meadow School: a private, independent Montessori school serving Pre-K (18 months through 8th grade) is the only private school located within Littleton.
Library
The public Reuben Hoar Library first opened in 1887. In fiscal year 2008, the town of Littleton spent 1.5% ($432,744) of its budget on its public library—approximately $49 per person, per year ($60.01 adjusted for inflation in 2021).Media
The local newspaper is called the ''Littleton Independent''. Littleton Community Television (LCTV) has a new and improved studio at 37 Shattuck Street behind the town offices at the Littleton Town Hall.Historical, civic and cultural organizations
Littleton like other small towns has many local charities and organizations that are active in the town. Non-profit town specific groups include the Littleton Conservation Trust, the Littleton Country Gardeners, and Littleton Historical Society (a non-profit partner to the town's Historical Commission). The Littleton Lyceum and the Indian Hill Music Center are two of the local cultural organizations. The Littleton Rotary Club is active in Community development/service. Local Fraternal organizations that serve the town of Littleton are the Tahattawan Masonic Lodge, the Bishop Ruocco Council 9275 Knights of Columbus, the Acton Lions Club, and the Chelmsford and Maynard Elks. Charity groups serving Littleton are the Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry at Devens, the Acton Community Food Pantry, Habitat for Humanity, and the St Vincent De Paul Society. Finally, local veterans have two posts, American Legion Post 249 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6556 co-located at the Post in the Depot.Houses of Worship
Littleton was, like most small colonial New England towns formed around a congregation of a house of worship. Following the horrific demise of the Praying Indian village of Nashoba, Anglo settlers and immigrants bought land from the surviving members of the Nashoba congregation and built their meetinghouse in 1715 on the site of what is now the First Church Unitarian, at 19 Foster St. The First Baptist Church Littleton, at 461 King St, was the second congregation in Littleton built in spring of 1822 because "Prayer meetings on weekdays, itinerant preaching, and all efforts for the conversion of the heathen, were stigmatized as the doings of fanatics." In 1841, more Calvinists following the Congregational doctrine decided that the main congregation had moved too far away from Calvinism but did noit agree with the Baptists split off and built what is now the Congregational Church of Littleton, UCC, at 330 King St. Littleton Protestant schurches remained the only ones in town until the twentieth century. The next creed to establish itself in Littleton was Roman Catholicism driven by the influx of Irish, Italian, Quebecois, Polish, Norwegian, and Portuguese immigrants. The first Mass offered in Littleton at the Town Hall Christmas Day 1911. Littleton's first Catholic Church was established in 1916, with its patron Saint Anne. At that time, forty Catholic families resided in Littleton. Serving as a mission to St Mary's in Ayer, it became its own parish in 1945. By the late fifties, the congregation had grown larger so they built the present building at 75 King St and relocated there in 1960. During the Cold War, an increasing number of Mormons moved into the area. With evangelization and this influx, the local Mormon community built the Littleton Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 616 Reat Road in the 1980s. The town has an ecummenical group, The Greater Littleton Interfaith Council that cooperates on various charity, faith, and relief activities. As well as the resident congregations it works with congregations in surrounding towns. Other religions in Littleton are served by Wat Buddhabhavana (Buddhist) in Westford, Church of the Good Shepherd (Episcopalian) in Acton, Congregation Beth Elohim (Judaism) in Acton, Shirdi Sai Temple (Hinduism) in Groton, Islamic Community Center in Acton, Mt Calvary Lutheran Church in Acton, and St Matthews United Methodist Church in Acton.Transportation
Commuter rail
Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting commuters to a central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Generally commuter rail systems are con ...
service from Boston's North Station is provided by the MBTA with a stop in Littleton on its Fitchburg Line. The LRTA 15 bus line ends in the IBM parking lot. Other transportation services in Littleton are provided by the regional transit authority MART
Mart may refer to:
* Mart, or marketplace
A marketplace or market place is a location where people regularly gather for the purchase and sale of provisions, livestock, and other goods. In different parts of the world, a marketplace may be d ...
.
Freight travels daily through Littleton over the tracks of the historic Stony Brook Railroad
The Stony Brook Railroad (formally the Stony Brook Railroad Corporation), chartered in 1845, was a railroad company in Massachusetts, United States. The company constructed a rail line between the Nashua and Lowell Railroad's main line at the ...
. The line currently serves as a major corridor
Corridor or The Corridor may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
Films
* ''The Corridor'' (1968 film), a 1968 Swedish drama film
* ''The Corridor'' (1995 film), a 1995 Lithuanian drama film
* ''The Corridor'' (2010 film), a 2010 Canadia ...
of Pan Am Railway's District 3 which connects New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...
and Maine
Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and nor ...
with western Massachusetts
Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
, Vermont
Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provin ...
, and New York.
Littleton has I-495, Route 2, Route 2A, Route 110, and Route 119.
Notable people
* Shawn Andrews, actor * Ron Borges, sports writer for the ''Boston Herald
The ''Boston Herald'' is an American daily newspaper whose primary market is Boston, Massachusetts, and its surrounding area. It was founded in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States. It has been awarded eight Puli ...
''
* Jeanne Munn Bracken, author and journalist
* Steve Carell, worked as a mail carrier in the town before going to The Second City
The Second City is an improvisational comedy enterprise and is the oldest ongoing improvisational theater troupe to be continually based in Chicago, with training programs and live theatres in Toronto and Los Angeles. The Second City Theatre o ...
* Levi L. Conant, mathematician and developer of the ''Number Concept'' in 1896
* Ed Fletcher
"Colonel" Ed Fletcher (December 31, 1872 – October 15, 1955) was a real estate developer and U.S. Republican and Democratic politician from San Diego, California.
Fletcher was born 1872 in Littleton, Massachusetts, son of Charles Kimbal ...
, politician who served as California State Senator
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature, the lower house being the California State Assembly. The State Senate convenes, along with the State Assembly, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento.
D ...
until 1947
* Lucie Caroline Hager
Lucie Caroline Hager (, Gilson; December 29, 1853 – 1903) was an American author of poetry and prose. She also taught in country schools and worked as a bookkeeper.
Early life and education
Lucie Caroline Gilson was born in Littleton, Massachus ...
(1853–1903), author
* Alonzo Hartwell, engraver and portrait painter; father of Henry W. Hartwell
* Henry W. Hartwell, architect with Hartwell and Richardson
Hartwell and Richardson was a Boston, Massachusetts architectural firm established in 1881, by Henry Walker Hartwell (1833–1919) and William Cummings Richardson (1854–1935). The firm contributed significantly to the current building stock and ...
* Margaret Harwood, astronomer
* Greg Hawkes, keyboard player for the 1970s–1980s New Wave group, The Cars
The Cars were an American rock band formed in Boston in 1976. Emerging from the new wave scene in the late 1970s, they consisted of Ric Ocasek ( rhythm guitar), Benjamin Orr ( bass guitar), Elliot Easton ( lead guitar), Greg Hawkes ( keyboar ...
, lived in Littleton during the band's early years before moving to Lincoln
* Jim Hollister
James Hollister is an American historian, ranger and lead interpreter for the National Park Service (NPS). He has been a ranger at Minute Man National Historical Park since 2002. In 2022, he was awarded the Robert Gross Award by Concord Museum in ...
, historian and National Park Service
The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational properti ...
ranger
* Erik P. Kraft, author and illustrator
* Sean McAdam, sports writer for ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
and ''The Providence Journal
''The Providence Journal'', colloquially known as the ''ProJo'', is a daily newspaper serving the metropolitan area of Providence, Rhode Island, and is the largest newspaper in Rhode Island. The newspaper was first published in 1829. The newspape ...
'' " Boston Sports Journal"
* John Hanson Mitchell, author
* Theodore Roosevelt McElroy, was an American telegraph operator
A telegraphist (British English), telegrapher (American English), or telegraph operator is an operator who uses a telegraph key to send and receive the Morse code in order to communicate by land lines or radio.
During the Great War the Royal ...
and a radio telegrapher
A telegraphist (British English), telegrapher (American English), or telegraph operator is an operator who uses a telegraph key to send and receive the Morse code in order to communicate by land lines or radio.
During the Great War the Royal ...
. He holds the all-time speed record of receiving Morse code
Morse code is a method used in telecommunication to encode text characters as standardized sequences of two different signal durations, called ''dots'' and ''dashes'', or ''dits'' and ''dahs''. Morse code is named after Samuel Morse, one ...
* Jonathan Prescott
* Harrison Reed, governor of Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...
until 1899
* Peleg Sprague, New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...
politician who served as a US Senator
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and power ...
until 1835 and a US District Court Judge until 1865
Notes
Bibliography
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *External links
Town of Littleton official website
''Littleton Independent''
Littleton public schools
Reuben Hoar Library
''The Enduring Orchard''
early Littleton Indian history {{authority control Towns in Massachusetts Towns in Middlesex County, Massachusetts Populated places established in 1686