Famous residents of Uxbridge, Massachusetts
Encyclopedia
This article is a companion article to Uxbridge, Massachusetts
. This early American town, settled in 1662, has a record of people significant to both regional and U.S. history. The listing of people is by century, starting in the 17th century.
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Uxbridge, Massachusetts
Uxbridge is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It was first settled in 1662, incorporated in 1727 at Suffolk County, and named for the Earl of Uxbridge. Uxbridge is south-southeast of Worcester, north-northwest of Providence, and southwest of Boston. It is part of...
. This early American town, settled in 1662, has a record of people significant to both regional and U.S. history. The listing of people is by century, starting in the 17th century.
17th century
- Chief "Great John" The Native American Nipuck chief who agreed to a settlement for the purchase of Squinshepauk Plantation by Braintree and Weymouth Colonists. He was presumably the chief of Wacantug, the local Nipmuc village which today is present day Uxbridge
- The Taft familyTaft familyThe Taft family of the United States hails from Cincinnati, Ohio, with historic origins in Massachusetts; its members have served Ohio, Massachusetts, Vermont, Rhode Island, Utah, and the United States in various positions, such as Governor of Ohio, Governor of Rhode Island, U.S. Senator , U.S...
in America - One of the first known EuropeanEuropean ethnic groupsThe ethnic groups in Europe are the various ethnic groups that reside in the nations of Europe. European ethnology is the field of anthropology focusing on Europe....
settlers in Uxbridge, was Robert Taft, Sr., in 1680, in the western part of Mendon, MassachusettsMendon, MassachusettsMendon is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,839 at the 2010 census.Mendon is very historic and is now part of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, the oldest industrialized region in the United States.- Early history :The Nipmuc people...
, which later became known as Uxbridge. He established the famous Taft family, a later political dynasty in the United States. He established his first permanent homestead here in 1680. President William Howard TaftWilliam Howard TaftWilliam Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States...
is a descendant. See the article, The Tafts of Mendon and Uxbridge. One reference in Alphonso Taft's bio may indicate that Robert settled near "Colonel Crown's" land which may be near East Hartford Avenue. Taft was best known for building a bridge with his sons over the Blackstone River in 1709. This is adjacent to, or could be, the famous "stone arch bridge" at the Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State ParkBlackstone River and Canal Heritage State ParkThe Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State Park is a part of the State Park system of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation...
. This road became known as the Middle Post Road.
- The Aldrich family The Aldrich family, another American political dynasty, also had its beginnings in Mendon and Uxbridge, beginning with the immigrant, George Aldrich, of Mendon. U.S. SenatorUnited States SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Nelson Aldrich who set up the U.S. Federal Reserve banking system and the income taxIncome taxAn income tax is a tax levied on the income of individuals or businesses . Various income tax systems exist, with varying degrees of tax incidence. Income taxation can be progressive, proportional, or regressive. When the tax is levied on the income of companies, it is often called a corporate...
, and his daughter's son, U.S. Vice President Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller are descendants of this same family. The Aldrich Family Association was founded circa 1903 and its founding officers were from Uxbridge. A settlement in south Uxbridge became known as Aldrich, and is the location of the historic family cemetery. Descendants of the Aldrich family currently live in Uxbridge, Massachusetts. George Aldrich is buried in the south Uxbridge family cemetery.
- Colonel Crown Colonel Crown was a prominent early settler who owned a significant amount of land in early Mendon and what became Uxbridge. His farm was along the route that became the Middle Post Road. He was apparently an early colonial militia colonel. The title of his land in Mendon which later became Uxbridge, was transferred to Robert Taft I, the original Taft family immigrant, in 1679.
18th century
- Captain James Buxton, 1745-1817, SmithfieldSmithfieldSmithfield is the name of several places:In Australia:* Smithfield, New South Wales* Smithfield, Queensland, near Cairns* Smithfield, South Australia, a northern suburb of Adelaide**Smithfield railway station, Adelaide...
, Providence County, Rhode Island Colony, NATIONAL SOCIETY OF THE DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. VOLUME 15, PAGE 7, ACCESS DATE 06 SEPT. 2011; was a Revolutionary War Captain from the border of the towns of SmithfieldSmithfield, Rhode IslandSmithfield is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. It includes the historic villages of Esmond, Georgiaville, Mountaindale, Hanton City, Stillwater and Greenville...
in Rhode IslandRhode IslandThe state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, and UxbridgeUxbridge, MassachusettsUxbridge is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It was first settled in 1662, incorporated in 1727 at Suffolk County, and named for the Earl of Uxbridge. Uxbridge is south-southeast of Worcester, north-northwest of Providence, and southwest of Boston. It is part of...
, in MassachusettsMassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. James Buxton was a commisioned militaryMilitaryA military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
officerOfficer (armed forces)An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
who attained the rank of captain in the American War for Independence. He served in Benjamin TupperBenjamin TupperBenjamin Tupper was a soldier in the French and Indian War, and an officer of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, achieving the rank of brevet brigadier general. Subsequently, he served as a Massachusetts legislator, and he assisted Gen. William Shepard in stopping Shays'...
's 11th Massachusetts Regiment, 1777-1779 at Valley ForgeValley ForgeValley Forge in Pennsylvania was the site of the military camp of the American Continental Army over the winter of 1777–1778 in the American Revolutionary War.-History:...
and the Battles of Saratoga; He also served in the 10th Massachusetts Regiment10th Massachusetts RegimentThe 10th Massachusetts Regiment was authorized on 16 September 1776 in the Continental Army under Colonel Marshall at Boston, Massachusetts as eight companies of volunteers from Worcester, Middlesex, Essex, Bristol, Hampshire, Plymouth, and Suffolk counties of the colony of Massachusetts and...
and the 15th Massachusetts Regiment15th Massachusetts RegimentThe 15th Massachusetts Regiment was raised on September 16, 1776 under Colonel Bigelow at Boston, Massachusetts. The regiment would see action at the Battle of Saratoga, Battle of Monmouth and the Battle of Rhode Island. The regiment was disbanded on January 1, 1781 at West Point, New...
. He commanded a company of men at West Point, and the Hudson River ChainHudson River ChainThe Hudson River Chain may refer to any of several chains used as a blockade across the Hudson River intended to prevent British naval vessels from proceeding up the river during the American Revolutionary War.-The Great Chain :...
. He was promoted to the rank of Captain on March 16, 1781, in the Continental Army, and the order was signed by John HancockJohn HancockJohn Hancock was a merchant, statesman, and prominent Patriot of the American Revolution. He served as president of the Second Continental Congress and was the first and third Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts...
; He was discharged in 1782 and held the ranks of Ensign, Second Lieutenant, Lieutenant, and Captain during this period. He is listed as having signed an oath of allegiance at Valley Forge in 1778 in Colonel Tupper's regiment. Modern Uxbridge has named a well known Fife and Drum Corps in honor of Captain James Buxton.
- Robert Taft IIRobert Taft, 2ndRobert Taft, 2nd, also known as Robert Taft II, 1674-1748 was born in Braintree, Norfolk County, Massachusetts; he died at age 74 at Uxbridge, Worcester County, Massachusetts-Birth:Robert Taft, 2nd, is an early American pioneer...
, was on the founding Board of SelectmenBoard of selectmenThe board of selectmen is commonly the executive arm of the government of New England towns in the United States. The board typically consists of three or five members, with or without staggered terms.-History:...
in 1727. It appears he was among the first of the Taft familyTaft familyThe Taft family of the United States hails from Cincinnati, Ohio, with historic origins in Massachusetts; its members have served Ohio, Massachusetts, Vermont, Rhode Island, Utah, and the United States in various positions, such as Governor of Ohio, Governor of Rhode Island, U.S. Senator , U.S...
dynasty to be elected to political office. His descendants included a Governor of Rhode Island, A U.S. SenatorUnited States SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from Ohio, and a U.S. Secretary of Agriculture among others. The first Uxbridge town meeting was at Coronet John Farnum Jr House in the center of Town.
- John Farnum John Farnum was a Cornet, or Constable, whose house in the center of town, built circa 1710, was used for the first Uxbridge Town meeting in 1727. See Coronet John Farnum, Jr., HouseCoronet John Farnum, Jr., HouseThe Coronet John Farnum, Jr. House, built circa 1710, is one of the oldest homes in the historic Blackstone Valley town of Uxbridge, Massachusetts...
listed under Registered Historic Places in Uxbridge Massachusetts. The grandson of Ralph the immigrant of England, and Ipswich, MassachusettsIpswich, MassachusettsIpswich is a coastal town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 12,987 at the 2000 census. Home to Willowdale State Forest and Sandy Point State Reservation, Ipswich includes the southern part of Plum Island...
, was a second, and later John Farnum, also of Uxbridge, who moved to Georgiaville, Rhode IslandGeorgiaville, Rhode IslandGeorgiaville is a village in Smithfield, Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The village was named after the Georgia Cotton Manufacturing Company mill located in the area. The Georgiaville Pond Beach is located in the village and is a popular recreation spot. In the 1920s the Ku Klux...
in 1755, and became the first Rhode Island Farnum (see Herbert Cyrus FarnumHerbert Cyrus FarnumHerbert Cyrus Farnum was an American artist born in Glocester, Rhode Island. "Cy" Farnum, as he was more generally known, was a son of Cyrus A. and Mary Farnum. He was a descendant from old New England settlers who trace their history to Ralph and Alice Farnham of England who settled in Ipswich,...
). The Farnum family became widespread. Another example was EB Farnum who was among the first settlers in Deadwood, South DakotaDeadwood, South DakotaDeadwood is a city in South Dakota, United States, and the county seat of Lawrence County. It is named for the dead trees found in its gulch. The population was 1,270 according to a 2010 census...
. The farm of Moses Farnum, Cornet John's brother, in south Uxbridge, became the site of the first Friends Meeting House in Uxbridge in 1770, a second key, local, historic site, where fiery abolitionist Abby KelleyAbby KelleyAbby Kelley Foster was an American abolitionist and radical social reformer active from the 1830s to 1870s. She became a fundraiser, lecturer and committee organizer for the influential American Anti-Slavery Society, where she worked closely with William Lloyd Garrison and other radicals...
was a member.
- Benjamin Taft; Benjamin Taft established one of the first ironIronIron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
forgeForgeA forge is a hearth used for forging. The term "forge" can also refer to the workplace of a smith or a blacksmith, although the term smithy is then more commonly used.The basic smithy contains a forge, also known as a hearth, for heating metals...
s in Uxbridge in 1734, in the IronstoneIronstone, MassachusettsIronstone is an historic village in Uxbridge, Massachusetts, United States. It derived its name from plentiful bog iron found here which helped Uxbridge to become a center for three iron forges in the town's earliest settlement. Ironstone today is known as South Uxbridge...
section of town. The first Uxbridge forge was recorded even earlier, the year the town was founded in 1727, at the south Northbridge section. The Ironstone forge started by Benjamin Taft, had "good quality bog iron ore", and a triphammer was latter added by Caleb Handy for making scythes and guns. This was believed to be the beginnings of industrialization in Uxbridge. The Blackstone ValleyBlackstone ValleyThe Blackstone Valley or Blackstone River Valley is a region of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It was a major contributor to the American Industrial Revolution...
was a major contributor to America's Industrial RevolutionIndustrial RevolutionThe Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
with Slater MillSlater MillA National Historic Landmark, the Slater Mill is located next to the Blackstone River in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Modeled after cotton spinning mills first established in England, the Slater Mill is the first water-powered cotton spinning mill in North America to utilize the Arkwright system of...
at Pawtucket, Rhode IslandPawtucket, Rhode IslandPawtucket is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 71,148 at the 2010 census. It is the fourth largest city in the state.-History:...
in 1793. Uxbridge had evidence of large scale industrialization by 1775 which included forges, sawmills, water works, distilleries and other industries.
- Nicholas Baylies was a native of England who settled in Uxbridge. He represented this town in the Colonial Massachusetts General CourtMassachusetts General CourtThe Massachusetts General Court is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The name "General Court" is a hold-over from the Colonial Era, when this body also sat in judgment of judicial appeals cases...
as early as 1758. He and his sons were active in working in the iron industry here. His son William became a physician and is mentioned below. His grandsons served as U.S. Congressman from Dighton, MassachusettsDighton, MassachusettsDighton is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,175 at the 2000 census. The town is located on the western shore of the Taunton River in the southeastern part of the state.- History :...
and Taunton, MassachusettsTaunton, MassachusettsTaunton is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the seat of Bristol County and the hub of the Greater Taunton Area. The city is located south of Boston, east of Providence, north of Fall River and west of Plymouth. The City of Taunton is situated on the Taunton River...
where the family later relocated.,ref> http://books.google.com/books?id=L_SdyU5IItcC&pg=PA86&lpg=PA86&dq=Continental+Congress,+Uxbridge&source=web&ots=GT7OOfDMqw&sig=iJN0-NJFAXWU8iZheRWvFJw7TD8&hl=en
- Captain Josiah TaftJosiah Taft-Early life:Josiah was born on April 2, 1709, at Mendon, Massachusetts, the son of Daniel and Taft, and the grandson of the first American Taft, Robert Taft, Sr. Josiah's father Daniel, had been a local "squire" and Justice of the Peace...
, son of Daniel Taft, grandson of Robert Taft, Sr., served in the French and Indian WarsFrench and Indian WarsThe French and Indian Wars is a name used in the United States for a series of conflicts lasting 74 years in North America that represented colonial events related to the European dynastic wars...
and in the Colonial Legislature, the Massachusetts General CourtMassachusetts General CourtThe Massachusetts General Court is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The name "General Court" is a hold-over from the Colonial Era, when this body also sat in judgment of judicial appeals cases...
, was town moderator, and died in 1756 at the age of 47. Lydia and Josiah were among the wealthiest families in Uxbridge. Josiah's untimely death opened the door for his widow to become America's first legal, colonial woman voter in 1756.
- Lydia Chapin Taft, Josiah's widow, became America's first woman voter , in 1756. She voted to support funding and resources for the French and Indian WarFrench and Indian WarThe French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
s, and voted in at least three Uxbridge town meetingTown meetingA town meeting is a form of direct democratic rule, used primarily in portions of the United States since the 17th century, in which most or all the members of a community come together to legislate policy and budgets for local government....
s until at least 1765. She died at Uxbridge, as an American citizen, after Colonial America, had become the United States, in 1778.
- Baxter HallBaxter HallBaxter Hall was a military officer, and a militia captain, of significance to the American Revolution. He was born in 1757 and died in 1842.-Family:...
was a drummer in the FifeFife (musical instrument)A fife is a small, high-pitched, transverse flute that is similar to the piccolo, but louder and shriller due to its narrower bore. The fife originated in medieval Europe and is often used in military and marching bands. Someone who plays the fife is called a fifer...
and DrumDrumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
Corps in 1775. He served at Lexington and Concord, and Bunker HillBattle of Bunker HillThe Battle of Bunker Hill took place on June 17, 1775, mostly on and around Breed's Hill, during the Siege of Boston early in the American Revolutionary War...
, under Captain Wyman, and in the Continental ArmyContinental ArmyThe Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
during the Revolutionary WarAmerican Revolutionary WarThe American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. The majority of the Company of 51 men, were from Uxbridge. Many officers and soldiers fought in the revolutionary warAmerican RevolutionThe American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
from Uxbridge. Later, Captain Baxter Hall served in the Continental Army under General Benedict ArnoldBenedict ArnoldBenedict Arnold V was a general during the American Revolutionary War. He began the war in the Continental Army but later defected to the British Army. While a general on the American side, he obtained command of the fort at West Point, New York, and plotted to surrender it to the British forces...
.
- Seth Read; Seth Read was born in Uxbridge in 1746. He became a physician, soldier, legislator and an early American pioneer to the Great Lakes. According to the US Treasury, Colonel Seth Reed, also spelled "Read" of Uxbridge, Massachusetts, (who commanded a regiment at Bunker HillBattle of Bunker HillThe Battle of Bunker Hill took place on June 17, 1775, mostly on and around Breed's Hill, during the Siege of Boston early in the American Revolutionary War...
and was a friend of President George WashingtonGeorge WashingtonGeorge Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
), was reported to have been instrumental in placing E Pluribus UnumE pluribus unumE pluribus unum , Latin for "Out of many, one", is a phrase on the Seal of the United States, along with Annuit cœptis and Novus ordo seclorum, and adopted by an Act of Congress in 1782...
on U.S. coins. Colonel Reed and his brother Joseph, had been major holders of Uxbridge and Northbridge, MassachusettsNorthbridge, MassachusettsNorthbridge is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 15,707 at the 2010 census. The Northbridge Town Hall is located at 7 Main Street in Whitinsville. The town is now a part of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, of the National Park...
real estate. Colonel Reed ran a tavern, served in various town offices, and was appointed to serve Uxbridge in 1777, by being in charge of dealing with "traitors" treason and sedition. Seth Reed went on to serve in the Constitutional ConventionConstitutional convention (political meeting)A constitutional convention is now a gathering for the purpose of writing a new constitution or revising an existing constitution. A general constitutional convention is called to create the first constitution of a political unit or to entirely replace an existing constitution...
, the Massachusetts state legislature and applied for a franchiseGovernment-granted monopolyIn economics, a government-granted monopoly is a form of coercive monopoly by which a government grants exclusive privilege to a private individual or firm to be the sole provider of a good or service; potential competitors are excluded from the market by law, regulation, or other mechanisms of...
to mintMint (coin)A mint is an industrial facility which manufactures coins for currency.The history of mints correlates closely with the history of coins. One difference is that the history of the mint is usually closely tied to the political situation of an era...
coins, ("Massachusetts coppers"). He later moved, became a pioneer in Geneva, New YorkGeneva, New YorkGeneva is a city in Ontario and Seneca counties in the U.S. state of New York. The population was 13,617 at the 2000 census. Some claim it is named after the city and canton of Geneva in Switzerland. Others believe the name came from confusion over the letters in the word "Seneca" written in cursive...
, and then he and his family were the first European settlers of Erie, PennsylvaniaErie, PennsylvaniaErie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
. The phrase "E Pluribus Unum", "From Many, One" is considered "the traditional motto" of the United States. "In God We Trust" was then added in 1956.
- Colonel Joseph ReadJoseph ReadJoseph Read was a soldier and a Colonel in the American Revolutionary War.-Early life:Read was born in Uxbridge, Massachusetts, the son of John and Lucy Read. He married Eunice Taft of Uxbridge on Nov 22, 1753...
- Colonel Read's brother, Colonel Joseph ReadJoseph ReadJoseph Read was a soldier and a Colonel in the American Revolutionary War.-Early life:Read was born in Uxbridge, Massachusetts, the son of John and Lucy Read. He married Eunice Taft of Uxbridge on Nov 22, 1753...
, was also a ColonelColonelColonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
in the Continental ArmyContinental ArmyThe Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
, and commanded the 20th Massachusetts Regiment.
- "Robert Shurtlieff", a Continental ArmyContinental ArmyThe Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
soldier, claimed to be from Uxbridge, but was really Deborah SampsonDeborah SampsonDeborah Samson Gannett , better known as Deborah Sampson, was an American woman who impersonated a man in order to serve in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. She is one of a small number of women with a documented record of military combat experience in that war...
, "America's first woman soldier".
- Samuel SpringSamuel SpringSamuel Spring was an early American Revolutionary War chaplain and Congregationalist minister.-Early life and education:Spring was born in Uxbridge in the Massachusetts Colony on February 27, 1746....
of Uxbridge, born 1746, was a Revolutionary War Chaplain sho served in the Siege of BostonSiege of BostonThe Siege of Boston was the opening phase of the American Revolutionary War, in which New England militiamen—who later became part of the Continental Army—surrounded the town of Boston, Massachusetts, to prevent movement by the British Army garrisoned within...
, and the Invasion of Canada (1775)Invasion of Canada (1775)The Invasion of Canada in 1775 was the first major military initiative by the newly formed Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. The objective of the campaign was to gain military control of the British Province of Quebec, and convince the French-speaking Canadiens to join the...
, who later founded the Massachusetts Missionary Society and the Andover Theological Seminary.http://www.blackstonevalleytribune.com/pdf/BLA.2008.12.05.pdf Spring has many published sermons and works to his credit. He was considered a Congreationalist fundamentalist. He had trained under the Rev. Nathan WebbNathan WebbNathan Webb, an early American Congregational Church minister, was born on April 9, 1705, at Braintree, Norfolk County, Massachusetts. He died on March 17, 1772 at Uxbridge, Worcester County, Massachusetts-Early life:...
, also mentioned below as the first pastor at Uxbridge's Congregational church, the colony's first Congregational church, which was started during the Great AwakeningFirst Great AwakeningThe First Awakening was a Christian revitalization movement that swept Protestant Europe and British America, and especially the American colonies in the 1730s and 1740s, leaving a permanent impact on American religion. It resulted from powerful preaching that gave listeners a sense of personal...
period of Jonathan Edwards.
- Samuel TaftSamuel TaftSamuel Taft was born September 23, 1735 at Upton, Worcester County, Massachusetts, and died in 1816 at Uxbridge Worcester County, Massachusetts, in his 80th year...
was a revolutionary war soldier from Uxbridge. There were at least 12 Tafts from Uxbridge who served in the Revolutionary War. In 1789, Samuel Taft would entertain his commander in chief, President George WashingtonGeorge WashingtonGeorge Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
, during his inaugural trip through Uxbridge, and his overnight stay at the Samuel Taft tavern.
- Dr. Samuel Willard; Dr. Samuel WillardDr. Samuel Willard-Early life and career:Samuel Willard, the son of Dr. Nahum Willard of Lancaster, Massachusetts, and a descendant of the famous Major Simon Willard of 17th-century Massachusetts, graduated from Harvard University in 1767. He studied medicine under Dr. Israel Atherton of Lancaster, Massachusetts,...
was one of the town's first physicians. Uxbridge Center was home to the 'lunatic asylum' run by Dr. Samuel Willard who fought in Shays' RebellionShays' RebellionShays' Rebellion was an armed uprising in central and western Massachusetts from 1786 to 1787. The rebellion is named after Daniel Shays, a veteran of the American Revolutionary War....
. Shays' Rebellion may have had its "opening salvos" in an Uxbridge riot in 1783. Governor John HancockJohn HancockJohn Hancock was a merchant, statesman, and prominent Patriot of the American Revolution. He served as president of the Second Continental Congress and was the first and third Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts...
had to suppress rioters in Uxbridge. Dr Willard had his own eccentricities. Dr. Willard, a Harvard UniversityHarvard UniversityHarvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. grad., was "particularly distinguished" for his treatment of mental health disorders, according to the archives of Worcester CountyWorcester County, Massachusetts-Demographics:In 1990 Worcester County had a population of 709,705.As of the census of 2000, there were 750,963 people, 283,927 households, and 192,502 families residing in the county. The population density was 496 people per square mile . There were 298,159 housing units at an average density...
's university graduates. Local history indicates that his treatments consisted of "Dunking in the mineral spring pond behind the old inn" which was deemed to be an 'effective treatment for insanity', as was working on the good doctor’s farm. This pond (Shuttle Shop Pond) was a favorite ice skating spot for children for years until it was filled in by the town after the shop burned down in 1963. The Hotel Wilson (now known as the Uxbridge Inn) welcomed travelers to the town who came to enjoy the same healing waters that “treated” Dr. Willard’s patients. Dr. Willard represented Uxbridge in the Massachusetts Constitutional ConventionConstitutional convention (political meeting)A constitutional convention is now a gathering for the purpose of writing a new constitution or revising an existing constitution. A general constitutional convention is called to create the first constitution of a political unit or to entirely replace an existing constitution...
which ratified the U.S. Constitution. Dr. Willard reportedly held slavers, prior to 1783. Massachusetts was the first state to abolish slavery, also in 1783.
- Lieutenant Simeon Wheelock Lt. Simeon Wheelock fought in the American Revolutionary WarAmerican Revolutionary WarThe American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. He was an officer in Shays' RebellionShays' RebellionShays' Rebellion was an armed uprising in central and western Massachusetts from 1786 to 1787. The rebellion is named after Daniel Shays, a veteran of the American Revolutionary War....
. He was killed in the line of duty in SpringfieldSpringfield, MassachusettsSpringfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
. during Shays' Rebellion. His son Jerry was famous in the early textile industry of Uxbridge. The Stanley Woolen Mill and Berroco Yarns are related to this same family.
- Peter Rawson Taft IPeter Rawson Taft IPeter Rawson Taft was President William Howard Taft's paternal grandfather.-Early life and family:Peter was born to Aaron Taft and Rhoda Rawson on April 14, 1785 at Uxbridge in Worcester County, Massachusetts. The Aaron Taft House in Uxbridge is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places...
, President William Howard TaftWilliam Howard TaftWilliam Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States...
's grandfather, was born in Uxbridge in 1785, and lived here until the beginning of the 19th Century. He became a VermontVermontVermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
State legislator and died in Hamilton County, OhioHamilton County, OhioAs of 2000, there were 845,303 people, 346,790 households, and 212,582 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,075 people per square mile . There were 373,393 housing units at an average density of 917 per square mile...
. A Taft family story is told how Peter walked a cow all the way from Uxbridge to Townshend, VermontTownshend, VermontTownshend is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States. The town was named for the Townshend family, powerful figures in British politics...
. His son, Alphonso TaftAlphonso TaftAlphonso Taft was the Attorney General and Secretary of War under President Ulysses S. Grant and the founder of an American political dynasty. He was the father of U.S...
, founded Skull and BonesSkull and BonesSkull and Bones is an undergraduate senior or secret society at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut. It is a traditional peer society to Scroll and Key and Wolf's Head, as the three senior class 'landed societies' at Yale....
at YaleYale UniversityYale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, and was the father of President William Howard TaftWilliam Howard TaftWilliam Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States...
. Alphonso and his son William Howard came to Uxbridge for family reunions at Elmshade.
- Richard MowryRichard MowryRichard Mowry, 1748–1835, was born in Providence County, Rhode Island Colony, and became an Uxbridge farmer, in Worcester County, Massachusetts, who 'successfully built and marketed equipment to manufacture woolen, linen or cotton cloth', from around the time of the Revolution.,-Family :Richard...
, An Uxbridge farmer by the name of Richard Mowry successfully built and marketed the equipment needed to manufacture woolen, linen or cotton cloth at the time of the American RevolutionAmerican RevolutionThe American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. Mowry built wagons and apple presses in addition to the textile equipment. He was particularly proficient with large wooden screws.
- Nathan WebbNathan WebbNathan Webb, an early American Congregational Church minister, was born on April 9, 1705, at Braintree, Norfolk County, Massachusetts. He died on March 17, 1772 at Uxbridge, Worcester County, Massachusetts-Early life:...
, an early American Congregational Church minister, was born on April 9, 1705, at BraintreeBraintree, MassachusettsThe Town of Braintree is a suburban city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Although officially known as a town, Braintree adopted a municipal charter, effective 2008, with a mayor-council form of government and is considered a city under Massachusetts law. The population was 35,744...
, Norfolk County, MassachusettsNorfolk County, Massachusetts-National protected areas:* Adams National Historical Park* Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area * Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site* John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site-Demographics:...
. He died on March 17, 1772 at UxbridgeUxbridge, MassachusettsUxbridge is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It was first settled in 1662, incorporated in 1727 at Suffolk County, and named for the Earl of Uxbridge. Uxbridge is south-southeast of Worcester, north-northwest of Providence, and southwest of Boston. It is part of...
, Worcester County, MassachusettsWorcester County, Massachusetts-Demographics:In 1990 Worcester County had a population of 709,705.As of the census of 2000, there were 750,963 people, 283,927 households, and 192,502 families residing in the county. The population density was 496 people per square mile . There were 298,159 housing units at an average density...
The Reverend Nathan Webb was the first called minister of the new Congregational ChurchCongregational churchCongregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
in the newly incorporated (1727) Town of Uxbridge. Reverend Webb was called on January 6, 1731. This church was the first new Congregational Church in Massachusetts in the Great AwakeningGreat AwakeningThe term Great Awakening is used to refer to a period of religious revival in American religious history. Historians and theologians identify three or four waves of increased religious enthusiasm occurring between the early 18th century and the late 19th century...
period, and first to be mentioned in a list of 45 new Congregational churches in New England which were started in the decade beginning in 1731. The churches of this period were attributed to the Great AwakeningFirst Great AwakeningThe First Awakening was a Christian revitalization movement that swept Protestant Europe and British America, and especially the American colonies in the 1730s and 1740s, leaving a permanent impact on American religion. It resulted from powerful preaching that gave listeners a sense of personal...
, an early American historical religious movement led by ministers such as Jonathan Edwards, another Congregational minister. Reverend Webb spent his entire career in the ministry at Uxbridge, spanning over 41 years. His Congreation included America's first woman voter, Lydia TaftLydia TaftLydia Chapin was the first known legal woman voter in colonial America. This occurred in the New England town Town Meeting, at Uxbridge, MA Massachusetts Colony.-Early life:...
and Lt. Col. Seth ReadSeth ReadSeth Read was born in Uxbridge, Worcester County, Massachusetts, and died at Erie, Erie County, Pennsylvania, as "Seth Reed", at age 51.-Early life:...
, who fought at Bunker Hill, was instrumental in adding E Pluribus UnumE pluribus unumE pluribus unum , Latin for "Out of many, one", is a phrase on the Seal of the United States, along with Annuit cœptis and Novus ordo seclorum, and adopted by an Act of Congress in 1782...
to US coins, and founded Erie, PennsylvaniaErie, PennsylvaniaErie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
. Many members of the early American Taft familyTaft familyThe Taft family of the United States hails from Cincinnati, Ohio, with historic origins in Massachusetts; its members have served Ohio, Massachusetts, Vermont, Rhode Island, Utah, and the United States in various positions, such as Governor of Ohio, Governor of Rhode Island, U.S. Senator , U.S...
were members of Webb's Congregation. Peter Rawson Taft's son, Alfonso, started the OhioOhioOhio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
family branch which rose to prominence in American politics. Deacon John Hall and Sarah had 4 children. Their son Baxter HallBaxter HallBaxter Hall was a military officer, and a militia captain, of significance to the American Revolution. He was born in 1757 and died in 1842.-Family:...
drummed the first musters in the American RevolutionAmerican RevolutionThe American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. Webb mentored Young Samuel SpringSamuel SpringSamuel Spring was an early American Revolutionary War chaplain and Congregationalist minister.-Early life and education:Spring was born in Uxbridge in the Massachusetts Colony on February 27, 1746....
who became a Revolutionary War Chaplain, founded the Andover Theological Seminary, and the Massachusets Missionary Society. .A sermon delivered at Uxbridge, April 19, 1772, occasioned by the death of the late Reverend Nathan Webb, Pastor of said church and people: containing a summary of his character. : And now published, at the desire of many of the hearers, to revive and perpetuate the memory of their said pastor. exactly three years before the battle of Lexington and Concord.
- William Baylies, M.D. (1743–1826), was born here and was a noted physician, and his two sons William BayliesWilliam BayliesWilliam Baylies was a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts, brother of Francis Baylies.Born in Dighton, Massachusetts, Baylies was graduated from Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, in 1795 where he studied law...
and Francis BayliesFrancis BayliesFrancis Baylies was a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts, brother of William Baylies.Born in Taunton, Massachusetts, Baylies studied law....
were Members of Congress, from Dighton, MassachusettsDighton, MassachusettsDighton is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,175 at the 2000 census. The town is located on the western shore of the Taunton River in the southeastern part of the state.- History :...
. 1805-1809 and 1821–1829; Nicholas Baylies (1772–1846), was a judge and author; and
19th century
- Willard Preston, D.D. (1785–1856), was an eloquent clergyman and Uxbridge native who went on to be President of the University of VermontUniversity of VermontThe University of Vermont comprises seven undergraduate schools, an honors college, a graduate college, and a college of medicine. The Honors College does not offer its own degrees; students in the Honors College concurrently enroll in one of the university's seven undergraduate colleges or...
, and a famous minister with published sermons at Savannah, GeorgiaSavannah, GeorgiaSavannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
, just prior to the Civil War. He pastored the Independent Presbyterian Church at Savannah, and was said to have been influenced by the Second Great AwakeningSecond Great AwakeningThe Second Great Awakening was a Christian revival movement during the early 19th century in the United States. The movement began around 1800, had begun to gain momentum by 1820, and was in decline by 1870. The Second Great Awakening expressed Arminian theology, by which every person could be...
, A religious movement that helped to produce social changes such as Abolition of slavery, women's rights, and prison reforms..
- Early U.S. Congressmen; Two U.S. Congressmen. were elected from Uxbridge Center to serve the new nation in the early 19th century, Benjamin Adams (1815–1823) and Phineas BrucePhineas BruceHon. Phineas Bruce was a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts who was later elected to the US Congress.Born in Mendon, Massachusetts, Bruce received a classical education and was graduated from Yale College in 1786....
(1803–1805). Phineas BrucePhineas BruceHon. Phineas Bruce was a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts who was later elected to the US Congress.Born in Mendon, Massachusetts, Bruce received a classical education and was graduated from Yale College in 1786....
was unable to serve out his term due to illness and died in Uxbridge in 1809. These two Congressmen are buried in the Prospect Hill Cemetery along with a Medal of HonorMedal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
recipient.
- Bezaleel Taft, Sr.Bezaleel Taft, Sr.-The Honorable Bezaleel Taft, Sr.'s home:Today Honorable Bezaleel Taft's home is known as "Hon. Bazaleel Taft House" and is listed on the National Historic Register. It has the Georgian architecture style, as does his son's home nearby, Elmshade. Both homes were well known in the Taft family for...
and Bezaleel Taft, Jr were descendents of LydiaLydia TaftLydia Chapin was the first known legal woman voter in colonial America. This occurred in the New England town Town Meeting, at Uxbridge, MA Massachusetts Colony.-Early life:...
and Josiah TaftJosiah Taft-Early life:Josiah was born on April 2, 1709, at Mendon, Massachusetts, the son of Daniel and Taft, and the grandson of the first American Taft, Robert Taft, Sr. Josiah's father Daniel, had been a local "squire" and Justice of the Peace...
. They both served in the Massachusetts General CourtMassachusetts General CourtThe Massachusetts General Court is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The name "General Court" is a hold-over from the Colonial Era, when this body also sat in judgment of judicial appeals cases...
, the legislature, the Massachusetts SenateMassachusetts SenateThe Massachusetts Senate is the upper house of the Massachusetts General Court, the bicameral state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Senate comprises 40 elected members from 40 single-member senatorial districts in the state...
, and on various state education and executive boards and commissions. Five generations of Tafts in Massachusetts were prominent in public service from Uxbridge. The "Life of Alphonso TaftAlphonso TaftAlphonso Taft was the Attorney General and Secretary of War under President Ulysses S. Grant and the founder of an American political dynasty. He was the father of U.S...
", from Google books, is a particularly rich source of the history of the Taft familyTaft familyThe Taft family of the United States hails from Cincinnati, Ohio, with historic origins in Massachusetts; its members have served Ohio, Massachusetts, Vermont, Rhode Island, Utah, and the United States in various positions, such as Governor of Ohio, Governor of Rhode Island, U.S. Senator , U.S...
in Mendon and Uxbridge.
.
- Luke TaftLuke TaftLuke Taft was an industrial pioneer in the manufacture of woolens in 19th century New England.-Family:...
, Moses TaftMoses TaftMoses Taft 2nd was born at Uxbridge, Massachusetts. He was significant as an early American Industrialist and financier in the historic Blackstone Valley, and a member of the famous Taft family.-Birth parents and family:...
, Jerry WheelockJerry WheelockJerry Wheelock was an early industrial pioneer in the Blackstone Valley of Massachusetts, a region that incubated the early American industrial revolution.-Family:...
, John Capron, Effingham Capron and Colonel John CapronJohn CapronJohn Willard Capron was an American military officer in the infantry, state legislator, and textile manufacturer.-Early life, family:...
, were well known early industrialists of 19th century Uxbridge. The mills of Uxbridge pioneered power looms, manufactured U.S. military uniforms for more than a century, developed wash and wear fabrics, vertical integration to clothing, satinets, and pioneered blended fabrics including wool-nylon serge.
- Daniel DayDaniel DayDaniel Day was an American pioneer in woolen manufacturing.-Family:Daniel Day was born in Mendon, MA and was the son of Joseph Day and Deborah Taft...
established the oldest woolen mill in this town, one of the oldest in the U.S., in 1809.
- Robert RogersonRobert RogersonRobert Rogerson was an early American industrialist. He was born in Taunton, Massachusetts, and died in the United States.-Early career:Robert Rogerson, was born in Taunton to parents who immigrated to the US, from the UK...
was born to parents from England, and brought grand plans for his cotton mills to Uxbridge. He left as a legacy the aesthetic mill village known as the Crown and Eagle Mills in Uxbridge which is considered a "masterpiece of early industrial architecture".
- Ezra Taft Benson, SrEzra T. BensonEzra Taft Benson was as an apostle and a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints .-Early life:Benson was born in Mendon, Massachusetts, the son of John Benson and...
, born 1811 in MendonMendon, MassachusettsMendon is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,839 at the 2010 census.Mendon is very historic and is now part of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, the oldest industrialized region in the United States.- Early history :The Nipmuc people...
, lived in Uxbridge from 1817–1835, ran the local hotel, and married Pamela Andrus of NorthbridgeNorthbridge, MassachusettsNorthbridge is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 15,707 at the 2010 census. The Northbridge Town Hall is located at 7 Main Street in Whitinsville. The town is now a part of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, of the National Park...
. He became an entrepreneur of a cotton millCotton millA cotton mill is a factory that houses spinning and weaving machinery. Typically built between 1775 and 1930, mills spun cotton which was an important product during the Industrial Revolution....
in Holland, MassachusettsHolland, Massachusetts-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water. Holland is bounded on the east by Sturbridge; on the south by Union, Connecticut; on the west by Wales; and on the north by Brimfield. Holland is equidistant...
. He later became a famous MormonMormonThe term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
missionary at Quincy, IllinoisQuincy, IllinoisQuincy, known as Illinois' "Gem City," is a river city along the Mississippi River and the county seat of Adams County. As of the 2010 census the city held a population of 40,633. The city anchors its own micropolitan area and is the economic and regional hub of West-central Illinois, catering a...
. He entered plural marriages, including Pamela's sister, served as an apostle to "the Sandwich IslandsHawaiian IslandsThe Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
", also known as HawaiiHawaiiHawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, and the Eastern States, and as a representative to the Utah Territorial LegislatureUtah TerritoryThe Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah....
. He later died at Ogden, UtahOgden, UtahOgden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a...
.
- Arthur MacArthur, Sr., born in GlasgowGlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland, lived here as a boy, and later served as a WisconsinWisconsinWisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
acting Governor and Supreme Court of Wisconsin chief justice and Supreme Court Chief Justice in the Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
circuit. His son and grandson were both famous. His grandson was General Douglas MacArthur.
- Edward P. BullardEdward P. BullardThe Bullard Machine Tool Company was a large American machine tool–building firm. It specialized in vertical boring mills and was largely responsible for the development of the modern form of that class of machine tools....
, was born and grew up here. He invented the vertical boring mill.
- William Augustus MowryWilliam Augustus MowryWilliam Augustus Mowry was an American educator and historical writer, born at Uxbridge, Massachusetts.-Family:William Augustus was an eighth-generation descendent of the Mowry family that immigrated from England to Providence in 1666. He was born to Johnathan Mowry and Hannah Mowry. His mother...
, noted educator and prolific historical writer, was born, and grew up here. Among other works he wrote about the "History of the Territorial Expansion of the United States", (1902). Other works included: Who Invented the American SteamboatSteamboatA steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
? (1874), Political Education in the Schools (1878), The School Curriculum and Business Life (1881), Talks with my Boys (1884; fifth edition, 1909), Elements of Civil Government (1890; new edition, 1913), War StoriesWar Stories"War Stories" is the tenth episode of the science fiction television series Firefly created by Joss Whedon.Angered at Zoe's unshakable war connection to Mal, Wash demands a shot at a field assignment...
(1892), Art Decorations for School Rooms (1892), Sunshine upon the PsalmsPsalmsThe Book of Psalms , commonly referred to simply as Psalms, is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible...
(1892), Lov'st Thou Me More than These? (1892), A History of the United States (1896), The Uxbridge AcademyUxbridge AcademyThe Uxbridge Academy was part of what now is known as the "Uxbridge Common District" in downtown Uxbridge, Massachusetts. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Other historic buildings including some on the national historic register in this district include the Uxbridge Free...
, a Brief History with a Biographical Sketch of Joshua Mason MacomberJoshua Mason MacomberJoshua Mason Macomber, A.M., M.D , was a noted educator and a physician from New Salem, Massachusetts, United States.-Early life:...
, A.M., M.D., Preceptor (1897), First Steps in the History of our Country (1898); revised edition, 1914), with A. May, American Inventions and Inventors (1900), Marcus WhitmanMarcus WhitmanMarcus Whitman was an American physician and Oregon missionary in the Oregon Country. Along with his wife Narcissa Whitman he started a mission in what is now southeastern Washington state in 1836, which would later become a stop along the Oregon Trail...
and Early OregonOregonOregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
(1901), American Heroes (1903), with Blanche S. Mowry, American Pioneers (1905), Essentials of United States History (1906; revised edition, 1914), Recollections of a New EnglandNew EnglandNew England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
Educator (1908). Mowry was listed in Who's Who in America.
- Benedict ArnoldBenedict ArnoldBenedict Arnold V was a general during the American Revolutionary War. He began the war in the Continental Army but later defected to the British Army. While a general on the American side, he obtained command of the fort at West Point, New York, and plotted to surrender it to the British forces...
's widow, "Sarah" ArnoldPeggy ShippenPeggy Shippen, or Margaret Shippen , was the second wife of General Benedict Arnold...
, a native of Philadelphia, died here on February 14, 1836.http://books.google.com/books?id=6lj7wmu0U2IC&dq=Samuel+Taft+of+Uxbridge&pg=PA235&ots=kbl8tM2at5&sig=MW5Zl5YQwXgYUawOVq1iwYpt-bU&prev=http://www.google.com/search%3Fhl%3Den%26q%3DSamuel%2BTaft%2Bof%2BUxbridge&sa=X&oi=print&ct=result&cd=2&cad=legacy#PPA356,M1 This appears to be verified in the town vital records. among others. Some sources claim that Margaret Shippen died in England on August 24, 1804 at the age of 41. She may have returned incoginito to Massachusetts before her death.
- Corporal Edward Sullivan (US Marine)Edward Sullivan (US Marine)Corporal Edward Sullivan of the. United States Marine Corps was born May 16, 1870, in Cork, County Cork, Ireland. He died March 11, 1955, at Uxbridge, Massachusetts, USA...
of Uxbridge, a native of County Cork, Ireland, served in the United States Marines, and received the Medal of HonorMedal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
, for heroism in Cienfuegos, Cuba, in the Spanish American War.
- Fiery abolitionist, Abby Kelley Foster was a member of the Quaker Meeting House in Uxbridge. She led Lucy StoneLucy StoneLucy Stone was a prominent American abolitionist and suffragist, and a vocal advocate and organizer promoting rights for women. In 1847, Stone was the first woman from Massachusetts to earn a college degree. She spoke out for women's rights and against slavery at a time when women were discouraged...
and Susan B. AnthonySusan B. AnthonySusan Brownell Anthony was a prominent American civil rights leader who played a pivotal role in the 19th century women's rights movement to introduce women's suffrage into the United States. She was co-founder of the first Women's Temperance Movement with Elizabeth Cady Stanton as President...
into the cause. She was a resident of Millbury, and Worcester.
- Judge Henry ChapinJudge Henry ChapinHenry Chapin was a judge, a state legislator, and a three-term mayor of Worcester, Massachusetts.-Early life and career:...
, was a local attorney, historian, Unitarian ChurchAmerican Unitarian AssociationThe American Unitarian Association was a religious denomination in the United States and Canada, formed by associated Unitarian congregations in 1825. In 1961, it merged with the Universalist Church of America to form the Unitarian Universalist Association.According to Mortimer Rowe, the Secretary...
leader, Chief Judge, and three term mayor of WorcesterWorcester, MassachusettsWorcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
. Married to Abigail Baylies . - Charles Seagrave is mentioned as a woolen manufacturer, and Hilena Lowell, of the famous Lowell familyLowell familyThe Lowell family settled on the North Shore at Cape Ann after they arrived in Boston on June 23, 1639. The patriarch, Percival Lowle , described as a "solid citizen of Bristol", determined at the age of 68 that the future was in the New World.Massachusetts Bay Colony Governor John Winthrop needed...
, was a shoe manufacturer in 19th century Uxbridge. The Seagrave family had its roots in Uxbridge. One of the Seagrave family descendents, George Seagrave, manufactured Seagrave Pumpers at Detroit and Columbus, OhioColumbus, OhioColumbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
.
- Joshua Mason MacomberJoshua Mason MacomberJoshua Mason Macomber, A.M., M.D , was a noted educator and a physician from New Salem, Massachusetts, United States.-Early life:...
, A.M., M.D, was a prominent early American educator, and Principal of the Uxbridge AcademyUxbridge AcademyThe Uxbridge Academy was part of what now is known as the "Uxbridge Common District" in downtown Uxbridge, Massachusetts. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Other historic buildings including some on the national historic register in this district include the Uxbridge Free...
, an historic New England Preparatory school. He became a physician, and medical educator, at the University of PennsylvaniaUniversity of PennsylvaniaThe University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
, Medical CollegeMedical collegeA Medical College is a trade association that brings together practitioners of a particular geographical area . In common law countries often are grouped by medical specialties ....
.
- Leonard White, MD, local health officer- Dr. White published in the medical literature describing early childhood vaccineVaccineA vaccine is a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease. A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism, and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe or its toxins...
related deaths in 1885. He published a report of an outbreak of malariaMalariaMalaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
in town in 1896. Dr. Theobald Smith, the pathologist with the Massachusetts Board of Health, corresponded with Dr. White about the malaria in Uxbridge.http://www.nmca.org/Nmca93-4.htm This is among the earliest known links of malaria to mosquitoes in America, one year before Ronald RossRonald RossSir Ronald Ross KCB FRS was a British doctor who received the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1902 for his work on malaria. He was the first Indian-born person to win a Nobel Prize...
in India described the links to the AnophelesAnophelesAnopheles is a genus of mosquito. There are approximately 460 recognized species: while over 100 can transmit human malaria, only 30–40 commonly transmit parasites of the genus Plasmodium, which cause malaria in humans in endemic areas...
mosquito.
- Willard D. Bartlett; — Born in Uxbridge, Worcester County, Mass., October 14, 1846. Justice of the New York Supreme CourtNew York Supreme CourtThe Supreme Court of the State of New York is the trial-level court of general jurisdiction in thestate court system of New York, United States. There is a supreme court in each of New York State's 62 counties, although some smaller counties share judges with neighboring counties...
, 2nd District, 1884–1907; Justice of the Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court 2nd Department, 1896–1906; judge of New York Court of AppealsNew York Court of AppealsThe New York Court of Appeals is the highest court in the U.S. state of New York. The Court of Appeals consists of seven judges: the Chief Judge and six associate judges who are appointed by the Governor to 14-year terms...
, 1906–16; chief judge of New York Court of Appeals, 1913-16. He was from BrooklynBrooklynBrooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, Kings County, New York in adulthood.
20th century
- Charles Arthur Root bought Scott's Mill, and later Capron Mill, and Rivulet mills. He and Edward Bachman of New York City, developed the Bachman Uxbridge Worsted Company into an enterprise with 13 plants, in 4 states with over 6,000 workers. The successor company, Bachmann Uxbridge (1953 sales, $52,609,000; profit, $272,000) would be by far the biggest woolen manufacturer in the country. (Time Magazine, 1953).
- Alice BridgesAlice BridgesAlice W. Bridges was an American swimmer, who at age 20, competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics at Berlin. It first appeared that Bridges, who originally was a back-up contestant, had actually won her event...
, born in 1916, was a 20 year old Uxbridge woman who won a Bronze medalBronze medalA bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
for the backstroke in the 1936 Summer Olympics1936 Summer OlympicsThe 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Berlin won the bid to host the Games over Barcelona, Spain on April 26, 1931, at the 29th IOC Session in Barcelona...
. She and her sister learned to swim at "Pout Pound" and the Whitin's Gym which had an Olympic pool since the 1920s. She apparently placed first, but Nazi politics ruled the day at the Berlin Olympics and she clinched the Bronze. The bridge across the Mumford RiverMumford RiverThe Mumford River is an river in south-central Massachusetts. It is a tributary of the Blackstone River.The river rises from its headwaters in Sutton and Douglas at Manchaug Pond and flows east in a meandering path through a series of ponds , and joins the Blackstone River in Uxbridge.The river...
in the center of town was named for her in 2008.http://www.telegram.com/article/20081012/NEWS/810120372/-1/Uxbridge&TEMPLATE=TOWNPORTAL&WT_TOWN=Uxbridge&WT_CAME_FROM=MORE_NEWS She resides today in Carlisle, Pennsylvania at age 95 and still swims. - Harold WalterHarold WalterHarold J. Walter, born in Colorado 1901, died in 1962 in Uxbridge, Massachusetts, was an American textile manufacturer.-Early life and education:...
, originally from ColoradoColoradoColorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, became the President of the Bachman Uxbridge Worsted Company. At its peak it was one of the most successful textile companies in America. The company had seven plants, nationwide, and was written up in TimeTime (magazine)Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine in August 1953 in an article entitled "the Pride of Uxbridge". The company led the women's fashion industry in America in 1953 with one of its products. Under his leadership, the company also led the industry in blended fabrics, and wool-nylon serge. Walter planned a merger of Bachman Uxbridge as a buy out of debt laden American Woolen which would have created America's largest woolen conglomerate(Time Magazine, 1954). Textron of Providence eventually won the competition. - Richard T. MooreRichard T. MooreRichard T. Moore Richard T. Moore Richard T. Moore (born is a Democratic politician from Massachusetts and a member of the Massachusetts State Senate.-Biography:Richard T. Moore was born in Milford, Massachusetts. He is married to the former Joanne Bednarz of Uxbridge, Massachusetts...
was in the 1990s, a local state senatorState SenatorA state senator is a member of a state's Senate, the upper house in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a legislator in Nebraska's one house State Legislature.There are typically fewer state senators than there are members of a state's lower house...
, who served as Massachusetts chairman of President Bill ClintonBill ClintonWilliam Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
's campaign, as the Associate Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management AgencyFederal Emergency Management AgencyThe Federal Emergency Management Agency is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security, initially created by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1978 and implemented by two Executive Orders...
(FEMA) under President Clinton. Moore focused his efforts on local emergency preparedness efforts and capacity for FEMA, 5 years before 9/11. - Tim FortugnoTim FortugnoTimothy Shawn Fortugno is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He graduated in 1980 from Uxbridge High School ....
graduated from Uxbridge High School in 1980, and played Professional baseballProfessional baseballBaseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
as a relief pitcherRelief pitcherA relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
. Teams he played for included the California Angels, The Chicago White SoxChicago White SoxThe Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
, and the Cincinnati RedsCincinnati RedsThe Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
.
- Jeannine OppewallJeannine OppewallJeannine Claudia Oppewall is an American film art director. She has worked on more than 30 movies in such roles as art decorator, set decorator and production designer, and has four Academy Award nominations for Best Art Design for L.A. Confidential, Pleasantville, Seabiscuit and The Good Shepherd...
is a film art director and producer who has worked on more than 30 films and has 4 Academy Awards nominations. Jeanine was born in 1946 and raised in Uxbridge.
- Arthur Wheelock was the CEO and family scion of the Stanley Woolen Mills. Arthur is a historian in his own right and has shared history of the textile industry, and of his family of origin, which descends fromt the early textile pioneer, Jerry Wheelock, and the earlier east England clergyman who came to New EnglandNew EnglandNew England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
, Rev. Ralph Wheelock, (Rev. Ralph Wheelock, 17h century figure, is attributed as the father of American public education at Dedham, Massachusetts Colony.)
21st century
- Brian SkerryBrian SkerryBrian Skerry is an underwater photojournalist who works primarily for National Geographic magazine.Skerry was born in Milford, Massachusetts in 1962, and grew up in Uxbridge. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in media and communications from Worcester State College in 1984...
is an undersea photographer who works with National Geographic.. Skerry's publications are extensive and include many international venues. Skerry is a passionate advocate for preservation of global fisheries. (see Brian Skerry's TED TALK)
- Lawrence E. Bombara, formerly chief of Uxbridge's public worksPublic worksPublic works are a broad category of projects, financed and constructed by the government, for recreational, employment, and health and safety uses in the greater community...
department (DPW), headed up the National Association of Public Works Directors in 2007 before he retired.
- Jacqueline LiebergottJacqueline LiebergottJacqueline Weis Liebergott was the 11th president of Emerson College and is a doctor in speech pathology.A graduate of the University of Maryland, Liebergott earned her master's and doctoral degrees in speech-language pathology from the University of Pittsburgh...
, president of renowned arts and communication school Emerson CollegeEmerson CollegeEmerson College is a private coeducational university located in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1880 by Charles Wesley Emerson as a "school of oratory," Emerson is "the only comprehensive college or university in America dedicated exclusively to communication and the arts in a liberal arts...
from (1993–2011), was born in Uxbridge and spent her childhood there until moving to Maryland. President Liebergott announced her retirement for 2011, in late 2009. Liebergott was the first woman to ever serve as President of Emerson College.
- Richard T. MooreRichard T. MooreRichard T. Moore Richard T. Moore Richard T. Moore (born is a Democratic politician from Massachusetts and a member of the Massachusetts State Senate.-Biography:Richard T. Moore was born in Milford, Massachusetts. He is married to the former Joanne Bednarz of Uxbridge, Massachusetts...
(Dick Moore) was the chief architect who helped craft the landmark Massachusetts health care reformMassachusetts health care reformThe Massachusetts health care insurance reform law, enacted in 2006, mandates that nearly every resident of Massachusetts obtain a state-government-regulated minimum level of healthcare insurance coverage and provides free health care insurance for residents earning less than 150% of the federal...
legislation in 2006, a forerunner to the Affordable Health Care Act of 2010. Moore served as President of the U.S. Conference of state legislatures in 2010-2011. He was a Federal Emergency Management AgencyFederal Emergency Management AgencyThe Federal Emergency Management Agency is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security, initially created by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1978 and implemented by two Executive Orders...
executive under President Bill ClintonBill ClintonWilliam Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, and helped develop local preparedness efforts at the National level from 1994-1996. He chaired Clinton's Presidential Campaign in Massachusetts.
- Kevin M. Sherin, MD, Uxbridge native, past President of American Association of Public Health PhysiciansAmerican Association of Public Health PhysiciansThe American Association of Public Health Physicians , is a professional association of public health physicians. Its motto is "the voice of Public Health Physicians / Guardians of the Public's Health".-Brief history:...
(2008–2010), developed "HITS" screening tool domestic violence used around the world. HITS domestic violence screening tool APP intro video] R3 mobile app for Android, I phone, helps providers and those in abusive relationships
- Arthur Wheelock, Jr, an Uxbridge native, is the curatorCuratorA curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
of the National GalleryNational Gallery of ArtThe National Gallery of Art and its Sculpture Garden is a national art museum, located on the National Mall between 3rd and 9th Streets at Constitution Avenue NW, in Washington, DC...
in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
- Brooke Bibeault In December 2009, a local teen, Brooke Bibeault, was named Miss MassachusettsMiss MassachusettsFor the state pageant affiliated with Miss USA, see Miss Massachusetts USAThe Miss Massachusetts competition is a scholarship pageant put on annually by the Miss Massachusetts Scholarship Foundation, Inc...
in 2010 for Miss Teen USAMiss Teen USAMiss Teen USA is a beauty pageant run by the Miss Universe Organization for girls aged 14–19. The reigning titleholder is Danielle Doty of Texas....
.http://www.blackstonevalleytribune.com/pdf/BLA.2009.12.11.pdf He