The town of Paxton celebrates June as “Moore Month” in honor of minuteman Major Willard Moore.

According to Paxton Historical Commission chairperson Anita Fenton, Moore grew up and owned a home and land in the town on Richards Avenue. He later became a minuteman, and along with other colonists from the Worcester area, marched to Boston after hearing what had happened after the battle at Lexington and Concord. 

Fenton said during the first battle of the American Revolution, the British officers and soldiers planned an assault at Bunker Hill in 1775, but colonists were able to hold them off, as is depicted in a painting by John Trumbull (see above). Major Moore had 300 men to command on his section of the battlefield, but was killed in battle.

Moore’s remains were never returned to Paxton after the battle, but there is a stone in the Paxton Center Cemetery donated by the U.S. Department of Defense. Paxton’s Moore State Park is also named in his honor. Moore is remembered as a young community member who was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice.

“He’s a hero,” Fenton said. “He was involved in the town before he helped march on the Worcester Courthouse in 1774 with hundreds of people from Worcester County protesting against the fact that the crown was making these laws without any input from the colony. So he was involved. He was a young man with two small children, but he still put country before self.”

The Historic Commission recently purchased a copy of the famous 1775 Revolutionary painting by Trumbull. Trumbull witnessed the battle and portrayed many known participants, including Major Moore. It will be on display in the Historical Commission office during the month of June.