Mooers: History defines pioneering independence

MOOERS | Celebrating 250 years of independence brought introspection here in the spirit of town founders. America250 events planned over the past year drew big crowds to A Town at the Crossing, an historical play, at Mooers Camp on Friday. and then to morning cemetery tours at Riverside on Saturday. Over a dozen early residents emerged, costumed players beside their graves, to talk about life and times and how the Town of Mooers settled into cycles of industry and growth. At Old Riverside Cemetery, Mary Tripp appeared by the unique field stone that marks her final resting place: Mary W., wife of R. Tripp, 1804. "When we came here, this was still a very young settlement," Mary said. "Robert saw that the river could provide the power people needed, a grist mill came first. Families needed flour. They needed tools repaired. It may be difficult to imagine now, but that river helped create a community." Revolutionary War soldiers stood by their graves and shared stories from the lives they led. There was the town's doctor, Dr. William Taylor, portrayed by Donald Perras, complete with a medical bag and bow tie. "I made calls day and night and in every kind of weather," he said. "Eventually I even had one of Mooers' first automobiles -- a little Brush automobile with no doors or top and hard rubber tires. "It wasn't always much improvement over a horse and buggy," the doctor allowed. "But when someone needed a doctor you went. I once wrote my brother that, although I was getting too lame to hunt or fish, I'd just made a four-o'clock morning maternity call. So, I told him, I wasn't entirely useless yet." Brothers Perry and Cody portrayed Revolutionary War soldiers Samuel Smith and Ichabod Bosworth. Cody said it was a fun and interesting project to play a part in. "It's important to not just know the history, but live it a little bit," he said. Dressed in Rev War uniforms, Perry said this is where they were born and grew up. They were happy the historic tour of Old Riverside Cemetery drew a large crowd. Over 50 people sorted paths past old headstones. "It tells me the history is important to other people here," Perry said. "It tells me it's generationally important," Cody added. It's true, the crowd and actors were all ages, children, teens, adults, elders. The brothers were both glad that town history was so well presented as part of America250 events, 250 years since the Declaration of Independence was published. "Between the flags on Main Street, this today, the play yesterday and tomorrow, the Labor Day parade, it's pretty big," Cody said. "It is great." "And the turnout is great," Perry said. Sifting from the cemetery, the crowd moved to fill benches and walkways at Mooers Veterans Memorial Park for a ceremony held there to honor all military service personnel from the Revolutionary War to active service. American Legion Post No. 1619, based in Morrisonville, presented a musket salute after the National Anthem. The ceremony closed with Taps, honoring all who fought, lived and died to earn and protect freedom in the United States of America. Afternoon events on Saturday continued with historical exhibits at Mooers Free Library and history tours at Mooers Junction Railroad Station and the Freight House beside it. On Sunday, the Mooers Volunteer Fire Department held its 68th annual Labor Day parade and barbecue. Town Historian Vicki Brassard summed up the historic retrospect, answering a question they started with. "How do you build a town? You fight for a new country. Then you come home. You clear land. You harness a river," she said. In time, you build community from your ancestors' hard work, hopes and dreams, and take time to remember where you came from.

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Mooers: History defines pioneering independence

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