Malden, Massachusetts was first settled in 1640. It was incorporated as a town in 1649 and as a city in 1881. Prior to 1649, it was part of Charlestown called Mystic Side.
A blockhouse or garrison house is a small, isolated fort. The typical blockhouse was two stories with the second story overhanging the first. It had small openings to allow residents to shoot attackers without being exposed.
Walter Powers and Trial Shepard married on January 11, 1660 in Malden, Middlesex County, Massachusetts or on November 1, 1660 or on March 11, 1661.
They “settled on a tract of land in or near Concord, now the town of Littleton, Mass." Their home was on the north side of Quangany Hill on the Concord Road. It was about a half mile from the garrison house. The Powers sawmill and the graveyard were nearby. Their children were all born in Littleton.
In 1694 Walter Powers bought a quarter of the Town of Nashobe from the indigenous people. It became Littleton.
Walter wrote his will in 1704. At that time he had already settled land on his son Jacob. Walter, Jr was given the land in consideration of taking care of his parents.
Walter, Sr. and Tryal both died in 1708. They were probably buried in the Powers cemetery near their home. Unfortunately the graveyard was plowed up in later years and the gravestones, most of which bore the name "Powers" were used to build a fence.
Old Style Calendar
Before 1752 the year began on Lady Day, March 25th,. Dates between January 1st and March 24th were at the end of the year. Old Style (O.S.) and New Style (N.S.) are used to indicate whether the year has been adjusted. Often both dates are used.
A sawmill was an important developmental step in a community. Before sawmills, boards could only be sawn by two men with a whipsaw. In a sawmill, the circular motion of a water wheel was changed to the back-and-forth motion of the saw blade with a pitman arm.
Concord, Middlesex County, Massachusetts was settled early by the English as a frontier outpost of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
Littleton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts was first settled in 1686 by English settlers and was the the location of the Native American village called Nashoba Plantation
European and indiginous American fought fierce battles as the Europeans expanded their territory.
(I) Walter Power was born in 1639, probably in Essex, England, was married March 11, 1661, to Trial, daughter of Deacon Ralph and Thankes Sheppard, who was born February 10, 1641, and that Walter Power died February 22, 1708.
He probably had few educational advantages, but had strength and will to establish a home for himself and family. Trial (Sheppard) Power, his wife, was evidently the teacher of her sons, who took prominent place in the affairs of the town in which they lived.
Walter and Trial Power, when they became man and wife, settled on a tract of land at Concord Village, Middlesex county, Massachusetts, which subsequently became known as Littleton. It adjoined the Indian town of Nashobe, which his father-in-law, Deacon Ralph Sheppard, purchased of Lieutenant Joseph Wheeler...
Walter Power built a house on the north side of Quagany Hill, about half a mile from the garrison house and a little distance from Nazog Pond. In 1694 he added to his possessions by purchasing of
Thomas Waban and other Indians, one-fourth of the town of Nashobe. Walter Power died February 22, 1708, and his widow survived him many years and both were buried in the older "Powers burying ground" on the Concord road where the site of the old Powers house and the raceway of the Powers saw mill were yet discernible in 1884.
