Duxbury

Duxbury is a coastal town about 35 miles south of Boston, bordered by Cape Cod Bay, Duxbury Bay, Kingston Bay, Plymouth, Kingston, Pembroke, and Marshfield. The western half of the town is particularly rich in conservation resources spanning ocean views, deep forests, and marsh land. Duxbury is also the sixth largest cranberry producer in Massachusetts, meaning a significant share of its land is devoted to this crop rather than development.

Conservation land in Duxbury comes from many sources including the town, the Audubon Society, and Wildlands Trust. For each trail in the database, the agency responsible for maintaining and preserving the resource is listed.

Duxbury was initially settled in 1624 and not formally incorporated until 1637. Much of its early history is tied to nearby Plymouth — many first settlers lived in Duxbury for farming during warm months and returned to Plymouth in winter. Following the Revolutionary War, shipbuilding took off in the area, flourishing for many years before slowing with the introduction of steamships and railroads. Though this had a dramatic effect on the economy, the upside was that Duxbury became known as a wonderful summer town. The completion of the Duxbury & Cohasset Railroad in 1871 increased accessibility, and a round-trip train ticket from Boston to Duxbury was only $1.50. Like many South Shore towns, Duxbury's population exploded between 1960 and 1980 with the introduction of Route 3.