Wyman Tavern Lecture on Firearms in the Connecticut River Valley

On Thursday, July 30 at 7:00 p.m., Robert Colton will give a lecture on The Evolution of Firearms in the Connecticut River Valley, 1750's - Post Civil War at the Wyman Tavern Museum. This is the first of three programs in the 2009 Wyman Tavern Lecture Series, Muskets, Militia, and Firearm Manufacturing. The lecture series is in conjunction with an exhibit entitled Muskets, Shotguns and Pepperboxes of firearms from the collection of the Historical Society of Cheshire County on display at the Wyman Tavern beginning July 18.

Mr. Colton has been the historian at the Springfield Armory National Historic Site in Springfield, MA for 9 years. During the Revolutionary War, this strategic site served as the Continental Army's primary arsenal for munitions and supplies. In 1794, the U.S. Congress established Armory to manufacture weapons for the nation's armed forces. During Mr. Colton's tenure at the Armory, he has been engaged in research and the development of public programs that deepen understanding of Armory's history, including its role in the Revolutionary War, early efforts at artillery manufacture in the late 18th century, and the achievement of interchangeable manufacture in the early 18th century.

The second lecture in the series will be given on Thursday, August 20 at 7:00 p.m. by Bill Hartley, former Fort at No. 4 interpreter, on The Volunteer Soldier: The Role and Function of the Local Militia. The Wyman Tavern Lecture Series will conclude on Thursday, September 10 at 7:00 p.m. with a presentation by Alan Rumrill, Director of the Historical Society of Cheshire County, on the history of local manufacturing of firearms in Cheshire County.

Keene's Historic Wyman Tavern is located at 339 Main St. in Keene. All three lectures are free and open to the public with donations encouraged. Reservations are requested due to limited seating. Please call HSCC at 352-1895 to make a reservation.