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Agawam Historical & Firehouse Museum
AMHERST HISTORY MUSEUM
ASHFIELD HISTORICAL SOCIETY
ASSOCIATION FOR GRAVESTONE STUDIES
BUCKLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY
CONNECTICUT VALLEY HISTORICAL MUSEUM, Springfield
CONWAY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
CUMMINGTON HISTORICAL COMMISSION
KINGMAN TAVERN MUSEUM
FORBES LIBRARY, NORTHAMPTON
GOSHEN HISTORICAL SOCIETY
HADLEY FARM MUSEUM
HATFIELD FARM MUSEUM
HATFIELD HISTORICAL MUSEUM
HISTORIC DEERFIELD
HISTORIC NORTHAMPTON
JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF WESTERN MASS., South Deerfield
JONES LIBRARY SPECIAL COLLECTION, Amherst
KEEP HOMESTEAD MUSEUM
LEVERETT HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Annual Themes
2014: Made in the Valley
2013: The Connecticut River & Its Tributaries
2012 Theme: Disasters in the Valley
2011 Theme: Remarkable Women
2010 Theme: Folk Art
2009 Theme: Vacationing in the Valley
Republican Heritage Book Series
GOLD HEAD CANE PIN ORDER FORM
Cool Things Blog
Gatherings & Workshops
Preview of "East Meets Western Mass."
Chinese Educational Mission
California Gold Rush Connections
Passport to Local History
Finding Aids Project
Future of Our Past
Pioneer Valley History Network
Celebrating Local History in Western Massachusetts
December 18, 2010 — Holiday Tea & Musical Program
Pelham Historical Society
Pelham Library, 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., music begins at noon
Holiday Tea and Entertainment, Pelham Library, Saturday, December 18: The Pelham Library, along with the Pelham Historical Society, invite the community to this annual popular event. Come for tea and entertainment beginning at noon. The Renaissance II Bell Ringers and That Long Tall Sword longsword team will perform. The latter will include the Abbots Bromley Horn Dance in its program. Santa Claus will also be on the scene from 10-12. For information about the festivities, call the library at 253-0657
December 13, 2010 — "From Valley to Quabbin, 1938-1945"
Illustrated Talk by J. R. Greene
Forbes Library Community Room, 7 p.m.
From Valley to Quabbin tells the story of the last months of human habitation in the Swift River valley. The winding up of local institutions, destruction of the valley, and subsequent flooding for the Quabbin Reservoir are also described, including the use of the reservoir for bombing and artillery practice during World War II. Using quotes from contemporary news accounts, interviews with people who were there at the time, and rare illustrations, the author tells the sad story of the last people to leave that doomed valley, and how they felt about losing their homes. Many valley expatriates are mentioned as moving to towns in eastern Hampshire County. Also quoted are some little – known records from the commission that constructed the reservoir. One chapter covers the Hurricane of 1938, From Valley to Quabbin and its effects on the doomed valley.
December 8, 2010 — "On History's Front Steps"
Author Talk with James Cahillane
Coolidge Museum at the Forbes Library, Northampton, 7 p.m.
James Francis Cahillane has had a lifelong interest in reading and writing poetry. Jim's poetry first ran in a November 1952 USS Darby newsletter. He was a 19-year-old Airman 1st class sailing to England for two air force years at RAF Fairford. Following decades in the car business, Jim sought work as a journalist, essayist, news photographer, poet and author. He is the author of The Best Place of All: An Irish-American Memoir of Pluck, Luck & Automobiles. (City of Northampton: 2004), A Winter Offering (2005), A Winter Offering and A Second Collection (2007) and On History's Front Steps (2010).
On History's Front Steps defines a time and place by profiling his hometown of Northampton, Massachusetts in one family's century-long saga of immigration, business and politics in an American college community. His city of Northampton enjoys a historic reputation for inclusiveness. How this emerged over three hundred and fifty years brings power to his poetry and poignancy to the dozens of family and historical photographs. Jim received a grant from the Northampton Arts Council for this book project.
December 7, 2010 — Wounded Knee: Party Politics and the Road to an American Massacre
Professor Heather Cox Richardson, UMass/Amherst
White Church, Historic Deerfield, 7 p.m.
Co-sponsored by the Pioneer Valley History Network and Historic Deerfield.
University of Massachusetts Professor Heather Cox Richardson will discuss her newest book Wounded Knee: Party Politics and the Road to an American Massacre at the White Church at Historic Deerfield, on Tuesday, December 7th at 7 p.m. Professor Richardson's scholarly research brings a fresh perspective of the causes leading to this tragic event. There will be a reception (cheese provided by Cabot Creameries) and book signing (books courtesy of Amherst Books) after the talk.
December 5, 2010 — In the Spirit of Dickens Days: Wassail Party & Open House
Western Hampden Historical Society
Historic Dewey House, 87 South Maple St., Westfield, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Meet with Scrooge in his bedroom. Free Admission & Refreshments.
December 4, 2010 — Bus Trip to New York
Belchertown Historical Association
On Saturday, Dec. 4 we will be hosting our bus trip to New York City. This fundraiser has been very successful for us, and it's lots of fun, too. We'll meet on the Belchertown Common at 7AM and drive to New York City. The driver usually makes several stops to drop people off near their destination (Rockefeller Center, the Met. Museum of Art, etc). After a day of site-seeing, shopping, theatre-going or visiting with friends, everyone meets back at the bus and we arrive back home around 11PM. Watch for more information and
ticket prices.
December 4, 2010 — Open Hearth Cooking Class: Cookies
Hall Tavern Kitchen, Historic Deerfield, 1 – 4 p.m.
Students will learn the sweet history of cookies as you make and bake some old classics: jumble, seed cakes, and ginger cookies. When they are done, the class will sit down to enjoy their treats with a hot cup of tea. Pre-registration required. Registration is $35 ($30 for members.) Please call 413-775-7217 or e-mail ccarlson@historic-deerfield.org for more information.
December 4 & 5, 2010 — Sojourner's Truth: "I Will Shake Every Place I Go To"
Enchanted Circle Theater
Sears Auditorium, Holyoke High School, 500 Beech Street
December 4th at 7:30 p.m.; December 5th at 2 p.m.
A multimedia theatrical concert takes you on a dramatic tour of Sojourner Truth's life as a northern slave, her spiritual walk to freedom, her search for home and community, and her emergence as one of the foremost public speakers in American history.
Tickets: $20 general, $16 student/seniors
Available online at: http://www.mifafestival.org or at (413) 540-0200
December 2, 2010 — Traces of the Trade
Stoddard Auditorium, Smith College, Northampton, 7 – 9 p.m.
Film screening and moderated discussion of "Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North" (2008, documentary) in connection with Sugar: Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons.
funded by Mass Humanities
December 1, 2010 — Local History & Novelists, Forbes Library Reading Series, Forbes Library, Northampton
David Ruggles
Steve Strimer, David Ruggles Center
Andrea Hairston, author of REDWOOD AND WILDFIRE
Jacqueline Sheehan, author of TRUTH
7 p.m., Coolidge Museum, Forbes Library, Northampton
Folk Art on Display — Memorial Hall Museum, Deerfield
Exceptional collections of textiles, portraits, fireboards, tavern signs, dolls, and more!
Part of the Pioneer Valley History Network summer of Folk Art presentations.
November 28, 2010 — From Pumpkin Hollow to Main Street: Historic House Tours & Arts Walk
Conway Historical Society, Arts Walk, 12 – 5; Homes Tours, 1 – 4 p.m.
Tickets for the Historic Homes Tour are available at these local businesses:
Baker's Country Store•
The Conway Inn•
Field Memorial Library•
Greenfield Savings Bank•
Pages Coffee Bar•
Pekarski's•
Sunset Garage•
Tickets are $12.50 in advance; $15.00 at the Conway Historical Society Museum on Sunday, November 28.
Save your ticket for a surprise gift drawing!
Proceeds from the homes tour benefit the Conway Historical Society.
Thank you, and thanks to the Greenfield Savings Bank for its support!
November 27, 2010 — "Season of Thanks"
Hall Tavern Visitors Center, Historic Deerfield, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Meet members of the Society of the 17th Century, a group of re-enactors who will bring our historic Hall Tavern building to life with an incredible array of period arts, crafts, and trades that represent 17th-century English life. Included with general admission.
November 18, 2010 –"Seeing New Englandly"
Emily Dickinson Film Screening and Discussion in Williamsburg
Meekins Library, Williamsburg, 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Do You See "New Englandly?" Poet Emily Dickinson does. She saw the life of this Valley, New England and indeed the whole world from the window of her bedroom.
Discover her vision at the Hilltown film screening of the new insightful documentary about the extraordinary Emily Dickinson, "Seeing New Englandly," on Thursday, November 18, 2010 at the Meekins Library, Williamsburg, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Join poet, screenwriter and narrator Susan Snively, film maker Ernest Urvater and assistant producer Terry Allen, for this hour-long film followed by a discussion of Dickinson's creative life and poetry.
This program is part of the Meekins year-long series, kicked off during October, American Archives Month, celebrating biography and the stories of people here in the Valley.
"Seeing New Englandly" is the second of a series of film programs, "Angles of a Landscape: Perspectives on Emily Dickinson." Beautifully filmed throughout all seasons in the Valley, this elegantly illustrated and narrated documentary brings poet Emily Dickinson to life and makes you glad to meet your talented neighbor. Through the words of her poems and letters, you listen to Dickinson tell us about local plants and flowers, the heartbreak of the Civil war, fickle New England weather and her own eye troubles.
It is the stories of our historical Valley friends and neighbors that reach across generations and make this a special place. This program is free and everyone is welcome. Enjoy home-made autumn treats to keep you warm. Look for more programs at the Meekins Library in the coming year and seize the chance to meet other Valley residents, including First Lady and Northampton community member, Grace Coolidge, in January 2011.
For more information call: 413-268-7472 or 413-538-6489; contact Daria D'Arienzo at ddarienzo@me.com or ddarienzo@cwmars.org, or visit the Meekins Library online at: http://www.meekins-library.org/. Williamsburg and Haydenville residents who might need a ride, please contact the Meekins Library.
November 18, 2010 — Betsey Ross and the Making of America
Marla Miller, Professor and Director, Public History Program, UMass/Amherst
Chesterfield Historical Society, at the Chesterfield Senior Center, 7:30 p.m.
Betsy Ross and the Making of America – A Scholarly biography of that most-misunderstood early American craftswoman, Betsy Ross. Marla R. Miller's past works include: Cultivating the Past, The Needle's Eye, and Massachusetts Quilts: Our Commonwealth.
Dinner: 6:30 pm Program: 7:30 pm Place: Chesterfield Senior Center
Dinner Menu: Salisbury steak, Mashed Potato, Gravy, Vegetable, Rolls, Brownie w/ Ice Cream
Dinner Price: $12.00 per person
The public is invited to join us for dinner and/or the evening program.
Everyone attending the dinner must confirm reservations with Mary Bancroft (413-296-4483); no later than Monday, November 15, 2010. Those attending only the evening program; no reservation required.
November 17, 2010 — Wounded Knee: Party Politics and the Road to an American Massacre
Lyman & Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History
at the Quadrangle, Springfield, 5 p.m.
Co-sponsored by the Springfield Museums and Springfield Public Schools.
University of Massachusetts Professor Heather Cox-Richardson will return to the Springfield Public Schools Teaching American History program to discuss her newest book Wounded Knee: Party Politics and the Road to an American Massacre at the Springfield Museum of History. Professor Richardson's scholarly research brings a fresh perspective of the causes leading to this tragic event. This event will be open to the public beginning at 5pm, and will include a reception and book signing.
November 17, 2010 – Freedom Summer, a talk and book-signing with author Bruce Watson.
Co-sponsored by the Pioneer Valley History Network and the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Library & Museum
In the sweltering summer of 1964, at the height of the civil rights movement, more than seven hundred college students descended upon segregated, reactionary Mississippi to register black voters and educate black children. On the night of their arrival, the worst fears of a race-torn nation were realized: three volunteers – Andrew Goodman, James Cheney, and Michael Schwerner – disappeared, suspected of being killed by the Ku Klux Klan. So began Freedom Summer.
Bruce Watson has worked as a factory hand, a journalist, a bartender, an office temp, a Peace Corps volunteer, and an elementary school teacher. As a frequent contributor to Smithsonian, Watson wrote more than 40 feature articles on articles ranging from eels to Ferraris to the history of Coney Island. His articles have also appeared in The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Yankee, and The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2003.
His book Bread and Roses was chosen by the New York Public Library as one of "25 Books to Remember in 2005." Sacco and Vanzetti was a Book of the Month Club Selection and has been nominated by the Mystery Writers Association of America for its prestigious Edgar Award. Watson holds a Master's Degree in American history from the University of Massachusetts and lives with his wife and two children in Leverett.
Refreshments and book-signing after the talk. Coolidge Room at Forbes Library, Northampton. For additional information: (413) 587-1014
November 17, 2010 — The Coming of the Train
Pioneer Valley Institute Hosts Brian Donelson at Annual Meeting
Sloan Theater, Greenfield Community College, 7 p.m.
The Pioneer Valley Institute will host Brian Donelson at this year's annual meeting on Wednesday, November 17, in the Sloan Theater on the main campus of Greenfield Community College. There will be a brief business meeting at 6:30 before his presentation, The Coming of the Train: Part Two at 7 o'clock in the evening. The program is free and open to the public.
Donelson, author of The Coming of the Train: The Hoosac Tunnel & Wilmington and Deerfield River Railroads and the Industries They Served is a popular and outstanding speaker. He will discuss the most recent information he has discovered on the history of our local railroads and the towns and industries they served.
His second volume of the series will include a great deal about the development of the upper Deerfield's hydro-electric resources by the New England Power Company and the important part that the Hoosac Tunnel & Wilmington and Deerfield River Railroads played. The volume is well underway with publication expected in early 2011. He will also present new information about logging in the Searsburg and Somerset regions, including many pictures that few people have ever seen.
November 15, 2010 — "Slavery in Colonial Amherst"
Robert H. Romer
7:30 P.M., Pelham Historical Society
(Based in part on Romer's new book, "Slavery in the Connecticut Valley of
Massachusetts")
The Pelham Historical Society is in the Pelham Community Center, the large town building at the corner of Amherst Road and South Valley Road, about
2.5 miles East of the center of Amherst. (On the right-hand side of the street as you come from Amherst.) The Historical Society meets on the upper level, in a room that is part of the Pelham library.
For more information about Romer's book, "Slavery in the Connecticut Valley of Massachusetts," see
http://www.levellerspress.com/
Davis Auditorium, D'Amours Museum of Fine Arts at the Quadrangle, Springfield, 2 p.m.
His book Bread and Roses was chosen by the New York Public Library as one of "25 Books to Remember in 2005." Sacco and Vanzetti was a Book of the Month Club Selection and has been nominated by the Mystery Writers Association of America for its prestigious Edgar Award. Watson holds a Master's Degree in American history from the University of Massachusetts and lives with his wife and two children in Leverett. Refreshments and book-signing after the talk For additional information: (413) 263-6800 x308.
November 13, 2010 — Tea and a Tour Program
Historic Deerfield, 2 – 4 p.m.
Join Historic Deerfield and the Deerfield Inn for a fun and educational opportunity to learn more about tea drinking in colonial Deerfield.
Enjoy a delicious and beautiful array of freshly baked scones with clotted cream, finger sandwiches, cakes, sherry, cookies and more with your nice cup of tea! Also meet Amanda Rivera Lopez, Director of Museum Education & Interpretation at Historic Deerfield, to learn about the many ways people have enjoyed tea over time. Following the tea, visit some of Historic Deerfield's tea-related collections. Tickets are $30 for adults and $15 for Youth (12 and under) and must be purchased in advance. Pre-registration is required. For more information or to register, please call the Deerfield Inn at 413-774-5587.
November 13, 2010 — Open Hearth Cooking Class: Pies
Hall Tavern Kitchen, Historic Deerfield, 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Pies were a common dish served as part of the meal. They were savory or sweet-sometimes with surprising flavor combinations. As part of the class, participants will sample the pies they help make. Pre-registration required. Registration is $55 ($50 for members.) Please call 413-775-7217 or e-mail ccarlson@historic-deerfield.org for more information.
November 13, 2010 — Pioneer Valley Institute's 14th Annual Gem, Mineral & Fossil Show and Sale
Greenfield High School, Lenox Ave., Greenfield, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
It's come around to that season again! The Pioneer Valley Institute presents its 14th Great Gem, Mineral & Fossil Show and Sale on Saturday, November 13, at the Greenfield High School on Lenox Avenue. Doors open at 9:30 AM for a day of all things geologic until the closing bell at 4 o'clock. Admission is still just $2 for adults, a buck for teens 13 to 17 and kids are free, accompanied by an adult.
More than a dozen vendors display their rocks and minerals, gemstones, jewelry and fossils, in the school cafeteria. As there is a great collection of beads and cabochons, this is a wonderful venue for all who make jewelry for fun or profit. There will be meteorites on sale too. This year's featured speakers are Eric Greene who will speak on Minerals of Franklin County at 11 AM and Richard Little describing the Iceland/Greenfield Connections at 12:15. Ron Woodland will once again show off the starry skies with Portable Planetarium shows at 1:30 and 2:30.Videos, posters and books are for sale and often there is a demonstration to the delight of kids.
This is a perfect time to pick up some holiday presents—or indulge yourself!
November 12-14, 2010 — "The Full Splendor of Beauty & Grace: Design & Proportion in Early American Architecture & Furniture"
A Symposium at Historic Deerfield
Historic Deerfield will offer a symposium that explores design and proportion in early American furniture and architecture through lectures by international experts and hands-on workshops by master cabinetmakers. Pre-registration is required. For more information or to register for this event, please contact Julie Marcinkiewicz at 413-775-7179 or events@historic-deerfield.org.
November 9, 2010 — "The Integrated Military in Vietnam"
Professor Chris Appy, UMass Amherst
Room 601, Herter Hall, UMass Amherst, 4:30 – 6 p.m.
In 1948, President Truman issued Executive Order 9981, ordering the
desegregation of all branches of the U.S. military. But it wasn't until the
Vietnam War that all combat units were fully integrated and blacks served in numbers greater than their portion of the overall population. While African Americans had struggled throughout U.S. history for the "right to fight" on equal terms with whites, the civil rights and antiwar movements of the 1960s posed fundamental questions about the justice of fighting in Vietnam. Professor Appy will examine the experiences of African American soldiers in Vietnam and the impact of an integrated military on American social and political life.
November 6, 2010 — Yuletide at the Stone House Museum, Belchertown
Holiday Bazaar. Gifts, Auction, Refreshments, Fun.
November 6, 2010 — "Made-by-Hand-Trades of the Past: Coopering"
Historic Deerfield, 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
See historic trades demonstrations of coopering with Neil Muckenhoupt. Included with general admission.
November 6, 2010 — Cooking with The American Frugal Housewife
Hall Tavern Kitchen, Historic Deerfield, 9:30 – 4:30
Drop in anytime. Come learn about early 19th-century cookery as an open hearth cook makes dishes from "receipts" (or recipes) from The American Frugal Housewife written by Lydia Maria Child in 1829. This cookbook was one of the most widely used and reprinted cookbooks in American culinary history. Included with general admission.
November 6, 2010 — Winterizing Old Homes & Historic Buildings
Bryant Homestead, Cummington, MA, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
The charm of old buildings should come from their history and unique designs, not from their draftiness. But what can the owners of older homes and caretakers of important town buildings do when a complete renovation isn't possible?
The Trustees of Reservations invites you to join us on Saturday, November 6th from 9AM to 12:30PM, for a day of talks, tours and demonstrations geared toward making your everyday spaces more efficient and cozy. The backdrop will be the historic William Cullen Bryant Homestead, built and expanded between the 1780's and 1860's, where visitors can see many of the newest, cost-saving options available to them currently in use and helping to protect this local treasure. Trustees Members $5, Non-members $10 Please R.S.V.P. to 413.268.8219 or mwamsley@ttor.org.
Mark Wamsley
Program & Outreach Coordinator
Highland Communities Initiative
The Trustees of Reservations
November 3, 2010 — Local History & Novelists, Forbes Library Reading Series
Lydia Maria Child
Julie Bartlett, Archivist, Calvin Coolidge Presidential Library& Museum
Patricia Holland, ed., The Collected Correspondence of Lydia Maria Child, 1817-1880
Pamela Thompson, author of Every Past Thing
October 31, 2010 — Supernatural Sunday: Halloween in Deerfield
Hall Tavern Visitor Center, Historic Deerfield, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Drop in anytime. Enjoy the fun of Halloween and the beauty of harvest during the fall season. Historic Deerfield presents seasonal hearth cooking, pumpkin decorating, wagon rides, mask-making, and face painting. Wear a costume and enjoy some early trick-or-treating at select historic houses. Included with general admission.
October 30, 2010 — Spooks & Scandals Tour
Tour Mt. Hope Cemetery and participate in Halloween activities at the Old Town Hall. For more info: http://www.stonehousemuseum.org
October 30, 2010 — "Made-by-Hand-Trades of the Past: Letterpress Printing & Gravestone Carving" at Historic Deerfield, 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
See historic trades demonstrations of letterpress printing with Carl Darrow, and gravestone carving with Karin Sprague. Included with general admission.
October 2 & 3; 9 & 10; 16 & 17; 23 & 24; 30
Pots, Pans & Porridge: Children in the Colonial Kitchen
Family Activity at Historic Deerfield, 12 – 4:30 p.m.
The kitchen was the center of activity in the Colonial era. Food preparation took a great deal of time, and children were expected to help with the many chores of meal time. Families are invited to come to the History Workshop where they can learn about making a colonial dinner through role playing. Using props and dress-up clothing, children can pretend to cook, shell peas, and measure and mix ingredients for a pot of "pease porridge." Cooks of all ages can gather some 18th-century recipes and put them together to make a small cookbook to take home along with the ingredients to make a pea soup. Included with general admission.
"The Politics of Food"
Hampshire College Art Gallery, Johnson Library Ctr, Amherst
The Hampshire College Main Gallery will host an exhibition on The Politics of Food, including an exhibit of photographs by Hampshire farmer/CSA Manager Nancy Hanson titled When Tillage Begins. Also featured is Beyond Corn, a group of photographs by Hampshire alum Peter Moscoviz from his Division III project on factory farming of corn; and selected photographs from Jerome Liebling and Kane Stewart, among others, on the theme of The Politics of Food.
web: http://www.hampshire.edu/library/6368.htm
August 21 – October 23
"The Art & Nature of Mabel Loomis Todd"
Amherst History Museum at the Strong House, Amherst
Lecture on October 7 at 7:00 p.m.
Mabel Loomis Todd is best known as the first editor of Emily Dickinson's Poems, however Todd also had a passion for botanical art and painted images of plants and flowers on nearly everything she could find. Items included her clothes, fans, letters, pottery, even the walls of her home. Todd's relationship with other well known artists such has Martin Johnson Heade and Celia Thaxter influenced her love of capturing the true essence of nature. While this type of art was a central part of 19th century culture and a hobby for most middle-class women, Todd had a true talent and her work was admired among her circle of associates.
This is part of the Amherst Art Work, come early and enjoy the other sites. Visit the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce website for information.
October 21, 2010 — "Celestial Residents of Chesterfield"
Chesterfield Historical Society Dinner Meeting
Chesterfield Senior Center, Dinner — 6:30, Program — 7:30
Speaker: Jane M. Slattery, Westfield State, BA English & Secondary Education, Present Regent Betty Allen Chapter, DAR of Northampton, State DAR District 6 Director, Genealogist and Graving Addict.
The program will include photos of Bofat, Center, Gate, Ireland, Mount and Robinson Hollow (Chesterfield Cemeteries) w/ a mix of history, biography and iconography.
Dinner: 6:30 pm Program: 7:30 pm
Place: Chesterfield Senior Center
Dinner Price: $12.00 per person Dinner Menu: Chicken Pot Pie, Mashed Potato, Squash, drinks and Desert
The public is invited to join us for dinner and / or the evening program.
Everyone attending the dinner must confirm reservations with Mary Bancroft (413-296-4483) no later than Monday, October 18, 201. [Those attending only the evening program; no reservation required.]
October 20, 2010 — I've Got the Light of Freedom
Dr. Charles Payne
Lyman & Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History, 5 p.m.
The Springfield Public Schools Teaching American History program is proud to announce a book discussion of I've Got the Light of Freedom by Dr. Charles Payne. Charles Payne is the Frank P. Hixon Distinguished Service Professor in the School of Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago. Professor Payne will discuss his award winning book on the history of the civil rights movement at the Springfield Museum of History on October 20th. This event will be open to the public at 5pm and will include a reception and book signing.
October 19, 2010 — Mummies in 19th Century America
Wistariahurst Museum, 238 Cabot St., Holyoke, 2 p.m.
An illustrated program with S. J. Wolfe, author of Mummies in 19th Century America.
October 17, 2010 – The King's Best Highway, a talk and book-signing with author Eric Jaffe.
Lyman & Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History at the Quadrangle, Springfield, 2 p.m.
Co-sponsored by the Pioneer Valley History Network and the Springfield Museums.
Travel the historic Old Post Road from Boston to New York, passing through Palmer and Springfield, with author Eric Jaffe. Jaffe is a graduate of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He is a former editor of Smithsonian magazine's website, Smithsonian.com, and his work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Slate, Science News, and Boston magazine. The King's Best Highway is his first book.
Refreshments and book-signing after the talk. Davis Auditorium in the D'Amour Museum of Fine Arts at the Quadrangle, Springfield, MA. For additional information: (413) 263-6800 x308.
October 17, 2010 — "Made-by-Hand-Trades of the Past: 18th Century Dressmaking & Shoemaking"
at Historic Deerfield, 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
See historic trades demonstrations of tailoring with Henry Cooke, 18th-century dressmaking with Linda Oakley, and shoemaking with Peter Oakley. Included with general admission.
October 17, 2010 — Open House
Museum Of Our Industrial Heritage, 2 Mead Street, Greenfield
The Museum Of Our Industrial Heritage will hold a special open house Sunday October 17, 11am – 4pm. The Museum will be conducting walks along the Green River Heritage Trail to historic dams which contributed to making Greenfield a recognized name worldwide.
The Museum will be participating in Massachusetts Archaeology Month by giving tours of its industrial archaeological site which dates to 1690.
The artifact collection of Franklin county-made cutlery, tool, and machinery will be exhibited and demonstrated with hands on activities. Free admission.
Contact Person: Al Shane (413) 548-9435
Website: http://www.industrialhistory.org
Email: industrialheritage@hotmail.com
October 16, 2010 — Bus Trip to Salem, Mass.
Belchertown Historical Association — SOLD OUT!
Come see the festive, historical and bewitching sights in SALEM MA, and
shop or sight-see to your heart's content. We will leave the Belchertown
Common at 8AM, and will leave Salem at about 6PM. Tickets to individual
events in Salem are not included to allow you maximum freedom to follow
your own interests. Popular destinations include the House of Seven Gables,
The Witch Museum, and the Peabody Essex Museum. Salem in October
is a very popular destination, so get your tickets soon!
$30 ($27 for members) non-refundable
Space Limited, Call: Mary 323-517
Proceeds to benefit Belchertown Historical Association
October 16, 2010 — Learn About Leverett
to car pool, leave at 12:30 from Pelham Library parking lot
We'll meet Leverett historian Dan Bennett at the Co-op in Moore's Corner for coffee and pastry. Next, we'll go across the way to the old school house – the historical society's museum – and from there will drive to a sawmill undergoing restoration and to the Leverett Family Museum where curator Edith Field will tell us about this collection. Sign up with Barbara Jenkins, 253-2929 by 10/14.
October 16, 2010 — Fall Into Windsor-Cornish
Pioneer Valley Institute Bus Tour
Join geology professor Richard Little, the Pioneer Valley Institute and our co-sponsor, the Deerfield Valley Art Association (DVAA), for a journey into a most fascinating part of the Connecticut Valley: the Windsor, VT – Cornish, NH area. These small towns share the scenic Connecticut River as it runs towards Mt. Ascutney. In this bucolic setting there is an amazing history of artistic as well as industrial accomplishment. Here's a chance to please both your left and right brain as we investigate three main topics: sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens, painter Maxfield Parrish, both affiliated with the Cornish Colony, and the American Precision Museum.
The cost of this daylong trip, which includes admissions and motor coach, is just $50 for PVI and DVAA members, $55 for all others. The bus will leave the GCC bus stop located by the Sloan Theater, south wing of the main (brick) building at 9 A.M. A pick-up location in Bernardston will be arranged.
Registrations must be received no later than October 6, but reserve your space now! These tours have filled quickly. For more information contact Richard Little at rdlittle2000@aol.com or by phone to 413-527-8536. To receive a copy of our fall program booklet and to register for this trip call PVI at 413-775-1671 and leave your name, address and phone number or contact us by email at pvi@gcc.mass.edu.
October 16, 2010 — Archeology Day at Historic Deerfield
10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Hall Tavern Visitors Center
Join us for an Archaeological Walking Tour with Bob Paynter, Professor of Anthropology at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Enjoy a guided tour of the Old Burying Ground with a guide from Historic Deerfield at 11:30 a.m. Free and open to the public.
October 16, 2010 — "Made-by-Hand-Trades of the Past: English Factory-Made Ceramics & Broom-making"
See historic trades demonstrations of English factory-made ceramics with Don Carpentier, and broom making with Bob Aborn. Included with general admission.
Thru Mid October
Rowe Historical Society, Rowe, Massachusetts
Sundays, 2 – 5 pm.
We have two wonderful exhibits this season in addition to our vast collection of historical artifacts.
Firstly, Curator Alan Bjork has gathered a fine selection of old photographs showing Rowe as it was in past times. It's fascinating to compare the different locations in Rowe as they were so long ago to how they are today. It makes us realize how fortunate we are to live in such a beautiful area, with our lovely brooks, mountains and forests.
Our second exhibit consists of 23 of the museum's quilts, some dating back over 150 years. Displayed in our "carriage house" as well as throughout the museum, it is a look back to a simpler, slower paced time. Each quilt represents so many hours spent measuring, cutting, piecing and stitching, largely by hand, an article both useful and beautiful. Several of the quilts are "signature" quilts, with the names of past residents of Rowe, perhaps some of your ancestors!
So make this the year that you visit or re-visit the museum and be sure to bring all your visitors and show off Rowe's historic past. The museum is open Sundays between 2PM and 5PM. Exhibits will run through mid-October. Hope to see you there!
Swampfield Historical Society,
Congregational Church Hall, Sunderland, 7 p.m.
Refreshments will be provided.
October 14, 2010 — A lecture about Emily Dickinson by biographer Lyndall Gordon
Johnson Chapel, Amherst College Campus, 7 p.m.
"Abyss has no biographer":
Can we risk the Abyss?
Gordon is the author of Lives like Loaded Guns: Emily Dickinson and Her Family's Feuds, a new and controversial examination of the poet's life and publication history. She has written several biographies of T.S. Eliot and of British women writers: Virginia Woolf, Charlotte Brontë, and Mary Wollstonecraft. She is Senior Research Fellow at St Hilda's College, Oxford.
Free and open to the public. A booksigning and reception will follow the lecture.
Co-sponsored by the Amherst College Archives and Special Collections, the Emily Dickinson Museum, and the Jones Library Special Collections Department. For more information: http://www.emilydickinsonmuseum.org/events or 413-542-8429.
October 13, 2010 — "Radical Equality"
Historic Northampton, 46 Bridge Street, Northampton, 4 p.m.
The Collaborative for Educational Services (CES) and Historic Northampton are pleased to present Radical Equality – a Teaching American History website which tells the story of the Northampton Association of Education and Industry. Radical Equality will allow teachers to engage students in local history using primary source materials. Join CES and Historic Northampton for a presentation of the website at Historic Northampton.
Bruce Laurie, historian, will provide a brief overview of abolitionism in Massachusetts in the 1840s.
Kelley Brown, Easthampton High School teacher, will describe how teachers have used the Northampton Association of Education and Industry in the classroom. Brown is the recipient of the 2010 Preserve America Massachusetts History Teacher of the Year award.
Kerry Buckley, Director of Historic Northampton, will discuss the association and share excerpts from the Stetson Family Letters – primary source documents in the museum's collection.
Rich Cairn, Director of Emerging America at CES, will explain how the public can access information on the NAEI.
The project is funded by a Teaching American History grant from the U. S. Department of Education.
October 12, 2010 — Lives of the Valley: Meet Fannie Clary and Jessie Tarbox Beals
Friendship Hall, Williamsburg Congregational Church, Williamsburg
Did you know that the Pioneer Valley was the home and inspiration for America's first female photo-journalist? Come to Williamsburg and find out more!
To celebrate American Archives Month and kick off a year-long program celebrating biography and the stories of people here in the Pioneer Valley, the Meekins Library and the Williamsburg Historical Society present Fannie Clary and Jessie Tarbox Beals: Williamsburg Ladies Ahead of Their Time on the Leading Edge in a Changing World, an illustrated talk by historian Ralmon Jon Black.
On October 12, 2010, gather in the Friendship Hall of the Williamsburg Congregational Church in the center of Williamsburg after 6:00 for a potluck at 6:30. The program will begin at 7:30. The Williamsburg Historical Society is the Meekins Library partner for this event. The events are free and everyone is welcome.
Get acquainted with your neighbors, both old and new. Frances Guilford Clary was a teacher and one of Williamsburg's turn-of-the century dynamic women. Jessie Tarbox Beals taught in Williamsburg with Fannie, and from here launched her pioneering career as the first female photo-journalist.
October 10, 2010 — Wilder Homestead Sampler 1775
Buckland Historical Society, 2 – 5 p.m.
Step into the past at the Wilder Homestead and sample activities from the Colonial era.
OPEN HEARTH COOKING, OXEN, BASKET MAKING, WEAVING, SPINNING, QUILTING, CHAIR CANING, ANTIQUE FARM EQUIPMENT, MUSIC OF THE 1700s, CIDER PRESSING, MORRIS DANCERS.
Admission: Adult – $3.00, Child – $1.00
Found on Rt. 112, Buckland, between the Mohawk High School and Buckland Center
Presented by the Buckland Historical Society, For more info, contact Polly Anderson, 413-625-9763
October 10, 2010 — "Made-by-Hand-Trades of the Past: 18th Century Cabinetmaking & Blacksmithing"
See historic trades demonstrations of 18th-century cabinetmaking with Craig Farrow, and blacksmithing with Rick Martin. Included with general admission.
October 9, 2010 — Archeology Day at the Stone House Museum, Belchertown
Dig it! Museum grounds 10 am. to noon.
October 9 – 10, 2010 –2010 ADA/Historic Deerfield Antiques Show
Historic Deerfield, Deerfield, Mass.
Over 50 leading members of the Antiques Dealers' Association of America (ADA) will bring their finest treasures to Deerfield, Mass. this Columbus Day Weekend, October 9-10, for the 2010 ADA/Historic Deerfield Antiques Show. New this year will be a Family Quest designed to engage youth and help attract a new generation of collectors, and a special exhibition at Historic Deerfield titled "Dinner is Served!: Dining and the Decorative Arts."
As always, a highlight of the weekend will be a classic Colonial Tavern Night celebration will take place on Saturday, October 9, after the show at 6 p.m. Feast on a menu of traditional New England favorites topped off with local hard cider and handmade pies while you enjoy live performances of period music and magic in the authentic c. 1786 Hall Tavern.
October 9, 2010 — "Made-by-Hand-Trades of the Past: Tinsmithing & Architectural Woodworking" at Historic Deerfield, 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
See historic trades demonstrations of tinsmithing with Bill McMillen, and architectural woodworking with Ted Ingraham. Included with general admission.
October 9, 2010 — Harvest Supper & Howard D. Barnes Memorial Pie Auction
Historic Town Hall, Pelham, 6:30 pm.
The Pelham Historical Society will hold its traditional New England boileddinner and pie auction on Saturday, October 9, at 6:30 p.m. at the historic Town Hall on the corner of Amherst Road and Route 202. For his twentieth year, Senator Stan Rosenberg will conduct the pie auction.
As space is limited, reservations should be made soon with Elva Anderson (252-3970) or Doris Holden (253-5993).
Tickets are $10.00 for adults and $7.00for children under ten.
October 9, 2010 — "Abolition in Black & White: Douglass, Ruggles & Emerson", a talk by author Len Gougeon
presented by the David Ruggles Center & the UU Adult Ed
at the Unitarian Society of Northampton & Florence, 220 Main St. at 5 p.m.
October 9, 2010 — Walking Tour of Abolition Era Downtown Northampton
Leaves from the Unitarian Society, 220 Main St., 10 a.m.
Sponsored by the David Ruggles Center
Visit houses of Underground Railroad assistants Moses Breck and Seth Hunt, and Sheriff Ansel Wright, himself an abolitionist. We'll look for the home sites of fugitive slaves George Wright and John Williams. We'll pass near the north room on Elm Street where Lydia Maria Child lived while she and her husband David manufactured beet sugar on Masonic Street. After visiting several other important sites, we'll end at City Hall where ten self-emancipated slaves called on the town to resist the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850.
October 6, 2010 — Local History & Novelists, Forbes Library Reading Series
Kenneth Minkema, Jonathan Edwards Center & Online Archive, Yale
Elise Bernier-Feeley, Hampshire Room for Local History, Forbes Library
Susan Stinson, author of SPIDER IN A TREE
October 5, 2010 — Slavery in the Connecticut River Valley
Professor Robert Romer, Amherst College
Room 601, Herter Hall, UMass Amherst, 4:30 to 6 p.m.
In the 19th Century, Massachusetts was well-known as a center of
abolitionist activity, but slavery existed throughout Massachusetts in the
1700s, and was ended only through a series of court cases. Professor Romer's research in Deerfield and beyond has shed light on the invisible faces of slavery in Massachusetts. He will share with us what he has uncovered about slavery and its presence in the Connecticut River Valley.
September 10-12th; 24 & 25; Oct. 8th & 9th
Ambush on T Street
Veteran's Education Project & Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Assn.
Historic Deerfield, 12 – 4:30 p.m.
Get your advanced tickets now for AMBUSH ON T STREET at Memorial Hall
in Shelburne Falls. The play is co-sponsored by the Pocumtuck Valley
Memorial Association's 2010 Big Read of "The Things They Carried" by
Tim O'Brien, exploring history through literature.
Advanced tickets are available through www.zenpeacemakers.org (use
this link, or click on events from the main page) or at Mocha Maya's.
Created and performed by Court Dorsey, Al Miller and John Sheldon,
Ambush on T Street just finished a great run in Northampton – come see
what everyone's talking about! See you there!
September 10-12th — Northampton Center for the Arts
September 24 & 25th — Memorial Hall, Shelburne Falls
October 8th & 9th — Zen Peacemakers, Montague
October 3, 2010 — Hatfield Fall Festival and Antique, Classic Cars, Trucks & Tractors
Hatfield Farm Museum, 11 am-3 pm. Rain or shine!
Come join us at Hatfield's Farm Museum
(behind the library, off Main St.) and at the
Historical Museum (above the library)
for food, live music, crafts, vehicles, local
produce and history! Activities for children include face painting
and the ever-popular Balloon Man. Something for everyone!
October 3, 2010 — Fall Open House
Chesterfield Historical Society
Bisbee Grist Mill Museum, Chesterfield
The Chesterfield Historical Society will hold it's annual Fall Open House on Sunday, Oct. 3rd at the Bisbee Grist Mill Museum. This will be the last opening for this season. There will be weaving and soap making demonstrations. The mill will be grinding corn at 1 and 2pm. Come see the raising and cleaning of the grist stones at 3pm. There will be chili and corn bread, cider and donuts for sale. The Bisbee Mill Museum is located at 66 East Street in Chesterfield.
October 2, 2010 — Fall Tour of Historic Cemeteries in Belchertown, Massachusetts
Co-Sponsored by the Pioneer Valley History Network and the Association for Gravestone Studies
Cliff McCarthy, Archivist at the Stone House Museum in Belchertown, and at the new Museum of Springfield History in Springfield, Massachusetts will lead a tour of three historic cemeteries in Belchertown. Cliff currently chairs the Steering Committee of the Pioneer Valley History Network. During the tour we will visit the gravesites of several members of the local African American community. We plan to visit Mt. Hope Cemetery, a 19th-century cemetery in the center of town; Lake Vale Cemetery, a colonial-era cemetery located along the old Bay Road; and Munsell Cemetery, a primarily black cemetery in the north part of town. Bob Drinkwater, tour co-leader, will comment on the work of local 18th- and early 19th-century gravestone cutters.
Meet at the Parking Lot on Belchertown Common at 10 AM, rain or shine. This event is free and open to the public, For additional information, contact Bob Drinkwater: bocaetc@yahoo.com, or (413) 549-0581
October 2, 2010 — Songs of Home & Harvest with Cliff McGann
Historic Deerfield, White Church Community Ctr., 2 – 3 p.m.
Visitors of all ages are invited to attend a performance by musician and folklorist Cliff McGann who grew up outside of Boston with a strong connection to family in Nova Scotia. Today he continues to study, perform, and interpret music and folklore of both New England and Nova Scotia. He performs as a solo artist, and also regularly with The Boston Kiltics, a New England-based Celtic music and dance troupe. Included with general admission.
October 2, 2010 — Hat Making & Redware Potting
Historic Trades Demonstrations at Historic Deerfield,
10:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.
See historic trades demonstrations of hat making with Bill Wigham, and redware potting with Rick Hamelin. Included with general admission.
"Our Past Enriching Our Future" — Stone House Museum, Belchertown
Folk Art Exhibit featuring textiles, moss art, and portraits by Ruth Henshaw Bascom. Saturdays, 2-5 pm.
"The Coolidges Create Folk Art" — Coolidge Museum at Forbes Library, Northampton
Open Mondays & Wednesdays, 3 – 9 p.m.; Tuesdays & Thursdays, 1 – 5 p.m.
September 26, 2010 — WGBY Appraisal Fair
White Church Community Center at Historic Deerfield
Do you like to watch Antiques Roadshow®? Then be sure to take part in this special fundraiser to support our local Western Massachusetts PBS station, WGBY, and gain access to experts from the Antiques Dealers' Association of America (ADA) and Historic Deerfield curators as they provide verbal evaluations of your antiques. Pre-registration required. For tickets and more information, please call WGBY at 800-781-9429, or log on to wgby.org.
September 26, 2010 — History Detectives Live Show!
Deerfield Academy at Historic Deerfield, 5-6 pm
Come meet Tukufu Zuberi from the PBS hit series History Detectives at a special live show to benefit WGBY. Pre-registration required. For tickets and more information, please call WGBY at 800-781-9429, or log on to wgby.org.
September 26, 2010 — Demonstration of Shape Note Singing
Historic Town Hall, Pelham, 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Come experience this music that has its roots in early New England. Visitors' participation at this ninth annual Pelham exhibition of shape note singing is encouraged, but not required. Books available. Participants may come and go as they please. Note Saturday instead of usual Sunday. For information: Barbara Jenkins, 253-2929
August 22 – September 26
HOME MADE in (or near) WORTHINGTON
An Exhibit of Quilts, Samplers, Hooked Rugs, Weaving
Stump Work, Dolls' Clothing, Etc. Both Historical and Modern
Worthington Historical Society, Worthington
Sundays, August 22nd through September 26th 2010
Part of the Pioneer Valley History Network summer of Folk Art presentations
September 11 & 12; 18 & 19; 25 & 26
Honey Harvest Family Activities
Honey was an important ingredient used to sweeten foods and beverages in colonial America, and to brew a traditional drink called mead. Join museum educators in this fun family program to learn about bees and honey. Taste different kinds of honey, and make a beeswax candle to take home. Included with general admission.
September 25, 2010 — Museum Day 2010
Memorial Hall, Deerfield, 11:30 to 4:30
Museum Day is an annual event hosted by Smithsonian Media in which
participating museums across the country open their doors for free to
anyone presenting a Museum Day Ticket. It's also a perfect opportunity
for PVMA's launch of The BIG READ 2010-2011. Tim O'Brien, author of
this year's selection, "The Things They Carried," speaks of how
"stories rule our lives, how they're told and retold as we look for an
elusive truth." Memorial Hall Museum and the Indian House are full of
stories to discover and rediscover!
Download your FREE pass to Memorial Hall Museum and the Indian House
and learn more at the Museum Day website
(http://microsite.smithsonianmag.com/museumday/index.html). Some
restrictions apply. Memorial Hall Museum and the Indian House will
also be free to those without a Smithsonian pass who sign in at the
door with their email address.
September 25, 2010 — 'Enduring New England': The Western Massachusetts Landscape Paintings of Robert Strong Woodward (1885-1957)
A retrospective exhibition of Robert Strong Woodward's paintings to celebrate the 125th anniversary of his birth.
Saturday, September 25th 10:00a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission: $10.00
At the Buckland Public Hall (behind the Mary Lyon Church), Upper St., Buckland, MA
Sponsored by the Buckland Historical Society…for more information visit http://www.robertstrongwoodward.com
or contact Polly Anderson 413-625-9763
Special exhibits on Woodward's life and work….free refreshments…..matted prints and notecards of Woodward's paintings available for purchase….
Janet Gerry will be signing her new book: Artist Against All Odds, the story of Robert Strong Woodward.
September 25, 2010 — "Made-by-Hand-Trades of the Past: Flax Dressing" at Historic Deerfield
10:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
See historic trades demonstrations of flax dressing with Gina Gerhard. Included with general admission.
Art has a "Palate": The Dickinsons & Dining
Emily Dickinson Museum, 280 Main St., Amherst
The Emily Dickinson Museum re-opens the public and private areas of The Evergreens related to food preparation and service – the kitchen, scullery, pantry and dining room – with new displays to offer visitors a new perspective on 19th century dining and hospitality. Attend the poetry-reading, baking contest and "Put down the apple, Adam": The Dickinsons' Apples and Figs presentation on opening day. Related programs include a lecture on "A Prickly Art": Homemaking in the 19th Century (November 7) and a Victorian feast for Emily Dickinson's birthday (December 9).
web: http://www.museums10.org
September 25, 2010 — Tea and a Tour Program
Enjoy a delicious and beautiful array of freshly baked scones with clotted cream, finger sandwiches, cakes, sherry, cookies and more with your nice cup of tea! Also meet Amanda Rivera Lopez, Director of Museum Education & Interpretation at Historic Deerfield, to learn about the many ways people have enjoyed tea over time. Following the tea, visit some of Historic Deerfield's tea-related collections. Tickets are $30 for adults and $15 for Youth (12 and under) and must be purchased in advance. Pre-registration is required by September 20. For more information or to register, please call the Deerfield Inn at 413-774-5587.
September 25, 2010 — "Following in the Stitches of Marietta Stebbins: the White Dove Sampler Embroidery Kit"
Workshop at Historic Deerfield, Bartels Seminar Room, 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Join Joanne Harvey, owner of The Examplarery, as she guides you through the stitches and techniques for reproducing Marietta Stebbins' 1801 sampler in the "White Dove School" style that flourished in Deerfield. Participants will have the opportunity to examine other samplers and pieces of 18th- and 19th-century embroidery with dealers and scholars Carol and Stephen Huber of Old Saybrook, Connecticut. A tour of the Helen Geier Flynt Textile Gallery led by a Master Guide is also included in the workshop. Limited to 25 participants. Pre-registration is required by September 17. For more information or to register, please call 413-775-7179 or e-mail events@historic-deerfield.org.
September 25, 2010 — "Exploring Little Tom: Dikes, Sills & Lava Flows"
Pioneer Valley Institute Hike
Join geologists Richard Little and Steve Winters on Sat. Sept 25 as they lead a hike up Mount Tom's "little brother." The hike, which is co-sponsored by PVI, The Trustees of Reservations and Mass Audubon, costs just $10 ($5 for members of any of the sponsoring organizations). Children under 12 are admitted with adult for $2. In the event of rain, the hike will be held the following day. Little and Winters will meet participants at the yellow gate on Mountain Park Access Rd. near exit 17A off I-91.
Normally closed to the public pending the closure of the nearby rock quarry in 2012, The Trustees will permit access to Little Tom for a moderately difficult (100 ft elevation gain with rocky trail) one-hour hike that explores the dramatic exposures of lava, volcanic ash, and possible igneous sills and dikes that fed the volcanism that built the Holyoke Range over 200 million years ago.
Next the group will proceed to The Trustees' nearby Dinosaur Footprints Reservation, along Rte 5—an excellent place to study the ancient landscape and ecosystem where dinosaurs once roamed. Depending on time and interest, the trip may continue on to the Mt. Tom State Reservation and the great valley views from Goat Peak. Participants are invited to bring a lunch with them.
To register or for more information please email to rdlittle2000@aol.com or science_matters@yahoo.com Directions to the meeting place and a full list of upcoming PVI programs can be found at the Pioneer Valley Institute website www.gcc.mass.edu/pvi/.
September 24, 2010 — Forbes Library Wine Tasting
Forbes Library, Northampton, 6:30 – 8:30 pm
Save the date for a vivid evening of wine, music, food, and engaging conversation at the second annual wine-tasting fundraiser to benefit the Forbes Library. Sample from a variety of 40 wines as well as sake and several craft beers. Pair wines with an array of delicious hors d'oeuvres, both sweet and savory. Enjoy live jazz performed by Ken Forfia (piano) and Friends.
Please join us in the library's Reading Room for this festive and elegant event. Tickets, at $25 per person, may be purchased at the library, on the library's website, or at Liquors 44 on King Street in Northampton. All proceeds from this event will benefit the Forbes Library. Free overflow parking is available at the Smith College Garage on West Street.
September 21, 2010 — Book Appraisal Event
Historical Society of Greenfield, Union & Church Sts.
with Paul Muller-Reed of New England Auctions, LLC
All Are Welcome. $2 per book for members, $3 per book, non-members
September 20, 2010 –Pelham Past & Present
Pelham Historical Society, 7:30 pm.
Community Center, Ramsdell Room
After our business meeting, we'll accompany Robert Lord Keyes, Pelham's archivist, to the town vault on the lower level of the Community Center, where he'll familiarize us with Pelham's important documents. Also, Joe Larson, Historical Commission chairperson, will bring us up to date on current projects related to Pelham's history. Chairperson: Barbara Jenkins, 253-2929
September 18-19, 2010 — Deerfield Fall Art & Craft Festival
Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association
Memorial Hall Museum, Old Deerfield, MA
Sat. 10-5; Sun. 10-4; Rain or Shine
175 Exhibitors from 16 states
Admission: $7 adults, $1 children under 12
September 15, 2010 — "Art of the Table" Homeschool Day
Historic Deerfield, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
In conjunction with the exhibition Dinner is Served!: Dining and the Decorative Arts in Early America, Historic Deerfield will offer a chance for homeschool families to discuss how changing history and material culture influenced the dinner table. See hearth cooking demonstrations focused on the courses of food that are displayed in the historic houses. Learn about familiar and exotic ingredients used in favorite dishes of long ago, participate in making art for the table, and have fun playing a "place-setting" game. Visitors can try their hand at using historic design concepts to paint a ceramic plate to take home for an additional $5. Pre-registration required by September 8. Registration is $12 for adults, $5 for youth age (6-17). Children under 6 are free. Please call 413-775-7217 or e-mail ccarlson@historic-deerfield.org for more information.
September 16, 2010 — Photo Adventure to Antarctica
Steven C. Upton
Chesterfield Historical Society, at the Chesterfield Senior Ctr.
Dinner Menu: Pot Roast, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Carrots, Rolls, Drinks and Dessert
Everyone attending the dinner must confirm reservations with Mary Bancroft (413-296-4483) no later than Monday, September 13, 2010.
Note! Those attending only the evening program; no reservation required.
September 11, 2010 — Walk to Historic Dana Common
Leave at 10:00 a.m
Meet at PHS Museum parking lot – back about 4:00 pm
(Rain date: Sunday, September 12, same times)
Join us for this 3-mile round trip from Gate 40 on a road through the Quabbin woods to explore the Dana Common, dismantled in 1938 to make way for the reservoir. The Common is full of well-preserved cellar holes and foundations. Bring lunch. Sign up with Bruce Klotz (253-1601) by Thursday 9/9
September 11, 2010 — Walking Tour of Florence's African American History
David Ruggles Center, Florence at 10 a.m.
Meet at the Sojourner Truth statue, Park & Pine Sts.
September 8, 2010 — "Slavery in Colonial East Hadley (i.e., Amherst)"
7:30 P.M, Hadley Historical Society, 12 Middle Street, Hadley
The Hadley Historical Society is on Hadley's Middle Street (also Route 47), about half a mile North of the stoplight at the center of Hadley, on the right-hand side of the street as you go North. There is a sign for the Historical Society on the street.
http://www.levellerspress.com
September 7, 2010 — "Last Call: The Rise & Fall of Prohibition", Broadside Books, Northampton
Daniel Okrent reading and signing his new book at 7 p.m. Rescheduled from July 7.
August 1 – September 3
"Woolgathering" — An Exhibit by Nan Salky
Historic Northampton Museum
Jazz Reception with Artist
Friday, August 13th 5 – 8 pm
Join artist Nan Salky on August 13th for the opening reception of WOOLGATHERING. "My mother kept me in thick crayons until I was eight." Nan Salky recalls, "In my early attempt to achieve the deepest possible saturation of color, those lovely thin Crayolas never lasted long." Salky studied Children's book writing and illustration at the University of Colorado where she specialized in psychology and art. For twenty years she painted using brushes before rediscovering her love of crayons in the form of oil sticks. Inspiration struck when she began to deconstruct wool sweaters.
"When I learned that woolen sweaters could be washed and dried and cut into pieces, I lost sleep dreaming of the possibilities. It was serendipitous that I had discovered sweater recycling at the same time that I decided to experiment with antique printer's cases. I had at my fingertips an endless array of color and texture, thanks to the Goodwill and Salvation Army. The printer's cases provided an order and structure for my exploration. Using materials with a history of humble service (as sweaters, buttons, thread, watch parts) these cases find a new life, reborn together, square by square, color by color and stitch by stitch."
"Nan's approach to art is joyous and creative, and this shows in her printers' cases which combine felt, found objects, and funk. Each time I look at the piece I chose, I find something new to amuse and please me."
– Norma Johnson
Tuesday – Saturday, 10 am – 5 pm
Sundays, 12 noon – 5 pm
Museum Admission:
$3 individuals
$6 families
Members receive free admission
August 28, 2010 — Jurassic Roadshow
Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA
Calling all fossil fanatics, rock hounds, and dinosaur diggers!
It's the all-new Connecticut River Valley Jurassic Roadshow for Rocks & Fossils!
OK, it doesn't really have to be Jurassic! But if you've got a fossil or rock you're curious about, bring it down to the Great Falls Discovery Center and show it off to like-minded souls!
Paleontologist Patrick Getty and geologist Steve Winters will be there to identify & talk about your specimens.
Local collectors Ed Gregory & Paul Fontaine will display special fossils & other items from their personal collections.
The Discovery Center's own dinosaur footprint collection will be on exhibit.
See dinosaur footprints, fish, fronds, trilobites, raindrop impressions, ripple marks, mud cracks, and other fossils—what do they say about paleoclimate?
Share your stories about finding rocks & fossils at the Mesozoic Time Capsule.
Learn about the history of the discovery of dinosaur footprints here in 1835.
Free fossils for the first 50 kids!
For information on this program, call 413-863-9972
Cosponsored by the Friends of Great Falls Discovery Center, Pioneer Valley Institute, Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, The Trustees of Reservations, RiverCulture, and Ichnology Rocks!
August 19, 2010 — Gravestone Geology: From Rocks to Remembrance: A Brief History of Pioneer Valley Gravestones
Great Falls Discovery Center, Turners Falls
Historical archaeologist Bob Drinkwater will present a program on gravestone geology at 7:00 p.m. this Thursday, August 19, at Great Falls Discovery Center. Bob's presentation will include the materials, sources, and succession of materials used in gravestones in the Pioneer Valley from the 18th century to the present. Marie Ferre, Archivist at the Association for Gravestone Studies, will also be there, with a table full of information on gravestones and AGS.
Bob Drinkwater has been recording, photographing, and reporting on the 18th and 19th century gravestones and stonecutters of Massachusetts for the last 40 years. He is a charter member and past president of the Association of Gravestone Studies, where he currently serves on the Board of Trustees. He offers a workshop, "Gravestone Studies 101: A Survey of Gravestone Art in the Pioneer Valley," at Greenfield Community College. He holds a masters degree in Anthropology from UMass-Amherst.
With a degree in Art History from Boston University, Marie Ferre has worked at Vanderbilt, Mount Holyoke, and Dickinson colleges. Her interest in the social history of New England gravestones grew to include their art and philosophy, as encouraged by Dickinson colleague Allan Ludwig, whose Graven Images has become a standard. On retirement, she moved to Northfield, volunteered at Historic Deerfield, and from 2002-2009 was archivist for the Association for Gravestone Studies. She has conducted a comprehensive survey of Northfield's Center Cemetery and guided its listing on the National Register. In 2008, she founded the Friends of Northfield's Old Cemeteries.
Great Falls Discovery Center
2 Avenue A
Turners Falls, MA 01376
August 19, 2010 — Chesterfield Historical Society Meeting
Program Topic: Chesterfield Highway Department "Past and Present"
Speaker: Chesterfield Highway Garage Building Committee
Dinner: 6:30 pm, Program: 7:30 pm
Dinner Menu: Meatloaf, Mashed Potato, Tossed Salad, Corn, Rolls, Drinks and Desert Dinner Price: $12.00 per person
The public is invited to join us for dinner and/or the evening program. Everyone attending the dinner must confirm their reservations with Mary Bancroft (413-296-4483) no later than Monday August 16, 2010. Those attending only the evening program; no reservation required.
August 15, 2010 — Bisbee Mill Museum, Chesterfield
The Bisbee Mill Museum in Chesterfield will be open on Sunday, August 15 from 1pm to 4pm. The museum will feature S. A. Healy and Son woodproducts. The grist mill will be running, grinding corn and powered by an antique Hercules engine. The museum is located at 66 East Street in Chesterfield.
August 14, 2010 –Walking Tour of Florence's African American History
Saturday, August 14 at 10 am. from the Sojourner Truth Statue corner Park and Pine Streets.
Donations welcome in support of the David Ruggles Center
August 7 & 8 — Two Wars, Two Towns, Two Days
Civil War: The Battle of Brimfield
Saturday 9-5, Sunday 9-3
Heart-o-the-Mart, Route 20, Brimfield
For more information: http://www.hitchcockacademy.org
Revolutionary War: Redcoats to Rebels
Old Sturbridge Village, Sturbridge, MA
Saturday 9:30 – 8, Sunday 9:30 – 5
For more information: http://www.osv.org
August 8 — Dedication of Hawley Town Common
The Sons & Daughters of Hawley, Inc. (SDH), a non-profit historical society in Hawley, Massachusetts, will dedicate the Hawley Town Common historic site on August 8, 2010 at 1:30 P.M. After the opening ceremony, visitors will be invited on guided tours of the site.
The Hawley common was once a thriving center, but, for various reasons, the town abandoned it in 1848. By 1900 all the buildings had disappeared and the surrounding forest gradually consumed the area. In the Fall of 2007, the SDH decided to reclaim the area by marking the location of the buildings that surrounded the town common during the early 1800s, clearing away overgrown vegetation around cellar holes, creating paths, and designing interpretive signs to guide visitors through the site.
"Rediscovering Hawley's Old Town Common," as the project is called, began as an effort to make the residents of Hawley aware of the origins of their community and the history of their town common, since many of them had no idea the common ever existed. As the project proceeded, it became much more than that. The Hawley Town Common historic site tells the story of a particular community as it responded to the larger historical trends and events that affected all towns in Western Massachusetts: industrialization, the opening of the American West, the temperance movement, the separation of church and state in Massachusetts, and changes in transportation routes.
Grants from MassHumanities and the Highland Communities Initiative (The Trustees of Reservations) funded historical research, the preparation of a site plan, and design and construction of signs. Hawley community volunteers accomplished most of the physical labor of clearing an entrance area, trails, and the sites of the vanished buildings. The Student Conservation Association in Hawley also participated. The historic site features an entrance kiosk and nine site signs along a path that loops through the woods. Each sign tells a chapter in the founding of the town common and its demise. Advice and encouragement came from the Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation (DCR) offices of Cultural Resources, Resource Management and Forest Management.
The town common is located across from the intersection of E. Hawley Rd. and Forget Rd., and adjacent to the Hawley Bog. For more information, go to: Rediscovering Hawley's Old own Common website or contact Lark Thwing at 413-339-0124.
July 25 — Ken Forfia, Piano, at Memorial Hall Museum, Deerfield
Summer Concert Series at 8 Memorial Street, Deerfield
July 26 — The Buckland Historical Society Presents "Lorenzo Colburn Wilder (1838-1892): A Life In Letters". The Impact of the Civil War on a Buckland Family, 7:00 pm
At the Buckland Public Hall on Upper St. in Buckland Center, MA
Lorenzo Colburn Wilder (1838-1892) was a Buckland native who enlisted in the Confederate Army during the Civil War (while his brother Joseph joined the Union Army!) Our program will feature a dramatic reading of Lorenzo's 1864 letter home from Alabama to his family living in the original Wilder Homestead. This program will offer a fascinating look at the thoughts, emotions & lifestyles of mid-19th Bucklanders on both sides of the Civil War.
A Pie Social will follow with the customary selection of delectable homemade pies, coffee & punch!!
Admission: Adults $6.00, Students (12 & under) $3.00.
For more info: Polly Anderson 413-625-9763
July 18 — Indian Day at the Museum of Springfield History
Indian Day is Back!
See the collection of the former Indian Motocycle Museum in the new Museum of Springfield History! Admission is $12.50.
21 Edwards Street
Info: (800) 625-7738, ext. 300
www.springfieldmuseums.org
July 18 — Duo Fusion at Memorial Hall Museum, Deerfield
Sarah Swersey, Flute & Joe Belmont, Guitar
The Old Deerfield Sunday Afternoon Concert Series 61st Season will continue at 3 PM in the music room of Memorial Hall Museum, Memorial Street, in Old Deerfield. Featured performers will be Dúo Fusión with Joe Belmont, guitar and Sarah Swersey, flute in a classical and jazz program. The program will include Fauré, Bach (Brandenburg Concerto No. 5) but it will also delve into bossa nova, tango and stirring traditional music from around the world.
July 11 — Deerfield Piano Trio at Memorial Hall Museum, Deerfield
Anthony Berner, Violin; Mark Fraser, Cello; Sooka Wang, Piano
July 11 — Bisbee Mill Museum in Chesterfield
The Bisbee Mill Museum in Chesterfield will be open Sunday, July 11, 2010 from 1pm to 4pm. The gristmill will be running through out the afternoon. The theme for Sunday is: Farming the way it was! The museum is located at 66 East Street in Chesterfield. "Come and see how grain was ground in the old mills".
July 10th & 11th — Living History Days 2010 – Belchertown Historical Association
Saturday 9:00-4:00 On the Belchertown Common and Tours at the Stone House Museum
Tour some magnificent Belchertown gardens ($15 per person)
Old Bag Sale
Tour the Stone House Museum and Grounds
50/50 Raffle and Quilt Raffle
Free Carriage Rides
Sunday July 11th
Small engine show on the Common
Antique car show on the Common
Raffle Tickets on sale
July 7 — "Last Call: The Rise & Fall of Prohibition", Broadside Books, Northampton
Daniel Okrent reading and signing his new book at 7 p.m.
This event was postponed — watch for an update!
July 4th — Chesterfield Historical Society 4th of July Annual Historical Display
Place: Chesterfield Town Hall (at the center)
Theme: West Chesterfield
This year we are pleased to present (16) or more display booths focused on West Chesterfield, MA, which years ago, was the town's business and population center.
There will be numerous photographs, signs and artifacts concentrating on specific areas and businesses in the valley, next to the East branch of the Westfield River. The river powered the businesses, which took advantage of the many hardwood trees and minerals within the area. The people lived nearby on the hillsides, walking to work and running small farms to help support their families.
The topics include: Eddy's Store, The Long Bridge, West Chesterfield Gorge, S.A. Healys Sons, Old Houses of Ireland Street, the Cleveland House, AOW, Minerals and Mining, Sam Eddy, LBS, the Nutshell & Chandler Bicknell, Higgins Basket Shop, James Garfield Adams, H.D. Stanton's Store, Henshaw Well drilling and the Town Highway Department.
The Chesterfield Historical Society will offer for sale its "well known" apple pie and ice cream, along with wooden items such as: children's doll tables and chairs, bird houses and feeders, etc. Also, there will be various interesting Chesterfield post cards and historical publications for sale
The Edwards Museum will be open with some new items on display and antique engines will be running outside as well.
Please join us early before and after the very well known Chesterfield 4th of July parade and its many other related activities.
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