History

“Whan that Aprille…”

On this day – April 17, 1397– Geoffrey Chaucer told the Canterbury Tales for the first time at the court of Richard II. Chaucer scholars have also identified this date (in 1387) as when the pilgrimage to Canterbury as told in the “Tale” actually starts. Geoffrey Chaucer wrote The Canterbury…

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April 16, 1861

In the morning on a drizzly April 16, a steady stream of Lowell residents visited the various armories where the militia companies of the Sixth Regiment had gathered the night before, bringing food, supplies, money and support. By 9 am, the remaining companies of the Sixth – Company B from…

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April 15, 1861

After sunrise on April 15, 1861, Major Anderson and his men were shuttled from Fort Sumter to the ships of the US Fleet patrolling outside Charleston Harbor. Once aboard, the flotilla set sail for New York City. In Washington, President Lincoln issued a proclamation that contained these lines: “. .…

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April 14, 1861

The Federal troops inside Fort Sumter were up well before daybreak on April 14, 1861, packing their undamaged gear for the voyage north. Throughout the morning, a flotilla of small boats from Charleston gathered around the fort, anxious to view the departure of the Federal troops and the raising of…

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The Imari Vase

Tony Sampas sent these photos of the Imari Vase on display at the Pollard Memorial Library along with the following information: “The Imari porcelain vase, standing over 5 feet high, was made in Arita Japan, by the artisan Kanzo. It was believed to be the largest porcelain specimen produced in…

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