History and Antiquities of Every Town in Massachusetts
American historian and engraver John Warner Barber (1798–1885) was well known for his books on local, state, and national history. This work, organized by county, gives historical background on all the Massachusetts towns that existed at the time of publication in 1839. Barber supplies facts and details of each town’s early settlement, including original Native American place names, and he presents statistics on local industries and agriculture, descriptions of landmark architecture and cultural organizations, and brief biographical sketches of historic residents.