A Page From North Quabbin History: Royalston historic candlelit tour

Carla Charter pf Phillpston.

Carla Charter pf Phillpston. Paul Franz

The Royalston Historical Society will be holding its historical candlelit tour on Oct. 18 at the society's building. Last year's tour was held at the South Royalston Riverside Cemetery.

The Royalston Historical Society will be holding its historical candlelit tour on Oct. 18 at the society's building. Last year's tour was held at the South Royalston Riverside Cemetery. PHOTO COURTESY OF ROYALSTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY—

At the 2023 Royalston Historical Society's candlelit tour, among those who made an appearance was Caleb Day, a 19th-century entrepreneur from South Royalston, played by Athol High School student Connor Pineo.

At the 2023 Royalston Historical Society's candlelit tour, among those who made an appearance was Caleb Day, a 19th-century entrepreneur from South Royalston, played by Athol High School student Connor Pineo. PHOTO COURTESY OF ROYALSTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Published: 10-09-2024 5:01 PM

Modified: 10-14-2024 3:19 PM


By Carla Charter

The Royalston Historical Society’s annual candlelit history tour will be held at the historical society building on Oct. 18. The tour will coincide with the final night of the Women’s Lives in Royalston exhibit.

“We have put so much work into renovating the building, we wanted people to see it,” said Beth Gospodarek, secretary of the society.

Improvements include the painting of the upstairs room and restoration of the Cove ceiling. The building is now climate-controlled and all of the society’s artifacts have been digitally cataloged.

The planning for the candlelit tour began in July, when a group of people gathered to begin writing scripts for the event. The night of the tour, 15 reenactors portraying past residents perform different roles, Gospodarek said.

“We use a lot of Athol High School students as actors,” she added.

Maxine Wilcox, once a teacher in what is now the historical society building, will be among those making an appearance at the event.

“She started teaching at age 19 and spent her entire career in the Athol-Royalston School District, retiring at 80 as a classroom aide. There are people who in their young 30s who had her as an aide in kindergarten and people in their 60s who remember having her as a teacher,” said Gospodarek.

Arlene Vining, a student at the school which later became the historical society and served as postmistress for 30 years, will be making an appearance as well.

The town’s Palm Leaf Hat industry will be represented by reenactors playing Phineas Newton and Miss Bartlett.

“Newton had two horses and would drop off the palm leaves to the women, who worked from home, braiding the leaf,” said Gospodarek. “Women would complete their braids and Newton would collect them and in exchange, the women would receive exchange them for credit to be used at his store.

“Miss Bartlett, one of the best palm leaf hat makers in Royalston, will be portrayed by Kathy Morris, one of the best wheat weavers in the state.”

Elmira Woodbury will be highlighted as well. Woodbury was very involved the Ladies Benevolent Society during the mid-19th century.

“She organized ladies sewing circles where the women would make caps, flannel shirts, socks and bandages for soldiers in the Civil War,” Gospodarek said. “Woodbury also collected used clothing for freed slaves. Another of Woodbury’s efforts was spearheading the first public library in Royalston, which was located in the selectman’s office in the Town Hall. This was before the Phineas Newton Library existed.”

Famous psychic Nina Crandon, known as Margery the Medium, will make an appearance during the tour. When Scientific American offered a prize to anyone who could scientifically prove that contact could be made with the dead, Crandon submitted documentation.

“She had the award in her hand, they were ready to give it to her. Then Houdini proved that the evidence that she had submitted was tainted,” Gospodarek explained. As a result she did not receive the prize. Crandon had a summer home in Royalston, although there is no record of her doing psychic events in town.

Among the former residents who will serve as tour guides is Tamara Goddard Gale, who told her son stories of her past in Royalston, such as going to elections and walking to school in the snow. These stories, which her son typed up, are now part of the Royalston Historical Society’s collections.

There will be three women participating in an 1885 sewing circle/gossip session as part of a re-creation of the South Royalston signature quilt. Depicted at the sewing circle will be Addie Beals as a child, Helen Bradish Day and Mary Carpenter Beales

Millie French, a former Athol Daily News reporter who wrote the Royalston Social Column for many years in the mid-to late-20th century, will also be portrayed at the event.

“She would write about Empress Zita or other people visiting, anniversaries, births, parties, Grange news and other social events. She was famous for getting the story, no matter what. She’d call and if no one returned her call, she would knock on their door,” Gospodarek said.

A retirement article speculated that she may have been the longest serving journalist in the United States, as she began reporting at the age of 16 and retired at 80, according to Gospodarek.

Prince Hall, an American abolitionist and leader in the free black community in Boston, will represent the society’s connection to Isaac Royall Jr., the town’s namesake. Royall was the largest slave owner in Massachusetts and left on Evacuation Day (March 17) for Britain via Canada, leaving the enslaved people who had worked for him for 60 years on their own.

Among those enslaved by Royall included a woman named Belinda Sutton, considered the first civil rights advocate in the United States, according to Gospodarek. Belinda petitioned the Massachusetts General Court in 1783, requesting she receive wages for her unpaid labor. The petition was successful, making Belinda the first enslaved person to receive reparations.

The Royalston Historical Society candlelit tour will be held on Oct. 18 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tours start every 20 minutes. The lights will be off and tours will be led by electric candle. The event is free, but donations will be accepted. There will also be reprints of Royalston history books on sale as well as note cards with photos of the South Royalston quilt squares available for purchase.

Carla Charter is a freelance writer from Phillipston. Her writing focuses on the history of the North Quabbin area. Contact her at cjfreelancewriter@earthlink.net.