Asa Waters Mansion P.O. Box 367 Millbury MA 01527 508-865-4192
Millbury: Gateway to the Blackstone Valley
Our Next Two Museum Openings in The Asa Waters Mansion!
Please stop in!
Wednesday, October 11
from 6-8 PM
and
Saturday, October 28 from
9:30 AM until Noon.
ALL Our Museum Openings for 2023 at The Asa Waters Mansion
Exciting New Program! Free to the public! October 18th! Refreshments!
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Nathan M. Richardson is a published author, performance poet and Frederick Douglass Historian. His poetry collections include Likeness of Being, Twenty-one Imaginary T-shirts and The 7 Last Poems of an Unarmed Citizen. Books featuring Nathan’s success story include; You Can Do That; (Amazing People with Amazing Jobs) By Michael Messick & You Don’t Want Success Demolishing Fears And Excuses) by Miko Marsh. Nathan teaches a variety of workshops for emerging writers and spoken word artists.
Mr. Richardson is now in his 9th year of The Frederick Douglass Speaking Tour - a living history performance that captures completely the physical, spiritual and intellectual essence of the former slave, writer, orator and abolitionist Frederick Douglass. The Frederick Douglass Speaking Tour has been seen live nationally and internationally and has film credits with the National Park Service and Alabama Public Television. Nathan’s recent rendition of the speech “Frederick Douglass Honors the Unknown Loyal Dead” was Nominated for Best Short Film at the 2022 I Will Tell Film International Festival.” You can learn more about Nathan Richardson and his work at www.scpublishing.com
The Millbury Historical Society is selling some of the surplus Aftermath yearbooks we have. If any of these years mean something to you or a loved one, you can either message us on Facebook or call
Live Flea or Buy at 774-287-0104 to make sure the one you want is still in store.
They are selling for $10 apiece and are brand new! The years available are:
2 – 1931; 2 – 1934; 1 – 1935; 1 – 1936; 2 – 1949; 1 – 1951; 1 – 1952;
1 – 1958; 1 – 1971;1 – 1984; 1 – 1995;
1 - 1998
First Annual Carole Chiras/
Millbury Historical Society Scholarship is Presented!
Carole Chiras
Jacqueline Gilbert
Elmwood Street School
We wish to congratulate Millbury High School senior Jacqueline Gilbert, daughter of Jeffrey and Kim Gilbert, for being awarded the first annual Carole Chiras/Millbury Historical Society Memorial Scholarship.
This $3,500 honor goes to a worthy student who will attend Worcester State University. Worcester State is where Carole met her husband of fifty-six years, Jack Chiras, many years ago.
Carole, who passed away last year, was known for her smile and cheerfulness. She was a gifted and talented educator who could put anyone at ease and make them feel valued. This, combined with boundless creativity and a giving heart, fueled the soul of an elementary school teacher.
She served at Providence Street School, Shaw Middle School and Elmwood Street School where she retired as principal in 2003.
In addition, Carole was a proud member of the Millbury community and a lifetime member of the Millbury Historical Society. She loved leading tours of the town’s noteworthy sites and sharing her vast knowledge of the town’s rich history. She was a board member of the Millbury Bicentennial Committee and served as the History Chairman.
Congratulations, Jacqueline, and good luck in the future!
MILLBURY HISTORICAL SOCIETY AWARDS SCHOLARSHIP
The seventh Annual Grace M. Laflash/Millbury Historical Society Scholarship was recently awarded to Ryan Shaughnessy, an eighth-grade student at Assumption School in Millbury.
Ryan was the top history student in the eight grade. He will be attending Marianapolis Preparatory School this fall.
Grace Laflash was a Charter Member of the Historical Society and its Secretary for nearly forty years. She was the unquestioned expert on Millbury History.
Grace taught fifth-grade at Assumption for over twenty-five years, and she instituted a Millbury History Class into the curriculum. Hundreds and hundreds of students learned about this Town from Grace. Her classes often put on plays and skits about events from Millbury’s early history and took part in every Town historical celebration.
When the bridge spanning the Blackstone River and the railroad tracks needed replacing in 1983, Grace’s class researched the history and found that the accepted name of “McGowan Bridge” was incorrect.
Instead, it was originally named the “Gowing Bridge” in honor of a prominent businessman in Town. At the grand opening ceremony, Grace and her students were given the honor of cutting the ribbon for the new “Gowing Bridge.”
Grace passed away in 2015, and her family asked that donations be made in her name to the Millbury Historical Society.
The Board of Trustees of the Society voted to use the funds to establish a scholarship in her name at Assumption School and President Frank Gagliardi made the presentation at Awards Night in the Church.
Ryan Shaughnessy
Grace M. Laflash
The Annual Meeting of The Millbury Historical Society took place on Thursday, June 8th- the 210th Anniversary of the Birthday of The Town of Millbury!
Boston Globe reporter, Emily Sweeney, shared the inside scoop on her books BOSTON ORGANIZED CRIME and GANGLAND BOSTON and then sold and signed them afterwards.
First Presentation of 2023 for
The Millbury Historical Society Draws Huge Crowd!
Wednesday night May 17th, The Millbury Historical Society, held our first program of the year at 6:00 at the Asa Waters Mansion.
The author Elena Palladino discussed her book, "The Lost Towns of the Swift River Valley" about the four towns sacrificed to create the Quabbin Reservoir for Boston's water supply.
We attracted a capacity crowd of seventy-five people! The audience was able to question Elena and meet her afterwards. Everyone certainly enjoyed themselves!
Millbury Historical Society Presents Program about World War II's LCI 713, Millbury's Ship
Be proud, little town of Millbury, because in August of 1944, your seven-thousand residents (one-thousand of whom were in the armed forces) raised over one-million dollars in the Fifth War Bond Drive of the war! Enough to sponsor its very own naval landing craft: the LCI (L) 173!
Recently, The Millbury Historical Society presented a program about this this long-forgotten, patriotic feat and how it was accomplished by our town! Learn where the idea arose, how the funds were raised, when the ship was commissioned, and where it is TODAY!
Watch the video below to access the program. It begins with an eight-minute introduction to the LCI-713 itself.
LCI-713 Commissioning: September 19, 1944
LCI-713 in Portland, Oregon TODAY
ELSIE ITEM and the DECK LOG OF THE USS LCI(L) 713 is a magazine about Millbury's own Landing craft!
The WINTER 2022 issue has a special column about Doug Bowker, grandson of Harold Bowker, who began the War Bond drive to fund the craft.
Below is a link to the magazine. Be sure to read pages 13, 14 & 15 about Doug and his tribute-model!
https://www.amphibiousforces.org/News/2022DecElsieDecklog119.pdf
The Millbury Historical Society would like to acknowledge and thank all who turned out for our Veterans' Day program about Millbury's very own World War II vessel: The LCI-713!
The event was exceptionally well-attended, and the citizens of Millbury donated generously to the welfare of the landing craft for the second time in its existence!
In particular the Society would like to thank all the Veterans who stopped in; The Charles F. Minney Post for hosting the program (Bob & Barbara Roy: great job!). Kevin Krassopoulos, Public Access Director, thank you for filming the entire event, and Maureen Sullivan Editor of The Millbury-Sutton Chronicle did a wonderful job with the advanced Publicity.
Watch Video ^
A History of 60 Elm Street
From Lynch's Garage to the Franco-American Club to A & D Pizza
A 1967 article (with a 1951 photo) about the silver anniversary of the Franco-American Club (1943-1968).
A 1958 photo of Senate re-election candidate John F. Kennedy's appearance at the Franco-American Club.
Matted/Plastic-Wrapped Prints of the FLYING SAUCER Car Hop and THE CENTRAL DINER are available in a 9” x 12” off-white, museum-quality mat with a bold French line around the opening.
“Diner Don” Sawyer is a New England watercolorist who is well known for his stylized renditions of regional diners, roadside attractions, and pastoral scenes.
Each print is titled, geographically-identified, and signed by the artist, “Diner Don” Sawyer.
These colorful, treasured prints are available at the Museum of the Millbury Historical Society during museum hours (or call Frank at 508-865-4192) OR at Gloria Schimke’s space at Live Flea or Buy (774-578-7919).
9” x 12” Prints of the Flying Saucer and The Central Diner $35
10” x 20” Print of the Flying Saucer only $40
Nostalgic Millbury for Sale
