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 »
Jul 25, 2024 I had a hypothesis. My hypothesis was wrong. This little story is a perfect example of how much fun it is to volunteer at the Medfield Historical Society. One line of inquiry leads to another, which leads to still another, until I am uncovering stories I never knew I needed to hear. Old
Stillman J. Spear: Soldier, Printer, Community Leader, Legislator Read More »
Jun 1, 2024 Medfield is in full bloom once again, as we welcome the month of June. Along with my usual time-travel musings, I’ve been thinking about Juneteenth, wondering about Medfield’s involvement in the antislavery movement. Evidence shows that Medfielders were active in the movement, which gained strength in the northern states during the 1830s.
Uncovering Medfield’s Anti-Slavery Activities Read More »
May 1, 2024 Visitors to the Medfield Historical Society during History Weekend had the opportunity to view, for the first time in eleven years, our town’s collection of J.A.S. Monks etchings and paintings. This exhibit included both early and later etchings, an untitled watercolor, and of course, the famous oil painting of “Jack the Dog,”
Beyond Jack the Dog: Medfield History Weekend Visitors View Art of J.A.S. Monks Read More »
Mar 1, 2024 Women’s History Month, 2024: At the coffee shop, I see women with beverages, children, friends, notebooks and folders, and I can’t help but imagine them in a billboard-sized group photo of all the Medfield women who have kept this town going for over 300 years. As a volunteer in Medfield’s archives, I
The Medfield Lyceum Gazette Read More »
Nov 1, 2023 October in Medfield – it’s a magical feeling, somehow comforting and spooky at the same time. This week, my thoughts turn to our own Hannah Adams (1755-1831). I think she would have enjoyed being a contestant in the town’s Scarecrow Spooktacular contest, for it seems that she had a personal connection with
When Spirits Visited Hannah Adams Read More »