Doug Cregar with some of his collection. (Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz)
As a third generation Harvard resident, there isn’t much that Doug Cregar doesn’t know about Harvard.
His great-grandfather Leroy Cregar moved to Harvard around 1927. Soon after, his grandfather Ernest joined him. Both men worked for the Watt Dairy in Still River. In 1930, the Cregar family made their residence in the part of the old Harvard Inn that was relocated to Still River Depot Road. In 1931, Ernest married Doug’s grandmother Helen. Ernest and Helen had five children who were born in Still River. When their fifth son, Doug’s father, was born, they were unable to come up with a name. They decided to name him Royall in honor Harvard’s town physician Dr. Royal who had delivered him.
Royall, his father Ernest, and his uncle were all active members of the Volunteer Fire Department. Ernest was highly respected by his fellow squad members and would acquire the rank of lieutenant. In his honor, the Fire Department established the “Lieutenant Ernest Cregar Award.” The award is given out to the graduating top female and male athletes at his alma mater, the Bromfield School.
Royall has since retired from his duties as a volunteer fireman. But, he still calls Harvard home. He lives on Warren Avenue with his wife Sandra whom he married on New Year’s Eve in 1961 at the Still River Baptist Church.
Postcards tell the story
Doug Cregar’s solid familial roots in Harvard are one of the reasons he was drawn to collecting historical documents and postcards. As a history buff, Cregar yearned to develop a collection that would be meaningful. He considered stamps, coins, and autographs. But, it was his desire to learn more about the town he has called home for 35 years that led him to postcards.
“Postcards appealed to me because they really do tell a story,” Cregar said. “Not only is there a picture on the front that one can compare to present day and see the similarities and differences, but the message on the back can tell a whole different story.”
One postcard in Cregar’s collection features the 1909 Bromfield baseball team. (Courtesy photo)
Over the years, Cregar has amassed more than 130 unique vintage postcards. He finds them at shows and exhibits but, primarily on websites like eBay. His favorite site is cardcow.com that was founded by another Harvard resident, Eric Larson.
Cregar’s collection is a mixture of scenery and landmarks that many of us drive by everyday and would not easily recognize in the old images. He enjoys the mystery of uncovering where certain photos were taken. For Cregar, it is all about the story behind the story.
“What I really enjoy are the stories inside history,” Cregar said. “Rather than reading about what a country or army did, I want to learn the stories of the individuals that make up the country or army.”
His favorite and the most unusual piece in the collection is a 1909 postcard of the Bromfield baseball team. Cregar said he believes that both the sender and recipient of the card were members of the team. Unfortunately, after searching through old Bromfield yearbooks, he was unable to identify all the players in the photo.
In addition to his extensive postcard collection, Cregar has spent a great deal of time doing genealogical and historical research. Recently he purchased a hand-colored photograph of Bromfield from the early 1900s taken by Still River’s Eleanor Merrifield.
Shortly after acquiring the photo, Cregar received an email, forwarded to him from the seller that came from an individual asking to buy the photo. When he found that the request was from Tammy Alfano, a board member of the Harvard Historical Society, he immediately replied.
“When I found out that the picture would be added to a collection of other Merrifield photos housed at the Harvard Historical Society, I decided to donate it to them right away,” Cregar said.
Cregar’s generosity was well-received.
“Eleanor Merrifield was important to Harvard’s history,” Alfano said. “We are planning to display the 27 photos Eleanor intended to be turned into a book on Sept. 15 as part of the Shaker Village House Tour. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity as these photos and these historical homes have never been opened to the public before.”
Another surprising find Cregar made was the story of a police pursuit that took place on bicycle from Harvard to Providence in 1897. The story was so sensational that it even made the front page of the Boston Globe. The June 12, 1897 headline read: “MAN ESCAPED. Town of Harvard Has a Big Sensation. Estella Stratton is Mass of Bruises. Assaulted on Her Way from School. Screams Brought Help in Good Time.”
“I couldn’t believe I had never heard about it before from anyone, including my family,” Cregar said. “It was amazing that this man was actually apprehended and returned to Harvard. When I find stories like these it just makes me more interested in doing the research.”
