Kids become junior historians
Doug Vantran taught a group of kids about Middleboro fire safety techniques from centuries ago on Tuesday, July 30. Photos by Nick Mossman
An old fire engine at the Middleboro Historical Museum.
A life-size model horse named Evanmist Concorde sits in the museum’s Carriage House.
A newspaper article about Middleboro’s horse-drawn wagon days was taped a support beam in one of the museum buildings.
This old fire engine was sat next to a more traditional looking one.
Some old yard tools at the museum.
According to Vantran, these old fire alarms used to be used across town and a “fire horn” would signal for fire rescue to come.
Anne Higgins talks to a group of kids in the remodeled general store at the museum.
This set of shoes is might have looked a lot like the ones on sale over a century ago. 
A set of artifacts from the American Revolutionary War.
There was a wide assortment of items that would have been for sale at the real general store in the 1800s.
An outhouse was also featured on the museum grounds.
Doug Vantran taught a group of kids about Middleboro fire safety techniques from centuries ago on Tuesday, July 30. Photos by Nick Mossman
An old fire engine at the Middleboro Historical Museum.
A life-size model horse named Evanmist Concorde sits in the museum’s Carriage House.
A newspaper article about Middleboro’s horse-drawn wagon days was taped a support beam in one of the museum buildings.
This old fire engine was sat next to a more traditional looking one.
Some old yard tools at the museum.
According to Vantran, these old fire alarms used to be used across town and a “fire horn” would signal for fire rescue to come.
Anne Higgins talks to a group of kids in the remodeled general store at the museum.
This set of shoes is might have looked a lot like the ones on sale over a century ago.
A set of artifacts from the American Revolutionary War.
There was a wide assortment of items that would have been for sale at the real general store in the 1800s.
An outhouse was also featured on the museum grounds.
MIDDLEBORO – Kids from the Middleboro Park Department’s summer program got a glimpse of what Middleboro looked like two centuries ago during a tour of the Middleboro Historical Museum on Thursday, July 30.
According to Doug Vantran, a member of the historical association’s board of directors, the kids also got an overview of Middleboro history.
The groups made stops among four historical buildings, including an old law office, a fire station, remodeled general store and an outhouse— all reminiscent of the late 1700s and early 1800s.
Kids watched videos that showed a person from the 1850s and slideshows displaying pictures of Middleboro’s past.
“They learned about Middleboro and some of its favorite inhabitants,” said Dan Thompson, president of the Middleboro Historical Association.
Among those inhabitants were famous couple General Tom Thumb and Lavinia Warren, who were little people and performers for P.T. Barnum in the 1850s. They saw Warren’s dresses and other items from the couple’s Middleboro home as they walked around a model house from the era.
For 10-year old Ellie Howe, she said it was her favorite part of the tour.
Other kids enjoyed the tour too.
“It was interesting,” 11-year old Carmella Geloran said.
Tess Busa, 10, said that learning about Middleboro’s history was “good and fun.”
And while the kids had fun, historical association president Dan Thompson also believes that they learned some valuable lessons about history.
“We draw from our past and hopefully learn from it,” he said.
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