Where the Bradstreets and Dudleys lived in Ipswich, Massachusetts

NEAR THIS SPOT WAS THE HOUSE OF

SIMON BRADSTREET

GOVERNOR

OF

MASSACHUSETTS -- BAY

1679 TO 1686 AND 1689 TO 1692

HIS WIFE, ANN, DAUGHTER OF GOVERNOR

DUDLEY, WAS THE FIRST AMERICAN POETRESS

THEY LIVED IN IPSWICH 1635 -- 1644.

33 High Street, Ipswich, Massachusetts

45 High Street, Ipswich, Massachusetts

On this lot is where Thomas Dudley lived.

ON THIS LOT ORIGINALLY NINE 

ACRED, WAS THE HOUSE

OF

THOMAS DUDLEY

GOVERNOR

OF

MASSACHUSETTS--BAY

1634, 1640, 1645 AND 1650

HE DWELT HERE

1635--1639

From the below book, on page 45, I read "In Ipswich, one can view the site of Anne's early home at 33 High Street, located east of the old cemetery at the base of the Town Hill. The location is marked by a bronze plaque as is the site of Thomas Dudley's home at 45 High Street." The photos above were taken in May 2019 of the two plaques at the addresses.

High Street is lined with many old homes, some are shown below.

You might enjoy my other post pertaining to Thomas Dudley:

The Dudley Garden Memorial at Harvard College, Massachusetts

Anne Dudley Bradstreet, America's First Poetress, A Dedication

Photo by Barbara Poole.

In September 2000, I was invited to attend the dedication of the Anne Bradstreet Memorial Stone at the Old Burying Ground in North Andover, Massachusetts. The date was chosen because it was the 350th anniversary of the first book of poetry written in America by Anne Bradstreet.

Below are items from that celebrated day.

Photos of plaques and the area of where Anne lived in Ipswich with her husband and where her father, Thomas Dudley lived is in my post at: https://lifefromtheroots.blogspot.com/2019/11/where-bradstreets-and-dudleys-lived-in.html

Ymittos Candle Manufacturing Company, Lowell, Massachusetts

Photo taken Sept. 19, 2014.

For at least five years, I've been intrigued by the Ymittos Candle Company, located at 279  Dutton Street, Lowell, MA, across the street from the Lowell National Historical Park Visitors Center. I passed by it quite a few times, and the first photo shown below was taken in September 2014. A few days later, I decided to step inside.

A candle manufacturing company may be an odd topic to write about, but since I have some pretty interesting photos, I thought some Lowellians would be interested. I subscribe to a number of facebook groups, pertaining to Lowell, and whenever this company is mentioned, there is indeed interest...many readers know of relatives, friends or even themselves who worked there.

On Sept. 25, 2014, I returned and was glad the door was open again. On the first floor was the display area to the right. The owner / employee sat to the left of the door, let me take photos but asked that I not take a picture of her area. If this person only knew how much I like messy, it shows character. She mentioned some plans for celebrating Halloween in this office area, and took my email address to notify me of the plans.

October 31, 2015 photos.

Below are first and second floor photos taken on Oct. 19, 2016.

The office and back doors were open, and a crew was removing equipment. They had no problem with my taking photos, on May 30, 2018. The building was sold sometime during spring, 2018 and moved to Chelmsford St. in Lowell, Massachusetts.

 Tin ceiling.

  

Sign in front with future plan. During my first visit in September 2014, I was informed that the co-owner had recently died, and that there might be changes. From a google search, here is the interesting obituary for Michael Kaplan.

Photo taken May 30, 2018. Ymittos Candle Company located behind the black truck. This is on Dutton Street, facing the Merrimack Canal, and across from the Lowell National Historical Park visitors center.

These two photos taken August 2018.

You might enjoy seeing the 32 black and white film negatives taken by Wachs, Eleanor F. (Photographer) in October 1987 in Ymittos Candle Company. They are in the Lowell Folklife Project Collection, Now property of the Library of Congress.

https://www.loc.gov/resource/afc1987042.afc1987042_ew_272/?sp=1 (See example of a photo below.)

https://www.loc.gov/resource/afc1987042.afc1987042_ew_272/?sp=31&r=-0.205,-0.07,1.385,0.734,0

Below is information from the website of Ymittos Candle Manufacturing Company.

ABOUT US

Ymittos Candle Manufacturing Company has been lighting the way for over a century!

​

Since 1910, master craftsmen have produced the worlds highest quality candles from the finest waxes and 100% cotton wicking without using automation or modern machinery.

https://www.ymittoscandles.com/?fbclid=IwAR15YBMl5ijwtT5qgUx2znRcVVgicUc9LGkv6QVPHzdnUz-pjvMsNyOTwaQ

325 Chelmsford St

# 6 Second Floor

Lowell, MA  01851

daniella@ymittoscandles.com

​

Tel: 978.453.2824

OPENING HOURS:

Mon - Fri: 8:30am - 2pm

​​Saturday: by appointment

​Sunday: by appointment

We Walked to Charlestown, MA in 2018 to tour the USS Constitution

On a beautiful April Saturday in 2018, my husband and I left the TD Bank Garden (old North Garden) in Boston and walked over Rt. 93, and saw the Leonard P. Zakim bridge (above) and continued on to Charleston to tour the USS. Constitution. The last time I was there was over 55 years ago. Since so many tourists follow the free Freedom Trail, I thought I'd post what you will probably see along the way. I highly recommend this experience to visit the Constitution / Old Ironsides. We didn't receive any brochures, so I suggest you check the link just given for more information.

Washington Street Bridge.

There was a visitors center and checkpoint. I barely remember the specifics because there was no wait for us. However, when we left, the line was pretty long to get on the ship.

Tour groups already forming as we left.

Stairs to below deck. I didn't go down, but my husband did.

The two photos below were taken on February 23, 2019, to show the Washington Bridge that we walked along to Charlestown, shown in the distance.

The Bunker Hill monument and the USS. Constitution can be seen below left, and a little snow (below right) left over from a 5" storm a few days before.

Our walk began at North Station (see lower large white building) walked to a major intersection and joined the Freedom Trail at the bridge. Walked on a foot trail took the right (as the trail did) and followed the trail to the USS Constitution and Museum in the Charlestown Navy Yard. It isn't a long walk, and the trail continues to the Bunker Hill Monument, from there we went to the Phipps Cemetery. Fortunately, it was a cool sunny day.
https://www.nps.gov/bost/learn/historyculture/ussconst.htm

I found the below photo online.  The small nearby bridge is what we walked over, following the Freedom Trail footsteps.