Book Description

Nestled among the hills of Massachusetts, 70 miles west of Boston, Athol lies on the banks of the Millers River. First settled as "Pequoiag" in 1735 and incorporated as Athol in 1762, the evolution of Athol from a sparse, agrarian settlement to a bustling industrial community is a blueprint for the transformation of small-town America. This exciting collection presents a visual history of Athol at the dawn of the twentieth century. Athol, Massachusetts documents the changes as the town developed from an agrarian community into a thriving manufacturing center that harnessed Mill Brook and the Millers River to power the early mills. Through photographs, stereo cards, and postcards from a bygone era, this book provides a glimpse of what it was like to live and work in the Athol of long ago. The photographs from years gone by allow both young and old to meander down dirt roads along the stream, and become witness to their celebrations and their recreational retreats at the fairgrounds, Silver Lake, and Brookside Park.