Located in the northwest corner of Worcester County, MA, Paxton is still known as the "hill town" because of its high elevation. Rich with history, the town can date its original settlement back to the mid-17th century. This valuable text fills a gap in available Massachusetts source records_for unlike those of many Massachusetts towns, Paxton's vital records have remained unpublished since their recording. Here, for the first time researchers can find an alphabetical listing of Paxton's births, marriages and deaths from 1748 to 1850. Also included is the 100-page History of Paxton by Ledyard Bill, first published in 1889. Prefatory material reviews town origins and settlement; a discussion of town population is enhanced by several graphs. Then, in three sections 1,684 Paxton births, 349 Paxton marriages (in two lists, one organized by brides' names and one by grooms'), and 633 Paxton deaths are alphabetically recorded.Births are listed by child's name, and information given includes birthdate, birthplace and parents' names; notations identify twins or unusual births. Marriage records date back to 1784; recorded information includes names of bride and groom, residence, and date of marriage. Death records date back to 1756; recorded information includes (when available) name of deceased, age at death, death date, survivors, marital status and cause of death. Annexed to the end of these vital records is The History of Paxton, which not only traces town history but also is filled with biographical sketches containing much genealogical data on the town's residents. An everyname index has been added to simplify data retrieval from this text. The book also contains a few maps of Paxton and one of Worcester County, and an 1839 engraving of Paxton Meeting House and Common.
Dr. Russell is the chair of the History-Political Science Department at Anna Maria College
Ms. Membrino is a 1996 Anna Maria graduate whose participation in a campus "public-service project" has led to her collaboration on this work effort.
Paul A. Russell and Marcia L. Membrino
1996, paper, index, biblio, illus., maps, 151 pp.
ISBN: 9780788405648
101-R0564
