The Bidwell House Museum, in collaboration with the Monterey Community Center, is excited to again present the off-season program “History Talk Replay”. Join friends and neighbors at the Monterey Community Center on one Sunday afternoon in January, February and March to view a broadcast of one of our popular summer History Talks. Next up on Sunday February 9 at 1pm is a talk from 2019 titled A Little Rebellion Now and Then: A History of Shays’ Rebellion. The History Talk Replay series is free, but donations are welcome.
Shays Rebellion is viewed as an agrarian revolt pitting impoverished farmers in western Massachusetts against the wealthy merchant class of the coastal eastern part of the State. In this lecture, hear an account of the participants and events of this post-revolutionary uprising that both confirm and negate this long-held perception. Dennis Picard shared the stories about people who became known as the “Regulators,” their activities in our area, a few personages of local interest and the effect on our nation’s early history.
Dennis D. Picard has been a museum professional in the living history field for forty years. He began his career at Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge Massachusetts, in 1978, where he eventually spent twelve years filling various positions including lead interpreter, researching and designing many public programs which are still offered by that institution today. He also served on the staff of Hancock Shaker Village as a historic trade craftsman and site interpreter. He has held the position of Assistant Director and Director at several sites including Fort Number Four in Charlestown New Hampshire, the Sheffield Historical Society in the Massachusetts Berkshires and has recently retired after 27 years at Storrowton Village Museum in West Springfield Massachusetts.
The Bidwell House Museum is located at 100 Art School Road, Monterey, MA. The Museum is closed for the season but will re-open on May 25, 2020. The gardens and grounds are open for free, year round. For more information, please call 413-528-6888 or go to www.bidwellhousemuseum.org.