Hysteria in Salem and the Mysterious Legend of Lancaster’s John Willard
DATE OF EVENT: Sunday, February 26, 2023 at 2 pm
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Go to the Salem Witch Museum, John Willard Page
On Sunday, February 26, 2023 at 2 pm the Lancaster Historical Society (LHS) presented “Hysteria in Salem and the Mysterious Legend of Lancaster’s John Willard”. This high interest illustrated lecture was by Jill Christiansen, Assistant Director of Education at the Salem Witch Museum in Salem, MA.
Though more than three centuries have passed since this dark chapter in American history took place, the stories and details of its tragic events continue to stir the imagination. While many facts have been well documented, other details remain a mystery. Such is the case with Lancaster’s John Willard. Though a member of a prominent and prosperous family who lived in colonial Lancaster of the day, his exact identity and many of the circumstances leading up to his death on Gallows Hill in Salem remain elusive. Historian Jill Christiansen will offer a fascinating presentation on both the facts known and those yet to be discovered.
