Billerica, originally known as Shawsheen, was one of the Praying Indian towns and home of the Wamesit tribe.
The town was renamed for Billericay in Essex, England.
Industry in Billerica
Agriculture provides the main source of income in this town and the cultivation of apples, cherries and strawberries, intensively developed by Polish settlers, plays an important part.
Some woolen industries exist and the Billerica Car Shops of the Boston and Maine Railroad employ a vast number of people.
Billerica Landmarks
The Manning Manse. This was erected in 1696 as a tavern by Ensign Sam Manning; it is a rambling two-and-a-half-story building. The Manning Family Associates, a nationwide organization, holds a yearly reunion.
