The history of the town of Boylston is a template of the rural New England lifestyle. Now, using many never-before-seen photographs, Boylston brings us the story of its agricultural roots, short-lived textile industry, the town's near destruction with the building of the Wachusett Reservoir, and the transition into a bedroom town. The people of Boylston lie at the heart of the town's history. From the town's Tory, religious leadership during the Revolutionary War, to John Bartholomew Gough, well-known Temperance lecturer and leader, many early citizens had a strong influence on the direction in which the town would develop. Images of workers in burgeoning industries such as textiles and brick making illustrate the dramatic changes to the region at the turn of the century. Soldiers, immigrants, temperance workers, educators, and entertainers, are all represented here, in uniform, at work, and at play, as the author documents their contributions to the town. Boylston also includes photographs documenting the earliest forms of transportation, horses and carriages, and the modern trolley cars and railroad depot that followed.