The Second Annual Presentation of the Mary C. Morrissey Olsson Historic Preservation Award has been made to Town Historian Joseph Landry, Researcher and Prolific Public Presenter on Town History on Saturday, Nov 15, 2025.
The Mary C. Morrissey Olsson Historic Preservation Award was established in 2024 by the Franklin Historical Commission, in honor of former chairperson, Mary Olsson, a tireless advocate for historic preservation, as a non-monetary award to recognize an individual or organization that has made an important contribution to preserving, protecting, or communicating the history of Franklin.
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| L-R: Joe Landry, Kai Olsson, Toby Olsson, Alan Earls |
By vote of the Commission, the second such award has been bestowed on Historian, Joseph Landry, for his years of research into the history of Franklin, using primary sources, to create presentations and broadcasts that have engaged the public and opened new doors of understanding regarding the town of Franklin. Joe was raised in Franklin and is a 1967 graduate of Franklin High School. He now resides in North Attleborough.
"We know Mary would have been pleased with this recognition of Joe because she often worked with him and was instrumental to bringing his work to the Franklin Historical Museum," said Alan Earls, Historical Commission Chair.
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“Just in recent days, Joe has delivered presentations on the early schools of Franklin and, at the Franklin Historical Museum, on the first decades of the Franklin YMCA, which was established back in 1900,” said Earls. His work can also be found on YouTube and on Franklin TV. Joe was presented with his award just prior to delivering his YMCA presentation.
The Franklin Historical Museum is located at 80 West Central Street, Franklin. The museum is open Saturday mornings from 10 AM - 1 PM (except as noted above) and Sunday afternoons from 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM.When visiting the museum, please consider donating a non-perishable item for the Franklin Food Pantry. Questions? Contact Alan Earls at 508 560 3786. Visit us online at https://www.franklinmuseum1778.org
