Recent Posts: Historic Ipswich

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Abolition and the Underground Railroad in Essex County

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.

What Our Ancestors Ate

“Most of them had pea and bean porridge, sometimes hasty pudding, both morning and evening. A lady of eighty, after having partaken of Thanksgiving dainties, was heartily glad to return home and set a meal of her favorite broth.”

Names of the Ipswich slaves

In 1641 the Massachusetts Bay Colony adopted a code of laws that made slavery legal. In 1755, the slaves in this town above the age of sixteen numbered sixty-two, but within ten years, public opinion began turn against slavery. In 1780, the present Constitution of Massachusetts was adopted, its first article asserting that all men are born…

Don’t Talk Crazy!

The Admirable Life and Times of Richard C. Lombard Richard C. Lombard, after a long and blessed life, passed away on August 4, 2026, in the presence of those whom he loved so much. He had just celebrated his 90th birthday in May and was still going strong right up until his end. Richard was…

Killing Wolves

One of the first laws instituted by the Massachusetts Bay Colony was a bounty on wolves, and in early Ipswich, a rather disconcerting aspect of entering the Meeting House was the site of wolf heads nailed to the door. Even in 1723, wolves were so abundant and so near the meeting house, that parents would…

Gathering Salt Marsh Hay

Salt marsh hay is still gathered on the North Shore today. The grass was stacked on staddles to raise it above the high tides, and was hauled away on sleds over the frozen marsh in mid-winter.

350 years on Grape Island

Grape Island was once a small but thriving community, and briefly a popular summer resort. In 1941, 3000 acres of Plum Island including Grape Island were purchased by the U.S. government to establish the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge.

Hurricane Carol, August 31, 1954

The 1954 storm knocked down trees and power lines all over Ipswich. Hurricane Carol devastated the Massachusetts south coast and Rhode Island, and was responsible for 65 deaths. On September 11, Hurricane Edna hit New England with additional destruction.

Sketches of Ipswich by William Gordon Keyworth

Early in his artistic career, William Gordon Keyworth (1927 – 2017) lived in Ipswich and worked as an art teacher at Shore Country Day School in Beverly. During his years in Ipswich, he painted a series of sketches and watercolors of historic buildings and scenes. Their first home in Ipswich was on Meeting House Green,…

A Simple Badge and Gun Does Not a Copper Make

Recently I had the pleasure of meeting some retired Ipswich Police Department friends at a late summer cookout. It was a magical evening of story-telling. I was grateful we had all made it to the other side relatively unscathed, and I realized once again how fortunate I was to have been broken in by such…

Ipswich Village (Upper High St.)

This Ipswich neighborhood has historically had a close social connection with neighboring Rowley. Jewett’s mill was created in the 17th Century, and historic houses still line the street.

The Devil’s Footprint, September 30, 1740

Imprinted into the rocks in front of the First Church in Ipswich is the footprint of the devil, left there forever in a legendary encounter with the traveling English evangelist George Whitefield in 1740.

In the 19th Century, Religion Divided the Town

Revivalist Rev. John N. Maffit held a “protracted meeting” which was undoubtedly the most extraordinary episode in the history of the churches of Ipswich since the days of George Whitefield and Gilbert Tennent, preaching sixty nights to congregations which occupied every inch of the meeting-house.

Indigenous Peoples of the North Shore

A Brief History of Native Americans in Ipswich Before English Colonization Native Americans began moving into New England after the retreat of the Laurentide ice sheet. In the early 1950s, a group of young amateur archaeologists, men now known as the “Bull Brook Boys,” discovered one of the largest Paleo-Indian sites in North America along…

The Dark Day, May 19, 1780

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.

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. Former Ipswich Historical Commission member…

The Battle of Middle Ground, July 3, 2005

Gather all ye noble men and listen to my song. I know you have more pressing things But this shouldn’t take too long. Our tale occurs on slippery sand at a place called Middle Ground.

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…

“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…

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! July 7: Orville Giddings Band July 14: Hilltown Hamhocks July 21: Chuck & The Players July 28: Clements Brothers August 4: Wangari Fahari Trio August 11: Emma…

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…

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…

January 10, 1776: Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense” is Published

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 of mankind…

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.

John Winthrop’s “City on a Hill” and William Penn’s “Holy Experiment”

A tale of two visions for development and their outcomes By: Stephen Miles, Member, Ipswich Historic Commission, Former Board Member Ipswich Historical Society (now Ipswich Museum). June 15, 2026. Contact: smiles@sloan.mit.edu In 1629, John Winthrop was appointed head of a corporate venture under the jurisdiction of King Charles I (reigned 1625–1649). In John Winthrop’s 1630…

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