Feb 1, 2026 These days, “the cloud” holds our photographs, possibly forever. And for those of us still blessed or burdened with physical photos cluttering our physical spaces, there are apps that can scan and send them there. I sometimes imagine the amazement of our Medfield forbears if they could see this innovation, but they […]
Glimpses of 19th Century Medfield: Presenting the Tilden-Tucker Album Read More »
Nov 1, 2025 In anticipation of Medfield’s 375th anniversary celebration in 2026, we have been looking through our archives at past anniversary commemorations. On February 21, 1976, Medfield citizens enjoyed a bicentennial anniversary celebration complete with parade featuring fire trucks from all the neighboring towns, floats representing local groups including our own Historical Society, and
Sep 1, 2025 Recently we came across a flyer advertising a “Mock Court Trial Under the Auspices of Col. E. V. Mitchell Camp Sons of Veterans.” The top of the flyer asks, “Are the Hen Roosts of Medfield To Be Protected?” and promises that “all the facts of this remarkable case will be brought out.”
The Remarkable Case of The Missing Medfield Rooster Read More »
July 15, 2025 By November 8,1864, Eben G. Babcock was a seasoned soldier, camped in the Shenandoah Valley. He had gotten into and out of a few scrapes; in a previous letter, missing from our collection but referred to in the next letter, he related that he had been caught sleeping on his post.Despite suffering
Ebenezer Granville Babcock: A Soldier’s Letters, Part III Read More »
Jun 1, 2025 In Part 1 of this story, I wrote that I was thrilled to be able to read, touch, and hold some of the letters of Civil War soldier Eben Granville Babcock III (1843-1917). As I begin Part 2, I wish to reiterate that this is meant as a human story, not
Ebenezer Granville Babcock: A Soldier’s Letters, Part II Read More »
May 1, 2025 Recently, I was thrilled to view a collection of letters from a Civil War soldier, written in faded pencil on scraps of stained paper. That soldier was Medfield’s Eben Granville Babcock, writing to his mother Mary on Pleasant Street. The letters were generously donated to the Medfield Historical Society in 2015 by
Ebenezer Granville Babcock: A Soldier’s Letters to His Mother, Part One: 1862-1863 Read More »
Patriots’ Day (Patriot’s Day in Maine) is a holiday commemorating the opening battles of the Revolutionary War, the battles of Lexington, Concord and Menotomy (now Arlington). In Massachusetts, the day is marked by battle reenactments, ceremonial events, and the beloved Boston Marathon. In 2025, Patriot’s Day occurs on April 21st for Massachusetts and Maine, which
Letter From Boston Read More »
Mar 01, 2025 Last year I discovered in our archives, and wrote about in this article, a massive scrapbook of posters and ads printed by J. Stillman Spear of Medfield. One of the more perplexing items in the scrapbook is a poster advertising a lecture to be given in Medfield in November of 1875 by
Dec 28, 2024 In 1861, a gentleman writing under the nom de plume “Peak House” submitted an “exciting discovery” to the care of the Medfield Historical Society, and I am here to reveal this 164-year-old discovery to our community as we take our first shaky steps into the year 2025. First, here is a bit
Rocky Woods, the Garden of Eden Read More »
Oct 1, 2024 As autumn settles in and children have returned to school, our volunteers have been busy preparing for Medfield Day, planning history-themed activities for children to learn about old and obsolete technology, specifically about tasks that can now be performed by apps in one’s cell phone. Children starting school in 2024 will have
Jobs for Medfield’s Youth: 1840s Version Read More »