Gordon B. Seavey (1905-1996) was a local historian and journalist, writing historical features for the Westford Eagle and the Lowell Sun. During high school, he wrote for the Lowell Courier-Citizen and The Ayer Public Spirit, beginning his seventy year career in journalism. After graduating from Westford Academy in 1922, he attended Commercial College and then took journalism courses at Boston University. In 1929, Seavey graduated from the University of New Hampshire. Continuing in his journalism career, Seavey was a publisher of the Belmont Citizen for 32 years. He was also president of the National Newspaper Association and the Massachusetts Press Association, as well as a co-founder of the New England Weekly Press Association and the Belmont, Massachusetts, Board of Trade.
Besides his illustrious career in writing, he made a notable contribution to the Westford community as Cemetery Commissioner and Westford Academy Trustee. Mr. Seavey never fully retired. He continued to contribute articles for local newspapers, usually about the history of his beloved Westford, leaving a lasting legacy.
Seavey articles published in the Lowell Sun
1972 May 19: 17 Years after the Civil War
1973 March 20: Ice Breakup Awaited by Eager Area Fisherman
1973 March 27: Strong Winds End Forge Pond Ice Earlier Than Normal
1973 May 24: Westford Group Seeks Establishment of Historic Districts Commission
1973 June 24: Honor Old Westford Grads, Lowell Sun
1973 July 10: Trustees Push Wright Name For Middle School
1973 Aug. 21: $15,570 in Gifts to New Academy by Trustees Group.
1973 Oct. 28: History Prominent at New Westford Academy
1974 Jan. 14: Westford Plans for Bicentennial Set
1974 Jan. 17: Westford Bicentennial committee.
1974 March 17: Water Power Fathered Stony Brook Industry
1974 April 11: Westford Center’s Cannon Relic that likely never fired a shot
1974 May 2: New Library Named for Zaccheus Wright|
1974 June 7: A Banquet Turnout Could be a Record
1974 July 14: Forge Pond Beach first was called Excelsior Park
1974 July 28: Old Westford School House has seen many occupants
1974 Aug. 14: Growth of Tree Endangers Historic Westford tombstone.
1974 Sept. 29: Colonists Concentrated On, page 2
1974 Sept. 29: Necessities for Existence. page 3
1974 Sept. 29: History Proves Meaningful. page 4
1974 Nov. 5: Before Autos, Deaths on the Road took many bizaar, gory forms
1975 Jan. 12: Gather ‘Round Folks, Here Comes The Local Freight
1976 Jan. 11: Natural Ice a Business Down the Drain,-part 1
1976 Jan. 11: Natural Ice a Business Down the Drain, part 2
1976 April 8: Birdwatcher Identifies 137 Species
1976 June 25: Remembering Graduations Past at Old Westford Academy
1976 July 6: Rare Westford Document, Part 1, Solemn League and Covenant
1976 July 6: Rare Westford Document (cont.) Signed on July 4, 1774, Part 2
1976 July 16: Weed Treatment Plans May Die For Fund Lack.
1978 Feb. 26: Fire Destroyed Landmark 64 years ago
1978 March 12: Old Records Reveal What Life was like.
1978 April 19: Forge Pond Ice break up
1978 April 27: Westford Has Long History in World of Fruit Production
1978 June 21: Abbot Family’s Story Woven Into Westford’s Long History
1978 July 19: Westford Minutemen to Host Historic Family Day Program
1978 Aug 1: Westford’s Library One of first in region.
1978 Aug 2: Westford’s Old Town Records show Government Costs Small
1978 Aug 7: Old Town Pump a focal point for Westford 70 years ago
1978 Sept. 21: Westford Academy Student Founded Wellesley College
1978 Oct. 23: Westford Native Sailed With, Commodore Perry
1978 Oct. 29: Historical Look at Westford Academy
1978 Nov. 1: Westford Landmark Farm Changes Hands
1978 Dec. 11: Steam Locomotives Ran on Wood, at $5 a Cord
1978 Dec. 28: Westford, In Post-Civil War Period, Entered Era of Growth
1979 May 20: Meeting House a Landmark for Two Centuries
1979 July 15: A Bell-Ringing Tradition Returns to Westford
1979 July 18: Two Historic Documents Given to Westford Library
1979 July 30: Westford Recollections, First Town History Done in 100 Years
1979 Aug. 6: Hildreth Family Society Reunion in Westford
1979 Aug 13: Westford Men Came When Duty Called
1979 Sept. 7: Stolen Weathervane Returned to Westford,
1979 Sept. 7: Westford Plaque Nearly Sold Out
1979 Sept. 21: New History Celebrates Westford’s first 250
1979 Oct 1: Westford Academy Retains its Place in History
1979 Oct. 10: Case of Missing Victims Still Unsolved After 50 Years
1979 Dec. 18: Kennedy to Autograph Copies of Town History
1980 Oct. 5: Westford’s Sturdy Victorian Regains Her Former Beauty
1980 Oct. 20: A Favorite Daughter Honored
1980 Nov. 26: Westford School Restoration Project Still Needs Money
1980 Dec 11: On A Clear Day in Westford You Can See the NH Mountains
1980 Dec. 24: Westford Academy The Present and its Past
1981 Jan 29: Sixty Years Haven’t Changed Graduation
1981 March 18: Spring’s First Signal Appears on the 13th
1981 March 30: A Look At Tiny Stony Brook Railroad’s 130-Year History
1981 June 4: Fisher Leaves Bulk of Estate for Academy Scholarships
1981 July 16: A Get-Away Spot Then and Now
1981 July 16: Pond a Historic Site
1981 Aug 4: Angelica P. Sinks Roots Here
1981 Aug 26: Historic Home Changes Hands
1981 Sept. 17: Bluebirds Find Happiness in Lil Files’ Tyngsboro Yard
1981 Dec. 3: Ospreys Make Yearly Westford Appearance
1981 Dec 17: Families Aid Westlawn Beautification
1982 Feb. 1: Church Organ Pumper A Vanishing Breed
1982 Feb. 19: Westford’s ‘Gold’ In Lawrence Streets
1982: Nov. 28:The General Store – A Feeling of Friendliness
1983 Jan. 25: The Old Gray Mare Turned Into Yellow Bus
1983 Feb 17: Westford Museum Requests Artifacts
1983 Feb 22; Westford Landmarks Chart Heritage
1983 March 24: Since 1763 The Ancient Westford Bell Has Rung
1983 May 4: 1896, 15 Seniors Was Too Big a Class For WA
1983 May 12: A Door Into the Past Open Saturday
1983 July 5: Old-Timers Recall Weighing Scales
1983 July 8: Edwin Hildreth, A Local Horatio Alger
1983 July 25: Poor Speller Made Mark in Westford
1983 Sept. 13: Historic Local Family Passes Into Memory
1983 Sept. 15: Indian Grinding Mill or a Pothole
1983 Oct. 3; Westford Scholarship Fund Benefits from Wright (part 1)
1983 Oct. 3: Westford Scholarship Fund Benefits from Wright (part 2)
1983 Nov. 30: World Holiday Decor Trims Westford Museum
1983 Dec. 29: Tadmuck Club Began a Tradition of Women’s Organizations
1984 Feb 14: Before Buses, Students Barged Into School
1984 March 1: Westford Trees Working on the Railroad
1984 March 8: ‘Mogey’ Tuttle, Turn of Century Man On the Move
1984 March 27: Tangy Memories of Old Cider Mill
1984 April 13: Fire and Water
1984 May 11: Westford Native Son, Otis Day, Named Kiwanis’ ‘Man of Year
1984 June 3: Westford Trustees Allot $27,500 to 97 Graduates of Academy
1984 July 2: The Battle of the Bells Heralded 4th of July
1984 July 8: Oscar R. Spalding
1984 July 20: Woodlands ‘Tonic’ Turned Ailing Teen Into Long-lived Local Philanthropist
1984 Oct. 12: Westford Methodist to Celebrate Heritage
1984 Oct. 17: Railroad Show in Westford
1984 Oct. 25: Abbot Era Passes as Estate Sold
1984 Nov. 21: Gray Ghosts Take Note
1984 Dec 28: School Budget 75 Years Ago Was a Very Different Picture
1986 May 23: First Woman to Head Academy Trustees
1987 Sept. 13: William C. Edwards – Contractor
1989 June 18: WA Trustees Award Over $50K in Grants
1989 July 30: Remembering Talented Brothers From a Prominent Westford Family
1992 May 31: Tree-Planting Ceremony Honors 200 Years of Westford Academy
Seavey articles published on the Westford Eagle
1970 Aug. 27: Forge Pond, Known by Other Names, Still Sparkles
1971 Sept. 30: Harvard Historian Debunks Westford’s Mysterious Knight
1972 May 25: Westford First Observed Memorial Day 90 Years Ago
1976 Jan. 29: Old-Time Governor Was Academy Principal
1976 March 18: Fishermen Await Forge Pond Ice Crackup
1976 June 24: Lone Academy Graduate in 1894
1976 July 8: Academy Trustees Relent as a Woman is Placed on the Board
1976 July 15: A Morning’s Canoe Trip Passes Through Historical Farmlands
1976 July 29: Beaver Brook Canoe Trip Proves Popular, Westford Eagle
1976 Aug. 5: Prescott Tavern in Forge Village Now a Memory
1976 Aug 12: Demise of Old Tavern at Forge Brings Nostalgia part 1
1976 Aug 12: Demise of Old Tavern at Forge Brings Nostalgia part 2
1976 Sept. 16: Many Attend Museum Dedication
1976 Oct. 21: Distinguished Citizens First Westford Academy Trustees
1976 Nov. 4: Great Road (Rt. 119) A Major Highway for 3 Centuries
1976 Nov. 11: Street Signs Living History in Westford
1976 Nov. 18: Ruth Fisher Observed 100th Birthday Monday
1976 Nov. 24: Battle of Baskets to End Bicentennial Year
1976 Dec. 9: Failure to Relocate Meeting House, Spun Off New Tavern
1977 Jan. 20: Academy’s Baseball Nine Pictured 75 Years Ago
1977 Feb. 24: New Owner Rebuilds Original Abbot Mill
1977: June 2: Academy Trustees Elect New Officers
1977 June 30: Allister F. MacDougall the American Spirit
1977 July 21: Colonial Life Depicted on Common Sunday
1977 Nov. 17: 1812 Tomb Opened for Burial in West Cemetery
1978 March 2: Westford Landmark Destroyed 64 Years Ago
1978 April 20: No Flag on Common Pole on Patriot’s Day
1978 April 27: Westford Was Fruit Producing Centre in 1900s
1978 April 27: Westford Was Fruit Producing Center in 1900s continue Page 2
1978 June 1: Academy Trustees Name Two New Members
1978 Aug. 31: Westford Happenings and Recollections 100 Years Ago
1978 Oct. 19: Greek, Latin Required of Academy Students A Century Ago
1979 Jan. 25: Much Activity About Westford Depot
1979 March 22: Proposed Street Name Change in Westford
1979 May 29: Memorial Service That Brought Westford Folks Closer
1979 Aug. 16: Hildreth Family Reunion Comes to Westford Meetinghouse
1979 Sept. 20:Old Meetinghouse on Westford Common To Open for Visitors
1979 Oct. 4:Ideal Site for Nature Lover
1979 Oct. 16: Museum Fund Drive Off to Good Start
1979 Nov. 8: Westford History to Have Second Printing
1980 March 20: Forge Village Landmark, Abbot Hall, is Razed
1980 March 20: Forge Pond Ice Sheet Breaks Early This Year
1980 June 18: Attorney Leggatt Heads Academy Trustees
1980 May 15: Apple Blossoms, Springtime Tradition
1980 Nov. 26: Final Appeal for Westford Museum Funds
1980 July 31: Arizona City Named for Historian William Prescott
1980 Aug. 7:Westford’s First Industrialist Jonas Prescott
1980 Aug. 28: Westford Wanderings
1980 Oct. 2: Roudenbush Community Center Refurbished
1980 Oct. 23: Westford Academy 1863 Graduate Still Honored
1980 Oct. 30: Tadmuck Club Plans 75th Anniversary
1980 Nov. 6: Westford Museum Fund Still Short
1980 Nov. 13: Westford Wanderings
1980 Dec. 15: Viewing NH Mountains from Tadmuck Hill
1981 Jan 8: Old Academy Documents Readied For Town Museum part 1
1981 Jan. 8: Old Academy Documents Readied for Town Museum part 2
1981 March 30: A Look At Tiny Stony Brook Railroad’s 130-Year History
1981 July 16: Allister MacDougall, History Buff, Will be 90 part 1
1981 July 16: Allister MacDougall, History Buff, Will be 90 part 2
1981 July 30: Excelsior Grove Now For Recreation
1981 Aug. 27: One of Town’s Oldest Buildings, Hildreth Home, Changes Owners part 1
1981 Aug. 27: One of Town’s Oldest Buildings, Hildreth Home, Changes Hands part 2
1981 Aug 27: One of Town’s Oldest Buildings, Hildreth Home, Changes Hands part 3
1982 Jan. 28: Westford Wanderings, Valued Town Employees of Yesteryear
1982 April 15: Westford Wanderings, Ice Break-up
1982 May 6: Westford’s Early History Reveals a Rich Blend of Many People
1982 May 13: Westford Museum Plaque Ready Now For Distribution
1982 May 27: This Year No Artificial Flowers Ornaments in Cemeteries part 1
1982 May 27: This Year No Artificial Flowers, Ornaments in Cemeteries part 2
1982, Aug. 19:The Story of Westford Common part 1
1982 Aug. 19: The Story of Westford Common part 2
1982 Oct. 14 : Town Museum Set to Reopen This Sunday part 1
1982 Oct. 14: Town Museum Set to Reopen This Sunday part 2
1982 Nov. 11: Westford Wanderings, Organization Westford True Helpers
1982 Nov. 25: Westford Wanderings, Snow Removal
1990 May 10: From Lofty Spot to Flower Pot, Paul Revere Westford Academy Bell