Paxton

Carved from the neighboring towns of Leicester and Rutland in central Massachusetts, Paxton was incorporated in 1765. Maj. Willard Moore led townsmen at the Battle of Bunker Hill 10 years later; he is honored in name at Moore State Park. With farms, gristmills, and sawmills throughout the landscape, the town's population reveres its past. Major employers have shifted from the once thriving shoe and boot industry in the 19th century to the town government and Anna Maria College, a Catholic liberal arts school established in Paxton in 1952. Community pride has always been central to Paxton; citizens have celebrated their history with anniversary parades since the early 20th century. This tradition of celebrating history continues with Paxton, which showcases this vibrant, suburban community, currently planning its 250h anniversary.

Resident and author Dr. Barbara A. Beall is a member of the Paxton Historical Commission and Cultural Council and professor emerita of art history at Assumption College in Worcester, Massachusetts. Using textual and visual resources from the Paxton Historical Commission, Worcester Art Museum, the Richards Memorial Library, and Assumption and Anna Maria Colleges, this book is a tribute to the foresight, grit, and gracious contributions of Paxton residents past and present.