LITTLETON TO CELEBRATE 300TH ANNIVERSARY IN 2014
Wanted: Photos for Littleton 300 Book
The Littleton Historical Society needs photographs of people and places in town during the 1900’s for possible use in the 300 Book. In particular, pictures related to WWI (1917/18), and WWII (1940’s) are needed. Do you have good quality pictures of family members who were in military service? We also need pictures showing places in town associated with the war effort.
You can send digital photos to Littleton.HistSociety@Verizon.net, or bring original photographs to the Society at 4 Rogers Street where they will be scanned and the originals returned to you. The Society is open every Wednesday afternoon from 1 to 4 PM. When submitting photos, please provide information, such as the names of people, the location, the date when taken, and name of the photographer, if known. Pictures will be considered for use to illustrate the 300 Book. And also added to the Society’s collection.
For more information and other times when you can bring photos to the Society, please e-mail the Society or call 978-486-8202. Or call Ann Himmelberger at 978-742-5960, or e-mail ahhimmelberger@verizon.net.
Littleton Historical Society Seeks Photos for 300th Anniversary Book, and Archives
Be a contributor to Littleton’s “photo album” of pictures showing how the town has grown and changed. The Historical Society invites residents to share their pictures of the town’s people, places, and events – photos which indicate the history of our community and its spirit. Photographs are needed for the Historical Society’s Book to be published in 2014 for the town’s 300thAnniversary, and to add to the coverage, quality and quantity of photographs in its collection.
Once you have selected photographs to share, please make a list of each photo on a piece of paper and identify, if possible, the location, names of people, date when taken, and who took each picture. You can bring the photos and your list to the Historical Society any Wednesday afternoon from 1 to 4 PM (except the day before Thanksgiving, or on the first and third Saturdays of the month from 10 AM to Noon. Photographs will be scanned and returned to you. Owners will be asked to sign a release form for the Society to use digital copies for possible inclusion in the 300th Anniversary Book, and keep them in its collection. The original photos will be available in about a week for owners to pick them up at the Society. Click Here to download the permission form to print and send (right-click and click Save to download, or just left-click to load in most browsers) or if you would like to email the form to the Society, please click here (email release form).
Help preserve the history of Littleton by looking through family pictures and selecting those that show various aspects of life in Littleton. Subject matter could include, but is not limited to: typical daily life; unusual scenes, perhaps related to special events/weather, other; WWI, WWII, Korean and Vietnam Wars, Iraq and Afghanistan Conflicts; agriculture (past and present); town organizations; businesses; recreational activities/events; individuals who have made an important contribution to the town. The list goes on and on – limited only by your own imagination. For questions or more information, please call the Society at 978-486-8202 or use the email form on the Contact Us page
Thank you for providing the photos worth thousands of words to show the history and spirit of Littleton.
Littleton Historical Society’s 300 Book Has New Volunteer Opportunities
Would you like to get involved with publishing the Book of Littleton’s history for the 300th Anniversary? The Book Committee invites interested volunteers to join the project in any of the following capacities:
- Assistant to work with current editor – position requires someone with extensive experience in editing, and who has vision and enthusiasm, problem-solving abilities, and good interpersonal skills. Experience in preparing history-related publications is a plus.
- Writers and researchers to prepare articles about Littleton’s history, especially in the years between 1960 and 2012.
The 300 Book Group was organized in May 2010. Its members are enthusiastic and work collaboratively to prepare accurate historical information about the town’s past. The work is challenging and rewarding. Members support each other and are a great group to work with.
If you are interested, please call Ann Himmelberger, Chair of the Book Committee, at ahhimmelberger@verizon.net or 978-742-5960 for more information about these opportunities.
WHY PUBLISH A BOOK ABOUT LITTLETON’S HISTORY?
It’s the 21st Century, the era of technology, why do we need a book about Littleton’s history?
In the first decade of the 21st century, the urge is to be connected – wired to what is happening around us. We also have a need to be connected to people and events of the past that have shaped us and the place where we live. Stories of the past give meaning to our lives, and are a key to understanding our place in the world.
Are there any books about Littleton’s history?
One urgent reason for publishing a book in 2014 is that there is no recent publication about the town history. The only book published about the town, An Historical Sketch of the Town of Littleton, was written by Herbert J. Harwood and printed 120 years ago in 1890. This book is available at the Reuben Hoar Library and the Historical Society. It can be accessed on-line:
Download PDF file at http://www.littletonma.org/filestorage/49/3596/6873/cu31924028838823.pdf
Read online at http://www.archive.org/stream/cu31924028838823#page/n0/mode/2up
Almost 50 years ago, Carolyn Webster wrote Highlights of Littleton’s History, a more recent account included in the 250th Anniversary Program Book in 1964. Copies of the paper-backed program are in the collections of the Reuben Hoar Library, and the Historical Society, but are not generally available elsewhere.
Much has happened in Littleton during the years that have intervened since these accounts were written. A current book should be written to include the events of the 20th century as a significant part of the town’s past. Another reason for re-examining our town’s history is that recent trends in historical research have expanded interest about people and topics that were not included in earlier accounts of the past. Uncovering stories about those who might have been overlooked before can enhance our understanding and appreciation of the past.
What about on-line sources?
Some information about the town’s history can be found by looking it up on-line. However, a glance at Wikipedia, for example, reveals inaccuracies about historical facts, and gaps in information that present a distorted version of the town’s past. Generally, historical accounts on-line do not provide sources of information and hence cannot be researched. Instead, the material is a collection of unreliable fragments pasted together and unrelated to historical events taking place at the time.
Why not publish a book for Littleton’s 300th Anniversary?
Littleton’s Tercentenary provides us with a once-in-a-lifetime occasion to celebrate our hometown. It’s the perfect opportunity to create a long-lasting and significant contribution to benefit the town. Writing and publishing a book will take time, effort, thought, and money. However, the value of the Tercentenary Book far outweighs the costs.
To celebrate the 300th Anniversary, it is now time to prepare an inclusive, accurate, and up-to date record of the events and people that shaped the town where we live.
Here is more information regarding the plans for Littleton’s Tercentenary: http://www.littletonma.org/content/49/3596/6873/default.aspx
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