Written by Rob Morin
Inspired by the THS photograph “Boynton Sheep”
Over the past few weeks I’ve focused with my facebook posts on the Sawmill, Gristmill, Cooperage, Tanneries, and the resultant commercial improvements such as trains, churches, commercial buildings, bridges, roads, etc. Prior to Townsend becoming the Cooperage Capital of New England, we had 40 years (1810-1850) of economic boom due primarily to sheep, and without this sheep period Townsend’s other industries may have developed quite differently, or not at all.
The photo above is from the THS archives (thanks Eileen Barnacoat) and is captioned “Boynton Sheep.”
The sheep history in Townsend is a fascinating window into the “Sheep Craze” (or Merino Madness) that swept through New England in the early-to-mid 19th century. For a period of about 40 years, Townsend’s landscape looked radically different than it does today—it was a town of open, rolling pastures rather than the dense forests you see now.
1. The Merino Revolution (1810–1840)
Before the 1800s, farmers in Townsend kept small numbers of “common” sheep for family use (meat and rough wool for homespun clothes). This changed when Merino sheep were imported from Spain. The “Golden Fleece”: Merinos had much finer, softer wool that was highly valuable for the burgeoning textile mills in Lowell and Lawrence.
The Landscape Shift: To make room for larger flocks, Townsend farmers clear-cut the hillsides. By the 1830s, it is estimated that nearly 70% to 80% of the town’s land was open pasture or tillage. If you walked out your front door on Main Street in 1840, you would have seen hillsides covered in stone walls and grazing sheep rather than the pine and oak woods of today.
2. The “Wool and Wood” Economy
The sheep industry in Townsend was unique because it tied directly into the local wood-turning industry that families like the Woods and Sherwins dominated.
The Woolen Mill: Townsend had its own woolen manufacturing. The Townsend Woolen Mill (located in the Harbor area) processed local fleeces into “rolls” for spinning or finished cloth.
Lanolin and Leather: The oils from the sheep (lanolin) were often used in local tanning and leather-working processes in West Townsend.
3. Key Sheep Families
The Hillside Farms: The families living on the higher elevations—like the Wessons, Spauldings, and Adamses—were often the biggest sheep owners because the rocky, sloped soil was better for grazing than for planting corn.
By the mid-1800s, the sheep industry was actually starting to decline in Townsend. The opening of the railroads to the West meant that wool from Ohio and Vermont could be produced much more cheaply than on small Massachusetts hillside farms.
4. The Lasting Legacy: Stone Walls
The most visible reminder of the sheep era in Townsend today is the endless network of stone walls running through the woods. Look for walls that exceed 2′ in height. 3′ or 4′ are generally needed to keep sheep mostly in line. Why so many? Sheep are notorious “escape artists.” Unlike cows, which can be held by simpler fences, sheep required sturdy, tight stone boundaries to keep them from wandering into the Squannacook River or the neighbor’s garden.
The Forest Return: When the sheep industry collapsed after the Civil War, farmers abandoned the upland pastures. The “pioneer” white pines moved in first, followed by the hardwoods, effectively “hiding” the sheep history under a canopy of forest.