“Framingham men have been among the first, the finest, the bravest…willing to endure personal sacrifice so that all may enjoy the liberties and freedoms that are ours today.” – Historian Tom A.C. Ellis1| Framingham Biographies
Standing on Framingham Centre Common facing north east, it is hard to miss the stately white colonial with a semi-circular porch located just south of the Plymouth Church. Upon closer inspection one will notice the plaque which reads “The Otis Boynton House, c1825. “ Now one wonders, who was Otis Boynton?| Framingham Biographies
Nevins Hall …. We’ve all been there, perhaps to attend a town meeting, a holiday concert, a wedding, or a prom. In 1994, President Bill Clinton gave a speech there, and in 2016, author David McCullough capped off “Framingham Reads Together” with a talk about his book The Wright Brothers. Political debates and early voting also have taken place in this space. Ever wonder how it got its name? | Framingham Biographies
Josiah Adams (1781-1854) was the fifth child and second son born to Moses and Abigail (Stone) Adams. While little is known of Josiah’s childhood, we do know that he was educated at home by his father (New 156). Moses, a Harvard educated minister residing and preaching in Acton, was a firm believer in the value of education. Beside his own children, Moses also prepared some of the local boys for admission to college. | Framingham Biographies
The intersection of Edgell Road, Water Street and Edmands Road has always been a busy crossroads. In colonial times, today’s Water Street and Edmands Road formed the East-West path connecting Saxonville and Marlborough. In the mid-1700s, improvements were made to the South Path and Sudbury Road, which is today’s Edgell Road. These road improvements enticed more and more people to settle in the area. By the mid to late 1700s the intersection was home to many businesses, including Captai...| Framingham Biographies
In nineteenth century America, the exhibition of so-called “freaks of nature” was a popular and accepted form of entertainment. These exhibits were promoted as being morally uplifting and educational (Fordham 208). Audiences included not only the curious from all social classes, but also physicians and scientists interested in studying human anomalies. There were different kinds of exhibitions: small traveling shows, permanent museums, and sideshows attached to traveling circuses. | Framingham Biographies
In the Nobscot section of Framingham there lies a hidden paradise, a forty-five acre garden of native wildflowers. This garden, aptly called Garden in the Woods,was the dream of one man, Will C. Curtis (1883-1969).| Framingham Biographies
Life in England had become unbearable under King Charles I due to heavy taxation and political and religious unrest. Like so many others, John, Bent, Sr. and his wife Martha, with their 5 small children, decided to emigrate to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in search of civil and spiritual freedom. In April 1638, they set sail out of Southampton, England on board the ship Confidence. At the time, John Bent, Jr. (baptized 1636-1717) was only two or three years old. The family settled in Su...| Framingham Biographies
The man who gave the town of Framingham its name, never lived here. Thomas Danforth (baptized 1623-1699) had a vision of establishing his own township. His dream began when the General Court gave him two hundred fifty acres of land in the central part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony’s wilderness as payment for services to the colony. Over time, Thomas received other land grants and purchased additional tracts of land in the area he came to call Framingham after his hometown of Framlin...| Framingham Biographies
Ralph T. Noonan (1909 – 1986) was born in Clinton, Massachusetts on October 27, 1909. His family was of Irish ancestry. And, like so many Irish, Ralph’s grandparents, the Foleys and the Noonans, came to America in the 1860s. On December 30, 1908, Catherine Foley (26) and Michael T. Noonan (33) were married by Reverend T. K. Heffernan at St. George’s Church in Saxonville. After their marriage, Michael and Catherine moved to Clinton where their four children were born.| Framingham Biographies