In this book, Mr. Barber has prepared historical sketches, of varying length, of over 300 Massachusetts towns from Abington to Yarmouth. In most cases we learn something of the town’s origins, the derivation of its name, date of founding, topography, population in 1837, principal industries, churches and ministers, and, depending on the length, colonial conflicts with the Indian population, the town’s role in the American Revolution, or other historical episodes for which the town became celebrated.