"Lost Quabbin Towns during the Civil War" to Kick-Off Remembrances at 2:00 on July 4 in Orange

Elizabeth Peirce, Curator of SRVHS

"Lost Quabbin Towns during the Civil War" to Kick-Off Remembrances at 2:00 on July 4 in Orange   

 The “remembrances” portion of the day-long July 4th Quabbin Civil War Remembrance Day will kick off at 2:00 pm at the Orange Town Hall with Elizabeth Peirce, curator of the Swift River Valley Historical Society who will speak on the Lost Quabbin Towns of Dana, Enfield, Greenwich and Prescott. during the Civil War.  The Orange Town Hall is located at 6 Prospect Street in Orange, MA.  All events - starting at 9:30 am at the Orange Gun Club, 357 West River Street - are free and open to the public. 

Along with informal presentations and discussions where the public is invited to share stories, letters and diaries of ancestors or former area residents who were part of the American Civil War, additional speakers will include James Smethurst, Professor of Afro-American Studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst who will focus on freed Blacks during the Civil War and their admiration and love for Abraham Lincoln as well as Black soldiers who served.  

Chuck Berube will be on hand as Abraham Lincoln, a role he plays in “Lincoln: The Musical” that will open on Saturday, July 7 at 7:00 pm.  Tim Waite will perform Mark Twain’s “The Campaign That Failed,”and Larry Buell will present Lucius Spooner, a 19^th century farmer from Petersham who lived through the Civil War.  Richard Sheridan, the chairman of the Orange Select Board and Genevieve Fraser, the over-all coordinator of the day's events, will read letters from Orange residents during the Civil War.  Members of the 15^th Massachusetts Civil War Infantry will also share stories of the people they represent.  

Additional plans for the day include a Black Powder shoot and discussion on armaments during the Civil War, along with reenactments starting at 9:30 am at the Orange Gun Club, to be followed by a Bar-B-Que.  Ken Levine and friends will supply the music for the day.  And starting at 2:00 pm, the Orange Historical Society & Museum, 41 North Main Street, Orange, MA (2 doors up from Town Hall) will serve Tea, followed by a dinner and “Tin Type Show and Tell” at 5:00 pm.  For further information, contact Genevieve Fraser at Tel. (978) 544-1872.