Two Blog Posts about Jack Kerouac, born in 1922 in Lowell.

I'm sharing two blog posts about Jack Kerouac today because this is the month of his death, and there are several Lowell events being held about his life. Click on the links below and the other photos will appear.

https://lifefromtheroots.blogspot.com/2014/10/there-is-lot-to-lieabout-lowell.html

https://lifefromtheroots.blogspot.com/2018/01/jack-kerouac-was-man-who-loved-cats-see.html

UPDATE January 2022: A Jack Kerouac museum is on the road to reality in Lowell, MA. Note: Since I live in Lowell, I plan on taking a photo of the church when winter is over.

https://www.wbur.org/news/2022/01/05/a-jack-kerouac-museum-is-on-the-road-to-reality-in-his-hometown-of-lowell?utm_source=ourcommunitynow&utm_medium=web

Jack Kerouac Was a Man Who Loved Cats. See the Proof.

Lowell, Massachusetts was home to Jack Kerouac, a famous novelist, poet, and "beatnik" for part of his life. Although he has been deceased for almost 96 years, the city still enjoys celebrating his life, especially during his birth month of October. Throughout one week, the Lowell Celebrates Kerouac Festival is held (2017 program on link). An update: To celebrate his birthday, I just read about an On the Road Marathon to be held March 10th and 11th in Lowell.

He was born in Lowell, lived here and in many other places throughout the United States, and was buried here. We have a park named after him, and tourists come to the city to see where he lived.

Over three years ago, I posted a blog post, "There Is A Lot to Like About Lowell -- Jack Kerouac, Life and Times, Birth and Death," which included photos of a place he lived, his cemetery stone, and showed an exhibit of his personal items.  This past year, I had the opportunity to see another exhibit, held during the Doors Open Lowell weekend (selected buildings open to the public). The exhibit is now a permanent fixture at the Allen House (above), built in 1854, which has the office of the current Chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UML), overlooking the Merrimack River (below), not far from my house.

The exhibit is small, although enjoyable, especially if you love cats and Jack. Below, is what you see first, as you enter into the main room of the house.

Above from Jack Kerouac Center for the Public Humanities.
Below is the brochure I received, showcasing the exhibit.

There Is A Lot to Like About Lowell -- Historic Worthen House, 1834

"There is A Lot to Like About Lowell" is the city slogan.

(See tab on right side called "Lowell Series" for many more articles about Lowell.)

Historic Worthen House, 1834

The Historic Worthen House, at 141 Worthen Street,  is Lowell's oldest tavern and restaurant, built in 1834. Why is it something I like, even though I've never ate there? First, it has seen a lot of history, being pretty close to the center of the city. The City Hall is just down the street, and it was around during the boom and bust of Lowell. The house is darling, and has a triangular floor plan. Inside is quaint with a lot of old artifacts found during the 1989 restoration. I love the original tin ceiling too. 

It was a beautiful day, when I visited, so I took way too may photos. I regret not eating there, but I will some day. This is just up the street from where James MacNeil Whistler was born.

Side and front views.

Former name was The Old Worthen, now known as Worthen House.

Can't miss the city City Hall behind the Worthen.

The above is the back of the Worthern House!

Three photos of the bar and eating area. Lots to look at.

Tin ceiling and the fan. "The fan system is one of only four in the United States and is the only one existing in the original site. It is pulley driven and is beautifully restored. It is now electrified." (Information from flyer printed by the Worthen House.)

The above mentioned flyer, states: "Patrons have included famous people including Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Gregory Corso, Jimmy Bresslin and Ed McMahon. The interior decor contains memorabilia reflecting some of Lowell's famous and infamous."

There Is A Lot to Like About Lowell -- Jack Kerouac, Life and Times, Birth and Death

"There is A Lot to Like About Lowell" is the city slogan.

(See tab on right side called "Lowell Series" for many more articles about Lowell.)

Jack Kerouac  --  Life and Times, Birth and Death

Jack Kerouac

Birthplace, Lowell, Massachusetts

b. 1922

Jack Kerouac Memorial in Lowell, Massachusetts

Wikipedia has a huge write-up about Jack, who was born in Lowell 92 years ago, and is buried in Lowell (see below). 

In the spring, I hope to take better photos, before the trees are full.

Mill Girls and Immigrants Exhibit at the Visitor's Center (above) and the exhibit of personal belongings at the Boott Mills Boarding House (below).

These three displays were enclosed in Plexiglas.

The anniversary of his death is in a week, and this week there will be many tourists coming to Lowell, some making their annual pilgrimage to the city in celebration of Jack's life.

The photos below were taken the day after the new monument was installed on Sept. 30th, and I took these the following day. 

"The Road is Life"

May 22, 1922     PFC Sebastian Sampas    March 2, 1944

Massachusetts 51 Station Hospital, World War II

1910      Vee Kay Sampas Eisentraug     1975

1909     Harold C. Eisentraut     1977

1888     George K. Sampas     1961

1893     Maria C. Sampas     1981

March 12, 1922     John Louis Kerouac     October 21, 1969

November 11, 1918     Stella Sampas Kerouac     February 10, 1990   

 Directions to Jack's marker at Edson Cemetery

Lowell, Massachusetts

http://www.massmoments.org/moment.cfm?mid=91

Kerouac Writes First Novel on March 23, 1948 (as described by Mass Moments article) First paragraph, "Lowell native Jack Kerouac happily noted in his diary that he had written 2500 words. If he could keep up this pace, he would finish his first novel in a matter of weeks. The highly autobiographical The Town and the City was published in 1950, the same year he began writing On the Road, the novel that earned him the title "Father of the Beat Generation." By the time he died at the age of 47 Jack Kerouac had published 14 books. On the Road is Kerouac's most-read work today; it is widely considered one of the most important and influential American novels of the twentieth century, and Jack Kerouac is celebrated as one of Lowell's favorite sons." Please read the rest of the article for more information.

Additional Blogs:

Jack Kerouac Was a Man Who Loved Cats, See The Proof

Jack Kerouac's Birthday -- "On The Road"

Jack Kerouac Memorial in Lowell, Massachusetts

Wikipedia has a huge write-up about Jack, who was born in Lowell 90 years ago (yesterday), and is buried in Lowell (see below). 

In the spring, I hope to take better photos, before the trees are full.

Directions to Jack's marker at Edson Cemetery, Lowell, MA.