BURRILLVILLE – A session this week on the history of Native Americans in what is now known as the town of Burrillville was the first of six to take place in the coming months as part of the Burrillville 250 Commission’s winter history lecture series.
On Tuesday, Oct. 21, Burrillville Conservation Commission Chairman Ron Lapiere led the discussion at Jesse Smith Library before a packed house.
Like other lectures in the series, the event will also have a location-based component, with interested participants invited on a guided tour of related locations on Saturday, Oct. 25. The group will meet at Callahan Elementary School at 10 a.m. on Saturday and travel to sites in the tour.
“If there’s a lot of folks we’ll probably end up getting bus transportation,” explained 250 Commission Chairman Chris Toti.
Toti noted the free events will take place on the third Tuesday every month coming up except in March, when the lecture is scheduled for the last Tuesday. All sessions will take place at Jesse Smith, with the touring components on the Saturday to follow all to leave from Callahan.
The series is just the start of many events and activities to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding, with gatherings, a parade, fireworks and more now in the planning stages for dates throughout 2026.
The lectures will offer a starting point that highlights Burrillville history, giving locals a better understanding of local contribution to the national story to be celebrated in communities across the country next year. Burrillville Historical & Preservation Society President Betty Mencucci, who also serves on the Burrillville 250 Commission, led an outdoor presentation on Spring Lake Beach in July and last month, the group organized planting of a Liberty Tree on the grounds of the Assembly Theatre.
For the lecture series, Toti and Mencucci will lead a presentation on the history of the mills in Burrillville on Tuesday, Nov. 18. And the group will be invited to reassemble to tour the accompanying mill sites on Saturday, Nov. 22.
“We talk about it, and then we’re moving,” Toti said of the format.
Topics for the remaining lectures are as yet undetermined, but Toti noted there’s a long list of potential contenders. He said the lectures could cover the history of the fire departments in town; the history of schools; the history of sports; religious institutions in Burrillville; famous individuals from town or even the area’s contributions to the Revolutionary War.
“We have so many subjects to choose from. We have to kind of narrow that down,” said Toti. “It’s really coordinating who subject matter experts. That’s kind of what I’m trying to do right now is get in touch with folks.”
It’s just one element of a celebration of the country’s 250th birthday in Burrillville that Toti hopes will leave a lasting impact.
“There’s a lot of interlocking things,” he said. “This is a 250 celebration in the next several months, but it’s going to morph into many other things.”
Hi, will these lectures be streamed for us native B’Villians who cannot make it in person to the lectures?