The Trustees of Forbes Library will present Tim Umbach with the Thirty-First Gertrude P. Smith Trustees Award on Wednesday, April 4 at 6:30 P.M. The event will take place in the Coolidge Museum on the second floor of the library. The award presentation will be followed by a talk by local historian Judge W. Michael Ryan on the Angel of Hadley, followed by a reception in the gallery. The public is cordially invited to attend both events.
The Gertrude P. Smith Award is bestowed on a community member who has given exceptional volunteer service to the library. This year’s recipient, Tim Umbach, served for over a decade on the Friends of Forbes Library board of directors as Treasurer, donating countless hours to the organization that raises funds and advocates for the needs of Forbes Library. The Friends will hold a brief annual meeting just prior to the award ceremony starting at 6 P.M.
In his illustrated talk at 7 P.M. Judge W. Michael Ryan will present his research on one of the most mysterious chapters in our region’s history. The legend of the Angel of Hadley has fascinated historians and locals for over three hundred years. It was this fabled event of King Philip’s War, which supposedly occurred in September of 1675, that Frederick Chapman focused on in Forbes’ painting of the Indian attack upon the town of Hadley.