Shelburne

From Wikipedia and the Town of Shelburne website: Shelburne is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States.  It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. Shelburne was first settled in 1756 as part of Deerfield, Massachusetts, known then as "Deerfield Northwest". It was initially organized as the district of Shelburne in 1768, named in honor of William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne, an Irish-born British politician, who later served as Prime Minister during the American Revolutionary War. Shelburne was officially incorporated as a town in 1775. Its character has always been two-sided; the main body of town has farmland among the low hills, while the area around Shelburne Falls has mostly been a milling community. The early history of Shelburne surrounds the area of Shelburne Falls, then known as Salmon Falls. The Falls were considered an important native fishing site and prior to colonial settlement was also the site of extensive colonial fishing. Permanent settlement of Shelburne began in the vicinity of Shelburne Falls, c 1760, by five families. 

Temporarily On Hold

 Due to circumstances beyond my control (don't you just hate when someone says that?) I'll be putting this project on hold. There are various reasons and those reasons take precedence. You'll see some posts come through for a while. I have all the town posts scheduled to publish through November 2021. I anticipate starting the project back up in October 2021 if all goes as planned. What's that old saying? The best laid plans...

Millers Falls

From Wikipedia: Millers Falls is a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Montague in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Springfield,  Massachusetts metropolitan statistical area. Located along the Mohawk Trail, Millers Falls was first established in 1824 as an agricultural community, named Grout's Corner after first settler Martin Grout (1790–1865). In the 1860s, however, the local growth of railroads stimulated development, as the New London Northern Railroad bought the Amherst & Palmer railroad in 1864 and in 1866 extended its line to a connection with the Vermont & Massachusetts at Grout's Corner. With this new railroad juncture, the abundant water power of the falls at Grout's Corner provided a perfect place to establish mills. The village's present name derives from the Millers Falls Manufacturing Company (later the Millers Falls Company), established on the Millers River in 1868, and famed for its fine hand tools.

Templeton

From Wikipedia: Templeton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Established as " Templetown" March 6, 1762, from the plantation called "Narragansett Number Six." Part set off to Gardner June 27, 1785,and part included in new town of Gerry (Phillipston) Oct. 20, 1786.