
Acton History Resources
Jenks Library contains a wealth of items that tell and illustrate Acton's history and its people's stories for in-person research. Much of our own research has been shared on our blog; see our Acton Stories page. Below, we share links to online sources of information relevant to the study of the history of Acton and its people.
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Online Resources, by Category
General History of Acton
Digitized Histories
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​Rev. James Fletcher's Acton in History
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Harold Phelan's History of the Town of Acton
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Josiah Adams' 100th Anniversary Address, 1835 (with history to that point)
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Shattuck's History of the Town of Concord
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Hudson's History of Concord, Massachusetts (Vol. 1, Colonial Concord)
Land Records
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Early deeds available at FamilySearch
Houses & Structures
Census Records
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Available on paid sites and FamilySearch except for:
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1855 MA Census page 1 (East Acton households)
Other Town Documents, digitized
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Acton's Reply to Boston's Committee of Correspondence, relating to British infringements on colonists' rights, 18 January 1773
Maps at Other Repositories
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Beers Atlas of Middlesex County, 1875 (see pages 43, 44)
Cemetery Listings
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FindAGrave Woodlawn Cemetery Listings
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FindAGrave Mount Hope Cemetery Listings
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FindAGrave Forest Cemetery Listings
Acton Websites with History Links
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Acton Memorial Library's Early Town Records
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Acton Memorial Library's Local History Resources
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Acton Memorial Library's Online Civil War Archives
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History of Acton, Acton Arboretum Site
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Acton Trails, Trail Through Time
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Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, Evolution of Acton Section
Military History of Acton
Revolutionary War
Original Documents, Digitized
Books, Articles & Lists
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Revolutionary War Soldiers and Sailors Buried in Acton's Cemeteries
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Josiah Adams' 1850 "Vindication" of Captain Isaac Davis
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French's The Day of Concord and Lexington The Nineteenth of April 1775
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​Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War
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Vol. 1: A - Bery
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Vol. 2: Bese - Byxbe
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Vol. 3: Caal - Cory
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Vol. 4: Cose - Dry
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Vol. 5: Dua - Foy
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Vol. 6: Fra - Gyp
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Vol. 7: Ha - Hix
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Vol. 8: Hme - Jyp
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Vol. 9: K - Lsu
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Vol. 10: Lua - Mop
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Vol. 11: Mor - Payzel
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Vol. 12: Pea - Razaray
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Vol. 13: Rea - Sey
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Vol. 14: Sha - Sth
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Vol. 15: Stibbens - Tozer
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Vol. 16: Tra - Whe
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Vol. 17: Whit - Zyr
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Not Digitized
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History of the Acton Minutemen and Militia Companies, Charles R. Husbands, 2003. (Volume 1 covers 1754-1925)
Civil War
Business, Industry & Occupations
Blog Posts
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N. L. Merrill, Traveling Photographer, 1856
Other Sources
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The History of the Nashua, Acton & Boston Railroad (YouTube, Acton section at 24:20)
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Education in Acton
Blog Posts
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East Acton School District Students 1828 (includes information on individuals)
Politics in Acton
Recreation in Acton
Other Sources
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By-Laws of Corinthian Lodge, Louis Surette (includes Acton men who belonged to the Masons)