The first minister in Princeton was the Reverend Timothy Fuller, settled
in 1767. In 1768 the General Court granted him Wachusett Mountain to
compensate him for his settlement over "a heavily burdened people in a
wilderness country." It was certainly at that time neither a profitable
nor useful gift, and it was a pity to have this grand old pile pass into
private hands. Mr. Fuller continued as pastor until 1776. His successors
were the Reverend Thomas Crafts, the Reverend Joseph Russell, and the
Reverend James Murdock, D.D. At the time when Dr. Murdock left, in 1815,
Unitarian sentiments had developed extensively, and "the town and a
minority of the church" called the Reverend Samuel Clarke, who had been
a pupil of Dr. Channing. The call was accepted and, as a result, a
portion of the church seceded and built a small house of worship; but in
1836 the church and society reunited and have remained so ever since.

In 1817 a Baptist society was organized, and had several pastors; but in
1844 the society began to diminish, and not long after ceased to exist.
The meeting-house was sold and is now an hotel--the Prospect House. In
1839 a Methodist Episcopal Church was organized which still flourishes.

Besides Wachusett Mountain there are two other hills in Princeton that
are deserving of mention--Pine Hill and Little Wachusett. The former is
about two miles from the centre of the town and not far from Wachusett,
and the latter is about half a mile to the north of the centre. Neither
of these hills is large or high, their elevation being about one
thousand feet less than that of Wachusett, but they appear like two
beautiful children of the majestic father that looms above them. All
these hills were once heavily wooded, but much timber has been cut off
during the last century, and forest-fires have devastated portions at
different times; yet there is still an abundance left. Whitney speaks of
the region as abounding in oak of various kinds, chestnut, white ash,