Jonathan Hale Goldthwait: Engraver of Maps
The Goldthwait family of Longmeadow had several talented and artistic members: Jonathan Hale Goldthwait (1811-1870) was an engraver,...
top of page
Want to have the latest History Notes delivered right to your inbox weekly? Head over to Sign Up for Our Newsletter to get History Notes sent to your email every Thursday morning!
Liz Kendall
May 193 min read
Charity Bush Ely (1836-1867)
Charity Bush Ely Collection of the Longmeadow Historical Society Born in the Connecticut River Valley town of Whately, Massachusetts,...
21 views1 comment
Beth Hoff
May 23 min read
Lost Ponds of Longmeadow
Who doesn’t love relaxing next to (or swimming in) a body of water on a beautiful summer day? Longmeadow is blessed with an abundance of...
107 views1 comment
Dave Marinelli
Apr 253 min read
American Chestnut Trees in Longmeadow
Perhaps you have noticed one or two information kiosks which recently sprouted in Bliss and Laurel Parks? These kiosks mark two of...
24 views1 comment
Lenny Shaker
Mar 22 min read
Mary Ann Booth: Photomicroscopist
Mary Ann Allard Booth was born on September 8, 1843 to Rhoda and Samuel Colton Booth of Longmeadow. She was a direct descendant of the...
65 views1 comment
Betsy McKee
Feb 162 min read
Who is the Mysterious Lady in the Portrait
The portrait, an oil on poplar board, is of an older lady with glasses, identified as "Harriet Ford Bull Lawton, 1700." Seems pretty...
449 views0 comments
Betsy McKee
Feb 152 min read
Can You See it? The Magic of the Stereoscope Viewer
Many of our readers will remember enjoying a toy from our childhoods—the View-Master! Circular wheels with tiny photos were inserted into...
34 views0 comments
Beth Hoff
Jan 243 min read
Old Town Hall
Across Longmeadow Street from Alex’s Bagels sits an unimposing small brick building – 417 Longmeadow Street. Originally a one-room...
31 views0 comments
Beth Hoff
Nov 1, 20234 min read
Chandler Avenue
Across the Longmeadow Green from First Church of Christ and stretching to the west is a small country lane named Chandler Avenue. Flanked...
211 views0 comments
Betsy McKee
Oct 5, 20232 min read
"Instantly Killed by a Bull" The Death of Young Gaius Bliss
Have you ever noticed this gravestone in the Longmeadow Cemetery? While not common, causes of death were sometimes included on...
13 views0 comments
Betsy McKee
Sep 21, 20233 min read
Can you spell Silhouette?
Silhouette, like daguerreotype, is a word I always pause over when writing. No surprise that both terms were named after...
7 views0 comments
Beth Hoff
Sep 14, 20234 min read
The Wallace Children
Census records are wonderful tools that offer researchers all sorts of clues into a person's life within a household or community. But...
15 views0 comments
Betsy McKee
Sep 7, 20233 min read
As the Cock Crows: Longmeadow's Rooster
Have you ever wondered about the rooster on the top of First Church’s steeple? Did you think that it was a simple weathervane, helping...
43 views0 comments
Lenny Shaker
Aug 31, 20232 min read
William C. Pease
I found these photographs in the Emerson file on Digital Commonwealth and it stirred my curiosity to learn more about the subject. The...
12 views0 comments
Betsy McKee
Aug 17, 20234 min read
Longmeadow Go West! Persis and John Burt
Faithful readers of this blog may recall an article written by Beth Hoff on March 25, 2021 titled "Westward Bound," about the adventurous...
22 views0 comments
Melissa Cybulski & Betsy McKee
Jul 27, 20231 min read
Barbie visits the Storrs House Museum
The dolls of the Storrs House Museum were thrilled to receive a visit this week from the most celebrated doll in the land right now …...
17 views0 comments
Lenny Shaker
Jun 29, 20233 min read
Gettysburg 1913: A 50th Anniversary Reunion
One hundred and sixty years ago, Union and Confederate armies fought The Battle of Gettysburg from July 1-3, 1863. The Union victory is...
41 views0 comments
Melissa M. Cybulski
Jun 1, 20232 min read
Wolf Swamp Road and School
Wolf Swamp Road School c. 1956 Longmeadow Historical Society Archives Who among us has not wondered about the name “Wolf Swamp?” In...
236 views0 comments
Betsy McKee
May 18, 20232 min read
Alice F. Willard
Alice F. Willard 1866-1946 Alice Faith Willard, daughter of Mason and Aurelia Coomes Willard, was born in 1866 and was a lifelong...
109 views0 comments
Melissa M. Cybulski
May 4, 20232 min read
A Walk Through the Old Emerson Place
Cooley-Emerson House at 476 Longmeadow Street image courtesy raveis.com It’s not every day you get a complete basement-to-attic tour of...
106 views0 comments
bottom of page