THE GEOGRAPHY OF GROTON 



[The following paper was prepared originally for the use of the 

 members of the Appalachian Mountain Club, on their visit to Groton, 

 Saturday, September iS, 1S86.] 



RIVERS. 



In early times, before the original Plantation had been cut 

 up in order to form other towns, the Nashua River flowed 

 through the township of Groton for a distance of ten miles 

 or more, and nearly bisected its territory; while to-day its 

 course within the town's limits is hardly more than three 

 miles. This river is formed by the union of two branches, 

 known respectively as the North Branch and the South Branch, 

 which come together at Lancaster. The former has its 

 source in Ashburnham, near the foot of the YVatatuck Moun- 

 tain, and in Westminster, and passes through Fitchburg and 

 Leominster; while the latter rises, in the neighborhood of 

 the Wachusett Mountain, at Princeton, and among the hills 

 of Rutland and Holden, and passes through West Boylston 

 and Clinton. Both these branches for a considerable distance 

 above their confluence are known also as the Nashua. The 

 stream at Groton is about one hundred feet above tide-water. 



At a very early period the Nashua River was sometimes 

 called the Penacook, and at other times the Groton River. 

 In Thomas Noyes's survey of the grant of Major Simon 

 Willard's farm in the autumn of 1659, the land is described 

 as " lying and being for the most part on the east side of 

 Groaten Riuer." And, again, at the session beginning on 

 September 6, 1676, the approval of the General Court was 

 given to Jonathan Danforth's survey of lands laid out to 

 William Hauthorne, "lying in the wilderness; on the North 

 of Groaten Riuer at a place called by the Indians Wistequas- 

 suck," now within the limits of Townsend. At a later period 

 it was more frequently referred to as the Lancaster River ; 

 and it is likely that the stream bore different names at differ- 

 ent places along its course even at the same time. In the 



