Author Archive

Lowell Cemetery tours this weekend

On Saturday, October 15, and on Sunday, October 16, both at 10 am, I’ll lead walking tours of historic Lowell Cemetery. Both tours will begin at the Knapp Avenue entrance and will last about 90 minutes. No need to register in advance, just show up. There’s plenty of parking inside…

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Cornelius F. Kiernan Judicial Center

As the FY2023 state budget was being finalized a few months ago, State Senator Edward Kennedy inserted the following language: “SECTION 55A. The Lowell Judicial Center in the city of Lowell shall be designated and known as the Cornelius F. Kiernan Judicial Center, in memory of the late honorable Cornelius…

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Piano Player Wanted

Piano Player Wanted By David Daniel Stu backed my van out of the inspection bay and climbed out. My eyes went to the sticker on the windshield. REJECTED. “Aw, come on,” I cried. “Really?” “It needs rubber, you got air showin’ through. And the horn doesn’t blow.” “Shit. You blow!”…

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Lowell Monuments to Women

Here’s my list of monuments in Lowell that are dedicated to women. Hopefully there are some that I’ve missed because there are more than 600 monuments or things dedicated to people in the city so there is a definite gender imbalance. Lowell Monuments to Women Mary Bacigalupo Park – Shattuck…

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Boarding School Blues: Chapter 46

Boarding School Blues: Chapter 46 By Louise Peloquin Ch. 46 “Advienne que pourra” The headmistress orchestrated the honor roll ceremony two days before Christmas break. Her September welcoming speech had focused on “taking the highroad” until June, a recommendation reiterated that December day in the drafty, chilly reception hall kept…

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Lowell Connector Extension

The Lowell Connector wasn’t designed to end in a Gorham Street homeowner’s front yard as it unfortunately does. The below sketch depticts the intended route of the Connector. The “extension” died when the City Council defeated the necessary eminent domain taking which would have demolished 700 homes and 150 small…

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The Origin of the Lowell Memorial Auditorium

These are my remarks from the 100th anniversary celebration of the Lowell Memorial Auditorium on September 21, 2022. The Origin of the Lowell Memorial Auditorium By Richard P. Howe Jr. September 21, 2022 The idea for a memorial auditorium in Lowell first surfaced within a month of the end of…

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“Twenty-Three” by Malcolm Sharps

This is the second chapter posted on our blog from Malcolm Sharps’s novel The Three Twins (read the first chapter, TV Giant Clam). The novel is absurdist in style but has a conventional storyline running through it of two actual twins and their friend, the unofficial third twin, who are…

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Monuments on the LMA Grounds

Here is a description of each of the monuments located on the grounds of the Lowell Memorial Auditorium: Bradford “Brad” Morse Memorial Walkway (cement walkway from East Merrimack Street at Concord River to the front steps of Memorial Auditorium). F. Bradford Morse (1921-1994), a veteran of World War II and…

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Flags in LMA Hall of Flags

One of the distinctive features of the vestibule of the Lowell Memorial Auditorium is the many flags displayed high above the floor. Originally called Trophy Hall, the distinctive display of flags prompted the room’s name to be changed to the Hall of Flags. Here are the flags currently on display…

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