History of Pepperell (1848)
By Caleb Butler
Published in 1848 as part of his History of the Town of Groton Including Pepperell and Shirley, this represents the earliest written history of Pepperell. Born and raised in New Hampshire, Caleb Butler graduated from Dartmouth College in 1800, and became a teacher in Groton, later working as a lawyer, engineer, and cartographer. He held numerous town offices in Groton and served a stint as Grand Master of Masons in Massachusetts. He died in Groton in 1854.
History of Pepperell (1880)
by Lorenzo P. Blood
Written for Drake’s History of Middlesex County in 1880, this account by Pepperell resident Blood was the best produced up to this time. His house, 36 Townsend Street, still remains.
The Covered Bridge
by Susan J. Smith
A brief account of the various Groton Street bridges across the Nashua River from 1740 to 2007. Susan Smith (1952-2023) was the long-time president of this historical society.
Prudence Wright
by Mary L. P. Shattuck
In April 1775 Pepperell women led by Prudence Wright captured Tory Leonard Whiting on his way from Hollis to Boston with treasonable dispatches. First published in 1900, this is the fullest account of this incident.