By George Barnes TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF ATHOL — It is as close to a real treasure hunt as the town could imagine — a bit of a mystery, clues in old documents, and an eclectic group of people looking for answers. “It's like Athol's own version of ‘National Treasure,' ” Athol Historical Society President Susannah Whipps-Lee said, referring to the two movies about historical treasure hunting starring Nicolas Cage. Mrs. Whipps-Lee will meet with the Board of Selectmen tonight to request permission to remove an obelisk monument in Hapgood Street Cemetery in the hope of retrieving 300 pages of documents and whatever else is found stored inside it. The monument is about 10 feet tall. It was erected in the cemetery, which is also called Old Indian Cemetery or Settlers Burial Ground, 150 years ago and dedicated on a bitter cold July 4, 1859. The event was well noted in local papers and the town's history, but what escaped notice over the years was what was inside. When the monument was erected, the documents were carefully placed in a glass jar and inserted into a tube inside the stone obelisk before schoolchildren pulling on ropes raised it into place. Mrs. Whipps-Lee said that although she has spent a considerable amount of time reading town's historical documents, the fact of the hidden documents escaped her notice until she was contacted by Athol High School teacher Keith Williams. Mr. Williams, a history teacher, discovered a notation about the documents in William Lord's “History of Athol.” He said he made the discovery as a result of a discussion with a colleague who insisted a cemetery on Pleasant Street was the oldest in town. Mr. Williams said he was sure the Hapgood Street Cemetery was older. To prove his point, he went to the town history and discovered he was correct. He also found that there might be something of a treasure hidden in the stone. Mr. Williams said he wanted confirmation of the existence of the documents, so he contacted Richard Chaisson, a retired Telegram & Gazette reporter, who was able to find further evidence in his files. Mr. Williams then contacted Mrs. Whipps-Lee, and the treasure hunt was on. “Who knows between now and then what will be there,” he said. “But whatever there is, it really lends itself to wanting to open it up and see what is there.” Mrs. Whipps-Lee said the removal of the monument would be difficult as the cemetery is fenced in with limited town access to the 132-foot-by-62-foot lot. She said she contacted Public Works Director Douglas Walsh, who then spoke with Richard Verock of Athol Granite. “He felt he could come up with a way to safely and respectfully lift it up and get the documents out,” she said. The cemetery may be the burial ground of 40 of the town's settlers, although the number is unclear as the graves are unmarked and documents list only a handful buried there. Mrs. Whipps-Lee said when the cemetery was first used in the 1700s, the settlers were under threat of attack by Indian tribes that passed through the area. Marking the graves would have tipped off any hostile force about how many settlers were dead. The documents in the monument are mostly known. They include a record of the ceremony dedicating the monument, including speeches given by two ministers; the Athol Directory and Advertiser for 1858; the town valuation from 1856; Athol school reports for 1858 and 1859; and records of meetings that resulted in the burying ground being reconsecrated. Mrs. Whipps-Lee said she has no idea if the documents were stored well enough to last 150 years. Town Clerk Nancy E. Burnham has contacted Gregory Trinkaus-Randall, a preservation specialist with the state Board of Library Commissioners, who has agreed to be on hand to assist in dealing with the old documents. Mrs. Whipps-Lee said the documents may be just a pile of dust or a ball of mush, but it is worth finding out. She said she also hopes for undocumented surprises, possibly personal items placed with the documents by those involved with placing the monument in 1859. “We're hoping after they are removed, the documents can be put on display,” she said. If there is anything left of them, the documents would also be professionally preserved before being put on display. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: SUSANNAH WHIPPS LEE 978.249.4243 OR SUSIE@WHIPPS.COM MAKE A DONATION |
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EVENTS - 2010
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