Barre Massachusetts Historical Society, 18 Common Street, Barre, MA (2026)

Here at the Barre Historical Society we know the importance of not only preserving history but also sharing it with the public. We work hard to maintain our archives as well as museum displays so that they may be shared with future generations. Throughout the year we offer a variety of lectures and programs of interest to our members and the community. Our collections of local history and genealo

gy are available for research by appointment. Our buildings are open most Thursdays from 10:00am-Noon as well as Saturday mornings to coincide with The Barre Farmer's Market at which time visitors are more than welcome to stop by.

05/31/2026

𝘼 𝙋𝙍𝙊𝙁𝙄𝙇𝙀 𝙊𝙁 𝙎𝙏𝙍𝙀𝙉𝙂𝙏𝙃 𝘼𝙉𝘿 𝘾𝙊𝙐𝙍𝘼𝙂𝙀: 𝘿𝙊𝘾𝙏𝙊𝙍 𝙅𝙊𝙎𝙀𝙋𝙃 𝙉𝙔𝙀 𝘽𝘼𝙏𝙀𝙎 𝙊𝙁 𝘽𝘼𝙍𝙍𝙀 𝙈𝘼𝙎𝙎𝘼𝘾𝙃𝙐𝙎𝙀𝙏𝙏𝙎 (1811 – 1883)
“𝘼 𝙈𝙖𝙣 𝙁𝙞𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝘼𝙣𝙮 𝙀𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙮”

On our traditional “Memorial Day,” let’s look at the life of an amazing man in Barre’s history, Dr. Joseph Nye Bates. It is hard for a person to have such broad-branching achievements in our current age. Dr. Bates was a man for all seasons, and one of tremendous courage.

For almost 72 years, a Barre native with an amazingly diverse span of abilities and a courageous heart provided services to our town, our region, and our nation. For years, he resided in what was formerly called the “Tatman House,” and which now serves as the Barre Historical Society’s “Heritage Center” on Common Street.

Dr. Joseph Nye Bates was born in Barre on March 16, 1811 to Dr. Anson Bates and Mary Caldwell (Ruggles) Bates. Like his father, Joseph was a gifted physician and surgeon. A tribute written by a colleague upon Joseph’s death in 1883 described how “at a very early age he gave evidence of unusual force of character and was the acknowledged leader of his companions.” Given his circumstances, this is not surprising. Joseph was the oldest of seven children. A maternal great-grandfather was John Caldwell, Esquire, one of Barre’s earliest leading citizens. John Caldwell was legendary for his power, both physical and moral.

Joseph’s father, Dr. Anson Bates, came to Barre from Fairhaven, Massachusetts, before his marriage in 1809 to Mary Caldwell Ruggles. Anson’s father, Capt. Joseph Bates, married Deborah Nye (accounting for Joseph’s middle name) in 1784 in Sandwich, Massachusetts. Captain Joseph Bates was a veteran of the American Revolutionary War. “Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War” reports that he served 33 months as a Lieutenant and three months as a Captain. When the Marquis de Lafayette visited Boston in 1825, he recognized Capt. Joseph Bates as a comrade. No wonder Dr. Joseph Nye Bates inherited a warrior’s spirit!

Dr. Joseph Nye Bates studied at Amherst College, Bowdoin College, and finally at Dartmouth College, where he earned his medical degree in the Class of 1831 when he was 20 years of age. As was common in those days, he obtained much of his medical education studying under a qualified doctor—his father, Anson Bates.

After his marriage to Caroline Houghton of Barre in 1835, the daughter of lawyer Nathaniel Houghton, they resided in her father’s house on the west side of Common Street. This house was built about 1799 by Reuben Tatman. In the memory of our older residents, the house was wedged between the Barre Savings Bank and the Hotel Barre (neither of which was built at the time of their residence) until the Hotel Barre burned in 1990. Then, the “Tatman House” as the Dr. Bates home had been termed, was moved several lots north to the north side of Common Street to make way for the bank’s expansion (now known as Fidelity Bank). The house now sits next to the Spencer Field House, the main headquarters of the Barre Historical Society. The former Houghton/Bates home serves as the “Heritage Center” now, an appropriate use of this prominent physician’s home.

Joseph Bates was much more than a physician by today’s measures.

In December 1838, the “National Aegis” of Worcester, Massachusetts published an article about a fire at the Boston and Barre Cotton Factory at “Smithdale” on the Ware River in Barre. We now call this vanquished village “White Valley.” The mill settlement that once existed there was torn down by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to form the Ware River Watershed.

But in 1838, an important cotton mill operated there that supported many residents of the town. The article details how the mill was destroyed by fire, but one of the water-wheels was saved by the “arrival and well-directed energy of the Barre Engine Company, under the direction of Dr. Joseph N. Bates, a gentleman well answering President Munroe’s description of Gen. Jackson—'A man fit for any emergency.’” Dr. Bates’ efforts were aided by the bucket brigade of water “passed 10 or 12 rods principally by the ladies.”

In current times we may consider firefighting somewhat inconsistent with doctoring, but that was not true almost 200 years ago. And Dr. Joseph Bates had other skills as well. It is not surprising that he would be induced to become a director of the “Bank of Barre,” but it is perhaps not expected that he was an excellent judge of horse flesh. He was very active in the Worcester County West Agricultural Society and was often named to the horse judging committee for the annual Barre Fair.

One of the more endearing anecdotes about Dr. Joseph Bates relates to his horse. A tale about the “sagacity of a horse” from the “Barre Gazette” describes how his horse had rare abilities. Dr. Bates could leave his horse anywhere, not tied up, and the horse would not stray. Never. But, on August 14, 1845, something different happened. While left harnessed to a carriage and unattended, Dr. Joseph Bates’ horse wandered off on its own. It went directly to the blacksmith’s shop in their neighborhood and tried to enter, carriage and all, but that of course did not work because the carriage was too wide to pass through the doorway. Dr. Bates’ horse was led away, examined, and found to have lost a shoe. It was speculated that had the horse been able to get through the doorway into the blacksmith’s shop, the horse might have “seized the bellows or a hammer and helped himself.” We assume that this horse knew that he needed a new shoe and where he needed to go to obtain it.

Dr. Joseph Bates could be counted on to host social gatherings of prodigious proportions. An account of one such party that followed the annual Fourth of July party was carried in the “Barre Gazette” in 1847. After the usual large celebration on the common, “about one hundred ladies and gentlemen” assembled in the “beautiful grove on the grounds of Dr. J. N. Bates.” Here, as the sun made its way down over the horizon, a “procession formed under the salute of artillery, the eatables were demolished, the drinkables absorbed…” They enjoyed music, gun salutes, and, of course, fireworks.

By 1849, Barre’s firefighting force was failing. This situation was due in part to the fortunate circumstances in which there had been very few fires in town. But Dr. Joseph Bates knew that this good fortune could not continue, and that the town should be prepared. A large “Fireman’s Festival” was held at the Naquag House on the Common on Oct. 18. It was a merry night, with “great hilarity.” Full credit for reviving the Fire Department was given to Dr. Joseph N. Bates.

About 1856, Dr. Bates moved his family to Worcester to seek more opportunities. Here he expanded his medical practice but also enjoyed many literary and social organizations such as the Masons and Odd Fellows. He was a trustee of the “State Lunatic Hospital.”

In 1861, at the age of 50 years, Dr. Joseph Nye Bates was commissioned an officer and surgeon in the 15th Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteers. As with so many who were decades younger, Dr. Bates suffered from debilitating illness while serving his country. At least 83 men from Barre joined the 15th “Worcester” Regiment” in which Dr. Joseph Bates served.

The 15th Regiment was mustered in on August 5, 1861. Joseph accompanied the regiment to Washington, DC and then to Poolesville, MD. After weeks in Poolesville, the Regiment took part in the disastrous Battle of Ball’s Bluff.

This battle had a horrendous impact on the 15th Regiment. This was early in the Civil War, and there were several errors in communication. The 15th Regiment had crossed the Potomac River with the intent of raiding a Confederate Camp that was not where they thought it was. They used boats to cross the river. They, and other Union troops, did meet up with Confederate forces, however. Many Union troops were forced down the bluff to the banks of the Potomac River, where there was an inadequate number of boats to ferry them back to Maryland. Many were drowned trying to swim across the river.

Dr. Joseph N. Bates was confined to his bed with sickness on the day of the Battle of Ball’s Bluff. Could he hear the screams of the men trapped at the edge of the river?. At this battle, the 15th Regiment suffered a 50% casualty rate. Of the 621 men who marched into battle, 310 were killed, wounded or missing by the end of the day.

When Dr. Bates heard of the departure of the 15th Regiment to go across the Potomac and into battle, he rose from his sickbed and followed them in a carriage to the place where they had crossed the river. Despite his own illness, he remained at the river crossing for the rest of the day, treating the wounded who were able to swim back across the river in retreat, and he treated them, and directed the removal of the wounded to hospitals. His bravery in doing so was widely acclaimed. He was discharged from service in July 1862, due to continued illness.

Joseph Bates never lost his strong connections with Barre, with its people, and the annual Barre Fair. In 1875, he accompanied the party of Governor Gaston (father of William Gaston who built the mansion now occupied by Insight Meditation Center on Pleasant Street in Barre) to the Barre Fair from Worcester. The Governor’s party, becoming lost on the road from Princeton due to dense fog, was saved by Dr. Bates’ skill and intimate knowledge of how to get through the fog to the Fair.

Joseph N. Bates died of illness at his home in Worcester on February 22, 1883, one month short of his 72nd birthday.

Dr. C. Otis Goodwin, who penned the tribute to Dr. Bates that was published in the ”Proceedings of the Worcester Society of Antiquity for the Year 1883” wrote:

“He had a strong, personal vitality that made itself felt wherever he went, as a sort of cheery warmth and magnetism, that was especially grateful to the sick….he had a retentive memory, perception that was almost intuitive, and judgment that was always quick, and usually correct. He was courageous; he could, when his duty as a surgeon required it, inflict suffering with nerve that showed no semblance of tremor—yet could on the other hand, be tender as a woman…. He disdained to make any distinction in favor of station, race or color, but regardless of times and seasons, personal convenience or even safety, held himself always in readiness to answer the call of all alike. Pay was always a secondary consideration; his duty first; he trusted human nature for the rest. To have required a fee in advance would have seemed to him dishonorable; he never did it. He had a fine physique, reinforced by a resolute will that seemed entirely sufficient to remove mountains, and endurance that was amazing.”

Dr. Bates left a legacy in our town that we can feel but is difficult to define. He was the “all around” type of man, one with great skills as a surgeon but who also put his very substantive courage and physical strength to use many times. He followed his father’s footsteps as a physician in Barre, and some may remember his grand-nephew, the extremely popular Dr. Walter S. Bates, who was known to make house calls on snowshoes.

It is not surprising that his very good friend of more than half a century was the Honorable Ginery Twichell, the dashing stagecoach driver and express rider who lived part of his life in Barre and who made such an impression on our town. They were both courageous and physically strong. Ginery Twichell once said of Dr. Joseph Nye Bates:

“His opportunities never fully equalled his resources.”

That is, Dr. Bates could have accomplished even more than he did, if only he had been presented with greater challenges.

Lucy Allen
March 31, 2023
Rev. March 31, 2026

05/25/2026

BARRE’S MEMORIAL DAY SERVICES
May 25, 2026

The important work of honoring Barre men and women who died in service to their country must go on rain or shine. Since the services are held outdoors, weather has an impact on those who march, play music, speak, and attend. This year, we had both rain and shine.

The 9:15 AM exercises in South Barre were held just as the heaviest rain of the day poured down. Bright umbrellas dominated the scene. Despite the gloom and wetness, the solemn service was done with care and attention. Conditions improved slightly for services in St. Joseph and Glen Valley Cemeteries.

By noon, when the parade set off from Broad Street for North Park where the main exercises are held, the rain stopped and slowly, the clouds parted.

I have been an observer of the Memorial Day Exercises for many years. This year I saw them from a different perspective. I was asked to deliver an address on what was happening in Barre 250 years ago. I also chose to march in the parade for the first time in more than half a century. As I watched the people who lined the parade route, I felt pride in our community. Families brought their young children to learn about the sacrifices of others; adults young and old waved and smiled.

It is my hope that everyone will consider the amount of work that goes into this type of event. Many thanks to all who made it happen: Post #2, the Colors, Honor Guard, Legion Members, Veterans, Auxiliary Members, Sons of the American Legion; Clergy, Select board, Barre Police Officers, Barre Firemen, and Quabbin Community Band; Scouts, Brownies, Little League, Barre Riding and Driving Club, Rescue Squad; antique cars, military vehicles, fire trucks, police cars, and other emergency vehicles. Speakers must be found, sound system set up, and the entire Common buffed and polished. Buntings are hung and all those tiny American flags are set into the ground. I know I have unintentionally left people and groups out, and I’m sorry about that. We should all be thankful that we have a community that understands the importance of keeping these traditions alive.

Below is the address I gave about Barre’s Revolutionary Roots, in honor of our country’s 250th anniversary.

“BARRE’S REVOLUTIONARY ROOTS: 25O YEARS AGO

On our nation’s 250th anniversary, let’s look at Barre’s revolutionary roots. An extraordinary thing happened 250 years ago. After debating only two days, the delegates of 13 American Colonies, loosely organized into a Continental Congress, formally adopted a bold Declaration of Independence from Great Britain, perhaps the most powerful nation on earth. Fifteen months had passed since the Battles of Lexington and Concord. In just over one year, the foundation of the United States was laid by men from 13 colonies spread over an area 4 and one-half times the geographic size of Great Britain. Despite having a much larger territory, the thirteen colonies contained only about 2.5 million people, or about 30% the population of Great Britain. This is less than the number of people in metropolitan Boston who use water from Quabbin Reservoir.

The Declaration of Independence accused the British Government of trying to subdue the colonies with absolute Despotism; thus, it was the duty of the colonies to throw off that government and to make a new one. Next, the Declaration contained a long list of repeated injuries that the colonies had suffered. The Colonies had humbly attempted to work out their differences with Great Britain, but the government’s response had been to heap on even more insults. Lastly, the Declaration of Independence presented the basic truths on which the new country would be founded: that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

As we gather here in North Park to honor the men and women of Barre who have given their lives to protect our country’s freedom, let’s remember the men who fought, and sometimes died, in the first American war to achieve the liberty we enjoy today. Barre men served in those first battles in Massachusetts. The Battle of Bunker Hill was fought on June 17, 1775. June 17 happened to be the first anniversary of Barre’s founding as a town in 1774. That anniversary proved bittersweet for the families of four Barre men. Sgt. Josiah Bacon Sr., age 48 years, married and with six children, died at Bunker Hill. His son, Josiah Jr., fought beside his father and lived. Two younger men died: Corporal John Barrett and Private Ebenezer Childs, Jr. Col. William Buckminster of Barre, under whom these men served, was grievously wounded. He lost the use of his arm and lived his remaining years in great pain. A prosperous Barre farmer, Buckminster was a leader in town affairs. He attempted to continue the fight after Bunker Hill despite his wounds. His tomb in Barre’s Buckminster Cemetery acknowledges his courageous leadership at Bunker Hill.

Barre also sent a company of 21 Minutemen under command of Capt. John Black to answer the alarm of April 19, 1775. The express rider probably reached Barre early in the afternoon. By the time the company assembled and marched 50 miles, it was April 20. Overall, the Barre company spent 11 days in service and marched 130 miles.

The conflict between Massachusetts and Great Britain was like a family feud. The grievance of Massachusetts colonists was not one of physical hardship, but rather one of principle. Colonists felt that their mother country did not acknowledge their contributions to Great Britain and their rights as British citizens. The British turned a blind eye to some of the Colonists’ activities because the raw materials that the colonists sent back to Great Britain greatly increased the Crown’s wealth. The King and Parliament felt that they were kind parents, sending the British Army to fight the French to protect the Colonists. The Colonists argued that the British didn’t fight the French alone; men from Barre and other towns fought side by side with their British cousins. The Colonists complained that they had no direct representation in the British Parliament, therefore their rights as Englishmen were violated when the British taxed them.

The British came to regret issuing a Charter that gave the Province of Massachusetts a strong legislature. Although the Governor was appointed by the King, the Massachusetts Great and General Court, as the Legislature was called, was powerful and its lower house was comprised of representatives elected by each town.

As settlements in Massachusetts spread westward, more towns adopted the form of government based on Town Meeting, as we have today. There was no equivalent in England. In Massachusetts towns, landowners came together to elect officials to conduct local business. Farmers became Selectmen, Treasurers, Moderators, Assessors, and Town Clerk. A yeoman farmer in England did not have the opportunity to be part of the government of his own town. By the 1770s, Massachusetts had developed a population that governed itself from the ground up, communicating its wishes to the Great and General Court. In England, decisions were handed down by the government.

Town meetings in the early days happened just to my left in Middle Common, in the Meeting House that served both as the church and the seat of local government. When it came time to act against the unjust taxes and restrictions of the British government, there was a ready-made forum: the Town Meeting.

The French and Indian War, from 1754 to 1763, was Great Britain’s successful elimination of the threat of the French seizing the Colonies. But the war drained the British treasury. Their unwise remedy was a series of taxes and restrictions on trade that threw the colonies into turmoil. The Stamp Act of 1765 was especially hated. Massachusetts colonists found a friend in Parliament, Col. Isaac Barré, an Irishman with a French surname who had fought in the Colonies during the French and Indian War. He reminded Parliament of the sacrifices the American Colonists made to help the Crown. He famously told his fellow parliamentarians that the Colonists were Sons of Liberty. When the Colonists heard of his support after it travelled weeks across the ocean, it became a rallying point that united the Colonies. “No Taxation without Representation,” they cried. Secret groups, calling themselves Sons of Liberty, rose up across America. In Massachusetts, they often gathered around poles or trees. Barre’s rebels gathered at Benjamin Gates’ Tavern, which was located just across Broad Street from North Park. Here their complaints about Great Britain were shared around the roaring fire. Benjamin Gates was a true patriot. He would serve several years as first Lieutenant and then Captain in the Revolutionary War, signing up on April 20, 1775. Col. Isaac Barré remained a champion of the Colonists across the sea. In 1776, our town shed its despised name of Hutchinson, who had been an unpopular British-appointed Governor, and took the name of Barre, honoring their supporter in Parliament.

The Massachusetts Colonists were so angry over the tax on tea that they famously dumped it into Boston Harbor in December 1773 while wearing disguises. When the news finally sailed across the ocean to the chambers of Parliament, the rebels were dealt with harshly. This was high treason, punishable by death. Rather than take this drastic action, Parliament punished the entire Province of Massachusetts by blockading the Port of Boston and severely curtailing the self-government of the Province of Massachusetts. Most town meetings were banned. The Legislature was shut down by Royal Governor Gage but it continued to meet anyway. From that time, a revolutionary shadow legislature called the Massachusetts Provincial Congress bypassed the British-controlled government. Our revolutionary Massachusetts government acted behind a cloak of deep secrecy.

Our town records show that voters supported every action requested to form a fledgling government and to fight the British. On June 10, 1776, Barre’s Town Meeting voted to support the Continental Congress should it “declare us an independent state, and that we will defend the same with our lives and fortunes in the Measure.”

In July 1776, Barre Town Clerk William Henry boldly copied the full text of the Declaration of Independence into the Town Records. He also copied the order from the Massachusetts Council which directed that a copy of the Declaration of Independence be distributed to each parish of every Denomination in the state and that the Declaration should be read to every congregation as soon as divine services ended in the afternoon of the first Lord’s Day after receiving the Declaration. Let us envision the people of Barre gathered outside of the first Meeting House just yards from here, probably on July 21, 1776, to hear the proud promises of the Declaration of Independence.

As you look around North Park, you may notice that we have no memorial to our Revolutionary War patriots. This is a lack that the Barre Historical Commission, which I chair, hopes to remedy. About 300 men served for Barre in the Revolutionary War and they deserve to be memorialized. We should remember Samuel Lee, who was only 13 years old when he enlisted in 1780. He served as a highly skilled and athletic combatant in the equivalent of our modern special forces. When the war ended, he was 16 years old and came home to Barre. He became a town leader, a land surveyor, and a Brigadier General of our town’s militia. His portrait as an older man hangs in Woods Memorial Library.

For some men from Barre, the words of the Declaration of Independence held special promise. Cromwell Oliver was a free black man who owned a farm in the western part of Barre. He could not vote due to the color of his skin. He enlisted for Barre several times, walking 200 miles home from his final service at West Point in 1781. Let us honor Stepney, a Barre man with no last name, who fought for our country’s freedom even though he was probably a slave.

The initial response to our proposal for a monument honoring Barre’s first patriots has met with expressions of support and interest. It will be a long process because refining the list is difficult due to the way records were kept 250 years ago, and we must obtain funding. It is my hope that in several years, we will have a monument here in North Park, close to the location of Gates Tavern, where our patriots once met and then went on to fight for the liberties we still enjoy today.”

Lucy Allen
Historian, Barre Historical Society
Chair, Barre Historical Commission
Memorial Day
May 25, 2026

Photo credits: Chuck Coppolino and Lucy Allen

05/23/2026

𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐋 𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐈𝐍 𝐁𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐄
𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟑, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔

North Park on Barre Common, where our veterans’ monuments stand, has been decorated for Memorial Day Exercises on Monday. Memorial Day dates to 1868, when “Decoration Day” traditions evolved to decorate the graves those who died in the Civil War. Memorial Day became a federal holiday in 1971, specifically to honor U.S. military members who have died in combat.

The flags have been planted on the north side of the Civil War monument, and buntings drape in all the right places.

The photographs shown below were taken yesterday, while crews around the Common were cutting, sweeping, and otherwise preparing for the events on Monday. A program containing the order of exercises and parade is included.

We hope that all who are able will pay their respects to those who served and gave their lives for their country.

Lucy Allen
May 23, 2026

05/21/2026

Today, we had a visitor to the our Society and Museum, Laurie (Rice) Beers, whose great-grandmother was an artist and art teacher in Barre, Lucy Dorrit Hale Rice. One hundred years ago, Lucy was known for her beautiful block-print Christmas Cards, which included a story written by her husband, James A. Rice. The cards were sent to family friends in hand-fashioned envelopes that were sealed with wax in a matching color. We were able to show Laurie a blackboard that Lucy decorated before it was removed from the former Barre Plains School (now Fire Station) in 1937. The blackboard is now on display in the the Carter Stevens Gallery at our Museum.

Lucy Allen
May 21, 2026

05/10/2026

𝐎𝐅 𝐁𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐄’𝐒 𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐃𝐒, 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒, 𝐁𝐎𝐁𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐒, 𝐁𝐔𝐂𝐊𝐒, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐁𝐀𝐁𝐈𝐄𝐒, 𝐎𝐇 𝐌𝐘!
𝐎𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔

The past week has caused nature to reveal its spectacular backdrop here in Barre.

Grass is greening. Leaves on trees are unfurling, some in bold shades of pink and red, others sporting delicate hues of green. Flowering trees and shrubs have added radiant tones of fuchsia, coral, pink, white, and purple. The lush green of the lawn is interrupted by banks of white bluets and purple or white violets. Let’s not forget the sunny dandelions; they never forget us. The bees and other pollinators are attracted to the blossoms. The air is bursting with the energy of springtime.

In Barre, we are coming off a harsh, classic New England winter season, the first in 11 years. It didn’t break any records for cold temperatures or snow accumulation, but long spells of consistently cold temperatures allowed snow cover to stay on the ground, which in turn caused colder temperatures. More precipitation fell as snow than rain due to the colder temperatures. At times, the snow was so fluffy that it was difficult to measure. For the human residents of Barre, the winter was cold, hard and expensive in terms of heating fuel and snow removal. We can only imagine how difficult it was for our wild neighbors to survive.

For the species that do not hibernate, winter brought a struggle to find food and shelter. The ever-present white-tailed deer grouped under the hemlock stands along the ledges. Here, they enjoyed less snow accumulation due to the densely needled branches. The deer browsed on the lower hemlock twigs and needles. Their sharp hooves probed through the ice and snow cover to reveal the many acorns that lay on the forest floor. With the return of springtime, the deer have gathered in gregarious social groups to browse on tender meadow grasses. They slip into the field as darkness falls; last year’s fawns still kicking up their heels and trying to get the mothers and older siblings to participate in their games. The does, however, have needs that must be met. They have new life developing within. They focus on eating and gaining weight. Last year’s fawns may have a hard lesson to learn at this time. As the date of birth approaches, the doe will seek solitude. She will leave the social group and live on her own, chasing away last year’s fawn if necessary. When she gives birth, she must be alone; having a rambunctious young one around might attract unwanted attention from predators. The expectant mother must have complete control over the birthing site. We have seen the withdrawal of pregnant does happening already. The big doe, as large as most bucks, has already separated from the group, her stomach obviously swollen with new life. She comes alone to eat at odd times, avoiding her social group.

Several miles away, at a beaver pond in the east part of Barre, the bucks wear their developing antlers like crowns. The younger ones have little black buttons, while the older fellows sport antlers several inches long covered with velvet. Deer antlers are considered the fastest-growing bone tissue in the animal world. The initial development of antlers in spring is triggered by the increasing hours of daylight. Then, testosterone causes further growth, hardening of the antlers, and their “shedding.” The bucks don’t need testosterone or antlers for practical purposes until next fall. They will then seek just the right doe(s), fighting for them with their antlers if necessary, and finally, dropping the antlers when mating season is over. That is when, in the coldest days of the winter, the doe begins her annual journey through pregnancy and motherhood.

At twilight, the deer prowl around the banks of the beaver pond, cautiously testing the air with their noses and rotating their large ears like antennae to catch the slightest noise. Their sight is excellent too, thanks to those large eyes, and they can even detect colors well except for those in the orange/red color spectrum (deer hunters don’t wear orange and red only for safety reasons). Every step is calculated, every twitter or splash investigated, every scent cataloged as safe, suspicious, or alarming. They know the sound the beaver tail makes when it slaps the water, or the hoot of the owl. Those noises may signal danger. Theirs is a life of constant alertness.

Have you noticed the increase in the bobcat population in past years in Barre? They don’t have many natural enemies and they are highly adaptable, moving into more highly developed areas when necessary. They are strong and skilled hunters. Bobcats favor ledges, hardwood forests, and wooded swamps. Barre is therefore a haven for the bobcats! We recorded many sightings on trail cameras in March, which is bobcat mating season. Soon the females will deliver their babies; some already are here. One of my greatest wishes is to see one of the neighborhood bobcats with her litter.

I fear, however, that our fox population has suffered from the increase of this competitive hunter. I used to see gray foxes daily, and red foxes frequently. Lately, the only wild canine my camera has recorded is the coyote.

Then we have the hibernators, more specifically, the bears! How can I describe the difficult relationship of humans with black bears in Barre? Most people endure (hate, enjoy) visits from these large beasts. Damage to bird feeders, gardens, chicken coops (and their residents), berry bushes, compost piles, and bee hives is common. At almost any gathering, someone will have a bear story. While the advice given by wildlife experts is to take in the bird feeders and don’t feed the dogs outdoors, if you have a homestead with garden, orchard, fowl of any kind, or beehives, you will also have bear visitors. Bear mothers are extremely attentive. We have watched them teach their youngsters to hunt for bugs under the bark of fallen logs, to take down suet bird feeders, tip the hummingbird feeders so the sweet nectar flows onto pink young tongues, and to pry the cover off of feed barrels for the chickens. A few days ago, in mid-morning, we watched a mother and three young cubs lounging on the hillside, watching the activity of the neighborhood with bored attitudes.

The flurry of bird migrants has been very pleasing. I put out cut orange halves and grape jelly several days ago, and within minutes, the Baltimore orioles were there. The first day I saw only males, but on the second, the duller females made an appearance. They are flitting around the tops of the tall trees, looking for nesting sites. Then came the catbirds and the downy woodpeckers, other lovers of sweet treats. The nesting boxes are being claimed by bluebirds and wrens. The song of the white-throated sparrow floats through the yard, joined at times with the clear whistle of the oriole. The rose-breasted grossbeak and brown thrasher have made their debuts at this season’s smorgasbord, and soon I know that the towhee I heard will come as well.

On Mother’s Day, we honor the human mothers who are important in our lives. Let us also think of motherhood in general, because our human world is dependent on the success of other species in the world around us. We are all tied together. Mothers through history have done what was needed to bring up their children, sometimes surmounting unbelievable challenges to do so. Our local history is full of stories of mothers who have been brave and resourceful. However, we also know of a local mother in whose case a lack of family support, local and state systems for appropriate aid, and legal safety nets, led to an unthinkable act on her part. Let our community continue to encourage and support the services that mothers need to succeed.

Mothers, please enjoy your special day.

Lucy Allen
May 9, 2026

All photographs taken by Lucy Allen in Barre recently.

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