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, 2022
- 2 min
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, 2022
- 2 min
Granny Note- '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, 2022
- 4 min
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, 2022
- 7 min
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, 2022
- 3 min
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, 2022
- 3 min
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, 2022
- 7 min
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, 2022
- 4 min
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, 2022
- 5 min
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, 2022
- 3 min
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, 2022
- 4 min
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, 2022
- 2 min
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, 2022
- 3 min
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, 2022
- 2 min
When the Clock Strikes Midnight
Tonight we will all settle in and prepare to ring in a new year. Perhaps a clock like this will help you keep time. Today this tall...
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Melissa M. Cybulski
- Oct 27, 2022
- 3 min
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, 2022
- 3 min
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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Beth Hoff
- Oct 22, 2022
- 2 min
Matthew's Swamp
How did colonial communities in Massachusetts deal with outbreaks of highly communicable and deadly diseases? Like now, one solution was...
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Betsy McKee
- Oct 22, 2022
- 1 min
Mary Colton Alias Mary Drake
The headstone of Mary Colton aka Mary Drake "The old burying ground of the Town of Longmeadow consisted originally of just one acre of...
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