C. Peter Jorgensen Was Publisher Of
He and his wife Kathryn (Kay), a Boston University journalism master’s program classmate, bought their first newspaper in suburban Boston in 1969. When they sold their company, Century Publications, in 1986 they were publishing six suburban weekly newspapers. In the mid-1970s Jorgensen also published newspapers in Vermont, New Hampshire and New York. In 1986 he and his wife started Historical Publications. It publishes The Artilleryman, a quarterly magazine he founded in 1978. In 1986 they bought the Civil War Book Exchange from Michael Cavanaugh, turning it into Civil War News in 1988. In 1996 Jorgensen founded Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment, a national fire industry magazine. Jorgensen was an authority on Civil War field artillery, at one time owning a large collection of 3-inch projectiles and cannons, one of which he fired at the annual Tunbridge Memorial Day service. He spoke to round tables and other groups about artillery at the Gettysburg battle and Civil War artillery in general. For many years he had a display table at the annual Gettysburg Civil War Collectors’ Show, often winning a prize for his projectile, cannon or belt plate and buckle displays. One year friends dubbed him the “last artillery casualty at Gettysburg,” after a show vendor’s artillery worm was accidentally kicked over and came down, iron end first, on Jorgensen who was sitting nearby. He was knocked unconscious and taken to Gettysburg Hospital where he was diagnosed with a concussion. In 1988 he took part in artillery demonstrations at Gettysburg National Military Park commemorating the battle’s 125th anniversary. His gun was part of a six cannon, horse-drawn artillery battery. He was proud to be pulled across the battlefield by horses while sitting on the limber chest. It was during that week that Jorgensen was spiffing up the 3-Inch Ordnance Rifles at the 5th Massachusetts Battery’s monument before the unit held a memorial service. A park ranger took exception to the can of black spray paint in his hand. The ranger retreated after getting an earful about the park neglecting the tubes and letting them be soiled with bird droppings. In 1991 Jorgensen returned home from the Richmond Capital of the Confederacy Civil War Show with an orange tabby kitten he named Thomas Jonathan Jackson, “Jack” for short, who lived to be 16. Jorgensen and his cannons took part in a Tall Ships visit to Boston and served in the six-gun salute battery to welcome the U.S.S. John F. Kennedy aircraft carrier as it came into the harbor with 1,000 men lining the deck. He covered the filming of “Glory” and “Gettysburg” for Civil War Times Illustrated, as well as Civil War News, provided artillery information for the Civil War Collector’s Price Guide and assisted authors with a variety of artillery publications. He was a member of the 34th Battalion Virginia Cavalry of the North-South Skirmish Association and a former member of the 5th Massachusetts and 10th Massachusetts Batteries. He competed in carbine, musket, revolver, cannon and mortar events over the years. His memberships included the Company of Military Historians, Massachusetts Arms Collectors, the New England Antique Arms Society and Council on America’s Military Past. Jorgensen was an Orange County deputy sheriff and member of the Tunbridge Trustees of Public Funds at the time of his death. He was formerly a nationally certified EMT and volunteer on the local ambulance and rescue squads and fire department. He was a dedicated first responder and carried his own jump kit and defibrillator. A highlight of his career came in May 2003 when he revived a man who collapsed at the N-SSA Nationals with his defibrillator. His varied interests and collections included military history, especially Civil War and World War II books and art, photography, John Deere tractors, bamboo fly rods, old newspapers and Mack fire trucks. During his journalism career Jorgensen received the Golden Quill Editorial Award from the International Conference of Weekly Newspaper Editors for the best editorial of 1972 and a variety of regional and national press awards for editorial writing and photography. He was a director of several state, regional and national press associations, was on the board of New England Television Corp. and WHDH-TV Inc. in Boston, and was a board member and early organizer of Boston’s Fourth of July Inc., host of the Boston Pops July 4th Esplanade concerts. He owned Firetec Apparatus Sales from 1996 to 2002 and served on the Fire and Emergency Manufacturers and Services Association board of directors from 1998 to 2001. Jorgensen was a native of Medford, Mass., and grew up in nearby Arlington. He held an associate in arts degree and bachelor of science and master of science degrees in journalism from Boston University. He is survived by his wife, brother, sister and two nephews. He was buried in a cemetery on his property in front of a monument that lists highlights of his life and his philosophy and “a suggested guide for everyone.” Among other things, he encouraged people to seek knowledge, study history and use the library. The Vermont Civil War Hemlocks fired two cannons, a brass band played and Vermont Civil War historian Howard Coffin delivered the Gettysburg Address at the committal service. Memorial donations may be made to the Civil War Preservation Trust, PO Box 17686, Baltimore MD 21297-1686; Tunbridge Public Library, P.O. Box 9, Tunbridge VT 05077; or the Tunbridge Church, c/o Townsend Swayze, 56 Swayze Rd., Tunbridge VT 05077.
|
