I love a good pictorial history book. No reenactments — just the real thing. And by history, I mean local history. My youngest son recently brought home a pictorial history of Princeton. There were so many photos in this book that reading it pretty much meant reading the captions. I was so fascinated to enrich my knowledge of the town I live in. Princeton goes out of its way to remain rural, and I love that. It really captured my attention to learn that there were actually seven hotels in Princeton at one time.
I remember when we were living in Westminster and the 250th anniversary history book was published. That thing was a beauty. The detail and quality that went into that book must’ve taken forever. It looked and smelled like a real textbook. I literally read it cover to cover in a very short timeframe. I’m happy to lend mine out if you’d like to read it, and I believe they are available at the Westminster Historical Society.
What do you really know about the history of your town? I’ve assembled the list of titles below, in ABC order by city and town in Central Massachusetts. If I’m missing any, use the contact form below to reach out and I will edit the story.
Ashburnham
History of Ashburnham, Massachusetts: From the Grant of Dorchester Canada to the Present Time, 1734-1886
By Ezra S. Stearns
Purchase at: Amazon
Profiles of the Past: An Illustrated History of Ashburnham, Gardner, Hubbardston, Templeton, Westminster, and Winchendon, Massachusetts
By Tom Malloy
Purchase at: AbeBooks
Ashby
A History of the Town of Ashburnham 1890-2000
By The Ashby Historical Society
Purchase at: The Ashby Historical Society
History of Ashby Massachusetts
By Ithamar E. Sawtelle
Purchase at: The Ashby Historical Society
Images of America Ashby
By The Ashby Historical Society
Purchase at: Amazon, The Ashby Historical Society
Boylston
A Brief Historical Sketch of the Town of Boylston, Massachusetts
By Matthew Davenport
Purchase at: Free on Google Books
Boylston Civil War Veterans
By Leah Withers, Patricia Kelleher Bartram, Nancy O’Loughlin Filgate, Elise Poretsky, Victoria Triolo, Julian Baldwin, Jordan Money, Paige Money and Isabella Uva
Purchase at: Boylston Historical Society
The Early Families of Boylston, The History of the Kendall, Sawyer, Lamson and associated families
By Nancy O’Loughlin Filgate, Patricia Kelleher Bartram, Nadine Ekstrom, Nathan Rollins, & Victoria Triolo
Purchase at: Boylston Historical Society
Vital Records of the Town of Boylston, Massachusetts To the End of the Year 1850
By Franklin P. Rice
Purchase at: Amazon
Clinton
History of the Origin of the Town of Clinton, Massachusetts, 1653-1865
By Andrew E Ford
Purchase at: Amazon
Fitchburg
History of the Town of Fitchburg, Massachusetts, to the year 1836: Comprising also a History of Lunenburg, from its first settlement to the year 1764
By Rufus C Torrey
Purchase at: Amazon
Fitchburg Past and Present
By William A Emerson
Purchase at: Amazon
Images of America Fitchburg
By Fitchburg Historical Society
Purchase at: Amazon
Legendary Locals of Fitchburg
By Fitchburg Historical Society, Simone E. Blake and Cynthia Jones
Purchase at: Amazon, Arcadia Publishing
The Old Records of the Town of Fitchburg, Massachusetts
By Fitchburg Public Library and Walter A B 1846 Davis
Purchase at: Amazon
Proceedings of the Fitchburg Historical Society and Papers Relating to the History of the Town, 1895, Vol. 1
By Fitchburg Historical Society
Purchase at: Amazon
Proceedings of the Fitchburg Historical Society and Papers Relating to the History of the Town, Volume 2
By Fitchburg Historical Society
Purchase at: Amazon
Proceedings of the Fitchburg Historical Society and Papers Relating to the History of the Town, Volume 3
By Fitchburg Historical Society
Purchase at: Amazon
Proceedings of the Fitchburg Historical Society and Papers Relating to the History of the Town Read by Some of the Members, Volume IV
By Fitchburg Historical Society
Purchase at: Amazon
Proceedings of the Fitchburg Historical Society and Papers Relating to the History of the Town, 1914, Vol. 5
By Fitchburg Historical Society
Purchase at: Amazon
Gardner
History of Gardner, Massachusetts 1785-1967
By Esther Gilman Moore
Purchase at: Princeton Historical Society
History of Gardner: Massachusetts, From Its Earliest Settlement to 1860
By Lewis Glazier
Purchase at: Amazon
History of the Town of Gardner: Worcester County, Mass;, From the Incorporation, June 27, 1785, to the Present Time
By WM Herrick
Purchase at: Amazon
Images of America Gardner
By South Gardner Historical Society
Purchase at: Arcadia Publishing
Profiles of the Past: An Illustrated History of Ashburnham, Gardner, Hubbardston, Templeton, Westminster, and Winchendon, Massachusetts
By Tom Malloy
Purchase at: AbeBooks
Vital Records of Gardner, Massachusetts
By Franklin P Rice
Purchase at: Amazon
Holden
An Historical Address: Delivered at Holden, Mass;, May 4th, 1841, the First Centennial Celebration of the Municipal Organization of the Town; With Notes and an Appendix
By Samuel Chenery Damon
Purchase at: Amazon
The History of Holden, Massachusetts, 1667-1841
By Samuel Chenery Damon
Purchase at: Amazon
The History of Holden, Massachusetts. 1684-1894
By David Foster Estes
Purchase at: Amazon
A Pictorial History of Holden, Massachusetts
By Holden Historical Society
Purchase at: Holden Historical Society
Hubbardston
History of the Town of Hubbardston, Worcester County, Massachusetts (1881)
By John M Stowe
Purchase at: Amazon
Images of America Hubbardston
By Gary W. Kangas
Purchase at: Amazon, Arcadia Publishing
Profiles of the Past: An Illustrated History of Ashburnham, Gardner, Hubbardston, Templeton, Westminster, and Winchendon, Massachusetts
By Tom Malloy
Purchase at: AbeBooks
Systematic History Fund. Vital Records of Hubbardston, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849
By Hubbardston Records
Purchase at: Amazon
Vital Records of Hubbardston, Massachusetts
By Franklin P Rice
Purchase at: Amazon
Vital records of Hubbardston, Massachusetts, to the end of the year 1849
By Hubbardston Mass
Purchase at: Amazon, Thrift Books
Lancaster
The Birth, Marriage, And Death Register, Church Records And Epitaphs Of Lancaster, Massachusetts: 1643-1850
By Lancaster Mass
Purchase at: Amazon
Early Records of Lancaster, Massachusetts: 1643-1725
By Henry S. Nourse
Purchase at: Amazon
History of the Town of Lancaster, Massachusetts : from the First Settlement to the Present Time, 1643-1879
By Abijah Perkins Marvin
Purchase at: Amazon
Images of America Lancaster
By Heather Maurer Lennon
Purchase at: Amazon, Lancaster Historical Society
Lancaster Revisited
By Heather Maurer Lennon
Purchase at: Amazon, Lancaster Historical Society
Topographical and Historical Sketches of the Town of Lancaster, in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 1826
By Joseph Willard
Purchase at: Amazon
Leominster
Combing through Leominster’s History
By Leominster Historical Commission
Purchase at: AbeBooks
Leominster
By Leominster Historical Society
Purchase at: Arcadia Publishing
Leominster, Massachusetts, Historical and Picturesque
By William A. Emerson
Purchase at: Amazon
Risk Takers & History Makers: The Story of Leominster
By Mark C. Bodanza
Purchase at: Amazon
Lunenburg
The Early Records of the Town of Lunenberg, Massachusetts
By Lunenburg Massachusetts
Purchase at: Amazon
Images of America Lunenburg
By Lunenburg Historical Society
Purchase at: Lunenburg Historical Society
Turkey Hills: Three Hundred Years of Lunenburg, Massachusetts
By Dave Cormier
Purchase at: Amazon, Lunenburg Historical Society
Whalom Park
By Lunenburg Historical Society
Purchase at: Lunenburg Historical Society
Paxton
The History of Paxton, Massachusetts
By Ledyard Bill
Purchase at: Amazon
Images of America Paxton
By Barbara A Beall
Purchase at: Amazon
Paxton (Then and Now: Massachusetts)
By Katherine M. Taronas
Purchase at: Amazon
Phillipston
Historical Address Delivered by William G. Lord at the Celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the Incorporation of the Town of Phillipston, Massachusetts. Tuesday, August 18th, 1936
By William G. Lord
Purchase at: Amazon
The Spirit of Phillipston
By Carole J. Gariepy and Jane French
Purchase at: Amazon, Historical Society of Phillipston
Vital Records of Phillipston, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849
By Systematic History Fund
Purchase at: Amazon
Princeton
History of Princeton, MA, 1852
By Jeremiah Lyford Hanaford
Purchase at: Princeton Historical Society
The History of Princeton, Vol I, 1915
By Francis Blake
Purchase at: Princeton Historical Society
The History of Princeton, Vol II, 1915
By Francis Blake
Purchase at: Amazon, Princeton Historical Society
History of the Town of Princeton: In the County of Worcester and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 1759 1915
By Francis Everett Blake
Purchase at: Amazon
History Of Princeton, Worcester County, Massachusetts: Civil And Ecclesiastical; From Its First Settlement In 1739, To April 1852
By Jeremiah Lyford Hanaford
Purchase at: Amazon
Images of America Princeton and Wachusett Mountain
By Joyce Bailey Anderson
Purchase at: Princeton Historical Society
Princeton and The High Road 1775 – 1975
By Princeton Massachusetts
Purchase at: Princeton Historical Society
Princeton Massachusetts: A History of It’s Villages
By Joyce Bailey Anderson, Sheila Dubman and Alexandra Fiandaca
Purchase at: Amazon, Princeton Historical Society
Princeton Vital Records
By Systematic History Fund
Purchase at: Amazon, Princeton Historical Society
Two Hundredth Anniversary 1759-1959
By Princeton Massachusetts
Purchase at: Princeton Historical Society
Rutland
A History Of Rutland: Worcester County, Massachusetts, From Its Earliest Settlement, With A Biography Of Its First Settlers
By Jonas Reed
Purchase at: Amazon
Images of America Rutland
By Bernice Anderson
Purchase at: Amazon, Arcadia Publishing
Rutland: The Making of a Massachusetts Town: The founding, land grants, and first families of Rutland and nearby Worcester County communities
By Reed Jonas
Purchase at: Amazon
Vital Records of Rutland, Massachusetts, To The End of The Year 1849
By Rutland Massachusetts
Purchase at: Amazon
Sterling
Images of America Sterling
By Forrest Hershberger
Purchase at: Amazon
Proceedings A Of Town Meeting At Sterling, Massachusetts, July 14, 1919; Presentation Of A Portrait Of Lord Stirling
By Town of Sterling
Purchase at: Amazon
Templeton
Images of America Templeton
By Harry Aldrich Jr., Brian P. Tanguay and Narragansett Historical Society
Purchase at: Amazon
Profiles of the Past: An Illustrated History of Ashburnham, Gardner, Hubbardston, Templeton, Westminster, and Winchendon, Massachusetts
By Tom Malloy
Purchase at: AbeBooks
Systematic History Fund: Vital Records of Templeton, Massachusetts; To the End of the Year 1849
By Franklin P. Rice, Trustee of the Fund
Purchase at: Amazon
Westminster
An Account of the Exercises Connected With the 150th Anniversary Celebration of the Town of Westminster, Massachusetts, 1909
By Wilbur F. Whitney
Purchase at: Amazon
A Copy of the Valuation and Taxes of the Town of Westminster, Massachusetts for the Year 1912
By Westminster Massachusetts
Purchase at: Amazon
History of Westminster, Massachusetts
By William Sweetzer Heywood
Purchase at: AbeBooks, Amazon
History of Westminster Massachusetts From the Date of the Original Grant of the Township to the Present Time 1728-1893 With A Biographic-Genealogical Register of its Principal Families
By William Sweetzer Heywood
Purchase at: AbeBooks
Images of America Westminster
By Westminster Historical Society
Purchase at: Amazon, Arcadia Publishing
Profiles of the Past: An Illustrated History of Ashburnham, Gardner, Hubbardston, Templeton, Westminster, and Winchendon, Massachusetts
By Tom Malloy
Purchase at: AbeBooks
Vital Records of Westminster, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849
By Franklin P. Rice
Purchase at: AbeBooks, Amazon
West Boylston
The Hastings of Boylston, Massachusetts
By Gordon H. Hastings
Purchase at: Amazon
Historical Memorandum and Genealogical Register of the Town of West Boylston, Massachusetts
By Benjamin Franklin B 1793 F Keyes
Purchase at: Amazon
The History of West Boylston
By Helen Maxwell Hamilton
Purchase at: West Boylston Historical Society
Images of America West Boylston
By Frank A. Brown and Beverly K. Goodale
Purchase at: Amazon, Arcadia Publishing, West Boylston Historical Society
Proceedings in Connection With the One Hundredth Anniversary of the Incorporation of the Town of West Boylston, Massachusetts
By West Boylston Centennial Committee
Purchase at: Amazon
A Story of Oakdale
by Edgar Whitcomb
Purchase at: West Boylston Historical Society
Winchendon
History of the Town of Winchendon
By Abijah Perkins Marvin
Purchase at: AbeBooks, Thriftbooks
History of the Town of Winchendon
By Ezra Hyde
Purchase at: Amazon
Profiles of the Past: An Illustrated History of Ashburnham, Gardner, Hubbardston, Templeton, Westminster, and Winchendon, Massachusetts
By Tom Malloy
Purchase at: AbeBooks
Vital Records of Winchendon, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849
By Winchendon Massachusetts
Purchase at: Amazon
