This history of Jeffreys Neck is from the Agawam Manual and Directory by M.V.B. Perley, published in 1888. The business of fur-trading and fishing along the New England coast received a new impetus about the beginning of the seventeenth century. In 1604 Agawam was the center of Arcadia, so-called in the French patent of November… Continue reading Jeffreys’ Neck Road
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/
After Electoral Defeat, Neither Adams President Attended his Successor’s Inauguration
John Adams, our second President, and his eldest son John Quincy Adams, our sixth President, both quietly departed Washington on the eve of their opponent’s inauguration. Each did so in good conscience, leaving their successors, Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson respectively, to enjoy two terms in office.
Bill George’s Nostalgic Look at Old Ipswich
Paul Valcour interviewed Bill George twice for his show on Ipswich ICAM, and Bill shared his large collection of old Ipswich photographs.
The Wearing of Long Hair and Wigs
The wearing of long hair was a burning theme of address in the early Puritan pulpit. The clergy prescribed that the hair should by no means lie over the band or doublet collar. In 1649, the Governor and seven of the Assistants declared their “dislike and detestation against the wearing of such long hair, whereby men doe deforme themselves, and offend sober and modest men.”
Shay’s Rebellion
On the last Tuesday of August, 1786 some 1500 armed insurgents took possession of the Northampton Court House, initiating a brief war known as Shay's Rebellion.
The Mill girl’s Letter: “I Can Make You Blush.”
Dear Sir,
I received the ribbon you sent me by mail, and I thank you ever so much for it. I was asking Asa Howe who you were, and he told me. He also said you were a great man for girls. How is it you never holler at me and my chums? I think you're bashful. If you wasn't, you would of handed me the ribbon instead of sending it by mail.
Santa Hits the Ipswich Lightkeeper’s House, December 24, 1937
In 1939 the children were all assembled at the Ipswich Lighthouse, waiting for Flying Santa Edward Snow, who was running a bit behind schedule. Hearing the sound of an airplane the keeper called up to his wife, "Has Santa arrived yet, dear?" Immediately he heard the Christmas bundle crashing through the skylight, upon which his wife yelled down, "Yes, dear. We can start the party now."
Prominent Members of the Early Ipswich Bar
Ipswich boasts a long line of legal luminaries – lawyers and judges – going back to the dawn of the Town’s existence. Not only is this the “Birthplace of American Independence” but the home to many notable statesmen, and the caliber of the bench and bar of a people is in part a measure of the quality of the culture.
How Will Sea Level Rise Affect Ipswich?
Sea levels rose about 8 inches globally and about 1 foot on the Eastern Seaboard in the past century. What will happen to Ipswich if catastrophic predictions for the 21st Century are realized?
A Stroll Down Water Street
Join Paul Valcour and Gordon Harris on a walk along the river from the Green St. Bridge to the town wharf as we compare today's view with dozens of photos taken in the 19th and early 20th Centuries.
Newburyport Interactive Map Keeps History Alive
Mary Baker, producer of the Newburyport Blog, created an interactive map telling the stories of historic places in Newburyport.
High-Posted Capes
Ipswich has several Cape-style houses constructed with second floor kneewalls, found especially in the Ipswich Village and Linebrook neighborhoods. "High post Capes" in the 19th Century incorporated popular decorative elements of the Greek Revival, Italianate, Victorian and Colonial Revival eras.
The ABCs of Town Meeting
by Tom Murphy
Jack Helfant, the Hermit of Sandy Point From 1962-67
In 1962, a storm shipwrecked Jack Helfant’s houseboat on Sandy Point. The Revere native decided to stay on the island, creating a shack using driftwood, canvas and parts of his houseboat covered with salt hay, including an underground quarters. Over the years Jack and his pet collie Prince became permanent fixtures on the island.
Historic Ipswich 