Author Archive

Is target practice necessary? – (PIP # 80) By Louise Peloquin          Coverage on Lowell police training.  L’Étoile – December 5, 1924 THE POLICE DOES NOT NEED REVOLVER PRACTICE ——- Deputy Downey says using this arm is a rather simple affair. ——-      Responding to journalists yesterday, Deputy Superintendent…

The Lowell City Council resumed meeting last week for the first time since August 12, 2025. Before getting to that, let’s look at last Tuesday’s preliminary election results. Preliminary elections were required in just three council districts. Here are the results with incumbent councilors indicated by “(I)” and the candidates…

Papa By Leo Racicot My father, Leo-Joseph Albert Racicot, was the son of Eliza (Dupuis) and Alphonse Racicot. A quick dip in the genealogy pond a couple of years ago told me Alphonse’s grandfather, Bon’homme (Bunnum for short), who hailed from Languedoc, migrated to Quebec, Canada sometime in the middle…

The results of yesterday’s Preliminary Election in Lowell are available on our Elections page.

Katharine Burrage: First woman Textile School grad and pioneering occupational therapist By Bernie Zelitch On the evening of June 3, 1899, Lowell Textile School (LTS)­—the first textile school in New England­—held the graduation of its debut class. Of the 25 students honored in the crowded lecture hall on Middle Street,…

Royal Stopover in Lowell – (PIP #79) By Louise Peloquin      Lowell has welcomed many celebrities over the last two centuries. Charles Dickens’s 1842 visit is probably the best known. Eileen Loucraft provided a list of US Presidents who have passed through town. (1)      The following piece offers a…

This coming Thursday, September 11, 2025, at 6pm at the Dracut Historical Society in Harmony Hall, 1660 Lakeview Ave, Dracut, the Greater Lowell Franco-American Digital Archives in partnership with the Dracut Historical Society, will present “Le P’Tit Canada”, a 29-minute long film from the 1979 series Le Sons des Francais D’Amerique…

Today’s tour of Tyler Park Historic District (Sun, Sep 7) is postponed due to rain. The tour will take place next Sunday, September 14, 2025, at 10am at the park.

NOTE RE TYLER PARK TOUR: At the time I’m writing this late Saturday afternoon, the Friends of Tyler Park had not yet cancelled Sunday’s 10am walking tour or the 11am Autumn Market. For any additional news about these events, check the Friends Facebook page or richardhowe.com. **** After a three-week…

BUILDING YEAR By Terry Downes Five of six they lost last week Just two in ten they won in streak The wins come hard, the cost is dear: Baseball’s tough in a building year. The outfield we last season knew All have bid the game adieu; The rookies who now…