The Long Journey of Richard Fry
“In memory of Richard Fry 1874 – 1950. Son of a Freedman. Friend and Benefactor of Needham Youth.” Who was Richard Fry, and how did he come to be hitching …
Three Old Friends
Can you blame them for looking so serious, so clearly bearing the weight of Posterity? For thinking, as they sat, of their long lives together? Of how they were now …
Needham’s Road to Revolution
The Rev. Samuel West was worried, and rightly so. Needham’s militia was a band of poorly-trained farmers. How could they hope to succeed against the largest and most powerful army …
Nehoiden Day
A complex and remarkable man, who stood with one foot balanced on Indian land, and the other on English land. Like the man himself, this story is ambiguous and complicated, …
Freedom on Two Wheels
“The Highlandville Bicycle Club is a sure thing now. Thirteen of the young men in this village have purchased machines and our streets seem to be alive in the evening …
Warned Out of Needham
A “greeting’ from the Constable was not exactly a visit from the Welcome Wagon. Quite the reverse. In the 18th century, strangers to town were “warned out” as a way …
Senator Leslie Cutler
Suffragist, community activist, public health crusader, Selectman, State Representative, State Senator, and aviator: Senator Leslie Cutler was a one-woman engine of the Twentieth Century, and a public servant in the …
Indentured, Servitude and Otherwise
Indentures get a bad rap. Often they were a form of debt bondage. But for orphans, the indigent, and other people of limited means, they could also be a step …
Mapping Needham – 1771, and Beyond!
From 1771 and still going strong, mapmakers have created beautiful depictions of Needham, lovingly rendering our 3D world into intricate 2D detail. In the process, they have given us an …
Winding Down the Affairs of Jeremiah Daniell
Death and taxes may be inevitable, but when Jeremiah Daniell lay dying, he could rest easy that his estate would be protected for his young family. The whole town would …