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Marblehead’s fishermen, merchants, slaves and heroes are buried in graveyards throughout this historic town.

There are thirteen burial sites, including large cemeteries and small family tombs. Old Burial Hill was established in 1638, and the “new” Waterside Cemetery was opened in 1859.

Revolutionary War hero General John Glover, famous for rowing General Washington across the Delaware River in 1776, is buried at Old Burial Hill. The final resting place of an enslaved woman, marked simply “Agnis Negro” was recently reproduced and rededicated. Green Street holds the graves of Elisha Story, who took part in the Boston Tea Party, along with Josiah Cressy, record-breaking captain of the Flying Cloud clipper ship. Mary Alley, who left property to establish the town’s first hospital, is buried at Harborview Cemetery. Local author Pam Matthias Peterson reveals five centuries of history behind these markers of the past.

There is nothing funnier to a Bay Stater than hearing those from out of town trying to pronounce tongue-twister town names.

Leo-Minster? Who’s Leo? Quin-zee? There’s no Z in there! As it turns out, these towns with funny names are full of wonderful, surprisingly untold stories. Some are hilarious: a landlocked sailing-themed amusement park run by a man who built himself a house that looks exactly like a boat. Some are inspiring: a city’s outpouring of support for enslaved people fighting for their freedom. Others are simply delightful: two women rejecting oppressive Victorian social standards and embarking on a joyful, long-distance adventure.

Local author Amanda Rotondo offers this amusing collection of place names and stories, providing a window into the worlds of the fascinating people who helped make these towns the unique places they are today.

Over 500,000 Massachusetts residents answered the call to military duty in the Second World War, while the rest of the state’s citizens fought the war on the home front. Everyone in the family, including pets, found creative and essential ways to contribute.

Thousands worked in factories, volunteered for Civil Defense, watched for enemy aircraft, and took part in salvage collections and bond drives, all while dealing with rationing, blackouts, rumors and a host of other wartime inconveniences. And while thousands of service members left to fight overseas, the Bay State also welcomed thousands more to serve on its military bases that were such an important part of our nation’s defense./ Author James Parr reveals the stories of these brave and dedicated citizens--from the famous to the ordinary--as they faced wartime challenges. 

The North End - Boston's Little Italy - is an enclave with a rich history and a culture rooted in family, food and faith.

Once home to hardworking immigrant families from Italy, it was also the neighborhood of Sacco and Vanzetti, Charles Ponzi and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy. Organizations like the North End Industrial Home and the North Benet Street School helped to educate and serve the community. With St. Leonard’s of Port Maurice Church at its heart, la via vecchia (the old way) is woven through its narrow, winding streets, brick buildings, restaurants and pastry shops. Today, neighbors and tourists alike meet for coffee and cannolis, unaware of the neighborhood's complex history.

Local author and resident Patricia Annino reveals the resilient journey from one of America’s poorest slums to a place of opportunity.

Discover the story behind the Nantucket Civil War Monument, King Alcohol and more in Hidden History of Nantucket.

The celebrated history of Nantucket's great whaling days often overshadows the fascinating changes that took place in the years following. Learn about some named on the Civil War Monument, some left off and some who may not belong. Meet the Cold Water Army of seven hundred schoolchildren who paraded against King Alcohol in hopes that the island would become a temperance oasis. Little remains of the bathing pavilion and water slide of the long-lost town of Coatue that once had big plans for expansion. With surprising facts and captivating tales, authors Frank Morral and Barbara Ann White explore these and other lost accounts of the faraway island.

Join author William B. Longo as he completes a comprehensive portrait of this 1848 jurisdiction. Longtime residents will surely appreciate this installment in the region's history.

Hazlet Township—originally composed of four separate villages known as Hazlet, Mechanicsville, North Centerville, and West Keansburg—celebrates its 150th anniversary in 1998, and this marvelous new book has been created to commemorate that occasion. Residents of Hazlet will learn about the community's development since 1900, and study its most significant period of growth—beginning around 1955. The earliest images contained in this volume illustrate Hazlet's rural past, depicting farms and the rustic character of the township. Other photographs represent the history of the township's municipal and public service centers, such as the post office, railroad station, and fire departments. Following World War II, the township began to lose its village divisions, and Hazlet Township describes this change in detail.

Gloucester on the Wind is an engaging history of this town, with never before seen historical photographs.

Since the development of photography in the mid-nineteenth century, the camera has been used as a tool of both discovery and preservation. Photographs bring alive our image of the past, and can open a floodgate of memories and nostalgia or inspire curiosity and a sense of history. Originally founded by a fishing company from Dorchester, England, in 1623, Gloucester has always been linked to fishing and the sea. By 1870 Gloucester was the leading fishing port in the Western Hemisphere, and its great fleet of fast, white-winged schooners ranged deep into the heart of the Atlantic in search of cod, haddock, halibut, and mackerel. These stunningly beautiful ships and the hardy men who sailed them made Gloucester an evocation of courage, perseverance, and seamanship unique in America's maritime heritage.

In Lowell, Massachusetts reminders of the Industrial Revolution can still be seen and felt but few reminders are more powerful than the photographs contained in this dynamic visual history.

In 1604, Sieur De Monts wrote, The Indians speak of a beautiful river far to the South, which they call Merrimac. The common thread that runs through the history of Lowell is the Merrimac River. The river attracted European explorers and colonists in the seventeenth century, as it had attracted various Native American tribes before them. The fertile land around the river made agriculture profitable for many years, but it was the Merrimac's potential for water power and transportation that opened the area up to industry in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Reminders of the Industrial Revolution can still be seen and felt in Lowell today, but few reminders are more powerful than the photographs contained in this dynamic visual history. Photographers captured Lowell on film firsthand as it developed into one of the most powerful centers of industry in the world. They also photographed the people that made Lowell what it was and is; the images of their faces, homes, workplaces, and daily lives say more about the city's history than words ever can.

The history of railroads in America is not complete without a pictorial history of the Boston & Maine.

As the twentieth century dawned, the Boston & Maine Railroad Company controlled virtually all of the rail lines in New Hampshire, as well as much of the service in Maine and Massachusetts. Ultimately, the company operated more than 2,000 stations in northern New England. The train was the most important mode of travel, and the stations were the center of the community. Boston & Maine in the 20th Century continues the first pictorial history of the railroad company, entitled Boston & Maine in the 19th Century. With more than 200 rare images and historical narrative, the book details the trains and their destinations: the terminals, stations, depots, and whistle stops to which they sped. Times changed, and the railroad was passed by; however, its legacy lives on.

It should come as no surprise that one of the nation's oldest cities brims with spirits of those who lived and died in its hundreds of years of tumultuous history.

Boston, Massachusetts, boasts countless stories of the supernatural. Many students at Boston College have encountered an unearthly hound that haunts O'Connell House to this day. Be on the watch for an actor who sits in on rehearsals at Huntington Theatre and restless spirits rumored to haunt Boston Common at night. From the Victorian brownstones of Back Bay to the shores of the Boston Harbor Islands, author Sam Baltrusis makes it clear that there is hardly a corner of the Hub where the paranormal cannot be experienced as he breathes new life into the tales of the long departed.

This captivating pictorial history acquaints the reader with the seacoast defenses of Boston Harbor.

Fortified since the the 1600s, seacoast defenses provided important protection for the new seaport. By the Civil War, strong granite fortresses guarded the seaward approaches to the Port of Boston. Later, powerful long-range guns and mortars protected the seaport. During World War II, the most sophisticated and powerful guns existing were installed. These guns used the first computers and radar systems developed for the military for target acquisition and tracking. In The Military History of Boston's Harbor Islands, great care has been taken to identify harbor defense systems at all of the harbor islands, mainland forts, and the observation and radar towers from Nahant to Scituate. The book identifies and explains the long-abandoned granite and concrete monoliths of Boston Harbor, briefly describes Edgar Allan Poe's tour of duty in Boston Harbor, the impact that Col. Sylvanus Thayer had on Boston's seacoast fortifications and many mysterious structures at the harbor forts.

This book is an historical account of the beginnings of present-day Somerville, from a connection to Boston to a population increase that changed everything.

Once a part of Charlestown that could only be reached via ""The Neck"" (present-day Sullivan Square), Somerville became accessible from Boston with the construction of the Middlesex Canal and the extension of various rail lines in the mid- to late nineteenth century. By 1842, Somerville's population had increased to the point that the town officially separated itself from Charlestown. Over the years, the population continued to grow. With the increase in population came tremendous change, including the subdivision of farms and estates for residential neighborhoods. The city of Somerville was incorporated in 1871, and the bucolic borough became the beloved hometown of many residents over the next century. Described by Mayor Edward Glines as ""healthy, morally clean, comfortable and convenient,"" Somerville has thrived for years as an attractive, modern residential neighborhood.

The Spirit of Springfield Mountain 

The natural beauty and fertile lands of Wilbraham, Massachusetts, first attracted the Algonquin people, followed by English settlers. The town’s history is rich with fascinating tales, including Reverend Noah Merrick’s love for his wife, Abigail, immortalized in the poem “The Parson’s Rose.” Other stories recount the tragic drowning of six young people in Nine Mile Pond in 1799 and the heroic citizens who helped save the Federal Armory in 1787. Historian David Bourcier brings these and other captivating stories to life, tracing the town’s journey from its roots as Springfield Mountain to present-day Wilbraham.

The maritime history of Cape Ann, on the northern coast of Massachusetts, is filled with stories of heroism, adventure, and human endeavor.

The lighthouses and lifesaving stations surrounding Cape Ann since the late 18th century have served to protect and safeguard the area's mariners and major industries. Fishing, shipbuilding, and granite quarrying businesses all flourished under their watchful eyes. They provided artists with spectacular subject matter and attracted tourists from around the world to visit them. This book highlights the heroism and dedication of the lighthouse keepers and lifesaving surfmen who served. Cape Ann is famous for being the home of America's oldest seaport in Gloucester and America's most painted building, Motif No. 1, in Rockport.

This volume details Nantucket's long history from European settlement in 1659 to whaling culture and Quaker influence to tourist destination.

Nantucket, a Wampanoag word meaning far-away island, was first settled by Europeans in 1659. The earliest settlers, known as the Proprietors, envisioned a community of farmers and shepherds, but the island found its fortune as a preeminent whaling port in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. During its time under Quaker influence, Nantucket was a cosmopolitan and dynamic place; radical new ideas, like abolitionism and women's rights, found fertile ground in the Quakers' firm belief in equality. As the entrance to the harbor became impassable, Nantucket lost its whaling focus and experienced a general economic decline. Ironically, this downturn and the resulting absence of new building, along with modern cultural change, became the springboard for its later revival. Nantucket was transformed into a tourist destination, an artist colony, and a summer home to the wealthy and famous, with a rich maritime heritage and a proud tradition of historic preservation.

Revere Beachinvites the reader to take an unsurpassed pictorial journey detailing nine pivotal decades of a premier metropolitan seaside destination.

Revere Beach Reservation, created by the Metropolitan Park Commission in 1895, encompasses a three-mile stretch of a sandy crescent shore only five miles from downtown Boston. While later years witnessed the damage wrought by several devastating storms, including the infamous Blizzard of 1978, much of the 20th century saw a successful amusement industry flourish here, and the book showcases Wonderland Amusement Park, with its famous amusements and attractions that thrilled and entertained generations of visitors. Through archival and private collections, Revere Beachenables the inquisitive to discover the true Revere Beach, which captured the attention of two U.S. presidents and the heart of swimming champion Annette Kellerman, who chose the beach as the perfect venue to introduce the scandalous one-piece bathing suit to North America.

In The Military History of the Cape Cod Canal, the abandoned foundations at Sagamore Hill and throughout most of Buzzards Bay are explored, as well as the weapons, devices, and personnel assigned to ensure the canal's integrity throughout the war. Although the responsibilities of the U.S. Army's Coast Artillery are a focal point, the actions of the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the air arms of all the military services during World War II are also included. The Military History of the Cape Cod Canal documents the mishaps, collisions, and war-damaged ships in and near the canal, as well as the joint military protection forces and plans in effect during World War II.

In Boston in Motion, the various conveyances available to the public over time are presented and explored in a riveting collection of original photographs.

Boston in Motion, the sequel to Trolleys under the Hub, is an intriguing collection of photographs that captures the history of transportation in and around Boston. Authors Frank Cheney and Anthony M. Sammarco trace the stories from the earliest days of public transport with the Winnisimmet Ferry to the MBTA of today. A city known for its comprehensive public transportation, Boston has hosted every type of transit known to urban America. From the ferry, the horse railway, and the omnibus to the steam railroad and, eventually, the subway and bus systems, Boston has always been at the forefront of transportation advancements. The former El (the Boston Elevated Railway), the Old Colony Railroad, the Red Line, and the East Boston Line dramatically changed the face of Boston in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

An archival adventure for technology enthusiasts and  local lore seekers that's sure to delight!

Join Archivist Melissa Mannon on an exciting journey that begins at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution and travels through the advance of the computer age. Discover Waltham's history in this impressive and unprecedented pictorial collection, with photographs selected from the Waltham Public Library and other Waltham historical institutions. Separated from Watertown in 1738, Waltham shed its agricultural roots and went on to become a world-renowned manufacturing center. Entrepreneurs realized the power that could be harnessed from the Charles River and took full advantage of this natural resource. The Boston Manufacturing Company, founded in 1813 by Francis Cabot Lowell and Patrick T. Jackson, was the first mill in the world to mass-produce cotton cloth from start to finish under one roof. Waltham earned its nickname, Watch City, from the Waltham Watch Company, the largest manufacturer of watches in the world in the nineteenth century. In 1929, Walthambegan a third economic boom with the establishment ofRaytheon and the electronics industry. Today, Waltham and its neighboring towns on the belt of Route 128 have become one of the country's largest manufacturing centers for computer and electronics equipment.

Quaben, the Nipmuc Indian word for many waters, was the name originally given to the area of central Massachusetts that is now known as the Quabbin Valley.

The abundance of ponds, lakes, and streams in the region made it an obvious target for those seeking new water sources to supply the escalating population of Boston in the late 19th century. However, the little towns of Dana, Enfield, Greenwich, and Prescott that were established in the area stood in the way. Following an act of the legislature in 1926, these towns were disincorporated, and the 2,500 inhabitants were given modest compensation and ordered to leave. By 1938, the former towns were flooded and stood at the floor of the reservoir, which held the potential of 420 billion gallons of water to be outsourced eastward. Never to be forgotten, the story of the lost towns and their former residents are displayed through artifacts housed at the Swift River Valley Historical Society in North New Salem.

These images from the University archives show both the continuity and change at Tufts through time,

Tufts College was founded in 1852 as a liberal arts college by a group of Universalists committed to creating a nonsectarian institution of higher education. From its first year with four faculty, seven students, and one building, Tufts University has grown to include four campuses, seven schools, and more than eight thousand students. In the one hundred fifty years since its founding, Tufts has maintained its commitment to teaching, learning, and research, providing a place for students to grow as scholars, leaders, and citizens of the world. Instead of an exhaustive history, this book provides fascinating glimpses into life at Tufts from the earliest days to the late twentieth century. These images from the university archives show both the continuity and change at Tufts through time, illustrating central themes in its history: the pivotal role of teaching, learning, and research; the importance of leadership; a strong cultural tradition; and a commitment to citizenship on campus and in the wider world.

The salty waves and sandy beaches of majestic Cape Cod disguise its fascinating and nearly forgotten history.

From Provincetown to Falmouth, the Cape's fifteen towns offer a plethora of hidden and enchanting tales. Learn why one of the most famous rescues in Coast Guard history spent nearly fifty years in the shadows without public notice. Discover which wild creature went from the nineteenth-century soup pot to enjoying conservation protection under state law. Historian Theresa Mitchell Barbo explores these mysteries and more, from the lost diary of a nineteenth-century schoolteacher to the reason Cape Codders call their lunch the noontime dinner. Join Barbo as she lifts the lid on the quirky and remarkable character of Cape Cod and its forgotten happenings.

A fascinating history of Lowell, Massachusetts, from its powerful place in the Industrial Revolution to the everyday routines of its citizens.

When we think of Lowell, Massachusetts, and the historic part the city played in the American Industrial Revolution we often conjure up powerful images of mills and machinery. But what about the daily lives of the citizens and workers, their festivals, and their simpler recreations like park ball games and family events? The waters of the Merrimac run deep and have always been a source of vitality and strength for the people of Lowell. This sequel to the highly acclaimed Lowell continues our journey—this time into the more recent past of this amazing city. Older members of the community will appreciate this new pictorial history as a nostalgic window to a time when drugstore soda shops and drive-in movies were in their heyday. Younger generations will find the over 200 images presented here a unique and intriguing resource for connecting with their roots.

Hardy Gloucester men and large fishing vessels known as Gloucestermen were ever-present along the busy waterfront of the North Shore city between the mid-19th century and the early years of the 20th century.

As part of the giant fishing industry, the vessels, which were owned by Yankee, Portuguese, and Italian fishermen, were a dramatic and colorful accent along the inner harbor. In the 1830s, artists discovered the charms of the fishing port of Gloucester and around forty years later, others were in Rockport. The art colony at Rocky Neck in East Gloucester is the earliest in America and was visited, or lived in, by many prominent painters. Tourists of the past also took delight in the attractive areas of Cape Ann where they could while away a summer vacation in a fancy hotel along the rugged shore, explore the local sites, view the mysterious former settlement of Dogtown, or inspect the many granite quarries that were active from the 1820s to the Great Depression.

Cape Cod has a rich tradition of local lore, stretching back to a time before the Pilgrims arrived.

Ancient Wampanoag legends like Granny Squannit and Princess Scargo are as familiar as tales of pirates and explorers, including Black Sam Bellamy and Donald Baxter Macmillan. Felines often blocked Cat's Alley in pursuit of food from fishermen's boats. The remnants of Billingsgate Island can be seen at low tide, and visits from Jenny Lind and Helen Keller contrast with the mysterious stories of the Lady of the Dunes and New England's Dark Day. Author Robin Smith-Johnson shares historic tales of shipwrecks, murders, hauntings and more from the Cape.

Regardless of how the name came to be, many agree that Jamaica Plain is one of the loveliest areas of New England.

Stories abound as to how Jamaica Plain derived its name; some trace it to the flow of rum shipments to the port of Boston following Oliver Cromwell's seizure of Jamaica in 1660, but whatever the true origin of the name, the area has a rich and colorful history that flows from its rural, pastoral beginnings in the 17th century and into the 21st. Jamaica Plain today is one of Boston's great suburban neighborhoods, but it has not always been connected to the city. Jamaica Plain first became a part of Roxbury, and later West Roxbury, and served as a summer playground for influential Bostonians before becoming part of Boston in 1874. The neighborhood's beauty has been protected by such visionaries as Benjamin Bussey, who bequeathed his estate to Harvard College for what is now the Arnold Arboretum, and Henry A.S. Dearborn, the former mayor of Roxbury who established the Forest Hills Cemetery. Today, the neighborhood is a bustling suburban spot that has preserved its natural beauty and resources.

Boston University Hockey chronicles the many National Collegiate Athletic Association Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference, Hockey East, and Beanpot championship team moments; the myriad accomplishments of individual players and coaches, such as Rick Meagher, the "BU Four," Jack Kelley, and Jack Parker; and the overall legacy of achievement by the long line of skaters who have donned the scarlet-and-white sweaters. The illustrations in Boston University Hockey (including many that have never been published elsewhere) offer a compelling view of a team that has won more national titles than any other eastern college hockey school.

In Watertown, the long and colorful history of this town is told through vintage images as never before.

Established in 1630, Watertown was the first inland settlement of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. With its central location and proximity to the Charles River, Watertown has always been a convenient meeting place and a starting point for travelers and traders headed to the West. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the town consisted of many country estates and farmlands. The nineteenth and twentieth centuries saw industrial growth and an influx of immigrants. Today, Watertown has become a thriving business community, retaining its small-town character, beautiful historic houses, and tree-lined streets. In Watertown, the long and colorful story of the town is told through vintage images as never before. Within these pages, see the Perkins School for the Blind, the Stanley steamer, the Arsenal, and an array of historic houses, churches, and public buildings. Learn how Paul Revere and his comrades held meetings in Watertown during the eighteenth century and how the first streetcar routes originated in Watertown in 1894.

Quirky and little-known true stories of one of America’s most historic cities.

Boston may play a big role in American history textbooks, but it also has quite a bit of forgotten past. For example, during the colonial era, riotous mobs celebrated their hatred of the pope in an annual celebration called Pope’s Night. In 1659, Christmas was made illegal, a ban by the Puritans that remained in effect for twenty-two years. William Monroe Trotter published the Boston Guardian, an independent African American newspaper, and was a beacon of civil rights activism at the turn of the century. And in more recent times, a centuries-long turf war played out on the streets of quiet Chinatown, ending in the massacre of five men in a back alley in 1991.

Author and historian Dina Vargo shines a light into the cobwebbed corners of Boston’s hidden history in this riveting read, complete with illustrations.

Thoreau's Walden describes the beauty of this historical setting through the writings of Thoreau. The book uses many of his most captivating and inspiring quotations as a tribute to the man and his life, works, and philosophy. Beautiful images and descriptive historical writing combine to create a visual insight into the reasons why Thoreau lived at Walden and what he has to teach us about this most inspirational place. Thoreau's Walden also includes little-known facts about the writer and philosopher, including the stories behind his relationship with Ralph Waldo Emerson, his search for the perfect location for his experiment, and his many visitors, such as Nathaniel Hawthorne and the Alcott family.