Fife Donation Inspires Adams Historical Society Civil War Concert

Judge Bullard playing his fife, now donated to the Adams Historical Society.

ADAMS, Mass. — Two sisters in search of information about a Civil War ancestor have gifted the Historical Society with an instrument he carried through the Civil War.

The fife will be on display Saturday afternoon during a concert of Civil War-era songs in the Grand Army of the Republic Hall on the top floor of the Adams Free Library.

Society member Eugene Michalenko said the acquisition of the 150-year-old fife really came out nowhere and all started with the women's visit to the GAR Hall, one of the few left in the state.

"They wanted to see the GAR Hall and they left their names because they were interested in their ancestor who was a member," Michalenko said. "Luckily enough, we still have all of the original application forms for those who wanted to become members."

Michalenko said he found a man named Judge Bullard enlisted as a private in H Company, 27th Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteers, in August 1862. He re-enlisted in January 1864 and was later captured by Confederates and held as a prisoner in South West Creek, N.C., in March and April of 1865.

Bullard played the fife in the drum corps during this time. He left the service at the end of the war in 1865 and joined George E. Sayles GAR Post 126 in 1874. The GAR was the first national veterans group and was largely made up of former enlisted men. It was established in 1866 and dissolved in 1956 upon the death of its last member. It had nearly a half-million members at its peak.

Michalenko said he wrote the two sisters with this information (one lives in Rhode Island and the other lives in Colrain) and they wrote back.

State Fire Marshal Returns to Hoosac Valley to Offer Career Advice

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
02:36PM / Sunday, May 31, 2026

Jon Davine joined the Marines just out of high school and spent 25 years moving up the ladder as a Northampton firefighter. He was selected to replace State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey in 2023. 

CHESHIRE, Mass. — As juniors and seniors consider their futures, Hoosac Valley High School officials strive to introduce them to various industries and accomplished professionals through the Pathways program.

 

On May 22, State Fire Marshal Jon Davine was one such official, returning to his alma mater to give students an inside look into his profession and offer some words of advice.

 

During the 50-minute presentation, he outlined his career journey, which began with his service in the Marine Corps, continued through work as a bricklayer, firefighter, and fire captain, and ultimately led to his current leadership role in public safety. He later visited Hoosac Elementary.

 

The Adams native and 1989 Hoosac graduate was chief of the Northampton Fire and Rescue Department when he was tapped by the state in 2023. He was the first fire marshal from Western Massachusetts and, according to the state Department of Fire Services, the first of its recruits to "work his way to the top job using a system designed to make that possible."

 

His journey demonstrated that students do not need to have everything figured out at this stage in their lives.

 

"I think it helped kind of relieve some of the nerves that I have about taking that next step and going off and pursuing college," senior Nathan Lapinski said.

 

"He went through a couple … career opportunities before he went to firefighting, before he became the fire marshal, so I think it helped relieve some of the nerves about trying to figure out what I want to do so early."