Shorebirds congregate and drift in rafts along the estuarine front where the mixing of fresh and saltwater stirs up small fish, crustaceans, and other aquatic organisms.
Life at an Estuarine Front
Author: Gordon Harris
Gordon Harris is a local historian living in Ipswich, Massachusetts, and publisher of the Historic Ipswich site. Follow him at https://www.linkedin.com/in/gordonrharris/
Jake Burridge, the sailor
Legendary Ipswich native Jake Burridge had a century of sailing stories to share with you.
Descendants of Thomas & Mary Treadwell of Ipswich, Massachusetts
The extensive Treadwell family in Ipswich are almost certainly descendants of Thomas Treadwell, who was thirty years old when he arrived on the ship Hopewell with his wife, Mary Wilson, along with their son Thomas, one-year-old.
The Cape Ann Vikings
I find no evidence that Lief Ericson’s brother Thorvald was buried on Cape Ann in 1004 AD or even that Vikings actually set foot here.
“Mill End” Ipswich
"Millend" was the west side of the settlement, including today's Topsfield Rd. and Washington St. Home of Samuel Appleton and John Whipple, it was separated from the east side by a wetland. In1717, Capt. Beamsley Perkins was taken to court for blocking their path to the Meeting House.
The Battle of Gloucester, August 8, 1775
Royal Navy Captain John Linzee commanding the sloop-of-war HMS Falcon, chased a scooner into Gloucester Harbor, upon which the townspeople responded with their militia. Linzee failed in his attempt to retaliate by burning the town, and the patriot forces captured three dozen British seaman.
“We Walked in the Clouds and Could Not See our Way”
Rev. John Hale of Beverly participated in the witch trials until his wife was accused. Hale later published an analysis in which he asserted that Satan had tricked the Puritans, and made a plea for forgiveness.
“Wording it Over the Sheep” and Behaving Badly
Samuel often had words with his neighbor John Lee Sr. over the handling of cattle and sheep, and in 1668 the two landed in court for disturbing the peace. Neither would not admit to any wrong. A witness testified that John's son Joseph hit Samuel with a club as they “were wording it over the sheep”
The Last Days of Norwood’s Mill
A landmark we're probably all familiar with was the old mill building on the Hamilton side of the Mill Road bridge. The abandoned sawmill was last used in 1919 and was demolished in late February 2024.
Last of the Victorians, the Queen Anne Classic
Queen Anne Free Classic houses of the late 19th and early 20th Century share the basic form of elaborate Queen Anne houses but without the excessive ornamentation of the Victorian era.
1695 William Donton House: a Lost Architectural Treasure
William Donton, a mariner bought the lot on the corner of North Main and Summer Streets in 1695 and constructed a picturesque post-medieval-style house, a landmark whose disappearance we still regret today.
Hammatt Street, Brown Square and Farley Brook
Until the second half of the 19th Century, much of the area bounded by Central Street, Washington Street, Mineral Street and Market Street was a wetland with an open sewer known as Farley Brook running through it.
Haunted Houses of Ipswich
Old Ipswich tales, and some stories shared on social media.
The Bones of Masconomet
On March 6, 1659 a young man named Robert Cross dug up the remains of the Agawam chief Masconomet, and carried his skull on a pole through Ipswich streets, an act for which Cross was imprisoned, sent to the stocks, then returned to prison until a fine was paid.
A Very Old Pear Tree Grows in Danvers
A pear tree in Danvers was planted before 1640 by the Massachusetts governor John Endicott. President John Adams enjoyed the flavor of its fruit, and Longfellow admired its longevity. The tree has survived hurricanes, earthquakes, cows, development and vandalism but continues to thrive and bear fruit.
Wind Power From the Berkshires Lights Ipswich Homes
The Town of Ipswich is an investor in Berkshire Wind, an array of wind turbines on Brodie Mountain in the Berkshires. Two turbines added this summer increased the generating capacity to 19.6 megawatts, enough for almost 9000 homes.
Historic Ipswich 