“A woman is like a tea bag, you can not tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water" - Eleanor Roosevelt

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While the quote above is from another era, during the Civil War, the ladies from Framingham knitted socks, worked in the mills, wrote letters to soldiers and so much more. 

Sunday, as part of the Framingham History Center's Civil War Encampment weekend a ladies auxiliary tea was held in historic Village Hall.

The sold out event remembered and honored the ladies rom three Framingham Auxiliary Committees and their contributions to their soldiers on the battlefront.

During the Civil War, Framingham had not one but three Ladies Auxiliary Committees - one in the Centre, one in Saxonville and one in South Framingham.

According to the Framingham History Center, at their weekly sewing meetings, the Framingham centre group alone produced 117 bandage, 728 pairs of drawers, 107 dressing gowns, 1,371 handkerchiefs, 118 pillow cases, 68 quilts, 280 sheets, 719 shirts, 608 hand-made slippers and 445 pairs of socks.

Civil War reenactors and History Center volunteers dressed in period costumes served tea to the guests. Tea hostesses, in period costumers, were: Annie Murphy, Jennifer Cushing Toth, Dana Dauterman Ricciardi, Julia Ebel, Melissa Dubois, Barbara Todd, Carol Pincins, Megan Lagsden, Sue Gallagher, Maria Porteus, Heather Leiber, Susan Kirsch, Julia Narton, Wendy Benedict, Lynn Kessler and Deborah Kessler.

There was a visit by President Abraham Lincoln, portrayed by Howard Wright and entertainment by Julia Ward Howe, the author of The Battle Hymn of the Republic, first sung in Framingham, portrayed by Libby Frank.

Additional entertainment was provided by Anabel Graetz and Deborah Anne Goss.

The event was presented by the Framingham History Center and the Framingham Co-operative Bank Charitable Foundation.

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Please feel free to add your photos of the tea here, too.