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Tag: January

Wreck of the Hesperus, Dec. 15, 1839

November 15, 2025 Gordon Harris18 Comments

"It was the schooner Hesperus, That sailed the wintry sea; And the skipper had taken his little daughtèr, To bear him company."

Posted in Legends, Shipwrecks, StormsTagged 1839, Gloucester, Hesperus, January, Norman's Woe

Mason’s Claim

May 28, 2024November 14, 2025 Gordon HarrisLeave a comment

On January 4, 1681, John T. Mason presented the King's letter to the General Court, which ordered "all said tenants" to appear in Ipswich. If an ancient claim was confirmed, every land title would be worthless and a landed medieval system known as "quit-rents" could be grafted upon New England.

Posted in HistoryTagged 1683, Court, fear, insanity, January

Boston’s Great Molasses Flood, January 15, 1919

October 2, 2023December 27, 2023 Gordon Harris1 Comment

On January 15, 1919, people in Boston's North End were startled by a loud rumbling noise. They watched in horror as a five-story tank broke apart, unleashing a wave of molasses 15 feet high and 160 feet wide.

Posted in HistoryTagged 1919, Boston, January

The Cold Friday of January 19, 1810

January 25, 2023January 20, 2025 Gordon HarrisLeave a comment

The Cold Friday on Jan. 19, 1810 brought terrible winds and frigid temperature. Many people froze to death while traveling along the highways. Houses, barns and vast numbers of timber trees were blown down or broken to pieces.

Posted in HistoryTagged 1810, January

Pemberton Mill in Lawrence Collapses and Burns, Killing Workers; January 10, 1860

January 2, 2023March 15, 2024 Gordon HarrisLeave a comment

The collapse of the Pemberton Mill in Lawrence is the worst industrial accident in Massachusetts history. On Tuesday afternoon January 10, 1860, hundreds of men, women, and children were buried alive in the ruins.

Posted in HistoryTagged 1860, January, lawrence, mill

Central Street in Ashes, January 13, 1894

January 2, 2023December 31, 2024 Gordon HarrisLeave a comment

Early in the morning of Jan. 13, 1894, several businesses on Central Street went up in flames. Three months later the other end of Market St. burned, and the town finally voted to build a water system.

Posted in History, RoadsTagged 1894, Ipswich Neighbors, January, town government

January 12, 1912: Lawrence Bread and Roses strike

January 10, 2022November 15, 2024 Gordon Harris1 Comment

On January 12, 1912, the labor protest later known as the "Bread and Roses" strike began in Lawrence, MA. Violent methods were used to suppress the protest, but the strikers maintained their solidarity.

Posted in History, VideoTagged 1912, January, labor strike, lawrence, mill

The Marblehead Smallpox Riot, January 1774

January 1, 2022December 1, 2024 Gordon Harris1 Comment

In 1773, the selectmen ordered all houses where the disease had appeared to be closed, and dogs to be killed immediately. The fears of the inhabitants increased when permission was granted to build a smallpox hospital on Cat Island.

Posted in History, Revolutionary War, StoriesTagged 1774, conspiracy, epidemic, January, Marblehead, Smallpox
Ipswich MA historic photos by William Varrel

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Early Inhabitants of Ipswich, Massachusetts by Abraham Hammatt
Ipswich Massachusetts Revisited by William Varrel

© Gordon Harris 2026

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