Coverage Areas

Petersham Business and Home Security

American Alarm’s History in Petersham

Based in New England since 1971, we’ve worked in the Petersham area for decades. We know the landscape and we have good relationships with local police and fire officials. Our team of employees (200 strong and growing) live in the communities we serve, this means our customers are our neighbors.

Petersham Origin

First settled in 1733, Petersham became incorporated in 1754. Named after a town of the same name in England, Petersham became the third largest town based on area in Massachusetts.

What Petersham is Known for

Petersham is best known for the massive size and the minimal industry in town. With a population of just over 1,000, Petersham is largely a rural. After settling in 1754, Petersham never saw a boom in population or industry, like many other towns in Massachusetts had. A few saw mills were built along the Swift River, which achieved success from all of the heavily forested area nearby. In the 1930’s , during the construction of the Quabbin Reservoir, Petersham grew in size exponentially. As the construction of the reservoir came, many local towns became disincorporated as the land either disappeared completely or large portions were lost. Parts of the towns Greenwich and Prescott became part of Petersham as well as the entirety of the town Dana.

Short List of Historic Places or Recreation Spots

Due to the rural nature of the town, much of its recreation has to do with the outdoors and the plethora of local forests and conservation land. Among the forested lands in town are the Harvard Forest, Quabbin Reservation and Swift River Reservation. The Harvard Forest has been owned by Harvard University since 1907, making it one of the country’s oldest managed forests and contains an area stretching over 3,000 acres. The Quabbin Reservation is best known for housing the largest inland body of water in Massachusetts, the Quabbin Reservoir. This thirty-eight square mile body of water serves as the main water supply for the Greater Boston area. The Swift River Reservation takes up over 430 acres of land and is home to many different species of animals. All three of these protected lands are used for their outdoor recreation they have to offer, such as boating, cross-country skiing, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, and swimming.

Famous People from Petersham

Lewis Bigelow is a politician that was born and raised in Petersham. Born in 1785, Bigelow would attend local schools, and eventually he would attend Williams College where he studied Law. Following school he became a lawyer and after a successful career he became a member of the House of Representatives.

Yodelin’ Slim Clark is best known as a singer who used yodeling as his main style of singing. Born and raised in Petersham, Clark became a traveling musician by the age of fifteen. Drawing inspiration from other yodelers such as Jewel LaVerne Clark and Montana Slim, Clark would go on to make twenty-five albums and was inducted into the Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2000.

Emmeline B. Wells best known for as a humanitarian activist and journalist was born and raised in Petersham. Born in 1828, she was noted for her intelligence at an early age and even became a teacher by the age of fifteen. In her later life, her efforts as a supporter of women’s rights became more pronounced. She would write for a plethora of journals and magazines preaching equality, and she is honored by a statue of her located in Utah.

Petersham Helpful Links

• http://townofpetersham.org/
• http://www.petershamcenterschool.org/

Click here to contact an American Alarm security consultant in the Petersham, MA area for a free home security evaluation, or call 781-859-2400