The houses we live often can say a lot of things about ourselves, our experiences, and our character. As such, I decided to simply briefly go over the houses I have lived in and ways they have shaped me. Growing up in Cambridge was a family affair. In this house I was surrounded by family, … Continue reading
As addressed in two previous posts, I have sought to discover just how far back my roots go in Boston, Massachusetts (United States) through my Jewish side of the family. I can definitively say that Philip’s earliest known location was in New York, on June 9th, 1895, according to Massachusetts Naturalization Record, coming from Antwerp, … Continue reading
In a previous post, I had discovered that my English ancestors went all the way back to Wigan during the Industrial Revolution. Since then, I have discovered a couple more interesting details. As shown above from the The London Gazette, December 26th, 1905, not only were they cab proprietors, but also coach builders and funeral … Continue reading
For two years, I also had the pleasure of living in Methuen, Massachusetts, where I had worked a few jobs. Methuen is also the only place in the world, named just that. No other city or town bears this name. According to The Americana: A Universal Reference Library, Comprising the Arts and Sciences, Literature, History, … Continue reading
For twelve years I lived at Tower Hill, in Lawrence, MA, for nearly 14 years. I was close to the Reservoir, and Bellevue and Immaculate Conception Cemeteries. The most distinctive feature though, was the High Service Water Tower, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. According to Municipal History of Essex County … Continue reading
I remember 9/11 for a lot of reasons, the same things as many, many others. But there is other things that specifically relate to my family. As indicated several times before, I have a terrible relationship with my family, and I don’t feel upset about this. There is nothing to feel upset about at all. … Continue reading
For three summers during the 1990s, I attended the West End Camp in East Parsonfield, ME, which marked a pivotal time of my personal development. For some idea on what the camp is: West End House Camp, founded by James Storrow in 1908, comprises 135-acres, including 4,000 feet on beautiful Long Pond. We offer affordable … Continue reading
Someone on Waymaking.com, which according to their website “provides tools for you to catalog, mark and visit interesting and useful locations around the world” has a posting describing this, titled “Shakespeare Bust, 15 Beach Street – Boston, MA“: In Boston, in an area on the edge of both Chinatown and the Theatre District, is a … Continue reading
The first time I met Congressman Barney Frank was at an event for the Ready for Hillary PAC in downtown Boston in April 2014, which was also attended by Senator Marc Pacheco. I was very glad to have finally met him after hearing about him for so long through the media over, and over, and over … Continue reading
Although I had originally thought that in Beattie, Kansas in 1899, the city was the first to elect a full council of women plus mayor. I was actually wrong. That honor actually belongs to Mayor Mary D. Lowman of Oksaloosa, Kansas in 1888, 10 years before, who was re-elected with another women council in 1889. … Continue reading
On April 4th, 1899, the little Kansas town of Beattie held their election, and the entire election went to women. The most prominent women of the town had decided to run for municipal election that year, women won every municipal office in that small town. According to the Northwestern Christian Advocate, Volume 47: The women … Continue reading
Just how did the Prohibition Party get excluded from the ballot? Obviously, national trends were a large part of it. This Alcohol Problems and Solutions article explains: The Prohibition Party of the United States was formed in 1869. Before the civil War (1861-1865) temperance groups had promoted voluntary abstinence from alcoholic beverages. That great conflagration had diverted … Continue reading
Last night I had a conversation with self-identified Texas Evangelicals from Houston. It was quite an uncomfortable conversation given how knowledgeable I am of what certain groups think of me because of my identity (gay, pro-choice, feminist, etc.). Despite wanting to discuss religion with me, I insisted that religion and politics do go, more so than not, … Continue reading
Gore Hall, a now-demolished Harvard University structure, was built in 1838 constructed of Quincy granite. Gore Hall served as Harvard University’s first library. It’s architectural style was Gothic Revival, a style found across the globe. It was named in honor of Harvard graduate and Massachusetts Governor and United States Senator Christopher Gore. Gore Hall was demolished … Continue reading
The original Cambridge Public Library (pictured above) at 449 Broadway was built in 1888 with land and full construction funding donated by Frederick H. Rindge. Its Richardsonian Romanesque design was by Van Brunt & Howe. Frederick H. Rindge (pictured above) was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the only surviving son among six children of Samuel B. Rindge (1820-1883) and … Continue reading
To begin the story of Congressman John D. Dingell, Jr., we should look back to his father, John D. Dingell, Sr. Known as a New Deal stalwart, Dingell Sr. was elected to the newly formed 15th Congressional District of Michigan following the creation of four new seats after the 1930 Federal Census. He was re-elected … Continue reading
Cambridge City Councilor Thomas Coates The first mention of Thomas Coates dates back to April 1963 (Want Good Job? Then Prepare, Boston Globe, April 7th, 1963), where he says the following: In his first election running in 1963, heavy voter was actually expected due to a ballot measure regarding fluoridation of the city’s water supply … Continue reading
Boston City Councilor Thomas I. Atkins Elected to the Boston City Council in 1967, Atkins was the first African-American elected to the that body. The Spokane Daily Chronicle article, “Negroes Wins Many Races” states the following about the historic win: In Boston where the race issue was an often unspoken factor in the mayor’s race, Thomas … Continue reading
Note: If the events of April 15th, 2013 are triggering to you, please refrain from reading the post any further as there is no intended social harm intended. I had intended to write a blog post earlier, but unfortunately, this was cut short by this apparent event yesterday. In a certain way, this happening didn’t … Continue reading
In a previous post, I went over some of the thing I discovered about my late grandfather, Reverend Albert E. Bates, of things I was never told by family. In this post, I will go over some more discoveries regarding his personal history since the time of the first posting. It is important to note … Continue reading
The Progressive Democrat 