Dr. Wilbur J. Moore (1896–1993) was far more than Cheshire’s longtime physician—he was a trusted presence in the daily life of the town for more than six decades

From the early 1920s through the latter half of the 20th century, Dr. Moore delivered babies, treated injuries, reassured anxious parents, and cared for entire families across generations, becoming one of the most familiar and respected figures in Cheshire.

In the early 1920s, Cheshire relied almost entirely on Dr. Wilbur J. Moore for medical care, and local newspaper accounts show just how wide-ranging and immediate his responsibilities were.

When Dr. Moore opened his office in the Fred Porter House in June 1922, he effectively became the town’s resident physician. Newly graduated from Columbia University’s medical school and fresh from internships in New York hospitals, he brought modern medical training to a small town that depended on a single doctor to handle everything from routine care to emergencies.

That same year, when a parishioner, Mrs. Jane Chapman, suffered a sudden medical episode during Sunday morning services at the Congregational Church, it was Dr. Moore who was summoned. He attended her personally at her home following the incident, and the paper reported she was resting comfortably—an example of how medical care often followed residents directly from public spaces back into their homes.

Dr. Moore’s role extended well beyond office visits. In August 1925, when a retired Yale-educated author, H. B. Hinckley, was struck by an automobile in front of the Cheshire post office, Dr. Moore responded immediately. Determining the injuries were serious, he personally transported the injured man to New Haven Hospital in his own car. In an era before ambulances were readily available, the town doctor often served as both physician and emergency transport.

Even as Cheshire slowly grew, Dr. Moore remained its medical anchor. By the late 1930s, he was serving as the town’s health director, overseeing vaccination clinics and disease prevention efforts. At the annual preschool “summer roundup” in 1938, he vaccinated and examined dozens of children for smallpox and diphtheria, helping protect the town from outbreaks at a time when infectious diseases were still a serious threat.

These newspaper accounts reflect a time when Dr. Moore was not just a doctor in Cheshire—he was the doctor. Whether responding to emergencies at church, accidents on Main Street, or safeguarding public health for the town’s youngest residents, Dr. Wilbur J. Moore embodied the role of the all-hours country physician, carrying the full weight of community health on his shoulders.

Born on July 15, 1896, in Watertown, Connecticut, Moore’s path to medicine began close to home. He attended Cheshire Academy before continuing his studies at Columbia University and the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons. In 1921, newly trained and full of ambition, he returned to Cheshire to open a medical practice—setting up his first office in the Fred Porter House. From the outset, he embraced the role of the classic country doctor, practicing medicine at a time when house calls were routine and physicians were on call at all hours.

Outside his medical practice, Dr. Moore was deeply woven into Cheshire’s civic and social fabric. He was an honorary member of the Cheshire Fire Department, a loyal supporter of Cheshire High School, and an active member of the First Congregational Church. His affiliations reflected both service and fellowship: he was a longtime Mason with Temple Lodge No. 16 A.F. & A.M. of Cheshire, a 32nd Degree member of the Scottish Rite, and a Shriner with the Sphinx Temple of Hartford.

Dr. Moore also believed in balance and recreation. A dedicated golfer, he belonged to several regional country clubs and later served as president of the Connecticut Senior Golf Association, a role that reflected both his leadership skills and his enthusiasm for the game.

In 1928, he married Coral Waterman Webster, a local schoolteacher whose own dedication to education complemented his commitment to medicine. Together they raised three children—Wilbur J. Moore Jr., Gary C. Moore, and Gail Standish—while remaining closely connected to the life of the town they called home.

After more than 65 years of medical practice, Dr. Moore retired, spending his later years in Port St. Lucie, Florida, and in the Pine Orchard section of Branford, Connecticut. He passed away on April 22, 1993, at the age of 96, and was laid to rest at Hillside Cemetery in Cheshire.

To generations of Cheshire residents, Dr. Wilbur J. Moore was not simply “the town doctor.” He was the calm voice in moments of fear, the familiar figure arriving at all hours, and a steady presence during times of change. His legacy lives on in the countless lives he touched and in the enduring memory of a physician who truly belonged to his community.