Franklin, MA: The Joseph G. Ray Swimming Pool (video)

This video highlights the Joseph G. Ray Swimming Pool, better known as "the town pool". 

Video link = https://youtu.be/HCKADURmr44

FM #559 - Don Wilding talks "Shipwrecks of Cape Cod" - 06/01/21 (audio)

This session of the radio show shares my conversation with Franklin resident and author Don Wilding. We had our conversation outdoors, on the Town Common, albeit with some traffic and a gentle breeze. We were able to remove the sounds of the one truck that interfered. We had a pleasant talk about Don’s story, living in different parts of the Hockomock League area and now here in Franklin. 

It was exciting to be in person, my second time for a recording this year. We get into Don’s recent book: Shipwrecks of Cape Cod. He is out on a lecture circuit of sorts with a presentation on this book. 

The recording runs about 33 minutes, so let’s listen to my conversation with Don Wilding

Audio file = https://player.captivate.fm/episode/d9d1ec1a-fcbe-4527-9c85-e09fe9d3fb87

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Don Wilding’s page -> https://www.dwcapecod.com/ 

Shipwrecks of Cape Cod -> https://www.dwcapecod.com/books-articles 

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/donwildingscapecod/ 

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We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm). 

This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.

 

How can you help?

• If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors

• If you don't like something here, please let me know

Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.

 

For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/  or www.franklin.news 

If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com

The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana"  c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.

I hope you enjoy!

------------------

You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"

 

Steve Sherlock (left) Don Wilding (right) on the Town Common

Reminder: The Rise of Dolley Madison - May 11

Why First Lady Dolley Madison spells her name with an “e” is up to speculation. However, Mrs. Madison’s legacy goes far beyond the unconventional spelling of her name. Join us for a virtual performance to learn about the twists and turns of Mrs. Madison’s storied life as well as her largely unknown contributions to the evolution of our country.

You will learn about this “fashionista’  First Lady’s  life as a Quaker child, the tragedies and serendipities she faced in Philadelphia, her unlikely marriage to James Madison, determining role in her husband’s presidential-election victory 1809, transformation of the barren White House into a national treasure, strategies that united a fractured, contentious Congress and personal regrets as a mother.

Janet Parnes, founder of Historical Portrayals by Lady J, Millis will portray Mrs. Madison.

To register, please visit 

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIvcemhrzkjG9BPCjuFRpMMAy0GlhE_FdAw

The Rise of Dolley Madison - May 11

The Rise of Dolley Madison - May 11

The Rise of Dolley Madison

Tuesday, May 11, 7:00 PM

Why First Lady Dolley Madison spells her name with an "e" is up to speculation. However, Mrs. Madison's legacy goes far beyond the unconventional spelling of her name. Join us for a virtual performance to learn about the twists and turns of Mrs. Madison's storied life as well as her largely unknown contributions to the evolution of our country. 

The Rise of Dolley Madison - May 11

You will learn about this "fashionista'  First Lady's  life as a Quaker child, the tragedies and serendipities she faced in Philadelphia, her unlikely marriage to James Madison, determining role in her husband's presidential-election victory 1809, transformation of the barren White House into a national treasure, strategies that united a fractured, contentious Congress and personal regrets as a mother.

Janet Parnes, founder of Historical Portrayals by Lady J, Millis will portray Mrs. Madison.

To register, please visit https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIvcemhrzkjG9BPCjuFRpMMAy0GlhE... .

Shared from the Library page https://www.franklinma.gov/franklin-public-library/events/315837

2 Tenors and a Passion For Wheels - Apr 26 - 1 PM

We look forward to seeing you all tomorrow, Tuesday April 27 at 1 PM for "Two Tenors and a Passion for Wheels" presented by Alan Earls.  

"Although not well known today, tenor James Melton was a phenomenally popular star of opera, stage, records, radio and screen from the 1920s to the 1950s. He was also an obsessive collector of antique cars and, thanks to a Massachusetts man (also a tenor in amateur circles), became a collector of early antique bicycles as well. Meet the men, learn about their collections and spend a short sojourn in a simpler time."

Click below to join our zoom event Tuesday at 1pm

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86379784997?pwd=aEVpNS8rTHdXRVlpWUE3UE1GSTVNZz09

Meeting ID: 863 7978 4997
Passcode: 503942
One tap mobile
+13126266799,,86379784997#,,,,*503942# US (Chicago)
+16465588656,,86379784997#,,,,*503942# US (New York)

--

Ariel Doggett

Virtual Program Coordinator

Respite Coordinator

"We rise by lifting others" - Robert Ingersoll

There is no act of kindness too small

2 Tenors and a Passion For Wheels - Apr 26 - 1 PM

Joe Landry shares "town pool" memories

This video highlights the Joseph G. Ray Swimming Pool, better known as "the town pool."

Video link => https://youtu.be/HCKADURmr44

Shared from Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/groups/506785703069434/permalink/1250480945366569/

Tom Dooley - Wednesday March 17 at 2 PM

We look forward to seeing you at our Tom Dooley Event, Wednesday March 17 at 2 PM!

 

Mr. Dooley, a fictional Chicago barkeep who "lived" from 1893 to 1926 thanks to the talented pen of journalist Finely Peter Dunne, will be the subject of a presentation by one of his many admirers, local Franklin historian Alan Earls. Alan will attempt to recount the high points of Dooley's often hilarious existence and perhaps even bits of his fantastic Irish brogue! ……  

Click below to join Tom Dooley March 17th at 2pm
https://zoom.us/j/99733888772?pwd=N3FoQ2RNUE5mbmZJVGRVQkJDSHVzUT09

Meeting ID: 997 3388 8772
Passcode: 656400

One tap mobile
+13126266799,,99733888772#,,,,*656400# US (Chicago)
+16465588656,,99733888772#,,,,*656400# US (New York)

Meeting ID: 997 3388 8772
Passcode: 656400
Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/ab6UYJtQ3s

--

Ariel Doggett

Virtual Program Coordinator

Respite Coordinator

"We rise by lifting others" - Robert Ingersoll

There is no act of kindness too small

Memory Cafe: Monday March 8 at 2 PM - Not your typical cafe'!

Hi everyone,

We are trying something different for our next memory cafe - the Nick & Heather Show.

Here is the link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84796688114?pwd=NXBhS0NPTnp0MFp0VEwra2ZCelpBUT09

Meeting ID: 847 9668 8114
Passcode: 903006

 

Memory Cafe:  Monday March 8 at 2 PM - Not your typical cafe'!

--

Ariel Doggett

Virtual Program Coordinator

Respite Coordinator

"We rise by lifting others" - Robert Ingersoll

There is no act of kindness too small

 

new webpage to explore -> Industrial History New England

"This new website is a celebration of New England as a landscape of work and innovation and a portal for exploring the American birthplace of a revolution that triggered the most profound set of social and environmental changes in human history."

Shared from Twitter:   https://t.co/A6zJj5rzrU

Explore the web page -> https://industrialhistorynewengland.org/

new webpage -> Industrial History New England

Senate President Karen Spilka Unveils HERstory: Volume II

Photo Exhibition Replaces Photos of Past Senate Presidents with Women from Massachusetts' History; Current Installment Celebrates Accomplishments of Women of Color

On Tuesday, February 9, 2021, Senate President Karen E. Spilka unveiled a photo exhibition in the Senate President's suite in the State House dedicated to celebrating the often-unsung stories of women of color throughout Massachusetts' history. HERstory: Volume II is the second installment of photos in the President's suite to acknowledge the accomplishments of women with connections to Massachusetts.

"Every day I go to work in the State House, I am surrounded by paintings and photos of prominent men from Massachusetts' history," stated Senate President Spilka, the third woman to have been elected President of the Massachusetts State Senate. "The stories of the many, many incredible women who have contributed to this great Commonwealth—and our great nation—have too often been lost to history. It is therefore my great honor and privilege to help to tell their stories, and to make the faces that we see in the State House more representative of the rich diversity that make our state great."

The exhibition features the photos of 91 women, ranging from seventeenth century tribal leader Weetamoo and Black landowner Zipporah Potter Atkins to living pioneers Justice Fernande R.V. Duffly, the first Asian American to serve on the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, Oscar-winning costume designer Ruth Carter, poet Amanda Gordon, and many others.

"I feel honored to have been selected by Senate President Spilka for inclusion in this remarkable display of women," stated Elaine Weddington Steward, Vice President and Club Counsel of the Boston Red Sox. "My hope is that this project will inspire women and girls to follow and achieve their dreams."

"Thank you to Senate President Spilka for creating the HERstory initiative," stated Christina Royal, Ph.D., President of Holyoke Community College. "This is a time for us to recognize that the lived experiences of women in the Commonwealth matter, and that we are a diverse group of women of different races, ethnicities, social classes, abilities, educational levels, gender expressions, and sexual orientations. I am proud to share my story as a multiracial, queer woman so that girls and young women can see representation of themselves in society, and grow up believing in their limitless potential."

"While I am very honored to be a part of HERstory, this also lets me know the work of my Trans ancestors has not gone in vain," stated Chastity Bowick, Executive Director of the Transgender Emergency Fund of Massachusetts. "Advocacy is powerful and uplifting, but it is also the right thing to do. This recognition gives Trans youth of today hope for a better future."

Since the State House is currently closed to the public, a website containing photos and short biographies of each of the honorees can be found here    (https://malegislature.gov/StateHouse/HERStory). A video about the project can be viewed here  (YouTube link = https://youtu.be/WmxC73q65Xw).

"It is an honor to be selected to be part of President Spilka's HERstory project as a Community Development leader," said MassHousing Executive Director Chrystal Kornegay. "While it highlights my work, it really highlights the work of mothers, daughters, sisters and friends who work in big and small ways to make the Commonwealth's communities strong and vibrant. I look forward to reading the stories of the other women in the project."

"This is a wonderful initiative by Senator Spilka to highlight the stories of remarkable women," stated Razia Jan, the founder of Razia's Ray of Hope Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of women and children in Afghanistan through community-based education. "Massachusetts was the first community I called home in America, and I'm honored to be recognized by my home state. Women and girls throughout the world have so much potential to contribute to society, when they are given the chance; recognizing this potential is so important."

Further events will be scheduled for later in February to celebrate Black History Month, and in March for Women's History Month. The photos and biographies will also become part of a dedicated lesson plan, currently being developed, to distribute to teachers in the Commonwealth.

"I am honored to be part of HERstory on behalf of countless brilliant and driven women who shaped our history, but whose own stories have not been told," stated Pardis Sabeti, head of the Sabeti Lab which is part of the FAS Center for Systems Biology at Harvard University. "Together, we honor and remember them, while striving to elevate the voices of the many women who are still silenced throughout the world today."

"This project helps create lasting impact and change by amplifying the whispered stories and leadership of women of color across Massachusetts into a roar," stated former Fitchburg Mayor and current Winchester Town Manager Lisa Wong. "By celebrating the achievements of women in such a public place as the State House, Senate President Spilka is helping young girls to see HERstory as MYstory."

Senate President Spilka, together with members of the Senate and staff, chose honorees based on their close ties to Massachusetts, ability to inspire the youth of today to work for a better world, and acknowledgement of being a trailblazer in their given field. Honorees include abolitionists, poets, entrepreneurs, educators, politicians, musicians, community activists and scientists, among others. Carline Almond, Executive Assistant to Senate President Spilka, acted as project manager for the exhibition.

"Women, throughout history, have contributed to the development of society—through scientific discoveries, pioneering adventures, advocacy, and entrepreneurship," stated Yari Golden-Castaño, a Systems Engineer at MIT Lincoln Laboratory and one of 100 candidates from around the world for the Mars One Project, the first human settlement of Mars. "It should be normal by now for young girls to grow up with women like them in positions of expertise and authority, showing girls they really CAN follow their dreams."

"Senate President Spilka has created a wonderful way to celebrate the many ways women have contributed to our rich history, and I am excited to be a part of it," stated Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Fernande R.V. Duffly.

The HERstory: Volume II (https://malegislature.gov/StateHouse/HERStory/) project is the second time Senate President Spilka has featured the stories of remarkable women in the President's suite. She unveiled the photos of 88 women during Women's History Month in March 2019, and they have remained in her office suite until this month, when they were replaced with the current photo exhibition.

 

Lucy Foster (https://malegislature.gov/StateHouse/HERStory/Photo/297)

Tour the Franklin Historical Museum virtually - Jan 28 - 1 PM

Franklin Historical Museum Tour

Event Date:  Thursday, January 28, 2021 - 1:00 PM

Historian Jim Johnston will guide us through the exciting new exhibit virtually! Plenty of opportunity for questions & discussion. 

For the link to join, email Ariel at adoggett@franklinma.gov.  

Franklin Historical Museum Tour - Jan 28 - 1 PM

John Lewis's speech at the March on Washington

A new history podcast has ten episodes that are well worth listening to.

"It Was Said is a limited documentary podcast series looking back on some of the most powerful, impactful and timeless speeches in American history. 

Written and narrated by Pulitzer Prize winning and best-selling author-historian Jon Meacham, and created, directed and produced by Peabody-nominated C13Originals Studios in association with HISTORY Channel, this series takes you through 10 speeches for the inaugural season. 

Meacham offers expert insight and analysis into their origins, the orator, the context of the times they were given, why they are still relevant today, and the importance of never forgetting them. 

Each episode of this documentary podcast series also brings together some of the top historians, authors and journalists relevant to each respective speech and figure."

Ep 9: John Lewis, We Want Our Freedom Now

https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vaXQtd2FzLXNhaWQ&ep=14&episode=MWM1MGE1MzgtZTdlMS0xMWVhLTk1ZDYtOTM3OGRmNmJkNDQ2

The text of John Lewis' speech at the March on Washington

https://voicesofdemocracy.umd.edu/lewis-speech-at-the-march-on-washington-speech-text/

YouTube Video of the full speech  https://youtu.be/tFs1eTsokJg

Hope, Through History: Episode 3 = The Polio Epidemic

 

"From the late 19th to mid 20th centuries, the nation lived in fear of the polio virus. Often handicapping or paralyzing its victims, sometimes resulting in death, the disease was made all the more frightening by the fact that it preyed on young children. 

Generations of Americans were affected by this incurable illness until a brilliant young medical researcher, empowered by the coordinated efforts of public and private institutions, developed a miraculous vaccine. 

The expert knowledge and first-hand experiences of Walter Isaacson, David Oshinsky and Geoff Ward, assist Jon Meacham in telling a story which begins with debilitating fear and ends with everlasting hope. "

Listen to the episode here (33 minutes)

or here  https://shows.cadence13.com/podcast/hope-through-history/episodes/b076c2a6-219b-4059-b31c-02efc646abbf

 

Or look for "Hope, Through History" on your favorite podcast app. As an alternative, you can also look for John Meachem. 

Hope, Through History:  Episode 3  = The Polio Epidemic

75 Historic Women Trailblazers of MA

visitMA (@VisitMA) tweeted on Tue, Jan 05, 2021:

Looking to get inspired for the #NewYear? Read about 75  Historic Women Trailblazers of #Massachusetts, who helped shape our state and nation.  #mylocalma @newenglandvisit  

Link to PDF and visitor guide = https://t.co/hseTNdc4rx 

Shared from Twitter = https://t.co/LpsdRTEzyi

75 Historic Women Trailblazers of MA

Franklin, MA: 1960 to 1969 (video)

Joe Landry provides this video about the history of Franklin, MA from 1960 to 1969. 

 

Direct video link: https://youtu.be/okWoJhOc_aM

 

Franklin, MA: 1950 to 1959 (video)

Joe Landry provides this video about the history of Franklin, MA from 1950 to 1959. 

 

Direct video link: https://youtu.be/Bgl12IcLKLU

 

 

Franklin, MA: 1940 to 1949 (video)

Joe Landry provides this video about the history of Franklin, MA from 1940 to 1949. 

 

Direct video link:  https://youtu.be/EqzlZYWnzu4

:

Franklin, MA: 1930 to 1939 (video)

Joe Landry provides this video about the history of Franklin, MA from 1930 to 1939. 

 

Direct video link: https://youtu.be/fKfxV65Jzvo

 

Franklin, MA: 1920 to 1929 (video)

Joe Landry provides this video about the history of Franklin, MA from 1920 to 1929. 

 

Direct video link:  https://youtu.be/Q00au18o0CE

 

Franklin, MA: 1910 to 1919 (video)

Joe Landry provides this video about the history of Franklin, MA from 1910 to 1919. 

 

Direct video link: https://youtu.be/rPvh7OszN6A