WESTFIELD – An oral history project is being undertaken by the Westfield Athenaeum in the hope of preserving the memories of area residents who have called Westfield their home.
To commemorate the 350th anniversary of the City of Westfield in 2019, the Westfield Athenaeum has planned a series of programs and community forums in conjunction with the project that will highlight the city’s history, growth, neighborhoods, educational system and industrial base, according to Joyce Peregrin, public services librarian.
Peregrin added that the Athenaeum will create a steering committee that will include local residents, Athenaeum staff, and city employees for the oral history project.
“This committee will create a vision for the collection and presentation of local stories and memories, as well as the highlights and lowlights of the city and its residents,” she said.
During the library’s November presentation by Robert Brown on the downtown area in the 1950s and 1960s, Neil and Rissa Larsen were handing out sheets encouraging the close to 200 in attendance to jot down their memories of the Flood of 1955. On Aug. 20, 1955, nearly 20 inches of rain fell in Westfield.
An oral history submission form will be created for each program, as well as a generic form for general topics, according to Peregrin.
Peregrin said that following a program on the 60th anniversary of the Flood of 1955, one woman offered these comments: “I remember walking to the Armory on Franklin Street to fill containers with drinking water that the National Army had in large tanks. I remember going to my grandmother’s house and seeing the chickens best online casino high in the trees. I remember seeing dead cows floating in the fields off Main Street.”
“These memories were offered by a woman who was 10 years old at the time of the flood,” said Peregrin.
Submission forms will be available on the Athenaeum’s website, www.westath.org, or in the library. Peregrin noted she will also accept emailed memories.
“It is the hope of the Athenaeum to create a cohesive story of the last century in Westfield and to preserve these memories for the next generations,” said Peregrin. “By participating in the project, residents will be presented the opportunity to reflect on the past and to create a timeline for future generations to observe the city as it was and has become.”
After each program, pictures and information will be available for the public, according to Peregrin. Also, there will be a display of pictures on the third Thursday of each month with a volunteer willing to assist with the collection of stories.
Peregrin noted that the Athenaeum has resources from the Don Blair Archives, the Edwin Smith Historical Museum, and the staff to collect and preserve the memories of the city’s history.
The next program in the series is “The History of the New England Maple Sugar Harvest” with Dennis Picard on Feb. 17 at 6:30 p.m. Picard will include farming in Westfield as part of his lecture.
For more information on the oral history project, call (413) 568-7833.
