History of Woburn, (Middlesex County) Massachusetts United States of America

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Biographies:

John White Chickering, clergyman, was born at Woburn, Mass., March 19, 1808; son of Joseph and Betsey (White) Chickering. He was graduated at Middlebury college in 1826, and at Andover theological seminary in 1829. From 1830 to 1835 he was pastor of a Congregational church at Bolton, Mass., and in 1835 accepted a call to the High street church in Portland, Me., where he remained until 1865. From 1865 to 1870 he was secretary of the Suffolk temperance union, and from 1870 until his death he held the same position in the Massachusetts and the Congressional temperance societies. He received the degree of D.D. from Bowdoin college in 1855. He died at Brooklyn, N.Y., Dec. 9, 1888.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Loammi Baldwin, engineer, was born at Woburn, Mass., Jan. 21, 1745. He was educated in the common schools; studied mathematics at Harvard and became a civil engineer. He entered the army as a major, was present at the battles of Lexington, Long Island and Trenton, was promoted to the rank of colonel, but ill-health compelled him to leave the army in 1777. He was sheriff of Middlesex county from 1780 to 1794, and a member of the Massachusetts state legislature in 1778, 1779, 1780. He was one of the largest owners of the Middlesex canal, and its superintendent from 1794 to 1804. The American academy of sciences elected him to membership. He died in Woburn, Mass., Oct. 20, 1807.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Samuel Locke, educator, was born in Woburn, Mass., Nov. 23, 1731; son of Samuel and Rebecca (Richardson) Locke; grandson of Lieut. Ebenezer and Hannah (Meads) Locke, and of Capt. James and Elizabeth (Arnull or Arnold) Richardson, and great grandson of Deacon William and Mary (Clarke) Locke, Woburn, 1650. He was graduated from Harvard, A.B., 1755, A.M., 1758; studied theology with the Rev. Timothy Harrington, who had prepared him for college and was ordained over the church and society at Sherburne, Mass., as successor to the Rev. Samuel Porter, deceased, Nov. 7, 1759. He was married, Jan. 2, 1760, to Mary, daughter of the Rev. Samuel and Mary (Cooledge) Porter. In December, 1769, he was unanimously elected by the corporation, president of Harvard college as successor to Edward Holyoke, and he resigned his pastoral relation at Sherburne, in February, 1770, and was inaugurated president, March 21, 1770. During his administration the prosperity of the college was retarded owing to the political excitement throughout the country. He resigned the presidency, Dec. 1, 1773. He received the degree S.T.D. from Harvard in 1778. He died in Sherburne, Mass., Jan. 15, 1778.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

William Richard Cutter, author, was born in Woburn, Mass., Aug. 17, 1847; son of Dr. Benjamin and Mary (Whittemore) Cutter. He was educated at the Norwich, Vt., university and at the Sheffield scientific school, Yale college, but was not graduated. He was appointed librarian of Woburn public library, March 1, 1882, and gave his leisure to the study of library science and to historical and genealogical research. Norwich university gave him the honorary degree of A.M. in 1893. He wrote with Benjamin Cutter, History of the Cutter Family of New England (1871-75); and History of Arlington, Mass. (1880); and edited Lieut. Samuel Thompson's Diary while Serving in the French and Indian War, 1758 (1896). He also prepared a monograph: Journal of a Forton Prisoner, England, skethes of Arlington and Woburn, Mass., and articles on subjects connected with library science and on history and genealogical matters for periodical literature.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor