Category: Featured slider

Canceled: Online Lecture: “Native Americans in Williamstown,” presented by Dustin Griffin

Above is a map of land inhabited by the Mohican people, including what is now called Williamstown.

“Native Americans in Williamstown,” by Dustin Griffin
Saturday, August 28, 11 a.m.

The Williamstown Historical Museum is canceling its August 28 lecture, “Native Americans in Williamstown,” with apologies for any inconvenience. Our lecturer, Dustin Griffin, has given many well-received talks to Museum audiences in the past, and has been working on this lecture since the early spring. Although he worked with the Stockbridge-Munsee Mohican Band, who are indigenous to this land, in developing it, they feel it is not fully representative of their history. We value their knowledge and our relationships with the community and thus under the circumstances we and Dustin feel it is best to cancel.

Hay Day: Family Fun for all on August 15!

The Williamstown Historical Museum invites you to our third annual Hay Day Fair! It will take place on Sunday, August 15 from 11-3 (rain or shine!) at the museum, 32 New Ashford Road in Williamstown. Admission is $5 for individuals and $10 for immediate family groups (up to 6 members).

This year’s event will include many of the same attractions as 2019’s Hay Day, in addition to new ones! Look out for:

  • Children’s activities like a maypole, three-legged race, and egg-and-spoon race with prizes for contestants
  • Live music by Rosin the Beaux and Accordion Al
  • A petting zoo and pony rides from Mountain Top Zoo
  • A silent auction including pieces from local artists, vacations, gift cards to many Berkshires businesses, and more
  • Tables where local craftspeople will demonstrate their trades and sell their wares
  • Many lunch options including a grill (with vegetarian/vegan options), grilled cheese stand, popcorn machine, and bake sale
  • … and much more!

Please see our Hay Day flyer below and find coverage of the upcoming event here. There are also plenty of volunteer opportunities for those looking to get involved and support the WHM! Please email Patrick Quinn or Kendall McGowan if you’re interested in helping out, or with any other questions. We hope to see you soon!

 

Online Lecture: “Black People in 19th-Century White Oaks,” presented by Dustin Griffin

Pictured are one-time White Oaks residents Elsie Parsons, Abraham Parsons and Richard Lansing, over an 1898 map of the neighborhood.

“Black People in 19th-Century White Oaks,” by Dustin Griffin
Saturday, July 31, 11 a.m.

You can now view this lecture online, thanks to WilliNet!

This lecture will trace the lives of a number of Black families in the northeast corner of Williamstown, from their arrival there in the 1820s to their departure about 1900. This event is part of a lecture series presented by Dustin Griffin through the Williamstown Historical Museum; please look out for his next two talks on August 29 and September 25.

The WHM is proud to regularly offer lectures on local history that are free and open to the public. If you have suggestions for future topics or speakers, please contact us at info@williamstownhistoricalmuseum.org!

 

Dustin Griffin is the author of Williamstown and Williams College: Explorations in Local History (2018). For a number of years he has presented talks on local history to Williamstown audiences, most recently a lecture on “Writing Local History” in June 2021 and “The History of Oblong Road” in April 2021. His new book, Williamstown and Williams College: Further Explorations in Local History, was published this spring, and is available at the Williams College bookstore on Spring Street and at the Williamstown Historical Museum.