Pioneer Valley History Network

DECEMBER

December 16, 17, & 18, 2011 – Nutcracker and Sweets
Wistariahurst Museum, Holyoke

The Massachusetts Academy of Ballet returns with a twist on the Nutcracker holiday classic! Through narration and dance, in the historic setting of the Wistariahurst Museum, student dancers will perform the magical story as it may have been in Holyoke in the 1890’s. Advance reservations are recommended; seating is limited. Show times are Fri. at 7 p.m., Sat. at 2 and 4:30 p.m. and Sun. at 1 p.m. Reception of sweets to follow the performance. Tickets $10 / children 8 and under $1

December 12, 2011 — Rebels in Paradise: Sketches of Northampton Abolitionists
Neilson Library Browsing Room, Smith College, 7 p.m.

A talk on current research and writing on abolition-era Northampton by Bruce Laurie, emeritus professor of history at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and scholar-in-residence at Historic Northampton.

Professor Laurie will preview his work-in-progress on Northampton abolitionists from the founding of the Old Hampshire Anti-Slavery Society in the late 1830s through the rise of political abolitionism during the 1840s. It will feature profiles of such movement stalwarts as Sylvester Judd, John P. Williston, Moses Breck, and David Ruggles, who bridged the divide between the Garrisonian and anti-Garrisonian stages of the movement and who did heroic work for the Underground Railroad. It will also reveal their remarkably enlightened racial views and practices.

Extending the depth of scholarship that made his Beyond Garrison: Antislavery and Social Reform (Cambridge University Press, 2005) such a groundbreaking work, Laurie explores the local manifestations of the Liberty and Free Soil parties as they grew in the countryside of Massachusetts. In what became Florence, the Northampton Association developed as a community of Garrisonian radical reformers in the early 1840s. At the same time a different approach to ending slavery held sway in downtown Northampton where the evangelical abolitionism of Joshua Leavitt had taken root. Laurie will shed light on sometimes complicated interactions in a town rich in historical figures and events.

Bruce Laurie was awarded a Scholar-In-Residence grant from Mass Humanities to study abolitionism & the underground railroad in Northampton. Laurie, is editor (with Milton Cantor) of Class, Sex, and the Woman Worker (1977), and author of Artisans into Workers: Labor in Nineteenth Century America (1989). His Beyond Garrison: Antislavery and Social Reform, (Cambridge University Press, 2005) re-established the role of political abolition in Garrisonian Massachusetts. His newest work, with Ronald Story, is The Rise of Conservatism in America, 1945-2000 (Bedford/St. Martin’s Press, 2008).

December 11, 2011 – New Valley Singers Annual Holiday Concert
Wistariahurst Museum, Holyoke, 3 p.m.

Wistariahurst will be adorned for the holiday season with the boughs and holly. Listen to holiday favorites in Belle Skinner’s Music Room, sung by the wondrous voices of the New Valley Singers chorus. Admission $7

December 11, 2011 — A Victorian Christmas
Kemp-McCarthy Museum, 282 Zoar Rd., Rowe, MA, 2 p.m.

• Wonderful holiday treats to enjoy
• A beautifully decorated Christmas tree
• Antique toys, dolls and games on display
• Christmas carols led by Helen Shields
• A special surprise visitor
• Prizes and a super raffle

It will be a delightful afternoon filled with holiday fun, merriment and cheer. Please mark your calendar and be sure to join us for this very special event.  Wine and soft drinks will be available. Suggested donation at the door: $5.   http://www.rowehistoricalsociety.org

December 10, 2011  – Victorian Crafts for the Holidays
Wistariahurst Museum, Holyoke, 1 – 3 p.m.

Participants of all ages will craft traditional Victorian ornaments and gifts in the decorative splendor of Wistariahurst Museum. Reservations suggested. Admission $5 per person

December 10, 2011 — Celebrate Emily Dickinson’s 181st Birthday
Emily Dickinson Museum, Amherst, 5 p.m.

“Just the Door ajar” — Glimpses into The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson
with award-winning author JEROME CHARYN
and tribute to photographer JEROME LIEBLING

Don’t miss this unforgettable evening!
Saturday, December 10, 2011

Birthday Party 5 to 7 p.m., Valentine Hall, Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts
“Emily Dickinson — Outlaw” by Jerome Charyn
Party with Dickinson-inspired sweets, savories, and toasts

Candlelight Soiree at the Dickinson Homestead 7:30 p.m.
Masquerade tour and birthday wishes for the “Queen Recluse” and a tribute to Jerome Liebling
Selected photographs from The Dickinsons of Amherst

Birthday Party and Candlelight Soiree $125 per person
Birthday Party only $75 per person

All proceeds benefit the Emily Dickinson Museum.  All but $25 of your contribution is tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.

Details at http://www.EmilyDickinsonMuseum.org/birthday
For tickets and information, call 413-542-5311 or 413-542-5084
or e-mail info@emilydickinsonmuseum.org.

Sponsored by the business friends of the Emily Dickinson Museum.

December 7, 2011 — Ralph Waldo Emerson
Coolidge Room, Forbes Library, Northampton, 7 p.m.

F. Jay Deacon, minister, Unitarian Universalist Church of Manchester, NH.
Thomas Dumm, professor of political science, Amherst College, author, Loneliness As a Way of Life.
Tracy Kidder, author, Strength in What Remains,  Mountains Beyond Mountains

December 5, 2011 – Historical Lecture Series: Polish Genealogy
Wistariahurst Museum, Holyoke, 6 p.m.

Join your fellow genealogists research their Polish ancestry with Alan Doyle Horbal. As a volunteer at the National Archives, Pittsfield, Horbal’s research focuses on Polish immigrants. Bring your questions, and a sharp pencil to make note of research strategies as Horbal will share his techniques, favorite Polish resources, and field questions from the audience. Suggested donation $5.

December 4, 2011 — “In the Spirit of Dickens’ Days: A Wassail Party & Open House”
at the Historic 1735 Dewey House, 87 South Maple St., Westfield, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Meet with Scrooge in his bedroom. Free Admission and Refreshments.

December 3, 2011  – Wistariahurst Annual Soiree
Wistariahurst Museum, Holyoke, from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Celebrate the holidays in style at Wistariahurst! The evening will feature live music, festive hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar, as well as a raffle for some fabulous prizes – all in the elegant atmosphere of the historical house museum. Tickets are $30 and $25 for members of Friends of Wistariahurst.

NOVEMBER

November 21, 2011 — Sally Maminash
Coolidge Room, Forbes Library, Northampton, 7 p.m.

Marge Bruchac, scholar, performer, and historical consultant, author, Malian’s Song.
Neal Salisbury, professor emeritus, history, Smith College;  author, The People: A History of Native America.
Cheryl Savageau, poet; Mother/Land and Dirt Road Home.

November 19, 2011 — Association for Gravestone Studies Western N.E. Chapter
Palmer Public Library, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

The next AGS Western New England Chapter Meeting is scheduled for Nov. 19, 10 to 4-ish, in Palmer, MA.  For the morning session, we’ll meet at the Palmer Public Library.  The program will include talks by Al and Betsy McKee, Quinn Stuart, Ta Mara Conde and Charlie Marchant.

November 17, 2011 — “The History, Art, and Geometry of American Quilts”
Davis Auditorium, Springfield Museums at the Quadrangle, 12:15 p.m.

Adele Gladstone-Gilbert, quilter and Museum Educator at the Memorial Hall Museum, Deerfield, MA
Admission: $2 members, $4 nonmembers
Cookies and beverage provided.

November 17, 2011 — “Higgins’ Pounded Ash Baskets
Chesterfield Historical Society, at the Chesterfield Senior Center, 7 p.m.

Join us for an interesting talk about the origins of these baskets, the many types and their use at first for industry; then later for the household.  Please bring along your Higgins Basket for viewing and comment by the speaker.  Speaker: Catherine Rude-Sena

Refreshments: 6:30 pm Program: 7:15 pm
Place: Chesterfield Senior Center, 400 Main Road, Chesterfield, MA 01012

$5.00 per person.  The public is invited to join us.

November 16, 2011 — James Cahillane, “On History’s Front Steps”
Sloan Theater, Greenfield Community College, 7 p.m.

The Pioneer Valley Institute will hold its annual meeting on Wednesday evening, November 16, at the Sloan Theater on the main campus of Greenfield Community College. The program, On History’s Front Steps, begins at 7 o’clock following a brief business meeting at 6:30. Performing during this program with James Cahillane are his son Rich Cahillane on guitar, Katherine First on fiddle and Jeff Hinrichs on hand drums, all members of the band Dicey Riley, a celtic rock band based in the Northampton area. The program is free and open to the public.

James Cahillane is a poet, essayist, photographer, journalist and author. He is author of The Best Place of All: An Irish-American Memoir of Pluck, Luck and Automobiles and most recently of On History’s Front Steps. This last book defines a time and place in its profile of his hometown, Northampton. It is the story of one family’s century-long saga of immigration, business and politics in a college town long known for its inclusiveness, which explains in part the power of his poetry and the poignancy of his family and historical photographs.

We are honored to have Jim Cahillane read from his latest book of poetry, essays and history and speak on many topics–Irish immigration, our Valley, his family.

November 10, 2011 — Talk on Old Maps
Tilton Library, at the South Deerfield Town Offices, 6:30 p.m.

Using Old Maps for Historical Research is the topic of a presentation by Dave Allen on November 10th, 2011 at 6:30 p.m. at Deerfield Town Offices, 8 Conway Street, South Deerfield.

Allen will give an overview of historic maps of Massachusetts from the earliest Colonial creations through the detailed maps of the mid-19th century with homeowner names. He will discuss in detail several maps Franklin County and Deerfield including examples of how to use them to find old roads or an ancestor’s house site. Allen recently researched and compiled Deerfield maps dating from the 1700s to the present. Large scale prints of the maps will be available for viewing at the program and by request during regular library hours. Both the map project and the program have been made possible by a grant from the Deerfield Cultural Council. The program is free and open to the public. Those attending are invited to bring any interesting old maps they may have.

About the presentor: David Allen owns a land surveying business in Greenfield, and uses these old maps when he researches old land records which often refer to long-gone homeowners and old town boundaries. He has acquired scans of thousands of old maps of Vermont, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, and maintains a web site http://www.old-maps.com where he sells reprints and where previews of many of the maps can be seen. Allen has re-issued the old Beers atlas and Walling map of Franklin County on CDROM and paper.

Allen’s interest in maps developed from a curiosity about the origins of the old foundations he came across during hikes in the woods of New England. Over the past 20 years, he has researched in libraries and collections all over the northeast and at the Library of Congress and the National Archives. His discoveries have included maps that were previously unknown to area scholars and historians.

Further information is available by calling Tilton Library 413-665-4683 or Dave Allen at 413-772-2801.

November 10, 2011 — “Stories of the Vietnam Draft & War: Why These Stories Need to be Told in Their Variety, Intensity & Honesty”
7th Annual Colloquium on Social Change, Cape Cod Lounge, Student Union, UMass, Amherst, 4:30 p.m.

UMass Amherst Libraries will host the Seventh Annual Colloquium on Social Change at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 10, 2011, in the Cape Cod Lounge at the Student Union, UMass Amherst. Social justice activist Tom Weiner will give a talk on his recently published book Called to Serve: Stories of Men and Women Confronted by the Vietnam War Draft. The book is the fruit of years of extensive interviews, with chapters for people who made different choices among the available options: to serve, to resist, to leave the country, to become a conscientious objector, or to find a way around the draft altogether, as well as a chapter for those who loved, counseled and supported. Weiner’s presentation will include several of his interview subjects who will share parts of their testimonies. Weiner recently donated the tapes of the interviews and the transcripts to Special Collections and University Archives.

Tom Weiner has been an educator for 35 years. He is actively involved in civil rights work in the local public schools and at Smith College. Weiner was drafted in 1971 and since that time he has sought to document the wide range of Vietnam War draftees’ experiences. He found that lives were often changed irrevocably by the decisions young men and women made in response to the war. Sixty-one men and women were interviewed, 30 testimonies make up the book. Most are Pioneer Valley residents now, although their draft boards were scattered across the country at the time of the war.

As a major resource for documenting the history of social change, with rich archival collections, Special Collections and University Archives at UMass Amherst Libraries seeks to encourage a dialog with its audience to explore how concepts of liberty and justice play out in the lives of ordinary Americans and to reimagine the struggle for social justice in the twenty-first century.

For more information, contact Rob Cox, head of Special Collections and University Archives, at rscox@library.umass.edu, or 545-6842. For more information on Tom Weiner visit http://www.calledtoservevietnam.com/.

November 10, 2011 — “Black Families in Hampden County, 1650 to the Civil War”
Davis Auditorium, Springfield Museums at the Quadrangle, 12:15 p.m.

Joseph Carvalho, author, historian, and former Executive Director and President of the Springfield Museums, will talk about his new book which examines the history of African Americans in Hampden County before the Civil War.
Admission: $2 members, $4 nonmembers
Cookies and beverage provided.

November 9, 2011 — “We Still Live Here – Âs Nutayuneân:  The Wampanoag Language Resurrected”
White Church, Historic Deerfield, 6:30 p.m.

November 7, 2011 – Historical Lecture Series: Northern Hospitality Cookbook Talk & Book Signing
Wistariahurst Museum, Holyoke, 6 p.m.

Just in time for Thanksgiving! Keith Stavely and Kathleen Fitzgerald will comment on their new enticing anthology of almost 400 historic New England recipes from the seventeenth to the early twentieth centuries. From wine-soaked bass served with oysters and cranberries, to almond cheesecake infused with rosewater; historic methods and obscure meanings — sometimes humorous— will be explained. The talk will be followed by time for questions as well as a chance to purchase the cookbook and have it signed by Keith and Kathleen. . Suggested donation $5

November 6, 2011 — Local Authors Tea
Rowe Historical Society, 282 Zoar Road, Rowe

The Rowe Historical Society is pleased to present a panel of four local authors who will read from their works and discuss their inspirations and approaches to writing. The moderator, as well as a participant, will be Buck den Ouden.  Questions from the audience will be welcomed; refreshments will be served; and the authors’ books will be available for purchase and signing.

Our authors are:

James P. Carse, professor emeritus of religion at New York University. His topics in writing range from thought-provoking treatises on religion and philosophy to colorful and imaginative pieces of fiction. When not traveling, he divides his time between New York City and Rowe.

Buck den Ouden, professor of philosophy at the University of Hartford. His research, writing, and international work have focused on human rights, sustainable development, and our collective support for human dignity.

Brian A. Donelson, a retired businessman and author of The Coming of the Train, volumes I and II, a history of the Hoosac Tunnel & Wilmington Railroad, the Deerfieid River Railroad, and the industries they served in the upper Deerfieid River valley of northwestern Massachusetts and southern Vermont. He resides in Rowe, Massachusetts, with his wife Norma.

Nan Williams, a long-time resident of Rowe whose studies of the town have resulted in A History of Rowe, MA and Wild Side Adventures: a Memoir.

There will be three door prizes: a) Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes, b) a basket of assorted teas and coffees, c) a bottle of Cavit Teroldego (a very smooth red wine)

We are pleased and excited to have such gifted writers who are willing to share their talents with us. We look forward to a very enjoyable and interesting afternoon and hope that you will join us.  Donations will be gratefully accepted (sugg. $5) and will be used to maintain the museum’s fine collections.

November 5, 2011 — Walking Tour of Northampton Underground Railroad & Abolition Sites
Historic Northampton & the David Ruggles Center, meet at the Unitarian Society, 220 Main Street, Northampton, 10 a.m.

The local careers of famous abolitionists who lived in the Northampton, Massachusetts village of Florence – Sojourner Truth, David Ruggles, Lydia Maria Child, Charles C. Burleigh, Sr. and their coajutors – have been carefully detailed over the last decade. These partisans of William Lloyd Garrison’s brand of anti-slavery that called for non-resistance, anticlericism, and women’s rights were matched in their zeal by more conservative evangelical abolitionists in downtown Northampton. Several self-emancipated slaves and their families settled in Florence but Northampton proper was the more principal “station” for fugitives continuing on their way to freedom up the Connecticut River on the Underground Railroad.

Northampton was the birthplace of two of the most prominent evangelical abolitionists: Arthur and Lewis Tappan. Emancipator editor Joshua Leavitt, born in nearby Heath, practiced law here. The abundance of interpretable sites discovered in Florence in recent years is matched by sites in downtown Northampton that tell the other side of the abolition story – of the Liberty and Free Soil parties and the Massachusetts Abolition Society. Sylvester Judd, Enos Clark, J. P. Williston, Moses Breck, Erastus Hopkins all stayed in their churches while they worked for the cause. Williston founded the Hampshire Herald, the county’s only anti-slavery newspaper and installed the nineteen year old Henry S. Gere as editor. We’ll see the homes of Breck, Hopkins and of Timothy Harley, African American barber living on Fruit Street who harbored fugitive slave George Wright. The tour ends at City Hall, brand new in 1850 when ten fugitive slaves called the town to meet there to resist the Fugitive Slave Law.

Join tour guide Steve Strimer to explore what remains in the built landscape of this pivotal period before the Civil War.

Saturday, November 5, 2011 at 10:00 a.m., leaving from the steps of the Unitarian Society, 220 Main Street, Northampton, Massachusetts. The tour will proceed from Main Street to King Street to Prospect Street to Elm Street to Masonic Street. Time permitting, the tour will continue to Pulaski Park and from the park to Old South Street, Fruit Street, Smith Street and Conz Street, returning up Crafts Avenue to City Hall. The route includes several modest and steep hills.

Co-sponsored by Historic Northampton and the David Ruggles Center for Early Florence History and Underground Railroad Studies with support from Mass Humanities, a state-based affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

OCTOBER

October Gallery Exhibit: The Carlos Vega Collection of Latino History in Holyoke
Wistariahurst Museum, Holyoke

Wistariahurst is honored to be the premier repository in Holyoke for Latino History. As one of Holyoke’s respected community leaders, and an important voice for the people of Holyoke for over 40 years, Vega has worked to build a stronger community. Selected items from the collection reflecting the variety of topics and materials in this collection will be on display. Opening Reception of the Vega Collection will be on Thursday, October 20 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Please join us in celebration of this new collection. Admission to the gallery is free.

March 1 extended thru October 31 — “Women’s Work: The Untold Story”
Wood Museum of Springfield History, Springfield

Developed with the assistance of local historian and guest curator Frances Gagnon, this exhibition describes the challenges and accomplishments of a dozen women from Springfield’s past. From the daughter of the city’s 17th-century founder to a 20th-century entrepreneur, these women are representative of many others who labored, often without recognition or compensation, to enhance life in the city. Features photos, video, portraits, archival documents, collections objects and more.

The exhibit, “Women’s Work: The Untold Story” is currently at the Lyman & Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History.  Presented in recognition of the 100th anniversary of Women’s History Month and the 375th anniversary of the founding of the city of Springfield.

Tuesday, October 25 at 6:00 p.m. and Saturday, October 29 at 3:00 p.m. – Historic Cemetery Walks
Wistariahurst Museum, Holyoke

Join City Historian Penni Martorell for an insightful walking tour through Forestdale Cemetery established in 1862. The history of some of Holyoke’s founding families will be revealed. This year we are offering an afternoon, daylight tour as well as an evening tour. Reservations necessary. Admission $7

October 23, 2011 — Cummington Asheries
Cummington Historical Commission, at the Community House, Main St., Cummington, 2 p.m.

Potash is the topic of a discourse by Ralmon Jon Black, Author of the Monograph COLONIAL ASHERIES about the first Industry of the Hilltowns in the Colonial era. In 1760, conditions were right for colonial expansion. Potash was a standing cash crop, money for the taking, when there was no other. As Cummington was being settled, potash was an important farm and home industry. It was a dangerous, dirty and an entirely unpleasant business, which ended when all the land had been cleared. It has gone unrecorded, as though it could not soon enough be forgotten. The extent and magnitude of the colonial potash industry affected the economy of those times and the land forever.  Admission: Free

October 22, 2011  – “Passport Holyoke: Discover the City of Holyoke“
Wistariahurst Museum, Holyoke, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Explore Holyoke’s exciting and abundant cultural, recreational, and educational venues and sites all in one day! Participating visitors enjoy ongoing events throughout the city for $1. Wistariahurst will offer guided bus tours of the city on the hour beginning at 10:30.

October 22, 2011 — Forts of Colrain Hike
Colrain Historical Society, meet at Chandler Cemetery, 9:30 a.m.

During the French-Indian Wars of the 1750s Colrain built and maintained four forts for the protection of its isolated and vulnerable frontier citizens. In a continuing celebration of the town’s 250th anniversary, Muriel Russell will describe the four forts, two fortified farmhouses and two palisaded block houses, the Indians who lived in the area and events of the war in this area.

Rain date: Oct 29

Meet at the Chandler Cemetery (junction of Greenfield & W Leyden Rds, Colrain). Call 413-624-3311 for info and to register.

October 20, 2011 — “Springfield’s 375 Anniversary”
Davis Auditorium, Springfield Museums at the Quadrangle, 12:15 p.m.

Wayne Phaneuf, Executive Editor of the Springfield Republican and local historian, will highlight some of the events in Springfield’s past 375 years.
Admission: $2 members, $4 nonmembers
Cookies and beverage provided.

October 20, 2011 — “Bisbee Mill Museum Preservation”
Chesterfield Historical Society, Chesterfield Senior Center, 7:30 p.m.

Speaker: Christian C. Carey – Architect, P.C., Architecture Historic Preservation

Chris will address the Chesterfield Historical Society Members and Trustees about the various steps required to preserve our facility and to create a working mill / museum.

Dinner: 6:30 pm Program: 7:30 pm
Place: Chesterfield Senior Center

Dinner Menu: Meatloaf, Mashed Potato, Squash, Rolls, Desert and Drinks
Dinner Price: $12.00 per person

Everyone attending the dinner must confirm reservations with Mary Bancroft (413-296-4483) no later than Monday, October 17, 2011.

The public is invited to join us. No reservation required if attending only the evening program.

October 19, 2011 – Historical Lecture Series: “Sandstone, Marble, Granite: an Introduction to Gravestones in the Lower Pioneer Valley, c. 1650 to present”
Wistariahurst Museum, Holyoke, 6 p.m.

Historian Bob Drinkwater will offer an introduction to gravestone art in the Pioneer Valley and vicinity. He will discuss the history of grave marker designs, materials, and the wide variety of workmanship found in local cemeteries. Suggested donation $5

October 18, 2011 — “Getting Started Writing Your Memoirs”
Williamsburg Historical Society, at the Congregational Church, 4 North Main Street, Williamsburg, 7:30 p.m.

Presenter, Robert Miller: workshop will cover topics such as: getting organized, writing short anecdotes, and basic use of a computer.

6:00 pm Join us for a Pot Luck Supper (bring your favorite) or join us for the presentation at 7:30 pm, Program Speaker – Free

The Society welcomes new members. For additional information, please call: Ralmon Jon Black, [413] 268-7767

October 16, 2011 — Pioneer Valley Book and Ephemera Fair
Smith Vocational School, Northampton, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Used scholarly books in diverse areas of interest.  Sponsored by Massachusetts and Rhode Island Antiquarian Booksellers.

October 16, 2011 — “Women’s Fashions from 1850 to 1880s: The Time of Emily Dickinson”
Emily Dickinson Museum, at the Amherst College Alumni House, 75 Churchill Street, Amherst, 2 p.m.

On Sunday, October 16, at 2 p.m., clothing historian Lynda Meyer will discuss fashion of nineteenth century America and how it reflects the culture in which Emily Dickinson lived. During this program, Meyer will demonstrate how the many layers of 1860s women’s dress went together to conceal and reveal the ideal silhouette. She will explain the social and cultural importance of the “Belle” look of the mid-nineteenth century. Several articles of clothing from the Emily Dickinson Museum will be displayed for the first time.

Participants are invited to bring items from their own collection for Meyer’s appraisal. She will examine each piece to determine how, when, and where it was made, its value, and its historical context. The program takes place at the Amherst College Alumni House, 75 Churchill Street in Amherst. The basic program fee is $10 per person ($7 for members); there will be an additional fee of $10 per item appraised.

For more than two decades, Lynda Meyer has lectured throughout western New England on a wide range of fashion-related topics, with a specific focus on the historical, technological and political influences of individual eras through lecture and display of original period garments. Meyer is the owner of Lynda’s Antique Clothing Loft in Adams, Massachusetts. Lynda was Costume Design Consultant for more than 25 years to the Williamstown Theatre Festival and has served as acquisitions consultant for the Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum in Adams, Massachusetts; Holly/Williams House Museum in Lakeville, Connecticut; Falls Village Museum in Falls Village, Connecticut; and the Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.

To register, please contact Nan Fischlein, program coordinator, at nfischlein@emilydickinsonmuseum.org or 413-542-2034.

October 14 & 15, 2011 — Sesquicentennial Symposium – Civil War Causes and Consequences
Mahar Auditorium, UMass Amherst

2011 marks the beginning of the sesquicentennial of the American Civil War.  Five College Learning in Retirement is sponsoring “Civil War Causes and Consequences,” a two-day symposium that will bring together scholars from across the country to discuss the backdrop of the war and its continuing legacy. Keynote speakers include Eric Foner from Columbia University and David Blight from Yale University.

Among the small group sessions will be “A Civil War of Words,” led by Lois Brown from Mt. Holyoke College: The tumult, tragedy, heroism, and sacrifice at the core of the War loom large in the American literary imagination and in the works of writers such as Ambrose Bierce, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Walt Whitman, and Emily Dickinson.

The symposium will take place at the University of Massachusetts Amherst at Mahar Auditorium and the Isenberg School of Management from October 14-15. The event is free and open to the public.  More information can be found at the 5CLIR website or by calling 413-585-3756.

October 9 & 10, 2011 — ADA/Historic Deerfield Antiques Show
Deerfield Academy Hockey Rink, Deerfield

Sunday 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Monday 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

The 2011 ADA/Historic Deerfield Antiques Show will take place on Sunday and Monday, October 9 and 10, this year because of the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur. The two-day event opening Sunday at 11 a.m. will include more than 50 of the country’s leading antique dealers selling thousands of rare antiques — from furniture and carpets to books and quilts. Admission to the show is $12 ($10 members), and includes access to the Flynt Center of Early New England Life and the Apprentice’s Workshop at Dwight House.

October 8 & 9, 2011 – “I Choose to be the One” The Adventures of Miss Belle Skinner
Wistariahurst Museum, Holyoke

Saturday, October 8 at 7:00 p.m. (Performance only) Tickets are $12 / $10 seniors & students
Sunday, October 9 at 1:00 p.m.  (Performance & Luncheon Tea) Tickets are $20 / $15 seniors & students

Written and performed by Ann Maggs, this one-woman play explores the glamorous and exciting world of the independent minded and world-traveling philanthropist Miss Belle Skinner. From her youth in Holyoke to travels to far reaching areas of the world, Belle Skinner was one of the most forceful and intriguing woman of the early 20th century. Reservations suggested.

October 9, 2011 –“Made-by-Hand: Trades of the Past”
Historic Deerfield, 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m., drop in anytime

Historic Deerfield is highlighting some special craftspeople who keep important traditions alive by working with their hands and using old techniques. See demonstrations of Tinsmithing with Bill McMillen at Hall Tavern Visitor Center. Included with general admission.

October 9, 2011 — Jonathan Edwards in Northampton Cemetery Tour
Sponsored by Forbes Library, Bridge Street Cemetery, Northampton, 1 p.m.

With Susan Stinson, Forbes Library Writer in Residence. Forbes Writer in Residence Susan Stinson is an award-winning novelist and poet, as well as a writing coach, mentor and editor. She recently completed Spider in a Tree, a novel about Northampton in the time of Jonathan Edwards. For more, see http://www.susanstinson.net

Jonathan Edwards was an18th century theologian and writer who preached in Northampton for more than twenty years. The spiritual and intellectual richness of Edwards’s inner world was matched by the dramatic events of his life, including the ambiguities in his role as a slave owner.

Sylvester Graham was a 19th century health reformer best known as the inspiration for the graham cracker. Sally Maminash was a 19th century weaver and spinner whose heritage was Mohegan, Podunk, Nonotuck and/or Pocumtuck. A visit to her grave is an opportunity to consider some of the historical context of her life.

The event is part of the Local History/Local Novelists 2011/12 Series at Forbes Library, bringing together poets, novelists and history experts for explorations in story, fact and memory. Includes evenings inspired by Sally Maminash (November 21) and Sylvester Graham (May 2). For more, see http://www.forbeslibrary.org

Location: Go to the Parsons Street entrance of Bridge Street Cemetery in Northampton. Look for the red trike with the Jonathan Edwards tour sign.

October 9, 2011 — 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, Shoe Making Demonstrations, Music of the 1700’s, Cider Pressing, Morris Dancers

Admission: Adult – $3.00 Child – $1.00

Found on Rt. 112, Buckland, MA, between the Mohawk High School and Buckland Center

Presented by the Buckland Historical Society. Polly Anderson, 413-625-9763

October 9, 2011 –“Hidden Walls, Hidden Mills: Exploring the Hilltown Landscape — Surveying the School Lot”
Plainfield Historical Society, 1 p.m.

During the nineteenth century, Plainfield public school was held in up to six moveable one-room schoolhouses, located within walking distance for all the pupils. The town built its first town-wide permanent public school in 1925 on land donated by Clara Hudson. The “School Lot,” as it is called, has a long association with education. Here, Plainfield’s first minister Moses Hallock also held his Plainfield Academy, a classical school that prepared generations of students both for Williams College and for Missionary life. John Brown attended in 1816. Currently, the school building houses The Shaw Memorial [public] Library and the Town Offices.

Join us on Sunday October 9, 1 pm, for an introduction to the art and science of surveying the way it was done when Plainfield was settled. This is a family activity: a show-and-tell will be followed by hands-on surveying of the boundaries of the School Lot. Bring a compass if you have one, and be ready to tromp through tall grass. Rain date: Monday October 10, 1 pm.  For more information, contact Pleun Bouricius, bouric@post.harvard.edu, 413-634-2250

October 8, 2011 –“Learning to Look: The Art and Mystery of Deerfield Furniture and New England Silver”
Bartels Seminar Room, Historic Deerfield, 1 & 3:30 p.m.

Collectors already planning to be in Deerfield on Saturday, Oct. 8, to prepare for the 2011 ADA/Historic Deerfield Antiques Show will want to take part in an illuminating and entertaining afternoon of hands-on learning at Historic Deerfield. At 1 p.m., join President Philip Zea for a hands-on workshop titled “Deerfield Furniture,” with a dozen pieces of local case and seating furniture, dating from 1700 to 1820¾many documented to manufacture and/or ownership in Deerfield.

At 3:30 p.m., Amanda Lange, Curatorial Department Chair and Curator of Historic Interiors, will lead another hands-on workshop titled “New England Silver,” featuring pieces from Historic Deerfield’s stellar collection of New England silver, including objects made by Jacob Hurd, Paul Revere, and Jeremiah Dummer.

The cost for each workshop is $50 ($45 for members of Historic Deerfield). Registration is limited to 20 participants for each session. A refreshment break at 3 p.m., as well as admission to the Flynt Center of Early New England Life, is included for all participants. For information and reservations, please call 413-775-7179 or e-mail events@historic-deerfield.org.

October 8, 2011 — “Made By Hand: Trades of the Past”
Historic Deerfield, 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., drop in anytime

Historic Deerfield is highlighting some special craftspeople who keep important traditions alive by working with their hands and using old techniques. See demonstrations of Architectural Woodworking with Ted Ingraham at Dwight House, and Silversmithing with Steve Smithers at the Silver Shop. Included with general admission.

October 8, 2011 — Palmer Depot Village Walking Tour
Palmer Historical Commission, Palmer Public Library, 10:00 a.m.

Join Bob Ring, Chair of the Palmer Historical Commission, for a walking tour of Palmer’s historic Depot Village neighborhoods.  Meet in front of the Palmer Public Library beginning at 9:30 a.m. Tour leaves at 10:00 a.m. Refreshments served afterwards in the Library’s Community Room.  For more info, call 283-3330 ext 0.  Rain Date is October 15th.

October 6, 2011 — “Springfield’s Women: William Pynchon’s Settlement to Modern City”
Davis Auditorium, Springfield Museums at the Quadrangle, 12:15 p.m.

Frances Gagnon, Springfield historian, will highlight some of the remarkable women in Springfield’s past.
Admission: $2 members, $4 nonmembers
Cookies and beverage provided.

October 5, 2011 — “Over There and Over Here”
Forbes Library, Northampton, 7 p.m.

Part of the Forbes Library Local History/Local Novelists Reading Series. Featuring poet and writer Doug Anderson, U.S. Navy, Vietnam, ’67-’68, author of The Moon Reflected Fire and Keep Your Head Down: A Memoir of Vietnam, the Sixties and a Journey of Self-Discovery; writer Peggy Perri, U.S. Army, Vietnam ’67-’68; writer Tom Weiner, author of Called to Serve: Stories of Men and Women Confronted by the Vietnam Draft; lê thi diem thúy, novelist and performance artist, author of The Gangster We All Are Looking For.

October 2, 2011 – “Hatfield Fall Festival and 4^th Annual Jim Labbee Memorial Antique Classic Car, Truck and Tractor Show”
Hatfield Historical Society, Billings Way, Hatfield, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

This annual event will showcase the town’s Historical Museum and Farm Museum, with demonstrations of traditional crafts by local artisans, displays of working antique engines, food, music, farmers market, cider pressing, face painting, Friends of the Library book sale and more. A great way to tour both museums on the same day and go home with a jug of cider and an armful of produce! Rain or shine. www.hatfieldhistory.weebly.com

October 2, 2011 – “A Window to the Past: Discovering Hatfield’s Lost Colonial Village”
Hatfield Historical Society, Congregational Church, Hatfield, 3 p.m.

Come learn the latest updates on the only preserved 17th century English village site ever discovered in Southern New England. Archaeologist and UMASS PhD candidate Randy Daum will bring to life a village that was built more than 300 years ago – shedding light on who these early settlers were, how they lived and, in some cases, how they died. Don’t miss this fascinating illustrated presentation, including artifacts from the site, as the finale to Hatfield’s Fall Festival! Free. www.hatfieldhistory.weebly.com

October 1, 2011 — “Harvest Supper & Howard D. Barnes Memorial Pie Auction”
Pelham Historical Society, Historic Town Hall, 6:30 p.m.

State Rep. Steve Kulik will be the auctioneer for the pie auction. Diane Wentworth, caterer from 2010, will once again cater the New England boiled dinner.

Tickets: Elva Anderson, 253-3970; Doris Holden, 253-5993

October 1, 2011 — Grand Opening: Joseph Moore House & Charles J. Gillett Cigar Factory
Southwick Historical Society

Ribbon Cutting:  October 1 – 10a.m.
Hours: October 1 – 10a.m. – 3p.m.; October 2 – 1 – 3 p.m.*

*Stencil Demonstration

Join Us As We Create History In Southwick

The Society welcomes new members. For additional information, please call:
Linda Wonson-Schomer, 998-3018 (Southwick)

October 1, 2011 — Greenfield Architectural Hike
Pioneer Valley Institute, leaving from Greenfield Common, Court Square, 10 a.m.

The Pioneer Valley Institute is sponsoring an autumn stroll through some of Greenfield’s historic neighborhoods on Saturday, October 1 with Kevin Sweeney, an American studies and history professor at Amherst College. Participants will meet at 10 AM on the Greenfield Common, Court Square. This easy to moderate walk is free and will last about 1½ to 2 hours.

Sweeney will lead an architectural walking tour focusing on some of Greenfield’s homes. He will take participants back in time to explore how changing architectural styles reveal social and cultural shifts. The walk will culminate at a local restaurant, probably Hope & Olive, where during lunch (optional and at your expense) Sweeney will talk about that building’s history. To register, we ask that you leave your name & phone number at 413-775-1671 or by email to pvi@gcc.mass.edu.

September 24; October 1, 8-9, 15, 22, 29; November 5, 25-26 — “Foods of the Harvest” Open Hearth Cooking Demonstrations
Hall Tavern Kitchen, Historic Deerfield, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., drop in anytime

Late summer and autumn were busy times in early American kitchens. The abundance of fresh produce needed to be processed and preserved for the winter. Our cooks this fall will be cooking dishes featuring apples, pumpkins, and corn. Included with general admission.

SEPTEMBER

September 29, 2011 — Prohibition: Contemporary Issues Surrounding America’s Noble Experiment
Stinchfield Theater, Greenfield Community College, Greenfield, 7-9 p.m.

Join us to explore the current relevance of Ken Burns and Lynn Novick’s new documentary, Prohibition.Telling the story of the rise, rule and fall of the Eighteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the political and cultural era it encompassed, the film raises questions as vital today as they were 100 years ago. This event includes a preview of the film followed by a panel discussion of contemporary issues reflected by this tumultuous chapter of history.

Panelists will be Francis G. Couvares, Amherst College’s E. Dwight Salmon Professor of History and American Studies and Chair of American Studies, Don Robinson, Smith College Professor Emeritus, who has taught about the American presidency and comparative Constitutional systems and writes a monthly column on politics and culture for the Daily Hampshire Gazette, and Thomas Kokonowski, Esq., Litigation Attorney in Northampton.

September 28, 2011 — Homeschool Harvest Day & Scarecrow Making Workshop
Historic Deerfield, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Visit the Cooks’ Garden to find out what is being harvested. Spend time with open hearth cooks and learn how they processed and used fruits of the harvest. Make a recipe book and spice mixture to take home. Visit the Wapping Schoolhouse and learn some lessons from the School Master. Try carding wool, weaving on a loom and playing old-fashioned games. Explore the meadow walk and bring a picnic to eat at one of our many village picnic spots. Historic Houses will be open for tours. *For an additional $5 fee, participate in a Scarecrow-Making Workshop. Learn about the interesting history of scarecrows as Museum Educators help you make your own unique harvest figure to take home. (We will provide an armature, stuffing and supplies for decorating your figure; you bring the old clothes to dress it.) Pre-registration required by September 21. 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.

http://www.historic-deerfield.org/events/new-homeschool-harvest-day-scarecrow-making-workshop

September 25, 2011 — Demonstration of Shape Note Singing
Pelham Historical Society, Pelham Historic Town Hall, 2 – 4 p.m.

Come experience this music that has its roots in early New England.  visitors’ participation at this special tenth anniversary Pelham exhibition of shape note singing is encouraged, but not required.  books available. Participants may come and go as they please.  Contact: Barbara Jenkins, 253-2929.

September 25, 2011 — Through Prohibition’s Historical Lens: Springfield, Women and the Nation
Davis Auditorium, D’Amours Museum of Fine Arts, Springfield, 2-4 p.m.

Join us for a sneak preview of Ken Burns and Lynn Novick’s new documentary series Prohibition followed by a panel discussion about the far-ranging effects of the era of bathtub gin, bootleggers and speak-easies.

Panelists include Guy McLain, Director of the Lyman & Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History, Kathleen Banks Nutter, Archivist at the Sophia Smith Collection at Smith College, and Daniel Czitrom, Mt. Holyoke Professor of History, to discuss the social upheaval and other unintended consequences of the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

September 25, 2011 — Sojourner Truth Jubilee
First Churches, 129 Main St., Northampton, 3 p.m.

Performance & Concert: Storyteller Onawumi Jean Moss, Charles Neville Trio, Stephany Marryshow of the Enchanted Circle Theater’s Sojourner Truth, John Thomas & Nadine Shank from the upcoming Old Deerfield Productions opera Truth, Manavi music & dance troupe, and Emcee Gilbert McCauley.

Tickets: $15 at the door ($12 in advance); $10 seniors & college students; $5 K-12 students; under 5 free.

Proceeds benefit the Sojourner truth Social Justice Scholarship Fund.

September 24, 2011 — “From Hawley Farm to Hawley Reservoir — The Walk”
Pelham Historical Society, meet at United Church Parking Lot, 1 – 3 p.m.

During this walk, we’ll visit the site of the former Hawley Farm and learn about the history of the farm and the creation of the Hawley Reservoir.  Contact: Bruce Klotz, 253-1601.

September 24, 2011 — Emily Dickinson Poetry Marathon
Emily Dickinson Museum, Amherst, 7 a.m. – ?

Emily Dickinson lovers of all ages are invited to join the Emily Dickinson Poetry Marathon, a day-long marathon reading of all 1,789 poems by Emily Dickinson. The annual event, sponsored by the Emily Dickinson Museum, will begin at 7 a.m. at the Homestead and continue until the 1,789th poem is read (approximately 11 p.m.). All are welcome to participate in the free event as a reader, a listener, or both! Stay for just a single poem or join us for the entire day.

Readers who arrive between 7 and 10 a.m. receive a “poetry coffee break” discount coupon to The Black Sheep Deli in Amherst. Readers who arrive between 5 and 7 p.m. receive a “poetry pick-me-up” at Bart’s Ice Cream. Readers at the end will toast the last poem.

September 24, 2011 — Second Annual Emily Dickinson Baking Contest
First Congregational Church, Amherst, 1:30 – 4 p.m.

Emily Dickinson was well-known among friends and family for her baked goods. She even won second place (and 50 cents) for her Rye and Indian Bread in the 1856 Amherst Cattle Show!

In the spirit of her success, the Emily Dickinson Museum is sponsoring its second annual baking contest.   Entrants may choose to make one or more of the following recipes:

• Gingerbread (Youth and Adult categories)
• Coconut Cake (Youth and Adult categories)
• Black Cake (Adult category)
• Rye and Indian Bread (Adult category)

Rules for entering as well as recipes for all four categories are available in a downloadable PDF, Contest Rules and Recipes.  If you’d like to enter the contest, please complete our Intention to Enter form.  The deadline for submitting the form is Thursday, September 22.

Entries must be delivered to the First Congregational Church (165 Main Street) across the street from the Emily Dickinson Museum between noon and 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 24.  Prizes, which include Emily Dickinson Museum aprons, will be awarded at 4 p.m.–and all second-place winners will also receive 50 cents.

September 24, 2011– “Made-by-Hand: Trades of the Past”
Historic Deerfield, 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m.

Historic Deerfield is highlighting some special craftspeople who keep important traditions alive by working with their hands and using old techniques. See demonstrations of Flax Dressing with Gina Gerhard at Dwight House, and Hat Making with Bill Wigham at Stebbins House. Included with general admission.

September 23 & 24, 2011 — “Public History 2036: The Next 25 Years” Conference
UMass Public History Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

A two-day conference exploring the trends in the field of public history.  For more information contact:

UMass Public History Program
(413) 545-1330
email: public@history.umass.edu
visit us online at: http://www.umass.edu/history/ph

September 22, 2011 — “Timber Frame Buildings & the Charles J. Gillett Cigar Factory”
Southwick Historical Society, at Christ Church United Methodist, 222 Rte 10/202, Southwick

Speaker: Bill Doherty, of Period Builders, Principal carpenter involved with reconstruction of the Charles J. Gillett Cigar Factory.

6:30 pm Join us for a Pot Luck Supper (bring your favorite) or join us for the presentation at 7:15 pm, Program Speaker – Free

The Society welcomes new members. For additional information, please call:
Linda Wonson-Schomer, 998-3018 (Southwick)

September 21, 2011 — Genealogy Gathering
Carnegie Library, Turners Falls, 7 p.m.

What’s on your (genealogy) mind?  Have you been occupied with other things this summer?  Or have you taken a research trip?  Let’s gather at the Carnegie Library on Wednesday, September 21 and catch up, and look for ways we can help each other.  Maybe we can get Frank to give us a summary of his talk at the Discovery Center last month.  Schedule a walk to the Dry Hill cemetery?  More cemetery photos?  How about that 1790 census summary?  It is more fun when we do it together!

Hosted by genealogist Sara Campbell.

September 21, 2011 — “The Things They Carried and Still Carry”
World War II Club, 50 Conz St., Northampton, 7 p.m.

Panel discussion with Vietnam veterans Don Chevannes and Cherie Rankin, and Cathy Tenerowicz, a V.A. staff member, who is a veteran, wife of a Vietnam veteran, and mother of two Iraq/Afghanistan veterans.  Moderated by Steve Connor, Northampton Veterans Services Officer.

Co-sponsored by Northampton City Council, City Council Committee on Social Services and Veterans Affairs, the Human Rights Commission, Soldier On, and the Veterans Education Project.

September 20 thru September 30, 2011 — “I Was There: Stories of War and Homecoming”
World War II Club, 50 Conz St., Northampton

An exhibit of photographic portraits of Vietnam veterans by David Turner. Co-sponsored by the Hallmark Institute of Photography and Hampshire Frame and Art.

September 20, 2011 — “Martha Leonard Waite: A Remarkable Pioneer Woman”
Meekins Library, Williamsburgh, 7 p.m.

Martha Leonard Waite will be the subject of discourse presented by her 8th great-grandson and amateur historian, Ralmon Jon Black, of the Williamsburgh Historical Society.  For more information about Martha Leonard Waite, see Mr. Black’s piece at the “Remarkable Women of the Pioneer Valley” website.

September 19, 2011 — “From Hawley Farm to Hawley Reservoir — The Talk”
Pelham Historical Society, Ramsdell Room, Pelham Community Center, 7 p.m.

Before the Hawley Reservoir on Amherst Road was constructed in 1897, the Ezra Brown-John Hawley Farm dating to the mid-1700s stood across the road.  Robert Lord Keyes will talk and share documents from the archives to help us learn about the properties that were lost with the creation of the reservoir, as well as about the building of the reservoir itself.  Contact: Julie Ryznic, 549-3823

September 19, 2011 – Historical Lecture Series: Finding a Place of Origin for Your Irish Ancestor using United States Sources
Wistariahurst Museum, Holyoke, 6 p.m.

Genealogist Lisa Dougherty will present how to use some commonly available, and often overlooked, resources in the United States in order to determine an ancestor’s place of origin in Ireland. Dougherty has been actively pursuing genealogy as a hobby for 16 years and currently serves as a volunteer at the National Archives, Pittsfield. Suggested donation $5

September 18, 2011 — Honoring Amherst’s Black Civil War Soldiers
West Cemetery, Amherst, 2 p.m., rain or shine

A town ceremony to honor five of the Amherst men who served in “colored regiments” who are known to be buried in Amherst’s West Cemetery:

Charles Finnemore (Massachusetts 54th Infantry)
Genalvin Marse (Connecticut 29th Infantry)
Charles Thompson (Massachusetts 5th Cavalry)
Christopher Thompson (Massachusetts 5th Cavalry)
John Thompson (Massachusetts 5th Cavalry)

West Cemetery is in downtown Amherst, off North Pleasant St., just north of the post-office and Ren’s Mobil Station. An entrance gate is behind the row of shops that includes The Toy Box, Baku’s Restaurant, and Zanna’s. Another entrance is on Triangle Street, near Jones – Town & Country Real Estate.

A public reception will be held after the ceremony at Hope Community Church, 16 Gaylord Street. (Gaylord St. is a short street that runs between South Prospect St. and Lincoln Ave. From the Jones Library and the Amherst Historical Society on Amity St., a few steps west from the stoplight in the center of town, go a short block south along South Prospect St., then turn right downhill on Gaylord St.)

And – On the preceding Friday, September 16, at 5:30 P.M., Hope Church will host a public free showing of the movie “Glory”, the 1989 movie that portrays the Massachusetts 54th’s July 1863 attack on Fort Wagner.  Pizza and discussion to follow the film.

September 17, 2011 — “Life in the Past Lane VIII” Genealogy Conference
Friends of the National Archives, Williams Inn on the Green, Williamstown, MA, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Friends of the National Archives – Pittsfield proudly present their Eighth Full-Day Genealogy Conference.  With Meldon J. Wolfgang III, Mary Flood, Paul Bunnell, Jean Nudd Elliott, Michelle LeClair, Peter Sisario, and many more.

For more info, go to:  http://www.narafriends-pittsfield.org

September 17, 2011 — “War of 1812” PBS Documentary Preview
Academy of Music, Northampton, MA, 7 p.m.

This 2-hour PBS Documentary, produced by WNED-TV in Buffalo, will air on October 10th, but you can see it on the big screen at the Academy of Music in Northampton.  It’s been called the “Second American Revolution”, but most of us have only a dim understanding of the war and its causes. Filmmaker Lawrence B. Hott counted himself among them when he began.

September 17, 2011 — “Calvin Coolidge: More Than Two Words”
Coolidge Presidential Library & Museum, Forbes Library, Northampton, 2 p.m.

Jim Cooke performing as Calvin Coolidge, in celebration of the Coolidge Museum’s 55th anniversary. Reception with Coolidge inspired food to follow.

Tickets $15. Seats limited. Available at the Forbes Library circulation desk.  All proceeds to benefit the Forbes Library Annual Fund for Special Collections.

If interpretive services are needed or for more information call (413) 587-1014

September 16, 2011 – History of Brass Instruments and the Brass Quintet
Wistariahurst Museum, Holyoke, 7 p.m.

A concert, lecture and “show and tell” will be presented by David Neill and The Premier Brass Quintet with a demonstration and performance on antique musical instruments loaned from the Brass Players Museum. The instruments used in the concert were made between 1800 and 1900 and will include a Keyed Bugle from Pace in London made in 1820, as well as a Cornopean trumpet with only 2 valves from 1840. History of Brass is supported in part by a grant from the Holyoke Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. Admission is a suggested donation of $7/ $5 students & seniors.

September 14, 2011 — Williamstown Chamber Night
Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum, 67 East Rd., Adams, MA

Mary Lou Beaudin and Sean Carollo will speak at Williamstown Chamber night.
This wine and cheese event has a special event charge of $5.
For more information on event location please call 413.458.9077

September 14, 2011 — Film: The Quiet American
Forbes Library, Northampton, 6:30 p.m.

Starring Michael Caine, Brendan Fraser, Do Hai Yen, Do Thi Hai Yen; Directed by Phillip Noyce; Michael Caine received a well-deserved nomination for Best Actor Oscar at the Academy Awards. This feature film is based on Graham Greene’s critically acclaimed novel of the same title, about French and early American involvement in Vietnam. The post screening discussion will be moderated by Chris Myers, U.S. State Department A.I.D., Vietnam ’67-’68.

September 8, 2011 — Colrain’s Forts
Colrain Historical Society, Pitt House, Main Road, Colrain, 7:30 p.m.

During the French-Indian Wars of the 1750s Colrain built and maintained four forts for the protection of its isolated and vulnerable frontier citizens. In a continuing celebration of the town’s 250th anniversary, they will be the subject of a program at the Colrain Historical Society meeting Thursday, September 8, at the Pitt House on Main Road.  Liz Sonnenberg and Muriel Russell will describe the four forts, two fortified farmhouses and two palisaded block houses, the Indians who lived in the area and events of the war in this area. They will also relate stories involving the forts.

The free program at 7:30 will follow a 7 p.m. business meeting. Refreshments will be served, and the public is invited.  For more information call 624-3453.

AUGUST

June 2 thru August 30, 2011 — “Second Wave in The Valley: Reflections of the Valley Women’s History Collaborative Collections”
Lower Level, Du Bois Library, UMass Amherst

The UMass Amherst Libraries host an exhibit “Second Wave in the Valley: Reflections of the Valley Women’s History Collaborative Collections,” through August 30, 2011, on the Lower Level, Du Bois Library, UMass Amherst.  The theme of the exhibit is based on the Valley Women’s History Collaborative, formed in 1998 by UMass Amherst history professor Joyce Berkman, Hampshire College professor Susan Tracy, and community activist Kaymarion Raymond, to document and preserve progressive women’s activism in the Pioneer Valley.  A reception will be held on Friday, June 10, from noon to 2 p.m.  The exhibit will coincide with the Berkshire Conference of Women’s Historians, at UMass Amherst from June 9-12, 2011. The Valley Women’s History Collaborative Collection (1971-2008) is housed in Special Collections and University Archives in the Du Bois Library.   The Collection includes organizational papers from a variety of groups; including the Springfield Women’s Center, Mudpie Childcare Cooperative, and the Valley Women’s Union.  It also includes the records of the Mary Vazquez Softball League, a women’s modified fast-pitch softball league, formed in 1976 and based in Northampton.

During the early phases of second wave feminism (1968-1978), the Pioneer Valley served as a center for lesbian and feminist activity in western Massachusetts, and was home to over 400 hundred, often ad hoc, groups, such as the Abortion and Birth Control (ABC) Committee, ISIS Women’s Center, the Mudpie Childcare Cooperative, and the Springfield Women’s Center.

The records of the Valley Women’s History Collaborative document the activities of these groups as well as the efforts of the founders of the Women Studies program and department at UMass Amherst to preserve this history. Of particular value are the many oral histories conducted by the collaborative that record the history of women’s activism in the Pioneer Valley, especially as it relates to reproductive rights.

For more information, contact:  Anne Moore (413-545-6888, amoore@library.umass.edu), or Sarah Hutton (413-545-6740, shutton@library.umass.edu).  For more information on the Berkshire Conference of Women’s Historians: http://berksconference.org/.

Saturdays, July 2 thru August 27 — “A Perfect Spot of Tea”
Porter-Phelps-Huntington Museum, Hadley

Afternoon tea with good company, interesting conversation, and lively music has been a tradition at Porter-Phelps-Huntington for over two hundred fifty years. Elizabeth Porter Phelps, a resident of the house from its construction in 1752 until her death in 1817, noted the teas often attracted 10 to 15 couples weekly. Visitors would “tarry” a while over a beverage that “cheers but not inebriates.”

Elizabeth’s daughter met her future husband, Dan Huntington, at one of these events.

Guests are invited to partake in this colonial tradition once again at Porter-Phelps-Huntington Museum’s “A Perfect Spot of Tea.” The summer series will run every Saturday from July 2 through Aug. 27.  Visitors are invited to drink Earl Grey tea and enjoy live music on the Museum’s back veranda. Restaurants, grocery stores, musicians and volunteers generously provide the tea, pastries, flowers, music and service for this event.  Admission is $10 per person. There are seatings at 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Tours of the Porter-Phelps-Huntington Museum are available for an additional fee.

The Porter-Phelps-Huntington Museum is located at 130 River Drive (Route 47) in Hadley, two miles north of the junction of Routes 9 and 47. The Museum is open for guided tours Saturday through Wednesday from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and by appointment. For further information about tours or other programs, please call the Museum at 413-584-4699 or Visit oUf website at http://www.pphmuseum.org.

March 12th thru August 21, 2011 — Exhibit: “Educating the Mind’s Eye: The Art of Young Adults, 1790-1840”
Historic Deerfield

Come and explore examples of student painting, embroidery, calligraphy, and even decorated boxes and worktables from early America in this new exhibition.  On view through August 21, 2011.

Families can explore amazing art objects made by schoolchildren two hundred years ago at the exhibition Educating the Mind’s Eye: The Art of Young Adults, 1790-1840. On display in the Flynt Center of Early New England Life, the exhibition features student painting, embroidery, calligraphy, and even decorated boxes and worktables. At the History Workshop learn about the unique art forms that were once a regular part of children’s school education in the 18th and early 19th centuries. Try the student art of quillwork, which uses curled strips of paper to make pictures.  All week take a lesson at the one-room Wapping Schoolhouse.  Also learn about trades at the Apprentice’s Workshop, and open-hearth cooking in the 1786 Hall Tavern kitchen.  Included with general admission.

August 18, 2011 — “Harvesting History: Personal Stories About Farming & How the Ag School Got Started”
Ruth Owen Jones and Sheila Rainford
Chesterfield Historical Society, Chesterfield Senior Center, 7:15 p.m.

Refreshments: 6:30 pm, Program: 7:15 pm

Place: Chesterfield Senior Center, 400 Main Road, Chesterfield, MA 01012

$5.00 per person. The public is invited to join us.

July 1 thru August 14, 2011 — “Silk: Moth to Cloth”
Historic Deerfield, drop in any time, noon – 4:30 p.m.

Silk is often called the most beautiful of all textile fibers. It is so beautiful in fact, that it is hard to believe that all silk comes from a cocoon that is part of the life cycle of a moth! Thought to be delicate, silk is actually one of the strongest fibers known.  A single strand of silk can support many time its own weight and once it is reeled from a cocoon, silk can be spun and woven into cloth. Silk can be dyed and painted, and its elegant sheen has always suggested sophistication and affluence.  In 18^th-century Deerfield, imported Chinese silk clothing was worn by wealthy men and women, and young girls chose silken thread to embroider their finest samplers.  This summer we will be raising live silkworms in the education room of the History Workshop. Visitors can see the silk worms, learn about the process of making cloth from cocoons, and make a beautiful painted silk bookmark to take home.  Included with general admission.

August 9, 2011 — “Meet Your Civil War Ancestor“
Chicopee Public Library, 6:30 p.m.

Using the family of Civil War soldier and Irish immigrant Richard Wall of Chicopee/Holyoke, she will illustrate where records can be found for Civil War-era ancestors.  Her presentation will include pension records, local vital records, census records, military records and photographs found in private repositories.

August 4, 2011 — “Lincoln, Booth & Davis: In Myth & Memory”
Small Auditorium, Kendall Hall, Historic Deerfield, 7:30 p.m.

The final installment in Historic Deerfield’s 2011 Summer Lecture Series titled “Legends of the Civil War,” will take place Thursday, August 4, at 7:30 p.m. in the small auditorium in Kendall Hall at Deerfield Academy.

James L. Swanson, SFP ’80, author of Bloody Crimes: The Chase for Jefferson Davis and the Death Pageant for Lincoln’s Corpse and Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer, will deliver a lecture titled “Lincoln, Booth and Davis: In Myth and Memory.” Sponsored by Bank of America.

All lectures during the Summer Lecture Series are free and open to the public. Please note that the Small Auditorium is located in Kendall Hall, directly behind the Brick Church.

JULY

July 28, 2011 — “John Brown: Connecticut Valley Roots of an American Legend”
Kendall Auditorium, Deerfield Academy, Historic Deerfield, 7:30 p.m.

John Brown, The Connecticut ValleyRoots of an American Legend by William Hosley.  Martyr, terrorist, evangelist, and anti-slavery crusader, America never forgets nor fully reconciles its perspectives on John Brown the Connecticut native whose fiery rhetoric and controversial activism blazed the trail that led to our Civil War. Brown’s combustible combination of evangelical fervor, Yankee ingenuity and marketing savvy, made him a quintessential puritanical, entrepreneurial, evangelist of a type Connecticut was once famous for.

July 21, 2011 — Chesterfield Historical Society Annual Meeting & Barbeque
Chesterfield Senior Center, 6:30 dinner, 7:30 meeting

Meeting: 7:30 pm – Review and discussion of CHS  2010/2011 and future plans.

Place: Chesterfield Senior Center

Dinner Menu: Chicken Barbeque, Potato Salad, String beans, Chocolate Cake and Drinks

Dinner Price: $12.00 per person

The public is invited to join us .  Everyone attending the dinner must confirm reservations with Mary Bancroft (413-296-4483), no later than Monday, July 18, 2011

July 16, 2011 — Victorian Games at Wistariahurst
Wistariahurst Museum, Holyoke, 1 – 3 p.m.

Join Wistariahurst for an invigorating afternoon participating in Victorian Games on the lawn at Wistariahurst Museum on Saturday, July 16 from 1 to 3 p.m. During Victorian times, as summer neared and the weather improved, game time was no longer restricted to the parlour. Young girls and boys flocked to parks, lawns and other out­door spaces. The same goes for today. Families and kids of all ages are invited to take a step outside, and back in time at Wistariahurst. Plenty of activities will be available to choose from, including rousing rounds of croquet, the ever-popular “Graces,” and kite flying! Game day is rain or shine, with games subject to change in the event of rain. This event is free. Reservations are suggested.

July 16, 2011 — Les Campbell Presents “Meeting of the Waters”
Pelham Historical Society trip to Sky Meadow Studio, Belchertown, noon – 3 p.m.

Les Campbell, renowned Quabbin photographer, will show his slide presentation, Meeting of the Waters, the story of the Quabbin Reservoir creation.  Please bring a lunch so that we can picnic on the grounds at beautiful Sky Meadow and then browse afterwards in the photo gallery.  Sign up with Linda Campbell Hanscom 323-7377.  To carpool, leave from the Pelham Church parking lot at 11:30 a.m.

July 13, 2011 — Gravestone Cleaning Workshop
Longmeadow Cemetery Association, Longmeadow Cemetery, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Longmeadow Cemetery Association is sponsoring a FREE gravestone cleaning workshop on Wednesday, July 13th at the Longmeadow Cemetery. All supplies will be provided, though you may want to bring a folding chair/garden kneeler and gloves. Sprayers, brushes and the earth-friendly cleaning solution will be provided. You may also want to bring water bottles and a lunch. The hours will be from 9-3, but feel free to come for part or all of the day. There is parking on both sides of Williams Street.

Please let me know if you will be attending or have any questions. For those from other towns, there is also a supply of the D2 chemical available to purchase for the very good deal of $35 a gallon. Our instructor, Joe Ferrannini will sell it at cost–just let me know how much you would like.

Betsy McKee
abmck@comcast.net

July 2, 2011 — Belchertown 250th Anniversary Picnic on the Common
Belchertown Common, 10 am – 5 pm

All eyes are focused on the Community Picnic planned for Saturday, July 2nd on the Town Common. This will be a free event, open to all, and everyone is encouraged to bring their own picnic lunch, plus some food to share with your neighbors. Rain or shine, the event will be held that day — the weekend closest to the town’s actual incorporation date of June 30th — and the center of town will be buzzing with activities. Here’s what’s being planned:

Quilt Show — There will be a Quilt Show in Lawrence Memorial Hall. Any Belchertown residents with quilts they’d like to display should contact Linda Sterling (email: fatquartergal@charter.net) for a registration form.

Car, Carriage, and Tractor Show — The parking lot on the Common will be filled with vehicles reminding us of Belchertown’s transportation heritage. The show is limited to Belchertown residents on a first-come, first-served basis and space will fill-up fast, so if you’d like to exhibit your old-time vehicle, contact Tony Trifone at 323-8550.

Showcase Belchertown — Now in its third year, this event will show-off the many and diverse businesses and community groups in our town. Booth space is very limited, this year, so participating businesses and groups should sign up right away. Contact Gail Gramarossa of Belchertown CAN! at 323-4489.

Musical Entertainment — There will be music on the Common from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m., including the Connotations, the Community Band, A Beautiful Future/Caribbean Party, Cottonwood, and other local talent.

Wagon Rides — Blue Star Equiculture will provide wagon rides up and down Park Street.

And More — There will be a full slate of fun activities in the Old Town Hall for the youngsters among us, the winners of the “Bushy Brothers” contest, and plenty of surprises.

Picnic Tables — A limited number of picnic tables under a tent will be available for reservation. Families, businesses, or other groups who would like to reserve one or more tables should watch this space is the weeks to come for more information. Some tables will be handicapped accessible.

Parking — Similar to Fair Day, there will be parking restrictions on some of the roads near the Common; Park Street and the Common parking lot will be closed to traffic. There will be limited parking on Main Street. Some of the businesses near the Common will allow parking, but please respect those that are open (the banks and post office, for example) by not using their lots until after 1 p.m.  So mark your calendar and tell your friends and we’ll see you on the Common!

July 1 & 2, 2011 — A Development Performance of TRUTH, A new Folk Opera About the Life of Sojourner Truth
Reid Theater, Deerfield Academy, Deerfield, 7:30 p.m.

We are proud to finally share with you our first public performance in the area of TRUTH in development. So here it is the news! Old Deerfield Productions will offer a development performance of TRUTH, an original folk opera with music by Paula M. Kimper and libretto by Talaya Delaney about the life of Sojourner Truth, ex-slave and fiery abolitionist who lived and found her voice in Florence, MA.

Featuring Evelyn Harris, formerly of Sweet Honey in the Rock, as Sojourner Truth, the opera focuses on the life of this complicated, brilliant woman who, though illiterate, was a relentless champion of those deprived of justice and freedom. She lived a life of bravery in the face of unfathomable adversity and never wavered in her faith and hope for a world where all would experience the birthright of freedom. Her nearly unknown story that is filled with astonishing accomplishments and events will, for the first time, be told in a full-length folk opera. Sojourner Truth is a heroine of extraordinary scope whose life story, when heard, will be an inspiration to many.

The development workshop of Act I and excerpts from the rest of the opera will be presented at the Reid Theatre at Deerfield Academy on July 1st and 2nd, 2011 at 7:30 pm. Tickets will be sold at the door on a first come first serve basis for $10. Music direction is by Clifton Noble, and performers include Alan Schneider, John Thomas and Lisa Woods in addition to Ms. Harris. Mr. Noble will accompany on piano and Tony Vacca will play African Drums.

There will be talk-backs following each performance with the creators and performers so that input from the audience may be considered for the completion of the opera.

This performance will be followed by a culminating World Premiere with costumes, lights, sets and orchestra under the direction of Lanfranco Marcelletti at the Academy of Music in Northampton, MA on February 16, 17, 18 of 2012.  For more information visit http://www.truthopera.com or email Linda McInerney at lmciner@gmail.com

JUNE

June 29, 2011 — “The Meaning of the Fourth of July for the Negro”: A Communal Reading
Court Square Park, Springfield, noon

Fellow citizens, why am I called upon to speak here to-day? What have I, or those I represent, to do with your national independence? Do you mean, citizens, to mock me, by asking me to speak today? What, to the American slave, is your Fourth of July?”  – Frederick Douglass, July 5, 1852

On June 29th, citizens of Springfield will take turns reading Frederick Douglass’ fiery speech, in which the great orator famously took exception to being asked to commemorate the signing of the Declaration of Independence. What brought him to this moment? What did he try to achieve? Did he dissociate himself from American citizenship or embrace it with this speech?

Frederick Douglass visited Springfield a number of times before and during the Civil War. Here, he met John Brown, and here, he saw a city with a vibrant free black community that was defiant of the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act. In some sense, here, he saw the future.

In the sesquicentennial year of the start of the Civil War, reading Frederick Douglass — sharing the podium to each enact a small piece of one of the most powerful speeches ever given in the United States — allows us a way to commemorate the fight to end slavery in a thoughtful and engaged way, and at the same time forge connections and ties across the differences that separate us.

Douglass’s Fourth of July address is abolition’s rhetorical masterpiece — David Blight

I have never been so naïve as to believe that we can get beyond our racial divisions in a single election cycle. Race is an issue this nation cannot afford to ignore right now. — SenatorBarack Obama, March 2008

June 24-26, 2011 — Beyond the Battlefield: New England and the Civil War
Dublin Seminar for New England Folklife, Deerfield, MA

Beyond the Battlefield: New England and the Civil War is a three-day conference on the region’s contributions to the American Civil War. Beginning with key antebellum events that defined and shaped the North before 1861, the conference addresses the role of political figures, abolitionists, and artists in the early days of the conflict. Special sessions focus on the critical wartime participation of women (in nursing, making uniforms and tents, preparing meals, and establishing soldiers’ aid societies); on the changing public perception of black regiments and their supporters; on New Englanders’ encounters on the high seas; and on retrospective views on the war’s conduct by both Union and Confederate armies. The conference concludes with a look at New England’s role in the era of Reconstruction and its early move to reconciliation, remembrance, and the making of monuments.

The Seminar is designed for educators, historians, collectors, dealers, authors, librarians, and museum curators; students and the general public are cordially invited to attend. A selected and edited transcript of this conference will appear as the 2011 Annual Proceedings of the Dublin Seminar for New England Folklife, to be issued about two years after the conference. Past Seminar Proceedings and publications by program speakers will be available at the conference.

The thirty-sixth annual meeting in the Dublin Seminar series, Beyond the Battlefield: New England and the Civil War will take place on the weekend of June 24 through 26,  2011, at the Eaglebrook School in Deerfield. The lecture program will begin at 7:00 p.m. on Friday evening and will continue until approximately 1:30 A.M. on Sunday.  The conference includes a special tour of the Military Room at Memorial Hall Museum, followed by a visit to the Civil War monument on Deerfield Common. Lunch and dinner will be provided on Saturday, June 25; coffee and doughnuts will be served each morning. Dormitory accommodations will be available at Eaglebrook’s campus beginning Friday afternoon.

June 20, 2011: “A Local Lens: Histories of the Pioneer Valley”
Ann Boynton Theater, Easthampton High School, 6 – 8 p.m.

Local history topics ranging from Shay’s Rebellion to the Pascommuck Incident, Underground Railroad, Easthampton in the Civil War and World War II, Counterculture of the 1960s, and many more. This event will include a brief media presentation of student research on local history.

Contact Information: Kelley Brown, 529-­‐1585 ext. 205, brownk@easthampton.k12.ma.us

Come learn about the history of our communities and support the work of EHS students! Refreshments will be provided.

June 18, 2011 — Visit to Scarborough Brook/Pelham Country Club
Pelham Historical Society, 2 – 4 p.m.

We’ll tour this 19^tK C. farm house and barn on Gulf Road, in Belchertown (once home to the membership of the PCC) along with the gardens, fish ponds and meadows. This property has been meticulously restored by Chris Krueger and Jane Bryden who cordially invite us to visit.  Leave from Pelham United Church parking lot at 1:50 p.m.  Sign up with Linda Campbell Hanscom, 323-7377 by June 11.

June 16, 2011 — “Do They Know That This Is Amherst?: Emily Dickinson and Amherst College”
Chesterfield Historical Society, Chesterfield Senior Center, 400 Main Rd., 7:15 p.m.

Emily Dickinson lived in Amherst, Mass her entire life and her family was intimately connected with the founding and management of Amherst College. Approximately half of Emily Dickinson’s manuscripts are housed in the Archives & Special Collections at Amherst College, along with a wealth of material about the College and the town. This talk will explore some of the connections between the two.

Speaker: Michael Kelly, Amherst College – Mike Kelly is the Head of the Archives & Special Collections at Amherst College. He holds a Master of Library Science degree from the University of Texas at Austin and a Masters degree in English literature from the University of Virginia. His scholarly interests include printing and publishing in the nineteenth century, the rise and development of the novel, and the history of comic books.

Refreshments at 6:30, program at 7:15 p.m. The public is invited. Cost $5.

June 9 – 12, 2011 — Berkshire Conference on the History of Women
Berkshire Conference of Women Historians, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

The 2011 Big Berks will be held from June 9th-12th at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. For more information on lodging, transportation and UMass please visit the conference website at: http://blogs.umass.edu/berks

To download the program, please visit http://berksconference.org/BerkshireConference2011.pdf

To register, sign up for meals or housing, or to preregister for tours and workshops please visit the registration page.

June 6, 2011 — “Off The Record: Telling Lives of People Hidden in Plain Sight“
Mass. History Conference, Hogan Campus Center, Holy Cross, Worcester

A Conference for Massachusetts History Organizations. Presented by Mass Humanities, the Massachusetts Historical Society, the UMass/Amherst Public History Program, the Healey Library & the Public History Track at UMass/Boston. Detailed program available at: www.masshumanities.org

June 5, 2011 — “Opposing Equality: Different Attitudes & Different Outcomes”
Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum, 67 East Road, Adams, MA, 3 p.m.

The first installment of the Birthplace Lecture Series: Women, the Berkshires & the World

Professor Don Pecor is a retired educator/administrator from Drury High School. As the author of Secondary Curriculum Guide for Women’s History published by the Massachusetts Department of Education, Pecor is renowned for his work in women’s history. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from North Adams State University and a Master’s degree from Siena College. Pecor was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.

Admission is free.  More info, contact: 413-743-7121

June 4, 2011 — Wallace Nutting: A Search for New England’s Past
Buckland Historical Society, Buckland Public Hall, Upper St., Buckland Center, 7 p.m.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, Wallace Nutting (1861-1944) emerged as a popular photographer whose pictures of farm life, rural beauty, old houses and colonial interiors earned him a national reputation.  As a leading spokesman for the Colonial Revival and Country Life Movements, Nutting rapidly expanded his involvements to include antique furniture collecting, reproduction furniture manufacturing, and the writing and publishing of books on New England travel and antiques.  No figure in this century has done more to advance the study and public awareness of early American life.  This lecture provides an overview of Nutting’s remarkable
career and his connection to Buckland.

SPEAKER: William Hosley
William Hosley has lectured throughout the country and served as a content specialist for PBS, BBC, and CPTV film documentaries.

If you have a Nutting photo, you are invited to bring it to share during the program. Please call 413-625-9763

Program followed by our customary selection of homemade pies, coffee & punch!  Admission: $6:00/Students 12 & under $3.00

June 2, 2011 — “Springfield Women: William Pynchon’s Settlement to Modern City”
Museums a la Carte, Davis Auditorium, Springfield Museums, 12:15 p.m.

This event has been rescheduled for October.

Frances Gagnon, Springfield historian, will highlight some of the remarkable women in Springfield’s past.
Admission: $2 members, $4 nonmembers
Cookies and beverage provided.

MAY

May 24, 2011 — “Why Not Make America Safe for Democracy?”: African Americans, World War I and the Rise of the “New Negro” Movement
Room 601, Herter Hall, UMass/Amherst 4:30- 7:00

Professor Jennifer Fronc of the UMass Department of History will explore how African Americans seized on Woodrow Wilson’s rhetoric of democracy to point out the fact that they did not yet enjoy the privileges of democratic culture at home. Discover the political and cultural landscape of the ‘New Negro’ movement in the 1920s, an early phase of the Civil Rights struggle.

Session is free and open to the public.  Teachers are invited to stay after the lecture to discuss using primary sources relating to the topic in the classroom.  Please register in advance!

Suzanne M. Judson-Whitehouse, Assistant Director
Emerging America:  Teaching American History
Collaborative for Educational Services
97 Hawley Street, Northampton, MA  01060
Phone (413) 586-4900, ext.162

May 20, 2011 — “Was Ware Once Part of the Elbow Tract?”
Ware Historical Society, at the Ware Senior Center, 6:30 p.m.

Come hear Donald Duffy tell of his trials and tribulations in researching and writing a book about local history. He will talk the Scots-Irish settlement of the Elbow Tract and the Lamb and Company Indian deeds which caused so much heart ache.

In this, our 250th year, come learn new facts about early Ware and the “other Ware” on the East side of the river as told by our own Mr. Duffy, a former music teacher in the Ware Schools.  This labor of love has grown in ways Don had not anticipated when he began the project. His research brings us throughout New England to help us understand our early citizens. After hearing Don, you will be inspired to walk the old roads with new respect and interest.

Donations always appreciated

Ware, Massachusetts
Manour of Peace
Incorporated in 1761
“The Town That Can’t Be Licked”
http://warehistoricalsociety.wetpaint.com

May 19, 2011 — “The Rise and Fall of the American Clipper Ships!”
Hatfield Historical Society, at the Cong. Church, 41 Main St., Hatfield, 7:30 p.m.

Cape Cod-based Jim Coogan will present a talk and slide show about American Clipper ships.  Coogan, who is a retired history teacher and author of seven books, will focus on this country’s greatest era of maritime achievement, when the Clipper ships dominated the oceans between 1845 and 1860. Refreshments after the presentation.  Free!

May, 18, 2011 — Pioneer Valley History Network Gathering #9: Discovering & Presenting Women’s History
White Church, Historic Deerfield, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The theme for this Gathering is “Discovering & Presenting Women’s Histories”.   www.pioneervalleyhistorynetwork.org

May 17 thru July 10 — “Faces of Northampton, Enduring & Forgotten: Main Street, 125 Years”
Historic Northampton, 46 Bridge St., Northampton

In Faces of Northampton, Enduring and Forgotten: Main Street, 125 Years, photographer Stan Sherer has restored historic photographs of Northampton and has juxtaposed them with his own contemporary photographs of Northampton streetscapes.

“I moved to Northampton from New York 40 years ago, drawn by the city’s remarkable blend of small town atmosphere and sophisticated populace, even though many shops downtown were closed and storefronts were boarded up. The downtown revival that began in the mid 1970s featured a lively mix of locally owned shops, some new, some old, and a few chain stores. Happily, today many are single-proprietor, family-owned enterprises with a friendly, personal atmosphere.

Faces of Northampton, Enduring and Forgotten: Main Street, 125 Years is a documentary photography project to acknowledge and celebrate small shops of Northampton, past and present. Not for nostalgia’s sake, but to remind us that small shops are the foundation of an inviting and satisfying downtown. It is up to us, the people of this city, to encourage this tradition.

This exhibition, which features some of these small shops, continues another Northampton tradition: recording and documenting aspects of the city for the archive at Historic Northampton.”  – Stan Sherer, 2011

Tues – Sat, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday, noon- 5 p.m.

Admission: $3 individuals, $6 families, members free

Opening Reception: Friday, June 10, 5 – 8 p.m., Free Admission.

May 16, 2011 –Fish & Rod Factory Dam: History & Photography
Pelham Historical Society, Ramsdell Room, Community Center, Pelham, 7 p.m.

This last mill dam in Pelham will soon be dismantled. Here is your chance to learn the history of and view scenes of this famous site where the first bamboo fly rods were made in the United States. Joseph Larson, Pelham Historical Commission Chairperson, and Robert Lord Keyes, Pelham Town Archivist, will present this informative program.  Chairperson: Joseph Larson, 256-8256

May 14, 2011 — “Exquisite Selections” One-Day Quilt Forum
Historic Deerfield

Quilters, needleworkers, and textile aficionados alike will converge on Historic Deerfield Saturday, May 14, for a one-day forum titled ” ‘Exquisite Selections’: An Exploration of 18^th– and 19^th-Century Quilts at Historic Deerfield.”  The program, featuring Linda Eaton, Director of Collections and Senior Curator of Textiles at the Winterthur Museum, along with Historic Deerfield staff, will explore the creation, history, interpretation and care of whole cloth and pieced quilts.

“This promises to be an insightful look into a decorative, practical and symbolic form of needlework,” said Amanda Lange, Curatorial Chair and Curator of Historic Interiors at Historic Deerfield.  “Attendees will gain access to rare examples from Historic Deerfield’s own outstanding collection, and have the opportunity to view quilts in the historic setting of the Wells-Thorn House.”

Eaton will present the opening lecture titled “Quilts in a Material World.” Before joining the Winterthur Museum, she developed an extensive background  in conservation, having trained in the postgraduate program at the Textile Conservation Centre in conjunction with the Courtauld Institute of Art in London.  At Winterthur she curated the exhibitions Deceit, Deception & Discovery, This Work in Hand: Philadelphia Needlework from the 18^th Century, and Needles & Haystacks: Pastoral Imagery in American Needlework, and has co-curated Who’s Your Daddy? Families in Early American Needlework and Betsy Ross: The Life Behind the Legend.  Eaton will also sign copies of her recent book, Quilts in a Material World: Selections from the Winterthur Collection, published in 2007 in conjunction with the first exhibition of Winterthur’s collection of quilts.

The day will also include a lecture by Ned Lazaro, Collections Manager at Historic Deerfield, titled “An Introduction to the Historic Deerfield Quilt Collection.”  After lunch, attendees will be organized into three groups to take advantage of concurrent sessions including “Quilt Care and Conservation” by Linda Eaton, guided tours of the Helen Geier Flynt Textile Gallery, and tours of the quilts on display in the Wells-Thorn House.  Morning lectures will take place in Historic Deerfield’s White Church Community Center, with afternoon events happening in the Wells-Thorn House and the Flynt Center of Early New England Life.

Registration for the day-long event is $105 per person ($95 for members), and includes all lectures and tours as well as lunch and light refreshments at the end of the day.  For information and registration, please contact Julie Orvis Marcinkiewicz at 413-775-7179 or events@historic-deerfield.org.

Please note that due to the fact that the Deerfield Inn is already full on May 14, a special lodging rate is available with the Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Brattleboro, VT.  A list of local hotels and bed and breakfasts is available upon request.

May 10, 2011 — “Orra White Hitchcock: An Illustrated Life”
by Daria D’Arienzo
Conway Historical Society Museum, 50 Main St., Conway, 7:30 p.m.

Orra White Hitchcock is not famous – but she should be! Local archivist Daria D’Arienzo says it’s time for an Orra revival. Orra White Hitchcock is the earliest and most often published artist of this Valley whose first drawing of the Connecticut River was published in 1818. If she is recognized, it is for illustrating the scientific work of her husband, geologist and Amherst College professor Edward Hitchcock. But she was also a scientist in her own right – a botanist, a geologist, a conchologist – as well as a teacher of botany and art and the mother of six children. And, like today’s women, she juggled all these roles at the same time.

D’’Arienzo, co-curator of the exhibition Orra White Hitchcock (1796-1863): An Amherst Woman of Art and Science at the Mead Art Museum (January 28-May 28, 2011) will present an illustrated talk that highlights Orra’’s life, work and legacy.

Refreshments will be served. New members welcome! Annual Dues are $10 for individuals; $18 family payable to Conway Historical Society, P.O. Box 174, Conway, MA 01341

May 10, 2011 — From Husbandry to Farming: 240 Years of Agrarian Life in Williamsburgh
Williamsburgh Historical Society, Williamsburgh Congregational Church

6:30 pm Potluck Supper Social (Bring your favorite dish to share)
7:30 pm Program– Talk by Local Historian Ralmon Black
Free and Open to the Public — Bring your Friends

May 7 & 8, 14 & 15, 21 & 22, 28 & 29, 2011 — “A Stitch in Time Saves Nine” Family Activities
Historic Deerfield, 12 – 4:30, drop in anytime

Thrifty New Englanders kept their clothing in good repair and extended its longevity by patching and mending.  Women kept supplies of patches and sewing thread readily available.  Sailors on long sea voyages and soldiers on military campaigns learned to sew in order to repair clothing, sails and tents. Even though mending may have fallen out of favor in today’s busy world, you can join us to learn about the satisfying feeling of using a needle and thread to repair something that might otherwise have been discarded. To help you with your mending, you can make a small personal sewing kit, called “A Housewife” to take with you.  Included with general admission.

May 7, 2011 — The Terraces of “Lake Hitchcock Land”
Pioneer Valley Institute at G. C. C., 9 a.m.

The Pioneer Valley Institute is sponsoring a morning spring walk on Saturday, May 7, with Professor Richard Little to explore geologic features along the shores of what was once Lake Hitchcock. The group will meet at the bus stop on the main campus of Greenfield Community College (south wing near the Sloan Theater) at 9 that morning. The cost is just $5 for PVI members, $8 for all others. Kids under 12 are free. There will be carpooling to take participants along the route, ending at Mount Sugarloaf. To register please email Little at rdlittle2000@aol.com or give him a call at 413-527-8536.

Little will show how there are four major flat levels that dominate the topography of the Connecticut River valley. The most prominent lower elevation terraces were caused by Lake Hitchcock leaving shoreline and lake bottom deposits which were later eroded by rivers to create river terraces. The region’s high elevation level, preserved in bedrock, is the hundred-million-year-old remains of the earth’s formerly level surface, the “peneplain.” The morning will end at Mount Sugarloaf (there may be an admission charge for access) for views, discussions, and a bring-your-own lunch.

May 1, 7, 21, & 28, 2011 — Architectural Walking Tours
Hall Tavern Visitor Center, Historic Deerfield, 10:30 a.m.

In recognition of National Preservation Month, Historic Deerfield will offer new architectural walking tours led by experienced Guides focused on building exteriors along our mile-long street that retains aspects of the built environment spanning the last 300 years.  This unique authenticity extends to the fact that well over 90% of the town’s historic buildings are still located on their original sites, which is an integral part of the museum experience.  Visitors will learn about architectural styles, and gain a greater understanding of our regional architectural heritage.  Included with general admission.

APRIL

April 26 & 28, 2011 — Spencer Finch
Artist’s Residency at the Emily Dickinson Museum

Tuesday, April 26, 7-9 pm
Artist’s Talk
The Jones Library, 43 Amity Street, Amherst

Thursday, April 28, 4 pm
Installation opening at the Emily Dickinson Museum

Spencer Finch is a visual artist whose work has appeared in exhibitions and is part of the permanent collections of museums throughout the United States and the world.  Recent highlights include “Spencer Finch: My Business, with the Cloud” (2010) at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington,  DC, and “As if the sea should part And show a further sea” (2009) at the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane, Australia.

Finch’s efforts to understand perception are in part what draw him to Dickinson’s poetry.  Finch has visited the Emily Dickinson Museum several times in preparation for various installations.   Most notably, on a summer afternoon in 2004, Finch recorded the light on the lawn of Dickinson’s home in Amherst for his installation “Sunlight in an Empty Room (Passing Cloud for Emily Dickinson, Amherst, MA, August 28, 2004).”  Finch lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.

Part of The Big Read.

April 18-24, April 30-May 1, 2011 — Family Activities: The Student Art of Quillwork
Flynt Center, Historic Deerfield, 12-4:30 p.m., Drop in any time.

April 21, 2011 — “Unquomonk Silk Mills & Skinnerville”: Penni Martorell, Wistariahurst Museum
Chesterfield Historical Society, at the Chesterfield Senior Center, 7 p.m.

Regular Monthly Meeting of the Historical Society will include  Program Topic: Unquomonk Silk Mills & “Skinnerville”, Williamsburg, MA.  The Speaker will be Penni Martorell, Curator of the Wistariahurst Museum and Holyoke City Historian.   Refreshments: 6:30 pm; Program: 7:15 pm

Place: Chesterfield Senior Center, 400 Main Road, Chesterfield, MA.   $5.00 per person.  The public is invited to join us

April 21, 2011 — “Colonial Era Slavery in the Connecticut Valley” by Robert H. Romer
Room 319, D’Amour Library, Western New England College, Springfield, 4 p.m.

Robert H. Romer is the author of  the recent book, “Slavery in the Connecticut Valley of Massachusetts”

April 16, 2011 — Revolutionary Muster & Parade
Historic Deerfield, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Travel back in time and rediscover the history behind the Patriot’s Day holiday and the “shot heard round the world” at Historic Deerfield on Saturday, April 16.  The Patriot’s Day Revolutionary Muster & Parade will offer a full day of activities for visitors of all ages throughout the village including a colonial-era encampment.

“Our intention is for visitors to gain a richer sense of what life was like in early America,” said Amanda Rivera Lopez, Director of Museum Education and Interpretation at Historic Deerfield.  “The Revolution played out in different ways all across our state as people responded to the news of what happened on April 19, 1775 in Lexington and Concord.”

Revolutionary times will come to life through demonstrations of period crafts and activities, fife and drum music, a re-enacted skirmish, and a parade and muster.  Historic Deerfield guides and cooks will interpret open hearth cooking and powder horn carving in the 1786 Hall Tavern.  Horse-drawn wagon rides will transport visitors through the village, and all historic houses will be available for touring.  Visitors can make a flag to wave during the afternoon parade, and then take it home as a memento.  Self-guided “Liberty Walk” tours will be available, as well as family-friendly food at the Deerfield Inn and the Bement School.

From the opening “Reveille” at 10 a.m., visitors can experience a typical day in a colonial encampment.  Highlights will include a parade accompanied by the fifes and drums to the Town Green, the reading aloud of an official “Muster,” as well as a re-enactment of an attack.  On-going demonstrations include camp cooking, sewing uniforms, and children’s toys and games.

“We are proud to welcome The Nathan Hale Ancient Fifes and Drums who will play a lead role in the day’s activities and create the encampment,” said Lopez.  “Their talented re-enactors in period costume will bring to life the sights and sounds of Revolutionary times.”

The Nathan Hale Ancient Fifes & Drums have been officially recognized by the State of Connecticut as the reactivated 19^th Connecticut Regiment of Foote – Continental Line.  The Incorporated group consists of four units: The Field Music, Knowlton’s Connecticut Rangers, Capt. Stephen Buckland’s Artillery, and the Company of Artificers.  They have performed at a number of leading historic sites including Old Sturbridge Village, Heritage Plantations, Van Cortland Manor, and Valley Forge.

Also on view will be the exhibition Engraved Powder Horns from the French and Indian War and the American Revolution: The William H. Guthman Collection at Historic Deerfield’s Flynt Center of Early New England Life.  One of the finest assemblages of this indigenous and unique American art form ever presented, these 75 powder horns offer a wealth of documentary information about the original owners and carvers who created them.

The Patriot’s Day Revolutionary Muster & Parade will take place at Historic Deerfield on Saturday, April 16, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine.  Admission is $12 for adults (18+), $5 for youth (6-17), under 6 and members are free. For more information, including a detailed schedule of the day’s activities, please log onto www.historic-deerfield.org, or call (413) 775-7214.

Group rates available by advance purchase-perfect for seniors, homeschoolers, scouts and anyone visiting with 10 or more people.  For group information and reservations, please contact Lillian Miskinis, Visitor Services Manager, at (413) 775-7132.

April 14, 2011 — “The Wonders Inside the Church Tower”
Hatfield Historical Society Program & Meeting
Congregational Church, 41 Main St., Hatfield, 7 p.m.

Business meeting at 7:00 pm, Program at 7:30 pm.  Refreshments. Free.  For more info: http://www.hatfieldhistory.weebly.com

April 13, 2011 — “Sylvia Plath”
Coolidge Museum, Forbes Library, Northampton, 7 p.m.

Join us for a captivating program inspired by twentieth century poet Sylvia Plath.  Karen V. Kukil, Associate Curator of Special Collections at Smith College, will give a general introduction to Plath’s poetry, entitled, “The hot steamy drench of the day: Plath on Poetry.”   Cornelia Pearsall, a Professor of English at Smith College will give a talk entitled “Plath’s Arrow.” Poet Nancy K. Pearson will read both new poems and work from her book, Two Minutes of Light published by Perugia Press, which is based in Florence.

The evening is part of the Local History/Local Novelists series being held at Forbes Library through May, curated by Forbes Writer in Residence, Susan Stinson.  The final evening in the eight month series, on May 4, will be a celebration of local novelists with Anthony Giardina, Cathi Hanuaer and Frederick Reiken.  For more information, visit www.forbeslibrary.org or call 413-587-1017.  All events are free and open to all.

April 11, 2011 — Pelham’s Exceptional Meetinghouse
Pelham Historical Society, Pelham Community Center, Ramsdell Rm., 7 p.m.

Our historic town hall is one of only ten meetinghouses that survive from four hundred built in New England before 1743 and only one of two that would still be recognized by its builders.  Learn more about why historians praise this unique building in our historic town complex.  Chairperson: Barbara Jenkins, 253-2929

April 8 – June 5, 2011 — “I Was There: Stories of War & Homecoming”
The Gallery at Hallmark, 85 Avenue A, Turners Falls

The Gallery at Hallmark is pleased to announce the opening of “I Was There: Stories of War and Homecoming”, a powerful photographic exhibition of local veterans. The exhibit is a collaboration between Hallmark Institute of Photography, the Veterans Education Project (VEP) and the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association (PVMA) and its National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Big Read. The Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Arts Midwest.

The idea for the exhibit was inspired by Tim O’Brien’s classic novel about the Vietnam War, “The Things They Carried.” Still incredibly popular after 21 years in print, the book was chosen by Deerfield’s Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association for this year’s Big Read book of the year. The photo exhibition is one of multiple events planned by PVMA and the VEP over the academic year that is supported by an NEA Big Read grant to PVMA.

The exhibition features portraits and interviews of veterans from the local area. Most of the veterans served in Vietnam, as did author O’Brien, an Army infantryman who was wounded in action. Some veterans of World War II, Iraq, Afghanistan and other conflicts also posed for Hallmark Institute of Photograhy instructor David Turner, one of the architects of the project. Turner, who worked as a fashion editorial photographer in New York City for over 20 years, photographed these men and women and helped to tell their story.

The exhibit will depict “the things they carried” and explore the themes of O’Brien’s book in several ways, according to the PVMA’s Outreach Coordinator, Sheila Damkoehler. Some veterans hold items they literally carried in wartime or are otherwise connected to their wartime service, such as letters from home, photographs of loved ones, medals and service ribbons, and hats displaying the insignia of their military unit. The expressions in Turner’s photos also vividly depict the feelings–from strength to pride to sadness–that many veterans carried home from the war zones where they served, and still carry to this day. Excerpts from brief interviews with the veterans, juxtaposed with quotes from the novel, will be exhibited with the photos, providing additional insight into the tangible and intangible things that veterans carry.

The exhibit also aims to give a face and a voice to a cross section of local veterans who are, to the general public, largely anonymous, according to Robert M. Wilson, Executive Director of the Veterans Education Project.

The exhibition opening reception, available to the public at no charge, will take place at The Gallery at Hallmark on April 8th from 3:00 – 7:00pm. The show will be on display Fridays through Sundays from 1:00 to 5:00pm through Sunday, June 5th, 2011.

April 6-10, 2011 — “Exploring New Paths to Your Roots”, 11th New England Regional Genealogical Conference
Sheraton Springfield Monarch Place and Springfield Marriott, Springfield, MA

We will have a choice of many exciting topics addressing the conference theme “Exploring New Paths to Your Roots.” You can expect to learn about:

* New research pathways, methodologies, and strategies
* The pathways of migration into and out of New England
* New approaches to research using directories, maps, atlases, gazetteers
* Ethnic genealogy
* General genealogical skills and techniques
* More, more, more!

The Program Brochure is available at: http://www.nergc.org/NERGC2011/program.html

April 9, 2011 — Walking Tour of Florence’s African American History
David Ruggles Center, Florence, 10 a.m.

Tour leaves from the Sojourner Truth statue, corner of Park & Pine Sts., Florence.

April 2, 2011 — Belchertown’s 250th Anniversary Ball
Belchertown High School, 6 p.m. – midnight

The gymnasium at Belchertown High School will be elegantly transformed for this gala event and guests are encouraged to dress semi-formally or in a costume from your favorite decade.  Enjoy a choice of three main dishes (catered by our VFW) and dance the night away (to a DJ and live music) as we celebrate Belchertown’s history in style!  Tickets are $50.00 each (cash or check only) and must be purchased in advance.  There are a limited number of seats so don’t wait!  To purchase your tickets, please contact the event co-chairs Shirley Salvatore (323-9509), Peg Louraine (253-3124), or Linda Sterling (323-9312). Tickets may also be purchased in the Town Clerk’s Office and the Selectmen’s Office.

We are pleased to report that Easthampton Savings Bank has generously donated $1,500 for the event.  We look forward to seeing you at the Ball on April 2!

MARCH

February thru March 31, 2011 — Exhibit: “Gravestones and Cemeteries: Physical Markings of Death”
Lower Level, DuBois Library, UMass/Amherst

The UMass Amherst Libraries host an exhibit “Gravestones and Cemeteries: Physical Markings of Death,” through March 31, 2011, on the Lower Level of Du Bois Library, UMass Amherst.  The exhibit includes rubbings, photographs, manuscripts, and rare books from the Association for Gravestone Studies in Greenfield, MA.  A reception will be held on Thursday, March 24, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Based on materials generously donated by the Association for Gravestone Studies (AGS) in Greenfield, MA, “Gravestones and Cemeteries” reflects the Association’s key role in the study of gravestones and cemeteries.  Founded in 1977, the Association furthers the study and preservation of gravestones, and has an active international membership with interests that run the gamut of the artistic, cultural, genealogical, and historical significance of gravestones and cemeteries.  The exhibit edifies the viewer about the influence of climate on gravestones and the marble and slate industries, which supplied the materials for carvers of these monuments.

The exhibit will also include selected pieces from the collections of more than two dozen individual AGS members.

For more information, contact Madeleine Charney at mcharney@library.umass.edu or (413) 577-0784, or visit: http://bit.ly/scua_gravestone.

March 27, 2011 — “Art and Science in the Pioneer Valley: Orra White Hitchcock (1796-1863)”
2 p.m., White Church Community Center, Historic Deerfield

Robert L. Herbert is Professor Emeritus of Humanities at Mount Holyoke College, author of A Woman of Amherst: The Travel Diaries of Orra White Hitchcock, 1847 and 1850, and co-curator of the retrospective exhibition Orra White Hitchcock (1796-1863): An Amherst Woman of Art and Science at the Mead Art Museum (January 28-May 28, 2011).

March 27, 2011 — “Karin & Bob Cook: Surviving Independently in a Modern World”
Worthington Historical Society, 2 p.m.

On Sunday, March 27 at 2 PM, a video titled “KARIN AND BOB COOK: SURVIVING INDEPENDENTLY IN A MODERN WORLD” will be shown publicly for
the first time at the Worthington Historical Society. This tribute to the Cooks is part of the WHS’s ongoing oral history project. It was created by Helen and Ed Pelletier of Berkshire Hills Productions, and includes interviews by Kate Ewald and Pat Kennedy. The project was funded, in part, through a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

The video is about an hour long, two parts, and focuses on the story of the Cooks’ arrival in Worthington in the early 1970s and their decision to live off the land as simply as possible.  They describe their maple syrup business, their wreath making and wood harvesting ventures, raising their kids off the grid with almost no modern conveniences (they powered their single lamp at night with a car battery) and Karin’s life as an artist.

This video should be of interest to all of the Cook’s many friends and acquaintances; as well as anyone interested in sustainable living in the Northeast.

March 4 – March 26, 2011 — “Told and Retold: A Conversation Starter”
Student Art Helps Explore War and the Big Read of The Things They Carried
Great Falls Discovery Center, Turners Falls, Fridays & Saturdays, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Young readers will help the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association (PVMA) explore the themes of this year’s BIG READ selection, The Things They Carried with approximately 75 portraits created during their Northfield Elementary School art classes and on exhibit at the Great Falls Discovery Center in Turners Falls during March. Relating to photographs from PVMA’s Memorial Hall Museum and several children’s books, the exhibit can be seen on Fridays and Saturdays from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm from March 4th through March 26th. Admission is free. The public is invited to a Community Reception on Saturday, March 5th, from 1:00 to 3:00 pm.

Led by Visual Arts Specialist, Althea Dabrowski, the student art serves as a conversation starter, exploring how we talk about war—as adults and as families. Speaking about his novel, The Things They Carried, Tim O‟Brien says, “In one sense, it’s about the Vietnam War, but it’s also about storytelling, how stories rule our lives, how they’re told and retold as we look for an elusive truth.” In collaboration with PVMA’s NEA-funded BIG READ, Dabrowski asked her students if they knew of anyone that had ever been in a war. Some classes looked at Civil War-era photographs from Memorial Hall Museum’s collection; some brought photographs of soldiers in from home; one girl shared a wedding photograph. Stories emerged. “What’s been fascinating is that sometimes the students might not have known who the person in the photograph was. But it became the ‘conversation starter.’  They know it’s somebody, they know that somebody in their family went to war,” commented Dabrowkski.

Students in three grades were introduced to portraits created by artists as diverse as Modigliani, Picasso, Cezanne, Matisse, Van Gogh, Velasquez, and Rembrandt. They discussed how portrait painters create a likeness—whether realistic or abstract—not a photograph. And that even in an abstract work, there are features that make the image recognizable as a person— that the artist might give us clues to who the person was and what he or she was like. The students used an additive process for their portraits, beginning with charcoal, then adding pastels. Each grade also read a picture book focused on a different wartime-era: Pink and Say from the Civil War; My Grandmother’s Journey from WWI and WWII; and The Lotus Seed from Vietnam.

The exhibit is one of a number of Big Read events around the valley this winter and spring, and is sponsored by Deerfield’s Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association’s BIG READ of Tim O‟Brien’s The Things They Carried. “We’re so pleased to be able to look at this topic through the eyes of these students and to explore history through literature and art with children and adults. The students’ work captures the deep emotion we feel when we talk about war in a unique way,” commented PVMA’s BIG READ Coordinator, Sheila Damkoehler. In other upcoming events, Dr. Marilyn McArthur will present a program for the Springfield Museums à la Carte series on Thursday, March 10th; and the Hallmark Gallery in Turners Falls will host a compelling exhibit during April and May of David Turner’s photographs of local veterans.

The Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Arts Midwest. The Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association in Deerfield, MA is a vibrant regional historical society supporting Memorial Hall Museum, a research library, Indian House Children’s Museum and the Deerfield Teachers’ Center. PVMA is also supported in part by a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency, and donations from members and friends. For information about PVMA and other BIG READ events, visit http://www.deerfield-ma.org or call 413-774-7476 x 10. For information about the Great Falls Discovery Center, visit http://www.greatfallsma.org or call 413-863-3221.

March 26, 2011 — Open Hearth Cooking Class: “Cooking with Herbs”
Hall Tavern Kitchen, Historic Deerfield, 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Historic Deerfield will offer instruction in open hearth cooking for those who are interested in historic foodways and hearth management. A series of seven one-day classes has been scheduled for Saturdays in February and March 2011. In the kitchen of the 1786 Hall Tavern, museum guides will demonstrate cookery techniques and lead discussions on 18th- and early 19th-century food preparation, preservation technology, seasonality, diet, and the availability of local and imported foodstuffs. A bibliography on open hearth cookery will be distributed.  Registrants will participate in the process and assist museum guides in the tasks undertaken, and will sample the foods prepared in the program. The registration fee for each class is $55.00 per person ($50.00 for members). For program information, please contact Claire Carlson at ccarlson@historic-deerfield.org or (413) 775-7217.

March 22, 2011 — “Orra White Hitchcock: An Illustrated Life” by Daria D’Arienzo
Meekins Library, Williamsburg, 7 p.m.

Orra White Hitchcock is not famous yet—but she should be.  Have you ever heard of her? Local archivist Daria D’Arienzo says it is time for an Orra revival.  Orra White Hitchcock is the earliest and most often published artist of this Valley whose first drawing of the Connecticut River was published in 1818.  Come find out more about this amazing woman, at Orra White Hitchcock: An Illustrated Life on Tuesday, March 22, 2011, at the Meekins Library in Williamsburg, at 7 p.m.

Orra White Hitchcock is one of America’s first women artists.  But few people even know her name. If she is recognized, it is for illustrating the scientific work of her husband, geologist and Amherst College professor Edward Hitchcock.  But she was also a scientist in her own right—a botanist, a geologist, a conchologist—as well as a teacher of botany and art and the mother of six children.  And, like today’s women, she juggled all these roles at the same time.

D’Arienzo, co-curator of the exhibition Orra White Hitchcock (1796-1863): An Amherst Woman of Art and Science at the Mead Art Museum (January 28-May 28, 2011), will present an illustrated talk that highlights Orra’s life, work and legacy.

Celebrate the local legacy of this inspiring woman as Meekins Library observes Women’s History Month with this special event. This program is part of the Meekins year-long series “Lives of the Valley,” kicked off during October 2010, American Archives Month, which celebrates the biographies and the stories of people here in the Valley.

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 treats and tea.  Look for more programs at the Meekins Library during the year and seize the chance to meet other Valley residents, including local poets in April, residents who lived through the Mill River Disaster of 1874 in May and Martha Leonard, Sophia Smith’s great grandmother, later in the year.

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.

March 22, 2011 — Mass. Historical Records Advisory Board Focus Group
Springfield City Library, 220 State Street, 2:30 p.m.

The Massachusetts Historical Records Advisory Board (MHRAB) serves as a state advisory body to those who preserve, maintain and use historical records, and also works to secure funding for records projects around the state. Currently, the MHRAB is updating its strategic plan. As part of this process, the MHRAB is holding a series of focus groups to obtain information on the needs of records curators and managers around the state.

Western Massachusetts:
Springfield Central Public Library
220 State Street, Springfield, MA
March 22, 2011 2:30 pm

If you are interesting in attending one of these events or if you would like more information on this process, please contact Veronica Martzahl, Deputy Coordinator, at veronica.martzahl@tufts.edu or 617-627-4588. If you are not able to attend a focus group, we will also be sending out a short online survey in the next few weeks. Your thoughts and concerns regarding the historic record of Massachusetts are very important to the MHRAB, and we look forward to hearing from you. Thank you.

March 21, 2011 — Author Doubleheader: Romer & McCarthy
Clapp Memorial Library, Belchertown, 7 p.m.

Two local authors will speak on historical topics at the Clapp Memorial Library in Belchertown on Monday, March 21st from 7 to 9:30 p.m.  Robert H. Romer, former physics professor at Amherst College, will speak about “Slavery in the Connecticut Valley of Massachusetts” and Belchertown historian Cliff McCarthy, will read from his new book, Mysteries of Belchertown’s History.  Both authors will be available to answer questions and sign books, afterwards.

In Slavery in the Connecticut Valley of Massachusetts (Levellers Press, 2009), Robert H. Romer demonstrates that slavery was pervasive in the Pioneer Valley in the 1700s, where many of the ministers and other “important people” owned black slaves. To show the role of slavery in the valley, Professor Romer presents a “snapshot” of slavery, choosing a moment (1752) and a place (the main street of Deerfield) to present detailed information about the slaves who lived in that place at that time – and their owners. Working largely from original sources – wills, probate inventories, church records, and merchants’ account books – he shows that slavery was much more significant than had previously been thought. Some twenty-five slaves belonging to fifteen different owners lived on that mile-long street in 1752. He emphasizes that these were individuals, some born in Africa, some born as slaves in New England, forced to live their lives as property, always subject to being sold away at the whim of an owner.  His work brings out of obscurity the many black slaves who lived in the Valley, the invisible men and women of our colonial past.

Mysteries of Belchertown’s History is a compilation of three dozen of Mr. McCarthy’s articles that have appeared in The Sentinel newspaper over the past decade.  According to the author, the book is filled with stories about “interesting objects, photographs and documents each with a tale to tell about the people who have populated Belchertown over two centuries and a half.  From the Red Bridge to the Desilets’ farm, from Luther Holland’s Fire Tub to Bardwell’s Votometer, the reader will encounter tinkerers and tradesmen, merchants and murderers, soldiers and celebrities.”  The book contains forty photographs and illustrations, many from the archives of the Stone House Museum in Belchertown.  All proceeds from the book will help fund the town’s 250th Anniversary Celebrations in 2011.

Professor Romer is scheduled to speak from 7 to 8; Mr. McCarthy will follow from 8 – 9.  The event is sponsored by the Belchertown Historical Association and the Belchertown 250th Anniversary Committee and the Clapp Memorial Library.  It is free and open to the public.

March 21, 2011 — “Signature Quilts: The Stories They Tell”, Jane Crutchfield
Pelham Historical Society, Pelham Community Center, Ramsdell Rm., 7 p.m.

Jane Crutchfield, talented quilter from Belchertown and past co-chair of the Massachusetts Quilt Documentation Project, will talk about signature quilts, including the Packardville Signature Quilt (ca. 1890s) from the PHS collection.

Chairperson: Julie Ryznic, 549-3823

March 17, 2011 — Discovery and Archaeology in a North Hatfield Farm Field
Hatfield Congregational Church, 41 Main St., Hatfield, 7:30 p.m.

University of Massachusetts archaeologist and graduate student Randy Daum of West Hatfield will describe the discovery, research and field work related to an archaeologically preserved 1680s village site located in North Hatfield. The site was part of the 2009 UMASS Summer Field School. For more photos and details on the event, click here: http://hatfieldhistory.weebly.com/events.html

Sponsored by the Hatfield Historical Society (HHS)

At the Congregational Church Parlors (side door), 41 Main St., Hatfield

Come join us for what’s sure to be a fascinating evening!

Free * Refreshments following the program *

March 17, 2011 — “Grace Coolidge at Home in the Valley”
Chesterfield Historical Society, Chesterfield Senior Center, 7 p.m.

Spend the Evening with the Valley’s First Lady Grace Coolidge

Why did Grace Anna Goodhue laugh at her first glimpse of her future husband Calvin Coolidge in 1903?  Discover the reason—and learn more about our local First Lady from Grace Coolidge at Home in the Valley.  Julie H. Bartlett, the archivist of the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Library & Museum, will present an illustrated talk on Grace Coolidge’s domestic and social life by looking at her service to her community.

Grace Coolidge considered Northampton her home and was a well-known figure in the community, frequenting the shops and community events with her friends and neighbors. She graduated from the University of Vermont and taught at the Clarke School for the Deaf as a young woman.  Over the years she remained committed to and active in her support of the school.  Grace worked on behalf of the Girl Scouts and Campfire Girls and the Red Cross.  She had a sense of fun and was publicity shy, and was at home in her community.

Desert & Coffee: 6:30 pm Program: 7:00 pm
Place: Chesterfield Senior Center

The public is welcome.

March 2, 9 & 16, 2011 — “Couture, Construction & Care: Exploring 20th Century Fashion”
Three-Class Course at Historic Deerfield
7 – 8:30 p.m., Bartels Seminar Room, Flynt Center, Historic Deerfield

In an exciting new departure for Historic Deerfield, local fashionistas will be able to examine three key topics in 20^th-century fashion history.  This new course will take place on the first three Wednesdays in March from 7-8:30 p.m. in the Bartels Seminar Room at the Flynt Center of Early New England Life.  Each session will be led by Ned Lazaro, Collections Manager at Historic Deerfield and an independent textile scholar.

Each class will feature an illustrated lecture and access to fashion items from the museum’s small but important collection of 20^th-century clothing, much of which descended locally in the Esleeck family-including a c. 1910 gown created by the legendary House of Worth, as well as objects purchased at exclusive department stores.  Additional objects from the museum’s renowned collection of earlier 18^th– and 19^th-century clothing will serve as comparisons.

The first class on March 2 will focus on “1900-1945: Exploring Silhouette and Construction of Women’s Fashion During the First Half of the Century.”  “Haute Couture and Its Affect on 20^th-Century Fashion,” will take the runway on March 9.  Finally, the classes will conclude on March 16 with “Care and Storage of 20^th-Century Clothing.”

The cost for the class is $105. ($95 for members).  Special early-bird registrations save $10 by February 9. Pre-registration required by February 23^rd.  For information and registration, please contact Julie Marcinkiewicz at 413-775-7179

March 16, 2011 — Author Talk: Brian Kiteley, The River Gods
Coolidge Museum, Forbes Library, Northampton, 7 p.m.

The River Gods moves deeply through time, so that many voices from local history – such as Gideon Child, a member of the 1654 settlement of Nonotuck; and director Mike Nichols, who filmed Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf here in the 1960s – mingle with those of Brian Kiteley as a child and young man, along with those of his family, including his father,  Murray Kiteley,  a professor at Smith College, his mother, Jean, and his beloved older brother Geoffrey, who was gay. All Things Considered reviewer Alan Cheuse said that The River Gods “ is an intense and beautiful collage of speeches in time about events in this one place, from the familiar in everyday to the divine.” Copies of The River Gods will be available for sale at the reading courtesy of Broadside Bookshop.

Brian Kiteley grew up in Northampton, and is currently director of the creative writing program at the University of Denver. In addition to The River Gods, he has also published two novels, Still Life With Insects and I Know Many Songs, But I Cannot Sing, and two collections of fiction exercises, The 3 A.M. Epiphany and The 4 A.M. Breakthrough. Kiteley has received Guggenheim, Whiting, and NEA fellowships, and had residencies at the MacDowell Colony, Millay, Yaddo, and the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown.

The evening is part of the Local History/Local Novelists series being held at the library through May.  For more information, visit www.forbeslibrary.org or call 413-587-1017.  All events are free and open to all.

March 14, 2011 — “Art & Craft of the Colonial World”
Homeschool Program, Historic Deerfield, 1 – 4:30 p.m.

Homeschool families are invited to learn about the beautiful objects on display in the Flynt Center of Early New England Life by participating in a guided observation and drawing activity.  Look closely, then draw what you see, in order to focus attention and hone a skill that can be used in other areas.  Learn about the meaning and use of decorative arts in our collection from museum guides and educators.  Hands-on activities include creating ceramics, weaving on a loom, and working with wood.  Make a project to take home.  Admission for this special event is $7 Adults (18+), $5 Youth (6-17), and $3 for children under 6 and members. Pre-registration by March 7 is required. Please contact Claire Carlson, Education Program Coordinator, at (413) 775-7217 or ccarlson@historic-deerfield.org.

March 13, 2011 — Woodland Walk with Tracker Alan Emond
Pioneer Valley Institute, 9 a.m.

March 12, 2011 — Open Hearth Cooking Class: “On the Rise: Breads, Cakes & Biscuits”
10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Hall Tavern Kitchen, Historic Deerfield

See description from February 19, below.

March 12, 2011 — Symposium: “The Art of the Book”
White Church Community Center, Historic Deerfield, 9:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.

This one-day symposium will explore and celebrate the materials, methods and settings of books and the bookmakers’ art.  Sponsored by the Grace Slack McNeil Program for Studies in American Art at Wellesley College and the Office of Academic Programs at Historic Deerfield.  Free, pre-registration required. For information and registration, please contact Julie Marcinkiewicz at 413-775-7179 or events@historic-deerfield.org.

March 11, 2011 — Meet the Author Potluck Dinner: Michael C. White
Springfield Yacht & Canoe Club, 1210 River Road, Agawam, MA, 7:00

The Bookbitches will be hosting a “Meet the Author” potluck dinner for author Michael C. White to discuss his latest book, “Beautiful Assassin.” It sounds like a terrific story; it’s about a female Russian sharpshooter during WWII (see his website for more information – http://www.michaelcwhite.com/). Michael is a very talented author and a terrific speaker. He joined us a couple of years ago when his book “Soul Catcher” came out, and the evening was a big success. We hope you’ll be able to join us for an evening of fine food and fascinating conversation. Please feel free to forward this invitation to anyone you think might be interested in attending. The more, the merrier! We’d like Michael to have a large and appreciative audience. He’ll bring copies of “Beautiful Assassin” and some of his other books to sell and sign, so this is a great chance to treat yourself or a loved one to an autographed book.

Here are the details:
When?          Friday, March 11, at 7:00 pm
Where?        Springfield Yacht and Canoe Club, 1210 River Road, Agawam, MA
How?            Directions are online here: http://www.sycc.ws/directions.html Parking is limited, so we encourage you to carpool!
What?          Please bring a favorite potluck dish and/or beverage to share. (There is a full kitchen available if things need to be warmed up or chilled.)

If you’re interested in joining us, please RSVP by March 5, so we’ll know how many tables to set up and who’s bringing what. (Email me at stonemeadowgardens@charter.net or call 413-525-4413).  We hope you can make it! It should be a fun evening.

March 5, 2011 — Open Hearth Cooking Class: “Pies and Tarts”
10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Hall Tavern Kitchen, Historic Deerfield

See description from February 19, below.

FEBRUARY

February 28, 2011 — “W.E.B. DuBois: Personal Stories/Political Reflections”
Bettina Aptheker, University of California, Santa Cruz
17th Annual DuBois Lecture, Cape Cod Lounge, Student Union, UMass, 4:30 p.m.

An activist, author, feminist, and professor, Bettina Aptheker, PhD, has taught at the University of California, Santa Cruz, for more than 30 years. Her most recent book is a memoir, Intimate Politics: How I Grew Up Red, Fought for Free Speech and Became a Feminist Rebel (2006). It contains many stories of her early friendship with W.E.B. Du Bois and Shirley Graham Du Bois.
Co-sponsored by Special Collections and University Archives and the Department of Afro-American Studies at UMass Amherst.

February 27, 2011 — “Emily Dickinson: The Virtual Belle of Amherst”
2 p.m., White Church Community Center, Historic Deerfield

Polly Longsworth is a Dickinson biographer, author of Austin and Mabel and The World of Emily Dickinson, and founding chair of The Emily Dickinson Museum.

February 26, 2011 — Open Hearth Cooking Class: “17th-Century Cooking II”
Hall Tavern Kitchen, Historic Deerfield, 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

See description from February 19, below.

February 25, 2011 — “Teaching Art & Craft of the Colonial World”
Teacher Professional Development Workshop, Historic Deerfield, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Teachers are invited to explore the art and craft of the colonial world through studying, observing and drawing works of art and craft, and making their own art.  Historic Deerfield is fortunate to have one of the best collections of early American textiles, ceramics, and furniture in the country. Spend time observing and drawing close details of these beautiful objects, and learn from our guides and educators about their meaning and use.  Try your hand at skills involved in creating ceramics, woven wool textiles, and architectural woodworking.  Learn about the symbolism behind some design motifs in the decorative arts.  Take home project ideas to try in the classroom. Cost is $25 per person.  Space is limited. Pre-registration by February 11 is required. Please contact Claire Carlson, Education Program Coordinator, at (413) 775-7217 or ccarlson@historic-deerfield.org.

February 24, 2011 — Victorian Diaries & Bookmarks
Wistariahurst Museum, 238 Cabot St., Holyoke, MA, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Diaries and journals are one of the many ways that historians have learned so much about the Victorian era. Bookmarks were originally made from silk and were intricately embroidered. On this day, participants will get to create their own secret diary and Victorian bookmark. Appropriate for ages 6 & older. Admission fee $5

February 23, 2011 — Victorian Hatboxes
Wistariahurst Museum, 238 Cabot St., Holyoke, MA, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Besides her fan, a Victorian woman would not have gone anywhere without her hat. These headpieces ranged from the very elaborate, covered with everything from ribbons and flowers, to small animals. Most women had multiple hats and would have used hatboxes to protect them. Participants will have a chance to decorate their own mini Victorian Hatboxes. Appropriate for ages 6 & older. Admission fee $5

February 22, 2011 — Victorian Fans
Wistariahurst Museum, 238 Cabot St., Holyoke, MA, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Create and learn the language of Victorian fans, which were a necessary part of every woman’s attire. They were both used to cool their owner and to send secret messages. Participants will decorate a fan with pictures, lace and many other accessories to generate a fan worthy of any young lady. Appropriate for ages 6 & older. Admission fee $5

February 21, 2011 — Tea & Etiquette
Wistariahurst Museum, 238 Cabot St., Holyoke, MA, 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

Step back in time and sip tea in a Victorian mansion. Visit Wistariahurst to explore the basics of etiquette. Activities include making introductions, learning tea party table manners, being a good guest, thank you notes & more. Appropriate for ages 8 and older. Admission fee $10

February 19, 2011 — Open Hearth Cooking Class: “17th Century Cooking I”
10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Hall Tavern Kitchen, Historic Deerfield

Historic Deerfield will offer instruction in open hearth cooking for those who are interested in historic foodways and hearth management. A series of seven one-day classes has been scheduled for Saturdays in February and March 2011. In the kitchen of the 1786 Hall Tavern, museum guides will demonstrate cookery techniques and lead discussions on 18th- and early 19th-century food preparation, preservation technology, seasonality, diet, and the availability of local and imported foodstuffs. A bibliography on open hearth cookery will be distributed.  Registrants will participate in the process and assist museum guides in the tasks undertaken, and will sample the foods prepared in the program. The registration fee for each class is $55.00 per person ($50.00 for members). For program information, please contact Claire Carlson at ccarlson@historic-deerfield.org or (413) 775-7217.

February 16, 2011 — French Canadians in Western Massachusetts
Coolidge Museum, Forbes Library, 7 p.m.

There will be an evening inspired by the history of French Canadians in Western Massachusetts on Wednesday, February 2 at 7 pm at Forbes Library.  Elise Bernier-Feeley, local history and genealogy librarian at Forbes, will speak.   Novelist Sally Bellerose, author of the THE GIRLS CLUB and poet Ellen LaFleche, author of OVARIAN, will read from their work.  The books by both Bellerose and and LaFleche will be published in 2011. The evening is part of the Local History/Local Novelists series being held at the library through May.  For more information, visit www.forbeslibrary.org or call 413-587-1017.  This event is re-scheduled from earlier in the month. All events are free and open to all.

February 15 thru April 10, 2011 — Exhibit: “Friends & Helpers: Women & W.E.B. DuBois”
Special Collections & University Archives, W.E.B. DuBois Library, UMass/Amherst

The UMass Amherst Libraries host an exhibit, “Friends and Helpers: Women and W.E.B. Du Bois” through April 10, 2011, on Floor 25, Special Collections and University Archives, Du Bois Library.  The exhibit explores Du Bois’ various relationships with significant women in his life including his wife and daughter, friends, secretaries, and colleagues.

In his autobiography, W.E.B. Du Bois described the importance of his relationships with women: “most of my friends and helpers have been women; from my mother, aunts and cousins, to my fellow teachers, students, secretaries, and dreamers toward a better world.”

Shirley Graham Du Bois, the wife of W.E.B Du Bois, taught African literature and creative writing in the early years of the Afro-American Studies Department at UMass Amherst.  One of the women who worked with Dr. Du Bois in his later years, Bettina Aptheker, gives a talk “W.E.B. Du Bois: Personal Stories/Political Reflections,” at the Cape Cod Lounge in the Student Union on Monday, February 28.  For more information, contact Danielle Kovacs at dkovacs@library.umass.edu or 545-2784.

February 15, 2011 — Sojourner Truth: Recent Discoveries Concerning the Northampton Years, 1844-1857
Meekins Library, Williamsburg, 7 p.m.

Discover the Local Homes of Sojourner Truth. Sojourner Truth, reformer and former slave, began to dictate her moving sketch of her life The Narrative of Sojourner Truth:  A Northern Slave while living here in Florence. Local historian Steve Strimer believes the house has been found where she and Olive Gilbert began work on the Narrative.

Come and find out more at Sojourner Truth: Recent Discoveries Concerning the Northampton Years 1844-1857, on Tuesday, February 15, 2011, at the Meekins Library in Williamsburg, at 7 p.m.

Steve Strimer, co-founder of the David Ruggles Center for Early Florence History and Underground Railroad Studies will present an illustrated talk that that highlights new discoveries of Truth’s time and residences in Florence.

It was 1844 when Truth joined the Northampton Association of Education and Industry, the utopian, abolitionist community that operated a communal silk mill in Florence until it disbanded in 1846.  Here she met and was inspired by progressive thinkers like William Lloyd Garrison, Frederick Douglass and David Ruggles. Truth felt her years there offered her the “equality of feeling” like no other place, though she eventually moved away.

Where did she live while she was in Florence?  More places than we think—according to the speaker. Strimer and local restoration carpenter Kris Thomson believe that Truth once lived in a house moved from Nonotuck Street to Riverside Drive between 1873 and 1879.  The “Benson cottage” may be where she lived for a time between the final days of the Northampton Association and moving into her own home on Park Street in 1850. If confirmed, this would be where she was living when she began to dictate her famous Narrative of Sojourner Truth to Olive Gilbert.

Celebrate the local legacy of this inspiring woman as Meekins Library observes Black History Month with this special event. This program is part of the Meekins year-long series “Lives of the Valley,” kicked off during October 2010, American Archives Month, which celebrates the biographies and the stories of people here in the Valley.

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 winter treats to keep you warm.  Look for more programs at the Meekins Library during the year and seize the chance to meet other Valley residents, including artist Orra White Hitchcock in March and local poets in April.

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.

February 15, 2011 — “Slavery in the Connecticut Valley” by Robert Romer
Greenfield Historical Society, 43 Church St., Greenfield, MA, 7 p.m.

Dr. Romer is the author of the recent book Slavery in the Connecticut Valley of Massachusetts (Levellers Press, 2009).

February 14, 2011 — Author Talk: “Soul Catcher” by Michael C. White
Zonta Club of Quaboag Valley at Johnsens Catering, 1432A Main St., Palmer

New York Times Notable author, Michael White, will be the speaker at the February 14^th meeting of the Zonta Club of Quaboag Valley at Johnsens Catering 1432A Main St. Palmer, MA 01069. He will greet guests from 5:30 – 6:00 and then share his experience on researching and writing Soul Catcher, an epic novel about the pursuit of a runaway woman slave by a bounty hunter in pre-Civil War America.  Michael’s other books include Beautiful Assassin, A Brother’s Blood and The Garden of Martyrs. He is also the director of Fairfield University’s MFA program in creative writing and lives in Connecticut.

For anyone interested in staying after the presentation, Michael will be available to answer questions and sign books during a buffet dinner ($18).  Reservations are required for this portion of the meeting. Please contact Betty Jane Bourdon, President of the Zonta Club of Quaboag Valley, at  info@zontaqv.org or 413-536-3970 by Wednesday, February 9th.

February 13, 2011 — Ice Cutting Demonstration
Ware 250th Celebration

Stay tuned for more details.

February 12, 2011 — “Sweets for Your Sweetie!”
Deerfield Inn & Historic Deerfield Teaming-Up for American Heritage Chocolate Celebration

Trace one of today’s favorite confections back to its historic uses in early America. See Susan McLellan Plaisted of Heart to Hearth Cookery demonstrate roasting cacao beans and grinding them on a stone metate, andsilversmith Steve Smithers explaining the process for crafting a silver chocolate pot.  Learn about the history and uses of chocolate in early New England from Amanda Lange, Curatorial Chair and Curator of Historic Interiors.  Visit with Open Hearth Cooks who will explain how cacao grows and offer samples of American Heritage Chocolate drink.

Enjoy sweet chocolate confections, as well as savory lunch specials, available for purchase throughout the day at the Deerfield Inn. Hands-on Valentine crafts and horse-drawn wagon rides, too!   Special Event Admission: Adults $12,Youth (6-17) $5, under 6 and members free.  For more information about the American Heritage Chocolate Celebration, please call 413-775-7214.

February 11 – March 25, 2011 — “My Oxbow: Paintings by Rosetta Cohen”
Historic Northampton, 46 Bridge St., Northampton

Rosetta Cohen is Sylvia Dlugasch Bauman Professor of American Studies and Education at Smith College where she also directs the College’s internship program at the Smithsonian Museum. A twenty-year resident of Northampton, she paints at night in the garage/studio behind her home on Crescent Street. Her husband, Sam Scheer, and their daughter Elizabeth appear in many of her paintings.

Of her work, Cohen says: “I see my paintings as capturing something of the zeitgeist of Northampton at the start of the 21^st century. Like a muslin bonnet or a civil war musket, they embody the sensibility of their time and place – a place filled with iconic vistas, exceptional children and gifted therapists. In this sense – as artifacts of their era – the paintings are appropriately displayed here at Historic Northampton.”

“My work pays homage to all the artists I admire; in particular, Arthur Dove, Florine Stettheimer, and Alice Neel. I’m also a great fan of early Christian art. I like the way that adding a halo to something in 2011 makes it both mythic and ironic at the same time.”

“I’d like to express my appreciation to the friends and relatives who allowed themselves to be immortalized (not always flatteringly, but always lovingly) in my paintings.”

My Oxbow: Paintings by Rosetta Cohen will run from February 11 – March 25, 2011.

February 5, 2011 — “Hearth Cooking Basics”: Open-Hearth Cooking Class
10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Hall Tavern Kitchen, Historic Deerfield

Historic Deerfield will offer instruction in open hearth cooking for those who are interested in historic foodways and hearth management. A series of seven one-day classes has been scheduled for Saturdays in February and March 2011. In the kitchen of the 1786 Hall Tavern, museum guides will demonstrate cookery techniques and lead discussions on 18th- and early 19th-century food preparation, preservation technology, seasonality, diet, and the availability of local and imported foodstuffs. A bibliography on open hearth cookery will be distributed.  Registrants will participate in the process and assist museum guides in the tasks undertaken, and will sample the foods prepared in the program. The registration fee for each class is $55.00 per person ($50.00 for members). For program information, please contact Claire Carlson at ccarlson@historic-deerfield.org or (413) 775-7217.

February 5, 2011 — Woodland Walk with Tracker Alan Emond
Sponsored by the Pioneer Valley Institute, 9 a.m.

February 3, 2011 — “Grace Coolidge at Home in the Valley”
Meekins Library, Williamsburg, 7 p.m.

An illustrated talk on Grace Coolidge’s domestic and social life through her service to the community, by Julie H. Bartlett, Archivist, Calvin Coolidge Presidential Library & Museum, Forbes Library, Northampton. Everyone is welcome. For more information call Daria at 413-268-7472 or 413-538-6489, or visit Meekins on-line at www.meekins-library.org
Transportation is available for local residents.

February 2, 2011 — French Canadians in Western Massachusetts
Coolidge Museum, Forbes Library, 7 p.m.

There will be an evening inspired by the history of French Canadians in Western Massachusetts on Wednesday, February 2 at 7 pm at Forbes Library.  Elise Bernier-Feeley, local history and genealogy librarian at Forbes, will speak.   Novelist Sally Bellerose, author of the THE GIRLS CLUB and poet Ellen LaFleche, author of OVARIAN, will read from their work.  The books by both Bellerose and and LaFleche will be published in 2011. The evening is part of the Local History/Local Novelists series being held at the library through May.  For more information, visit www.forbeslibrary.org or call 413-587-1017.  All events are free and open to all.

JANUARY

January 30, 2011 — “Betsy Ross: The Life Behind the Legend”
2 p.m., White Church Community Center, Historic Deerfield

The first lecture in the Winter Lecture Series will be given on January 30 by Marla Miller, Associate Professor of History at UMass Amherst and author of the recently published Betsy Ross and the Making of America.  Co-sponsored with the Pioneer Valley History Network (PVHN), who will offer a reception during which the author will be available for signing her books.  Free.

January 28 – May 29, 2011 — Orra White Hitchcock (1796–1863): An Amherst Woman of Art and Science
Bassett & Daniels Galleries, Mead Art Museum, Amherst College

Orra White Hitchcock (1796–1863): An Amherst Woman of Art and Science, a special exhibition that brings to light the little-known art of one of the Connecticut River Valley’s earliest female artists, will open on Friday, Jan. 28, at the Mead Art Museum of Amherst College.

The wife of Edward Hitchcock (1796–1864)—a geologist, theologian, professor and for a decade president of Amherst College—Orra White Hitchcock produced dozens of striking watercolors of native plants, picturesque lithographs of the Connecticut and Deerfield rivers, symbolic compositions and drawings of prehistoric fossils as well as large, colorful geological designs for her husband’s lectures. Self-taught, she rose to become the principal female illustrator of her generation in the United States. Exhibition co-curators Robert L. Herbert, professor emeritus of humanities at Mount Holyoke College, and Daria D’Arienzo, head of Amherst’s Archives and Special Collections from 1984 to 2007, have uncovered previously unknown drawings and many new facts that fill out the work and life of this singular woman, who considered herself not an “artist” but a mother, wife, and teacher who made illustrations.

Orra White Hitchcock (1796–1863): An Amherst Woman of Art and Science is made possible by generous support from The Hall and Kate Peterson Fund. The Charles H. Morgan Fund and the Wise Fund for Fine Arts supported the publication of the accompanying catalogue.

January 22, 2011 — “A Night in Scotland”
Robert Burns Night at the Deerfield Inn, Historic Deerfield, 5:30 p.m.

January 15, 2010 – “Hansel & Gretel” Marionette Show
Ware High School Auditorium, 1:30 p.m.

In collaboration with the Ware Family Center, Ware’s 250 Anniversary Committee welcome Tanglewood Marionettes presenting Hansel & Gretel at Ware High School auditorium. 1:30 p.m. (admission required)

January 9, 2011 — “The Garden of Martyrs”: A Free Workshop Performance
5 p.m., Buckley Recital Hall, Amherst College

A free workshop performance of The Garden of Martyrs, a new opera on the nineteenth century case of Irish immigrants executed in Northampton for a murder they likely did not commit.  The semi-staged performance of the opera’s first act will be followed by a conversation with librettist Harley Erdman and composer Eric Sawyer, joined onstage by Michael C. White, on whose novel the opera is based.

Using Old Maps for Historical Research is the topic of a presentation by Dave Allen on November 10th, 2011 at 6:30 p.m. at Deerfield Town Offices, 8 Conway Street, South Deerfield.
Allen will give an overview of historic maps of Massachusetts from the earliest Colonial creations through the detailed maps of the mid-19th century with homeowner names. He will discuss in detail several maps Franklin County and Deerfield including examples of how to use them to find old roads or an ancestor’s house site. Allen recently researched and compiled Deerfield maps dating from the 1700s to the present. Large scale prints of the maps will be available for viewing at the program and by request during regular library hours. Both the map project and the program have been made possible by a grant from the Deerfield Cultural Council. The program is free and open to the public. Those attending are invited to bring any interesting old maps they may have.
About the presentor: David Allen owns  a land surveying business in Greenfield, and uses these old maps when he researches old land records which often refer to long-gone homeowners and old town boundaries. He has acquired scans of thousands of old maps of Vermont, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, and maintains a web site www.old-maps.com where he sells reprints and where previews of many of the maps can be seen. Allen has re-issued the old Beers atlas and Walling map of Franklin County on CDROM and paper.
Allen’s interest in maps developed from a curiosity about the origins of the old foundations he came across during hikes in the woods of New England. Over the past 20 years, he has researched in libraries and collections all over the northeast and at the Library of Congress and the National Archives. His discoveries have included maps that were previously unknown to area scholars and historians.
Further information is available by calling Tilton Library 413-665-4683 or Dave Allen at 413-772-2801.