Lowell People

Lowell People: Maurice Cohen

Maurice Cohen, the co-founder and former owner of radio station WCAP, died recently at age 100. In the August 2, 2021, Lowell Sun, Barry Scanlon wrote an excellent appreciation of Maurice’s life. In 2012 while writing “Legendary Locals of Lowell,” I interviewed Maurice. He shared a number of photographs with…

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Lowell People: Donald Arcand

Donald Arcand (1946-1965) was the first resident of Lowell to die in the Vietnam War. Arcand was born on February 13, 1946, and lived at 130 Ford Street in the city’s Little Canada neighborhood. After graduating from St. Joseph’s High School, he worked in a shoe factory until he enlisted…

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Lowell People: Paul Kittredge

In 1831, brothers John and Thomas Nesmith purchased 150 acres in Tewksbury from Judge Edward Livermore for $25,000. The following year, the brothers hired Alexander Wadsworth, a landscape architect from Boston who was the cousin of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and also the designer of Mt. Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, to…

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Remembering Olympia Dukakis

Nancye Tuttle shares with us the following remembrance of the late Lowell native Olympia Dukakis who passed away on May 1, 2021. Nancye’s story was first published in the Lowell Sun on May 5, 2021, and may be viewed here. Remembering Olympia Dukakis By Nancye Tuttle An interview with Olympia…

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Lowell People: Gustavus Fox

Gustavus Vasa Fox (1821-1883) was born and raised in Massachusetts and spent much of his life in Lowell. He was a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and served as an officer in the Navy from 1841 to 1856. After his resignation from the service, he returned to Massachusetts…

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Coming Soon. Tom Sexton’s Cummiskey Alley: New and Selected Lowell Poems

The Best of Tom Sexton’s Lowell Poems Tom Sexton (photo by Kevin Harkins); cover photo (detail) by Jack Delano; book design by Dennis Ludvino CUMMISKEY ALLEY: NEW AND SELECTED LOWELL POEMS is Tom Sexton’s second book with Loom Press. The book is available now for pre-order at www.loompress.com The author…

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Marie Sweeney’s Childhood Illness & Social Distancing in the ’50s

Remembering My Illness-Caused Separation, a Semi-Social Distancing By Marie Sweeney (March 25, 2020) Marie Sweeney, photograph by Kevin Harkins THIS MORNING A TWEET from Dan Rather took me way back in time to Spring 1953. I was in the fifth grade—in Sister Mildred’s class—a double-grade that included some sixth graders…

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