Ryan W. Owen, Writer and Photographer
On the day that Boston’s Great Molasses Flood came in 1919, over 2 million gallons of the thick sugary syrup burst out of its storage tank and coursed through the streets in the city’s North End. The wave of molasses reached at least 15 feet high at one point and raced towards its victims at 35 mph.
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That Harvard Brewery building stares at you, like it has a secret. Because it does. When you pull in to park at Lowell’s Target, those twelve little windows peer forward, each covered with corrugated sheet metal that’s been painted the color of pistachio ice cream. (Why?) That Harvard Brewery building has ghosts like anything that […]
Read MoreQuestion: What was the price of a cup of chicken soup in 1915? Answer: Ten cents a cup. Add some ham and eggs to that, and you should be prepared to part with the Barber quarter and Buffalo nickel burning a hole in your pocket. If you’re feeling a little more adventurous or extravagant, you […]
Read MoreTo me, one of the most fascinating concepts to ponder in history is when you can pinpoint a historical event to an exact moment, an exact minute, in time. This gives an event a sense of immediacy – like, if I were there, witnessing the event unfold and looked at my watch, the time would […]
Read More“Let’s have something.” Jake turns back from the bar, and pulls a quart of whisky from his pocket. “$10 . . .” he sighs. “A full Hamilton, this one cost me.” You examine the label in the dim light. It’s not even one of the better brands. The bartender glances at the bottle of whisky, smiles, […]
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Forgotten New England 