“Eli Whitney, Father of American Mass Production” Westborough’s most famous inventor, Eli Whitney (1765-1825), perfected the cotton gin to remove seeds from short-stem cotton and inadvertently increased the demand for slave labor on Southern plantations. He went on to apply mass production to the manufacture of guns at the Whitney Arms Company in Hartford, CT. […]
William Sibley (1821-1890): Citizen, Soldier, Sleighmaker: On March 29, 2021 the Westborough Historical Society held a virtual presentation view a recording of that presentation by clicking here or simply watch below. Jim O’Connor will chronicle William Sibley’s life at a time of national crisis and dissension. A respected citizen, Sibley joined Westborough’s Company K when […]
Maps record the geographical information of a community, yet some maps tell stories. Maps are created by individuals who decide the subject of a map at a certain point in time from their point of view, deciding what is included, and what is left out. Join the Westborough Historical Society as they offer one of […]
Professor John McClymer of Assumption College was the featured speaker for the annual Westborough Civic Club lecture held in conjunction with the Westborough Historical Society. “Why We Remember the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire” (1911) was held on Feb. 3, 2020.Watch the presentation here. In a sweatshop in Greenwich Village, New York, 146 garment workers, mostly […]
The Historical Society welcomed Prof. Edward O’Donnell of Holy Cross College on January 13, 2020 for a fascinating history presentation. Watch/listen to the full lecture here. Landmark movements have irrevocably altered the direction of the nation and signaled the start of a new historical reality. Some were groundbreaking political concepts; some were dramatic military victories […]
Monday, October 28, 2019: Historian and former Fire Captain Phil Kittredge presented vintage photographs of Westborough spanning 1850 to 1950. The highlight was the first-time showing of the original crime scene photos of the infamous 1919 “Baby Doll murders” on South Street. Watch the Full Presentation here!
The launch of The Ebenezer Parkman Project took place on April 25, 2019 at the Mill Pond School Auditorium. Featured Speakers: Ross W. Beales Jr., James F. Cooper and Anthony Vaver. Check out The Ebenezer Parkman Project Website here: Watch the Presentation here:
A Stroll into Yesteryear: On Monday, November 26, 2018, the Westborough Historical Society hosted a viewing of vintage photographs of Westborough in the 19th century. Developed from rare glass negatives, these scenes of old shops, schools, churches, and businesses bring alive the good old days with commentary by historian and former fire captain Phil Kittredge. […]
The Merrie-M building has seen a lot over the years. From storefronts to restaurants to housing, it holds all that history and that story needs to be told. Paula Skog sat down with Nanci Miller and Aida Whithouse, the daughter of Merriam herself. Join them for a look back at The Merrie-M’s history (click to […]
Westborough Historical Society held their annual Civic Club Lecture on February 26, 2018. They presented, “Since Henry Ford Apologized to Me” with guest speaker, Assumption College Professor, John McClymer. He spoke about using stereotyped ethnic voices to subvert ethnic stereotypes in the early U.S 20th century. Click here to watch the full lecture!