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Frequent contributor Jim Peters shares another essay on the history of the Lowell public schools. By the year, 1862, there were 47 primary schools, most were one room schoolhouses. There was 1 junior high school which was considered intermediate and was not well liked, 8 grammar schools, and 1 High…
Read More »Yesterday’s beautiful weather drew me out of the Superior Courthouse for a downtown walk at lunchtime. The highlight of the walk down Gorham Street was reaching the intersection of Middlesex and Central where the pedestrian crossing light now works after several months of being out of action. With a very…
Read More »Here’s a throwback thing to the pioneer days of festival-making in Renaissance Lowell. This was “Expo ’79, Art/Music” at Lowell Memorial Auditorium. Lowell CityFair was part of the federal jobs program (imagine that) called C.E.T.A. (Comprehensive Employment and Training Act) wherein a dozen or so Lowell artists were hired to…
Read More »Good news for those researching or just interested in the St. Patrick’s Cemetery burial and other information for the Irish individuals and families who came to Lowell in the 19th century. Access to this information is an important addition to Lowell’s cultural/historical resources. Thanks and kudos to Dave McKean and…
Read More »Lowell is a city of Monuments. Some are prominent, like the Ladd & Whitney Monument in front of City Hall. Many others just blend into the background, their meaning and symbolism lost to time. This Saturday’s Lowell Walk will scrutinize the many monuments on the grounds and in the vicinity…
Read More »Web photo courtesy of Wikipedia The new issue of the New Yorker magazine has a short article about James Whistler’s durable portrait of his mother, speculating on why the painting is on the short list of iconic images in art history. The reporter, unfortunately, skips a mention of where the…
Read More »Public Hearing on $2mil loan order for Lowell High feasibility study. A city resident, a Mr. Hebert, speaks in support. School Committee member Steve Gendron speaks in favor. Explains that this feasibility study is a pre-condition to qualifying for state funding. Without it, the city will not qualify for any…
Read More »Senator Edward M. “Ted” Kennedy of Massachusetts died on this day – August 25, 2009. Known as the “Lion of the Senate,” Democrat Ted Kennedy was a staunch liberal who was elected to Congress nine times, spearheading many legislative reforms. From the U. S. Senate History: “Elected at age 30…
Read More »Today is the 99th birthday of the National Park Service and is the beginning of a year-long celebration leading to the centennial celebration in 2016. As part of this anniversary observation, the National Park Service asks people to discover their parks, not only official National Parks but also urban parks,…
Read More »The entry below is being cross posted from Marjorie Arons-Barron’s own blog. Summer reading 2015 would not be complete without Go Set a Watchman, the book that Harper Lee reportedly wrote before she published To Kill a Mockingbird. It is told from the perspective of Atticus Finch’s daughter Scout (now…
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