Abby Epplett, Historian

Last September, I visited Boardman House in Saugus, MA, a study house museum owned and operated by Historic New England since 1911, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1966. Like other 17 th century buildings maintained as study homes, Boardman House had minimal furniture. The excellent guide allowed to stand in the fireplaces and explore the attic and basement.

“A History of Worcester in 10 Maps” was created in part of the Worcester Tercentennial, a celebration of the city’s 300 th anniversary . As noted in the Storymap , a popular interactive map viewer powered by ArcGIS , Worcester was founded in 1722 by English colonists and grew to become the second largest city in New England, after Boston. The visual history begins with an early woodcut map of New England from 1677, before the founding of the town, and ends with the current Geographic Information System (GIS) map created by the City of Worcester . Each segment contains a link back to the original source of the map. The sources are a fantastic collection of digital resources for Massachusetts artifacts and include: Massachusetts Historical Society Archives of the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts CURIOSity Digital Collections at the Harvard Library Digital Commonwealth ...

On January 22 at 1:30 p.m. was the second presentation via Zoom in the 2023 Valley Talks series hosted by the Museum of Work & Culture in Woonsocket, RI . Leading the presentation was Alex Hold , the Executive Director of International House of Rhode Island , and Andrea Flores , the Vartan Gregorian Assistant Professor of Education at Brown University .

In September 2022, I visited Portsmouth, New Hampshire and discovered many Quick History Stops around the city. Part 4 in this four part mini-series features features Haven Park and a statue to Fitz John Porter, Portsmouth Fire Department and the Vigilance memorial, Portsmouth Athenaeum, and City of Portsmouth informational signage.

On January 18, I listened to “The Good Kings: Absolute Power in Ancient Egypt and the Modern World”, a talk given by Dr. Kara Cooney , a professor of Egyptian Art and Architecture at UCLA , which was hosted by the Northern Alabama chapter of the  Archeological Institute of America (AIA) . Cooney hosted Out of Egypt on the Discovery channel in 2009 and published the book The Good Kings in 2021, which covered the reign of five Egyptian kings. Cooney focused on three of these kings during her talk: Khufu Akhenaten, and Ramesses II. Cooney emphasized a key difference between the Greek and Roman empires versus the Egyptian dynasties. While Greeks and Romans divinized rulers after death, setting up emperors like Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, and Marcus Aurelius to become gods, the Egyptians divinized rulers during their lifetimes. Cooney noted how Americans “divinize” their favorite presidents like George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and John Fitzgerald Kenne...

On January 18 at 4:00 p.m., the American Antiquarian Society (AAS) in Worcester, Massachusetts presented “ Herald of Freedom : Perspectives from the Collection” via Zoom. The program centered around the rediscovery of two editions of Peter Humphries Clark’s paper Herald of Freedom , an abolitionist newspaper owned by an African American socialist, within the society’s collection back in June 2022 . Since then, the newspapers have been digitized and are on display through the AAS website . Embedded below is the issue from June 2, 1855 (Volume 1, Number 1). The talk began with a video from by Vincent Golden , the newspaper and periodicals curator at AAS, who described the discovery of the newspapers. Golden explained how libraries have backlogs of unprocessed material and are often not sure exists in the collection. He was searching through a backlog from before 2002 and found two issues of the rare newspaper. Research led Golden to the biography America’s First Bl...

On the third Monday of January is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, often abbreviated as MLK Day. This day commemorates the life of service led by civil rights activist Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. , whose birthday is on January 15. This is the only federally observed day of service in the United States , and the holiday is observed by many companies. I used this day to volunteer at Asa Waters Mansion and Grass Hill School, both historic buildings located in Millbury, MA.

On January 14, 2023, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., I took a guided walking-and-driving tour through the village of Primrose, Rhode Island, which was led by Rich Keene of the North Smithfield Heritage Association (NSHA) . Rich was the perfect guide, as he is a descendent of nearly all the people mentioned during the tour. After Rich gave a concise overview of early North Smithfield history, the tour stopped at the Othniel Matterson Homestead, the Follett Homestead, Grange Road, and Primrose Pond.

In September 2022, I visited Portsmouth, NH and discovered many Quick History Stops around the city. Part 3 in this four part mini-series features the Art ’Round Town even held on the first Friday of the month, public art to commemorate figures of the past, and historic buildings. This first stop is a sign across the street from the Liberty Pole & Shield from Part 2. Before the Prescott Sister created Prescott Park, as discussed in Part 1, this area of Portsmouth was the Red Light District, filled with “houses of ill-fame and low-class saloons”. More information about the Red Light District can be found on the digital version of the informational sign .

Way back in September 2022, I visited Portsmouth, NH and discovered many Quick History Stops around the city. Part 2 in this four part mini-series features Portsmouth Memorial Park, Point of Graves Cemetery, the liberty pole, and the liberty shield. All of these stops are located within a short walking distance of Prescott Park, which I covered in Part 1 . As an added bonus, I learned a bit about the gundalow, a small but majestic replica of barges that sailed along the Piscasqua River and through Portsmouth Harbor from the late 17 th century to the early 20 th century. Revitalized by The Gundalow Company as a tourist attraction, visitors can cruise in the afternoon or evening while learning about the region. Looks like an adventure for the next time I go to Portsmouth!

Today was the first presentation of the 2023 Valley Talks series hosted by Rhode Island Historical Society (RIHS). Called Worldly Rhode Island , the talk was presented via Zoom by RIHS Executive Director C. Morgan Grefe , who holds a Ph.D. in American Civilization from Brown University . Grefe described the changes in the Rhode Island population from the Gilded Age to the present day. She also highlighted important figures in Rhode Island political and manufacturing history, along with mill production in the mid 19 th through the early 20 th century, especially during World War I. Below are key points from the talk. Famous Figures Among the earliest discussed figures was George Corliss , a Providence, RI resident who invented and patented a type of steam engine. Corliss won first prize for his design at the 1867 World’s Fair in Paris, France. He later won the Rumford Prize , named for fellow New England inventor Sir Benjamin Thompson, Count Rumford of Bavaria...

During my trip to Portsmouth, New Hampshire back in September of last year, I made several Quick History Stops around the city, from a garden and cemetery near the waterfront to public art and historic buildings around town. The city is highly walkable with ample sidewalks and places to rest, which makes exploring accessible to anyone with time and energy. In fact, I explored so many places that this will be a four-part mini-series! Today’s Quick History Stops are Prescott Park, Sheafe Wharf, and Memorial Bridge.

As the final main stop on my three-day trip of the Portsmouth, New Hampshire area, I visited Wentworth-Gardner House , a stunning yellow Georgian house listed on the National Register of Historic Places . This non-profit museum managed by the Wentworth-Gardner Historic House Association recently deaccessioned and renovated the nearby Tobias Lear House, also listed on the Register and now available to rent for $675 per night at time of publication . The remaining house is open for guided tours that leave on a first-come, first-served basis. The house was owned by several families, including the Wentworth and Gardner families, before being restored by historian Wallace Nutting and turned into a museum.

To generate new ideas for upcoming trips, I recently read the book 50 States 5000 Ideas written by Joe Yogerst , fact-checked Meg Weaver , and published by  National Geographic  in February 2017, and distributed by Simon & Schuster . The full-color paperback edition has 288 pages of facts and photographs and makes an excellent coffee table book for roadtrippers or a basic starting point for people who want to begin traveling but do not know where to begin. Since the book covers a lot of ground, and not always successfully, the author highlights major attractions and large cities, along with a few smaller towns, but does not give details on most location. I experienced several frustrations while reading the book. States and provinces appear in alphabetical order, rather than by region, meaning New Mexico is listed between New Jersey and New York, rather than with Utah, Arizona, and Nevada. The side bars and colored boxes with additional information interrupted ...

I recently finished listening to the audiobook A Fool’s Errand: Creating the National Museum of African American History and Culture in the Age of Bush, Obama, and Trump by Lonnie G. Bunch III, museum director at NMAAHC . The book was read by Golden Voice Hall of Fame inductee JD Jackson , recorded by HighBridge Audio , published by Smithsonian Books , and distributed by Recorded Books, Inc . The recording won a 2019 Earphone Award, given by AudioFile Magazine for excellence in narration, along with recognition on the AudioFile Best of Nonfiction & Culture list.

For major stop four on the third day of my three-day trip of the Portsmouth, New Hampshire area, I visited Moffatt-Ladd House & Garden , also known as the William Whipple House. Constructed between 1760 and 1763, this house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a stop on the Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail .

For my third main stop on the third day of my three-day trip through the Portsmouth, New Hampshire area, I visited Rundlet-May House , a property of Historic New England (HNE) constructed in 1807. Like the Sayward-Wheeler House in nearby York, Maine, which I visited as stop two on the same day, a single family lived in the house throughout its time as a residence. The Rundlet-May House has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1976 .

On the same day I visited Old York Historical Society and Sayward-Wheeler House , I stopped in a few other places throughout York, Maine, including a historical marker, a little bridge, a big bridge, and a nature preserve. All of these stops are free and open to the public.

During my three-day trip of the Portsmouth, New Hampshire area, I visited Sayward-Wheeler House , a Historic New England (HNE) property in York, Maine. The house was owned by the Sayward-Wheeler family throughout its time as a private residence, from 1719 to 1977, and went through few updates.

I recently read The Great Book of Alaska: The Crazy History of Alaska with Amazing Random Facts & Trivia by Bill O’Neill, which contained random facts and trivia about the largest state in America. As a prolific self-published author, O’Neill has written about other popular states, including Texas, California, and New York, along with books of movie trivia and random facts. The book is divided into six section: Modern History Culture of Alaskan Natives Pop Culture and Sports Attractions Inventions Supernatural Each section is divided into quick bites of related facts, perfect for reading if you only have a few minutes. The simple writing style make it accessible to upper elementary school and older. The comprehensive table of contents at the front of the book make finding a favorite fact super easy. The short quizzes at the end of each chapter allowed readers to check memory and reading comprehension. This w...

On Friday, December 2, I went to an artists’ reception and video screening at Spaulding R. Aldrich Heritage Gallery and the G.B. & Lexi Sign Performance Center, which are located at the Alternatives’ Whitin Mill in Whitinsville, MA. The renovated structure is owned by Open Sky Community Services , with events planned by its arts and culture arm, ValleyCast . This venue also held “ World War II comes to the Valley ” back in August. The two featured artists at the event were photographer-documentarists David Lawlor and James Hunt . The film presented by Lawlor was The second installment of his series, Run of the Mill . Lawlor has a fun, youthful documentary style highlighting “his urban exploration of old mill buildings”, as described in a flyer given out a the event. He explores mills that continue to be manufacturing facilities, abandoned buildings, repurpose structures now serving as housing or with plans to create community-focused spaces. My favorite parts of the f...

Disclaimer:  I received this book from Goodreads to review. I recently finished the book Growing Up Getty: The Story of America’s Most Unconventional Dynasty by Vanity Fair writer James Reginato, published this year by Gallery Books , an imprint of Simon & Schuster . At about 270 pages of well-written text, plus a substantial bibliography and a large family tree, this book bridges the gap between gossip column and biography to create a sometimes compelling, sometimes pandering narrative about this ultra wealthy clan. The book is divided into four sections, explaining the rise of Jean Paul Getty as an oil baron and savvy businessman, and the subsequent lives of his descendents, many of whom are politically and socially today. Reginato has a special focus on the children and grandchildren of J. Paul Getty II , the oldest son of his fourth marriage (Getty I was married five times), and the family of Getty II’s younger brother, Gordon . This section of the family includ...

I recently finished reading the book Beautiful News: Positive Trends, Uplifting Stats, Creative Solutions by David McCandless , also the author of Information Is Beautiful , also called The Visual Miscellaneum (2010), and Knowledge Is Beautiful (2014), both of which I own and frequently reread. The book was published by Harper Design , an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers focused on “stunning, gorgeously produced illustrated, award-winning books”. I purchased my copy from Barnes & Noble. The charts and diagrams featured in Beautiful News originally appeared on the website, Information Is Beautiful , named for the first book in the series. As with his past books, McCandless is unmatched in his ability to transform raw data into gorgeous, colorful, and understandable images. His techniques range from the classic word cloud, bar charts, and maps to complex multipage spreads. Even the table of content and index are precisely designed. Picking favorite charts i...

Disclaimer: I received this book from Goodreads to review. I recently finished reading Slaves for Peanuts: A Story of Conquest, Liberation, and a Crop That Changed History , the debut book of journalist Jori Lewis published by The New Press , a nonprofit publisher with a focus on social justice. Slaves for Peanuts fits the bill, describing the role that peanuts have in slavery, colonialistion, and evangelism in Western Africa — especially modern Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Gambia — during the mid to late 19 th century. The book follows the lives of multiple figures important to the area while tracking local events, along with those in France and its other colonies. Reverend Walter Samuel Taylor , a missionary with the Paris Evangelical Missionary Society, appears throughout the book as a brave but chronically ill man who hid former slaves in his home until their could receive freedom papers, all while fighting the racism and anti-Protestantism of the French g...

During my three-day trip of the Portsmouth, New Hampshire area, I visited Old York Historical Society in York, Maine. The society owns and maintains several buildings and historic properties that I saw on my trip, including their Museum Center, Jefferds Tavern, York Corner Schoolhouse, the Old Gaol, and Emerson-Wilcox House.

During my three-day trip of the Portsmouth, New Hampshire area, I visited Portsmouth Historical Society and its John Paul Jones House, which are a members of the New England Museum Association (NEMA). While John Paul Jones (JPJ) was mentioned at the American Independence Museum in Exeter, New Hampshire and appeared in a novel written by Sarah Orne Jewett of Berwick, Maine , whose house is preserved by Historic New England (HNE), I admittedly did not know much about his life. The details were less glamorous than many 18 th and 19 th century biographies made it out to be.