Stories from Acton

School upkeep needs, safety concerns, and budgetary pressures are nothing new, as research into Acton school conditions shows.

A history of the early days of baseball in Acton

Clara (Hapgood) Nash, the first woman admitted to the bar in New England, was also an Acton teacher and poet.

Acton's early schooling decisions and the history of the North Acton school district and its schoolhouses are described.

The house at the site of the Captain Isaac Davis farm is often mistakenly assumed to be the house he lived in.

D. Henry Scarlett, amateur astronomer and historian, saved and shared Acton memories.

The location of John Oliver's North Acton farm was specified in a map researched by Henry Scarlett.

John Oliver's Revolutionary War service is unusually well-documented. Ongoing research is trying to discover the rest of his story.

Disagreements within the anti-slavery movement showed up in Acton in the 1830s-1850s, especially during the ministry of James. T. Woodbury.

Research into the process of ice harvesting and the ice industry in Acton

Digitizing and enlarging old photographs revealed details and personality that had been missed.

Jonathan Hosmer (III) died in military service in 1777. Details of his service were researched.

Three generations of Acton Jonathan Hosmers in 1775 make it hard to distinguish who actually served in the military, but research has helped to sort it out.

A Sons of the American Revolution Marker in Woodlawn Cemetery in Acton causes confusion about wartime service by Jonathan Hosmer.

Acton's powder-making industry provided plenty of excitement in 1898 and 1899.

Information about WW1 casualty Sidney J. Edwards and why Acton has a square named for him.

Independence Day celebrations in Acton in the late 1800s and early 1900s could be surprisingly exciting.

The fate of Acton's WW1 memorial cannon was discovered in a collection of letters.