Tewksbury Gazette. Tewksbury Historical Society Newsletter

Transcription

1 Tewksbury Gazette Tewksbury Historical Society Newsletter P.O. Box 522 Tewksbury, MA Volume 15, Winter Website: The Society is located at the Local History Room of the Tewksbury Public Library every 2 nd and 4 th Tuesday of the month. Tewksbury News from the Friends of Minute Man National Park The North Bridge Visitor Center opens for spring hours from March 3-31, on Tuesday through Saturday from 11am to 3pm. A short eight minute video, Treason or Liberty? about the North Bridge fight is being shown. The brass cannon, named the Hancock, is on display courtesy of the Bunker Hill Monument Association. It was one of four cannons hidden in Concord and a reason for General Gage to send British troops to Concord on April 19, Gage s troops marching to Concord was what started the Alarm carried by the Unknown Rider through the center of Tewksbury. He ended his ride in north Tewksbury where John Trull lived. At Battle Road Trail you can learn the story of the British marching to Concord and the battle on the British s Regulars round-trip march back to Boston. Beginning their trip back to Boston, near the Meriam Farm House, this marks where the 100 Tewksbury Militia and Minutemen first engaged the British along with 1,200 other Militiamen. After going down to Battle Road Visitor Center, take a short walk to Parker s Revenge where a militiaman from Tewksbury helped two Concord militiamen catch a runaway horse. Ironically, the Friends of Minute Man National Park asks a question, Get fit by walking the Battle Road Trail? This is one of the same reasons, the Tewksbury Line-of-March is marking the streets our Militiamen marched going to that fateful battle to defend American freedom and liberty in Concord. Community wellness is a byproduct of walking and being healthy. That same route is where our militiamen marched 240 years ago in Tewksbury to Concord. When we have our Line-Of-March Memorial Posts up with permission by the Selectmen and after we finish off fund raising, we can learn about Tewksbury war history and the Shot Heard round the World that

2 happened in Concord. A Tewksbury musket helped fire that shot for our neighbors, our neighboring towns, our neighboring states, and all of American that came to join us and fight for freedom Election of Officers On Sept. 27, 2014 a new slate of officers and 4 new Board members took office. David E. Marcus was elected Interim President of the Society. It is the 12 th year he has served in this position. Doug Sears was elected Vice President and for his fifth year, Kenneth Mouser was elected Treasurer. The Recording Secretary, M. Eileen McDonagh was elected as an interim Secretary but Christina Rohrbacher took her place on Feb. 24. Sandra Mouser is continuing as an Interim Corresponding Secretary until a replacement can be found. Robert Hunter and Kim Zunino, along with newcomers Martha Spalding and Bill Daniels were added to the Board. If any member is interested in being the President or Corresponding Secretary, please write a letter of application to the Society. On April 1 st, the Society will be asking for new board members or officers to serve for and they will be elected at the Annual Meeting on June 27, Officers are elected annually for a one-year term. The President, Vice President and the Treasurer can serve no more than 6 successive years. A Director is elected every three years for a three-year term. There are 5 officers and 10 board members for a 15 member Board of Directors.

3 2015 Coming Events The Annual New Members Meeting Tewksbury Library March 28 th, Free Admission 1:00pm to 4:00pm Remembering Tew-Mac Our history agent, Brendan Kieran will give a presentation using images of this airport. He will also briefly talk about another Tewksbury airport. Remembering Annie Sullivan Our other history agent, Christina Rohrbacher will focus on Annie Sullivan who is forever remembered as the teacher of Helen Keller. Call Robert Hayes ( , ext. 205) or him at the library (rhayes@mvlc.org) to reserve a seat for this informative program. New people coming to this historical event can meet Historical Society members and perhaps join the Society? Book Committee: The Society will be re-starting a book committee to put forth a book focusing on the early formation of the town through the end of the 19 th Century. In an accompanying note, the Board of Directors unanimously voted to revoke the prior book policy from August 13, That policy stated the cost of a Society book was not to exceed $5, in re-imbursement. The Society has not had a book committee since 2007.

4 Archive Committee News: Donations of financial support or historical Tewksbury artifacts/items or photographs about Tewksbury history are gratefully accepted. Please or write to us about these items for pick-up. We are on duty in the Local History Room of the Tewksbury library on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month for drop-off or special pick-up can be arranged. The TewMac airport restaurant counter that was loaned out to relatives of the TewMac airport is coming back to the Society. We will refurbish this unique piece of Tewksbury history and offer to loan it out to a business that can display the counter. It would look good on a wall because it has many newspaper articles about the airport. If you are interested in housing this piece of Tewksbury history in your business, please contact us. We have had many donations of artifacts from Tewksbury history. Archive Donations: Here are some of our donations from [Donations of artifacts or photographs for 2014 will be featured in the Spring Gazette.] Member Bill McGrath finished 2 books about the Louis M. Marion & Sons business run by his son Bernard Barney Marion. He donated the two books to the Society. Pam Lacy Hatton of Geneseo, New York donated numerous photographs of the Lacy Farm, also known as Heath Brook Farm also Folsum Farm. Marti Spalding donated her mother s High School Diploma, a nice wooden display case for a wall, and several other items and a picture of the Tewksbury auxiliary police department. Rita O Brien Dee donated a Tewksbury High School Chenille cheerleader, red letter T. More donations in the next newsletter. Thanks to all the donors. Boston Post Cane Update: Tom King made a nice donation of 6 small Boston Canes replica "canes on a pin". He donated enough "cane pins" that he might one day, be the oldest person in Tewksbury and he could be re-gifted with the "cane pin"! To all our members, we hope you all get a chance to be the Boston Post Cane pin holder. Life Members: Early life members originally joined the Society for only $ The Board of Directors eventually realized that this was too little to support the Society over the lifetime of a member and that inflation had caused a life membership to be too low and the level was raised to $ Listed below are our life members and we appreciate their support whether they are newly enrolled or a long time member. This year we had a business enroll as a life member for the first time. It is the new Wamesit Lanes. They are building a

5 beautiful building where the old Caswell Motel was located and hope to be open this summer. The Society plans to have a bowling event after it is opened so dust off those old bowling shoes and get ready! Tewksbury Historical Society - Life Members: Cheryl Bush Accardi, Deborah Bernard, Gertrude Carey, Warren Carey, Elisabeth Desmarais, Michael Kelley, Alice Golen, Donna Haines, Duncan Hazel, Wamesit Lanes, Annual Fund Drive Donors [This list was omitted last year and we apologize to all that gave, and give thanks that all that did donate. The Annual Fund Drive Donors will be listed in the Spring Newsletter along with Line-Of-March donors.] Eleanor and Mary Beattie Beverly Bennett Ralph and Mary Bennett Deb Bernard John and Susan Broussard Joyce Burns Joseph and Sandra DeLucia John Denehy Bill Fullerton James Gaffney Marylin Garside Philip Gay Donna Haines Vito and Marilyn Ivas

6 George Jordon Lisa MacDonald Eileen McDonagh William McGrath David E. Marcus Bette and Jim Miceli Cynthia Mulno Bruce and Barbara Rowe Thomas Ruckledge Joan Starr William & Henrietta Wyatt Lowell Heritage Partnership In Memory of Mary Gaffney John Roberts Judith Yarborough Louise Hunt Memorial Donations The Beckwith Family Carol Sestito and Kathleen Bower Charles and Janet Fenton Helen and Robert Hunter

7 Duncan Hazel Carole Keenan Thomas King David E. Marcus Kenneth and Sandra Mouser Fred and Rosanne Rice Vivian Shortreed Margaret and Raymond Sorensen Richard and Ann Spataro The Tewksbury Gazette was the name of the first newspaper in Tewksbury. We have adopted that name for the name of our newsletter. Bill Daniels and Dave Marcus worked on this newsletter Tewksbury Historical Society Officers: Interim President David E. Marcus Vice President - Doug Sears Treasurer - Kenneth Mouser Recording Secretary Christina Rohrbacher Corresponding Secretary - Sandra Mouser Executive Board: Barbara Chandler, Rita O'Brian Dee, Karen Favreau, Duncan Hazel, Robert Hunter, David E. Marcus, Christopher Toppin, Bill Daniels and Marti Spalding Yep, When you last paid your dues that is the month that you renew!

8 2015 Membership Application Junior Membership $10.00 Individual Membership $ Senior Membership (Age 65+) $ Dual Membership (Spouse/Partner) $ Dual-Senior Membership (Both 65+) $ Life Membership $ Business or Corporate Membership $ Please return this with your check to: Tewksbury Historical Society, PO Box 522, Tewksbury, MA The membership year runs from the month you join. Questions - tewksburyhistoricalsociety@msn.com Name Date Address Town State Zip Code Phone address RENEWAL NEW Do you want your newsletters sent electronically? Yes No What are your special interests? We will call you about being on a committee. Tewksbury Library's Local History Room - every 2nd or 4th Tuesday, 1:00pm-5:00pm - Archive Committee Antique Building/Housing Preservation Committee Tewksbury Book Committee - New this year Newsletter Society Store Nominating Committee Ways and Means Committee Technology/Website Committee Other interests: Volunteers are always needed from the membership. or write us about volunteering. Someone will get back to you.