Abby Epplett, Historian

Today marks the second birthday of Abby Epplett, Historian . Two years ago, I posted my first review, which featured the “How Do You See the World?” Experience & Mapparium . Last year, on the first birthday of the blog , I counted down my top ten best performing posts, along with giving a general overview about blog viewership, and I will do the same this year. This is the 281 st post for the blog, bringing me to 156 posts in my second year, compared to 125 posts in my first year.

As a current resident of Whitinsville and fan of all things Blackstone River Valley, I’m always looking for ways to learn more about the area. When I heard that local historian Ken Warchol was presenting his final Historic Trolley Tour of Whitinsville dressed as Paul Whitin , I booked right away. The ninety-minute tour took place last Saturday, May 18, 2024, beginning at 9:00 a.m., with three more tours happening throughout the day. While the weather was rainy, the atmosphere was upbeat.

Last night — Thursday, April 4, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. — was the fifth installment of the 2024 season of Parked at Home hosted by Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park (BRVNHP) . This webinar featured curator Beth Miller of Edison National Historical Park as a guest speaking about the work of Mina Edison, “Home Executive of Glenmont”. Park Ranger Allison Horrocks began by describing the life of Betsey Fletcher Whitin , born April 1777 in Northbridge, MA. Her father, Colonel James Fletcher , built the community’s first iron forge along the Mumford River. He married Margaret Wood , the daughter of Colonel Ezra Wood , and inherited a “prime piece of real estate”. In 1793, when Betsey was sixteen years old, she married local blacksmith Paul Whitin , a partner at Fletcher’s Forge forger. Historians call this match “The smartest thing… Paul Whitin, Sr. could have ever done”. As “Cotton Mill Fever” hit the waterways of New England, Whitin and Fletcher established Northbridge Co...

Yesterday, June 22, at 6:30 p.m., I joined rangers from Blackstone River Valley National Historic Park during their walkabout “Wonders of Whitinsville”, an hour-long tour of the mill village with an overview of the Whitin family and local industrial history. Part of the material overlapped with the Whitinsville Self-Guided Tour available on the National Park Service website , but the three rangers leading the tour provided plenty of additional information about the number of textile looms in the mill buildings, family dynamics, and the relationship between mill owners and mill workers.