Photo: Chaiel Schaffel/WBZ NewsRadio
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Foxborough or Foxboro? The debate over how to spell the name of the town just outside of Boston has been raging for decades, and residents are still divided over which one is correct.
Officially, the town home to Gillette Stadium is spelled with an “u-g-h.”
Volunteer historians at Memorial Hall in Foxborough explained more about the two different spellings.
They said that the “u-g-h” version seemed to be more common in the town’s early history. Then, "Foxboro" became more popular to save space when spelling out the name.
“I graduated in 1968, and my yearbook says Foxboro,” said one resident.
Another person said, “I’ve never used the ‘u-g-h’ on anything.”
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The longer spelling resurged in the 1970s.
The late town newspaper editor, Jack Authelet, preferred the “u-g-h” spelling, and he said a school superintendent in the 1970s pushed for the longer spelling as well.
“I always used the ‘u-g-h’ because I was afraid if I ever didn’t, Jack would find me out and subject me to severe punishment,” said Historical Commission Chair Mark Ferencik with a laugh, who was in school back then.
Photo: Chaiel Schaffel/WBZ NewsRadio
One of the members of the Foxborough Historical Commission, Emelie Bonin, looked at the progression of the two different spellings through old books and records from the town’s history.
“In [19]79, which is the year after our bicentennial, it’s ‘o-u-g-h’ and it’s been ‘o-u-g-h‘ all the way through.”
Bonin added that personally, she always writes “o-u-g-h.”
There are 11 other “borough” towns in Massachusetts, and the only one that does not officially spell their name with “u-g-h” is Attleboro.
WBZ NewsRadio's Chaiel Schaffel (@CSchaffelWBZ) reports.
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