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This coming Thursday, June 12, 2025, at 6 pm at Luna Theater at the Lowell Community Charter Public School on Jackson Street (in the former Mill No. 5), there will be a reading of the famed speech by abolitionist Frederick Douglass on July 5, 1852 on the topic, “What to…

The Lowell City Council commenced its summer schedule this week which means there was no meeting last Tuesday. From now through September the council will meet on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month. On these “no meeting” weeks, I will instead write about Lowell history both to provide…

POSTPONED! By Terry Downes Leaden skies sweep o’er the field To wetter nature game may yield The faithful gathered here today May well not see nine innings play. The first ups go without a hitch No long delays between each pitch The rhythm fast as hurlers try To play the…

In honor of today’s anniversary of D-Day, the 1944 invasion of Normandy, I have reposted this article I wrote in 2020.  The weather in Lowell was mostly sunny and warm on Monday, June 5, 1944. Across the Atlantic Ocean, things were quite different. In the English Channel, high winds caused…

Summertime in Lowell, 1960s By Leo Racicot See Leo’s photo gallery at the end of this article. Every year, when the month of June rolled around, our teachers would give us a Summer Reading List. This was a list of books to be read over the long vacation. Book reports…

A People’s Map of Lowell By Robert Forrant A People’s Map of Lowell grew out of my work with the authors of A People’s Guide to Greater Boston, Joseph Nevins, Suren Moodliar, and Eleni Macrakis. The book (2020) reveals stories and places central to people’s lives over centuries. It takes…

I delivered the following remarks at the city of Lowell Memorial Day observance at Lowell City Hall on Saturday, May 31, 2025. History of Memorial Day By Richard Howe Good afternoon. My topic today is the history of Memorial Day. To understand that, you must begin with the American Civil…

The Bridge Street bridge – (PIP #72) By Louise Peloquin Bridges, all kinds of bridges, must be built, used, fixed. L’Etoile – October 30, 1924 HEAVY TRAFFIC ON BRIDGE STREET BRIDGE      We can perceive the volume of traffic on the Bridge Street bridge knowing that last Sunday, between 8…

The entry below is being cross posted from Marjorie Arons-Barron’s own blog. Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-up and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson, was much anticipated, heavily promoted and widely reviewed. It ended up as a three-day story. More than one person has…

Tuesday’s Lowell City Council meeting mostly involved adopting the city’s fiscal year 2026 budget. Today, I’ll highlight some of the discussions that took place and otherwise share some thoughts on city finances. For those who want more granular information, City Manager Tom Golden’s overview of the budget and the detailed…