Discover Bolton

Bolton is a residential and agricultural community on the east slope of the Nashua River Valley on an historic east-west corridor. With many hills but few streams for power, it developed as an agricultural community. Rich forests and lime deposits also supported limestone quarries and kilns which once produced potash, lime, and brick products.
 
After the devastation of early Lancaster in the 1675-76 massacre, the land to the east of the river began to be settled by displaced settlers and new English immigrants who built prosperous farms for a population that increased slowly after King Philip’s wars. In 1681 the earliest birth was recorded in the Bolton Territory, and in 1738, the town was incorporated. By the 1800's, the economy added orchards and dairy farming. Much of its rural heritage is preserved in its current form as a residential suburb for nearby industrial communities and an exurb of Greater Boston.

Reference these books to learn more about Bolton's history:
 
  • About Bolton, 1988
  • History of Bolton 1738-1938, 1938
  • History of the Town of Lancaster (Town of Lancaster), 1879
  • Towns of the Nashaway Plantation, 1976