The Brockton Tragedy at Moosehead Lake

Follow the tragic story of a fishing trip gone wrong and its impact on the community of Brockton, Massachusetts.

On May 13, 1928, ten prominent men of Brockton, Massachusetts, headed off on a fishing trip to Moosehead Lake in Maine. After traveling fourteen hours, the group met Maine guide Samuel Budden and boarded the Mac II for the final voyage to their destination. Approximately six miles from the Tomhegan sporting camp, the boat took on water in rough seas and sank, taking Budden and all but one of the adventurers to a watery grave. Jim Benson and Nicole Casper chronicle this horrific tragedy and its legacy in two New England communities.

About the Author
Benson, James E.: - James E. Benson is the past president of the Brockton Historical Society and Fire Museum and serves as the organization's official city historian. Benson has a BA in history from Muhlenberg College and is currently the parish administrator at Brockton's historic First Lutheran Church. A resident of West Bridgewater, he serves as chairman of that town's historical commission and is an active member of several civic organizations locally and regionally. Benson coauthored The Swedes of Greater Brockton in Arcadia Publishing's Images of America series and has authored West Bridgewater, Brockton and Brockton Revisited in the same series, as well as Along Old Canada Road and Brockton in the Postcard History series published by Arcadia Publishing. He is the coauthor (with Nicole Casper) of The Strand Theatre Fire: The 1941 Brockton Tragedy and the Fallen Thirteen, published by The History Press.

Nicole B. Casper has worked as the director of archives and special collections and assistant professor at Stonehill College since 2001. She received her BA in history from Stonehill College and MLS from Simmons College. She also serves on the board of the trustees at the Brockton Historical Society. She is the author of Stonehill publications A Historical Profile of Stonehill College and A Look Back: Celebrating the Centennial of Donahue and Alumni Halls. A native of Rhode Island, she currently lives in Attleboro, Massachusetts, with her husband. In addition to her love of history, she enjoys quilting and combined the two in 2008 with the completion of a photo quilt titled the Brockton "Shoe" Fly quilt, featuring historical images of the Brockton Shoe Industry, which was part of the exhibit The Perfect Fit, organized by the Fuller Craft Museum, Brockton, Massachusetts. She is the coauthor (with James Benson) of The Strand Theatre Fire: The 1941 Brockton Tragedy and the Fallen Thirteen, published by The History Press.