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Jenks hosts ‘Walls, Rock & Rum: The Colonial History of the Middlesex Fells’ with historians Alison Simcox, Douglas Heath

The Jenks Center will host local historians and authors Alison C. Simcox and Douglas L. Heath as they discuss their latest book ‘Walls, Rock & Rum: The Colonial History of the Middlesex Fells’ on Tuesday, Oct. 13. COURTESY PHOTO/JENKS CENTER

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The following was submitted by the Jenks Center:

On Tuesday, Oct. 13, the Jenks Center, 109 Skillings Road, presents “Walls, Rock & Rum: The Colonial History of the Middlesex Fells,” from 6-7 p.m. , with authors Alison C. Simcox and Douglas L. Heath.

Historians Alison C. Simcox and Douglas L. Heath will discuss their book, “Walls, Rock, and Rum: Colonial History and the Founding of Middlesex Fells,” exploring its rich history beyond its trails and forests.

Drawing on new research, they examine how Indigenous communities shaped the landscape for thousands of years before the Puritans transformed it through timber harvesting, quarrying and agriculture.

The presentation also highlights colonial Charlestown — the first capital of the Massachusetts Bay Colony — and how its natural resources fueled the creation of English-style settlements across what is now 10 modern-day towns.

Register for the event here.

This event is sponsored by a Cummings Foundation Grant.

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