Articles from the Portal
The Medfield Historical Society publishes a monthly newsletter, The Portal, containing articles about our events, our collections, and people and places of the distant and not-so-distant past. Below are selected articles from past newsletters. Looking for a specific topic? Use the search function below to search by subject, author or date. Click to sign up for our free monthly newsletter, The Portal.
Sep 1, 2019 Barbara Leighton of Robert Sproul Road died on July 11, 2019 in Medfield, where she had spent almost her entire 100-year life. She was the daughter of Newell and Myra (Spofford) Leighton and the sister of the late Harry Leighton. Barbara attended Medfield Public Schools; she graduated with
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Sep 1, 2019 August 24, 1619 is a less-remembered date that lives in infamy. On that day, a ship landed near Jamestown, Virginia, with a cargo of the first 20 kidnapped Africans who survived the Middle Crossing and were brought America to be sold into slavery.On August 24, 2019, church bells
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May 2, 2019 The historical society recently received an Allen family treasure from Ellis Allen, now of Mashpee, an arborist who served as Medfield’s tree warden for 34 years and retired some 20 years ago. His succeeded his grandfather, who was tree warden for 42 years.(James Allen was one of Medfield’s
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May 1, 2019 The rhododendrons may be blooming in your yard this week, but to savor the wild ones tucked away in the woods near the Catholic church you’ll have to be patient a little longer. The Rosebay variety found in the Trustees of Reservations’ Medfield Rhododendrons property typically bloom in
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Mar 27, 2019 How the Vietnam War Changed AmericaWe are now nearly 50 years beyond the end of the Vietnam War and continue to celebrate the lives of young soldiers who gave their lives and to those who returned to Medfield. This story calls attention to those brave patriots who served
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Jan 26, 2019 What could be more beautiful than a sunrise? A majestic favorite tree, perhaps, reaching skyward? To some, the branches reaching upward seem like tendrils, delicate and intricate extensions of the plant stretching upward to the universe. A few trees have been mythologized as being earthly treasures.One of these
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Oct 3, 2018 Our town of Medfield in early 1951 celebrated a special time when many people started shopping for their first black and white televisions, just becoming popular in American homes. A family could all sit together after supper and watch the news or the popular shows at that time:
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Oct 3, 2018 (Editor’s note: The text and photos were the historical society’s lead exhibit at Medfield Day. There have been many books written with titles like Lost New York, Lost Chicago, Lost San Francisco; this is the first article entitled Lost Medfield.)Akkompoin, later known as the Manor Inn, was the
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Aug 30, 2018 John Frairy was one of the 13 settlers who left Dedham and founded Medfield in 1649. He was a cordwainer by trade, as well as a farmer. A cordwainer served a long apprenticeship and learned to make shoes from new leather, as distinct from a less skilled cobbler,
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Jul 20, 2018 I have been involved with the Dwight-Derby House since its inception. No, not in the 1600s, but rather when the Town of Medfield bought the house in 1996. I knew of the grassroots efforts to save the house from the wrecking ball and was very excited about the
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May 31, 2018 On June 17th we celebrate Father’s Day. For many men, we will one day become the striking image through our personal qualities of that very man who helped bring us into the world, even if there isn’t a strong physical resemblance. It might be the way fathers hold
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Apr 30, 2018 We all know that Mother’s Day is a celebration honoring the mother of our family, as well as motherhood, and maternal bonds of mothers in society. Mothers are the most important women ever to influence our lives. Everyone born into this world has a natural and immediate bond
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