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
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
This is a guest post from Colleen Cunningham, one of our most experienced tour guides at the Jason Russell House. She talks about why she enjoys showing visitors around the house. Entertaining Jason Russell House visitors with stories of life in Menotomy (as Arlington was then called) is the most fun part of being a … Continue reading My Experience as a Tour Guide at the Jason Russell House
Benjamin Locke, 1738-1791, served as Menotomy’s Minute Men Captain during the Lexington Alarm. After both Paul Revere and William Dawes rode past his house at the Foot of the Rocks, on present day Appleton Street in Arlington, MA., Captain Locke and his lieutenant Solomon Bowman mustered their troops in the early morning of April 19 … Continue reading Benjamin Locke: Menotomy Minute Man
In the fall of 1774, Sam Adams and his boys courted Massachusetts ministers casting them as colonial spinmeisters of the Patriot Message. Black-frocked and white-wigged Massachusetts clergy roared their response from pulpit after pulpit treating their parishioners as so many political focus groups. Once Samuel Cooke found his metaphorical horse, he rode it Sunday after … Continue reading “Characters of Blood”: Reverend Samuel Cooke
The Cookes fought well and married better. Samuel Cooke, minister of the Menotomy Church in 1775, grew up in Hadley, which had been the blood-soaked frontier during King Philip’s War. His great grandfather and grandfather were militia captains in a part of Massachusetts where militia service meant more than just a bit of parading before … Continue reading The Minister and the Revolution: April 19 and Reverend Samuel Cooke of Menotomy, Massachusetts