Acton Historical Society
PO Box 2389
Acton, MA 01720
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Visit
    • Hosmer House Museum >
      • Hosmer House History
      • Hosmer House Restoration
    • Jenks Library
  • Collections
    • Documents
    • Photographs
  • Resources
    • Online Content
    • History Resources
    • Family Resources
    • Historical Markers & Monuments
    • Links of Interest
  • Events & Exhibits
  • Support
    • Membership
    • Get Involved
    • Donate
    • Items for Sale
  • Blog

Acton History Online

Explore Acton's history wherever you are.  The Acton Historical Society has been at work making its collections and Acton stories available online.  We will be adding more over the coming months; please check back.

Recent Zoom Presentations
The Battle Over the North Bridge

On Feb. 7, Doug Herrick and Bill Klauer did a Zoom presentation on the debate over the Battle of the North Bridge.  Starting in the early 19th century and continuing until the present, Acton, Concord, and Lexington have debated and argued about where the Revolution started, the roles of each town, and how their militias and minutemen performed.  This presentation looks at the history of local militias, what happened on the North Bridge, and who gets to write history. 

Missed the presentation?  View it on YouTube.
Minuteman Statue, Concord
Ice Harvesting in Acton and New England

The story of ice harvesting in New England is actually multiple stories: that of a local resource necessary for food preservation and dairy farming; the changing technologies for harvesting ice and refrigeration, and the development of a worldwide consumer market. This presentation looked at the history, tools, harvesting methods, personalities, and changes in the market for ice and refrigeration.

A special treat was historical footage from ice harvesting on Acton's Ice House Pond from the middle of the twentieth century .

Presented by Larry Kerpelman and Doug Herrick on Jan. 10, 2021 via Zoom.  Missed the presentation?  View it on YouTube.

Scenes of ice harvesting from Ice House Pond in East Acton, c. 1950
George C. Wright – Acton Coffee Pioneer

Bill Klauer did our Society's first Zoom history presentation on George C. Wright, a farm boy and shoemaker who became an expert coffee buyer and eventually the president of the largest coffee and spice company in New England.  His generosity left a lasting mark on the town of Acton. 

If you missed it, read more about George C. Wright in our blog post newly updated with information shared by a family member.

Coffee Beans Drawing
Our Newest Stories
Map Boxboro & Acton
In 1868-69, West Acton residents tried to secede and join with Boxborough to become a new town.
Learn More...
Women's Rights Float, South Acton
After decades of struggle, Acton women were finally allowed full voting rights in 1920.
Learn More...
Minuteman Statue, Concord
Minuteman Thomas Darby survived the battle of Concord but died at White Plains
Learn More...
Pelton's High School Program
F. W. Pelton ran a private high school in Acton in 1852 and put on quite a show of students' work.
Learn More...
Acton Football Team 1897=1898
An overlooked slide gave us a picture of the Acton football team of 1897-98 with identified players.
Learn More...
Charles L. Heywood
Charles Heywood, railroad executive, inventor and owner of 2 Acton mills, and wife Ann were philanthropists.
Learn More...
Snippets from Old Records
A project to identify early black and mixed race Acton residents from 1735 through the Civil War.
Learn More...
North Acton School
Overcoming problems is nothing new in Acton education.

Learn More...
Harriet (Hosmer) Jones
Profiles of the six South Acton women were the first female voters registered in Acton.
Learn More...
Resources for Acton Historical Research
Old Chestnut Tree
Acton's Markers and Monuments - locations, stories, photos & sources to follow-up
Explore...
Old Postcard, Acton Town Hall
Acton History Subject and Reference Lists

Explore...
Hayward Family
Acton Family History Index & Reference Lists

Explore...
Online Exhibits
Old Chestnut Tree
Some highlights from our collections, expanding on our November 1918 exhibit commemorating the end of World War 1. 
Explore...
Hat Exhibit
Revisit our exhibit featuring hats and head-coverings in our collection and others lent by generous individuals. 
Explore...
More Stories from Acton
West Acton Rink news
West Acton's roller skating rink and roller polo team added excitement to village life.
Learn More...
Fletcher Factory & Monument
John Fletcher, his boot and shoe business, advocacy for temperance and against slavery, and impact on Acton.
Learn More...
Old Chestnut Tree
Acton's Old Chestnut Tree was apparently a favorite of Henry David Thoreau.
Learn More...
Picture
Henry Barker and his cider mill were fixtures in South Acton.

Learn More...
Littlefield Hall, West Acton
The enterprising Hanson Littlefield built a hall in West Acton for his store and other ventures.
Learn More...
North Acton Railroad Tracks
Aaron Woods, hermit and supposed miser, was the subject of national news interest twice in the 1870s.
Learn More...
Vise made in West Acton
John Sherman Hoar and the New England Vise Company of West Acton.

Learn More...
Picture
Photos found in a West Acton home, probably from the Beach Family & Halls Brothers Wooden Ware Co.
Learn more...
Picture
Clara (Hapgood) Nash, the first woman admitted to the bar in New England, was also an Acton teacher and poet.
Learn More...
Kimball Morocco Factory, South Acton
Acton's powder industry appeared regularly in the news.  In 1898-99, there was a lot of excitement.
Learn More...
James T. Woodbury
Rev. James T. Woodbury and contention among Abolitionists

Learn More...
Letter to Abraham Skinner, Esq
A letter led to information about Sarah (Faulkner) Skinner who went blind in her later years.
Learn More...
Payson Painting of Meadow
Paintings in our collection led us to discover artist Annie Payson and explore her story.
Learn More...
Photo by F. J. Taylor
Researching F. J. Taylor, South Acton photographer turned up his wife Margaret, also a photographer.
Learn More...
Kimball Morocco Factory, South Acton
The morocco factory in South Acton was a large employer in the 1890s.  Its site was near the Assabet Rail Trail.
Learn More...
Picture
Captain Joseph Brown, veteran of Bunker Hill and Saratoga, served the town of Acton for many years.
Learn More...
Picture
A history of the early days of baseball in Acton.

Learn More...
Picture
Tracing the history of school buildings in Acton is challenging.  Here, a look at the north and east side schools.
Learn More...
Burned Barrel Shop, 1913
West Acton's barrel shop before and after the destructive fire of 1913.

Learn More...
Skinner Residence 266 Beacon St Boston
Francis Skinner grew up in Acton but created a very different life in Boston for his descendants.
Learn More...
Ad for Greenough's Ice, Acton
An introduction to ice harvesting in Acton.

Learn More...
Picture
The Society's dance card collection sheds light on entertainment in earlier days.
Learn More...
Picture
Incidents at the town's watering troughs and how perceptions of the troughs changed over time.
Learn More...
Picture
Stories and pictures from the New England Sawmill Unit who went to Scotland in World War 1.
Learn More...

Quick Links

About
Visit
Collections
Resources
Events & Exhibits
Support
Blog

Open Hours

Jenks Library:
Due to COVID-19 concerns, our usual open hours have been suspended.  Please contact us with your research questions.

Hosmer House Museum:
Open for special events.

Contact

Phone: 978-264-0690
Email: jenkslibrary@verizon.net
Mailing Address: PO Box 2389, Acton, MA 01720

Copyright © 2020 Acton Historical Society, All Rights Reserved