ATHOL

athol, a township of worcester county, northern massachusetts, u.s.a., having an area of 35 sq. m. pop. (1900) 7061, of whom 986 were foreign-born; (1910 u.s. census) 8536. its surface is irregular and hilly. the village of athol is on miller's river, and is served by the boston & albany and the boston & maine railways. the streams of the township furnish good water-power, and manufactures of varied character are its leading interests. athol was first settled in 1735, and was incorporated as a township in 1762. it was named by its largest landowner col. james murray, after the ancestral home of the murrays, dukes of atholl. see l.b. caswell, _athol, mass., past and present_ (athol, 1899).