MONTGOMERY — The Montgomery Historical Society invites the public to a special program on Saturday, May 10 at 2 p.m. in Montgomery Town Hall, 161 Main Rd., to hear local author Robert Madison discuss his recently-published book “General Washington’s Secret Armory — Biography of Lt. Richard Falley, Jr., Revolutionary Soldier, Patriot & Armorer.”
The book gives a glimpse into the town of Montgomery’s connection to the Revolutionary War as the location of Falley’s secret armory at the foot of Mt. Tekoa where he made arms for the Patriots.
Madison’s book tells the story of Richard Falley, Jr.’s background, his exploits with the militia raised in Westfield after the battles of Lexington and Concord and his appointment as armorer for the Revolutionary War effort.
Prior to the war, Falley was a manufacturer of flintlock muskets. General George Washington, with the authority of the Provincial Congress, granted him the authority to manufacture in secret at the base of Mt Tekoa badly needed Charleville flintlock muskets. The book follows his involvement in the war effort, and ends with Falley’s Springfield Armory contract for 1,000 muskets in 1798.
Recent reenactments of the beginnings of the American Revolution, such as the battles at Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, make Madison’s book the perfect complement to the 250 anniversary of our nation’s founding, said Julie Pike of the Montgomery Historical Society. The book also contains chapters written in collaboration with the Westfield Historical Commission and Montgomery’s Historical Society, and will be available for sale during the May 10 program.
This is Madison’s second book. His first book, “New Haven and Northampton Greenway: Bike and Rail Trails Following the Historic Canal,” takes the audience on a trip through sixteen towns into the interior of Western New England — from New Haven, Connecticut, to Northampton.
The rails-to-trails book is a comprehensive guide which includes trail maps, trailhead descriptions, original watercolor paintings by the author, attractions, distances and a little history of each of the 16 towns, along with the history of the canal and the railroad as the modern rail trail works its way along the 81-mile greenway or 87-mile canal length.
Madison is an outdoor enthusiast who has lived in Western Massachusetts most of his life. He was educated and employed in both Connecticut and Massachusetts.
The program at Montgomery Town Hall on 161 Main Rd. is free to the public, but donations will be gratefully accepted for the Historical Society’s Scholarship Fund. Refreshments will be available.
