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The Town of Palmer is made up of four separate villages; Depot Village, Thorndike Village, Three Rivers and Bondsville. The first settler of Palmer was John King, who built a home on the Quaboag River in 1716. The town asked to be incorporated in 1751, but the Royal Governor refused the petition. Palmer was finally incorporated in 1775. During the 19th century the town bustled with activity being the home of several large textile mills which were able to ship their goods on the newly established railroads. Between 1830 and 1850, the population of Palmer more than tripled. Agricultural Fairs like the one pictured here were held in many communities throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries. These fairs were used to promote agricultural education and also provided people with a place to show off prize animals and crops, or skill in the domestic arts like cooking and sewing.

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Scene at Palmer Fair, Palmer, Mass.

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