Programs and Events

Upcoming Programs

Travel and the Automobile
Tuesday, February 8, 2022 (7:30 to 8:30 p.m.)
via Zoom, AAA

Mary Maguire (Director of Public and Government Affairs) and John Paul (AAA’s “Car Doctor”) will bring their many years of experience to this presentation on how AAA has changed over the years, offering new resources and travel opportunities. Mary will discuss her work at the State House (e.g., working to pass the ban on texting while driving as well as the Distracted Driving and Slow Down, Move Over laws) and John will share stories from his weekly automotive columns and the Car Doctor radio program. Bring your car and travel questions — historical or otherwise!

Evacuation Day: The Story of the Knox Expedition and the British Evacuation of Boston
Tuesday, March 8, 2022 (7:30 to 8:30 p.m.)
via Zoom, John Horrigan

John Horrigan will share the story of the Knox Expedition and the British Evacuation of Boston. Specifically, he’ll talk about Henry Knox moving 59 cannons 300 miles from Fort Ticonderoga to Boston by sled, oxen and wagons so that the artillery was mounted atop Dorchester Heights by early March. However, on March 17, 1776, the British decided to abandon their hold on Boston and left the city…hence, Boston’s celebration of Evacuation Day.

The Quabbin Reservoir and its History
Tuesday, April 12, 2022 (7:30 to 8:30 p.m.)
via Zoom, John Horrigan

John Horrigan will present a chronology of the development of Boston’s water system, beginning with the discovery of the Great Spring on the Shawmut Peninsula. The construction of dams and pipelines that connected several ponds and lakes from Western Massachusetts then ensured that the growing population of metropolitan Boston had access to fresh water — all from the massive Quabbin Reservoir in the Swift River Valley.

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How to Register. Please visit the library website to register for these programs: https://westwoodlibrary.libcal.com/calendar. Find the program, then click on “Begin Registration” to sign up. You will receive an e-mail the day before the event with the Zoom information you need to join us. (If you’d rather register by phone, just call 781-320-1045.

As always, we welcome ideas for speakers, including yourself.
Just send us an e-mail at westwoodhistorical@comcast.net.