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A Late 1890s Vacation from a Tense Ministry By Bradford MacGowan and Bernie Zelitch In 1895, three years after Rev. George F. Kenngott (1864-1934) arrived at First Congregational Church Lowell, his progressive views became the center of what was surely the city’s most public religious controversy. Photographs of Kenngott and…

From Turntable to Touchscreen By Leo Racicot When I was growing up, the radio was one of the few sources of recreation to be had. Not only did it provide entertainment, it offered us music education; we learned who was popular, who the singers of the day were, what the…

A weekly report on things I’ve read, heard and seen since last Wednesday.  Museum visit: Cape Ann Museum: A recent road trip to Gloucester brought me to the Cape Ann Museum which features a big show called “Avery, Gottlieb & Rothko: By the Sea.” It featured works by Milton Avery,…

Two years ago, Louise Peloquin began sharing excerpts from L’Etoile, a French-language newspaper published in Lowell from 1886 to 1957. At my urging, she has agreed to compile some of her previous posts with added contextual information into a book manuscript to be called, L’Etoile: A Star on Prince Street.…

One of the reasons the history of Lowell is so fascinating is that you can take almost any issue of national importance and see how it played out in this city. Looking at a global issue in a local context makes it easier to relate to what was or is…

Lowell resident Joe Smith, a longtime observer of city and national finances, shared the following with me. I’m posting it here with an invitation to readers to share their feedback on the comment section of the blog. Some Economic Policy Ideas By Joe Smith (with some help from AI) I…

Photo Fix By Leo Racicot I’ve always liked taking photos. The idea that you can click a button and capture a person, a place forever (or at least for as long as the photo lasts, appealed to me from childhood. When, as a nine-year-old, I acquired a Brownie camera for…

A weekly report on things I’ve read, heard and seen since last Wednesday.  Book Review: Republic and Empire: Crisis, Revolution, and America’s Early Independence by Trevor Burnard and Andrew Jackson O’Shaughnessy (2025). In honor of the US Semisesquincentennial, this book presents the American Revolution from the British perspective. Seen from…

Two years ago, Louise Peloquin began sharing excerpts from L’Etoile, a French-language newspaper published in Lowell from 1886 to 1957. At my urging, she has agreed to compile some of her previous posts with added contextual information into a book manuscript to be called, L’Etoile: A Star on Prince Street.…

The Lowell City Council last met on Tuesday, August 11, 2026. I was away that week, so I was unable to write about that meeting on the following Sunday. However, I have since watched a recording of the meeting on YouTube and will write about it here. The council covered…