On the Massachusetts North Shore
A network of the Underground Railroad ran north along the coast from Boston to Salem, where it split into three trails; one continued through Beverly, Ipswich, Newburyport and West Newbury to Amesbury where escaped slaves were escorted into New Hampshire.
"They are the housewife's barometer, foretelling her when it will rain and are prognostic. Sometimes she thinks of ill or good luck of the death of a near relation or the approach of an absent lover. By being the constant companions of her solitary hours they naturally become the objects of her superstition."
Charcoal sketches From "Gloucester and Cape Ann" by S. G. W. Benjamin, Harper's New Monthly Magazine, September 1875
Although half-billion year old granite formed Town Hill in Ipswich, most of the town's landforms date to about 20,000 years ago.
A photographic history of architecture in Ipswich Massachusetts
WHEN YOU LIVE NEXT TO A CEMETERY, YOU NEVER KNOW WHO WILL COME KNOCKING
At the Select Board meeting on Monday, August 8, 2023, members of the Ipswich Historical Commission presented the 2022 awards to an historic house and a Civil War era barn that were recently restored and renovated.
"I suspect that thousands of New Englanders have their roots based in Ipswich. Is it possible that I was drawn here by deeply ingrained ancestral memories?" By Thomas Palance
Concerns about the environmental toll that dams have on the Ipswich River date to before 1773.
At the foot of Hovey Street along the Ipswich River is a plaque dedicated to the memory of Ipswich settler Daniel Hovey, whose home and wharf were across the river on what is now Tansey Lane.
by Beverly Perna (reprinted from 2016) Sue Boice died on July 16, 2013, but word got around town slowly that she had passed. I didn’t know until August 24th when a friend called and asked me to go to a Native American memorial for Sue, hosted that morning at Wolf Hollow by her longtime friend Joni… Continue reading Remembering Susan Howard Boice
Ipswich Community Access Media ( ICAM) released a short video featuring Kerrie Bates, Susan Demarle, Judy Gardner and Gordon Harris talking about what they do as volunteers at the Ipswich Visitor Center.
For the seventh episode of Destination Ipswich with local historian Gordon Harris and Ipswich ICAM, we started at the Ipswich Riverwalk Mural, crossed the pedestrian bridge at the EBSCO Dam, and followed a trail by Sally's Pond and along the River to the Old South Cemetery. Our return took us to the Whipple House and the Ipswich Museum.
The History of Little Neck by Richard C. Betts, with photos from the 19th through the 21st Centuries.
In Episode 6 of Destination Ipswich, we take a walk in the Dow Brook Conservation Area, starting at the trailhead next to White Farms Ice Cream on upper High St. (Rt. 1A). The trail takes us to the Dow Book Reservoir, where we walk across the dam, and check out the water and electric generator station constructed in 1894. The next stop is the Ipswich Water Department, where superintendent Joe Ciccotelli explains how water from the the reservoirs is filtered and makes its way to our faucets. Continuing onto Bull Brook, we viewed the remains of the 300-year-old dam and mill built by Nejemiah Jewett. A short distance ahead is the reservoir's concrete spillway. A wooded trail follows the edge of the reservoir and takes us to the other trailhead at the Mile Lane playing fields.
In this episode, we take a trail from Crane beach to the top of Steep Hill for a marvelous view of Plum Island and Ipswich Bay. A path through the woods takes us to the Castle, and we stroll through the formal gardens and the rose garden before descending to Cedar Point trail,where we enjoy the view of Fox Creek on our way to Steep Hill Beach. The beautiful walk at the Crane Estate is made possible by the Trustees of Reservations.
Historic Ipswich 