Leaves
Stories from the Leaves of Books and Records About Sturbridge, Massachusetts
Some histories are written. Others have to be found.
Every old account book, faded newspaper, forgotten cemetery, family letter, and town record holds the possibility of another story waiting to be rediscovered.
In Leaves, Walter J. Hersee follows those clues wherever they lead. Sometimes the trail is only a single sentence buried in a nineteenth-century newspaper. Sometimes it begins with a weathered gravestone, an overlooked military record, or a forgotten photograph. Piece by piece, scattered fragments come together to reveal the people and events that quietly shaped Sturbridge, Massachusetts.
Spanning more than three centuries, the stories range from vanished homes and lost monuments to Revolutionary War veterans, Civil War soldiers, reformers, churches, schools, businesses, forgotten cemeteries, and ordinary citizens whose lives deserve to be remembered. Along the way, readers witness not only the discoveries themselves but also the investigative process that brought them back into the light.
Built upon years of archival research made possible by newly digitized records, newspapers, military files, family histories, maps, probate records, and local collections, Leaves demonstrates how today’s researchers can uncover histories that earlier generations simply could not access. It is both a collection of fascinating stories and an invitation for others to begin asking new questions about their own communities.
More than a history book, Leaves is a celebration of curiosity, perseverance, and the belief that history is still waiting to be discovered.
Pre-order for September 22, 2026 release.
Book Details
- Book Price $24.95
- Softcover
- 247 pages
- First Edition
- Published: 2026
- Publisher: Heritage Oak Press, Sturbridge, Massachusetts
- ISBN: 979-8-9940361-2-9
- Library of Congress Control Number: 2026900255
- Printed in the United States of America
Heritage Oak Press 