Bolton Bicentennial Marker

At the heart of the Bolton Center Historic District, a Bicentennial marker gives thanks to the local Patriots who served in the Revolutionary War. Gifted by the Bolton Historical Society in 1976, the monument recognizes over four hundred brave residents who fought for the country’s independence.

The text on the plaque reads:

IN GRATEFUL MEMORY
OF THE 402 MEN
OF BOLTON
WHO RISKED THEIR LIVES
FOR THE FREEDOM OF OUR COUNTRY
1775  — — 1783
ERECTED BY
BOLTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY INC.
1976

Though Bolton was a rural, agrarian community in the years leading up to the Revolution, its townsfolk were no less invested in the war effort. Hundreds of local men, many of whom were humble farmers answered the call to arms. Some of these soldiers were laid to rest in Bolton’s Old South Burying Ground and the Pan Cemetery.

The extant documentation for the majority of the town’s soldiers is limited, with some notable exceptions. For example, Bolton resident Colonel John Whitcomb commanded troops at the Battle of Bunker Hill.