True Tales: Field Trip to Historical Society

Children from the Dean S. Luce School picnic on the Historical Society lawn (photo by the author)

Under a threatening sky, 40 children set out from the Dean S. Luce School for a pilgrimage into Canton’s history. The third graders walked past ancient stone walls, over the dam at Reservoir Pond, quite near the Tilden House and up past the Draper home on Pleasant Street. At the intersection of Washington and Pleasant they crossed, and soon thereafter they climbed the four steps into Canton’s history.

Each year dozens of classes from the Canton Public Schools make their way to the Canton Historical Society. This year, the entire third grade — almost 300 children — visited the society from the Luce, Kennedy, and Hanson schools. A right of passage in Canton, the Histy opens doors and imaginations through a rich tradition of storytelling and local lore. The building is the same as ever, plenty of artifacts on display and smiling docents at the ready.

Once nearly 50 years ago, a small boy was stopped after stuffing two whalebone teeth into his pockets. A parent blushingly returned the artifacts to Ed Bolster, who smiled knowingly: “He wanted a piece of our history.” Today, the artifacts are more closely watched, and town historians are the guides.

Jim Fitzpatrick sits in the corner underneath the uniforms of our war heroes. Always and forever known as “Chief,” it is his storytelling that captures the minds of the kids who stop by his post. Jim knows the war stories, knows the equipment, and most important, knows the guns. Next to Jim is a glass case filled with weapons. Not surprisingly, the boys love this exhibit. The questions come fast and furious. “Was that gun used in a war?” “Did that gun kill someone?” Jim answers the questions as best he can, and the boys linger to learn more.

All the cases are filled with the artifacts of battle — the canteen found on the field in the war against the states, riddled with bullet holes. It is all there, the sharp uniforms, the emblems, the pins and honors, the flags, the armament and photographs of Canton’s boys. A dusty pair of field boots worn in the Gulf War in Iraq sits as a silent reminder of our recent struggles in the Middle East.

The building is full of stories, and of late the focus has indeed been on the veterans of the various conflicts and Canton’s role in fighting for our freedoms. It may very well be the “year of the veteran,” with Tony Andreotti’s recent honor as being our Citizen of the Year. Also, the anniversary of the Great War — the United States Civil War — has occupied much of the exhibit space over the past several months.

Over in another corner the children were gathered around a large glass box that contained a scale model of the Doty Tavern. Each child had a different thought as to what this diminutive building represented. Most common theories among the eager faces were that this was a building from the era of the Pilgrims. A few others knew this was not the case; after all, the Pilgrims didn’t land at Blue Hills, they countered. Indeed, the Doty Tavern, arguably the birthplace of the Suffolk Resolves, is a true national landmark.

Scale model of the historic Doty Tavern constructed by Allen Lowry (photo by the author)

The Doty Tavern was destroyed by fire around 1886, but during America’s Bicentennial the tavern came back to life in the hands of local artist Alan Lowry. The scale model helps us tell the story of the lost building. Inside this humble wooden structure, Samuel Adams and Joseph Warren met in congress to express their growing indignation with King George III. The treasonous meeting was held in September 1774, and all eyes widen when told of the bravery that happened under that roof.

At yet another station, children gather to hear Barbara Stanwood tell of the Crowd family. Largely known as the last of the Ponkapoag Indians, we know that the family still lives on today in the descendants spread across the country. The case that helps share their stories is filled with family portraits and Native American artifacts. A small pair of reading glasses in a leather case sit next to a collection of arrowheads that had been passed down through the family and ultimately given to the society by a distant cousin.

As the third graders peer into the case, they see a small pair of moccasins that belonged to Little Crow (probably Crow Foot), son of Sitting Bull. Delicately beaded, the reindeer hide and porcupine quillwork is dyed with indigo and saffron. The young imaginations rush to the Dakotas and stories of the Indian Wars in a pitched battle for the territories.

Across the room, Ann Galvin stands near a cobbler’s bench explaining how early residents had to make do on their own and repairing shoes was part of a household chore. Next to Ann is a case of school mementos commemorating the rich academic history of Canton. A primer from the late 1600s sits open to a page: “Every sin deserves God’s wrath and curses both in this life and that which is to come.” Pretty heady words for an 8 year old.

Nearby is the chair of Captain James Endicott, a simple black Windsor chair that once sat near a fireplace in his brick house on Washington Street. The man who sat in this chair marched to the Lexington Alarm and fought at Fort Ticonderoga in the American Revolution. The chair passed from generation to generation, and now the 200-year-old chair speaks volumes about the man and his legacy, not only Canton, but to the foundation of liberty in America.

The Histy is never quiet when filled with children. They ask why. They ask how. They challenge and we respond. For this brief morning these young minds are being filled with a sense of what is important to Canton’s history. Who knows what will inspire them, which one will become an archeologist or a teacher, which one will join the service or become a fireman. Their world is open to amazing possibilities, and at least one or two will pick up something small, turn it in their hands, and imagine a future built upon the past.

Indian moccasins of reindeer hide worn by Little Crow (photo by the author)

As adults, we fail to slow down and just explore our world. It is in the exploration that we discover new and wonderful things about ourselves and the place we call our home. Just outside on the lawn sat four dozen hungry kids having a picnic lunch before their trek back to the Luce — the sky now cleared, their faces dappled with sunlight as they regaled each other with stories and imagined old Canton.

Corey Kleinbauer has lived in Canton for 16 years. Inspired by tales from Canton’s history, last fall he took his three daughters for a hike in the woods. Just off the trail an old washtub was sticking from the ground. After clearing some leaves, the Kleinbauer family discovered the joy of an old field-trash mound. Middens are very common throughout New England, and there are countless numbers in Canton. Trash heaps, dating to the mid to late 19^th century, were part of domestic life. Small bottles, discarded cutlery, and fragments of pottery can easily be found in backyards throughout town.

The Kleinbauers’ discovery included some wonderful finds. “One was an ornate bottle with raised lettering, and on it was inscribed, ‘My Wife’s Salad Dressing Company,’” noted Corey. “Another was from the Blue Label Ketchup Company, but the most interesting one was a small milk jug from Ashlawn Farm. It was a beautiful bottle, made from the kind of glass which was very sturdy and thick. It also had ‘J E Taylor, Canton, MA’ printed with raised lettering on the bottle.” Alongside the intact bottles were broken china, blue and clear patent medicine bottles, and shards of pottery — all very common, yet very wonderful to discover.

The Kleinbauer family is not so different than the third graders who trooped through the Historical Society; they are on a pathway to discovering more about their town and the people who lived here and walked the same paths hundreds of years ago. And the stories and answers that tie us to the past are easy to access through the storytellers today. Folks like Jim, Ann, Wally, and Barbara are continuing the tradition. At the Canton Historical Society the stories have flowed for over 100 years.

The date and time for your family fieldtrip has been set. On Sunday, July 1, from 12 to 4 p.m., the Historical Society building will be free and open to the public. And a hot dog social on the front lawn is your picnic. Come and discover the thrill of seeing Canton in a whole new way. Perhaps you have driven by and wondered, “When is that building open?” Your invitation has arrived; your fieldtrip will take you deep into our history, and you will see our town through the eyes of a third grader.

The hotdog social is $5 and includes lemonade, a Hoodsie ice cream, and admission to the Historical Society. Bring the family and spend an afternoon discovering Canton’s history.

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