This coming Saturday, July 25 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm at the Rochester Historical Museum at 355 County Rd., we are having the grand opening of our 2026 exhibit, “Rochester and the Revolution” to honor the 250th. Unlike any other Revolutionary history show, this exhibit ties what was happening in the greater world (at first that was Boston) to its impact on the town of Old Rochester, which at that time included Sippican (Marion) and Mattapoisett.
Unlike the north shore towns and those with close proximity to Boston, Plymouth County towns were pretty unresponsive to messages from Boston concerning actions of the British government. Rochester, whose population was a mix of Loyalists/Tories, Patriots, and those with no opinion, were more responsive than other towns in the county to messages from Boston. They sent representatives to councils and conventions and agreed in a series of town meetings to support Boston.
As you go through the exhibit, you can see how these actions led them to having more men fight in the war than any other town of its size. Muster cards (though hard to read) tell the story of the service of some of these men; white, black and native American. Some stories are of success and advancement, while others reveal the awful cost of any war.
The muster card of Lt. Ebenezer Foster tells in brief the sad story of his death. Only 21 years old and newly commissioned, he lost his life in the Saratoga battles which brought about the defeat of Gen. Burgoyne, causing the surrender of his army and all his munitions. Though Ebenezer didn’t survive the battle, he was part of a success that cheered the American forces, depressed the British and brought the French in on the side of America. It is strongly believed that without them, the war might have had a very different outcome.
Please, come and join us on Saturday. There will be other activities including a pie and cookie sale and a Revolutionary War campsite, but I hope you’ll be interested in Rochester’s role in the war. The Rochester sections will be marked by a green dot. Our Revolutionary War Veterans’ Wall will also be on display and continues to grow. There will also be music and games.
By Connie Eshbach
