Massachusetts
Recent Articles
Bridge of Flowers
Some places are created to solve practical problems. Others become places that simply make people smile. The Bridge of Flowers in Shelburne Falls manages to do both. The bridge was originally built in 1908 as the Deerfield River trolley bridge, carrying electric streetcars between Shelburne and Buckland. For years it served as an important transportation link, […]
The Medal of Honor
Among all the artifacts displayed at the American Heritage Museum, few carry the emotional weight of the Medal of Honor. Unlike a tank, an aircraft, or a weapon, this small medal represents something that cannot be manufactured or engineered. It symbolizes extraordinary courage in the face of overwhelming danger. Established during the American Civil War […]
The Campbell Kids Shopping Game
One of the things I enjoy most about visiting local history museums is discovering artifacts that tell the story of everyday life. Community museums often preserve the objects that filled ordinary homes. This 1955 Campbell Kids Shopping Game is one of those treasures. Produced by Parker Brothers in partnership with the Campbell Soup Company, the […]
Hannah Simonds’ Mourning Portrait
One of the most moving pieces we discovered at the Buckman Tavern in Lexington was this delicate watercolor painted by Hannah Simonds in 1805. At first glance, it appears to be a simple family memorial, but it tells a much larger story about remembrance, family, and the quiet ways ordinary Americans preserved the legacy of […]
Edward Everett
Standing on Boston Common is a statue of a man whose name is no longer familiar to many Americans, yet during the nineteenth century he was one of the nation’s most admired public figures. This monument honors Edward Everett, a Massachusetts scholar, educator, diplomat, governor, U.S. senator, Secretary of State, and one of the greatest […]
President Taft’s White Steam Car
One of the exhibits I most enjoyed at the Heritage Museums & Gardens in Sandwich was its impressive collection of antique automobiles. While every vehicle tells part of the story of America’s transportation history, this 1909 White Steam Car Model M immediately caught my attention because of its connection to the presidency. I have always […]
A Chinese Tea Box
Among the many furnishings displayed in the historic Golden Ball Tavern in Weston, Massachusetts, this small Chinese tea box caught my attention. It tells a remarkable story about international trade, the value of tea, and the surprising connections between colonial New England and Asia. The box was crafted in China during a time when Chinese […]
William Hickling Prescott
Walking through Boston’s Beacon Hill, it is easy to admire the elegant brick homes and historic streets without realizing how many remarkable people once lived behind these doors. One of those homes belonged to William Hickling Prescott, one of the nineteenth century’s most celebrated American historians. From 1845 until his death in 1859, Prescott lived […]
The Pilgrim Monument
Rising high above Provincetown Harbor, the Pilgrim Monument is the most recognizable landmark on Cape Cod. Standing 252 feet tall atop High Pole Hill, it is the tallest all-granite monument in the United States and can be seen for miles in every direction. Its design was inspired by the Torre del Mangia in Siena, Italy, […]
The Founders Memorial
Standing on Boston Common, the Founders Memorial commemorates the beginning of Boston’s story. Dedicated in 1930 during the city’s 300th anniversary celebration, the monument marks the founding of Boston in 1630 and honors the people whose decisions transformed a small peninsula known as Shawmut into one of America’s most influential cities. The centerpiece of the […]
The Old Burial Ground
Long before modern cemeteries were carefully landscaped parks, New England towns established simple burial grounds at the heart of their communities. The Old Burial Ground in Sturbridge is one of those places. Established in 1740, only two years after the town itself was incorporated, it became the final resting place for generations of the men, […]
World War II Air Raid Siren
While visiting the Needham History Center and Museum, one artifact caught my attention. Standing quietly in the corner was a World War II air raid siren that once occupied the steeple of the First Baptist Church on Great Plain Avenue. It is not a large or ornate object, yet it represents a time when communities […]
