On Tuesday, December 3, Hopkinton’s resident historian Chuck Joseph returns to the stage to present the next in a series of oral histories of our town. This time Joseph and his collaborator, Aubrey Doyle, will speak on an incredibly challenging topic: Hopkinton: From the Mayflower (1620) to incorporation (1715). 

Last December, Joseph presented a slideshow and talk Hopkinton’s history, which covered the period of 1950 to the present day, and was well received by audience members. Several “ooh’s” and “ah’s” from the the crowd could be heard as Joseph merged the past with the present, and lively question and answer period followed.

Chronicling Hopkinton’s early days are particularly challenging because very little documentation survives. For months, Joseph and Doyle have painstakingly researched, reconstructing a narrative based on the writings primarily of British citizens that ventured into the new world to live. The story will be told both from the European perspective – what was happening in Hopkinton at that time – and also from the viewpoint of the indigenous people that had lived here for more than a thousand years.

“We would like folks to come away with a deeper understanding of how Hopkinton fit into the large historical forces that gave rise to it,” said Joseph. “We are always amazed by the significant contributions the citizens of our town made to our nation’s history.”

To that end, Joseph and Doyle have already begun work on the next lecture in the series, which they’re calling “Hopkinton from 1715 – 1776”. 

The event is free to attend and will be held at the Hopkinton High School auditorium on December 3 at 6:30 PM.

Watch Joseph’s previous presentation below.