At noon, a "midnight darkness" had fallen on Essex County. Candles were lighted, and fowls went to roost. By the next morning, dark ash lay four or five inches thick.
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/
Choate Bridge Sign is Destroyed by Driver
An accident at 4:40 pm on July 3 at the southeast end of the Choate Bridge destroyed the beautiful hand-made wrought-iron 1764 Choate Bridge sign, installed in 1996. The same spot on the bridge has seen two other accidents in recent years that dislodged sections of the parapet, requiring replacement. Damaged Choate Bridge signpost The… Continue reading Choate Bridge Sign is Destroyed by Driver
Sarah Goodhue’s Advance Directive, July 14, 1681
On July 14, 1681, Sarah Whipple Goodhue left a note to her husband that read: "Dear husband, if by sudden death I am taken away from thee, there is infolded among thy papers something that I have to say to thee and others." She died three days after bearing twins. This is the letter to her husband and children.
The Witchcraft Trial of Elizabeth Howe, Hanged July 19, 1692
Elizabeth Howe and her husband James resided on outer Linebrook. She was charged with bewitching her neighbor’s child and was arrested on May 28, 1692. She was one of the five women hanged in Salem on July 19, 1692.
“The Hobby Horse of Popularity”
Alexander Hamilton wrote these words in a letter to George Washington on August 18, 1792. Political divisions between the Federalist Party (led by Hamilton) and the Democratic-Republican Party led by Thomas Jefferson were deepening. Jefferson’s adoring supporters organized large, well-attended events where they praised him in speeches and songs, while his political opponents portrayed him as a radical… Continue reading “The Hobby Horse of Popularity”
Downtown Tuesdays, July – August, 2026
The 2026 Ipswich Downtown Tuesdays will again be hosted at the Take-out Terrace Truss & Stage on the Riverwalk Extension next to the Ipswich Mural. Admission is free! View and share on your phone. July 7: Orville Giddings Band July 14: Hilltown Hamhocks July 21: Chuck & The Players July 28: Clements Brothers August 4:… Continue reading Downtown Tuesdays, July – August, 2026
Hundreds Turn Out For Ipswich Independence Day Parade and Festivities
Despite the hot weather, a crowd estimated by some at over 1,000 people turned out on July 4, 2026, for the Independence Day Community Walk, Bike and Town Hall Field Day. The event marked the town's celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The one-mile parade route began at… Continue reading Hundreds Turn Out For Ipswich Independence Day Parade and Festivities
Ipswich and the American Revolution: The Breach with Britain
In John Adams’ 1765 opposition to the Stamp Act, he referenced the citizens of Ipswich who resisted a tax imposed by the Crown in 1687. An Ipswich town meeting on August 11, 1768 approved of "the Conduct of those Gentlemen of the late House of Representatives...when it was required of them at the Peril of their Political Existence." The Town meeting on Dec. 28, 1772 supported the rights of the Colonists as British subjects, and established a Committee of Correspondence to communicate resistance with the Committees of other towns. Delegates from throughout Essex County arrived in Ipswich on Tuesday, Sept. 6, 1774, and by unanimous vote, bound themselves together in establishment of the Provincial Congress for the common safety.
January 10, 1776: Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense” is Published
Thomas Paine In 1776, Thomas Paine's 47-page pamphlet "Common Sense" inspired the American Revolution. The following excerpts still speak true today: "The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind. Many circumstances have, and will arise, which are not local, but universal, and through which the principles of all lovers… Continue reading January 10, 1776: Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense” is Published
The Birthplace of American Independence, 1687
The important events I shall describe were a mere tradition in the town where I was born. It was almost a revelation, when, in later years, I found unquestioned historical records deserving of national attention.
The Labor in Vain Farm of Thomas & Elisabeth Emerson of Bishop’s Stortford, England, and Ipswich, Massachusetts
During the first two centuries of the Ipswich settlement, the tidal stream known as Gould's Creek was known as "Labor-in-Vain Crick." Having rowed against the incoming and outgoing tides passing under Gould's Bridge, it's quite obvious how the creek got its name. For about a mile flowing inward, it saturates the salt marsh between Labor… Continue reading The Labor in Vain Farm of Thomas & Elisabeth Emerson of Bishop’s Stortford, England, and Ipswich, Massachusetts
June 10, 1776: Ipswich Pledges to Support Independence
Shortly after the battle of Bunker Hill (actually Breeds Hill) on June 17, 1775, the Provincial Congress ordered that 10 companies of 50 men each should be raised in Essex County. Ipswich soldiers spent a long cold winter in Cambridge with insufficient supplies. The British finally evacuated Boston on March 17, 1776 after Washington's surprise… Continue reading June 10, 1776: Ipswich Pledges to Support Independence
June 19, 1774: John Adams Takes a Long Walk in Ipswich
"I feel unutterable anxiety. God grant us wisdom and fortitude! Should the opposition be suppressed, should this country submit, what infamy and ruin! God forbid. Death in any form is less terrible!"
The Burke Heel Factory and Canney Lumber Fire, June 19, 1933
The factory at Brown Square burned after volatile glues burst into flames. In the adjoining lot was the Canney Lumber Co. where the building lumber were destroyed. The smaller brick building on the right survived and is now the Ipswich Ale Brewery.
First Church Burns, June 13, 1965
It was a sad day for Ipswich when on June 13, 1965, lightning hit the steeple on the sanctuary of the First Church on Meeting House Green and the building was destroyed by fire. The building was over a century old and considered to be one of the best examples of Gothic church construction in… Continue reading First Church Burns, June 13, 1965
The Rev. John Wise of Ipswich
The concepts of freedom about which Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence originated from the pen of the Rev. John Wise of Ipswich: "The origin of civil power is the people...and when they are free, they may set up what species of government they please."
Historic Ipswich 