Ryan W. Owen, Writer and Photographer
The history of New England heavily centers on urban life, and more specifically, Boston. But, what about the history of its suburbs, which today form its bedroom communities? Most of those town histories are firmly grounded in, or at least laced with, farming. Any good story or study that depicts or explores the region’s past […]
Read MoreThe Victorian era (and the years immediately following) is well-known today for controversies that seem antiquated, even quaint, from a 21st century perspective. So, how does one set off said controversy in a small town of approximately 2,800 people in the first years of the twentieth century? The answer is this: propose the construction of […]
Read MoreEvery September, Billerica, Massachusetts celebrates “Yankee Doodle” weekend. But, what is Billerica’s tie to the popular patriotic tune? And how does Billerica claim to be the birthplace of Yankee Doodle? The origin of the Yankee Doodle’s tune is said to stretch back as far as 15th century Holland, where it may have been a harvesting […]
Read MoreHistorical fiction, like any genre of fiction, relies on a solid, engaging storyline, but it’s just as important to get the details right. Flub those and you’ll quickly lose credibility with readers. Readers seek out historical fiction to escape into another world, and another time. Who wouldn’t want to send this coming Monday a few […]
Read MoreUnder a full moon near midnight on September 11, 1894, Henry Cox, Charles Nichols, and Deroy Foster, all of Burlington, Massachusetts, roused Constable Everett Whitton Livingston at his home on Billerica‘s Pond Street. Deroy Foster, a retired milkman, had been robbed of his week’s pay ($7.50) by three men in a covered wagon on today’s […]
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Forgotten New England 