Archive for the ‘100th Anniversary’ Category

« Older Entries

Director’s Blog: What can you do at the Historical Society this week?

Monday, October 10th, 2011

Buy a commemorative brick

Past Historical Society President Norma Gammon and a sample commemorative brick.

To commemorate the Society’s 100th birthday, we’re installing a Centennial Walkway in the garden.  You can purchase a 4”x4” brick for $100 or a 8”x8” brick for $225.  Each brick has three lines of text with 16 characters per line.  Your brick could honor your family or memorialize a family member of loved one.

Have you been involved with the Historical Society for many years?  We have a list of people who contributed their time, talent, and treasure to the Society over the past 100 years.  You can join us in celebrating these key members by purchasing a brick in their honor.

Bricks can be purchased online on the Society’s website, or call the office at 978-475-2236 if you have any questions.

Share

Tags:
Posted in 100th Anniversary, All About AHS, Community | No Comments »

Director’s Blog: What can you do at the Historical Society this week?

Monday, October 3rd, 2011

Picnic with us at Serio’s Grove in Ballardvale

Picnic with the Historical Society at Serio's Grove Sunday, October 9th. PR & Development Assistant Carrie Midura found this image in the collection. It's one of my favorites!

This Sunday, October 9th, we’re hosting the next in our series of Centennial events: an old fashioned picnic at Serio’s Grove in Ballardvale.  Travel back to 1911 with us at a family picnic on the banks of the beautiful Shawsheen River in Ballardvale Village at Andover’s picturesque Serio’s Grove reservation.  This special picnic will feature canoe rides, a ducky race, and live banjo music.  Bring a picnic basket, blanket, and a healthy appetite for adventure.  The Centennial picnic will be 1:00 to 4:00 pm.  Visit our website for details and directions.

Share

Tags:
Posted in 100th Anniversary, All About AHS, Andover History, Community, Events, Things to do | No Comments »

It’s Time for a Party!

Wednesday, March 30th, 2011

April 2011 marks the centennial of the founding of the Andover Historical Society and the entire organization is looking forward to celebrating. The coming months will bring a busy schedule of events from birthday parties to outdoor picnics, hikes, dances and much more.

Historical Society Birthday InvitationApril 2-3, 2011: Celebrating the Society’s birthday

We’re hosting a Photo Sharing Party to kick-off the year on Saturday, April 2 (1-4pm) and Sunday, April 3rd (12-5pm). Saturday’s event is reserved for members and Sunday’s event is open to the public.

Your childhood photo will serve as your admission ticket! Birthday cake, tea & coffee will be served. Enjoy live jazz music and period displays from every decade since 1911

Search your photo albums, scrapbooks, attics, and computer files and bring in a favorite snapshot of you or a family member at age ten or younger – even if you weren’t living in Andover at the time! Your pictures and their stories will help grow the Society’s collection of 20th century images. Your photo will be scanned by AHS staff and volunteers, allowing you to keep your original. Come join the party! Please RSVP to Carrie Midura at cmidura@andoverhistorical.org or 978.475.2236

Share

Tags: , ,
Posted in 100th Anniversary | 1 Comment »

Andover Stories – November thru December 2010

Friday, January 21st, 2011

As a regular readers know, the Andover Townsman newspaper has been publishing a weekly feature, “Andover Stories.” The feature will run for two years, from April 2010 through April 2012, celebrating the Society’s 100th anniversary.  One story will run on the Society’s actual 100th birth date, Thursday, April 14, 2011.

The Andover Stories project is chaired by volunteer Gail Ralston and co-chaired by volunteer Mike Simo.  Writers are all volunteers and interns.  Historical Society volunteers include Jim Batchelder, Joan Patrakis, Gail Ralston, Don Robb, and Mike Simo.  Interns past and present include Francesca Balboni, Amanda Beveridge, Katie Gohn, and Jennifer Tarbox.  If you would like to join the 104 Stories team as a researcher or writer, please call Elaine Clements at the Historical Society.

Andover Stories will be archived on the Andover Townsman’s website the week after they appear in the paper.  We will post a link to the most recent article each week on The Blanchard House Blog so you can stay up to date with the series.

Follow these links to the stories from November and December 2010 in the series:

November 4, 2010 – Andover Stories: Le Boutillier’s indelible mark, By Tom Adams

November 11, 2010 – Andover Stories: Immigrants always drawn to Andover, By Amanda Beveridge

November 18, 2010 – Andover Stories: A sailor from ‘Greatest Generation,’ By Mike Simo

November 24, 2010 – Andover Stories: Thanksgiving in Andover, By Gail Ralston

December 2, 2010 – Andover Stories: Andover’s Big Screens, By Lorraine DeLucia

December 9, 2010 – Andover Stories: League of Women Voters celebrates 90 years, By Karen Wakeling

December 16, 2010 – Andover Stories: Independent Andover Bookstore remains a rare business, By Katie Gohn

December 30, 2010 – Andover Stories: Andover’s early churches: A history of helping others, By Amanda Beveridge

Share

Tags: , , ,
Posted in 100th Anniversary | No Comments »

Andover Story – October 28, 2010

Friday, October 29th, 2010

This week’s Andover Story, “Legends and Ghosts of the Shawsheen River,” explores tales of the river that winds its way through Andover. Andover Stories chair Gail Ralston begins her story with the 1930s version of a Native American tale that explains how the “Shaw Sheen” was named.  The story also winds its way through Andover history as Gail tells the story of the Shawsheen River’s role in the witchcraft hysteria that took hold of Massachusetts in 1692.  Visit the Andover Townsman Online to read the whole story.

Accused "witch" Martha Carrier's grave

Share

Tags: , , ,
Posted in 100th Anniversary, Andover History | No Comments »

Andover Story – October 7, 2010

Thursday, October 7th, 2010

This week’s Andover Story, “Serio’s Grove provided river entertainment,” tells the story of Frank Serio and his family, who owned land on the edge of the Shawsheen River in Ballardvale, at the southern end of Andover. Author Gail Ralston brings the Serio’s story up to 2009, when the Andover Conservation Commission formally recognized the grove as a new recreation area. Follow the link to the Andover Townsman Online to read the whole story. Guess what famous hometown boy shows up in the story? (Hint: You might be able to see him on TV Tonight.)

Frank Serio paddling one of his homemade boats on the Shawsheen River.

Share

Tags: , ,
Posted in 100th Anniversary, Andover History | No Comments »

Andover Stories – September 30, 2010

Friday, October 1st, 2010

In this week’s Andover Story, “Route 495’s arrival shows human costs of progress,” author Don Robb tells a recent story that is still painful for many people in Andover. For the most part, people – especially those of us born in the second half of the 20th century – who drive along the country’s interstate highway never think about how the highways were built. How did the federal government acquire the land to construct the highways? What gave way to make room for the interstate? As Don’s story reminds us, there is a human cost of progress. Follow the link to the Andover Townsman Online to read the whole story.

The Patrakis family home being moved in 1961 to make way for Route 495

Share

Tags: ,
Posted in 100th Anniversary, Andover History | No Comments »

Andover Stories – September 23, 2010

Friday, September 24th, 2010

This week’s Andover Story, “Dane, a man of faith who spoke against witchcraft hysteria,” was written by stories co-chair Mike Simo. It’s fitting that Mike’s story ran this week.  Mike and his wife moved back to the Chicago area the day before the story ran in the Townsman.  We all enjoyed Mike’s company for the year that he volunteered at the Society.  During that year Mike was a researcher, newsletter editor, writer, and a member of the ADEPT team.  He will be missed.

Follow the link to the Andover Townsman Online to read about the Reverend Francis Dane, “A man of deep faith, (whose) pragmatic approach during a time of civil and religious strife in the English empire allowed the people of Andover to grow spiritually and prosper financially.”  Twice in  his life, in 1665 and again in 1692, Dane stood up for innocents accused of witchcraft, both times winning the release of the accused from prison.

Andover's Reverend Francis Dane

Share

Tags: , ,
Posted in 100th Anniversary, Andover History | No Comments »

Andover Stories – September 16, 2010

Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010

This week’s Andover Story, Scamps, scoundrels color Andover’s past, was written by Andover historian Joan Patrakis. Joan’s story rivals the best crime scene investigation dramas on evening television.  Thefts, public nuisances, insanity, whippings, murders, and a branding all haunt Andover’s seemingly placid past.  Follow the link to the Andover Townsman Online to read the full, surprising story of Andover’s despicables.

Joan will talk about Andover’s scamps and scoundrels Thursday, September 23rd at 2:00 p.m. at the Andover Senior Center.

Andover resident Pascoe Chubb's cowardly surrender of Fort William Henry in 1696 led to his banishment to his North Parish home.

Share

Tags:
Posted in 100th Anniversary, Andover History | No Comments »

Andover Stories – September 9, 2010

Monday, September 13th, 2010

This week’s Andover Story, “Andover public education started by 1647 law,” was written by local historian Jim Batchelder. Jim’s story traces education in Andover and the Commonwealth back to its roots in Calvinist beliefs. The “devotion to education and inquiry” that the Calvinists embraced could just as easily describe Andover’s dedication to education to today. To read more about Andover’s public schools and education in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, follow the link to the Andover Townsman Online.

The now defunct North District School

Share

Tags: ,
Posted in 100th Anniversary, Andover History | No Comments »

« Older Entries