2020-2021 Events

January 26, 2020: RI Outhouses, a presentation by Ray Wolf, historian and author. Author Ray Wolf is always looking for unique topics in Rhode Island; one day, he wondered if there happened to be enough outhouses left in the state to fill a book. So far he’s located enough to fill three books

.


Johnelle Bergeron repairs a gravestone
Johnelle Bergeron repairs a gravestone

September 26, 2020: Great Road Day. Northgate and the Bakery were open. Exhibit: Cemetery Restoration Projects. BVHS showcased the cemetery restoration work undertaken this past year by Greg Duhamel and Ken Postle, with photographs from the Facebook group, “River Road and Blackstone River Valley Cemeteries.” 


Milk Bottle-Chase and Butterfly Farm

October 24, 2020.  Local Dairies: History in Milk BottlesDanny Bethel held an exhibit of his collection of vintage milk bottles from local dairies. 


June 27, 2021 BVHS Annual Meeting and Christine Nowak Lecture. The Christine Nowak Lecture was given by Ken Postle. The title of his talk was Inconvenient Burials, and he spoke about his work preserving historic cemeteries.


September 25, 2021. Great Road Day. Northgate and the Bakery were open. ExhibitThe Papers of Arnold Jenckes. Jenckes (1797-1873) was a farmer and a cooper, who made lime casks for the Harris Lime Company. His farm was near the present-day Lincoln Mall.  The papers include bills, receipts, paid IOU’s, a running tab at a general store, his commission as captain of the militia, and lists of the members of his company. These bits and pieces, that may have come from his desk drawers, allow us to see a little bit of an everyday farmer’s life in the 19th century. 


Moffat Mill

October 23:  Moffett Mill and the Lincoln Centennial. The BVHS will hold a double exhibit from the collection of Danny Bethel. The first exhibit will feature Moffett Mill, and the second, items from Lincoln’s 1971 Centennial.   In honor of Lincoln’s 150th birthday, and to get ready for the Lincoln anniversary parade on October 30 this year. the Centennial exhibit will showcase 90 newspaper articles on the many events from start to finish of the Lincoln Centennial in 1971. The Moffett Mill exhibit will give a comprehensive look at the mill, a machine shop throughout most of the 19th century,  that produced wagons, carriages, wooden boxes, shoe laces, and other tools used by local farmers. The exhibit will showcase an extraordinary collection, including a blacksmith’s ledger, daily work journals, pictures of the mill, and personal  items from the Moffett family


World War II Helmets
World War II Helmets from the collection of Kevin Heskin

November 13, 2021: World War II/ An exhibit by Kevin Heskin. Heskin brought a new exhibit from his extensive collection.  Having spent over a decade in search of World War II memorabilia from all over the world, he has items from the armies from all major countries. Spanish, German, Japanese, Italian, and American memorabilia was on display.