New and exciting work is being done at the Jason Russell House thanks to a dedicated group of scholars and professionals. We would like to share what has transpired so far, and alert you to ongoing research. It’s truly hard to believe that there is still information to be found in a 270+ year old … Continue reading Ongoing Studies at the Jason Russell House
Category Archives: Blog
CPA Project 2020
While everything is shut down due to the pandemic, we’re still hard at work keeping the Jason Russell House preserved for future generations. Our current Community Preservation Act supported project includes sundry projects such as: framing inspection and insect treatment of the south and east wall sills, painting of one elevation, repair and reglaze of … Continue reading CPA Project 2020
In Memory of Vida Damon
In Nina Winn’s diary entry for May 7, 1922, she wrote of visiting Mount Pleasant Cemetery and viewing the grave of her close friend since childhood, Vida Damon, where a marker had been installed recently. Nina wrote: “Saw Vida’s stone—very severe and simple & beautiful.” Vida Damon was about six months older than Nina Winn, … Continue reading In Memory of Vida Damon
MAY 1, 1955: DIAL TELEPHONES DEBUT IN ARLINGTON
MAY 1, 1955: DIAL TELEPHONES DEBUT IN ARLINGTON If self-dial telephone service in Arlington were a person, it would just now be eligible for Medicare. Today is the 65th anniversary of dial technology coming to the homes and businesses of the town. This automation coincided with the loss of the readily identifiable ARlington 5 telephone … Continue reading MAY 1, 1955: DIAL TELEPHONES DEBUT IN ARLINGTON
Arbor Day 2020 Special
Arbor Day 2020 Special: Arlington’s Streets Named for Trees Note: This is a revised version of an article from Richard A. Duffy’s series in the Arlington Advocate, “History of Arlington Street Names.” It was first published to coincide with Arbor Day in 2010. Today is Arbor Day in the U.S.—a fitting time to learn about … Continue reading Arbor Day 2020 Special
Flag Day
This year’s “Throwback Thursday” coincides with Flag Day, and features the thematically attired Edward H. H. Bartlett of 216 Pleasant St. He was born in England in 1861 and immigrated to the U.S. in 1872. Extremely patriotic about his adopted country, Bartlett led the effort in 1905 for Town Meeting to authorize $100 to erect … Continue reading Flag Day
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 … Continue reading Town Meetings in the Northwest Precinct of Cambridge, 1736-1795
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 … Continue reading Moxie: “It’s a drink for those who are at all particular”
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 … Continue reading Commemorative Plates
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 … Continue reading Ballad of the War of 1812