Acheson Farm Collection
Posted on November 6, 2026 by Jenny ONeill
Acheson Farm Collection donated by Jane Rebello
2026.058
Straight from the barn to the archive!
From deep within Westport’s historic barns emerge extraordinary collections!
A recent visit to one such historic barn (still redolent with the layers of farming life)
brought to light journals, cattle breeding records, and the ephemera of a 20th-century farm, including a surprising 1962 brochure detailing how farmers should respond to fallout from a nuclear attack (one tip is to grow potatoes). Collectively, these items tell the story of agricultural life in the last century.
Born in New Bedford, son of the late Roger and Dorothy (Towle) Acheson, Jim lived in Westport all his life. He served in the U.S Army Japanese Occupation Force. Jim was a dairy farmer in Westport until 1970, and then worked as a carpenter for various contractors in the area. He was a member of the Allen’s Neck Friends Meeting in Dartmouth and volunteered at their annual Clambake. He was also a member of the Westport Fair Committee, and enjoyed working at the Chicken Barbecue for many years.
Crop planting map
Crop planting map
Breeding records
Diary account of 1938 hurricane
Diary account of 1938 hurricane
Diary account of 1938 hurricane
Westport High School class