Becket Historical Commission
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
7:00 p.m.
Present: Rob Gorden, Chairman, Jennifer and Aaron Beatty, Harry Roff, Barbara Stuhlmann, special guest Doug Pierce
Before commencing our regular meeting, Mr. Pierce, from the town of Windsor, presented his material on the 1927 flood. He had brought a small booklet representing reports that all postmasters of the affected towns had made. His father was postmaster in Hinsdale at the time. Mr. Pierce told of the accompanying his father in ’27, as a lad, to Becket to view the devastation. Photos in the chapter devoted to Becket show stark scenes of houses under water, boulders thrown everywhere. Mr. Pierce gave us copies of those pages and hand written copy of a message to his father on the frontispiece of the book. The secretary will write him a note of thanks.
Minutes. As Rita Furlong was absent, there were no minutes to review. Barbara Stuhlmann did the honors for this meeting.
Correspondence. Becket Calendar. Harry Roff moved and Barbara seconded that we continue to pay $12 for the listings of our meetings in the town calendar.
A request from ZBA if we have interest in a trailer on Main Street property – is there historical significance. Rob wrote back that there is no particular historic interest.
Highland Initiative newsletter – September’s programs have to do with “green farming”. Nice to be alerted, but no one is keen to attend.
Alice Morse (Ballou), from Amherst, sent us nine glass slides of scenes from Becket – students in a classroom in Seminary Hall, crowd scenes in what is now the Athenaeum (then the Congregational Church), flood scenes. The Secretary will write a note of thanks to Mrs. Morse.
Rob bought eight 60 minute tapes (cassettes) for the use with interviews.
Ballou Park Monument, the first digging has taken place for the footing of our planned monument. Rob, Aaron and one boy scout did the digging. Now to wait for County Concrete. The amount of $14.79 was spent for pizza intended for the scouts. We voted to reimburse that amount. (The pizza, from Ozzie’s store, was excellent, it was reported.) Rob has meanwhile picked up sections of rebar for use with the road ties. If needed, Aaron has a metal cutter.
Aaron distributed small copies of our planned map layout for North Becket. The Mullen House Education Center, headquarters for the Becket Land Trust, has to be added, especially since it is in the historic district.
Rob, as a member of the Community Preservation Committee, has followed up on our application for the $300 to defray the cost of the maps for North Becket, Becket Center, and West Becket.
Adjourned: 7:50
Submitted: Barbara Stuhlmann
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