The History of Belmont

“The story of Belmont begins in the 1630s, when a group of Englishmen ventured up the River Charles to an area now called Fresh Pond, settling there on land occupied by the Pequosette Native Americans and know as Pequosette Plantation.  In search of good soil, those men were rewarded with abundant crops, which could be carried from field to market on horseback.  The colony thrived despite the increasing discontent with its relationship with England.  At the battle of Lexington and Concord in 1775, local residents-turned-patriots entered into full conflict until the Revolution ended.  A time of general peace and prosperity followed. Belmont, however, soon turned its attention to another struggle.  Despite fierce opposition from its originators in Waltham, Watertown, and West Cambridge, incorporation was finally realized when little “Belle” became the 338th town in the Commonwealth on March 18, 1859.  Waltham conceded 0.67 of a square mile, Watertown 2.25 square miles (a third of its total area and a third of its tax property) and West Cambridge 2.75 square miles (a third of its total area and a quarter of its tax property).  A new town had been born, and the five-year battle for independence had been won. With an already significant 200-year history, much of Belmont’s 19th-century growth and success continued on the foundations of its prominent citizens, early businessmen, and original farmers.  Influences such as the railroad and trolley car lines brought an ever-expanding population to this area already known for its market gardens and country estates.  Sometimes referred to as the Town of Homes, Belmont includes a diversity of architectural styles represented by modest farmhouses, historic mansions, and multiple family dwellings.” To learn more about the history of Belmont, read Images of America: Belmont from which the preceding summary is quoted.  Images of America: Belmont, © Belmont Historical Society, was published by Arcadia Publishing in 2000.  Copies are available from the Belmont Historical Society or Amazon.com.