3Borcl)ester historical ^octetp DORCHESTER, JUNE 6 1908 SOUVENIR PROGRAM Celebration DORCHESTER HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF THE Two Hundred and Seventy-eighth Anniversary of the Settlement of DORCHESTER in the year 1630 ON SAVIN HILL SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 1908 BAND CONCERT, 1.30 P.M. EXERCISES, 2.00 P.M. Fl4- DORCHESTER HISTORICAL SOCIETY OFFICERS President, Richard C. Humphreys. Vice-President, James H. Stark. Secretary and Treasurer, John A. Fowle. Auditor, Thomas F. Temple. DIRECTORS W. E. Dunham. James F. Wattles. The Dorchester HxsTORtCAL Socxetv occupies and owns the «Olb Blake House" built in 1648. The Soeietv was formed to perpetuate the memory of those who ^Dorchester. Its motto is found on the old Town Sea,,- Piety, Learning, Industry. In the Blake Hol-se are to he seen articles connected with the early History of Dorchester and relics of the CrvilWar. Citizens of Dorchester should be members of this Society. Membership is One Dollar a year. The Blake House is opened free on Tuesday and Saturdays from 2 to 5 p.m. OD o W a cr a DO H > 2 n W GREETING The Dorchester Historical Society extends to all present a cordial greeting to the 278th anniversary of the settlement of Good 0l d Dorchester, to enjoy with us the contemplation of the scene from this noted hill. As we look from its eminence down the Harbor to the sandy beach now called Point Allerton where the One Hundred «d Forty Pas- sengers from the little craft named "Mary «, John" landed in Six- teen Hundred and Thirty, and made it such a consecrated spot. We see the place where their feet first touched American soil. There they all fell on their knees and offered up a silent prayer £ thanks givfng for the successful ending of their perilous voyage hen they assembled together and sang the old hymn beginning with the line "Thou, Lord, hast been our Sure Defence. Then we seem to see them in their boats coming across Dorchester Bay, and landing near the foot of this hill which they called Rock Hill. Here they built a Fort, and placed in it several cannon. If we turn to the West.we can see the place on the comer of Pleasant and Cottage Streets where our forefathers settled. ,,,„ r , BIVS ;„ which to reside, there they built There they erected Log Cabins in wm sett iers' the Church, and laid out roads, soon to be bordered with the Historic Houses. . , In that sacred church building built of the logs they «- « « 4. FIRST FREE PUBEIC ScHOOE ^^^^Z^Li First Town Meeting on tins continen . rhe "^ themselves by many acts and deeds, as shown in the Histones Good Old Dorchester. Edward Everett was born near the Blake House, and in an ora- tion on Dorchester, delivered in 1855, Mr. Everett said, in alluding to Savin Hill, — "Old Hill as we called it in my boyhood, more than fifty years ago notwithstanding the tasteful villas which adorn its base, it exhibits the same groupings of Cedars and the same magnificent Rocks and com- mands the same fine view of the Harbor which it did before a single house was built within its precincts. Venerable trees, which seemed big to me in my childhood, seem but little bigger now, though I can trace the storms of fifty winters on some of their well-recollected branches." We may turn in any direction, and "view the landscape o'er" we are charmed with the view, not excelled in any part of our good old Massachusetts . Critics may call our ancestors austere and illiberal in many of their acts, but History shows that they were sincere and right in almost all they did. They "builded better than they knew." On this our anniversary "Dorchester Day" we meet again to dwell on the scenes of Long Ago, to recall the memories of our an- cestors, to dwell upon their aims, their characters, their acts, andwitli pride to think of their successes. May each of us strive to emulate their example and keep alive their love of Freedom and Patriotism! DORCHESTER DAY CELEBRATION 278th Anniversary of the Settlement of Dorchester Under the auspices of the Sorrtjeafrr Ifiatnrtral ^ortrtg JUNE 6, 1908 MUSIC, 1.30 P.M. ADDRESSES, 2 P.M. EXERCISES AT SAVIN HILL MUSIC OPENING ADDRESS . . Richard C. Humphreys President of the Dorchester Historical Society SINGING by one hundred and fifty school-children, " To Thee, O Country" ADDRESS Rev. Arthur Little, D.D. MUSIC READING Miss Wilhelmina C. Heuser ADDRESS Harry H. Ham, Esq. SINGING by school-children/'Almighty Lord" PRESENTATION OF PRIZES to the school-children for the best compositions on " Old Dorchester" SINGING, "America" At 4 o'clock the regatta on Dorchester Bay will start, and can be seen from the hill Old Blake House, 1648 Compliments of the DORCHESTER HISTORICAL SOCIETY OFFICERS President, RICHARD C. HUMPHREYS Vice-President, JAMES H. STARK Secretary and Treasurer, JOHN A. FOWLE Auditor, THOMAS F. TEMPLE DIRECTORS EDWARD A. HUEBENER J. L. MILLER A. F. DELANO LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 012 608 721 4