Abby Epplett, Historian

Several weeks ago, I had an adventure in the Lyme / Mystic area of Connecticut. In the village of Niantic in East Lyme, CT is Niantic Bay Boardwalk stretching 6000 feet from Niantic Bay Beach to Hole-in-the-Wall Beach. Fun yellow seashell location markers installed by Eagle Scout Joshua Miller of Troop 240 indicate how far a walker has traveled along the boardwalk and provide information for emergency services should something go amiss. Besides this excellent signage, the boardwalk boasts plenty of informational signs about the history and ecology of the area. As an added bonus, trains regularly run down the railroad tracks beside the boardwalk and cross the drawbridge on the Niantic Bay Beach end of the path. The Niantic River had been a challenge to cross since people settled in the area several thousand years ago, but the first known Niantic River Bridge was built in 1796 to replace a rope ferry, a pulley system that had brought passengers and goods

Last Saturday — June 15, 2024 — I went on a history adventure in New Bedford, MA. Between my three major stops of New Bedford Art Museum , the Rotch-Jones-Duff House & Garden Museum , and Fort Taber Park , I made several quick history stops around the city. Highlights included neoclassical architecture, memorials, repurposed factories, and flood prevention infrastructure.

This past Saturday — July 6, 2024 — I visited three stops in the Passport to History developed by Old Colony History Museum , along with one bonus stop. The third stop for the passport book, along with the fourth and final stop for the day, was the Carpenter Museum at Rehoboth Antiquarian Society , which included a pair of quick history stops in the area. The museum received its name not from an occupation but a family, as the Carpenters donated towards the construction of the main museum building, which looks like an 18 th century farmhouse.

During my trip to Jamestown, RI in July 2023, I visited Beavertail Lighthouse, a free museum about the history of the building and its keepers. Earlier that day, I visited many other historic attractions on Conanicut Island, including Historic New England’s Casey Farm and Watson Farm , along with several sites operated by Jamestown Historical Society (JHS) , like Conanicut Battery . I had wanted to visit the Beavertail Lighthouse museum for a long time, but it had never been open when I visited. This was my lucky day! Many protective buildings existed on the Jamestown coast even before the construction of the current lighthouse. The first Watch House was built in 1705, and a Fire Beacon in 1712. The original Beavertail Lighthouse was erected in 1749, making it the third lighthouse established on the Atlantic Coast in the British American colonies. The lighthouse was designed by Peter Harrison , often called “America’s First Architect”. His other famous work in

Back in October 2022, I visited Cathedral of the Pines in Rindge, NH, a non-denominational memorial including a bell tower, gardens, trails, and a small museum. The space is dedicated in memory of Lt. Sanderson “Sandy” Sloane and other members of the United States military who died in war, especially World War II. Free and open to the public, this organization provides a comprehensive educational and historical experience, allowing visitors to learn more about a man and his family within the context of a global crisis while providing a place for veterans and military families to process personal trauma.

Back in late May 2023, I visited Rocky Point State Park , formerly an amusement park in Warwick, RI managed by Rhode Island State Parks (RISP) with funding from the City of Warwick and the Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) . Together, these organizations have transformed the area into a kite flying field, oceanfront beach, and ADA compliant trails, along with supporting the Rocky Point Park Pathways Project by Leadership Rhode Island . Since 2017 , a series of pathway signs detail the history of the park using text and images.

I recently had an adventure in the Mystic / Lyme region of Connecticut and spent about a day and a half at Mystic Seaport Museum . This is the fifth post in a six-part miniseries about my visit. My last four posts covered Part 1 and Part 2 of “Seaport Village” along with the “Preservation Shipyard” and “Galleries” . This post includes “Boats, Signs, & Shows” such as the Charles W. Morgan , the Joseph Conrad  and Little Vigilant , many other antique boats, the opportunity to operate small boats, signage, and shows about maritime life in 19 th century New England. The final upcoming post will feature “Bonus Houses”.

Few towns have been as thoroughly shaped by a single woman than Norton, MA by Eliza Baylies Chapin Wheaton . Born in Northbridge, MA in 1809 and educated at Uxbridge Academy, in Uxbridge, MA , and later at Young Ladies’ High School of Boston, Mrs. Wheaton married a judge, Laban Morey Wheaton , when she was nineteen, and he was thirty-one. Clearly not cowed by the age gap, Mrs. Wheaton kept Mr. Wheaton — as she insisted he be called — in line while running the house, creating a women’s seminary, and donating buildings to the town. Her thumbprint is still found throughout Norton.

While in Bridgewater, MA, I had quick history stops at McElwain School and Bridgewater Iron Works Park, two parts of industrial history that have been repurposed to serve the community.

I am revisiting small towns in the Blackstone River Valley as I wait for museum season to begin. Today’s stop is Uxbridge, MA. These quick history stops is based on a class that I taught through Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Tufts University .