Kristin Paulson presenting Award to Ellen Arnold
This year at our Annual Agricultural Day on April 30, the Upton Grange presented an award to Ellen Arnold. She was the recipient of the 2016 Upton Citizen of the Year for all the work she has done for the town of Upton.
Ellen was a co-founder and First President of the “Friends of Upton State Forrest“ in 2005 and she worked with a National Register Consultant and Upton Historical Commission to help with the preparation, site visits, and research for the National Register application for Camp SP-25, CCC buildings and associated corridor. This status was achieved in October of 2014.
Ellen facilitated the “adopted trail head” at Upton State Forrest and CCC Camp site area as part of DCR Adopt-a-Trail program. She has served to get Upton National recognition for our U.S.F. and helped procure the Grants to restore the CCC Camp Buildings.
Ellen is co-founder and facilitator of the “Massachusetts Forest and Park Friends Network” and has served as a volunteer on numerous Upton Town committees and community organizations.
A Little Grange History:
The Upton Grange incorporated 1885 and is the oldest Family non-profit organization in town. Through the years we have maintained our Grange Hall building and diligently worked to serve the Upton Community. We have always supported local agriculture & have held over 100 Agricultural Fairs. Grange activities include community service projects, a College scholarship program for Upton residents, annual Citizens Award, food drives for local food banks, aid to local Veterans, aid and entertainment for seniors,and providing fun activities for kids in Upton Junior Grange.
The Grange was formed following the American Civil War to unite private citizens in improving the economic position of the nation’s rural and farm population. For nearly 150 years, Grange members, supporters and volunteers have helped bring positive change to millions of people. At its inception in 1867, it was at the cutting edge for its time. The Grange gave women an equal vote with men even before the government granted it and was also the first organization in America to include all members of the family. Granges were the warehouse-buying clubs of the nineteenth century. The Grange is also credited for the Rural Free Delivery Program of the United States Post Office and created libraries to store and share books; many of which have become the community public libraries of today. Before cars, telephones, running water or even electricity, Grangers were fighting for the rights of citizens. Their influence grew into a nonpartisan political lobby that worked to create laws now known as Granger Laws that are still important in anti-trust litigation today. On June 29, 1960, the 11-story landmark National Grange headquarters building in Washington, D.C., was dedicated by President Dwight D. Eisenhower and is the only private edifice in a federal block across from the White House. It serves as a non-governmental headquarters for agricultural and rural families.
UPTON DAILY 