Bradford, Vt.
Bradford, like other Upper Valley communities and those across the country, sent men to fight in the Great War in addition to making contributions on the home front.
Larry Coffin, president of the Bradford Historical Society, recently answered questions via email about the nonprofit organization’s World War I exhibit. The interview has been edited for length, style and clarity.
Question: Tell us about the Bradford Historical Society’s World War I exhibit: Where did the artifacts and research come from, and how was it put together?
Answer: During the period from April 1917 to November 1918, Bradford sent 79 of its residents in response to President Wilson’s call for troops in World War I. Three of those individuals died in service and five were wounded.
Lee Parker, Byron Page and nurse Josephine Barrett died of disease during the war. Parker and Barrett were known victims of the Spanish influenza that struck down millions around the world.
The Bradford Historical Society has developed a major exhibit to commemorate not only their service, but the role of Bradford residents on the home front.
The artifacts in the military portion of the exhibit include items carried by Bradford soldiers. These include uniforms, a gas mask, the specialized equipment of an artillery spotter and a rifle used by recruits during training.
The home front portion features items from the Red Cross local campaign, song sheet of war related music, period newspapers and flyers from war bond events as well as both original and reproductions of war time posters.
Central to the display is a large reproduction of a photo of Bradford’s three Haskins brothers, Charles, Harold and Earl, all in uniform. The first two served in France. This poster is in addition to a large display of individual photographs of other Bradford residents who joined the service. These are original photographs that have been carefully preserved.
One photograph is of Fred Louanis and Martin Murphy, best friends who left Bradford Academy at the end of their junior year and served in France with the American Expeditionary Force. When these men returned, Bradford Academy allowed them to graduate with the class of 1919 on the assumption that a year on the Western Front was equivalent to a year of high school.
Historical society vice president Meroa Benjamin compiled information about many of those in the photographs, complete with a flyer containing their personal and service details. She assisted treasurer Diane Smarro and I in searching through the society’s collection to locate the artifacts displayed.
Q: The Bradford Historical Society has already hosted an event called “Rosie’s Mom: Forgotten Women of the First World War.” What other World War I-inspired programs are planned?
A: On April 6, the Society hosted a program entitled “A Salute to WW I Veterans.” Locals read from letters sent home by Bradford soldiers as well as a diary kept by the Murphy family detailing the packages they sent to France. The program included songs and poems of the period along with slides of the battlefields as they appear today. Excerpts from the written accounts of Second Lieutenant Harold Haskins were presented. This program will be repeated as the anniversary of Armistice Day approaches in November 2018.
The letters, often addressed from “somewhere in France,” gave the homefolks reassurance as to the health and safety of their men. While several mention gas attacks, only one, written by Ernest Harmon to his wife in West Newbury, gave real details of combat. Harmon would later use that battle experience as a commander in World War II and as president of Norwich University.
Many of the local men served with the Yankee Division along with other New England soldiers. This division holds the distinction of holding the longest service on the Western Front of any American unit.
Q: Exhibits are often the work of the greater community. What kind of stories or artifacts did members of the community share?
A: Included in the display are two recent acquisitions donated by a local couple. They are a brass German artillery casing and a French cannon shell. The latter is an example of “trench art” and engraved with the words “Argonnen 1918.”
Q: You are known for having great knowledge of history in the Upper Valley. While working on the exhibit, what’s something surprising that you learned?
A: Benjamin, Smarro and I expressed surprise at the quality and quantity of the artifacts from various parts of the collection or held in storage and the stories we discovered regarding the military training and service overseas.
Q: What other exhibits and programs does the historical society have planned for the summer?
A: Other programs being planned by the Society for this season include a holiday concert on Friday, June 30, featuring the Bayley Hazen Boys, a two-part program entitled “Introduction to Family Research,” to be held in cooperation with the Bradford Public Library on Oct. 4 and 11, and Steve Taylor’s presentation entitled “Our Long Love-Hate Relationship with Agricultural Fairs” on Oct. 17. This program will be preceded by a potluck supper. All programs are open to the public with further details announced through local media.
Editor’s Note: The Bradford Historical Society Museum is located on the third floor of the Bradford Academy Building at 172 N. Main St., Bradford, Vt. It is open every Friday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and by appointment, which can be made by calling 802-222-4423 or 802-222-9621. Admission is free and handicapped accessible.
Liz Sauchelli can be reached at esauchellli@vnews.com or 603-727-3221.
