Knox Trail Lecture

The Southborough Historical Commission, in cooperation with the Southborough Historical Society, is pleased to invite the public to a compelling historical presentation by Ben Haley: “Commemorating Henry Knox and the ‘Noble Train of Artillery’ in the Automobile Age.”

This free event will take place on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at 2 p.m. at the newly opened Southborough History & Arts Center at Fayville Village Hall, located at 42 Central Street, Southborough.

Henry Knox, painted by Gilbert Stuart in 1806. A former book store clerk and street brawler, Knox rose to become Major General and eventually Washington’s Secretary of War.

The 1920s Knox Trail marker project generated the interest in General Henry Knox’s Ticonderoga expedition that remains to this day. Yet despite a dedicated effort to find Knox’s exact route, what the 1920s Knox Commission ended up marking was not that; rather, it was what their chairman described as “a new Knox Trail” catering to automobiles. Historian Ben Haley has traced this little-known story—of why the markers were erected where they were—through the rich correspondence surviving in the collection of the Knox Commission.

The Southborough Historical Commission is sponsoring this talk in recognition of Southborough’s Knox marker, located at 28 Main Street, and in celebration of General Knox’s passage through Southborough 250 years ago, dragging the 60 tons of artillery pieces that would bring about the end of the Siege of Boston on March 17, 1776 (celebrated as Evacuation Day).

About the Speaker:

Ben Haley is a historian and Director of the National Register of Historic Places Program for the Massachusetts Historical Commission. He also shares his expertise in the classroom, teaching historic preservation at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design.

RESERVE YOUR SEAT TODAY:

The event is free and open to the public. However, seating is limited and reservations are required. To reserve your place, chose a quantity below and then click “Get Tickets.”