April 1775 Longmeadow Reports
Massachusetts celebrates Patriots' Day commemorating the Battles of Lexington and Concord — but what impact did "the shot heard 'round the world" have on more distant Western Massachusetts towns like Longmeadow?

https://www.longmeadowhistoricalsociety.org/post/april-1775-longmeadow-reports

 

Longmeadow Minute Men to Arms

When the battles at Lexington and Concord ignited the Revolutionary War, towns across Massachusetts were called to action. Discover how Longmeadow's own minute men responded to the alarm.

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https://www.longmeadowhistoricalsociety.org/post/longmeadow-minute-men-to-arms

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Fourth of July fireworks in downtown Springfield are a treasured part of holiday celebrations — but they have a history dating back to the years of the American Revolution, and not just in July.

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https://www.longmeadowhistoricalsociety.org/post/great-guns

 

Sentenced to Death for Treason: Alpheus Colton of Longmeadow
On January 25, 1787, a Longmeadow merchant recorded a routine sleigh rental to Alpheus Colton — the same day armed conflict broke out during Shays' Rebellion. That small transaction would later connect Colton to a death sentence for treason.

 

https://www.longmeadowhistoricalsociety.org/post/sentenced-to-death-for-treason-alpheus-colton-of-longmeadow

 

John Ackley and Sarah Forbus
Who were John Ackley and Sarah Forbus? They were pauper children from Boston indentured and brought to Longmeadow, uncovered through the Historical Society's Hidden Voices research initiative.

 

https://www.longmeadowhistoricalsociety.org/post/john-ackley-and-sarah-forbus

 

Solomon Burt and the Explosion at the Powder Mill
Patriots faced danger at home as well as on the battlefield. A gravestone in Longmeadow Cemetery tells the story of 18-year-old Solomon Burt, "suddenly Kill'd by the Blowing up of a Powder Mill."

 

https://www.longmeadowhistoricalsociety.org/post/solomon-burt-and-the-explosion-at-the-powder-mill

 

Counterfeiters and Loyalist: The Colton Family Register

Around 1799, a family register recorded births, marriages, and deaths in Samuel Colton's family — almost certainly crafted by Richard Brunton, a notorious engraver, counterfeiter, and British deserter.

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https://www.longmeadowhistoricalsociety.org/post/counterfeiters-and-loyalist-the-colton-family-register

 

The Elusive Johnny Appleseed of Longmeadow
Is it true? Was he really from here, or just local folklore? The claim that Johnny Appleseed lived in Longmeadow is often repeated — this story digs into the archival evidence behind the legend.

 

https://www.longmeadowhistoricalsociety.org/post/the-elusive-johnny-appleseed-of-longmeadow