In the early days of our country’s history, the coastline of our region provided the salt used to preserve beef, fish and other food items. This was especially true during the Revolutionary War, when commerce with England was cut off. Local salt works took the water from our coves and harbors, extracted the impurities and ultimately produced the pure salt needed to cure food.
Return to the shoreline of the past on May 26 at 5:00 pm at the Gazebo in Shipyard Park with Seth Mendell, a Mattapoisett resident and current President of Mattapoisett Historical Society. Seth jumped into this topic 45 years ago when he wrote his Master’s Thesis and created his own salt evaporator. Join us as he shares his expertise on a unique and fascinating aspect of Massachusetts’ history. Program is free; donations welcome. (In case of rain, meet at the Mattapoisett Museum and Carriage House, 5 Church Street.) For more information, call 508-758-2844 or email mattapoisett.museum@verizon.net.
Meanwhile, September 21 marks the 75th Anniversary of the Hurricane of 1938. The Mattapoisett Historical Society, in conjunction with Colin Everett and students at the Old Rochester Regional High School, is looking for volunteers who experienced this natural disaster to participate in an intergenerational oral history project and share their memories of that day with our high school students. The project will culminate in an exhibit at the Mattapoisett Historical Society, interviews archived at the Mattapoisett Historical Society, and educational materials to be used in the Tri-Town schools. For more information, or to volunteer to share your story over a few hours this summer, please contact Elizabeth Hutchison, Curator for the Mattapoisett Historical Society at 508-758-2844 or mattapoisett.museum@verizon.net.