Every town has a story (or really, many stories), and Wayland is no different.
Thanks to the Wayland Historical Society, which was formed in 1954 by J. Sidney Stone, Helen Morgan, George Bogren, Mabel Small Draper, Emily Blair, Dorothy Small Damon, and Dorothy Draper Hamlen, those stories have been preserved for generations of residents.
The museum has achieved this through digitization of its exhibits and archives, like daguerreotypes (a mid-19th century photograph predecessor). While not every item in the archive is available to view digitally, the website invites a broader range of ages to learn about Wayland’s history.
The museum’s digitalization also allows for ease and comfort for Wayland residents as they access their history. It also provides a way for older generations to look back and, as the society’s Executive Director Scarlett Hoey puts it, “look at the collection online and see items related to their hometown or even objects they had given to the museum decades ago.”
In an attempt to reach out to younger generations, the Historical Society has numerous education programs for various ages like school groups, summer programs, or the website’s digital archive.
“While an adult or caregiver might understand the abolitionist lens and weight behind L. Maria Child’s calash (a 19th-century hat), our youngest historians can learn about standing up for your beliefs and hat fashion over time,” Hoey said.
The museum also works with other organizations. In the past, the Historical Society partnered with local elementary schools to visit the Grout-Heard House and the North Cemetery, but those trips have since been discontinued.
“Our educational outreach includes the Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Daughters of the American Revolution and any interested groups,” said Kay Gardner, chair of the Wayland Historical Commission.
The Historical Society and Museum’s website contains articles on various parts of Wayland’s history, ranging from the history of the Henry Knox Trail commemorating General Knox’s path as he delivered artillery to then-General Washington in the winter of 1775-76, to a recording of a presentation on the former Nike missile site on Oxbow Road. These pages not only preserve and solidify Wayland’s history but also display the passion of Wayland residents for their local history.
The website also advertises current and future exhibits, like “The Grass-Ground River: Land, Labor, and the Long View” (coming in September 2028), which celebrates 175 years of Walden by connecting environmental stewardship with the long history of the Musketaquid (the “grass-ground river”). Another notable event highlighted on the website is the upcoming “The Home Team: Sport, Belonging, and Community” exhibit, which examines Wayland sports’ role in Wayland’s community throughout history. The exhibit will run from September 2026 to August 2027.
The digitalization of Wayland’s history has also unearthed stories that would otherwise be lost to time.
One nugget that the Historical Society preserves is the history of the Sears family in Wayland, specifically sisters Leila and Mary Sears (see www.waylandmuseum.org/women-of-wayland). Leila Sears graduated from Radcliffe College in 1943. After graduaton, she joined the U.S. Navy as a part of its Washington-based decryption team. She later attended law school after the war as a part of the G.I. bill. Mary Sears was an oceanographer and later a Naval commander who taught the U.S. Navy how to conceal its submarines between temperature layers, called shadow zones, in the Pacific.
The Sears’ story is preserved by the Historical Society and its website, almost 20 years after her death, ensuring Leila and Mary’s stories aren’t forgotten.
However, while the Historical Society and Museum’s digitalization does improve their accessibility, the true impact of the website’s presence has yet to be seen.
“We are still learning about what the impact of digitization means for our local communities, genealogists, and history fans,” said Hoey, “As the Wayland Museum explores growing our volunteer base and communications outreach, I think potential for audio tours, QR codes, podcasts, and perhaps augmented immersive digital art could be on the horizon.”
