Liesel Nygard, secretary and volunteer at the Hardwick Historical Society as well as a sophomore Journalism major at University of Massachusetts Amherst, has begun a project for the society, collecting research on the Warwick Prison Camp.
The Warwick Prison Camp, located at Warwick State Forest on Richmond Road, opened in the early 1960s and closed in the early 1990s. “I do not have definitive years (for the opening and closing) yet. However, my sources and research use the same approximate years, which were the early 1960s to the early 1990s. Most have said 1992 or 1993 for the closing year.” The prison camp closed after a new septic system was installed, causing a slight run-off into a brook which fed into Richard’s Reservoir, polluting it.
The camp housed up to 100 lower security inmates at one time, according to Nygard, adding, “It was a fairly large camp.” Prior to being a prison camp, the area served as a Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) camp during the Great Depression from 1934 to 1937.
Inmates were involved in all aspects of work around the camp, including kitchen maintenance, logging, road work, and basket-making. This allowed them to re-enter society with job skills, Nygard explained. Escapes of prisoners were rare, Nygard said. When prisoners did escape and were re-captured, they were sent to a higher security prison, she added.
Nygard, who recently began this research, discovered there was very limited information online about the prison camp. “I was surprised not to see a lot of articles online,” Nygard said. Despite this she said, “It is a fascinating project which has grown in scope,” adding, “It’s become a larger project than I intended.” As for a completion date she said, “I don’t want to rush. I want to get the research right.”
Nygard’s interest in journalism began in high school after taking an online class at Pioneer Valley Regional School. “I really liked learning other people’s stories. What attracted me most were stories behind closed doors. I was interested in the darker side of history, in the investigative side of history.”
While at UMass Amherst, she took a class entitled Journalism in Jail. “During our studies, we would read a lot of stories from the Prison Journalism Project (www.prisonjournalismproject.org). The point of the class was to really focus on the viewpoint of inmates in prison facilities.”
As part of an assignment for that class, she and several other students wrote an opinion piece focusing on mental health services provided at the Hampden County Correctional Facility. “We spoke about how progressive the facility was,” Nygard said. As part of the project, she continued, ” I took a tour of the Hampden County Correctional Facility to find out what the facility does in terms of mental health services for their inmates. Once I got the tour, I knew that this (crime and investigative journalism) is what I wanted to do. It created a point of certainty for me,” she said.
While considering a research project she would want to become involved in for the society, she said, “I was thinking about what area would give me some experience and help with my journalism career.” Due to her interest in investigative and crime journalism, she chose to research the prison camp. “I have an interest in investigative and crime journalism so it was a perfect fit. Writing about the prison camp is great for me and great for my future resume.”
Nygard is hoping to collect oral histories from people who were involved with the camp, as well as photos and any other kind of documentation regarding the prison camp. Those who may have information can contact Nygard at lieselmnygard27@gmail.com.
Carla Charter is a freelance writer from Phillipston. Her writing focuses on history with a particular interest in the history of the North Quabbin area. Contact her at cjfreelancewriter@earthlink.net.