Today, Robert “Bob” Oliphant is a local historian of Westford, but he was not always on that path. He is originally from Oberlin, Ohio, and went to college to study metallurgy and materials science. It was while in college that he discovered his passion for genealogy, the study of tracing lineages. Eight years after graduating from college, he moved to Westford, where he and his wife, Bonnie, raised their three sons. Since then, Oliphant has been on the Westford Historical Commission for five years, was on the board of the Westford Museum and Historical Society, and serves on the town’s Parkerville Schoolhouse Committee and the Records and Archives Management Committee. He has published a history book on Westford, The Westford Gazetteer. He also does research and writes articles for the Westford Historical Society, and has written the “Museum Musings” column in the Westford Eagle, the local weekly newspaper, since 2008. He is dedicated to studying Westford history and serving the town in doing so. By Leila Ward, Westford Academy Capstone Intern