Author Archive

Lowell enthusiastically welcomes 1925 – (PIP #52) By Louise Peloquin Lowell celebrated 1925. May 2025 celebrate Lowell! L’Etoile – January 3, 1925      Lowell welcomed in the New Year more enthusiastically than in recent years – Halls, theatres, clubs and restaurants swarmed – Beautiful religious celebrations in all our churches…

This past Tuesday was my final day as the register of deeds for the Northern Middlesex District. Most people know that the registry of deeds keeps land ownership records but details of how the office operates are only vaguely understood. While our system of land ownership developed in medieval England,…

The Greeks Get the News By Stephen O’Connor Help me, O Muse, to tell this crazy story. As dawn spread out her fingertips of rose, captains of ships and men gathered by the smoldering fire before the spreading tented pavilion of Agamémnon, son of Atreus, and commander of the Argive…

This article was originally posted on this site on December 31, 2010. I repost it each year to acquaint readers with a little-known offensive expedition launched by the colonists in the first year of the American Revolution. This is especially relevant now for two reasons: 2025 is the semiquincentennial of…

Duly celebrated – (PIP #51) By Louise Peloquin New Year’s festivities survive the passage of time. Perennial celebrations, like flowers, bear colorful promises. May L’Etoile’s wishes for a Bonne et heureuse année offer hope for the future. L’Etoile – December 30, 1924 New Year’s Day in our community      The city’s Franco-American organizations have…

Lowell Year in Review 2024 As each years comes to a close, I have composed my list of the top Lowell political events of the year. Here is my 2024 edition: The local political year began with the new city council taking the oath of office with John Descoteaux being…

This essay by Henri Marchand was first heard as a radio essay on the “Sunrise” program of WUML, 92.5 FM, at UMass Lowell. Today we continue our tradition of reposting the essay each year at Christmas.     The Christmas Fruitcake: An Ageless Tradition By Henri Marchand I think there…

Lowell’s Christmas 1924 – (PIP #50) By Louise Peloquin      You who have been reading the peeks into the past (“PIP’s”) posted here since September 8, 2023 have become part of L’Etoile’s readership. On its December 24, 1924 front page, the Star of Prince Street (1), extends holiday wishes to you. ***** *****      PIP…

Christmas With The Kanes By David Daniel The exchanging of cards at the holidays remains a quaint, if vanishing, tradition. For a time, it gave ground to the “holiday letter”—pages of cheery mimeographed minutiae. But even those have waned, the impetus to show lives in perfect balance largely siphoned off…

The Lowell City Council met last Tuesday night. I’ll get to that shortly, but first I want to revisit the pre-Thanksgiving news that the retail establishments in Mill No. 5 will close early in 2025, and that the space they occupy will be transferred to the Lowell Community Charter Public…