Dr. Edward Newberry a dentist and one of the pioneers of Modern Times, was born in London, England on February 12, 1811.  He was the nineteenth child in a family of thirty-seven children.  His father who was married two times passed on his belief in communal life to all of his children.

Edward attended school in Belgium during his earlier life and went to school in Paris as he grew older.  For awhile, Dr. Newberry worked for his father in a manufacturing business, while studying art. At age twenty-three, Dr. Newberry immigrated to the United States after living in South America for awhile.

Dr. Newberry met Josiah Warren and Stephen Pearl Andrews and became interested in their utopian community.  He moved to Modern Times in 1860 and purchased land in the community on November 11, 1869.

Dr. Newberry’s practiced dentistry, homeopathic medicine, phrenology, and was a scientist, writer, an accomplished painter, interior decoration and social reformer.  He believed in free love and large families.  Like his father who believed in eugenics he felt that the human character could be strengthen by marrying different characteristics together.

His wife Rose Newberry died on April 16, 1887.  Ten years later Dr. Newberry became ill and left his home in Brentwood and moved in with his daughter, Rose Shutt where he died at the age of 86 on November 6, 1897.

-M. Koferl, Local History Room Newsletter, November 2007.