The Pioneer Valley is full of opportunities to explore local history. Please check the events calendar often.
See Past Events here.
ON-GOING EVENTS
11 May thru ? — “What Do We Do With the STUFF?”
Historical Society of Greenfield, 43 Church St., Greenfield
Your high school yearbook. Your kid’s art from grade school. Grandma’s wedding dress. Dad’s Army uniform. Great-grandpa’s piano. The attic, the basement, the shed, the stacks by the bed. What do we do with all the STUFF???
The Historical Society of Greenfield has received a grant from the Pioneer Valley History Network, and will be opening a new exhibit centered on how an item in someone’s home becomes an artifact in a museum. Between the KonMari movement, downsizing, and sandwich generations dealing with both stuff their kids outgrew and stuff their parents no longer need, we are in a cultural moment now around how we deal with all the ‘stuff’ we’ve accumulated.
Deciding which items to accept and how to display the items held is a huge responsibility for any museum. Boards and curators have to make similar choices as people in personal homes, around how to purchase things, inherit things, or pass things on.
The grant supports an exhibit showing the steps a museum takes in accepting a new item, and how objects hold memories that connect us. Over the past year, the Historical Society of Greenfield has been taking part in the “Future of Our Past” program through the Pioneer Valley History Network. This intensive project uses a nationally-recognized curriculum designed by the American Association for State & Local History (AASLH) to improve all aspects of museum work and collections care. The project is funded by generous grants from Mass Humanities and the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts. As a final step of this program, the HSG submitted an implementation grant proposal to demonstrate their improvement.
The Historical Society of Greenfield is a currently collecting museum, focused on using stories of the past to help inform future choices. The HSG at 43 Church St in Greenfield opens at noon on Saturday May 11th for the summer season. Visiting the museum is free, membership in the HSG is $20/year, and all donations go to help with every aspect of collections care. hsgreenfield1907@gmail.com 413-774-3663 @HSgreenfieldMA
30 May thru early November — “Art in the Everyday: A Photographer’s Perspective at Springfield Armory”
Springfield Armory National Historic Site, One Armory Way, Springfield
A new exhibit showcasing historic and rarely seen photographs from the archives at Springfield Armory National Historic Site will be on view through the fall of 2019 in the museum’s temporary exhibit gallery. “Art in the Everyday: A Photographer’s Perspective at Springfield Armory” opens to the public with a special reception on Thursday, May 30, from 6 to 8 pm. The event will include light refreshments and a cash bar generously provided by the Friends of Springfield Armory National Historic Site. Admission is free.
The museum collection at Springfield Armory NHS holds thousands of photographs that feature the people, experiments, and factory work at Springfield Armory from the late 1800s through the 1960s. The staff photographers taking those pictures were well versed in their craft and its limitations. Their expert use of manually adjusted cameras and lenses, glass-plate and film negatives contrasts to today when just about everyone has a camera in their pocket.
“The photographers at Springfield Armory were artists,” says Alex MacKenzie, Curator. “They may have been documenting an everyday occurrence, but they absolutely had an eye for composition as they recorded the Armory and its community on film.” The exhibit, which is part of the “Arts at the Armory” slate of programming throughout the summer of 2019, is designed to evoke an art gallery exhibition, prompting visitors to view the Armory in a different way as they look at the framed prints like windows into the past.
The photos range in dates from 1910 through 1965, and show various facets of life at Springfield Armory as seen from the photographer’s perspective. Contrasting images evoke all five senses with slamming forges, peaceful settings on the grounds, hot flying sparks, and oily machines in stunning visual portraits. The exhibit will run through early November.
The Springfield Armory National Historic Site is the location of the nation’s first armory (1794-1968), and was established by George Washington. The site includes historic grounds, buildings, and the world’s largest historic American military firearms collection. There is ample parking and the building is wheelchair accessible. The Museum is open 9 am to 5 pm, Wednesday to Sunday, November 1 to Memorial Day, and then seven days a week from Memorial Day to October 31. Admission is free. For information call 413-734-8551 or check http://www.nps.gov/spar.
1 June thru 31 July 2019 — “Plants on Paper: Two Centuries of Collecting, Studying and the Art of the Flora in Plainfield”
Plainfield Historical Society
at the Shaw Memorial Library, 312 Main St., Plainfield
The Plainfield Historical Society presents a two month-longexhibit of a nineteenth-century botanical collection of pressed plants and flowers, manuscripts, books, photographs, and other items from its collection, complemented by botany-themed art by Plainfield residents, from June 1-July 31, at the Shaw Memorial Library.
Join us for the festive opening on Saturday June 1, 9:30 am-12:00 pm, including a formal opening at 10:00 am followed by a nature walk with Nan Childs (rain or shine). Flower themed refreshments will be served.
Did you go botanizing as a child? Dry your flowers in a book? The fields and woods of Plainfield have inspired residents since settlement to collect and dry flowers and leaves, study botany, and make art. These activities have deep roots. The study of Massachusetts
and United States botany flourished from the late eighteenth century, when botanizing became a scientific pursuit, as well as an abiding hobby for many.
Plainfield ’s first doctor, Dr. Jacob Porter, was an avid botanist in close contact with the era’s leading scientists. The Plainfield Historical Society was recently given an “herbarium,” a collection of dried plants and flowers labeled with their scientific names, created in 1854 by Samuel Francis Shaw, Porter’s neighbor and a doctor in the U.S. navy, in the center of Plainfield for a class at Williams College (Shaw grew up in the Shaw Hudson House). The herbarium was lost, saved fortuitously, and found its way to the PHS thanks to Robin Sauve of Longmeadow.
The exhibit is built around the herbarium, with materials on and by Dr. Porter, including a floral calendar of Plainfield, the Shaw family’s pursuit of wildflowers, and art and poetry by later and current Plainfield residents.
The exhibit will be accompanied by a number of programs (see below for details).
The exhibit and events are free and open to the public. Donations to fund care of the PHS and Shaw Hudson House collections will be accepted. This program is funded in part by the Plainfield Cultural Council, which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council For more information, contact PHS curator Pleun Bouricius, pleunbouricius@gmail.com,
413-634-2250.
18 July thru 18 August — “Stitch By Stitch: Needlework from the Wistariahurst Collection”
Wistariahurst Museum, 238 Cabot St., Holyoke
Guest curator — Joanne Picard
“Stitch by Stitch” features selections from Wistariahurst’s textile collection, including samplers from what are now the United States and the United Kingdom. These samplers date from approximately 1690 through 1850 and reflect a range of styles. The exhibit will illustrate components, look at who made samplers, and discuss how they were made and why. It will examine how sampler designs and motifs reflected the lives and beliefs of their makers and provide visitors with an opportunity to try their hand at cross stitch and other patterns.
Joanne Picard has been studying and reproducing historic samplers for more than 30 years. She was initially attracted to them by the variations in alphabet styles, the range of colors (though now often faded), and the questions they raised about the identities and lives of their makers. Reproducing a historic sampler requires a close examination of the original pattern that often illuminates details of design and construction that might otherwise be overlooked. It also requires an attention to detail that one imagines some girls found boring and repetitive, and others, including Joanne, found rewarding and relaxing. Joanne has demonstrated needlework at several historic house museums, and she has been a volunteer in the curatorial department at Naumkeag in Stockbridge. She is currently a volunteer in the Wistariahurst archives.
“Stitch by Stitch” will be on display from Thursday, July 18 through Sunday, August 18. The exhibit will be open to the public during Wistariahurst’s self-guided tour open hours, Sunday – Wednesday from 12:00 – 4:00 pm. A suggested donation of $3 is encouraged.
JULY 2019
13 July — “Exploring Northampton — 350 Years in 90 Minutes: A Walking Tour of Downtown Northampton”
Historic Northampton, 46 Bridge St., Northampton, 8:30 – 10 am
Elizabeth Sharpe, co-director of Historic Northampton and historian, will lead a walking tour of downtown Northampton in conjunction with the exhibit, Making it on Main Street. Pre-registration is required.
$8 members and donors
$12 all others
13 July — Local Music, Local History: Tim Eriksen
Historic Northampton, 46 Bridge St., Northampton, 7 – 9 pm
Join Tim Eriksen and friends for an evening of acoustic music featuring songs with local connections and history.
Tim Eriksen has been performing in the Northampton area for over thirty years, beginning with his band Cordelia’s Dad. Over the years he has amassed a large repertoire of music with local origin and resonance which culminated in a 2015 Ph.D. in ethnomusicology from Wesleyan University.
Drawing on materials discovered in Historic Northampton’s collection, local junk shops, church basements and old newspapers, the performance will include murder ballads, fiddle tunes, shape-note harmony and haunting originals about time, place, identity and mystery. Every song has a story, some of which are fictional, and some of which are stranger than fiction.
On the Grounds of Historic Northampton. Bring a chair or a blanket & listen to live music. The lawn opens at 6 pm for picnicking. Music 7 – 9. Free & open to the public.
Little Truc food truck will be on site, selling creative southeast Asian food.
In case of rain the concert will be held at First Churches sanctuary at 129 Main Street, Northampton.
13 July — Celebrate Big Band Music with Simply Swing
Springfield Armory National Historic Site, One Armory Way, Springfield, 6:30 – 8 pm
Bring a lawn chair, picnic supper and your dance shoes and join us outside on our historic grounds for our annual Big Band concert featuring Simply Swing on Saturday, July 13. Dance lessons begin at 5:30 pm and the concert from 6:30 to 8:00 pm. Admission is free.
Simply Swing features a swinging horn section, a dynamic rhythm section and wonderful vocals by Vivian LaRosa. Under the musical direction of drummer/composer/arranger Joe LaRosa, Simply Swing specializes in recreating the music and memories of the Big Band and Swing eras.
“We are thrilled to be performing at the Springfield Armory on July 13, commemorating the Benny Goodman Orchestra’s 1943 concert at this historic landmark that played such a crucial role during WWII,” said Joe LaRosa.
Simply Swing’s cadre of talented musicians features veterans with more than 100 years of combined service in U.S. military bands. For this performance, Simply Swing has planned a number of favorites from the Benny Goodman library featuring Dan O’Brian on clarinet. Dan is a Ph.D. candidate at the New England Conservatory.
Park Ranger Susan Ashman, explained the historical connection between Springfield Armory NHS and Big Band music.
“In 1943 Benny Goodman and his band came to the Armory as part of his nationwide Twilight Tours. Goodman made a point to play to war workers like those at the Springfield Armory as a thank you for their dedication and patriotism. The Armory workers were essential in the manufacturing of firearms for the military during WWII.”
17 July — “Exploring Northampton — Nature in Northampton: A Walking Tour with Laurie Sanders”
Historic Northampton, 46 Bridge St., Northampton, 12 – 1 pm
Join Laurie Sanders to look for every plant or animal species that survives in downtown, from the mosses and ants living in the cracks and margins to the larger plants and creatures that are able to survive in the wilder and untended pockets that occur in and around the heart of the city. Pre-registration is required.
$5 members and donors
$8 all others
18 July — Opening Reception for “Stitch By Stitch”
Wistariahurst Museum, 238 Cabot St., Holyoke, 5:30 – 7:30 pm
On Thursday, July 18 from 5:30 – 7:30 pm, Wistariahurst will host an Opening Reception for “Stitch by Stitch: Needlework from the Wistariahurst Collection,” guest curated by Joanne Picard. The Opening Reception is free and open to the public.
Stitch by Stitch features selections from Wistariahurst’s textile collection, including samplers from what are now the United States and the United Kingdom. These samplers date from approximately 1690 through 1850 and reflect a range of styles. The exhibit will illustrate components, look at who made samplers, and discuss how they were made and why. It will examine how sampler designs and motifs reflected the lives and beliefs of their makers and provide visitors with an opportunity to try their hand at cross stitch and other patterns.
Stitch by Stitch will be on display from Thursday, July 18 through Sunday, August 18. The exhibit will be open to the public during Wistariahurst’s self-guided tour open hours, Sunday – Wednesday from 12:00 – 4:00 pm. A suggested donation of $3 is encouraged.
Joanne Picard has been studying and reproducing historic samplers for more than 30 years. She was initially attracted to them by the variations in alphabet styles, the range of colors (though now often faded), and the questions they raised about the identities and lives of their makers. Reproducing a historic sampler requires a close examination of the original pattern that often illuminates details of design and construction that might otherwise be overlooked. It also requires an attention to detail that one imagines some girls found boring and repetitive, and others, including Joanne, found rewarding and relaxing. Joanne has demonstrated needlework at several historic house museums, and she has been a volunteer in the curatorial department at Naumkeag in Stockbridge. She is currently a volunteer in the Wistariahurst archives.
20 July — Ice Cream Social
Historical Society of Greenfield
43 Church St., Greenfield, noon – 2 pm
You are invited to a Party! Birthday Celebration & Ice Cream Social! Snow’s Ice Cream.
20 & 21 July — “Blast Into the Past”
William Cullen Bryant Homestead, 207 Bryant Rd., Cummington, 10 am – 4 pm
Live a Day in 1805 at the William C. Bryant Homestead.
Come celebrate the story of western Massachusetts — our home. Join a vibrant hilltown community and experience life in the early 1800s, with tinning, craft-making, open fire cooking, and more.
Members: $11 Adults/ $7 Youth
Non-Members: $18 Adults/ $12 Youth
23 July — “Get the Dish on Chowder History”
Wistariahurst Museum, 238 Cabot St., Holyoke, 6-8 pm
On Tuesday, July 23 from 6:00 – 8:00 pm, Wistariahurst will host “Get the Dish on Chowder History.” Join us as food writer and chowder connoisseur Robert S. Cox dishes out the history, flavors and significance of every New Englander’s favorite comfort food. Smithsonian Café and Chowder House of Hatfield, MA will be serving up a tasty chowder tribute to enjoy while learning the history of this flavorful dish. Enjoy an old-time picnic atmosphere while learning and tasting history.
New England’s culinary history is marked by a varying array of chowders. Early forms were thick and layered, but the adaptability of this beloved recipe has allowed for a multitude of tasty preparations to emerge. Thick or thin, brimming with fish or clams or corn, chowder springs up throughout the region in as many distinctive varieties as there are ports of call. It remains the quintessential expression of New England cuisine.
This event is part of the Wistariahurst Historical Lecture Series People, Places, Food, & Sport. In the event of inclement weather, the event will be held in the Music Room.
Advanced registration is required. Tickets are $15. Tickets for Wistariahurst Museum members are $12. Admission includes a cup of chowder, a roll, and a cookie. Tickets can be purchased at http://www.Wistariahurst.org.
27 July — History Camp Pioneer Valley
Pioneer Valley History Network
at Kittredge Center, Holyoke Community College, 9 am – 4 pm
This will be a gathering of history enthusiasts of all ages for a day of learning and sharing. This is PVHN’s 4th annual History Camp Pioneer Valley, based on the “un-conference” model developed by History Camp Boston. What is an “un-conference”? In short, it’s a self-organizing conference. People who share a common interest get together and create the framework for the event:
* The topics that are presented are the ones of interest to the presenters.
* Anyone can present. No committee will “screen” the topics and requesting a time-slot is easy.
* The sessions that are well-attended are the ones that are of interest to the attendees.
* It’s an incredibly democratic way to gather and share information.
The cost is low — the goal is to break even. There are no paid staff, no paid speakers, and no one will profit. We want your participation. There will also be plenty of opportunity for networking and an exhibit area for selling books and other history-related products.
There is no specific theme, but please, no political diatribes or sales pitches for commercial products or services. Other than that, the sky is the limit.
To Register to Attend or Present, go to: http://historycamp.org/pioneer-valley
For more Information, contact us at: pioneervalleyhistory@gmail.com
27 July — “A Summer Day on the Buckland Common”
Buckland Historical Society
Buckland Common, corners of Upper and Cross Sts., Buckland Center
Fifth Annual “A Summer Day on the Buckland Common”, 10 am to 3 pm on the historic Buckland Common at the corners of Upper and Cross Streets in Buckland Center MA and at venues all along Upper St.
Held Rain or Shine, Free Admission, Free Parking. Activities for the whole family:
Fire Dept, Snowmobile Club, Cyndie Fisher Mosaics at noon,
Kids Market, Kids Crafts, book and tag sales, raffles, tours and demonstrations, textile display, lots of vendors of various arts and crafts, Shelburne Falls Military Band Concert at 1:30 pm,
Historical Museum open with blueberry buckle,
Robert Strong Woodward art studio open 10:30 am to 3 pm at 43 Upper St.,
Chicken BBQ at 12:30 pm, or purchase hamburgers or hot dogs for lighter lunch. lots more!
Hosted by the Mary Lyon Church, the Buckland Historical Society, the Buckland
Union Cemetery Association, and the Buckland Public Library.
For more information about “A Summer Day on the Buckland Common,” email
Laurie at lmbenoit@outlook.com
28 July — Indian Motocycle Day
Springfield Museums, 21 Edwards St., Springfield, 9 am – 3 pm.
Join the Springfield Museums to celebrate the 10th Annual Indian Motocycle Day, Sunday, July 28, 2019, 9 am–3 pm, and take the opportunity to experience a tour led by one of the Indian Motocycle founders George Hendee (portrayed by docent Bobby Girard).
Motorcycle Show & Rally — View a variety of classic and vintage motorcycles, browse vendor displays, a DJ spins classic rock tunes and more.
§ 9 am Welcome and Announcements
§ 10:30 am Tribute to Andy Donald
§ 11 am & 1 pm Guided tours of the collection and special exhibit with George Hendee (portrayed by docent Bobby Girard)
§ 11 am-3 pm Concessions
§ 2 pm Awards Ceremony
Indian Motocycle Day is the continuation of a long-standing tradition honoring the classic motorcycles that were developed and manufactured in Springfield from 1901 to 1953. The event was held from 1980-2005 at the Indian Motocycle Museum on Hendee Street in Springfield, which was owned by Charlie and Esta Manthos. In 2007, Esta Manthos donated their extensive collection of Indian Motocycles, artifacts and memorabilia to the Springfield Museums where it is now on view in the Wood Museum of Springfield History. The Museums re-established the Indian Motocycle Day tradition in 2010.
Indian Motocycle Collection — View the collection in the air-conditioned Wood Museum of Springfield History, including the exhibit Charles Manthos and His Indian Prototype.
All ticketed Indian Motocycle Day guests are also eligible for admittance to the history museum where they can view the Indian Motocyle Collection. Among the rarest Indians on view is the single cylinder Indian designed and owned by Indian co-founder Oscar Hedstrom. When he left the company, he took this motorcycle with him, and it was later passed on to his daughter. Also featured are Indian racer and dealer Stanley Cornell’s unique 1912 board track cycle with its original shipping crate; an entirely restored, operable 1929 101 Scout; and a 1927 hill-climber.
The collection also includes artifacts, memorabilia, and photographs highlighting production of Indian’s civilian and military motorcycles from the early years at the famous Wigwam through the final days of the company in 1953.
Visitors can also see Charles Manthos and his Prototype Indian Motocycle. The late Charlie Manthos, a professional metallurgist and ardent Indian Motocycle collector, had an entrepreneurial vision of bringing a new, locally manufactured Indian Motocycle back into production. Working with two former Indian employees, Earl “Pop” Armstrong and design engineer Jimmie Hill, he created a prototype based on the 1953 Indian Chief, the last of the original Indian production line. He hoped to take it to market in 1975 but his dream was never realized.
Indian Motocycle Day: $10 for adults,$5 for children ages 3-17. Free with paid admission to the Springfield Museums. The fee also includes admission also to the Wood Museum of Springfield History. Anyone bringing a pre-1953 Indian for exhibition will receive one free adult admission plus a commemorative Indian Day button.
For information, call 413.263.6800, ext. 304, or visit http://www.springfieldmuseums.org
AUGUST
3 August — Magical History Tour
Pioneer Valley History Network
leaves from Wistariahurst, 238 Cabot St., Holyoke, 9 am – 3:15 pm
Roll Up for the Magical History Tour…Step Right This Way…
PVHN’s Magical History Tour is a bus trip to five area historical museums: Wistariahurst, Historic Northampton, Historical Society of Greenfield, the Museum of Our industrial Heritage, and the Hatfield Historical Society. The date is Saturday, August 3. The cost is only $5, but we hope you might leave small contributions at each stop along the way. This trip is funded by a grant from the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts.
See the latest exhibits! Go “behind the curtain”
You MUST RSVP by 31 July for this event! You can simply email camcca@charter.net and let us know you’re coming.
6 August — “Exploring Northampton — Nature in Northampton: A Walking Tour with Laurie Sanders”
Historic Northampton, 46 Bridge St., Northampton, 12 – 1 pm
Join Laurie Sanders to look for every plant or animal species that survives in downtown, from the mosses and ants living in the cracks and margins to the larger plants and creatures that are able to survive in the wilder and untended pockets that occur in and around the heart of the city. Pre-registration is required.
$5 members and donors
$8 all others
24 August — 2nd Annual Irish Cultural Festival
Irish Cultural Center, 429 Morgan Rd., West Springfield
The Irish Cultural Center of Western New England, along with Black Rose Academy of Irish Dance and Cassin Academy of Irish Dance, is excited to present the second annual Irish cultural festival at the ICC on Saturday, August 24, 2019.
The Saturday festival will be a day of Irish music, dance, and culture. This family friendly event will have something for everyone. A trad Irish seisiún will open the festival. The Cassin Academy of Irish Dance and Black Rose Academy of Irish Dance will present dance exhibitions. Visitors can learn Irish dance, visit vendors of Irish crafts and products, and participate in workshops featuring Irish arts and language, and music and entertainment throughout the day.
The events will take place rain or shine on the field on the ICC grounds at 429 Morgan Road in West
Springfield. There will be a variety of food trucks and concession stands, along with beer and drinks
for sale. Parking will be available at the pavilion lot behind the ICC, and also at West Springfield High
School with a shuttle service.
Tickets (cash only) are $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 6–12, and free for children 5 and under.
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