Massachusetts has its fair share of amazing historic cities -- Boston, Salem, Plymouth, Cambridge, Worcester -- but one of the state's best-kept secrets is Clinton. Located on the Wachusett Reservoir about 45 miles west of Boston, Clinton offers great beauty (stroll along the Wachusett Dam and see the town from the observation area), amazing history (Clinton dates back to 1654), and a fantastic location -- in addition to Boston, the city is within easy reach of Worcester, just 14 miles southwest; Springfield, 62 miles southeast; and Providence, Rhode Island, about 53 miles south. Other easily accessible destinations include Plymouth's history and beaches, roughly an hour away, and Martha's Vineyard, a two-hour drive.
Clinton was part of Lancaster, settled around 1654. In 1828, the Bigelow brothers arrived and transformed the small community into a manufacturing hub -- Erastus Bigelow invented the power loom, and the town quickly became known for textiles.
