This past year, we did something a little out of the ordinary. As we were packing up all our stuff to haul to sell at the Holiday Bazaar, a strong-looking gentleman approached us and asked if he could do anything to help. I said it would be great if he would be willing to assist us in loading the truck and then unloading it at the gymnasium. He pitched in and the job was completed in no time.
After the Bazaar was over, he showed up and did it all in reverse, a godsend for us because many of us are no longer youthful and we were all exhausted. As he carried in the last of the load, he said, “I’d like to tell you what I really wanted to do.” His name was Sloan Craven and he was full of Big Ideas.
He outlined a plan in which we would partner with Dirigible Brewing Company to celebrate the country’s 250th, using the theme that back in Colonial times, local taverns were essential, not just for lodging and entertainment, but serving as places for people to meet and exchange information. Dirigible is our present-day iteration, very involved in our community and a great gathering place. Sloan knew that they had brewed special ales for other groups. A sub-committee of Historical Society members and Sloan met with Colin, who is in charge of Dirigible’s brewing, and came up with the suggestion of an ale that included apples (reflecting Littleton’s long history of apple orchards) and honey.
It would be a light summer brew and Colin said it would be ready for the 4th of July.
Then Sloan had the idea that we could sell T-shirts commemorating one of Littleton’s most famous 18th-century establishments, the Lawrence Tavern, where Militiamen gathered after mustering at Liberty Square in preparation for the Revolutionary war and whose sign from 1768 hangs in the stairwell of our museum. We ordered a bunch of shirts in several sizes and two colors, depicting the iconic tavern sign.
And to top it all off, Sloan proposed a Trivia Night to be held at Dirigible, featuring questions of a historic nature focusing on Littleton and the Revolutionary War. Sloan was a veritable fountain of ideas! Chris (Colin’s brother-in-law and business partner) was totally on board with all of this.
So the upshot is that we held a wildly successful Trivia Night at Dirigible on June 18, 2026, including fabulous prizes. Many participants came in colonial dress, while others sported Lawrence Tavern T-shirts. The Lawrence Tavern Sweet Liberty Ale was a big hit and everyone had a blast. Over the summer, Dirigible eventually ran out of the batch that Colin had concocted, but Chris says they will likely bring it back next summer. If you'd like to purchase your very own Lawrence Tavern T-shirt, they have some at Dirigible at the moment and we’ll be featuring them at the Holiday Bazaar. They are also available at the Historical Society.
We can hardly wait for Sloan’s next Big Idea. In the meantime, maybe he’ll continue to help us move heavy stuff.