Shortly after the Senate adjourned on May 21, Congressman Preston Brooks of South Carolina. attacked Sumner, yelling out, “I have read your speech, a libel on South Carolina.” and began slamming his metal-topped cane onto Sumner's head.
Category: History
Boston Irish Long Remembered the 1834 Charlestown Convent Fire
Featured image: Woodcut image of the 1834 burning of the Ursuline Convent in Charlestown, Massachusetts. Catholics and fair-minded Bostonians were dismayed by the tragedy. by Helen Breen This week marks the anniversary of the burning and ransacking of the Ursuline Convent in Charlestown, Massachusetts on August 11, 1834. The outrage would smolder in the memories of… Continue reading Boston Irish Long Remembered the 1834 Charlestown Convent Fire
The Ipswich Town Flag
Underneath the Town scene, in the blue water, are the large gold letters that read: "The Birthplace of American Independence - 1687." In the border around the Town scene, are the large gold letters that read: "Ipswich Massachusetts - Incorporated 1634."
“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.
“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.
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.
Hurricanes and Winter Storms
Massachusetts has the highest probability of all of the states to be hit by an ocean storm, which includes hurricanes and nor'easters.
A Photographic and Chronological History of the Ipswich Schools
In 1652, the Town of Ipswich voted "For the better aiding of the school and the affairs thereof," building a grammar school and paying the schoolmaster. By the 19th Century there were 10 grammar schools spread throughout the town, and a high school.
The Green Street Dam
"It was a poor time in which to build a dam. The winter was very severe and at times the temperature was below zero. The center of the dam was soon washed away, and by spring the new structure had almost disappeared."
Traditional American Thanksgiving in Art and Song
Among America’s most beloved 19th century renderings of Thanksgiving Day are Currier & Ives lithographs, Grandma Moses’s paintings, and Lydia Marie Child’s famous poem/song “Over the River and Through the Wood.” In the 20th Century, Norman Rockwell depicted an idealized version of American Thanksgiving. By Helen Breen
The Trolley Comes to Ipswich, June 26, 1896
In 1896, the first trolley from Beverly arrived in Ipswich, and a year later, the Georgetown, Rowley and Ipswich Street Railway opened. By 1919, Mr. Ford's Model T ended the brief era of the street railway.
The Proximity Fuze: How Ipswich women helped win WW II
The former Ipswich Mills, now owned by EBSCO, was the site of one of the most closely guarded secrets of the Second World War.
1854: Anti-immigrant Know Nothing Party Sweeps Massachusetts Elections
Prejudice disguised as patriotism repeats itself in American politics. In 1854, the "Know Nothing" American Party formed in opposition to Irish immigration and carried local elections in New England communities. They swept the state of Massachusetts in the fall 1854 elections but were defeated two years later.
Crossing the Tracks on High Street
High Street originally continued straight until the first bridge over the railroad tracks was constructed in 1906. From 1900 when the first trolleys came to town until the bridge was built, passengers had to unload here to switch from the trolley from Newburyport to continue through Ipswich.
Newburyport Turnpike Opens, February 11, 1805: “Over Every Hill and Missing Every Town”
In 1803, a group of Newburyport investors incorporated as the Newburyport Turnpike Corporation in a commercial venture to build a straight toll road from Boston to Newburyport (the highway we call Rt. 1).
President Washington Visits Ipswich, October 30, 1789
On October 30, 1789, Washington passed through Ipswich on his ten-day tour of Massachusetts. Adoring crowds greeted the President at Swasey’s Tavern (still standing at the corner of Popular and County Streets) where he stopped for food and drink.
