As an adult, Timothy Bigelow worked as a blacksmith and owned a shop in Worcester, Massachusetts. Born on August 12, 1739, in Worcester County, he became a prominent Patriot during the American Revolution. He served as a colonel during the war, commanding the 15th Massachusetts Regiment. He is notable for leading minutemen from Worcester during the Battles of Lexington and Concord, and he was also involved in the Saratoga campaign and Valley Forge.
Following the war, Bigelow commanded the Springfield Arsenal before dying on March 31, 1790, at the age of 51. His legacy was honored by his great-grandson, who arranged for a monument to be erected on Bigelow's burial place in Worcester Common. The city council passed the act in 1859, and a committee of prominent citizens, including former Governor Levi Lincoln Jr, coordinated the project. A group of citizens also organized to aid the committee in the monument's erection.
The monument was dedicated on April 19, 1861, marking the 86th anniversary of the start of the war. Designed by architect George Snell, the structure features a square granite platform and a pedestal of Italian marble. The monument is built in the English Gothic style and includes a time capsule buried underneath containing documents regarding Bigelow and life in the colonial era. It stands in a small cemetery at the center of Worcester Common, where it remains a notable historical tribute.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Friendly Jane
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