Abby Epplett, Historian

In June 2023, I visited Casa Museo General Gregorio Luperón (House Museum of General Gregorio Luperón) in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. Earlier that day, I had visited the Dominican Amber Museum Experience just over a quarter mile (275 m) away. The museum is both the birthplace and deathplace of Gregorio Luperón . The exterior of the house is a beautiful seagreen, and the interior of the house is renovated to display exhibits and artifacts.

Early today — Thursday, September 14, 2023 at 3:00 p.m. — I watched the virtual presentation An Introduction to Heraldry for Genealogists . While I have expertise in many areas of history, I knew almost nothing about heraldry until this quick and enlightening overview hosted by American Ancestors . Dr. Nathaniel Lane Taylor , a former Harvard University professor of Medieval Studies , lead the informative talk. Ginevra Morse , Vice President for Education & Programming at New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS), moderated the Q&A. In addition to giving lectures, Dr. Taylor is an editor and publisher of  The American Genealogist journal, a fellow of similarly named The American Society of Genealogists , and part of the Committee on Heraldry at NEHGS . Dr. Taylor explained that over twenty European countries have a heraldic tradition, but he focused on the traditions of Great Britain, especially England. Heraldry is a “representational unit of identity...

Back in June 2023, I visited the Dominican Amber Museum Experience in Puerto Plata, a coastal town in the Dominican Republic about an hour north from the city of Santiago de los Caballeros. This is not to be confused with the Amber World Museum located in the capital, Santo Domingo. With some of the best branding I have seen from a small organization, the Amber Museum proudly (and legally!) uses a logo similar to Jurassic Park thanks to a savvy bargain made by the owners many years ago. The Jimenes family , who also started Centro León in Santiago , still owns La Aurora cigar company , which in turn owns this museum.

Last night — on September 11, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. — I watched a book talk on The Lioness of Boston written by Emily Franklin and published by Godine . This webinar was hosted by American Ancestors in partnership with the Boston Public Library and GBH Forum Network. Franklin has published over twenty novels and poetry books, but The Lioness of Boston , based on the life of Isabella Stewart Gardner, is her first historical fiction novel. Other speakers during the talk included Margaret M. Talcott , Director Of Literary Programs & Partnerships at American Ancestors; Kristin Motte , Adult Programs Librarian at the Boston Public Library; and Claire Messud , an author of six novels. Frederique Rigoulot , a journalist at GBH, moderated the chat and Q&A. Franklin described her first exposure to Isabella Stewart Gardner and her legacy. As a high school student in Boston, Franklin visited the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and wrote a paper about two paintings: Rembrandt’s...

I recently finished reading A Connecticut Yankee Goes to Washington: Senator George P. McLean, Birdman of the Senate written by Will McLean Greeley and published by RIT Press in January 2023. I previously watched a talk hosted by the United States Capitol Historical Society where Greeley discussed his new book , and he sent me a digital copy to review. While I have read and reviewed several great history books in the past months — Path Lit by Lightning and Slaves for Peanuts were two favorites — this book generated a wider range of emotional responses, including laughter, sadness, and triumph. A Connecticut Yankee follows the life of underrecognized Senator McLean (R-CT) who survived an underprivileged childhood to become a wealthy lawyer and career politician. He worked during the Progressive Era in the United States from the 1880s after Reconstruction through the early 1920s during World War I. McLean’s proudest achievement was the passing of the Migratory Bird Trea...

Earlier tonight — September 5, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. — I watched the webinar Harry Seidler’s Australia Square: Sydney’s First Modern Skyscraper presented by the architect, curator, and author Vladimir Belogolovsky and hosted by the Skyscraper Museum . I previously have watched other webinars hosted by the Skyscraper Museum, including The Great American Transit Disaster , which focused on the defunding of public transportation, and CBS Headquarters , an in-depth look at the construction of “Black Rock”, and other concrete skyscrapers. Although overshadowed by Sydney Opera House when considering Australian architecture, Australia Square continues to be a remarkable feat of architecture. Measuring between 170 and 182.5 meters tall, the skyscraper was arguably the tallest lightweight concrete building in the world when first built from 1961 to 1967. The skyscraper’s rival in height was Marina City in Chicago, IL , measuring about 179 meters tall and built at the same time. Whil...

During my trip to the Dominican Republic in June 2023, I visited several quick history stops around the city of Santiago de los Caballeros. A cathedral, public park, monuments, and government buildings are all in the same area as Fortaleza San Luis , about a 600m (0.4 mile) or 6 minute walk from the popular tourist attraction.

Back in June 2023, I visited Fortaleza San Luis in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic. The site of the fort was founded in 1674, when Ignacio Zayas Bazán was governor of the island, and Andrés Núñez de la Torra was mayor of the city. The current version of the fort may have been built in the early 19 th century, around 1804-5, during Era de Francia [French Era] when Haiti and the Dominican were ruled by France. At that time, Jean-Louis Ferrand was governor of the island, and Agustín Franco de Medina was mayor of the city. The men were friends and chose to name the fort after Louis IX , an early 13 th century king of France and a saint in the Catholic church whose feast day was last Friday, August 25. At the end of Independence, around 1848, President Pedro Santana ordered the building of barracks and jails in the space. Later, during the Restoration in 1863, the fort served as a training ground for troops, but the hastily constructed wood structures burned ...

On August 24, 2023 at 3:00 p.m. EDT, I watched a webinar hosted by American Ancestors ® & New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) , which debuted the 10 Million Names project. For context, American Ancestors ® is the oldest genealogical organization in the country, established in Boston, MA during 1845. The organization has supported research and publications for over 175 years. Currently, the organization employees about 95 full-time staff, shares 1.4 billion digital records, holds 28 million original manuscripts, and acts as a filming location for the hit PBS television show Finding Your Roots hosted by Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. During this webinar, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Ryan J. Woods introduced the session by explaining that the intent of the project is to identify and recover names of the approximately ten million people of African descent who were enslaved in early America from 1500 to 1865. This project will be a collabo...

Last night — August 22, 2023, at 8:00 p.m. — I watched a conversation with the six winners of the 2023 John E. Gruber Creative Photography Awards hosted by the Center for Railroad Photography & Art (CRP&A). The award is named for the CRP&A founder, who began the nonprofit organization in 1997. The theme for this year’s contest was “The Role of Technology”. During the program, the winners spoke on the circumstances surrounding their award-winning image, their experiences photographing railroads, and tips for aspiring photographers. The recording of the event will be available on the Rail Photo Art YouTube channel in about two weeks. Chris Walters , winner of First Prize for Black & White, used a drone to capture a stunning image of lined up Alstom Metropolis driverless train sets on the Sydney Metro, part of Northwest Rapid Transit (NRT Group) . The image is related to Walters’ project to photograph the approximately 360 railway stations in the Sydney, New...

On Thursday, August 17, 2023 at 7:00 p.m., I watched the webinar Seaside Escapes: The Art & Architecture of the New England Coast lead by Jane Oneail of Culturally Curious . I have previously watched two talks by Oneail: Revolutionary Design: Modern Architecture in New England in May 2023 and George Tooker: Modern Life & Magical Realism in June 2023. Just like for the past two talks, the event was sponsored by the Greater Manchester Integrated Library Cooperative or GMILCS , which describes itself as “a nonprofit consortium of public and academic libraries in New Hampshire”.

On August 17, 2023 at 12:00 p.m., I took a lunch-and-learn break to watch the talk Birdman of the Senate: George P. McLean and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act presented by Will McLean Greeley and hosted by the United States Capitol Historical Society . I received a special invitation from Greeley to watch his talk, and I was immediately drawn by his book title, A Connecticut Yankee Goes to Washington published earlier this year by RIT Press , which alludes to the novel A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Connecticut author Mark Twain . During both the talk and the book, Greeley proudly shared the work of his great-great-uncle, Senator George P. McLean (R-CT) , in passing the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 (MBTA) . Greeley began by noting how most American history classes focuses on charismatic presidents rather than other political figures such as state legislatures, governors, and congressional representatives. Although McLean worked with five US Presidents...

After enjoying an online program on train model expert and photographer Linn Westcott hosted by the Center for Railroad Photography & Art (CRP&A) back in July, I discovered that the organization had just launched a new collections management system using Odyssey Preservation Software created by History IT . As someone who maintains a database for my “real job” and met Odyssey representatives during NEMA Conference 2022 [ Day 1 , Day 2 , Day 3 ], not to mention that I really like trains, the webinar held on Tuesday, August 15, 2023 at 8:00 p.m. EDT was an ideal opportunity to learn more about several of my interests. CRP&A Executive Director Scott Lothes gave an introduction to the organization and its upcoming events, while Director of Archives & Collections Adrienne Evans and Reference & Digital Projects Archivist Erin Rose led the two-part demonstration and answered questions. Before the demo, Evans and Rose described the “long road” to selectin...

Earlier tonight — Tuesday, August 15, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. — I learned all about skyscrapers and CBS Headquarters. Hosted by the Skyscraper Museum in Manhattan, NY , the talk CBS Headquarters: A Modern Concrete Skyscraper focused on “Black Rock”, a building regarded as the first concrete office tower in New York City, NY . Giving the talk was internationally acclaimed architect Matthys Levy , who assisted with the construction process of Black Rock and boasts an impressive design portfolio. As principal architect at Weidlinger Associates, Inc. (WAI) , an American structural engineering company that merged with a similar but larger firm, Thornton Tomasetti , back in 2015, his influence is evident on several great cultural venues that I have visited, including the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum in Hyde Park, NY ; Art of the Americas Wing at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, MA ; and the Giant Ocean Tank at the New England Aquarium in Boston, MA . Additionall...

Held annually on the Sunday closest to August 14 or Victory Day, which celebrates the end of World War II, the 2023 edition of “World War II Comes to the Valley” did not disappoint. Like last year , this event took place at Alternatives’ Whitin Mill in the historic village of Whitinsville, MA . The complex is operated by Open Sky Community Services with events planned by its arts and culture arm, ValleyCast . I last visited its plaza during the “Wonders of Whitinsville” Ranger Walkabout hosted by Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park (BRVNHP) in June 2023, and I attended the Blackstone Valley Mill Explorations event in December 2022. This latest event was a collaboration between many organizations with volunteers (like me!) provided through Blackstone Heritage Corridor .

A gorgeous museum deserving of international acclaim, Centro León provides the residents of Santiago and Valle del Cibao the opportunity to experience Dominican history, art, culture, and industry on a modern and at times unconventional campus. Official called Centro Cultural Eduardo León Jimenes , the museum began as an art contest run through La Fundación Eduardo León Jimenes by the descendents of the man for whom these institutions are named. The three-part complex contains an outdoor area with sculptures and an aviary; a large museum showcasing the art and culture of the Dominican Republic, including pieces that won the content; and a small museum focused on the history and industries of the León family, specifically beer and cigars.

Fully called Jardín Botánico de Santiago Profesor Eugenio de Jesús Marcano Fondeur , the botanical gardens in Santiago, DR take advantage of the Carribean weather to grow plants and create ecosystems from around the world. Professor Marcano was a botanist (plants), entomologist (bugs), herpetologist (reptiles), and speleologist (caves) who greatly contributed to the understanding of natural sciences in the Dominican, especially the Cibao Valley. He died in 2003 at age seventy-nine, just one year before the beginning of the botanical garden project named in his honor. According the official website of the garden, the area became part of Sistema Nacional de Áreas Protegidas or SiNAP (National System of Protected Areas) under the name Monumento Natural Saltos de la Tinaja (Rocky Pool Waterfalls Natural Monument) . The garden itself was named in 2015. When I visited, the park was free and open to the public while quietly undergoing further construction. One of my favor...