History

Best known for creating the Abraham Lincoln sculpture at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, Daniel Chester French (1850-1931) had a number of Lowell connections. One link was familial: his grandfather, William M. Richardson, was born in Pelham, New Hampshire, in 1774. At age 23, Richardson graduated from Harvard and began…

Last week’s funeral service for Congressman John Lewis with eulogies offered by three past Presidents was on my mind as I scrolled through the archives for this week’s look-back post. And so I selected this piece about another former President whose stature has only improved with recent events. Me and…

WOKE COLUMBUS By Stephen O’Connor It’s 1492. Christopher Columbus is leaning on the taffrail of the Santa Maria, writing in his log. He raises his head, brows knit, looking toward the horizon as he polishes the lens of his telescope with a lace handkerchief. Finally, he tucks the handkerchief into…

The infrastructure that supports urban living has long been of interest to me. We turn a faucet and clean, safe water flows out, as regularly as the sun rises each morning. Making that happen was a great achievement of government, one of many that we often take for granted. But…

How I came to have an autographed photo of John Lewis By Jacquelyn Malone My admiration—indeed, my awe—of John Lewis goes back to the 60s when he was hardly out of his teens. His first civil disobedience event occurred in Nashville, Tennessee, the place I consider my hometown (though I’ve…