Historian and scholar William Hosley will be the featured speaker at the Agawam Historical Association’s Winter Meeting on Thursday, 16 January 2025 at 6:30 pm at the Captain Charles Leonard House, 663 Main Street, Agawam.

Hosley will present “Making History – Celebrating Massachusetts’ Local Historical Museums.”

According to Hosley, “Massachusetts has 351 towns and as many community-based historical museums. Most are small. Many are run by volunteers. No two are alike. They preserve and present local artifacts and stories. They collect. They offer public programs. They advocate for preservation. They serve schools and greet tourists.” Hosley considers them a civic miracle, and he will tell their story and why they matter.

Bill Hosley is an independent scholar, historian, writer, and photographer who retired from a long career as a museum curator and director. He is passionate about art, local history and historic preservation. He was formerly Director of the New Haven Museum and Connecticut Landmarks, where he cared for a chain of historic attractions. Prior to that, as a curator and exhibition developer at the Wadsworth Atheneum, Bill organized major exhibitions including The Great River: Art & Society of the Connecticut Valley, The Japan Idea: Art and Life in Victorian America, and Sam & Elizabeth: Legend and Legacy of Colt's Empire, an exhibition that that spawned the Coltsville National Historical Park in Hartford, Connecticut.

This event is free and open to the public.