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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 
 
 Chap. H-1 A 
 
 '- 9) 
 
 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ji) 
 
c* 
 
 PETITIONS, 
 
 REMONSTRANCES AND ACTS 
 
 RELATING TO 
 
 Littleton and Boxborough, 
 
 1782 to 1869. 
 
 
 t \y<J2- 
 
 
^o 
 
COPIES OF PETITIONS, REMONSTRANCES AND ACTS 
 
 RELATING TO 
 
 The Establishment of the Town of Boxborough, and 
 
 Repeated Refusals of the Legislature to compel 
 
 certain inhabitants of Littleton to join 
 
 the Town of Boxborough. 
 
 After three failures to have Boxborough set oflf as a town, the 
 following petition was filed in 1782 : 
 
 V Petition for tlie Establishment of the Parish of Boxborough, 1782. 
 
 To the Hoiibie Senate and Hon^i^e House of Representative of the 
 Commonwealth of Massachusetts Humbly Sheweth : — 
 
 That your petitioners (the inhabitants of the extreme part of the 
 towns of Stow, Littleton and Harvard) have long labored under very 
 grate difficultys on account of the grate distance from the place of 
 Public Worship in the towns to which they respectively l)elong be- 
 ing at the distance of four and five miles, to ramedy which they 
 have erected a House for Public Worship in a convenient place, and 
 procured preaching a grate part of the time for several years past 
 (but as they are not excused from |)nying to the Support of preach- 
 ing in some of the towns to which they belong), that also is a grate 
 burden. And although they have not succeeded in their application 
 to a former General Court, they would now supplicate your Hon" 
 for that relief that your Hours only can give and without which they 
 must drag through the remainder of their lives groaning under the 
 burdens they have thus far borne, and leave it as an entailment on 
 their posterity. 
 
 Your memorialist therefore humbly prays therefore that they 
 may be incorporated into a town, district, or Parish, agreeably to 
 the plan herewith exhibited and as in duty bound shall ever pray 
 
 Silas Taylor 
 
 March 7th, 26th, 1782. and 69 others, 
 
 committee. 
 
In Semite June (5, 1782. llciid iind thereupon ordered that Solo- 
 mon Frccmun, Esq., with such as the Honble House shall join, be 
 a committee to take this Petition and the papers uccompying into 
 consideration and report thereon. 
 
 Sent down for concurrence. 
 
 S. Adams, President. 
 
 In the House of Representatives June 7, 1782. Read and non- 
 curred and thereupon ordered that this Petition be referred to the 
 second Wednesday of the next sitting of the General Court. 
 Sent up for noncurrence. 
 
 Nath Gorham, Speaker. 
 
 lu Senate June 7, 1782. Read and concurred. 
 
 S. Adams, President. 
 
 In Senate September 25, 1782. Read and thereupon ordered 
 that Samuel Baker, Esq., with such as the Hon^le House shall join, 
 be a committee to take this Petition and the papers accompanying 
 the same into consideration and report thereon. 
 Sent down for concurrence. 
 
 S. Adams, President. 
 
 In the House of Representatives, Sept 25, 1782. Read and con- 
 curred and Mr. Whitney of Northborough and Colo Faulkner are 
 joined. Nath Gorham, Speaker. 
 
 The Committee of both Houses appointed to take in considera- 
 tion the Petition of Silas Taylor and others and the Papers accom- 
 panying the same and report what is proper to be done thereon, 
 have attended that service and are of opinion that the Petitioners 
 which belongs to the Towns of Stow and Harvard should be 
 incorporated into a district with such of the inhabitants of Littleton 
 as are included in the Petition and shall within the space of twelve 
 months signify that they desire to belong to the Said District and 
 no other, and that the Petitioners have leave to bring in a l)ill 
 
 accordingly which is submitted. 
 
 Samuel Bakeb, Jr., Per Order 
 
In Senate Sept. 27, 1782. Read and accepted and ordered that 
 the Petitioners have leave to bring iu a bill. 
 
 Sent down for Concurrence, 
 
 S. Adams, President. 
 
 In the House of Representatives Sept. 27, 1782. 
 Read and Concurred, 
 
 Nathaniel Gorham, Speaker. 
 
 1.0 the whole Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts : 
 
 May it Please Your Honors : — 
 
 We, the Subscribers, Selectmen of the town of Littleton, are in- 
 formed that a number of the inhabitants of the south part of said 
 town have petitioned your Honors that they with others may be set 
 off into a separate precinct or parish, which is against the desire 
 of many whom they petition for, and to the great damage of the 
 town, should their prayer be granted; therefore, in behalf of said 
 town, we the Selectmen of said town, pray your Honors would in- 
 dulge the town with an opportunity of showing to your Honors the 
 reason why the prayer of the petitioners should not be granted — 
 the way and manner we submit to your Honors. And we in duty 
 bound shall ever pray. 
 
 .Jon A. Reed, 1 
 
 JosiAH Hartwell, I Selectmen 
 
 William Henry Prentice, )> of 
 JoNA. Whetcomb, I Littleton. 
 
 James King, J 
 
 Littleton, Oct. 8, 1782. 
 
 To the tvhole Court: 
 
 We, the Subscribers, Inhabitants of the town of Littleton, being 
 informed that a petition is referred to the Honorable Court praying 
 that a town Parish or District may be* erected and set off from the 
 towns of Littleton, Stow and Harvard, we the Subscribers, inhabi- 
 tants of the town of Littleton, l)eing within the line proposed of the 
 
Parish or district prayed for, as set forth in said petition ; Bog leave 
 to remonstrate to the Ilun'hl Court against our being set off as is 
 prayed for in s'd Petition ; for the reasons following: 
 
 1st. That we the suhserihers are situated not more than three 
 miles from the Meeting House in said Littleton, and are {>rovided 
 with a good road to the same, so we are able to attend Public VVor- 
 shiji A'ith our families comfortably at all seasons of the year without 
 diticulty. 
 
 2d. That the town of Littleton is but a little more than four 
 miles square and l)eing only a farming town, and must be consid- 
 ered as already to small to enjoy those priviledgcs and advantages 
 for which towns and })arishes wei'e constituted withcnit the individ- 
 uals thereof being overl)urdened with taxes. 
 
 3d. That if the prayer of the aforesaid petition be granted there 
 will be a heavj' expense in making of road, to the meeting house 
 built by some individuals in the proposed parish, which at the 
 present day in particular is too burdensome for us to support, and 
 in no respect can the subscribers be benefitted by said petition being 
 granted, but in every view of the matter greatly injured and hurt. 
 And the subscribers beg leave to observe to the Honorable Court, 
 that this is the third time that we have been obliged to be at the 
 expense and trouble of writing to, and attending upon the Hon'l 
 Court to prevent the prayer of the same petition being granted ; 
 and the Subscribers pray that the Hon'l Court would request said 
 petition, more especially as far as it relates U) us the Subscribers — 
 Hoping that the Honoiable Court will not deprive us of those advan- 
 tages, privileges and rights which wc and our hithers have so long 
 enjoyed. 
 
 Littleton, Oct. Mth, 1782. 
 
 Samuel Lawrence 
 Elias Taylor 
 Tfiomas Wood 
 Daniel Whehomh 
 Jonathan Patch 
 Nathaniel Cobleoh 
 
 John Wood 
 Solomon Foster 
 Jedidiah Taylor 
 
An act for erecting a District in the County of Middlesex^ by the 
 name of Boxborouyh. 
 
 Preamble. — Whereas a number of inhabitants living in the ex- 
 treme parts of the towns of Stow, Harvard and Littleton labor under 
 many inconveniences by reason of their great distance from any 
 place of Public Worship, and have requested this court that they 
 may be incorporated into a district with all the privileges of a town, 
 that of sending a Representative to the General Court excepted : 
 
 Sect. 1. Be it therefore enacted by the Senate and House of 
 Representatives in General Court assembled, and by authority of the 
 same, that a part of Stow, a part of Harvard, and a part of Little- 
 ton, all which are included within the bounderies, viz. : Beginning 
 at the road southerly of John Robbins' buildings, and running 
 southerly to Acton Corner three miles and ninety-two rods to a heap 
 of stones ; from thence running southerly in Acton line, to a place 
 called Flag Hill, being two miles, three quarters and ten rods to a 
 heap of stones ; from thence westerly in Stow two miles and a quar- 
 ter to a stake and pillar of stones in the Harvard line ; thence run- 
 ning northerly through part of Harvard to a white oak tree by a 
 cause- way ; from thence to the place first sit out from, be and hereby 
 is incorporated into a District, by the name of Boxborough. And 
 all the Polls and Estates that are included within the said bounder- 
 ies shall belong to the said District, except those of such of the 
 inhabitants of that part set of from Littleton, as shall not within the 
 term of twelve months from the passing of this Act return their 
 names into the office of the Secretary of this Commonwealth, signi- 
 fying their desire to become inhabitants of the said District. 
 
 Sect. 2. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, 
 that the said District be and hereby is, invested with all the powers, 
 privileges and immunities that towns in this Commonwealth do or 
 may enjoy (except the privilege of sending a representative to the 
 General Court) and the inhabitants of said District shall have liberty 
 from time to time to join with the town of Stow, in choosing a Rep- 
 resentative, and shall be notified of the time and place of election 
 in like m inner with the inhabitants of the said town of Stow, by a 
 
wiirnuit troiii the seloctinen of the said town, dirt-ctetl to a consta- 
 ble, or constables of the said District, requiring him or them to 
 warn the inhabitants to attend the meeting at the time and place 
 a|)j)ointod ; which warrant shall be seasonably returned by the said 
 constable or constables ; and the representative may be chosen 
 indifferently from the said Town or District. The pay or allowance 
 to be borne by the town and district in proportion as they shall from 
 time to time pay to the state tax. 
 
 Sect. 3. And be it lurther enacted that Jonathan Wood, Es(|., 
 of Stow, be and he hereby is empowered to issue his warrant directed 
 to some principle inhabitant within the said district requiring him to 
 warn the inhabitants of said District qualified to vote in town affairs, 
 to assemble at some suitable time and place in the said District, to 
 choose such officers as towns and Districts by law are required to 
 choose in the month of March annually : Provided nevertheless that 
 the inhabitants of the said District shall pay their propotionable 
 part of all such town, county and state Taxes as are already assessed 
 by the said respective towns from which they are taken, and their 
 propotionable part of all public debts due from the said Towns ; and 
 also provide for the Support of all the Poor who were inhabitants 
 within the said District before the passing of this act, and shall be 
 l)rought back for maintance hereafter. 
 
 And whereas it is tit and necessary, that the whole of the «aid 
 District should belong to one and the same County. 
 
 Sect, 4. Be it therefore enacted by the authority aforesaid that 
 that part of the said District which is set off from the town of Har- 
 vard in the county of Worcester, shall be, and hereby is annexed 
 and set to the county of Middlesex. And the line established by 
 this act as the boundry betwixt the said town of Harvard and the 
 said District shall hereafter be the boundry line betwixt the said 
 county of Middlesex and the said county of Worcester. 
 
 (This Act passed Feb. 25, 1783.) 
 
1793. 
 
 To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Com- 
 monwealth of Massachusetts in General Court assembled : 
 The petition of the inhabitants of the town of Boxborough 
 humbly represents that the inhabitants of the town of Littleton °to 
 which town the said town of Boxborough is adjacent, controverts 
 with them the line which divides the same towns, from which con- 
 troversy there may probably arise a multiplicity of law suits and 
 animosities, unless the Legislature should condescend to interpose 
 and to establish an obvious and uncontrovertable boundary for them. 
 The best method of doing this as the petitioners conceive would f)e 
 to have a committee from your honors on the place where the 
 divisional line is. Another advantage which may result from the 
 attendance of such a committee, is, that a number of persons who 
 are withm the limits of Boxborough, but taxed to the town cf Littleton, 
 may be reasonably induced to unite entirely the inhabitants of Box- 
 borough. Wherefore the inhabitants of Boxborough humbly pray 
 that such a committee may be appointed, and the said inhabitants 
 will be ready to pay such committee their expenses and for their 
 trouble and service. 
 
 Silas Taylor, ) Aaents of 
 
 Solomon Taylor, C^ox^orow^A. 
 June 5, 1793. ^ 
 
 Committee was appointed in accordance with this petition June 
 6, 1793. 
 
 To the honorable the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
 Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General Court assembled: 
 The subscribers humbly show that they with their polls and 
 estates by a certain act of this honorable court passed the 25th 
 February 1783, entitled an act for erecting a district in the County 
 of Middlesex by the name of Boxborough were included within 
 certain boundaries in said act mentioned taken from the Town of 
 Littleton, and that it was by the same act among other things 
 therein enacted that all the polls and estates included within the 
 
10 
 
 bounciaric's of the said dibtivct oi Boxboioiiirh should holong to said 
 district, except those of" such of the iuhabitauts of that pint set off 
 from Littleton as should not within the term of twelve months 
 from the passing rtf said a<t return their natnes into the Secretar> 's 
 otiice of this Commonwealth signifyiug tiieir desire of becoming 
 inhabitants of said district, and your Petitioners humbly show to 
 this honorable court that they have never so returned their names, 
 signifying their desire of bec»niing inhabitants of the said district of 
 Hoxl)orough, and whereas the said district of Boxborough by their 
 agtMits have petitioned tliis honorable court to establish the certain 
 boundaries between said district and said Town of Littleton, the 
 suliscribers therefore your humble Petitioners remonstrate against 
 the object of said Petition which your Petitioners conceive is more 
 to divide them fi-om the Town of Littleton than to ascertain more 
 certain boundaries, wherefore your Petitioners pray and it is their 
 earnest desire that they and their families and estates may continue 
 to belong to the said Town of Littleton as they heretofore have and 
 as in duty Iiound will ever pray. 
 
 January 17, 1794. 
 
 Jonathan Patch Eleazer Fletcher 
 
 Isaac Patch Daniel Whitcomb 
 
 Nathaniel Cobleioh Elias Taylor 
 
 John Cobleioh John Kidder 
 
 Stephen Jennings Mary Taylor 
 
 John Wood Calvin Blanchard 
 John Hartwkll, Jr. 
 
 AN ACT for settling the line between Littleton and Boxborough. 
 
 Be it enacted by the Senate and ITonse of Iiepi-e.'<ent(tfiref<, in gen- 
 eral court assembled, and by the authority of the same, that a line 
 drawn from a heap of stones in the road, twenty-one rods and a half, 
 8f)Utherly of the house of John Robbins, of said Littleton, and run- 
 ning easterly in a straight line, about three miles to the corner of 
 the town of Acton, at a heap of stones, shall be, and hereby do es- 
 tablish as the dividing line between the said town of Littleton and 
 
11 
 
 the district of Boxboroiigh, under the restrictions aud with the pro- 
 visions as to certain persons and estates herein made. 
 
 And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that all those 
 persons who were inhabitants of the said town of Littleton included 
 by the line aforesaid, within the said district of Boxborough, and 
 who did not, according to an act made in the year of our Lord, 
 one thousand seven hundred and eighty-three, intitled " An Act for 
 Erecting a District in the County of Middlesex, by the name of 
 Boxborough," return their names, their polls and their estates, 
 within twelve months from the passing of the same Act, into the 
 office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth, signifying their desire 
 to become inhabitants of the said district of Boxborough, shall, with 
 the lands they improved at the time of passing the same act, with 
 their said estates, during the lime of their improving the same, be- 
 long to said Littleton, and that where there has been, or shall i)e a 
 transfer of the same estates, either by grant, devise or descent, the 
 persons to whom such transfer has been or shall be made, and their 
 successors may apply to the said district of Boxborough to become 
 members thereof, and whenever on such application, the clerk of 
 said district of Boxborough, upon the vote of the inhabitant- of the 
 said district, at a legal meeting, shall enter the name of any such 
 person as an inhabitant, and transmit a certiticate of such vote to 
 the clerk of the town of Littleton, such person shall from thence 
 forward, with his polls and estate lying in said Boxborough, be 
 deemed and taken to belong to said Boxborough. 
 
 Provided, that when there shall be a state, county or town tax, 
 ordered to be assessed the said persons and estates shall be taxed 
 thereto, in the town where they shall actually belong, at the time of 
 ordering or assessing such tax, their changing their inhabitancy in 
 manner aforesaid notwithstanding. And also that whenever a change 
 of inhabitancy shall take place, agreeably to this act, the clerk of 
 the town of Littleton shall transmit to the secretary's office a certifi- 
 cate thereof, in order that the same may be taken into consideration 
 by the Legislature in apportioning future state taxes on the said 
 town of Littleton and district of Boxborough. 
 
 (This Act passed February 20, 1794.) 
 
12 
 
 1868. 
 
 To the Honorable Senate and Ilouf^e of Reprei^entativesi of the 
 General Court (f the ConimonweaJlh (f Massac1iUHettt> : 
 
 Respectfully represent your petitioners, selectmen of the town of 
 Hoxborough, in the County of Middlesex, tli;il within the limits of 
 said town there are two farms, one owned by Henry T. Taylor, and 
 the other owned l»y William Hartwell, and that the said Taylor and 
 the said Hartwell live on said farms, and that the said Taylor 
 and said Hartwell claim that said farms arc within the territorial 
 limits of the town of Littleton, in said County, and that they are 
 voters in said Littleton, and subject to taxation therein; and that 
 the said town of Littleton claim that said farms are part of said 
 town, and subject to taxation in said town, and residents therein, 
 residents in Littleton, wherefore, your petitioners pray that said 
 farms may be set oft' from ^aid town of Littleton to said town 
 of Boxborough, and be made part of the territory by law, 
 appertaining to said Boxborough. 
 
 Ephraim B. Cobleigh, \ Selectmen 
 Jacob Littlefield, |- of 
 
 Benjamin S. Mead. j Boxborough. 
 
 To the Honorable^ the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
 Commonwealth of Massachusetts : 
 
 We the undersigned, inhabitants and legal voters of the town of 
 Boxborough, in the County of Middlesex, respectfully remonstrate 
 against the petition of the selectmen of the said town of Boxborough 
 that a part of the town of Littleton may be set oft" to the town of 
 Boxborough, and request that the prayer of the petitioners may not 
 
 be granted. 
 
 Orman Ewings, 
 Ephraim H. Raymond, 
 John Blanchakd, 
 Geo. VV. Ramsdell, 
 A. Haywakd, 
 John Fletcher, 
 Timothy L. Wood. 
 
13 
 
 To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Gen- 
 eral Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts : 
 
 The undersigned legal voters of the town of Littleton in the 
 County of Middlesex, respectfully remonstrate against the petition 
 of Ephraim B. Cobleigh, Jacob Littlefield and Benjamin S. Mead, 
 selectmen of Boxborough, praying that the farms of Henry T.' 
 Taylor and William Hartwell, may be set off from said town of 
 Littleton and become part of the territory of said town of Box- 
 borough, and request that the prayer of the petitioners may not 
 be granted. 
 
 George W. Sanderson, ) Selectmen 
 William Kimball, C of 
 
 George W. Tuttle, ) Littleton. 
 
 Henry T. Taylor, 
 
 W. H. Hartwell, 
 
 and 106 others. 
 
 Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 
 
 The Committee on Towns to whom was referred the petition of 
 the town of Boxborough, praying that certain farms in the town 
 of Littleton may be set off to the town of Boxborough, have had 
 the same under consideration and beg leave to report, 
 
 That, the further consideration thereof be referred to the next 
 General Court, which is respectfully submitted, by order of the 
 committee, 
 
 Edward Crocker, /or the committee. 
 
 Accepted by Senate. Concurred in by the House, Feb., 1868. 
 
 In the following year this petition was abandoned. 
 
14 
 
 1869. 
 
 To the Honorable l^enate and House of Itepresentatives of the Com- 
 monweahh of Massachusetts, in Gerieral Court assembled : 
 
 The undersigued citizens of the towns of Boxborough and Acton, 
 ill the county of Middlesex, Respectfully petition that the territory 
 now included within the limits of the town of Boxborough, and 
 within that portion of the town of Acton called West Acton, may be 
 
 incorporated into a new town by the name of , believing 
 
 that the common interest will be promoted thereby. 
 
 H. E. Felch 
 Jerome Priest 
 Oliver Wetherbee 
 Ephraim B. Cobleigh 
 Jacob Littlefield 
 Benjamin S. Mead 
 Simon Hartwell 
 Paul Hay ward 
 R. T. Cobleigh 
 L. J. Bradford 
 
 D. W. Coi)leigh 
 Stevens Hayward 
 A. A. Richardson 
 Jos. K. Blanchard 
 Augustine A. Wetherbee 
 Alex, R. Eastman 
 Peter VV^hitcomb 
 Joseph Hayward 
 Granville Whitcomb 
 John Hoar 
 
 Jerome B. Whitney 
 
 E. L. Battles 
 S. H. Hoar 
 
 J. Blanchard, 2d 
 Ephraim H. Raymond 
 John Blanchard 
 James S. Chester 
 George Kendall 
 A. Hayward 
 
 George Ramsdell 
 P. W. Houghton 
 Samuel Sargent 
 Alvin Parker 
 John Wetherbee 
 Augustus W. Wetherbee 
 Samuel Wetherbee 
 Francis H. Wetherbee 
 Varnum Taylor 
 George Hay or 
 Samson D. Talbot 
 Thomas B. Pane 
 Nathaniel B. Pane 
 Silas H. Hoar 
 B. S. Hagar 
 James H. Whitcomb 
 Rufus Kings 
 Timothy L. Wood 
 Francis Conant 
 Frank A. Patch 
 Luther H. Ewings 
 Amos Holbrook 
 Austin A. Richardson 
 Simeon Wetherbee 
 Orman Ewings 
 Patrick R. Frawley 
 John A. Hill 
 Georgre H. Jackson 
 
15 
 
 Report of the Com*^^ on Towns. 
 
 COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS. 
 
 House of Representatives, February 18, 1869. 
 
 The Committee on Towns, to whom was referred the petition of 
 H. E. Felch and others, of Acton and Boxborough, for the formation 
 of a new town including the whole territory of the town of Box- 
 borough, and that part of Acton called West Acton, and the several 
 petitions in aid and remonstrances against the same, have viewed 
 the premisess and heard the parties at length, and report the follow- 
 ing facts : — 
 
 Boxborough is a very small town, without any village proper, or 
 any store or place of business within its limits. 
 
 The petitions from Boxborough maintain that their town is too 
 imall, is unknown ; that they have no railroad station in town ; that 
 there is no trade or business there, and that a large share of their 
 produce is sold in West Acton, where, also, most of their purchases 
 are made. In other words, that their trade promotes the growth of 
 West Acton, and that therefore they ought to be embraced in one 
 township, and receive an equivalent for this advantage in the tax- 
 ation of the property which they contributed to enhance. 
 
 Upon all the facts the Committee, with all but entire unanimity, 
 are of opinion that the petitioners have not maintained that the pub- 
 lic good requires the formation of a new town pursuant to their 
 prayer. 
 
Ifi 
 
 It is true that Boxborough is too small ; hut rather than cripple 
 Acton in her enterprise or encroach upon her historic limits for the 
 benefit of that town, as her inhabitants have no desire to retain 
 their name and distinct organization, it will be an easy task to so 
 apportion her ^territory to other towns as to benefit all and injure 
 none ; but with this matter the Committee are not asked and do not 
 desire to interfere. 
 
 The Committee report that the petitioners have leave to withdraw. 
 
 Per order, 
 
 T. G. KENT. 
 
 The Legislature accepted the Report Feb. 18 and Feb. 19, 1869. 
 
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