Acton
The town of Acton was incorporated in 1735, at a time when many Massachusetts communities were being formally established as they grew beyond their original settlements.
Like many New England towns of that era, Acton was named after a place in England: Acton. This practice was common among colonial settlers, who often carried familiar names from their homestead into the new landscape as a way of preserving identity and continuity.
The name Acton can be translated to “oak town” or “town among the oaks”. Early Acton was a rural, wooded area and the image of a “oak town” aligns with the landscape of the first settlers.
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Edward A. Filene Plague
Walking along the fence surrounding the Boston Common, I came across this bronze plaque honoring Edward A. Filene. While many people recognize the Filene name from the famous Boston department store, few realize the tremendous influence he had beyond retail. Filene believed that ordinary working families deserved access to affordable credit and financial opportunity. His […]
Birthplace of Captain Isaac Davis
Outside this colonial house in Acton stands a marker reading: Birthplace of Captain Isaac Davis. Isaac Davis was born here in 1745 into a typical 18th century New England farming family. His father was a farmer and craftsman, and young Isaac grew up in a household shaped by land, labor and local responsibility. Like many Acton families of the time, […]
Faulkner Homestead
Along a roadside in Acton stands a metal tercentenary marker with the dates 1630 – 1930 at the top. Those dates do not refer to the homestead itself, but to the 300th anniversary of the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630. In 1930, towns across Massachusetts participated in that statewide commemoration by placing […]
