HILLTOWN HISTORY Edna P. Falley holding her great great grandfather, Richard Falley’s musket.

“Falley signed a contract in 1798 to supply 1.000 muskets,” A copy of the original contract is preserved at the Springfield Armory, it specifies that Falley would be paid $15.40 for to each musket, and the muskets would be made of black walnut, when available, otherwise out of tough maple. Falley actually applied for it another contract in 1808, but died the same year. A second musket, believed to be a Falley musket, was acquired by the Athenaeum in 1907, but, lacking the Falley signature, has never been authenticated. The musket acquired by the Athenaeum over 90 years ago is a very crudely handmade musket. probably one that he made, but not marked. “The barrels (of both muskets) are apparently pieces of sheet metal that are hammered, rolled and soldered. The former Falley homestead burned to the ground in a fire on Tekoa Mountain in 1924, There are still walls and cellar holes at the mill site. Catch our group here in June and see it for yourself!

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