Pique of the Week

Pique of the Week is a quick, fun way to dip into the collections as we put them online.  We want to share what piqued our curiosity this week, but we also want you to talk to us. Let us know what you think and what you want to see.
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  • Elder’s Spring Elder's Spring “Elder’s Spring was the water supply for the house-holds of Isaac Allerton, the Mayflower Pilgrim, and of other occupants of the farm, until it came into possession of Elder Thomas Cushman, for whom the present name was given. The old spring was a lovely spot, shaded by huge willows, and ... Continue Reading
  • New Exhibit: KES Halloween, 1951 and 1952 New Exhibit: KES Halloween, 1951 and 1952  We only have a few of these, but they’re in the Local History exhbit case for a short time only. Stop by to see if you’re in a photo from the 1951 or 1952 Halloween party at Kingston Elementary School. Continue Reading
  • A new idea, from 101 years ago. A new idea, from 101 years ago.   In 2018, a new farmer’s market opened in Kingston. The Library’s usually there; check us out! It’s a great new venture with some interesting echos of the past. In  1917, Kingston also had a new community market, this one located at the Point, right where Summer Street splits from Main. The Old Colony ... Continue Reading
  • In other spelling news In other spelling newsGray’s Beach Park is named for Edward Gray, who arrived in Plymoth Colony in the 1642 and eventually became one of the the richest men around. He owned land along what later became Kingston’s shoreline, including as this notable land record,  the site of  Kingston’s little beach. And we know it’s ... Continue Reading
  • And the correct spelling is… And the correct spelling is...   Here’s a detail of an early brochure for the summer cottage development called Ah-De-Nah, circa 1930.  The name was pitched as a Native American term, but descendants of the developers, Edgar and Waldo Loring, might tell you it was just made up. Continue Reading
  • Welcome Home! Welcome Home! Why, thank you! It’s good to be back. Continue Reading
  • Watering trough at the Point Watering trough at the PointIn 1888, Henry R. Glover, a wealthy manufacturer of mattresses and “curled hair” from Cambridge, donated the “Henry Glover Watering Trough” to the town for public use at the Point, the triangular plot of land at the intersection of Main and Summer Streets. Glover was the son of Rev. Samuel Glover, ... Continue Reading
  • What a mustache! What a mustache!The following is a portrait of Frederick G. Brackett (1854-1941). In 1889, he purchased the house at 126 Brookdale Street, built by the Chandler family around 1790, along with the sawmill located off Hall’s Brook just east of the house. Brackett continued to operate the mill (which burned down in 1924) ... Continue Reading
  • Swimming lessons Swimming lessons  Source: Image from the Mary Hathaway Collection MC21. Continue Reading
  • Happy Father’s Day Happy Father's DayIn honor of Father’s Day this weekend, here is a sweet moment captured by Kingston historian and photographer Emily Fuller Drew of her niece, Norma, jumping into the waiting arms of her father, Clarence Drew (Emily’s brother).   Source: Image from the Emily Fuller Drew Collection MC16. Continue Reading
  • June 1924 June 1924This photo from June 1924 shows an especially happy bunch of schoolchildren from the Center Primary School, renamed the Faunce School later that same year in honor of Walter H. Faunce, a former teacher, superintendent of schools, and town selectman.   Source: Image from the School Photograph Collection IC5.  Continue Reading
  • 60 Main Street 60 Main StreetIn this photo, a group of people (unidentified) appear to be enjoying the shade on a nice, sunny day.  One of the women is holding a small dog in her arms. They’re gathered in front of the Elbridge G. Windsor House at 60 Main Street, built around 1860.   Source: Image from the ... Continue Reading
  • Letter from a mother to her daughter on the day of her wedding Letter from a mother to her daughter on the day of her wedding  On January 1, 1857, Hannah Thomas Adams married Azel Washburn, a 27-year-old fisherman. Her mother, Hannah Thomas Brewster Adams, wrote her a note which reads: To Hannah on the day of her marriage Dear and only daughter in part Farewell! Ever since your birth you have been with me and an object ... Continue Reading
  • A carriage ride on the beach A carriage ride on the beachWho’s ready for a day at the beach? Maybe not like this, but the weather sure looks nice here!   Source: Image from the Local History Room Image Collection IC7. Continue Reading
  • Memorial Day Memorial Day Take a look at this snapshot of the 1946 Memorial Day parade as the procession, led by marshall Winfield Keene, exiting Evergreen Cemetery.   Source: Image from the Local History Room Image Collection IC7.   Continue Reading
  • Combating an Invasive Species: The Gypsy Moth Infestation Combating an Invasive Species: The Gypsy Moth Infestation  Today, we may see gypsy moths outside our homes or in our woodlands and think nothing of them, but this insect has a tumultuous history in the United States. In 1869, an amateur entomologist imported this species from Europe to his home in Medford, Massachusetts. He intended to use the moths to ... Continue Reading
  • Arbor Day Arbor Day  Happy Arbor Day! Here are a couple snapshots of some lovely trees from the orchard behind “C. Drew’s house” on Summer Street. C. Drew either refers to Charles Drew or Christopher Prince Drew, co-founder of C. Drew and Company, both of whom lived on Summer Street.     Source: Images from the Emily ... Continue Reading
  • A Centennial, Military and Fancy Dress Party A Centennial, Military and Fancy Dress Party  1876 marked the 100th anniversary of nationhood for the United States. On April 12th of that year, a “Centennial, Military and Fancy Dress Party” was held at Fuller’s Hall (which burned down in 1900) in support of the “Massachusetts Women’s Centennial Fund.” The invitation above was sent to Horatio Adams, ... Continue Reading
  • Childhood Hours by Cousin Benja Childhood Hours by Cousin Benja  Benjamin Mitchell (1827-1865), who wrote as Cousin Benja, is featured in this month’s exhibit. He spent all of his life in Kingston and composed poetry and essays primarily about nature, God, and the spirit. The following poem is included in a collection of his works, Poems and Letters, compiled by his ... Continue Reading
  • Summer Street, 1927 Summer Street, 1927In March 1927, Emily Fuller Drew (seen here in her Tercentenary costume) took these photos of Summer Street, looking south toward the center of Town, just after Town Meeting voted to widen the street. Summer Street had been previously straightened and/or widened in 1846, 1856, 1905 and 1922, when a ... Continue Reading