Minuteman Park

Along the shore of Sandra Pond in Westborough is a small park commemorating the men of the town who responded when word arrived that British troops had marched on Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775. Today it is a peaceful setting of water, woods and walking trails, making it difficult to imagine the urgency of the events remembered here.

Minuteman Park was created in 1975 as Westborough participated in the national Bicentennial commemoration. The bronze plaque in this photograph was placed on a large natural boulder and listed the members of Captain Edmund Brigham’s company of minutemen. For decades, these were the men recognized here as Westborough’s response to the alarm that marked the beginning of the Revolutionary War.

Local research led by David Nourse examined surviving muster rolls and other records and determined that three Westborough companies, not simply Captain Brigham’s minutemen, marched in response to the alarm on April 19. Altogether, 101 men from Westborough answered the call. They joined the thousands of Massachusetts militiamen converging on the Boston area as news of Lexington and Concord spread through the countryside.

That number becomes even more remarkable when placed in the context of the town. A Westborough record from 1777 listed only 215 males age sixteen or older, including elderly men who could not realistically have served. Although the populations of 1775 and 1777 cannot be assumed to be identical, the comparison suggests just how substantial the town’s response was. A very large portion of Westborough’s military-age population left their homes and families when the alarm arrived. 

The research also uncovered errors in the original 1975 plaque. Most importantly, it omitted the two additional militia companies. There were also mistakes in names and ranks, including identifying Captain Edmund Brigham as “Edward Brigham”. Rather than allowing those omissions to remain part of the public record, the town decided to correct them. 

A new monument was created recognizing all three companies and the 101 Westborough men who responded. It was unveiled at Minuteman Park in April 2023, nearly half a century after the original memorial was dedicated.

The people who created this memorial in 1975 were trying to preserve the story they knew. Decades later, researchers returned to the original records and discovered that the story was larger. Remembering history is important, but so is continuing to question it, research it and correct the record when new evidence tells us there is more to the story.