A new monthly program at the Weston Historical Museum is giving residents a casual way to explore local history — one mysterious object at a time.

The museum held its inaugural History Mystery Hour from 5 to 7 p.m. July 16. The free event will return during the same hours on the third Thursday of each month.

Museum curator Shelly Franklin created the informal gathering to bring visitors into he building to socialize, explore exhibits and learn the stories behind unusual objects in the museum’s collection.

“My whole goal was to get more local people into the museum, hanging out and talking to each other,” Franklin said. “I wanted to have a party in the museum once a month for a couple of hours that was unstructured, just so people could wander in and out, have a snack and a drink, and get used to being in our building.”

The first gathering centered on a collection of hatpins, including one that belonged to Madge Mundy, a Weston performer whose father, J.B. Mundy, once owned The Weston Chronicle. J.B. Mundy later sold the newspaper to the Bless family.

The museum’s collection includes hatpins measuring about 8 inches from tip to ornament, along with decorative holders used to store them. Franklin’s research into the objects led her to what newspapers in the early 20th century called the “hatpin peril.”

Women commonly used pins ranging from 6 to 12 inches long to secure the large hats fashionable at the time. As more women began working and traveling alone, the pins sometimes doubled as protection against men known as “mashers,” who harassed women in public places and on public transportation.

Photo by Jennifer Kirby courtesy of the Weston historical museum

Above, A 1907 Cleveland Plain Dealer illustration depicts the “hatpin peril,” a period of public concern over women using long hatpins as weapons and for self-defense. Museum curator Shelly Franklin displayed the image during the inaugural History Mystery Hour on July 16, 2026 at the Weston Historical Museum.

Women’s use of hatpins in self-defense prompted public debate and efforts in some cities to regulate their length. Franklin said cities including Chicago and Baltimore imposed restrictions, while rules in the United Kingdom required protective tips on longer pins. Some women resisted the regulations, viewing them as attempts to restrict how they defended themselves.

“Women weren’t using their hatpins to attack people without cause,” attendee Jennifer Kirby said. “The response was essentially, ‘We’re going to control the way you defend yourself.’”

The controversy coincided with the women’s suffrage movement and broader changes in women’s public roles. It largely faded around the end of World War I as hairstyles shortened and large hats gave way to smaller, close-fitting styles.

Franklin said the story shows how an everyday object in a local collection can connect Weston residents with larger social and political movements.

“This was a local person, but this was a global phenomenon,” Franklin said. “It has to do with women’s rights and the political movement happening at the time.”

Future History Mystery Hours may not feature mysteries as elaborate as the hatpin story. Some gatherings may simply introduce an unidentified or unusual item and invite visitors to share what they know about it.

Franklin said the larger purpose is to give residents — including those who have never visited the museum — an easy reason to step inside without committing to a formal lecture or lengthy program.

She also is refreshing the museum’s displays so returning visitors will have something new to discover each month.

“I want to give people an excuse to just come in without committing to a whole program,” Franklin said. “Every month when you come back, there’ll be something new to see.”

History Mystery Hour is free and will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month at the Weston Historical Museum.