Plymouth Rock to Westford

By bobthecop

  • Pilgrims land at Plymouth Rock

  • Establishment of the MBC and Boston

  • Settlement of Cape Anne/Salem

  • Settlement of Concord

  • Settlement of Woburn

  • Incorporation of Woburn as a town

  • Establishment of the Plantation of Chelmsford

  • Indians sign treaty with Chelmsford and the Mass General Court giving up their claim/ right to use the land of Westford as their hunting grounds

  • Incorporation of the town of Chelmsford

  • Settlement of Groton

  • First known allotments of land within Westford's borders are established

  • First known permanent settler of Westford, Solomon Keyes, builds a house on Frances Hill

  • First mill in Westford [then West Chelmsford] is erected on Saw-mill Meadow Brook [links to Nab lake to Stony Brook]

  • King Philip's War begins

  • End of Indian Wars' in Mass.

  • King Philip's War ends

  • Groton abandoned {settlers flee to concord} after an indian attack that burns much of the town

  • First mill in Forge Village is erected [then part of the town of Groton]

  • First known petition asking for the establishment of a West Precinct of Chelmsford submitted

  • Incorporation of the town of Littleton {7 Westford families "annexed" to Littleton, but return after Westford's incorp.}

  • Surveyng of the site for Westford's first meeting house (near present site of First Parish Church)

  • Mass General Court gives the people of the western part of the town of chelmsford permission to form a seperate religious society by the name of the "West Precinct of Chelmsford

  • For 1st time, Chelmsford withdraws all opposition and officially recognizes the West Precinct (3 years after the General Court did and 14 years after the original Petition)

  • Members of the West part of Chelmsford petition the Mass. General Court to become a distinct parish/precinct

  • Establishment of the First Parish Church of Westford

  • Incorporation of Westford