Truro Historical Society

On Wednesday, February 10 at 5 PM, the Truro Historical Society welcomed Sarah Anne Johnson, author of The Last Sailor and The Lightkeeper’s Wife. Sarah read from her latest novel, The Last Sailor and then discussed how the Highland House Museum has inspired her work. She talks about her salty upbringing on Cape Cod, researching local and women’s maritime history, and her family’s connection to Highland Lighthouse. Attendance to this Zoom webinar was free, but we welcome donations.

NEW! Share your love of Truro with every note you write! Notecards for sale made from vintage postcards from the Truro Historical Society collection – Sets of 4 for $20. Share your love of Truro with every note you write! Click HERE to order yours today!

On Friday, January 15, the Truro Historical Society (THS) presented a check for $1,800 to the Dexter Keezer Community Fund. The donation reflects a commitment the THS board made last spring after launching its membership drive. Out of concern for the economic impact that the COVID-19 pandemic was having on the local community, the board voted to give one-tenth of the total raised by the membership drive to the local fund.

The Dexter Keezer Fund, established in 1999 by Dexter’s daughter Anne, disperses funds to Truro families facing financial crises. Keezer had worked for many years as an economist and served as president of Reed College in Portland, Oregon. He spent many summers in Truro and moved here year-round after retiring, becoming an active member of the community, serving as president of the Truro Neighborhood Association and as a representative to the Cape Cod National Seashore Advisory Commission.

Pictured here: THS Membership Chair Pam Fichtner (right front) hands the check to Mary Rose, from Seamen’s Bank, who administers the Dexter Keezer Community Fund. They’re joined by THS Board President Susan Howe (left rear) and Highland House Museum Director Lauren Kaufmann (right rear).

Reflections On the Pandemic expresses the ways in which local artists and poets are affected by the pandemic. We are excited to feature paintings, photographs, and poetry by local and regional artists and poets. Their work speaks of isolation, introspection, and renewed appreciation for the natural beauty that surrounds us on the Outer Cape. We hope you will make an appointment to see this exhibition. Viewing hours are Monday-Friday, 10 AM-12 PM and 2-4 PM. Email [email protected] to schedule a time to come … MORE

The Truro Historical Society (THS) supports the peaceful Black Lives Matter movement for racial justice that is taking place in the United States and around the world. “Liberty and justice for all” means justice for Black and Indigenous populations, and for all people of color.

Museums and archives are not neutral spaces. Because we interpret history, we have the responsibility of presenting the past as fully and accurately as possible, including painful and uncomfortable aspects. The past feeds into the present, and when a community actively engages with its past, it can use its understanding to make a better society.

Truro was founded on land that had been inhabited by Native People for thousands of years, but these people were displaced by English settlers. There were enslaved people and indentured laborers enduring near-slavery conditions in Truro. In 1754, the town’s first minister, Reverend John Avery, bequeathed to his children three African-American enslaved men and “my Indian Girl Sarah.”

After reflecting on the “settler privilege” that most of us enjoy, the THS decided in late 2019 to mark the 400^thanniversary of the Pilgrims’ arrival with a decolonial exhibition celebrating Truro’s first inhabitants, the Wampanoag Nation, from its origins to today. During the postponement caused by the coronavirus, the THS will continue to consult with Indigenous scholars and community members. We will increase our commitment to diversity and inclusion. As a token of our commitment, the THS wishes to share the Land Acknowledgment we have prepared in consultation with members of the Wampanoag Nation. This statement will stand at the entrance to the Highland House Museum’s permanent exhibition about the Paomet and the Wampanoag peoples.

Land Acknowledgment

The Highland House Museum stands on the traditional homeland of the Paomet Tribe, members of the Wampanoag Nation, who have inhabited Cape Cod for more than 12,000 years and who knew this part of Truro as Tashmuit. The Truro Historical Society acknowledges the displacement, suffering, and forced assimilation of the Wampanoag and other Native Peoples caused by European contact and colonization. We honor the struggles of the Wampanoag, People of the First Light, and support their resilience, and we ask museum visitors to reflect on our shared responsibility to maintain social justice.