History of Templeton

Templeton is a small town consisting of four villages (Templeton Center, East Templeton, Baldwinville and Otter River) located in northern part of Worcester County, Massachusetts, USA. The township of Templeton was laid out in 1733 but the town was not settled until 1751 because of the difficulties with wilderness, and hostilities of Native Americans and French during King George's War between 1744 and 1749. Templeton was officially incorporated in 1762 by Sir Francis Bernard, governor of Massachusetts.

Because above mentioned difficulties there was practically any settlers in Templeton until 1751. For that reason it was decided that the first sixty families who would first settle on their lots would receive a certain sum. First such payment which was only few dollars was made in 1751 to Elias Wilder, while thirty families received such payments in the next three and a half years. However, those payments included settlements within the whole township which was besides Templeton also part what is today Phillipston. However, the number of settlers in Templeton constantly grew over the following decades.

Many of the local inhabitants were farmers, however, great amount of its population was employed in factories and companies that arose in Templeton: grist mill, sawmills, paper mill, brickyard and other companies that produced chairs, woolens, children's toys, furniture, iron-cast kitchen ware and many other products.

However, industry in Templeton began to decline in the 20th century especially during the Great Depression in the 1930's and after the New England Hurricane of 1938.