For some of the deepest New England history, one only needs to take a stroll through one of the numerous cemeteries in Franklin County.

Local residents will have a chance for some of that history to be brought right to them on Tuesday, May 16 when local archaeologist and anthropologist Bob Drinkwater gives a presentation about gravestones for under-represented New England populations at the Conway Historical Society, 50 Main St. at 7:30 p.m.

Drinkwater has spent much of the last half century researching gravestones in western Massachusetts and uncovering the stories of the people who created them.

“All the nitty-gritty local history is down there in the cemetery,” Drinkwater said, noting that by identifying the gravestone’s maker, one can follow the paper trail and learn about who people were, who their clientele were, what the market for their products was and numerous other related details.

Drinkwater, an archaeologist by trade, said his fascination with studying gravestones began when he was a sophomore at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Someone had asked him if he wanted to join a group of friends to head to a nearby cemetery for some gravestone rubbing, a technique that creates an image of stone’s surface features on paper.

“I thought, ‘What in the world is gravestone rubbing?’” Drinkwater recalled, before saying that he eventually started exploring the cemeteries in his native Framingham. “That kind of launched me into what’s turned into a lifetime pursuit.”

His lifetime pursuit has led to the publication of one book, “In Memory of Susan Freedom: Searching for Gravestones of African Americans in Western Massachusetts,” which was published by Levellers Press in 2020. He is currently in search of a publisher for his book about gravestone cutters who worked in western Massachusetts during the 18th and early 19th centuries.

There are echoes of New England’s history all over the region, with trails, historic homes and other historical markers dotting the landscape, but Drinkwater said none of those compare to the volume of cemeteries.

“Gravestones probably provide the largest sample of evidence concerning the largest number people available,” Drinkwater said. “There are more per capita than I think there is of (other historical artifacts) … They provide a pretty good window into certain aspects of past life ways.”

During his presentation on Tuesday, Drinkwater will introduce some of the men who made many of the gravestones in Conway’s old burying grounds — John Locke and Solomon Ashley of Deerfield, Alpheus Longley of Hatfield, Samuel Daugherty and Martin Woods of Whately, Jonathan Allen and the Chapin Brothers of Bernardston, and Oren Bennett of Colrain — as well as a few others who are known by their work, but not yet known by name. He will then share what he has learned about Thomas Cole, a former resident of Conway, who spent 22 years as a slave and 58 years as a freeman and is buried in the Howland Cemetery.

Drinkwater’s presentation will begin at 7:30 p.m. It is free and open to all members of the public. Light refreshments will be served.

Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com or 413-930-4081.

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