WESTFORD — The Westford Museum will celebrate Founders Day on Sept. 23.
The Westford Museum will host a Founder’s Day celebration with Bob Oliphant on Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. at the Westford Museum. Suggested program donation of $10 per person.
Westford Historical Society and Museum director Linda Greene has shared a press release with the details:
“Wesford” officially became a town on Sept. 23, 1729. In 1730, an additional parcel of land and part of Forge Pond were incorporated from Groton, which finalized the town’s boundaries. However, a minor adjustment was made with Chelmsford in 1974. The first tax list recorded 89 names. Following that, a second village began to take shape around the mills in Forge Village around the same time. By the 1765 census, the population had surged to 962 residents, living in 169 families and 143 houses.
Fast forward almost three centuries, and Westford has blossomed into a charming suburban community, seamlessly blending residential appeal with a variety of industries and offices, all while honoring its rich heritage. Don’t miss the opportunity to hear from Westford Town Historian Bob Oliphant, who will offer an engaging overview of our town’s captivating 296-year story!
Robert “Bob” Oliphant is a local historian of Westford, but he was not always on that path. He is originally from Oberlin, Ohio, and went to college to study metallurgy and materials science. It was during his college years that he discovered his passion for genealogy; the study of tracing one’s lineage. Eight years after graduating from college, he moved to Westford, where he and his wife, Bonnie, raised their three sons. Since then, Oliphant has served on the Westford Historical Commission, the board of the Westford Museum and Historical Society, and is a member of the town’s Parkerville Schoolhouse Committee and the Records and Archives Management Committee. He has published a history book on Westford, The Westford Gazetteer. He also does research and writes articles for the Westford Historical Society and has written the “Museum Musings” column in the Westford Eagle, the local weekly newspaper, since 2008. He is dedicated to studying Westford’s history and serving the town in the process.
For additional information, please visit the Westford Historical Society’s website at www.museum.westford.org.
