In between the vendors selling clothes, furniture, art, and tools, behind UV-protected glass and a simple metal frame was a letter to a Virginia man signed by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison.

Lee Wright from Marlborough, moved to New England in 2005 and found the history of the area inspiring.

“Sometimes when you grow up with something, you take it for granted,” Wright told MassLive. “I came to [New England] with fresh eyes and I thought there’s just such wonderful things here.”

In 2011, Wright launched The History List, which is a platform for publishing information about history-related sites and events.

Later, Wright created The History List Store to cover the costs of the platform. In 2014, he created History Camp, a casual conference where all people, ranging from professionals to students and more, can learn more about all aspects and eras of history.

In Fall 2023, Wright began selling rare finds, which are historical antiques from different parts of history. These items can be mirrors, paintings, books or political documents.

These items “give people a chance to connect with history in a different way instead of just reading a book.” Wright said.

These rare finds are normally sold online. However, when Wright was introduced to the Brimfield Flea Market during the May 2024 show by his friend, Michelle, he said that she suggested doing an exhibit for his rare finds and his history store during the summer show.

So on July 9, the first day of the July 2024 Brimfield Flea Market show, Wright presented two of his rare finds.

One was the Presidential Commission signed by President Thomas Jefferson and Secretary of State James Madison appointing Alexander Moore as Register of Wills effective Nov. 18, 1807. The selling price is $15,540, according to the Rare Finds website.

Wright also presented a framed newspaper report from April 17, 1865, on Abraham Lincoln’s assassination and death. This item was sold for $2,755, according to the website.

“It’s so fascinating to read because there’s all this chaos and confusion,” Wright said, describing the newspaper. “Things are coming in by wire. The Daily Advertiser… was Boston’s first daily newspaper. So they’re getting the news from Washington D.C. … and basically, as you read through it, what you discover is that they talk about the assassination and Lincoln is still alive. By the time you get to the bottom [of the paper], it reports his death.”

But while these items were interesting, Wright said that his current find was certainly one to stand out.

“Last weekend, I bought an auctioned lot of books and it included these leather-bound books from the mid-1800s,” Wright told MassLive. One of the books contained “a report on Gettysburg, including when the government was reporting on the creation of Gettysburg National Cemetery. It included information on what was spent, what was done, the order of procession, and so forth.”

The report belonged to William Saunders, the man who designed Gettysburg National Cemetery. His report also contained the earliest printing of the Gettysburg Address.

The current price on the report is $4,955, according to the website.

In Saunder’s handwriting, on the bottom of the page of the report with the original Gettysburg Address, it reads: “When Mr.Lincoln gave this speech, I was standing within a few feet of him.”

Overall, Wright hopes that people will continue taking an interest in history and the antiques that help tell the story.

“Fundamentally … I think people would just be better served being informed [and knowing their history].” Wright said.