Author: Sara Lundberg
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A REMEMBRANCE of GERALDINE KAYE
A REMEMBRANCE of GERALDINE KAYE It is with great sadness that we report that Gerry Kaye, our former Assistant Treasurer/Membership Secretary and Director, died in a snorkeling accident in Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean on March 9. She and her husband, David, had moved to Portland, OR to be near their daughters. We remember Gerry asresponsible, conscientious, and meticulous, but…
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Town Meetings in the Northwest Precinct of Cambridge, 1736-1795
One of the earliest and purest forms of Democracy in the United States took place at “town meetings”- a practice established in Massachusetts and distinct to the New England region. Unlike in our present-day use of “town halls”, qualified residents had the opportunity to not only discuss matters particular to their communities, but to actively…
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Moxie: “It’s a drink for those who are at all particular”
It’s the official soft drink of Maine, but Moxie has Arlington connections. Moxie’s originator, Dr. Augustin Thompson (1835-1903), came from Union, Maine and set up his medical practice in Lowell, MA. He wanted to create a “cure-all” medicinal tonic. Using a “secret ingredient”, later known to be gentian root extract, he created a syrup called…
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Commemorative Plates
Ceramic objects in the AHS collection span centuries while telling local stories. Of these ceramics, several plates uniquely celebrate and document Arlington history. These pieces are known as commemorative or souvenir plates. Popularized toward the end of the 19th century, plates of this kind were relatively cheap to produce and a novel way to memorialize…
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Ballad of the War of 1812
On Tuesday, April 24, 1917, Nina Winn wrote about attending a Historical Society event in which “Aunt Sue read a poem & Elizabeth Smith wore the ball dress she wrote of – made by Hannah Hall [later Mrs. Cyrus Cutter] & given by Mrs. Sterling & Mrs. Bates. Then the ‘[Old] Peabody Pew’ was presented and…
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Social Media in the Age of Newspapers
In the age of social media it is easy to believe that we get caught up in the social tidbits of the lives of others. Perhaps that is true but it certainly did not begin with the invention of Facebook. Long before the internet personal interest pieces were heavily circulated in local and national newspapers.…
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A Kitchen with a Polka Dot Ceiling
A Kitchen with a Polka Dot Ceiling Visitors to the Jason Russell House often want to learn about the terrible battle that occurred there on April 19, 1775, and to scrutinize the musket ball holes still evident in some walls and the hall stair risers. But when they enter…
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My Experience as a Tour Guide at the Jason Russell House
This is a guest post from Colleen Cunningham, one of our most experienced tour guides at the Jason Russell House. She talks about why she enjoys showing visitors around the house. Entertaining Jason Russell House visitors with stories of life in Menotomy (as Arlington was then called) is the most fun part of being a…
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Tornadoes In Arlington
On Tuesday, June 24, 2015 Arlington residents were under a tornado watch until 11 p.m. Luckily the time passed without incident. There were at least two destructive tornadoes in 19th century Arlington; one in 1851 and another in 1871. Both tornadoes happened on hot August days. The 1851 tornado is described as more severe, and…