ligent and industrious farmers, and not in the habit of taking backward steps. As early as the year 1737 they came to the conclusion that they could conduct their Parochial and Municipal concerns themselves, and with much less trouble and expense than to go to what is now Lancaster. And after several years of persevering efforts, they at length succeeded in satisfying the General Court, that, among other conditions required of them, they could, and they would "maintain a Godly Minister," And on the strength of the fulfilment of the last named condition, probably, more than any or all others, the prayer of their Petition was granted, and on the 23d of June, O. S., 1740, the same as the 4th of July, N. S., just thirty-six years before the Declaration of American Independence, an Act was passed whereby territory equivalent to something more than five miles square was incorporated into a town by the name of Leominster, with all the powers and privileges, and subject to all the duties and requirements generally with the 150 other towns which had previously been incorporated in what is now the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the State of Maine.

BOUNDARIES.

Although the Petition has been lost, and the Act of incorporation cannot be found, yet the boundaries of the town may be very accurately described. Commencing at the Southwest corner, as it was originally, being the Northwest angle of Sterling, it runs east, nineteen and one half degrees South, sixteen hundred and ninety rods on Sterling to a stump at Lancaster; thence making a right angle, it runs a few degrees East of North on Lancaster old line, about ten hundred and seventy rods; thence, by many angles, in almost every direction, so as to include the whole of what was formerly the farm of Thomas Houghton, quite at the Northeast corner of the town, it comes back up to the point of the said Lancaster line; thence Northwesterly on the line of Lunenburg to the Southerly end of Massapog pond; thence, in nearly the same direction, to the Westerly end of the Chualoom pond; thence, in a Southwesterly direction, on Lunenburg and Fitchburg to the top of the North Monoosnock Hill; thence, nearly West, on Fitchburg to what, till 1838, was unincorporated land, or "No Town," and

till said year the Western boundary was on said No Town. But by three Acts passed in 1838 the whole of No Town was annexed to Princeton, Westminster and Leominster; and the boundaries in that quarter are now as follow, viz: beginning at a stake and stones at the Northeast corner of a lot of land belonging to John Whitney, of Princeton; and running, first, South, thirty-three degrees West, two hundred and ninety-seven rods to a stone monument, being the Southwest corner of Leominster; thence, secondly, from said Whitney's corner, North, fifty degrees and thirty minutes West, on what is now Princeton, about four hundred rods to a stake and stones; thence, North, fourteen degrees East, on the line of that part of No Town annexed to Westminster, about seven hundred rods, to a stake and stones on the South line of the town of Fitchburg; thence South, seventy-eight degrees and forty minutes East, on the South line of Fitchburg, three hundred and twenty-five rods, to a stone monument, being the Northeast corner of what was No Town, and the Northwest corner of what was previously Leominster.

Previous to the annexation in 1838, the town contained 16,602 acres, being thirty-eight acres short of twenty-six square miles. But by the

annexation of a part of No Town, two thousand acres were added, thereby increasing the number of acres to 18,602 being forty-two acres more than twenty-nine square miles.

Although the West line of Lancaster was originally a straight one, yet, by some means or other, there are now several angles in it as will appear by the record of the perambulations between that town and this.

PONDS, RIVERS, &c.

Previous to 1838, there were no collections of water wholly within the limits of this town that could be called natural ponds. On the East the line includes a small portion of White's Pond, and on the Northeast it touches Massapog and includes the Southwesterly corner of Chualoom. But by the annexation of No Town the whole of Rocky Pond comes within our limits. And but few towns are now better watered in every direction than this.

The Nashua river (in all the old deeds called the North river) after the union of the sever- . al branches whose sources are in Ashburnham

and Westminster, runs through the centre of Fitchburg, and enters this town from the North, about equi-distant from the Northwest and the Northeast angles, taking a serpentine course through the North Village, and in a Southeasterly direction, enters the town of Lancaster about a mile South of White's Pond; thence running in an Easterly, and a Southeasterly direction, till it unites with the true Nashaway, about a mile South of Lancaster meeting-house, forming what was originally the Penecook, but. now by common consent the Nashua, they pass off together and unite with the Merrimack at Nashua in New Hampshire.

Baker's Brook, quite a considerable stream, whose principal sources are in Ashby and Ashburnham, after running through a portion of Fitchburg and the Southwest corner of Lunenburg, enters the Nashua on the East about two hundred rods South of the North line of the town. Several other smaller streams run in on the East side, the last of which is the outlet of White's Pond.

From the West and Southwest the water comes pouring down from the hills through the valleys in rivulets and streams from every quarter and in all directions.

The first in point of size and importance is