Book Description

Excerpt from Account of the Centennial Celebration of the Town of West Springfield, Mass;, Wednesday, March 25th, 1874: With the Historical Address of Thomas E. Vermilye, D. D., LL. D., The Poem of Mrs. Ellen P. Champion, and Other Facts and Speeches A Centennial Anniversary is an event in human history too important to pass unnoticed, for very few mortals are privileged to bridge its mighty chasm from shore to shore. Localities depending upon individuals for characterization have, in a lesser degree, the same necessities and the same laws. In both, the scenes are frequently changing, the acts often independent and fragmentary, and the curtain sometimes suddenly falls in the midst of an important action. A century is a great landmark in any local history, and has the same uses to mankind that the guide-board and the mile-stone have to the uncertain traveler. "Remove not the ancient landmarks which the fathers have set," is the graphic language of inspiration, and it fully accords with the highest human wisdom. This is sufficient evidence that landmarks are needed, and if needed surely they should be heeded. What better use of a Centennial Anniversary can a township make, than to review its past; to rub off the moss and dusts of time, accumulating on its historic tablets; and by gathering up the scattered wastes of the way, plant new boundaries, and take fresh bearings for its further journey. The present owes to the future its legacies of precious and pleasant memories, its royal deeds, its noble examples of self-denial for the public good, its characters of great men, who, in molding communities have made their names illustrious and their lives sublime, and as far as possible its garnered histories. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.