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History of Oxford, Massachusetts, USA
Journey back in time to Oxford, Massachusetts, USA
Visit Oxford, Massachusetts, USA. Discover its history. Learn about the people who lived there through stories, old newspaper articles, pictures, postcards and ancestry.
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Oxford, Worcester, MA
Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross, was born in Oxford in 1821.
Dr. Elliot P. Joslin, pioneer in diabetes research was born in Oxford in 1869.
Oxford includes: Comins Village, Fort Hill, Glenwood, Gore, Hawes, Hodges Village, Howarths Station, Larnedville, Saccarapa, Taft's Mills, Texas Village, Bartlett's Village, Buffville, Chaffee, and Chase's Village.
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Oxford Nostalgia: Vintage Photos, Ads, and Postcards
Oxford, Massachusetts, USA
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Oldest Universalist Church in the World, Oxford, Mass., Est. 1785
Oxford, Massachusetts, USA
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Birthplace of Clara Barton, The World's Greatest Nurse, North Oxford, Mass.
Read more about Clarissa Harlowe "Clara" BARTON
Oxford, Massachusetts, USA
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Carbuncle Pond, Oxford, Mass.
Oxford, Massachusetts, USA
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Clara Barton Camp. North Oxford, Mass.
Oxford, Massachusetts, USA
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Railroad Station and Tracks, Oxford, Mass.
Oxford, Massachusetts, USA
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Agricultural Park, 1909
Oxford, Massachusetts, USA
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Main Street
Oxford, Massachusetts, USA
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Main Street, Looking North
Oxford, Massachusetts, USA
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High School, 1913
Oxford, Massachusetts, USA
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Public Library
Oxford, Massachusetts, USA
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Town Hall and Main Street, 1918
Oxford, Massachusetts, USA
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Methodist Church, Charlton Street
Discover Oxford: History, News, Travel, and Stories
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1633 – John Oldham was the first white man to tread on Oxford soil
www.town.oxford.ma.us
www.town.oxford.ma.us
1681- William Stoughton and Joseph Dudley empowered by the General Court to inspect the land
www.town.oxford.ma.us
www.town.oxford.ma.us
1686 - First Non-Puritan Town
Oxford, first non-Puritan town established
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Oxford, first non-Puritan town established
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1721 - First Congregational Church established in Oxford
www.oxford300.com/oxford_history.aspx
www.oxford300.com/oxford_history.aspx
1731 – 1732 - Dudley set off from Oxford
www.town.oxford.ma.us
www.town.oxford.ma.us
1755 – Charlton set off from Oxford
www.town.oxford.ma.us
www.town.oxford.ma.us
1778 – Ward (later known as Auburn) set off from Oxford
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www.town.oxford.ma.us
1785 - Universalist Church established in Oxford
The oldest Universalist Church in the world
www.oxford300.com/ oxford_history.aspx
The oldest Universalist Church in the world
www.oxford300.com/ oxford_history.aspx
1801 - The first post office was established in Oxford
www.oxford300.com/ oxford_history.aspx
www.oxford300.com/ oxford_history.aspx
1832 – Webster set off from Oxford
www.town.oxford.ma.us
www.town.oxford.ma.us
1839 - Oxford
Oxford, Massachusetts
Worcester county. This is an important manufacturing town, of uneven surface, strong, gravelly soil; 45 miles W. from Boston, and 10 S. from Worcester. Incorporated, 1773. Population, 1837, 2,047. There are in the town 5 woolen and 4 cotton mills, and manufactures of boots and shoes:—total value, the year ending April 1, 1837, $501,394. Oxford is a pleasant town, and finely watered by French river, which passes to the ocean by the Quinnebaug and Thames.
The original township of Oxford was eight miles square and was granted to Joseph Dudley and others, in 1680, for the accommodation of about 30 French protestant families who had escaped from France after the revocation of the Edict of Nantz, when they became exposed to every cruelty and hardship that catholic intolerance and religious bigotry could invent. They were assisted in their emigration to this country by the proprietors of the grant, and settled here about 1686. They built a fort on a hill in the... Read MORE...
Oxford, Massachusetts
Worcester county. This is an important manufacturing town, of uneven surface, strong, gravelly soil; 45 miles W. from Boston, and 10 S. from Worcester. Incorporated, 1773. Population, 1837, 2,047. There are in the town 5 woolen and 4 cotton mills, and manufactures of boots and shoes:—total value, the year ending April 1, 1837, $501,394. Oxford is a pleasant town, and finely watered by French river, which passes to the ocean by the Quinnebaug and Thames.
The original township of Oxford was eight miles square and was granted to Joseph Dudley and others, in 1680, for the accommodation of about 30 French protestant families who had escaped from France after the revocation of the Edict of Nantz, when they became exposed to every cruelty and hardship that catholic intolerance and religious bigotry could invent. They were assisted in their emigration to this country by the proprietors of the grant, and settled here about 1686. They built a fort on a hill in the... Read MORE...
1840 (Oxford) - Norwich and Worcester Railroad began operations with a station at Texas Depot
www.oxford300.com/ oxford_history.aspx
www.oxford300.com/ oxford_history.aspx
1845 - OXFORD. [Pop. 1,742. Inc. 1713.]
Oxford was granted to Gov. Dudley, Lieut. Gov. Stoughton, and others, in 1682, and included the whole of Charlton, and a part of Auburn, Dudley, and Webster.
The first settlers, in 1686, were about thirty families of French Protestants, called Huguenots, who were driven from France by religious persecution. They were so annoyed by the Indians, that, in the course of twenty years, they all removed, and most of them went to Boston, where others of their countrymen had founded a church.
French River, one of the sources of the Thames, runs through Oxford, and owes its name to the above circumstance.
Though possessed of a good soil, Oxford is distinguished for its manufactures, the principal of which are cotton and woollen goods, and boots and shoes.
Distance from Worcester, 10 miles ; from Boston, 45.
An Elementary Geography for Massachusetts Children by William Bentley Fowle and Asa Fitz, 1845
Oxford was granted to Gov. Dudley, Lieut. Gov. Stoughton, and others, in 1682, and included the whole of Charlton, and a part of Auburn, Dudley, and Webster.
The first settlers, in 1686, were about thirty families of French Protestants, called Huguenots, who were driven from France by religious persecution. They were so annoyed by the Indians, that, in the course of twenty years, they all removed, and most of them went to Boston, where others of their countrymen had founded a church.
French River, one of the sources of the Thames, runs through Oxford, and owes its name to the above circumstance.
Though possessed of a good soil, Oxford is distinguished for its manufactures, the principal of which are cotton and woollen goods, and boots and shoes.
Distance from Worcester, 10 miles ; from Boston, 45.
An Elementary Geography for Massachusetts Children by William Bentley Fowle and Asa Fitz, 1845
1848 - Oxford
This town was a grant made by the government, in 1682, to Joseph Dudley, Esq., governor, to William Stoughton, Esq., Lieut. governor of Massachusetts, to Major Robert Thomson, Messrs. Cox and Blackwell. and associates. It was styled a tract of land lying in the Nipnet or Nipmuc country,” (the Indian name of which was Mauchaug.) The grant expressed 8 square miles, but according to the survey and boundaries it comprehended 12 miles in length from east to west, and about 9 in width, comprehending the whole of Chariton and a part of Dudley and of Ward.
It was surveyed by Mr. Gore of Roxbury, and a return thereof being made to the general court, they accepted the same, and on the 16th of May, 1683, they granted the plantation and gave it the name of Oxford. The original proprietors of Oxford, in the year 1686, took on to the grant 30 families of French Protestants, who were driven out of France in consequence of the repeal of the edict of Nantz by Louis XIV., in the year 1684. According ... Read MORE...
This town was a grant made by the government, in 1682, to Joseph Dudley, Esq., governor, to William Stoughton, Esq., Lieut. governor of Massachusetts, to Major Robert Thomson, Messrs. Cox and Blackwell. and associates. It was styled a tract of land lying in the Nipnet or Nipmuc country,” (the Indian name of which was Mauchaug.) The grant expressed 8 square miles, but according to the survey and boundaries it comprehended 12 miles in length from east to west, and about 9 in width, comprehending the whole of Chariton and a part of Dudley and of Ward.
It was surveyed by Mr. Gore of Roxbury, and a return thereof being made to the general court, they accepted the same, and on the 16th of May, 1683, they granted the plantation and gave it the name of Oxford. The original proprietors of Oxford, in the year 1686, took on to the grant 30 families of French Protestants, who were driven out of France in consequence of the repeal of the edict of Nantz by Louis XIV., in the year 1684. According ... Read MORE...
1854 - Oxford
Oxford, a thriving post-village of Worcester co., Massachusetts, on the Norwich and Worcester railroad, 11 miles S. by W. from Worcester. The village is built chiefly on one extended street, and contains a bank. Population of the township, 2380.
A New and Complete Gazetteer of the United States: Giving a Full and Comprehensive Review of the Present Condition, Industry, and Resources of the American Confederacy ... Thomas Baldwin (of Philadelphia.) Joseph Thomas January 1, 1854 Philadelphia : Lippincott, Grambo & Company 1854.
Oxford, a thriving post-village of Worcester co., Massachusetts, on the Norwich and Worcester railroad, 11 miles S. by W. from Worcester. The village is built chiefly on one extended street, and contains a bank. Population of the township, 2380.
A New and Complete Gazetteer of the United States: Giving a Full and Comprehensive Review of the Present Condition, Industry, and Resources of the American Confederacy ... Thomas Baldwin (of Philadelphia.) Joseph Thomas January 1, 1854 Philadelphia : Lippincott, Grambo & Company 1854.
1873 - Town Hall relocated from the North Common to Oxford Center
www.oxford300.com/ oxford_history.aspx
www.oxford300.com/ oxford_history.aspx
1887 - (Oxford) - 50 post and lanterns were set for streetlights
www.oxford300.com/ oxford_history.aspx
www.oxford300.com/ oxford_history.aspx
Oxford, Massachusetts, 1890
Oxford is a pleasant farming and manufacturing town midway of the southerly part of Worcester County, about 55 miles from Boston by the Webster Branch of the Boston and Albany Railroad. The Norwich and Worcester Railroad also runs through the town north and south. Oxford has Leicester and Auburn on the north; the latter, Millbury and Sutton on the east; Douglas and Webster on the south; Dudley at the southwest; and Charlton on the west.
The town is narrow at the north end and broad at the south. The assessed area is 16,257 acres, which includes 5,364 acres of forest, consisting chiefly of oak, chestnut, pine and maple. There are many hills, with a wide valley for most of the distance along French River, which winds through the midst of the town southward. The soil is a sandy loam. Apple trees are numerous and thrifty; and blueberries, huckleberries, cranberries, and strawberries are a source of more than usual profit.
The value of the aggregate product of the 163 farms in 1885... Read MORE...
Oxford is a pleasant farming and manufacturing town midway of the southerly part of Worcester County, about 55 miles from Boston by the Webster Branch of the Boston and Albany Railroad. The Norwich and Worcester Railroad also runs through the town north and south. Oxford has Leicester and Auburn on the north; the latter, Millbury and Sutton on the east; Douglas and Webster on the south; Dudley at the southwest; and Charlton on the west.
The town is narrow at the north end and broad at the south. The assessed area is 16,257 acres, which includes 5,364 acres of forest, consisting chiefly of oak, chestnut, pine and maple. There are many hills, with a wide valley for most of the distance along French River, which winds through the midst of the town southward. The soil is a sandy loam. Apple trees are numerous and thrifty; and blueberries, huckleberries, cranberries, and strawberries are a source of more than usual profit.
The value of the aggregate product of the 163 farms in 1885... Read MORE...
1895 - Oxford
Oxford, a post-village in Oxford township, Worcester co., Mass., on French River, and on the Norwich & Worcester Railroad, 11 miles S. by W. of Worcester City, and about 48 miles W.S.W. of Boston. It contains a fine town hall, a national bank, a high school, 5 churches, a public library, and extensive manufactories of boots and shoes. The township contains also North Oxford, and has several cotton-mills and woollen-mills. Pop. of township, 2938.
Lippincott's Gazetteer of the World: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World Containing Notices of Over One Hundred and Twenty-five Thousand Places ... Joseph Thomas January 1, 1895 J.B. Lippincott
Oxford, a post-village in Oxford township, Worcester co., Mass., on French River, and on the Norwich & Worcester Railroad, 11 miles S. by W. of Worcester City, and about 48 miles W.S.W. of Boston. It contains a fine town hall, a national bank, a high school, 5 churches, a public library, and extensive manufactories of boots and shoes. The township contains also North Oxford, and has several cotton-mills and woollen-mills. Pop. of township, 2938.
Lippincott's Gazetteer of the World: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World Containing Notices of Over One Hundred and Twenty-five Thousand Places ... Joseph Thomas January 1, 1895 J.B. Lippincott
1906
Oxford, a banking post-village in Oxford township (town), Worcester co., Mass., on the French River and on the New York, New Haven and Hartford R., 11 miles S. by W. of Worcester. It contains a fine town-hall, public library, etc., and has extensive manufactories of boots and shoes, satinets and woollens, etc. Pop. of the town in 1900, 2677.
Lippincott's New Gazetteer: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World, Containing the Most Recent and Authentic Information Respecting the Countries, Cities, Towns ... in Every Portion of the Globe Publisher J.B. Lippincott Company, 1906
Oxford, a banking post-village in Oxford township (town), Worcester co., Mass., on the French River and on the New York, New Haven and Hartford R., 11 miles S. by W. of Worcester. It contains a fine town-hall, public library, etc., and has extensive manufactories of boots and shoes, satinets and woollens, etc. Pop. of the town in 1900, 2677.
Lippincott's New Gazetteer: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World, Containing the Most Recent and Authentic Information Respecting the Countries, Cities, Towns ... in Every Portion of the Globe Publisher J.B. Lippincott Company, 1906
1926 - Clara Barton fresh air camp was started in Oxford
www.oxford300.com/ oxford_history.aspx
www.oxford300.com/ oxford_history.aspx
1929 - Charles Linberg landed in Oxford, Massachusetts to refuel
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www.oxford300.com/ oxford_history.aspx
1938 - SIX PERSONS DIE IN WRECK OF BUS-TRUCK. THIRTEEN OTHERS INJURED EARLY TODAY NEAR OXFORD, MASS.
Oxford, Mass., Sept. 13 (AP) - Six persons were killed and 13 others injured, several seriously, today when a New York-Houston bus and a truck-trailer collided almost head-on on a rain-swept highway.
The impact was heard a quarter-mile away by a restaurant proprietor who notified state police and a doctor.
The bus overturned and blocked the highway. Fuel tanks of both vehicles burst but the gasoline did not catch fire.
It took firemen two hours to extricate the dead and injured from the wreckage, pulling them through the shattered windows.
Four of the dead were identified as ALBERT ROSCOE, 45, of Medford; and MARGARET HOGAN, 65, DAVID COHEN and MARY SUMNER, all of Boston.
Another woman was identified tentatively several hours later at Worcester City Hospital as MRS. ALBERT ROSCOE, 40, wife of the Medford man.
A man still remained unidentified at a Charlton funeral parlor.
HENRY BROWN, 23, of Hanover, described by police as the truck driver, was in critical... Read MORE...
Oxford, Mass., Sept. 13 (AP) - Six persons were killed and 13 others injured, several seriously, today when a New York-Houston bus and a truck-trailer collided almost head-on on a rain-swept highway.
The impact was heard a quarter-mile away by a restaurant proprietor who notified state police and a doctor.
The bus overturned and blocked the highway. Fuel tanks of both vehicles burst but the gasoline did not catch fire.
It took firemen two hours to extricate the dead and injured from the wreckage, pulling them through the shattered windows.
Four of the dead were identified as ALBERT ROSCOE, 45, of Medford; and MARGARET HOGAN, 65, DAVID COHEN and MARY SUMNER, all of Boston.
Another woman was identified tentatively several hours later at Worcester City Hospital as MRS. ALBERT ROSCOE, 40, wife of the Medford man.
A man still remained unidentified at a Charlton funeral parlor.
HENRY BROWN, 23, of Hanover, described by police as the truck driver, was in critical... Read MORE...
1959 - (Oxford) - Dedication of the Buffumville Dam
www.oxford300.com/ oxford_history.aspx
www.oxford300.com/ oxford_history.aspx
2023 - Here are some of the places to go and things to do in Oxford, Massachusetts:
1. Buffumville Lake: If you love spending time in the great outdoors, Buffumville Lake is a must-visit destination in Oxford. This reservoir offers fantastic opportunities for fishing, boating, hiking, and picnicking. The serene setting is perfect for a family outing or a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
2. Clara Barton Birthplace Museum: History buffs will appreciate a visit to the Clara Barton Birthplace Museum. Clara Barton, a pioneering nurse, and humanitarian was born in this house in 1821. The museum showcases her life and work, including her role as the founder of the American Red Cross. It's a fascinating glimpse into the life of an incredible woman.
3. Golf at Pine Ridge Country Club: If you enjoy hitting the links, Pine Ridge Country Club is the place to be. This 18-hole golf course is known for its challenging layout and beautiful surroundings. It's a great spot to spend a day on the fairways with friends or family.
4. Explore Local... Read MORE...
1. Buffumville Lake: If you love spending time in the great outdoors, Buffumville Lake is a must-visit destination in Oxford. This reservoir offers fantastic opportunities for fishing, boating, hiking, and picnicking. The serene setting is perfect for a family outing or a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
2. Clara Barton Birthplace Museum: History buffs will appreciate a visit to the Clara Barton Birthplace Museum. Clara Barton, a pioneering nurse, and humanitarian was born in this house in 1821. The museum showcases her life and work, including her role as the founder of the American Red Cross. It's a fascinating glimpse into the life of an incredible woman.
3. Golf at Pine Ridge Country Club: If you enjoy hitting the links, Pine Ridge Country Club is the place to be. This 18-hole golf course is known for its challenging layout and beautiful surroundings. It's a great spot to spend a day on the fairways with friends or family.
4. Explore Local... Read MORE...
Our Oxford Gift Ideas
Discover Your Roots: Oxford Ancestry
Ancestors Who Were Born or Died in Oxford, Massachusetts, USA
We currently have information about ancestors who were born or died in Oxford.View Them Now (sorted by year of birth)
John TOWNE (2 April 1658, Topsfield, Massachusetts, USA - 27 November 1740, Oxford, Massachusetts, USA)
Mary SMITH (25 October 1658, Ipswich, Massachusetts, USA - 1726, Oxford, Massachusetts, USA)Samuel DAVIS (23 June 1681, Roxbury, Massachusetts, USA* - 8 April 1760, Oxford, Massachusetts, USA)Mary CHAMBERLAIN (1 August 1687, Roxbury, Massachusetts, USA* - 11 February 1730, Oxford, Massachusetts, USA)Jonathan TOWNE (11 March 1691, Topsfield, Massachusetts, USA - 29 July 1771, Oxford, Massachusetts, USA)Catherine HICKS? (1691, Topsfield, Massachusetts, USA - 8 June 1757, Oxford, Massachusetts, USA)Jacob AMIDON (AMIDOWN) (28 February 1720, Oxford, Massachusetts, USA - 20 October 1790, Sturbridge, Massachusetts, USA (Fiskdale))Tamar TOWNE (10 February 1722, Oxford, Massachusetts, USA - 10 August 1761, Killingly, Connecticut, USA (Danielson) (Dayville) (East Killingly) (Attawaugan) (Ballouville))Joseph AMIDON (February 1725, Oxford, Massachusetts, USA - 27 November 1810, Navarino, Onondaga, New York, USA)Ancestors Who Were Married in Oxford, Massachusetts, USA
We currently have information about ancestors who were married in Oxford.View Them Now
Jonathan TOWNE (11 March 1691 - 29 July 1771) and Catherine HICKS? (1691 - 8 June 1757) married 2 February 1720Daniel DAVIS (1 February 1718 - 24 June 1786) and Tamar TOWNE (10 February 1722 - 10 August 1761) married 14 January 1741Salem TOWNE (21 October 1746 - 23 July 1825) and Ruth MOORE (12 March 1750 - 25 September 1790) married 11 April 1774Abraham MASON (10 July 1763 - 30 September 1852) and Betsey GLEASON (27 September 1767 - ) married 31 October 1785Wilson OLNEY (10 January 1802 - 24 February 1874) and Eliza BUTLER (28 August 1810 - 2 May 1874) married 26 March 1832Ebenezer Edmond TUCKER (6 May 1806 - 20 May 1858) and Elizabeth THOMPSON (October 1826 - 29 August 1865) married 3 July 1845
Eben Sutton STEVENS (11 December 1846 - 1924) and 
Gertrude Germaine OLNEY (10 May 1850 - 3 February 1917) married 6 September 1872Frank Ellsworth THOMPSON (24 January 1863 - 31 October 1935) and Lulu May GEORGE (18 January 1868 - 1956) married 6 January 1886
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NOTE: If you don't know your ancestor's whole name or are unsure of the spelling, specify part of the name.Updated: 9/26/2023 9:39:53 PM