History of Foxborough, (Norfolk County) Massachusetts United States of America

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Biographies:

Uriah Atherton Boyden, inventor, was born at Foxborough, Mass., Feb. 17, 1804; brother of Seth Boyden, inventor. He learned his trade at a blacksmith's forge, and was afterwards employed in railroad construction. He removed to Lowell, Mass., where he studied hydraulic engineering, especially with reference to the construction of the turbine water-wheel then in use. He finally succeeded in producing a wheel wasting but five per cent of the water, and it was largely adopted throughout the world. This achievement led him to acquire a thorough knowledge of chemistry and physics, and to this end he removed to Boston in 1850, where he pursued his studies. The Boyden library in his native town received from him a gift of one thousand dollars, and he also built there a soldiers' memorial building. He gavee an equal sum to the Franklin institute, to be awarded to "any resident of North America who should determine by experiment whether all rays of light or other physical rays were or were not transmitted with the same velocity." He died in Boston, Mass., Oct. 17, 1879.

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

Seth Boyden, inventor, was born in Foxborough, Mass., Nov. 17, 1788. He was as a farmer and blacksmith and in 1809 began to make machines, and improved a leather splitting machine invented by his father. He established a leather business in Newark, N.J., with his brother Uriah A. in 1813, and made an improved patent leather in 1819. He manufactured malleable-iron castings 1831-'5, and important improvements to steam engines. He removed to California in 1849, and returned to New Jersey in 1851 where he patented a hat-body doming machine. He died in Middleville, N.J., March 31, 1870.

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