Uxbridge is a town in

Worcester County, Massachusetts Worcester County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 862,111, making it the second-most populous county in Massachusetts while also b ...

first colonized in 1662 and incorporated in 1727. It was originally part of the town of Mendon, and named for the

Earl of Uxbridge Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form ''jarl'', and meant "chieftain", particular ...

. The town is located southwest of

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

and south-southeast of

Worcester Worcester may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England ** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament * Worcester Park, London, Englan ...

, at the midpoint of the Blackstone Valley National Historic Park. The historical society notes that Uxbridge is the "Heart of The Blackstone Valley" and is also known as "the Cradle of the Industrial Revolution". Uxbridge was a prominent

Textile Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not the ...

center in the

American Industrial Revolution The technological and industrial history of the United States describes the United States' emergence as one of the most technologically advanced nations in the world. The availability of land and literate labor, the absence of a landed arist ...

. Two

Quakers Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abil ...

served as national leaders in the

American anti-slavery movement In the United States, abolitionism, the movement that sought to end slavery in the country, was active from the late colonial era until the American Civil War, the end of which brought about the abolition of American slavery through the Thir ...

. Uxbridge "weaves a tapestry of early

America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

". Indigenous Nipmuc people near "Wacentug" or “Waentug” (river bend), deeded land to 17th-century settlers. New England towns are beginning to acknowledge their indigenous lands. Uxbridge reportedly granted rights to America's first colonial woman voter,

Lydia Taft Lydia Taft (née Chapin; February 2, 1712November 9, 1778) was the first woman known to legally vote in colonial America. This occurred at a town meeting in the New England town of Uxbridge in Massachusetts Colony, on October 30, 1756. Early lif ...

, and approved Massachusetts first women jurors. The first hospital for

mental illness A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitti ...

in America was reportedly established here. Digital Treasures, Samuel Willard ran a "hospital for the insane", and trained young physicians, east side of Uxbridge Common (no longer standing) Deborah Sampson posed as an Uxbridge soldier, and fought in the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...

. A 140-year legacy of manufacturing

military uniforms A military uniform is a standardised dress worn by members of the armed forces and paramilitaries of various nations. Military dress and styles have gone through significant changes over the centuries, from colourful and elaborate, ornamented c ...

and clothing began with 1820 power looms. Uxbridge became famous for woolen cashmeres. "Uxbridge Blue", was the first

US Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

Dress Uniform.

BJ's Wholesale Club BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc., commonly referred as BJ's, is an American membership-only warehouse club chain based in Marlborough, Massachusetts, operating on the East Coast of the United States in addition to Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana. ...

distribution warehouse is a major employer today. Uxbridge had a population of 14,162 at the

2020 United States Census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

History

Colonial era, Revolution, Quakers, and abolition

John Eliot started Nipmuc

Praying Indian Praying Indian is a 17th-century term referring to Native Americans of New England, New York, Ontario, and Quebec who converted to Christianity either voluntarily or involuntarily. Many groups are referred to by the term, but it is more commonly ...

villages. Several praying Indian towns included Waentug (or Wacentug) and “Rice City” (later settled as Mendon.) “Great John”, sold Squimshepauk plantation to settlers in September of 1663, "for 24 pound Ster". Mendon began in 1667, and burned in King Phillips War. Western Mendon became Uxbridge in 1727, and Farnum House held the first town meeting.

John Adams John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, attorney, diplomat, writer, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Befor ...

’ uncle,

Nathan Webb Nathan Webb (April 9, 1705 March 17, 1772), an early-American Congregational Church minister. Early life He was born in Braintree, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, to Benjamin Webb (1667–1739) and Susanna Ballentine. He married Ruth Adams i ...

, was the first called minister of the colony's first new Congregational church in the

Great Awakening Great Awakening refers to a number of periods of religious revival in American Christian history. Historians and theologians identify three, or sometimes four, waves of increased religious enthusiasm between the early 18th century and the late ...

. The American

Taft family The Taft family of the United States has historic origins in Massachusetts; its members have served Ohio, Massachusetts, Vermont, Rhode Island, Utah, and the United States in various positions such as U.S. Representative (two), Governor of Ohio, G ...

origins are intertwined with Uxbridge and Mendon.

reportedly voted in the 1756 town meeting, considered as a first for colonial

women A woman is an adult female human. Prior to adulthood, a female human is referred to as a girl (a female child or Adolescence, adolescent). The plural ''women'' is sometimes used in certain phrases such as "women's rights" to denote female hum ...

Seth Seth,; el, Σήθ ''Sḗth''; ; "placed", "appointed") in Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Mandaeism, and Sethianism, was the third son of Adam and Eve and brother of Cain and Abel, their only other child mentioned by name in the Hebrew Bible. A ...

and

Joseph Read Joseph Read (March 6, 1732 – September 22, 1801) 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, 1 ...

and

Simeon Wheelock Simeon Wheelock (March 29, 1741– September 30, 1786) was a blacksmith from Uxbridge, Massachusetts, who served as a minuteman in the Massachusetts militia during the battles of Lexington and Concord in the American Revolutionary War. After the w ...

joined Committees of Correspondence. Baxter Hall was a Minuteman drummer. Seth Read fought at Bunker Hill. Washington stopped at Reed's tavern, en route to command the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...

Samuel Spring Rev. Samuel Spring (1746–1819) 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. His father was John Spring ...

was one of the first

chaplain A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a Minister (Christianity), minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a laity, lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secularity, secular institution (such as a hosp ...

s of the

. Deborah Sampson enlisted as "Robert Shurtlieff of Uxbridge".

Shays' Rebellion Shays Rebellion was an armed uprising in Western Massachusetts and Worcester in response to a debt crisis among the citizenry and in opposition to the state government's increased efforts to collect taxes both on individuals and their trades. The ...

also began here, and Governor

John Hancock John Hancock ( – October 8, 1793) was an American Founding Father, 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 ...

quelled Uxbridge riots.

died protecting the Springfield Armory.

Seth Reed Seth Read (March 6, 1746 – March 19, 1797) was born in Uxbridge in Worcester County, Massachusetts, and died at Erie, Pennsylvania, as "Seth Reed", at age 51. Biography Early life He was the son of Lieutenant John Read, and Lucy Read. Jo ...

was instrumental in adding " E pluribus unum" to U.S. coins.

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

slept here on his Inaugural tour while traveling the Middle Post Road. Jacob Aldrich House, National Historic Site, Uxbridge, MA

including Richard Mowry migrated here from Smithfield, Rhode Island, and built mills, railroads, houses, tools and Conestoga wagon wheels. Southwick's store housed the Social and Instructive Library. Friends Meetinghouse, next to Moses Farnum's farm, had prominent

abolitionists Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the movement to end slavery. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people. The Britis ...

Abby Kelley Foster Abby Kelley Foster (January 15, 1811 – January 14, 1887) 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-Sl ...

and

Effingham Capron Effingham Lawrence Capron (17911859), a Quaker, was a mill owner, and nationally recognized leader of the anti-slavery movement prior to the American Civil War, Civil War. He was known especially in the Northeast United States for his anti-slavery ...

as members. Capron led the 450 member local anti-slavery society. Brister Pierce, formerly a slave in Uxbridge, was a signer of an 1835 petition to

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of a ...

demanding abolition of slavery and the slave trade in the

District of Columbia ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

. Local influences from the First and Second

s can be seen with the early Congregational and

Quaker Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belie ...

traditions.

Early transportation, education, public health and safety

The Tafts built the Middle Post Road's

Blackstone River The Blackstone River is a river in the U.S. states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It flows approximately 48 mi (80 km) and drains a watershed of approximately 540 sq. mi (1,400 km2). Its long history of industrial use has left ...

bridge in 1709. " Teamsters" drove horse "team" freight wagons on the Worcester-Providence stage route. The

Blackstone Canal The Blackstone Canal was a waterway linking Worcester, Massachusetts, to Providence, Rhode Island (and Narragansett Bay) through the Blackstone Valley via a series of locks and canals during the early 19th century. History The initiative for th ...

brought horse-drawn barges to

Providence Providence often refers to: * Providentia, the divine personification of foresight in ancient Roman religion * Divine providence, divinely ordained events and outcomes in Christianity * Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island in the ...

through Uxbridge for overnight stops. The "crossroads village" was a junction on the

Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was a network of clandestine routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early- to mid-19th century. It was used by enslaved African Americans primarily to escape into free states and Canada. T ...

. The P&W Railroad ended canal traffic in 1848. A 1732 vote "set up a school for ye town of Uxbridge". A grammar school was followed by 13 one-room district school houses, built for $2000 in 1797.

Uxbridge Academy The Uxbridge Common District is located in downtown Uxbridge, Massachusetts. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Historic buildings in this district include the Uxbridge Academy, Uxbridge Free Public Library, the Debora ...

(1818) became a prestigious New England prep school. Uxbridge voted against the smallpox

vaccine A vaccine is a biological Dosage form, preparation that provides active acquired immunity to a particular infectious disease, infectious or cancer, malignant disease. The safety and effectiveness of vaccines has been widely studied and verifie ...

Samuel Willard Samuel Willard (January 31, 1640 – September 12, 1707) was a New England Puritan clergyman. He was born in Concord, Massachusetts, graduated from Harvard College in 1659, and was minister at Groton from 1663 to 1676, before being driven out by ...

treated smallpox victims, was a forerunner of modern psychiatry, and ran the first hospital for mental illness in America. Vital records recorded many infant deaths, the smallpox death of Selectman

Joseph Richardson Joseph or Joe Richardson may refer to: * Joseph Richardson (American politician) (1778–1871), United States Representative from Massachusetts * Joseph Richardson (Liberal politician) (1830–1902), Liberal Party politician in England, MP for So ...

, "Quincy", "dysentary", and tuberculosis deaths. Leonard White recorded a

malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...

outbreak here in 1896 that led to firsts in the control of malaria as a mosquito-borne infection. Uxbridge led Massachusetts in robberies for a quarter of the year in 1922, and the town voted to hire its first nighttime police patrolman.

Industrial era: 19th century to late 20th century

Bog iron and three iron forges marked the colonial era, with the inception of large-scale industries beginning around 1775. Examples of this development can be seen in the work of Richard Mowry, who built and marketed equipment to manufacture woolen, linen, or cotton cloth, and

gristmill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the Mill (grinding), grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist i ...

sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes (dimensi ...

s, distilleries, and large industries.

Daniel Day Daniel Day may refer to: * Daniel Day (manufacturer) (1767–1848), American pioneer in woollen manufacturing * Daniel Day (cricketer) (1807–1887), English cricketer * Dapper Dan (designer) (born 1944), American fashion designer, born Daniel Day ...

built the first woolen mill in 1809. By 1855, 560 local workers made of cloth (). Uxbridge reached a peak of over twenty different industrial mills. A small silver vein at Scadden, in southwest Uxbridge, led to unsuccessful commercial mining in the 1830s. 2 Capron Street, Uxbridge

Innovations included

power loom A power loom is a mechanized loom, and was one of the key developments in the industrialization of weaving during the early Industrial Revolution. The first power loom was designed in 1786 by Edmund Cartwright and first built that same year. ...

s, vertical integration of wool to clothing,

cashmere wool Cashmere wool, usually simply known as cashmere, is a fiber obtained from cashmere goats, pashmina goats, and some other breeds of goat. It has been used to make yarn, textiles and clothing for hundreds of years. Cashmere is closely associate ...

-synthetic blends, "wash and wear", yarn spinning techniques, and latch hook kits. Villages included mills, shops, worker housing, and farms. Wm. Arnold's Ironstone cotton mill, later made Kentucky Blue Jeans, and Seth Read's gristmill, later housed Bay State Arms. Hecla and

Wheelockville Wheelockville is a village in the town (township) of Uxbridge, Massachusetts, United States. Part of the village centering on Mendon and Henry streets is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Wheelockville Historic District. ...

housed American Woolen, Waucantuck Mill, Hilena Lowell's shoe factory, and Draper Corporation.

Jerry Wheelock Jeremiah Wheelock (September 19, 1782 – 10 October 1861) was an American early industrial pioneer in the Blackstone Valley of Massachusetts, a region that incubated the early American industrial revolution. Family He was the youngest son of Sim ...

, and

Luke Taft Luke Taft (3 June 1783 – 7 April 1863) was an industrial pioneer in the manufacture of woolens in 19th century New England. Family Luke Taft was a fifth-generation descendant of Robert Taft I, of the American Taft family. Robert Taft I had se ...

used water-powered mills.

Moses Taft Moses Taft 2nd (January 16, 1812 – April 2, 1893) 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 parent ...

's ( Central Woolen) operated continuously making

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

cloth.

North Uxbridge North Uxbridge is a village and a post office in the town (township) of Uxbridge in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The postal zip code is 01538. It is classified as a community or populated place (Class Code U6) located at latit ...

housed Clapp's 1810 cotton mill, Chandler Taft's and Richard Sayles' Rivulet Mill, the granite quarry, and Rogerson's village. Crown and Eagle Mill was "a masterpiece of early industrial architecture". Blanchard's granite quarry provided curb stones to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, the

Statue of Liberty The Statue of Liberty (''Liberty Enlightening the World''; French: ''La Liberté éclairant le monde'') is a List of colossal sculpture in situ, colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor in New York City, in the U ...

and regional public works projects. Peter Rawson Taft's grandson,

William Howard Taft William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) was the 27th president of the United States (1909–1913) and the tenth chief justice of the United States (1921–1930), the only person to have held both offices. Taft was elected pr ...

, visited

Samuel Taft House The Samuel Taft House is a historic house at 87 Sutton Street in Uxbridge, Massachusetts. The main block of the story timber-frame house was built in 1774, and is a typical local variant of Georgian styling, with a gambrel roof, central chimney ...

. John Sr., Effingham and John W. Capron's mill pioneered US

satinets Satinet is a finely woven fabric with a finish resembling satin, but made partly or wholly from cotton or synthetic fiber. The fibers may be natural (as with cotton, woolens or cashmere wool) or synthetic. In the United States of America The proce ...

and woolen power looms. Charles A. Root, Edward Bachman, and Harold Walter expanded Bachman-Uxbridge, and exhibited leadership in women's fashion. The company manufactured

US Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

uniforms for the

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the

nurse corps Most professional militaries employ specialised military nurses. They are often organised as a distinct nursing corps. Florence Nightingale formed the first nucleus of a recognised Nursing Service for the British Army during the Crimean War in 1854 ...

, and the first

Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...

dress uniforms, dubbed "Uxbridge Blue". ''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...

'' magazine covered Uxbridge Worsted's proposed buyout to be the top US woolen company. The largest plant of one of the largest US yarn companies, Bernat Yarn, was located here from the 1960s to the 1980s. A historic company called Information Services operated from Uxbridge, and managed subscription services for ''

The New Republic ''The New Republic'' is an American magazine of commentary on politics, contemporary culture, and the arts. Founded in 1914 by several leaders of the progressive movement, it attempted to find a balance between "a liberalism centered in hum ...

'', among other publications, in the later 20th century.

Late 20th century to present

State and national parks developed around mills and rivers were restored. '' The Great Gatsby'' (1974) and ''

Oliver's Story ''Oliver's Story'' is a 1978 American romantic drama film and a sequel to '' Love Story'' (1970) based on a novel by Erich Segal published a year earlier. It was directed by John Korty and again starred Ryan O'Neal, this time opposite Candice Be ...

'' (1978) were filmed locally including at

Stanley Woolen Mill Stanley Woolen Mill is the common historic name applied to a defunct company based in southeastern Massachusetts and to the company's buildings which stand at the southern entrance to the Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State Park. The mill is ...

. The Blackstone Valley National Historic Park contains the Blackstone Canal Heritage State Park, of the

Blackstone River Greenway The Blackstone River Greenway in October 2006, approximately one mile south of the Martin Street Bridge, Lincoln, Rhode Island The Blackstone River Greenway (formerly Bikeway) is a partially completed paved rail trail defining the course of ...

, the

Southern New England Trunkline Trail The Southern New England Trunkline Trail (SNETT) is a rail trail in Massachusetts. The trail passes through the towns of Douglas, Uxbridge, Millville, Blackstone, Bellingham, and Franklin and is one of the longest trails in southern Massach ...

West Hill Dam West Hill Dam Reserve is a United States Army Corps of Engineers flood control project with a recreational park and wildlife management area located at Uxbridge, Massachusetts. The West Hill Dam Project was completed in 1960. It is located on the W ...

, a 567-acre wildlife refuge, parcels of the Metacomet Land Trust, and

Cormier Woods Cormier Woods is a open space preserve and historic 18th-century farm complex in Uxbridge, Massachusetts, USA, within the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor. The property is named for James Cormier, the former owner of the proper ...

. 60

Federalist The term ''federalist'' describes several political beliefs around the world. It may also refer to the concept of parties, whose members or supporters called themselves ''Federalists''. History Europe federation In Europe, proponents of de ...

homes were added to 54

national National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

and 375 state-listed historic sites, including

Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...

Elmshade The Bazaleel Taft Jr. House and Law Office are a historic house and law office building at 195 South Main Street in Uxbridge, Massachusetts. On November 7, 1983, they were listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The House and Law of ...

(where

War Secretary The Secretary of State for War, commonly called War Secretary, was a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, which existed from 1794 to 1801 and from 1854 to 1964. The Secretary of State for War headed the War Office and ...

Alphonso Taft had recounted local family history at a famous reunion). Capron's wooden mill survived a 2007 fire at the

Bernat Mill The Bernat Mill, also known as Capron Mill, and later Bachman Uxbridge Worsted Company, was an American yarn mill in Uxbridge, Massachusetts, that was for the most part destroyed by fire on July 21, 2007. This mill complex at Uxbridge had been a h ...

. Stanley mill is being restored while Waucantuck Mill was mostly razed. In 2013 multiple fires again affected the town, including a historic bank building and a Quaker home from the early 1800s. See National historic sites. Uxbridge, Massachusetts fire station

In 2017, a new $9.25 million fire station was completed on Main Street next to Town Hall. Voters approved the 14,365 square-foot station in 2015. The station has five bays to accommodate modern fire trucks, a radio and server room for computer and phone servers. The second floor includes a fitness room, kitchen, and showers for staff. The station is located in the historic district, and was built in consultation with the Uxbridge Historic District Commission. The old post office and fire station were demolished to make room for the new station. Context Architecture was the designer. Grace Rett of Uxbridge set a 2020 world record in rowing (62 hours), in Vero Beach, FL, before her untimely death one week later at age 20.

Notable people

* Benjamin Adams, Congressman *

Willard Bartlett Willard Bartlett (October 14, 1846 – January 17, 1925) was an American jurist. He was Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals. Biography Bartlett was born in Uxbridge, Massachusetts, the son of William Osborne Bartlett and Agnes E. H. Wil ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

Chief Justice *

Franklin Bartlett Franklin Bartlett (September 10, 1847 – April 23, 1909) was an American lawyer and politician who served two terms as a U.S. Representative from New York from 1893 to 1897. Biography Bartlett was born in Uxbridge, Worcester County, Massachusett ...

, Congressman *

Nicholas Baylies Nicholas Baylies (April 9, 1768April 14, 1847) was a Vermont lawyer, politician, and judge. He served as a justice of the Vermont Supreme Court from 1831 to 1833. Biography Nicholas Baylies was born in Uxbridge, Massachusetts on April 9, 1768, th ...

was born and raised in Uxbridge, and served as a Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court. * Ezra ("T".) Taft Benson, was an LDS Church Apostle,

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

missionary, and

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

legislator. Chandler Taft built the 1814 Rivulet Mill *

Alice Bridges Alice W. Bridges (July 19, 1916 – May 5, 2011), also known by her married name Alice Roche, was an American competition swimmer, who at age 20, represented the United States at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany. Biography Bridges ...

, won an

Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...

bronze in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

* Phineas Bruce, Congressman * Edward P. Bullard, started Bullard Machine tools, whose designs enabled auto manufacturing and industry *

, led Uxbridge as a center for pre-Civil War anti-slavery activities, and was a state and national anti-slavery leader, and an industrialist *

, a Taft, started the third US woolen mill *

Tim Fortugno Timothy Shawn Fortugno (born April 11, 1962) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher and current scout, working for the New York Mets as of November 2015. Career He graduated in 1980 from Uxbridge High School (Uxbridge, Massachusetts). Fortug ...

, played for the

California Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...

and

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...

Albert Harkness Albert Harkness (October 6, 1822May 27, 1907) was an American classical scholar and educator. He was professor of Greek at Brown University, and helped found the American Philological Association and the American School of Classical Studies at At ...

, Uxbridge High; academic latin scholar; published multiple works * Jacqueline Liebergott, was president of

Emerson College Emerson College is a private college with its main campus in Boston, Massachusetts. It also maintains campuses in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California and Well, Limburg, Netherlands ( Kasteel Well). Founded in 1880 by Charles Wesley Emerson as a ...

Arthur MacArthur Sr. Arthur MacArthur Sr. (January 26, 1815August 26, 1896) was a Scottish-American immigrant, lawyer, and judge. He was the fourth Governor of Wisconsin and was an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia. He was the father ...

, was a Lt. Governor, Chief Justice and

Douglas MacArthur Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American military leader who served as General of the Army for the United States, as well as a field marshal to the Philippine Army. He had served with distinction in World War I, was C ...

's grandfather * Joshua Macomber, Educator * Richard Moore, recent Senate

President Pro Tem A president pro tempore or speaker pro tempore is a constitutionally recognized officer of a legislative body who presides over the chamber in the absence of the normal presiding officer. The phrase '' pro tempore'' is Latin "for the time being ...

(MA), was a

FEMA The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), initially created under President Jimmy Carter by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978 and implemented by two Exec ...

executive, a past President of the Conference of State Legislatures, and a principal architect of Massachusetts's landmark health care law *

William Augustus Mowry William Augustus Mowry (August 13, 1829 – January 24, 1917) was an American educator and historical writer, born at Uxbridge, Massachusetts. Family William Augustus was an eighth-generation descendant of the Mowry family that immigrated from E ...

, Educator notably of Dom Toretto. *

Jeannine Oppewall Jeannine Claudia Oppewall (born November 28, 1946) is an American film art director. She has worked on more than 30 movies in such roles as production designer, set decorator and set designer, and has four Academy Award nominations for Best Art ...

, has four

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

nominations for best art direction * Willard Preston, the 4th

University of Vermont The University of Vermont (UVM), officially the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Burlington, Vermont. It was founded in 1791 and is amon ...

President, published famous sermons while later serving the Independent

Presbyterian Church Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

Savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the Canopy (forest), canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to rea ...

, Georgia *

, fought at Bunker Hill, was instrumental in adding " E pluribus unum" to U.S. coins, and was a founder of

Erie, Pennsylvania Erie (; ) is a city on the south shore of Lake Erie and the county seat of Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. Erie is the fifth largest city in Pennsylvania and the largest city in Northwestern Pennsylvania with a population of 94,831 a ...

and Geneva, New York *

was a Colonel in the American Revolutionary War. *

Brian Skerry Brian Skerry (born September 27, 1961) is a photographer and photojournalist specializing in marine wildlife and underwater environments. Since 1998 he has been a contributing photographer for National Geographic Magazine. In 2014 he was named a ...

, is a ''

National Geographic ''National Geographic'' (formerly the ''National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as NAT GEO) is a popular American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. Known for its photojournalism, it is one of the most widely ...

'' photojournalist, protecting global sea life * Edward Sullivan, won a Congressional Medal of Honor in the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (clock ...

* Robert Taft I, was patriarch to the

political dynasty *

Robert Taft, 2nd Robert Taft Jr. (1674–1748), also known as Robert Taft II, was a Massachusetts politician. He was born in Braintree, Massachusetts, Braintree, Massachusetts Bay Colony. He died at age 74 at Uxbridge, Massachusetts, Uxbridge, Worcester County, ...

, was a Selectman *

Josiah Taft Josiah Taft (April 2, 1709 – September 30, 1756) was a wealthy landowner in Uxbridge, Massachusetts best known as the husband of Lydia Taft, the first woman to vote in America. Early life Josiah was born on April 2, 1709, at Mendon, Province ...

, wealthy landowner, husband of Lydia Taft * Lydia (Chapin) Taft, first woman to vote in America * Bezaleel Taft Sr., served as an

Captain, state representative and state senator * Bezaleel Taft Jr., state representative and state Senator. Owned historic

Taft Family The Taft family of the United States has historic origins in Massachusetts; its members have served Ohio, Massachusetts, Vermont, Rhode Island, Utah, and the United States in various positions such as U.S. Representative (two), Governor of Ohio, G ...

homestead * Samuel Taft, hosted

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

on his post-inaugural tour *

, built two water powered

textile mill Textile Manufacturing or Textile Engineering is a major industry. It is largely based on the conversion of fibre into yarn, then yarn into fabric. These are then dyed or printed, fabricated into cloth which is then converted into useful goods ...

s *

, built

and implicated in the

Boston Molasses Disaster The Great Molasses Flood, also known as the Boston Molasses Disaster, was a disaster that occurred on January 15, 1919, in the North End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. A large storage tank filled with of molasses, weighing approximat ...

Peter Rawson Taft I Peter Rawson Taft (April 14, 1785 – January 1, 1867) was an American politician. He 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 ...

, was the grandfather of

, First called minister at new

Congregational Church Congregational churches (also Congregationalist churches or Congregationalism) are Protestant churches in the Calvinist tradition practising congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its ...

, first mentioned in

period, was

‘ uncle *

Arthur K. Wheelock Jr. Arthur Kingsland Wheelock Jr. (born May 13, 1943, in Uxbridge, Massachusetts, Uxbridge) is an American art historian, who served as Curator of Northern Baroque Paintings at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. until retiring in 2018. W ...

, was curator of Northern

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

Art at the

National Gallery of Art The National Gallery of Art, and its attached Sculpture Garden, is a national art museum in Washington, D.C., United States, located on the National Mall, between 3rd and 9th Streets, at Constitution Avenue NW. Open to the public and free of char ...

from 1975 to his retirement in 2018 * Paul C. Whitin, founded the Whitin Machine Works; transformed cotton machine manufacturing *

Charles Vacanti Charles Alfred "Chuck" Vacanti (born 1950) is a researcher in tissue engineering and stem cells and the Vandam/Covino Professor of Anesthesiology, Emeritus, at Harvard Medical School. He is a former head of the Department of Anesthesiology at th ...

, Anasthesiologist; Tissue engineering; Stem Cells; Known for the Vacanti Mouse

Government

Uxbridge has a Board of Selectmen and town meeting government. Local government granted the first woman in America the

right to vote Suffrage, political franchise, or simply franchise, is the right to vote in public, political elections and referendums (although the term is sometimes used for any right to vote). In some languages, and occasionally in English, the right to v ...

, nixed a smallpox vaccine in 1775, and defied the Massachusetts Secretary of State by approving women jurors. The 2009 Board of Health made Uxbridge the third community in the US to ban tobacco sales in pharmacies, but later reversed this. State agencies control county elected offices, and Uxbridge has a District Courthouse but no gaol.

Geography

The town is , of which , or 2.74%, is water. It is situated southwest of

, southeast of

, and northwest of

. Elevations range from to above sea level. It borders

Douglas Douglas may refer to: People * Douglas (given name) * Douglas (surname) Animals *Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking *Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civil W ...

, Mendon, Millville, Northbridge, and Sutton, Massachusetts, plus the

Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...

towns of Burrillville and

North Smithfield North Smithfield is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States, settled as a farming community in 1666 and incorporated into its present form in 1871. North Smithfield includes the historic villages of Forestdale, Primrose, Waterfo ...

Adjacent cities and towns

Climate

USDA The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...

hardiness zone A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most wide ...

continental climate Continental climates often have a significant annual variation in temperature (warm summers and cold winters). They tend to occur in the middle latitudes (40 to 55 north), within large landmasses where prevailing winds blow overland bringing som ...

prevails with snowfall extremes from November to April. The highest recorded temperature was 104 F, in July 1975, and the lowest, −25 F in January 1957.

Demographics

The

2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servin ...

population was 13,457, representing a growth rate of 20.6%, with 5,056 households, a density rate of 166.31 units per square mile. 95.7% were

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 1.7%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.90%

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

, 0.3%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, and 1.4% other.

Population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was 442.66 people/ mile² (170.77/km²).

Per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

was $24,540, and 4.7% fell below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

. There were 9,959 registered voters in 2010.

Economy

High tech, services, distribution, life sciences, hospitality, local government, education and tourism offer local jobs. A 618,000 square feet (57,400 m2) distribution center serves

Fortune 500 The ''Fortune'' 500 is an annual list compiled and published by ''Fortune'' magazine that ranks 500 of the largest United States corporations by total revenue for their respective fiscal years. The list includes publicly held companies, along ...

's, northern division. Unemployment was 3.9%, lower than the state average .

Education

Local schools include the Earl D. Taft Early Learning Center (Pre-K–3), Whitin Intermediate School (4–7), Uxbridge High School (8–12), and Our Lady of the Valley Regional. Uxbridge is also a member of one of the thirteen towns of the Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational School District. Uxbridge students in eighth grade have the opportunity to apply to

Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School, or BVT for short, is a technical high school in Upton, Massachusetts, serving the thirteen towns of the Blackstone Valley. The school was established in 1964. The school offers eighteen t ...

, serving grades 9–12. The ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' called Uxbridge education reforms a "little revolution" to meet family needs.

Healthcare

Tri-River Family Health Center ( University of Massachusetts Medical School) offers primary care. Milford Regional,

Landmark Medical Center The Landmark Medical Center is a private, not-for-profit hospital located in Woonsocket, Rhode Island and with another unit, Rehabilitation Hospital of Rhode Island in North Smithfield, Rhode Island. The facility is a teaching hospital for New Yo ...

, hospices and long term care are nearby or local.

Transportation

Rail

The nearest

MBTA Commuter Rail The MBTA Commuter Rail system serves as the commuter rail arm of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's transportation coverage of Greater Boston in the United States. Trains run over of track to 141 different stations, with 58 statio ...

stops are Forge Park/495 on the Franklin Line and Grafton and

on the Framingham/Worcester Line, 15 miles away. The

Northeast Corridor The Northeast Corridor (NEC) is an electrified railroad line in the Northeast megalopolis of the United States. Owned primarily by Amtrak, it runs from Boston through Providence, New Haven, Stamford, New York City, Philadelphia, Wilmington, a ...

Providence Amtrak station has trains with top speeds of 150 MPH. The Providence and Worcester Railroad freight line passes two former local stations.

Highways

Route 146 links

I-290, and I-90

I-90 Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain West, Great Plains, Midwest, and ...

I-95 and

I-295.

Route 16 links to

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

via

I-395 Interstate 395 may refer to: *Interstate 395 (Connecticut–Massachusetts), a spur from I-95 to Auburn, Massachusetts *Interstate 395 (Delaware), a proposed portion of I-95 in Delaware, when it was under construction *Interstate 395 (Florida), a spu ...

, and

, by

I-495 Interstate 495 (I-495) is the designation for several Interstate Highways in the United States, all of which are related to Interstate 95, listed from south to north: * The Capital Beltway, a beltway around Washington, D.C., running through Virgini ...

Route 122 connects Northbridge and Woonsocket. MA Route 146A

Route 146A goes into

Route 98 leads to Burrillville.

Airports

TF Green State Airport Warwick- Providence, RI, Worcester Regional Airport, and

Boston Logan International Airport General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport , also known as Boston Logan International Airport and commonly as Boston Logan, Logan Airport or simply Logan, is an international airport that is located mostly in East Boston and partially ...

have commercial flights.

Hopedale Airport Hopedale Airport is west of Hopedale, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The airport was built in the 1960s to provide air support for Hopedale Air Station, a USAF station. After the US military left in 1968, the airport became a civilian a ...

, away, and Worcester Regional Airport have general aviation. A private air strip, Sky Glen Airport on Quaker Highway, is still listed on FAA sites, though the map location shows it within a dense industrial park, and at its peak of operations, it saw very low traffic.

Points of interest

* "Uxbridge", A film by Chris Bilodeau Photography (2017) * National historic sites * John Farnum House, Main

John C. Farnum House, Uxbridge Historical Society Museum, * Lt. Simeon Wheelock House, Uxbridge common district, 1768 * Friends meetinghouse, * Taft House, 1789 inaugural tour visit of

and 1910 visit of Uxbridge grandson,

* Crown and Eagle Cotton Mill, *

, site of historic Taft family reunion of 1874 *

, formerly Capron Mill, , and Uxbridge Worsted Company * Stanley Woolen Mill, also once known as Central Woolen, Calumet, and Moses Taft Mill *

Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor The John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor is a National Heritage Corridor dedicated to the history of the early American Industrial Revolution, including mill towns stretching across 24 cities and towns (400,000 acre ...

* National Park Service, valley sites: Millville & Uxbridge * Blackstone Canal at River Bend Farm *

Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State Park The 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 (DCR). This park "recalls the role of canals in tra ...

* River Bend Farm and Canal *

and recreation area * Walking tour of Uxbridge * Blissful Meadows Golf Club

Photos

File:Taft Brothers Block Uxbridge MA front view.jpg, Taft Brothers Block, prominently located in the town center at the corner of Mendon and Main Streets. It is a three-story brick structure with modest Late Victorian stylistic embellishments. File:Nipmuck Dancing.jpg,

Nipmuck The Nipmuc or Nipmuck people are an Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands, who historically spoke an Eastern Algonquian language. Their historic territory Nippenet, "the freshwater pond place," is in central Massachusetts and nearby part ...

Dancing in the Blackstone Valley; The original Town of

Mendon, MA Mendon is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,228 at the 2020 census. Mendon is part of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, an early center of the indus ...

was purchased from the Nipmuck in 1662 as Squinshepauk Plantation. Nipmuck are the indigenous people of Worcester County, Northeastern Connecticut, and northwest Rhode Island. File:John Farnum House.jpg, Coronet John Farnum Jr. House, 1710, houses Uxbridge Historical Society, held first town meeting in 1727 File:First Evangelical Congregational Church, Uxbridge MA.jpg,

's church (1731), first new Congregational Church in Massachusetts, First Great Awakening Period. This building was built after the church's establishment in 1727, but the Congregation's original church was the first new church in that period. File:Rev. Samuel Spring, Sr., portrait.jpg, Portrait, Rev.

, Old South Church,

Newburyport Newburyport is a coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, northeast of Boston. The population was 18,289 at the 2020 census. A historic seaport with vibrant tourism industry, Newburyport includes part of Plum Island. The mo ...

; (1746–1819), early

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

chaplain, Congregationalist minister, founder of Andover (now Newton-Andover) Theological Seminary and Massachusetts Missionary Society. Uxbridge native, tutored by Rev

File:Reed-SethReed-524.jpg, Lt. Colonel Seth Read, born in 1746, fought at Bunker Hill, added " E pluribus unum" to coins, and founded

, and early settlement at Geneva, New York. File:SethReadHouseUxbridge.gif, Seth Read House Uxbridge, Massachusetts, built at corner of present-day Mendon Street, and North Main Street before the railroad was built. File:Simeon Wheelock House Uxbridge MA winter.jpg, Lt.

House (1768), Deborah Wheelock Chapter, D.A.R. Lt. Wheelock, who was born in 1741, died in

in 1786, while on duty protecting the Springfield Armory. Shays' Rebellion had opening salvos in Uxbridge. File:DeborahSampson.jpg, Deborah Sampson, a woman posing as a male soldier, enlisted in the Continental Army at Bellingham as "Robert Shurtlieff of Uxbridge". A minister kept her secret, and she was later honored as a heroine by the Massachusetts legislature. File:Aaron Taft House, Uxbridge, MA.jpg,

Aaron Taft House The Aaron Taft House is an historic house at 215 Hazel Street, in Uxbridge, Massachusetts. Built about 1749, it is one of five surviving gambrel-roofed 18th-century houses in the town. It is stories in height, with a side-gabled gambrel roof, ...

, Hazel St. was the birthplace of Peter Rawson Taft in 1785, grandfather of President

. File:Samuel Taft House, Natonal Historic Site, Uxbridge, MA.jpg, Samuel Taft House hosted President

on the President's post-inaugural tour and hosted President William Howard Taft in 1910. File:FreindsmeetinghouseUxbridgeMA 040.jpg, Friends Meeting House (1770), Quaker Highway at Route 98, Uxbridge, MA. Abolitionist

with ties to Moses Brown first resettled here from

. At least two of its members became key leaders in the national anti-slavery movement—

and

. File:Abby Kelley Foster with signature.jpg,

, a member of the Uxbridge Friend's Meeting, led Susan B. Anthony and

Lucy Stone Lucy Stone (August 13, 1818 – October 18, 1893) was an American orator, abolitionist and suffragist who was a vocal advocate for and organizer promoting rights for women. In 1847, Stone became the first woman from Massachusetts to earn a colle ...

to abolitionism. She became the foremost lecturer and fundraiser for the American anti-slavery society of which fellow Quaker meetinghouse member

became Vice President. OneRoomSchoolhouseIronstone 036.jpg, The town of Uxbridge built 13 district schoolhouses in 1797. The South Uxbridge schoolhouse today houses the south Uxbridge community association at the historic site of

Ironstone, Massachusetts Ironstone is an historic village, (today known mainly as South Uxbridge), in the township of Uxbridge, Massachusetts, United States. It derived its name from plentiful bog iron found here which helped Uxbridge to become a center for three iron f ...

. File:Jacob Aldrich House, National Historic Site, Uxbridge, MA.jpg, Jacob Aldrich house typifies the early

houses at Quaker City, and South Uxbridge. File:Solomon's Temple Lodge Uxbridge MA.jpg,

& Masonic Lodge. Uxbridge Academy was a sought after New England Prep School from 1818 File:Daniel Day Mill, aka Scott's Mill, Uxbridge, MA, circa 1809.jpg, Site of the Daniel Day Mill, 1809.

started the first woolen mill in the Blackstone Valley later also known as "Scott's Mill", the current factory recently housed Berrocoo Inc., extending a 200-year family enterprise, now a prominent yarn company.. File:Rivulet Mill Complex, 1814, North Uxbridge, MA.JPG,

Rivulet Mill Complex The Rivulet Mill Complex is an historic group of mill buildings located at 60 Rivulet Street, in Uxbridge, Massachusetts, United States. It was originally built by Chandler Taft. Richard Sayles purchased the mill in 1864 and, after repairs, began t ...

, 1814,

, The original mill was built by Chandler Taft, and later owned by Richard Sayles. File:Richard Sayles House, Uxbridge, MA.jpg, Richard Sayles House is a historic home built by Richard Sayles who owned the Rivulet Mill. Located at 80 Mendon Street. File:JohnandEffinghamCapronMill 195.jpg, The Capron Mill, 1820, built by John Capron Sr. and his sons Effingham, and John, manufactured the first

, used the first

s for woolens in America, and made US military uniforms for over 140 years, including the first US Air Force dress uniform, "Uxbridge 1683", aka Uxbridge Blue. File:2 Capron Street, Uxbridge.JPG, Charles Capron House, 2 Capron Street. The Capron family was prominent in the industrial era. File:Crown&EagleMillUxbridge 101.jpg, Crown & Eagle Mill, built in 1824 by

Robert Rogerson Robert 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. After leaving Taunton, he ...

, a son of British immigrants, and a musician, it is considered a masterpiece of early American Industrial architecture, today the heart of Rogerson's Village Historic District. File:Larkin Building, Uxbridge, MA.png, The Company Store at Rogerson's Village, now known as the Larkin Building File:Rogersons Village Housing, Uxbridge, MA.jpg, Rogersons Village mill worker housing, Rhode Island System of mill villages File:JRichardson House, Uxbridge, MA.jpg, Joseph Richardson House, on the national historic register, Joseph Richardson was a Selectman, and landowner in South Uxbridge, who died of smallpox in 1825. File:Stanley Woolen Mill Uxbridge MA reflected in Blackstone canal.jpg,

, 1852, built by

, with view of the Blackstone Canal, was the scene for two movies, The Great Gatsby, 1974, and Oliver's Story, 1978. In 1989, it had been the longest continuously operating family-owned mill in the US. This mill ran 24/7 making Civil War blue woolen cloth for military uniforms. File:Canal-uxbridgeMA.jpg, Canoes on the

. The Blackstone Canal was built starting in 1824 and provided early freight transport by horse pulled barges from Uxbridge and Worcester, to the port of Providence and returns. Uxbridge was the overnight stopping point, and had close mercantile ties to Providence. File:Stone Arch Bridge on Hartford Ave, Uxbridge MA.jpg, The Taft brothers built the first bridge across the

in 1709. This stone arch bridge is a familiar scene walking northward at the Blackstone Canal Heritage State Park. File:River Bend Farm, Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State Park RBFVC.jpg, River Bend Farm Interpretive Center at Blacktone River and Canal Heritage State Park File:Ezra Taft Benson (1811).jpg,

Ezra Taft Benson Ezra Taft Benson (August 4, 1899 – May 30, 1994) was an American farmer, government official, and religious leader who served as the 15th United States Secretary of Agriculture during both presidential terms of Dwight D. Eisenhower and a ...

(1811–1869) ran a hotel in Uxbridge, married two sisters from Northbridge, LDS Apostle, Missionary to the Hawaiian Islands, and Utah Territorial Legislator File:Arthur macarthur sr.png,

, born to Scottish nobility, grew up in Uxbridge, , became

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

's 4th

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

for a brief period, and its

Lt. Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a " second-in-com ...

, and served as Chief Justice, of the US DC District Court. He was the Grandfather of General

File:Unitarian Church-Uxbridge.jpg, Unitarian Church at Uxbridge where Judge

Henry Chapin Henry Chapin (May 13, 1811 – October 13, 1878) was a judge, a state legislator, and a three-term mayor of Worcester, Massachusetts. Early life and career Chapin, a native of Upton, Massachusetts, graduated from Brown University in 1835. He ser ...

, three term Worcester Mayor, delivered a famous 1864 published historical address. Judge Chapin was as a prominent Unitarian Church leader in

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

. This church was prominent in the Industrial period of this community. File:Honorable Henry Chapin, Three term mayor of Worcester, Massachusetts.jpg, Judge

, 2nd Mayor of Worcester, 1849–1851), three term Mayor, Chief Judge, and Practicing Attorney who lived in Uxbridge, and delivered a famous historical address to the Uxbridge Unitarian Church in 1864 recording the account of America's First Woman Voter,

File:Effingham Capron Park, Uxbridge, MA.jpg,

(1791–1859) was a national, state and local anti-slavery champion. He and his brother John Capron Jr. and their father, ran the Capron Mill at Uxbridge. The historic park commemorates the contributions of

here and to the USA. File:Franklin Bartlett.jpg,

was a US Congressman from New York from 1893–1897. He fought in the Spanish–American War and his brother

was Chief Justice of the

New York Court of Appeals The New York Court of Appeals is the highest court in the Unified Court System of the 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 and confirmed by t ...

. File:Wheelockak.jpg,

, National Gallery Curator Northern Baroque Art, grew up in Uxbridge family which had started and operated multiple mils for 200 years. A descendant of Rev. Ralph Wheelock who pioneered public education in America. File:Brian Skerry.JPG,

, at Boston University, 2011, born 1962, Underwater Photographer, With National Geographic, Sounding the Alarm for Global Sealife. File:UxbridgeHigh, MA.png, Uxbridge High School, Quaker Highway, S. Uxbridge, MA, built 2012. File:Uxbridge Free Public Library.jpg,

Uxbridge Free Public Library The Uxbridge Free Public Library is the public library in Uxbridge, Massachusetts. It opened in 1875. The first library in the town of Uxbridge was the Uxbridge Social and Instructive Library (1775–1812), managed by George Southwick at his s ...

. The Thayer Family donated the local public library which is located in the Uxbridge Common Historic District. File:C.R. Thomson House and Barn.jpg, C.R. Thomson House and Barn, today a golf course with banquet facilities, located at Chockalog Rd. in SW Uxbridge. File:Granite Store - Uxbridge, Massachusetts - DSC02858.JPG, Once a department store in the mid 1800s, The Granite Store is located on Hecla Street in Uxbridge. File:Uxbiridge, MA looking south on Route 122, October 26, 2012.jpg, Fall Scene Downtown Uxbridge, October 2012 looking south on MA route 122 before Hurricane Sandy and when an historic old bank building was still standing in the left background down the street.

References

External links

* *
''The New Uxbridge Times'', local newspaper

Uxbridge tourism, FIrst Night Celebration

Uxbridge Community TV streaming

Public, educational, and government access Public-access television is traditionally a form of non-commercial mass media where the general public can create content television programming which is narrowcast through cable television specialty channels. Public-access television was crea ...

(PEG)

cable TV Cable television is a system of delivering television programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This contrasts with broadc ...

channel
Nipmuc nation
– Uxbridge began as a subdivision of Mendon which had been carved from the original Squinshepauk Plantation, sold by “Great John” of the Nipmuc to settlers from Braintree, Massachusetts in 1662

PBS Special:"After the Mayflower, Nipmuc Language, We Shall Remain", with Native Speaker, David Tall Pine White

town info from Mass online,
''Preserve America'' Community

erroco Inc. Continuation of a 200-year family textile/yarn enterprise
Uxbridge on "New England Byways", 1998 WBZ TV plus Christmas eve video of Uxbridge on youtube.com

Grafton Nipmuck
re-created Nipmuc village, Connecticut, CT
Seth & Hannah Reed

Abby Kelley Foster, Worcester women's history project
{{Authority control Populated places established in 1662 Industrial Revolution History of the textile industry History of religion in the United States 1662 establishments in Massachusetts

History

Colonial era, Revolution, Quakers, and abolition

Early transportation, education, public health and safety

Industrial era: 19th century to late 20th century

Late 20th century to present

Notable people

Government

Geography

Adjacent cities and towns

Climate

Demographics

Economy

Education

Healthcare

Transportation

Rail

Highways

Airports

Points of interest

Photos

See also

References

External links