Acton (Massachusetts)

Middlesex County

25-00380

Acton is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, about 34 kilometers northwest of Boston and about eighteen kilometers southwest of Lowell with 21 924 inhabitants.

History

The area around Acton was inhabited 7,000 years ago, however, the number of indigenous people went to the arrival of European settlers due to diseases of introduced back strong. After the area of Acton was first used as pasture, the first Europeans settled in 1639 on there. On July 3, 1735 Acton became independent city.

During the Revolutionary War the local militia fought at the gates of the city against British troops in the battles of Lexington and Concord.

In 1844, a first railway line was opened to Acton, leading together with industrialization to an economic boom in the city.

In the 20th century Acton experienced strong population growth of about 2,000 ten-fold to over 20,000.