Bedford by the Book
A guide to out-of-copyright histories (and descriptions) of Bedford, MA.
Every title (and cover image) links to a complete scan of its book!
A. E. Brown’s History
“History of the town of Bedford” (1891)
(110 pages)
by Abram English Brown
with “Genealogical register”
(48 pages)
Other Major Histories
“Bedford” (1880)
(~10 pages)
by Josiah A. Stearns
in “History of Middlesex County” (Volume I)
by Samuel Adams Drake
“Historical discourse” (1879)
(55 pages)
by Jonathan F. Stearns
with “A sketch of the celebration”
(24 pages)
in “Bedford sesqui-centennial celebration”
“History of Bedford” (1835)
(19 pages)
by Lemuel Shattuck
in “A history of the town of Concord”
Minor Histories
“Bedford” (1927)
(~4 pages)
by Edwin P. Conklin
in “Middlesex County” (Volume II)
“Dismemberment” (1883)
(~4 pages) [excerpt]
by Henry A. Hazen
in “History of Billerica”
“Bedford” (1848)
(~1 page)
by John Warner Barber
in “Historical collections [of Massachusetts]”
A. E. Brown’s Descriptions
“Footprints of the patriots” (1896)
(10 pages)
by Abram English Brown
in “Beneath old roof trees”
“Governor Winthrop’s farm” (1892)
(12 pages)
by Abram English Brown
in “The New England magazine” (Volume VI)
Travel Guides
“From Beverly to Uxbridge” (1937)
(~2 pages) [excerpt]
by the Federal Writers’ Project
in “Massachusetts: a guide”
“Boston to Groton and Ashby” (1917)
(~1 page) [excerpt]
by Porter E. Sargent [pub.]
in “A handbook of New England”
“Bedford” (1908)
(~2 pages)
by William Richard Cutter [ed.]
in “Historic homes and places” (Volume I)
“Bedford” (1903)
(5 pages)
by Katharine M. Abbott
in “Old paths and legends”
“Concord, by way of Bedford” (1898)
(~9 pages) [excerpt]
by Edwin M. Bacon
in “Walks and rides in the country”
“Bedford” (1897)
(4 pages)
by J. W. Freese
in “Historic houses and spots”
Gazetteer Entries
“Bedford” (1890)
(~1 page)
by Elias Nason; revised
by George J. Varney
in “A gazetteer [of Massachusetts]”
“Bedford” (1874)
(~1 page)
by Elias Nason
in “A gazetteer [of Massachusetts]”
“Bedford” (1860)
(~½ page)
by Jeremiah Spofford
in “[A] gazetteer of Massachusetts”
“Bedford, Ms.” (1857)
(~¼ page)
by John Hayward
in “The New England gazetteer”
“Bedford” (1847)
(~¼ page)
by John Hayward
in “A gazetteer of Massachusetts”
“Bedford” (1843)
(one paragraph)
by Daniel Haskel
and J. Calvin Smith
in “[A] gazetteer of the United States”
“Bedford, Mass.” (1839)
(one paragraph)
by John Hayward
in “The New England gazetteer”
“Bedford” (1833)
(one paragraph)
by William Darby
and Theodore Dwight, Jr.
in “A new gazetteer of the United States”
Please submit any questions (or comments) to bedford [at] minlib [dot] net.