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On September 17, the Sudbury Historical Commission continued ongoing discussions about the tercentenary markers along Sudbury’s roads. Questions have been raised about the historical accuracy of the language on the markers, as well as concerns that some of them may be offensive to Native people. Nearby Concord removed the signs in their community for similar reasons, and the Sudbury Select Board is looking to the Sudbury Historical Commission to make recommendations for Sudbury.
Member Michael Wallace provided a detailed presentation that went all the way back to the original authorization for the markers to be erected:
Wallace argued that the Commission should take the position that the signs be removed, but didn’t prescribe precisely how they should be removed, other than to advise against having the Town remove them unilaterally. The signs are the property of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and MassDOT itself doesn’t believe they have the authority to take them down either. Wallace also advocated for creating a new type of display with the removed signs, complete with interpretive materials with more accurate information. He suggested a reinterpretation could be done at the Haynes Garrison site.
Commissioners agreed that the signs should come down, and seemed excited at the idea of finding a way to preserve the signs and put them in more complete historical context for educational purposes.
The commission didn’t have all its members present for the meeting, so Chair Chris Hagger suggested having another discussion with the full Historical Commission, then initiating a conversation with the Historic Districts Commission when they hold an upcoming joint meeting. From there, a report or specific recommendations may be generated for the Select Board. It does appear, based on the conversation, that the Select Board could ultimately be left with the final decision on whether or not, or how, to remove the markers.
