BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//MA250 - ECPv6.5.1.5//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-WR-CALNAME:MA250
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://massachusetts250.org
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for MA250
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-Robots-Tag:noindex
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:America/New_York
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20260308T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20261101T060000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260531T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260531T150000
DTSTAMP:20260524T181945
CREATED:20260326T215550Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260326T215550Z
UID:10007266-1780232400-1780239600@massachusetts250.org
SUMMARY:Bus Tour to Historic 1788 “Ten-Footer” Boot Shop & Old First Cemetery 1735
DESCRIPTION:The Upton Historical Society invites the public to step back in time with a special narrated bus tour to one of Upton’s earliest surviving workshop buildings — the 1788 Seth Wood Boot Shop and the Old First Cemetery founded in 1735. Interpreters will be on site to tell these stories.\nThe tour will take place on Sunday\, May 31\, with buses departing from the Upton Town Hall parking lot at 1:00 PM and 2:00 PM. Each tour will include a short\, narrated ride and a visit to the historic building\, where participants will learn about Upton’s important role in New England’s early boot-making industry.\nThe Seth Wood Boot Shop\, built in 1788\, is a small independent workshop where artisans crafted boots in a structure known as a “Ten Footer.” Measuring roughly 10 feet by 10 feet\, these buildings were a defining feature of early New England’s cottage industries. Craftsmen worked close to home\, producing goods for larger merchants long before the rise of industrial factories and providing boots to the deep south during the American Reformation following the American Civil War.\nDuring the 19th century\, Upton was a major contributor to the regional boot and shoe trade\, producing a significant portion of the footwear used throughout New England.\nThe building later took on a second life in 1938\, when it was converted into a blacksmith shop by Clarence Forsberg. The Forsberg family eventually donated the historic structure to the Upton Historical Society\, helping preserve this unique piece of the town’s industrial heritage.\nToday\, the restored shop offers a rare glimpse into the early working life of Upton’s craftsmen and the small structures that supported a thriving local economy.\nTickets for the bus tour are $5 per person. Because seating is limited\, reservations are recommended. To reserve a seat\, email uptonmahistoricalsociety@gmail.com or call (508) 529-6600.\nThe Upton Historical Society encourages residents and visitors alike to join this short journey into the town’s past and discover how a small ten-foot building helped shape a local industry.
URL:https://massachusetts250.org/event/bus-tour-to-historic-1788-ten-footer-boot-shop-old-first-cemetery-1735/
LOCATION:Upton Town Hall Parking Lot\, Main Street 1\, Upton\, Massachusetts\, 01568\, United States
CATEGORIES:Event,Speakers
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://massachusetts250.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/boot-shop3-scaled.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Upton Historical Scoiety":MAILTO:uptonmahistoricalsociety@gmail.com
GEO:42.1736358;-71.6036609
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Upton Town Hall Parking Lot Main Street 1 Upton Massachusetts 01568 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=Main Street 1:geo:-71.6036609,42.1736358
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR