The Mattapoisett Historical Society and Carriage House opened its doors for the holiday season on Saturday, November 24.  The Historical Society is having its annual holiday shop, which features a variety of unique gifts such as historical postcard and map recreations, books, and tree ornaments.  Kids will get a kick out of the Lionel model train that zooms past a village of illuminated porcelain buildings.  Check out our photos below of the sale.  For information on operating hours, visit mattapoisetthistoricalsociety.org.    Photos by Eric Tripoli.

Almost 200 runners and walkers braved the autumn wind chill to turn out for the third annual ORR Bulldog Dash on Saturday, November 24. The dash was held to raise funds for the purchase of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) for the athletic department as well as to purchase equipment for the Cross Country teams. The dash was divided out into four races, a 100-yard dash for the pre-kindergarten crowd, a 400-yard dash for kids up to the sixth grade, the main event a two-mile run, and for those who wanted a little lighter fare a two mile walk.

In the male event Nephi Tyler of Fairhaven won out with an amazing time of 10:11, Scott Anderson of New Bedford was close behind at 10:19, followed by Daniel Croteau of Acushnet at 10:39. On the ladies side Alice Binns of Dorchester placed first with a time of 11:39, followed by Julie Craig of Mattapoisett at 12:27, and Lynn Vasconcelos of Fairhaven in third with a time of 12:51.

By Paul Lopes

There was music in the air on Friday, November 23, as the Tri-County Music Association held its 2nd annual concert at Tabor Academy.  The concert featured a band of musicians who have directly benefited from the scholarships offered by the TCMA.

    “All of the students you’ll see tonight have received a grant in one form or another,” said Music Director Philip Sanborn.

    The TCMA gives out $12,000 in scholarships each year.

    “Last year, our first year, we did a program called the ‘Great American Songbook.’  This year, the kids got to choose what they were going to play.”

    To solidify the element of surprise for the evening, Sanborn opted not to print out a physical program, but rather encouraged the students to give a brief statement of thanks for the support of the TCMA and to explain what they were playing and why.

    “It’s eclectic.  It’s kind of a barometer of where they are at in their musical careers,” said Sanborn.  “What you’re going to see tonight is the future of music.  We have high school students, college kids.”

    There were about a dozen performances; some were soloists but others played with piano accompaniment.  For the record, the accompanist received scholarships from the TCMA from 1981 to 1985.

    One musician eschewed traditional instruments in favor of consumer electronics and premiered an untitled original piece that used a laptop linked to special mixer board.

    One of those collegiate musicians was Leah Voccio, a clarinet player since fifth grade with a rich musical background.

    “Both of my parents are musicians so I just kind of brought up around it.  Then I started playing an instrument and I really liked it,” she said.

    The Seekonk High School graduate is a freshman at the University of Miami, studying music therapy.  Her mother is also a member of the Tri-County Symphonic Band, which Sanborn conducts.

    “She told me about the scholarship so I sent in an audition tape and I got one.  It helps me pay for tuition,” said Voccio.

    She opted to travel the classical route and performed a solo piece called “Rhapsody for Clarinet in B-flat.”

    Whether studying music therapy, composition, musical theory, or international relations, music plays a central, immutable role in the lives of all the performers.  Making music is as natural as taking breath.

    “It was never a question whether or not I would pursue music.  I’d never thought of doing anything else,” said Voccio.

By Eric Tripoli

The land of Mattapoisett, being part of the original Plymouth County, has a deep and rich history rooted further back than the first Thanksgiving. Some explorers’ records of the area date back to the early 1600s, with many European settlements speckling the landscape throughout that century.

One of those settlements belonged to the Hammond family, a lineage that runs complete with the history of the town.

“The Hammonds are one of the oldest families of the original Plymouth Colony,” said Seth Mendell of the Mattapoisett Historical Society. “When they came down, they settled down along the Mattapoisett Neck area of town.”

But the history of the Hammonds does not begin in Mattapoisett. According to genealogical records compiled in Burke’s Landed Gentry, Vol. I, “The family of Hammond is of considerable antiquity in England, and it probably may have derived its origin from a branch of the Norman House of St. Amand.” The first known instance of the family could date back to the days of William the Conqueror in 1066, when the name may have been “Hamon” or “Hamond.”

It wasn’t until almost 700 years later that the Hammonds would establish themselves as one of the first families of Mattapoisett.

The first definite historical reference to Mattapoisett dates back to 1640-1641. Governor Bradford had surrendered the majority of the land of Plymouth Colony to free men who were looking to establish European settlements in the area. Mattapoisett was divided into 16 parcels of land, three of which were immediately purchased and settled by the Dexters, the Barlows and the Hammonds.

“I think the Hammonds were actually the first to purchase their land near the river,” said Mendell.

Branches of the Hammond family had been established in the New World dating as far back as 1607 in areas near Virginia and Maryland. In 1632, William Hammond arrived in Boston and settled in Watertown. Two years later, the rest of his family immigrated to America.

That same year, another part of the family settled in Massachusetts, consisting of Elizabeth Penn Hammond, widow to William of London (who never set foot in the New World), and her children Benjamin, Elizabeth, Martha and Rachel. While nothing is known about her three daughters, Benjamin would eventually beget the specific branch of the family that ultimately settled Mattapoisett.

Benjamin Hammond chose to settle in Sandwich, where he met and married his wife, Mary Vincent, in 1650. They would go on to have several children, among them: Samuel, John, and Benjamin, Jr.

In 1680, Benjamin’s sons Samuel and John relocated from Sandwich to Rochester, which encompassed the present-day town of the same name, as well as sections of Mattapoisett and Marion.

It was at that time the Hammond family purchased their parcel of land in what was known to the Native Americans as “Mattapoisett,” a word that was said to mean “a place of resting.”

The Hammonds did anything but rest once they established their homestead. Samuel would go on to become a founder of the First Church of Rochester, located in what is now Marion.

In the process, he settled four of his own sons in the area: Seth, Josiah, Barnabas and Jedediah. The land was once owned by Hugh Cole of Swansey, who purchased it directly from “King Philip,” or “Metacomet,” as he was known to his Native American brethren.

Samuel’s brother, John, eventually became a public official, acting as representative to the Province Court.

“The Hammonds really got the ball rolling in town as far as getting things established,” said Mendell.

Benjamin Hammond, Jr. was appointed official special surveyor for the town of Dartmouth in 1723 and was responsible for over half of the 500 drawings of the lands of Rochester, compiled into a single volume that is still available at the Plymouth County Courthouse. It is this Hammond and his family who are the namesakes of Hammondtown area of Mattapoisett.

In the 20th century, though, the Hammonds have played quieter roles in their communities and have spread to all corners of the country.

“My grandfather came over [from England] around the early 1900s,” said Bill Hammond of Lakeville. “He was a glassblower out in Sandwich most of his life.”

“We have relatives in Boston, out in Ohio, and California, I think,” said Cape resident Carol Hammond. “We even have a chef in the family who lives on Nantucket.”

In the grand scheme, members of the Hammond clan dot historical records of all sorts.  From sea captains to farmers, town clerks to Revolutionary War figures, the Hammonds have played vital roles in the formation of Mattapoisett as a settlement and were pivotal in the creation of its history.

By Eric Tripoli

ORR held its annual Powder Puff football game on Tuesday, November 20.    Girls from the junior and senior classes played full-field flag football under the lights in front of an excited crowd.  ORRHS Principal Mike Devoll (in shorts) and Athletic Director Bill Tilden acted as referees during the one-hour game.  Check out these photos from the game.  The juniors are in green and the seniors are in black.  Photos by Eric Tripoli.