A History of the Town of Concord, Middlesex County, Massachusetts

Book excerpt: Shattuck's ancient history of historic Concord, Massachusetts, will delight students of the American Revolution and genealogists alike. The site of the first Patriot victory of the War for Independence, Concord was founded in 1635. The author recounts the town's beginnings in considerable detail and devotes space to the Musketaquid Indians (the original occupants of what would become Concord), early settlers, efforts to convert the Indians, divisions of the town, and King Philip's War. There are, of course, dramatic chapters on the coming of the Revolution; the Battle of Concord, April 19, 1775; and the War's aftermath. Additional chapters trace the history of the Congregational Church in Concord; flora and fauna; topography; roads and bridges; modes of transportation; burial grounds and other important landmarks; and local institutions such as banks, voluntary associations, and insurance companies. Shattuck has also written separate chapters that cover similar terrain for the adjoining towns of Bedford, Acton, Lincoln, and Carlisle, each of which originated within the boundaries of old Concord. Genealogists will be glad to learn that throughout the volume are biographical notices and lists of Concord's residents, including those of office holders, attorneys, physicians, and college graduates. In the important Appendix to "A History of the Town of Concord," the reader will find valuable descriptions of military service performed by Concord's citizens during the Revolution and many genealogical and biographical notices of early Concord families. Furthermore, every event and every name mentioned in this stirring book is easily found in the rich index that concludes Shattuck's careful account.