The Beehive: the official blog of the Massachusetts Historical Society

“The Story of a Tragedy”: murder-suicide at a Fenway finishing school

Series: From Our Collections
By Sabina Beauchard, Reader Services
On a rainy Sunday, March 29, 1908, Robert A. Boit of 19 Colchester Street, Brookline sat down to write in his journal after a lapse of around 3 weeks. One of the happenings he reported on was a local murder-suicide that made newspapers across the nation. Boit had a personal [...] read more

comments: 0 | permalink | Published: Wednesday, 26 September, 2018, 10:00 AM

This Week @MHS

Series: Today @MHS
By @MHS
Join us for a program at the MHS. Here is a look at what is going on this week. - Monday, 24 September, 6:00 PM: Under the Starry Flag: How a Band of Irish Americans Joined the Fenian Revolt & Sparked a Crisis over Citizenship with Lucy Salyer, University [...] read more

comments: 0 | permalink | Published: Monday, 24 September, 2018, 1:00 AM

Of Adamses & Ancestry

Series: From Our Collections
By Sara Georgini, The Adams Papers
John A. Grace, Memoranda Respecting the Families of Quincy and Adams, 1841 For historian Henry Adams, the morning mail meant a fresh round of research questions. “Here comes your troublesome genealogical cousin again,” Elizabeth Coombs Adams wrote in early [...] read more

comments: 0 | permalink | Published: Friday, 21 September, 2018, 8:00 AM

Rachel Wall's Confession, the words of a Pirate?

Series: From Our Collections
By Rakashi Chand, Reader Services
For Talk Like a Pirate Day we bring you the words of a Pirate! The MHS holds an interesting broadside featuring Massachusetts' only female Pirate: Life, last words and dying confession, of Rachel Wall : who, with William Smith and William Dunogan, were executed [...] read more

comments: 0 | permalink | Published: Wednesday, 19 September, 2018, 3:00 PM

This Week @MHS

Series: Today @MHS
By @MHS
This week at the MHS we have an author talk, our annual graduate student reception, and a discussion among hisotrians about the musical Hamilton. Details below: - Tuesday, 18 September, 6:00 PM: If I Survive: Frederick Douglass and Family in the Walter O. Evans Collection [...] read more

comments: 0 | permalink | Published: Monday, 17 September, 2018, 1:00 AM

Triumph and Tragedy in History

Series: Around MHS , Education Programs
By Kate Melchior, Education
School has started, which means that it is time to start brainstorming for this year’s National History Day  projects!  Each year National History Day selects a theme that is intentionally broad enough so that students can select topics from anywhere and [...] read more

comments: 0 | permalink | Published: Friday, 14 September, 2018, 12:00 AM

Barbara Hillard Smith’s Diary, September 1918

Series: From Our Collections , From the Reference Librarian 
By Lindsay Bina, Intern and Anna Clutterbuck-Cook, Reader Services
Today we return to the 1918 diary of Newton teenager Barbara Hillard Smith. You may read our introduction to the diary, and Barbara’s previous entries, here:   January | February | March | April May | June | July | August September | October | November | [...] read more

comments: 0 | permalink | Published: Wednesday, 12 September, 2018, 12:00 AM

This Week @ MHS

Series: Today @MHS
By
This week we have a pair of Brown Bag talks, an author talk, and the end of an exhibition. Details below: - Wednesday, 12 September, 12:00PM : The first lunch talk this week is with C. Ian Stevenson of Boston University, and is titled "'This Summer-Home of the Survivors': [...] read more

comments: 0 | permalink | Published: Sunday, 9 September, 2018, 12:00 AM

John Quincy Adams and the Allens

Series: From Our Collections
By Lindsey Woolcock, Adams Papers Intern
  In October 1837, John Quincy Adams was reading the newspaper, when he came across an advertisement for a slave sale.  There was in the National Intelligencer this morning an advertisement, signed James H. Birch ... headed Sale of Slaves—A sale at public [...] read more

comments: 0 | permalink | Published: Wednesday, 5 September, 2018, 12:00 AM

This Week @ MHS

Series: Today @MHS
By
As we enter September and a new academic year, we see a bit of an increase in programming here at the Society. This is what is in store in the week ahead: The Society is CLOSED on Monday, 3 September, for Labor Day. New normal hours pick up on Tuesday, 4 September. - [...] read more

comments: 0 | permalink | Published: Sunday, 2 September, 2018, 12:00 AM