The earliest recorded sighting of a Sea Serpent in North American waters was at Cape Ann in 1639. In 1817, reports spread throughout New England of a sea serpent sighted in Gloucester Harbor.
The Cape Ann Sea Serpent
“The Hobby Horse of Popularity”
Alexander Hamilton 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… Continue reading “The Hobby Horse of Popularity”
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."
Daniel Low’s Silver “Witch Spoons” among Salem’s First Souvenirs
By Helen Breen Daniel Low & Co. started on the bottom floor of the First Church, Unitarian, 231 Essex Street at the corner of Washington Street in Salem. The jewelry company purchased the church in 1923, elegantly refitting the structure as an appropriate setting for its luxurious merchandise. THE BUSINESS Daniel Low & Co. jewelry… Continue reading Daniel Low’s Silver “Witch Spoons” among Salem’s First Souvenirs
Ipswich Manning House at the MFA
The frame of a 1692 house that once stood at the intersection of Manning and High Streets in Ipswich is on display in the "Art of the Americas" wing at the Boston's Museum of Fine Arts.
Disorder in the Corn Fields: The Colonists and Indian Land, Part 3
Today, vestiges of the Commons survive here as city parks or conservation lands, such as the South Green in Ipswich, and public gardens, such as Boston Common.
The Ipswich Revolt of 1687
On August 23, 1687, the citizens of Ipswich, led by the Reverend John Wise, denounced the levy of taxes by the arbitrary government of Sir Edmund Andros, and from their protest sprang the American Revolution of 1689.
Description of Ipswich in the 1797 American Gazetteer
The township of Ipswich is divided into 5 parishes, and contains 601 houses, and 4502 inhabitants...This was heretofore a place of much more consideration than at present. Its decline is attributed to a barred harbor and shoals in the river.
“That We May Avoid the Least Scrupulo of Intrusion” – The Colonists and Indian Land, Part I
More than the concepts of sovereignty and private property, the commodification of nature in the service of mercantile capitalism was the crux of the problem.
Narrative of the Wreck of the Dorchester, November 1844
In November 1844, Eben Caldwell, a native of Ipswich was captain of the 415-ton "Dorchester" which was destroyed off the coast of Ireland in a strong hurricane. This story of the almost miraculous deliverancewas told by Captain Caldwell.
Three Old Houses at the Intersection of Poplar St. and Turkey Shore
The Dr.John Calef House, the Heard-Lakeman House and the Burnham-Patch-Day House sit near each other, a charming sample of 18th century Ipswich architecture.
High Spirits on Town Hill
Standing 14' high and about 12' wide, the new bronze sculpture by Chris Williams on North Main St. in Ipswich honors the town's creative community. It was conceived and funded by Ipswich resident Richard Silverman as a tribute to his late wife Robin Silverman.
Manitou in Context
The creator power was regarded as the equal of other powers in the skyworld and the underworld, but it is Kitanitowit’s Gitchi Manitou that ascended to prominence under the influence of Christianity. Of all the great spirits, it most resembled the Christian God and was transformed accordingly during the Contact Period.
Born in a Refuge Camp
By Ingrid Miles, Ipswich I was born in a refugee camp, and I feel as if I am reliving my parents' nightmare after World War II, when my dad had to modify his name and identify himself as Christian; my mother was Catholic in order to come to this country as displaced persons aka DP's.… Continue reading Born in a Refuge Camp
The White Horse Inn, and the Early Ipswich taverns
The house began as a small one-over-one structure built one of the lot's four 17th-century owners. Corp. John Andrews' White Horse Inn makes a good story, and that's how the house got its name.
Life at an Estuarine Front
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.
Historic Ipswich 