Massachusetts

Incorporated amidst the turmoil of the American Revolution, Foxborough has a long tradition of patriotic commitment to the nation and has continued from generation to generation to serve admirably when the country has called. However, it is not only the wartime record that measures a community, but it is a town's innovations and responses to times of prosperity and catastrophe that truly shape its character and reputation. Foxborough's varied history, from Minute Men to the famed female straw hat braiders, certainly distinguishes it as an uncommon town in the American experience. Foxborough: Gem of Norfolk County chronicles the remarkable story of a small village's growth and development from its first settlement in the 1600s to the present, highlighting significant events and personalities that formed the town's identity. Through this unique comprehensive narrative, readers will be transported across four centuries of a changing landscape and will explore their hometown's schools, residences, businesses, and factories of yesteryear.

Marion's relationship with the ocean has been the defining element in the small town's development since its settlement as Sippican in America's colonial era. Since 1678, generation after generation of Marion families have relied upon the opportunities a port and sea provide in both life and industry. The waters of Buzzards Bay run deep in this coastal community, and its influence leaves an indelible mark not only upon every cove, beach, and inlet, but upon the very spirit of each resident and visitor.

For many, the sea is a temperamental and dangerous mistress, and Marion's affair with her is no different, for this town has experienced both great gain in wealth and horrific loss of life and property by her hands over the centuries. In Maritime Marion, Massachusetts, readers take a remarkable journey across four centuries of struggle and prosperity as a simple coastal hamlet evolves into a celebrated nautical center for shipbuilding, fishing, and racing. This unique volume, containing over 100 black-and-white illustrations, chronicles the many aspects of maritime life, from trade to recreation, including the once-prominent whaling industry, the various local saltworks, the traditions of Tabor Academy, the influence of the Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company, and the prestige of the Beverly Yacht Club. However, one of the greatest pleasures and customs of any seacoast community is its storytelling, and Maritime Marion recounts several of the town's most interesting and puzzling tales, such as the mystery of the Mary Celeste's lost crew, the tragedies of numerous hurricanes, the fate of the British warship HMS Nimrod, and the experiences of the first lighthouse keepers on Bird Island.

Before Norwood, Massachusetts became a town in 1872, hardy settlers from Dedham left security and comfort behind and began building homes along the Neponset River and Hawes Brook. Living in an area still known as the South Parish, these hard-working citizens fought for their values in both the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. The town encouraged industry and diversity, expanding its primarily agricultural base until the community could boast a stable, if ever changing, economy. Wealthy industrialists and working-class immigrants united to build this New England town and to foster its growth into the Norwood of today: a vital community that residents are proud to call home.

Norwood: A History recounts stories of the visionaries produced here, such as Captain Aaron Guild, who "left plough in furrow and oxen standing" to join the April 19, 1775, battle at Lexington. The formation and success of the Civic Association and the hospital were due to the perseverance of the public-spirited population, guided by the charismatic and driven George Willett. Readers will discover how athletics helped put Norwood on the map, from the polo fields of W. Cameron Forbes to the reign of Roll-Land as one of the country's premiere roller-skating arenas. As tales of years gone by give way to progress, Norwood: A History also looks ahead to new enterprises, which have followed in the footsteps of companies such as Winslow Brothers and Smith and the Norwood Press.

A quiet colonial town forever changed by the shot heard 'round the world on April 19, 1775, Lexington evolved from its famous roots and adapted to the ever-changing culture of the nation it helped create. Over the centuries, an influx of immigrants and new ideas helped shape the town from farming community to booming rail suburb and into today's diverse city that treasures its rich heritage while striving toward a dynamic future.