Plainfield Historical Society

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Plainfield Historical Society

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The Plainfield Historical Society seeks to preserve and share the history of our town.

11/09/2026

A big thank you to all who attended the Plainfield Historical Society's apple pressing event. It was great fun! Thanks to Clark Brothers Orchard, Jaeschke Orchards, and E & J Scott Orchards and to DJ Clary and his oxen team!

10/17/2026

Check out the Plainfield Historical Society’s latest post featuring the Rice family! Wesley and Norman Rice recorded over eight hours of entertaining memories about growing up in Plainfield in the mid-to-late 20th century. Explore stories, photographs, artifacts from our collection, and plenty of funny audio as the cousins interview each other and reminisce about life in Plainfield. https://plainfieldmahistory.org/wesley-and-norman-rice/

10/15/2026

Coming up this weekend. Hope to see you there!

10/15/2026

08/31/2026

Recently, the Plainfield Historical Society was delighted to discovered that the Flynt Center of Early American Life at Old Deerfield has in their exhibit on early American medicine, Plainfield’s Dr. Samuel Shaw’s Medicine Bag.

Dr. Shaw’s Medicine Bag By LoriAustin On August 31, 2026 · Add Comment Recently, the Plainfield Historical Society was delighted to discovered that the Flynt Center of Early American Life at Old Deerfield has in their exhibit on early American medicine, Dr. Samuel Shaw’s Medicine Bag. Medicine ...

08/31/2026

Check out the article on the Shaw Hudson House in today's Hampshire Gazette. https://gazettenet.com/2026/08/29/sealed-for-a-century-plainfield-doctors-office-reveals-1800s-medicine/?fbclid=IwY2xjawUCO5JwZG9mBWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR6M_BY77w-RafV2apA2quyNM_4DDyOkifqlwfcU1Z4wNSEcjyd8mRZ0ppTrig_aem_phlr-96NOeLUFI2ru1n7aQ

PLAINFIELD — Less than 200 years ago, Western medical practices still followed a 1,500-year-old textbook. When diagnosed with an illness ranging from seizures to pneumonia, patients could be bled. Medicine cabinets were loaded with herbal concoctions. Did they work? It was unclear. Want to live a ...

08/28/2026

If you go to the Cummington Fair this weekend be sure to stop by the Plainfield Historical Society's exhibit on the 1985 Bicentennial Celebration of the founding of Plainfield.

08/03/2026

The Plainfield Historical Society invites the public to its Annual Meeting on Tuesday, August 4, at 7:00 p.m. at the historic Shaw-Hudson House, 286 Main Street, Plainfield.
Following a brief business meeting, retired family physician Dr. Robert Miller will present "Medical Practice in 19th-Century Plainfield." With more than 45 years of experience in medicine, Dr. Miller has spent the past several years working with members of the Plainfield Historical Society to research the archives of Dr. Samuel Shaw (1790–1870), whose medical office remains preserved at the Shaw-Hudson House. Drawing from Dr. Shaw's patient records, account books, and other historic documents, Dr. Miller will share fascinating insights into the lives of the Shaw family, the illnesses and treatments common in rural western Massachusetts, and what it was like to practice medicine in the 1800s. His research has uncovered remarkable stories that shed new light on the history of healthcare in our community. Following the presentation, visitors are invited to tour Dr. Samuel Shaw's original medical office, where many of the artifacts and records discussed during the talk are preserved.
The program is free and open to the public. Whether you have an interest in local history, genealogy, or the history of medicine, this promises to be an engaging evening. We hope you will join us.

Address

Plainfield, MA
01070

Website

http://plainfieldmahistory.org/

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