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The Life From The Roots blog topics have changed several times since I began this blog in 2009. I initially wrote only about the family history I had been working on for 20 years. Years later, I was into visiting gardens, historical homes, churches, libraries that had genealogical collections, historical societies, war memorials, and travel/tourism places. I also enjoy posting autographs and photos of famous people I've met or have seen.

Along with my New England roots, other areas include New York, New Jersey, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, and the Eastern Townships of Quebec, Canada.

Please check out the labels on the right side for topics (please note, they need work). Below the labels and pageviews is a listing of my top nine posts, according to Google. Four of them pertain to Lowell, MA. These posts change often because they are based on what people are reading.

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

There Is A Lot to Like About Lowell -- Lucy Larcom -- A Mill Girl, A Writer, a Lovely Park in Lowell

"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.)

Lucy Larcom -- A Mill Girl, A Writer, a Lovely Park in Lowell, Massachusetts

Lucy Larcom was typical of many young mill girls who worked in one of the many mills in New England. She was born in Beverly, Massachusetts and in 1830 she and her mother moved to Lowell. In 1835 when she turned 11 she began working in a mill. Many of the girls arrived here alone, some from the countryside in neighboring towns or from further away, like Maine. Some stayed until they had saved enough money, got homesick, tired of the work or helped their parents through their hardship. Lucy worked in Lowell until age 22, then moved to St. Louis, Missouri, and several other places. Years later she became an English literature teacher at Wheaton College. She never married, died in Boston (see death register below) and is buried in Beverly, Massachusetts (see photo below).

The school children who visit Lowell, all learn about her and other mill girls, and there is quite about her life in the Mill Girls exhibit (maintained by the National Park Service).
Lucy Larcom Park in Lowell, Massachusetts.
(Above and below.)

Lucy lived in a Boarding House like this one in Lowell. There are period rooms in the Mill Girls and Immigrants Exhibit. This is free, open year round and maintained by the National Park Service. (At another time, I will show photos of the exhibit, but since this is about Lucy, I've decided to write about the exhibit separately.)

Short bio of Lucy Larcom displayed in one of the above Mill Girls and Immigrants Exhibit rooms.
Lucy died in Boston on April 17, 1893 at the Hotel Hoffman. I found her on the death register, last entry above, she was 69. See New England Girlhood by Lucy Larcom and the site by the National Park Service.
Central Cemetery
Grass Avenue
Beverly, Massachusetts
The entry for her on FindAGrave is quite impressive. See HERE.

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Peterborough Public Library, Peterborough, New Hampshire (Genealogy and History Section)

The Peterborough Town Library was a gem of a library for several reasons. The original part of the library was simply beautiful, and as you enter the front door, the photo above is what you see on your left. There was plenty of parking, the building was easy to find, lots of genealogy and history books in the private History Room, two very nice and helpful librarians who answered my questions. To top it off, the weather was perfect as were the flowers and foliage.
The front of the old library is beautiful. The town is going to celebrate it's 275th birthday this coming weekend, and they were sprucing up the outside by working on the walkway and portico. 
Next to the Library, on the left side is a river, I couldn't resist taking this photo.


PETERBOROUGH
TOWN LIBRARY

Established by vote of
the town  April 9 1833

The Oldest Free Library
in the World Supported
by Taxation

This building erected
by Descendants of
The First Settlers
of Peterborough
1892
The old section meets the new (above).
Reference Room
I went first to the reference room and discovered there were no genealogy books, so I had to ask the librarian where they were. I had already seen the sign, "Historical Room" up some stairs and was very happy when she said she would take me to that room...I couldn't get in there fast enough.
In the photo above, there is a door in the wall, and another one on the opposite side. I didn't think to ask what was inside.
The "Historical Room" had plenty of space, a microfilm reader, printer (I believe), and lots of books (a sampling is below).



Main Street was looking mighty lovely.



Monday, October 6, 2014

Rice Public Library, Kittery, Maine -- (History and Genealogy Section)

I was so anxious to get to this library recently because it was the first of the three I wanted to visit in Maine. My husband has roots in this town and we first visited it 15 years ago. On this day, we were too early to get in at 9:10, since they opened at 10, so, we headed north to the Ogunquit library. This is a lovely library, with limited parking and not as much genealogy/history material as I expected.

We later returned to this library and had to sign in to use their collection, then a librarian took us upstairs to the genealogy room. There were two researchers there, don't know if they were together, but they were deep into the books. I was limited in my effort to take good photos, so you can't get a clear view of the small room. It was extremely sunny in many of the rooms and that presented another problem, so that's why I changed my color shots to black and white.


Two photos of the genealogy room. There is a table with some chairs and another bookcase or two on the other side of these photos.
Other rooms in this library are among the most lovely I've ever seen.





Check-out area above.


Saturday, October 4, 2014

The Names of the Persons Receiving Early Land Grants at Ipswich, Massachusetts

Last year, while in Ipswich, my husband and I toured the Ipswich Museum. One of the first things to catch my eye was a wall hanging, listing names of persons receiving early land grants in Ipswich. When I took the photo, I knew at some point I would transcribe the names. There are quite a few readers who have some of these names, as do I, and I thought some of you might enjoy seeing your ancestors named here.

MASSACHUSETTS BAY COLONY
THE NAMES OF THE PERSONS RECEIVING EARLY LAND GRANTS
AT
IPSWICH, MASSACHUSETTS
Robert Andrews
Henry Kingsbury
Henry Archer
John Kendrick
William Avery
Robert Kinsman
Samuel Appleton
Robert Lord
Thomas Bishop
Thomas Lull
Thomas Boarman
Wm. Lampson
Wm. Bartholomew
Richard Lumpkin
John Baker
John Lee
Edward Brown
William Merchant
Richard Bisgood
Solomon Martin
Humphrey Bradstreet
Robert Muzzey
Richard Brown
Jos. Medcalfe
Nathaniel Bishop
John Manning
Thomas Bracy
John Norton
George Carr
John Newman
Daniel Clark
Christopher Osgood
William Clark
John Perkins, Jr.
Robert Coles
John Perkins Sr.
Thomas Clark
Robert Paine
John Cross
Allen Perley
John Cooley
Wm. Paine
Isaac Cousens
John Proctor
Philip Call
Roger Preston
William Cartwright
Henry Pynder
Isaac Comings
John Pynder
Robert Crane
Mark Quilter
John Covington
Daniel Rolfe
John Cogswell
Richard Raffield
Philip Challis
Joseph Redding
Robert Cross
Nathaniel Redding
Robert Colborne
Nathaniel Rogers
Thomas Dudley
John Sanders
Daniel Denison
Wm. Symmons
John Day
Geo. Smith
John Dane
Thomas Stafford
John Fawn
Thomas Smith
Philip Fowler
John Shatswell
Giles Firmin
Mark Symonds
Michael Farley
Richard Schofield
Thomas French
Thomas Scott
Wm. Fuller
Henry Sewall
John Gaines
Rich. Saltonstall, Jr.
William Goodhue
Symon Stace
John Gage
Hugh Sherrat
Geo. Giddings
Wm. Story
Thomas Gilven
Simon Tuttle
Robert Graves
Samuel Varnum
Thomas Graves
Humphrey Vincent
Thomas Hardy
John Winthrop, Jr.
Thomas Howlett
John Warner
Richard Hubbard
Wm. Wildes
Samuel Hall
John Whittingham
William Hubbard
Richard Wattles
Robert Hayes
William White
Wm. Holdred
John Whityear
Daniel Hovey
Obadiah Wood
Geo. Hadley
Matthew Whipple
John Hassall
Robert Whitman
Francis Jordan
Thomas Wells
John Jackson
Nathaniel Ward
Stephen Jordan
Wm. Warner
Richard Jacob
John Wyatt
Alex Knight
John Wedgwood
Richard Kimball
Henry Wilkinson
John Kimball
Jonathan Wade

Samuel Younglove
Also hanging on the hallway wall is a large map showing where their land grant was. The numbers correspond with those on the original list above.
Last year I did a post called, Everybody Loves Ipswich, Massachusetts, which consists mostly of photos taken in the town. You may view that post HERE.


Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Kennebuck Free Library, Kennebuck, Maine (History and Genealogy Section)

Kennebuck, Maine
I have never been to this library and didn't even know where it was, but my husband knew exactly where, it wasn't too far from the Wedding Cake House, which he wanted to see for the 100th time (see photo below). The entrance (below) was in the new addition to the library, but the rest of my photos show the older section.

Pretty good selection of genealogy and history books. A librarian showed me around and gave me some history. The skylight had to be covered during World War II and now has a beautiful ceiling light providing a bit of sparkle and light. The library lights the fireplace twice a week...maybe a tradition of some kind.




The Wedding Cake House isn't open anymore, but at least you can see the outside.