Designing To Get An Apprentice Boy
On October 31, 1774, Rev. Stephen Williams of Longmeadow wrote in his diary, “this day, my son Samuel set out on a journey for Boston...
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Betsy McKee
Nov 13, 20222 min read
Thanksgiving Proclamation!
We may think that the holiday of Thanksgiving has always been celebrated like we do it now--with big meals featuring turkey, and family...
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Beth Hoff
Nov 13, 20227 min read
John Akley and Sarah Forbus
Washington Crossing the Delaware by Emanuel Leutze Who were John Akley and Sarah Forbus? They are pauper children from Boston whom Ensign...
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Al McKee
Nov 12, 20224 min read
William Holland, Longmeadow's First Stone Carver
When people ask what the oldest gravestone in the Longmeadow Cemetery is, the answer is the stone for Mary Drake Colton. She died in...
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Betsy McKee
Nov 12, 20222 min read
Tales from the Cemetery
Longmeadow Cemetery We have often admired the skillfully carved gravestones in the Longmeadow Cemetery. Most made from locally quarried...
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Betsy McKee
Nov 12, 20223 min read
The Pistol
One of the most intriguing objects in the Longmeadow Historical Society collection is an ancient pistol. Measuring almost two feet long,...
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Beth Hoff
Nov 11, 20224 min read
Peter Pease- "... if he should be living..."
Indenture of Peter Pease to Noah Ashley “…if he should be living…” Sometimes, research leads you to more questions than answers, and this...
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Melissa M. Cybulski
Nov 11, 20227 min read
Searching for Susan Freedom
Susan Freedom d.1803, Springfield Cemetery (image courtesy of Betsy McKee) Under the shade of evergreen trees in a section of Springfield...
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Betsy McKee
Nov 11, 20223 min read
Granny Tales- Part II
"The Granny Tale: The Process of Discovering the Truth Behind the Note" As some of our readers will recall, we recently discussed so...
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Betsy McKee
Nov 4, 20223 min read
Granny Notes and Bough Pots
Have you ever heard of a granny note? This is what historical societies and museums call the little slips of paper that come with...
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Melissa M. Cybulski
Nov 4, 20227 min read
The Elusive Johnny Appleseed... of Longmeadow- Part II
Illustration by George Richards from "Johnny Appleseed and Other Poems" by Vachel Lindsay, NY, 1929 Last week’s History Note article...
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Melissa M. Cybulski
Nov 4, 20224 min read
The Elusive Johnny Appleseed... of Longmeadow
Harper's Magazine, 1871 This article is widely believed to be the source of much of the myth of Johnny Appleseed. Is it true? Was he...
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Beth Hoff
Nov 4, 20225 min read
Stockbridge Indians and Rev. Stephen Williams
Stockbridge Indians and Rev. Stephen Williams Stockbridge, Massachusetts is the quintessential New England town. Norman Rockwell, who...
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Beth Hoff
Nov 2, 20223 min read
Buzz Buzz Buzz
Beehive Skeg (image by Rosser 1954) "If there’s a buzzing noise, somebody’s making a buzzing noise, and the only reason for making a...
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Betsy McKee
Nov 2, 20224 min read
The Whispering Stick
Many of our readers will remember seeing a singular object in the Storrs House Museum called the "Whispering Stick." The story that was...
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Betsy McKee
Nov 2, 20222 min read
Solomon Burt and the Explosion at the Powder Mill
As this gravestone attests, patriots faced danger at home as well as on the battlefield. This stone stands in Longmeadow Cemetery,...
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Betsy McKee
Nov 2, 20223 min read
To Encourage Music
Music at Longmeadow's early meeting house had been a very controversial topic during Stephen William's early years as minister. The...
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Melissa M. Cybulski
Oct 27, 20222 min read
When the Clock Strikes Midnight
Storrs House Museum, Longmeadow In a few short days we will all settle in and prepare to ring in a new year. Perhaps a clock like this...
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Melissa M. Cybulski
Oct 27, 20223 min read
Early Music in Longmeadow's First Church
Recently on Facebook, the First Church of Longmeadow began sharing a few videos of their virtual choir. In this global pandemic age when...
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Beth Hoff
Oct 23, 20223 min read
Mill Road
Mill Road once connected the south end of the Longmeadow Green to the grist mill and the sawmill on Shaker Road. While an 1822 deed in...
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