November, 2023
Dear Members and Friends,
In 1909, in Colrain, Estella Smith married Ralph Purrington in a white tulle and
lace wedding dress. In 2023, their granddaughter in California sent us that dress and a
portrait of the newlyweds, plus a photo of Ralph on the job on the Shelburne Falls-Colrain Electric Road (trolley).
That’s the stuff of the story of Colrain and of the people who lived here.
The Colrain Historical Society preserves and maintains an extensive collection of
artifacts, photos (especially), documents and textiles that tell those stories. They will be
told in the Museum of Colrain History (formerly known as the Pitt House) throughout
our five buildings in Colrain center. Work to restore these buildings for a refreshed
museum will continue in 2024. You can support us in this work by volunteering to help
at the summer garden tour or the “Colrain and the Hilltowns on Canvas” in the fall or by
working on the collection or in building maintenance.
Meanwhile, the collection will inspire programs next summer such as “Murder on
Catamount” and Colrain’s Johnny Appleseed.
We hope you’ll consider joining the Helen Stacy Legacy Circle by including the
Historical Society in your estate planning as a steward of Colrain’s history into the
future.
We count on your support to meet ongoing expenses such as heating, insurance
and maintenance. Please fill out the form on the back of this letter and return it in the
enclosed envelope with your generous contribution.
Thank you,
Colrain Historical Society Board of Directors
Joan McQuade, Maria Kingsley, Phil Sherburne, Debby Wheeler, Sarah Hollister, Casey
Ryan, Bill Cole, Belden Merims and Cynthia Herbert
I support the efforts of the Colrain Historical Society!
**Non-member friends who contribute $50 or more will become life members.
Name
Address
Email
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Please accept my donation of ( ) $50 ( ) $100 ( ) $250 ( ) $500 Other:$
Please make check payable to The Colrain Historical Society. Thank you!
Note: The CHS is a 501 (c) (3) charitable organization, so all your donations are deductible to the extent of the Federal tax regulations.
