Biography

Walter J. Hersee is the founder of Heritage Oak Press and the author of a growing collection of books dedicated to preserving New England’s overlooked history. Through original research, public presentations, and historic preservation, he works to recover the people, places, and stories that time has nearly forgotten.History has always been more than a collection of names and dates for Walter J. Hersee. It is the story of ordinary people whose lives, sacrifices, and accomplishments shaped the communities we know today.

A retired registered nurse, Walter has devoted much of his retirement to researching and preserving the history of his hometown of Sturbridge, Massachusetts. His work combines traditional archival research with the extraordinary opportunities created by today’s digitized historical collections, allowing him to reconnect scattered pieces of evidence that earlier generations of researchers could seldom access in one place.

His investigations have led to the rediscovery of forgotten Revolutionary War soldiers, overlooked Civil War veterans, abolitionists, educators, civic leaders, inventors, and countless ordinary citizens whose stories deserved to be remembered. Many of these discoveries have corrected long-standing historical errors, expanded the documented history of Sturbridge, and inspired new conversations about the importance of preserving local history.

Walter founded Heritage Oak Press to publish carefully researched works that preserve New England’s overlooked stories. Through his books, public presentations, and community involvement, he strives to make history accessible, engaging, and relevant to readers of all ages.

Beyond his writing, Walter serves on several community organizations dedicated to historic preservation and planning. He founded the Sturbridge Gravestone Keepers, a volunteer effort devoted to cleaning and preserving historic cemeteries while teaching proper preservation techniques. He is also on the Board of Directors of the Sturbridge Historical Society and serves on several municipal boards committed to protecting the town’s historical resources.

His presentations have been featured at historical societies, libraries, civic organizations, and educational programs throughout Massachusetts, where he shares both the stories he has uncovered and the research methods that made those discoveries possible.

Walter believes that every community has stories waiting to be rediscovered and that local history deserves the same careful scholarship and respect as any chapter of our nation’s past. His work continues to demonstrate that remarkable discoveries are still waiting to be found—often hidden quietly between the leaves of old books, forgotten records, and family histories.

Research Interests

Local New England History
Revolutionary War
Civil War
Historic Cemeteries
Genealogy
Historic Preservation

Member of:

Board of Directors—Sturbridge Historical Society

Sturbridge Historical Commission

Sturbridge Planning Board

Sturbridge Housing Trust

Sturbridge Monuments, Memorials, and Markers Advisory Committee

“Every town has stories waiting to be rediscovered. My hope is that these books encourage readers to look a little more closely at the communities around them, ask one more question, preserve one more record, and recover what history should never have lost.”—W.J. Hersee