SPRINGFIELD, Vt. – Michelle Arnosky Sherburne will present the next Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) program, “Discover Vermont and New Hampshire’s Roles in the Underground Railroad,” on Wednesday, Oct. 18, at 2 p.m., at the Nolin Murray Center next to St. Mary’s Church on Pleasant Street in Springfield. This program is on a Wednesday, rather than the usual Tuesday meeting time.
Sherburne will discuss courageous Abolitionists who were part of the network of aiding fugitive enslaved people in the years prior to the Civil War. Misconceptions and hidden histories of Vermont and New Hampshire’s roles in the Underground Railroad (UGRR) will be revealed. Highlights include Springfield’s UGRR agents Noah and Nancy Safford, fugitive enslaved Ephraim Wright who settled in town, as well as southern New Hampshire’s agents and their work for the Abolitionist cause. We’ll explore New Hampshire’s hidden Black heritage, slavery and slave trade, and Vermont’s tumultuous reception of Blacks and Abolitionists in the 19th century.
Sherburne is a Vermont historian and author, and spent 30 years focusing on the Underground Railroad, New England history, and the Civil War. She has written books on the subject, and will have books available for purchase and signing. She will custom fit her talk to highlight local people and places that were involved in the Underground Railroad.
Sponsored by the University of Vermont, OLLI is run by local volunteer members, and is geared mainly towards seniors who are 50 years of age and over who enjoy learning for the fun of it. Anyone who would be interested in this type of program, regardless of their age, is welcome. The programs last about an hour and a half.
Pre-registration is highly recommended. We can no longer take any payments onsite at the door. However, if you arrive without having registered, we will not turn you away. We will hand you a form with instructions on how to make payment after the program.
There is a membership series special fee. Non-members are welcome and encouraged to attend individual programs for a single program fee.
You may view the entire semester programs by going to the website www.learn.uvm.edu/olli/springfield. Registration can be done online at this website with a credit card. You may also register over the phone, using your credit card, by calling 802-656-5817 during regular office hours, Monday – Friday, from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Due to the current situation of Covid, the University of Vermont expects all participants at UVM sponsored non-credit events (including OLLI) will be vaccinated. Masks are optional and welcomed. For full health and safety information, go to the website above.
The next program, on Tuesday, Oct. 31, is a Halloween Special with Bobby Farlice-Rubio, who will use facts and science to demystify “Werewolves, Vampires, and Zombies.”