1990-Annual Town Report - Laserfiche WebLink

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Three major activities involving the public-at-large were Report of the conducted: a Gravestone Restoration Project, and two Historical Commission "Open House" meetings. The Gravestone Restoration Project was held on June 9. We were extremely fortunate that the Mashpee Arts To the Honorable Selectmen Lottery Council awarded the funds for us to conduct a and the Citizens of the Town of Mashpee: workshop for volunteers to"show how"to clean, repair The chronicle of the activities of the Historical Com- and protect old gravestones. We are very grateful to the Council for that grant. The Workshop was under the mission seems to follow a similar pattern each year. We direction of a professional group - The Association for uncover interesting old facts, and also compile informa- Gravestone Studies. Ten men and women-all volunteers, tion that is current, but will become history for future led by four professionals-spent a full day on Saturday, generations. We find our tasks interesting, many intrigu- June 9, learning how to clean, repair and re-set several ing,some repetitive, but never boring-and all rewarding. gravestones in need of attention at the Old Indian Bury- At this time we need volunteers who can devote some time ing Ground. Each stone required different handling to help with our work. So we are looking for individuals techniques. With this "learned experience" we plan to who can help us for a few hours a week, with some of recruit the same volunteers - and others who may be in- our "hands on" tasks. terested-to continue similar work in the spring of 1991. The clippings of daily and weekly newspapers and On Saturday evening,August 25, an"Open House"was magazines for articles about Mashpee and its people is held at the Archives Building. Since an overflow crowd a major activity that calls for more attention. These clip- was on hand, arrangements were made to move the pro- pings form our"Vertical File"and is a continuing source gram across the street to the Town Hall. of reference.Another important task is identifying,label- ing,card-cataloging and filing photographs and maps for A slide film,"One Hundred Years Along the Mashpee ready reference. We want to take this opportunity to let River," written, filmed and narrated by Commission the citizens of Mashpee know what our needs are, before member, Joanne Ferragamo, was shown. The informa- we indicate accomplishment during the past twelve tion and unusual slides gave a fascinating account of months. fishing along the Mashpee River from the Mashpee/Wakeby Pond to Popponesset Bay, and the The Commission holds a monthly meeting, and in ad- nationally-known fishermen who enjoyed the sport on dition, members spend a full day a week occupied with Mashpee rivers and ponds. Archives activities and assisting visitors and researchers. During the year, a total of nine hundred and ninety-five The second"Open House"was planned at the request volunteer hours were spent at the Archives by members. of the Senior Center staff. This "Open House" on November 13 was crowded with interested individuals. Occasional visits are made to Cape Cod bookstores in Commission members talked about Mashpee's founding order to find old and rare books about Mashpee. The families,the town's several burial sites,life as a small child book dealers are very cooperative, and we have been able in South Mashpee in the early 1900's, and our postal ser- to acquire some exceptionally good additions for our vices. The latter investigation of Mashpee's Post Offices, library shelves . . . . including"The Natick Dictionary" begun last year, has proven so interesting that detailed published by the Smithsonian Institution in 1903 -a key research and study is being continued, including iden- to the Native American language.An important acquisi- tification of photographs of buildings and Post Masters. tion also was the 1835 edition of the "Indian Nullifica- tion Act"which was donated by an interested citizen who There are few buildings remaining in Mashpee that can had the volume re-bound for us. We also received an be considered "historic" structures. Our research in this unusual compilation of Mashpee records. A young area is a continuing one.Most of the older buildings have woman from Western Massachusetts made numerous been destroyed, but there are a few remaining, some in visits while doing genelogical research on her family. She the possession of descendants of Mashpee's early families. was very generous and donated a pre-publication copy As we plan for this documentation, it will include old of her research - which included others than her own photographs, if they can be located -the"then"and the family - titled "Mashpee in the Federal Census: more recent "now" pictures as well as careful searching 1790-1900."This gift of thanks and appreciation for our of deeds and maps. Some work of this nature had been interest and help is welcome. We are always grateful for done in 1973, when the previous Historical Commission book donations, for our budget cannot support all of the was trying to designate a"historic"district. But the work acquisitions we would like to make to expand our was never completed. We are picking up where that group holdings on Mashpee and the Wanpanoag history. left off. For example, one of the older homesteads in Mashpee which this group identified, was the "Watson Trips to the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds, as Hammond House." This building was torn down last well as to the State Archives in Boston and other agen- year. Watson Hammond is recorded as being the first and cies are often necessary to engage in research to supple- only Indian elected to the General Court (1885) as well ment our information and to enlarge our holdings. as a Mashpee school teacher. He lived on Main Street. We were unaware that the building was going to be destroyed, and demolition was completed before we knew 113