Ayer

History

Ayer was originally inhabited by the Nashaway, a Nipmuc people that inhabited the lands along the Nashua River and its tributaries. A small settlement was located along the banks of the Nonacoicus Brook, located in the western part of the town. The name of the Nashaway village, its people and the brook, pronounced by locals as , was also recorded in early English sources as 'Nonajcoyjicus,' 'Nonocoyecos,' 'Nonacoiacus' and 'Nonaicoics.' According to the personal manuscripts of Justice Samuel Sewall, best known for his controversial role in the Salem witch trials, he was told sometime in 1698 by Hanah, wife of Sachem Ahaton of the Ponkapoag Massachusett tribe, that the name was actually Nunnacoquis (modern Wôpanâak Massachusett dialect Nunahkuqees ) and signified 'an Indian earthen pot' although literally refers to a 'small dry earthen pot.' The name was likely a reference to a series of small mounds along the banks of the Nonacoicus Brook. In addition, portions of Main Street and Sandy Pond Road are believed to follow the vast network of trails used by Native peoples for trade, travel and communication. The Nashaway likely cultivated corn, beans and squash, but depended on foraging for fruits, nuts, tubers and seeds to supplement their diets. Seasonally, camps were set up in hunting areas, but the most important gatherings were likely the annual spawning migrations of Atlantic salmon, alewife, American shad, blueback herring and sea lamprey that once swam up the Nashua River from the sea via the Merrimack River. of Ayer from 1886 by L.R. Burleigh with list of landmarks]] The town of Groton, which originally included Ayer as well as several other towns in the region, was settled by English colonists as early as 1655. The first settlement in the portion of Groton…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 9.6 square miles (24.8 km2), of which 9.0 square miles (23.4 km2) is land and 0.6 square mile (1.4 km2) (5.75%) is water. Ayer borders the towns of Shirley, Groton, Littleton, and Harvard.

Most-observed species

• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  33,501
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  32,479
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  29,652
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  29,510
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  28,026
• American Goldfinch

  Spinus tristis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  26,670
• Downy Woodpecker

  Dryobates pubescens (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  24,795
• White-breasted Nuthatch

  Sitta carolinensis Latham, 1790 · Aves
  23,594

Largest nearby schools

• Acton-Boxborough Regional High
  High · Acton · 1,683 students · 13.7:1 ratio
• Westford Academy
  High · Westford · 1,525 students · 13.5:1 ratio
• Raymond J Grey Junior High
  Middle · Acton · 825 students · 11.5:1 ratio
• North Middlesex Regional
  High · Townsend · 779 students · 13.7:1 ratio
• Tyngsborough Elementary
  Elementary · Tyngsborough · 752 students · 12.7:1 ratio
• Nashoba Valley Technical High School
  High · Westford · 750 students · 11.7:1 ratio
• Groton Dunstable Regional Middle
  Middle · Groton · 723 students · 12.1:1 ratio
• Groton Dunstable Regional
  High · Groton · 680 students · 12.8:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 3.8 — 2025-01-27
  9 km SE of York Harbor, Maine
• M 2.7 — 2023-12-23
  5 km SW of Chichester, New Hampshire
• M 2.7 — 2018-02-15
  0 km SE of East Kingston, New Hampshire
• M 2.8 — 2016-03-21
  4 km ESE of Warner, New Hampshire
• M 2.6 — 2015-01-13
  2 km E of Wauregan, Connecticut
• M 3.3 — 2015-01-12
  0 km NE of Wauregan, Connecticut