Massachusetts
Exploring Athol’s surprisingly posh Scottish roots
The Massachusetts town’s name is often the butt of jokes. However, Athol is a direct descendant of Scottish nobility. Well, almost.
“You know the old joke,” the co-worker said upon hearing my reply. “The governor has three names: Peabody, Marblehead, and Athol.”
The response should have been straightforward, but I skirted the question, as I often do. When asked where I grew up, I... [7485 chars]