This past Saturday I served as the moderator at the Lowell Historical Society’s annual Trivia Night. My job was to ask the questions, alternating between Trivial Pursuit style interrogatories that tested general knowledge, and plenty of Lowell specific questions to test the knowledge of local history in the room. The evening was a lot of fun. Because of that, and because I’m always looking for ways to stimulate interest in Lowell’s upcoming celebration of its 175th anniversary as a city in 2011, I’m going to start posting a few Lowell trivia questions each Tuesday. Take the quiz yourself and contribute your answers via the comment feature if you feel up to it. On Wednesday nights, I’ll repost the questions along with the official answers.

Here are the first five Lowell trivia questions:

1) How did Fort Hill get its name?

2) What corporation was formed in 1792 and is the oldest existing company in the United States?

3) What was the first textile mill corporation to open in Lowell and the last of the original ones to close?

4) What hospital was phased out in 1930 and given over to the Grey Nuns of the Cross of Ottawa?

5) Which Civil War veteran was a five-term Congressman, a one term Governor and a candidate for the United States presidency?