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Famous people · Pelham

6 famous people come from Pelham, Abby Kelley Foster the best known

Abby Kelley Foster, the American activist, is the most widely known, written about in 17 languages. Second place goes to the American inventor William Otis, third to Harvey Willson Harkness. More than half were born in the early republic, 5 in all. From David Thomas to Lettie S. Bigelow, the births on the list run from 1762 to 1849.

#1 best knownAbby Kelley FosterPolitics & Law · 1811–1887
+2more
Born here
6
notable people
Best known
Abby Kelley Foster
in 17 Wikipedia languages
First
1762
David Thomas
Youngest
1849
Lettie S. Bigelow
Most common field
Politics & Law
3 people

What stands out about Pelham’s famous people

★ What stands out · Through the years

When Pelham’s famous people were born

The 1810s alone account for 2 of the births charted here.

Colonial daysA new nation175018001850Lettie S. BigelowDavid ThomasAbby Kelley Foster
Politics & LawScience & MedicineWriting & Arts

Each dot is a person, stacked by the decade they were born.

The best known

Born in Pelham

Two of the three are scientists and doctors.

Abby Kelley Foster#1
Politics & Law

Abby Kelley Foster

1811–1887

American activist

17 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
William Otis#2
Science & Medicine

William Otis

1813–1839

American inventor

12 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
Harvey Willson Harkness#3
Science & Medicine

Harvey Willson Harkness

1821–1901

U.S. mycologist

9 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
Known for

What Pelham is known for

No other field is as far above the usual share as leaders, at 2.4 times.

The usual town: the share across everyone born in the towns gathered so far. Tap a field to see its people.

Everyone

Everyone else born in Pelham

Still to come: 3 more, from 1762 to 1849.

David Thomas

David Thomas

1762–1831

New York politician, born 1762

Politics & LawWikipedia ↗
JS

Jonathan Sloane

1785–1854

American politician

Politics & LawWikipedia ↗
Lettie S. Bigelow

Lettie S. Bigelow

1849–1906

American author

Writing & ArtsWikipedia ↗
The town’s pick

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Next door

Famous people from the towns next door

The neighbour with the most names is Amherst Town, at 29.

From Wikidata and Wikipedia: people whose birthplace is Pelham and whose English Wikipedia article agrees, ranked by how many Wikipedia languages cover each person. People known mainly for crimes, and adult performers, aren’t listed. “The usual town” = everyone born in the towns gathered so far.

Photo credits (9)