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Workers Complete Hoosac Tunnel

November 27, 1874
November 27, 1874

Workers Complete Hoosac Tunnel

On this day in 1874, workers in the small western Massachusetts town of Florida finished the Hoosac Tunnel, bringing to completion one of the world's most ambitious engineering projects. The Hoosac Mountain Range had long...

Arlo Guthrie Convicted of Littering

November 28, 1965
November 28, 1965

Arlo Guthrie Convicted of Littering

On this day in 1965, 20-year-old Arlo Guthrie was convicted of littering in the Berkshire County town of Stockbridge, and the song "Alice's Restaurant Massacree" was born. The son of legendary musician Woody Guthrie, Arlo...

Longfellow's Wife Dies

November 29, 1835
November 29, 1835

Longfellow's Wife Dies

On this day in 1835, 28-year-old Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was devastated by the death of his beloved young wife, Mary. The couple had been traveling in Europe as the poet prepared to begin teaching literature...

George Peabody Thanks Danvers

November 30, 1853
November 30, 1853

George Peabody Thanks Danvers

On this day in 1853, George Peabody thanked the citizens of South Danvers for naming the high school in his honor and immediately set up a $200 account "to be expended as rewards of merit...

First Steamboat Passes Through South Hadley Canal

December 1, 1826
December 1, 1826

First Steamboat Passes Through South Hadley Canal

On this day in 1826, the Barnet, the first steamboat to operate on the Connecticut River, passed through the South Hadley Canal on its way to Vermont. For centuries, despite waterfalls along the way, New...

Charles Dickens Begins Second American Tour

December 2, 1867
December 2, 1867

Charles Dickens Begins Second American Tour

On this day in 1867, Charles Dickens began his second American reading tour at Boston's Tremont Temple. An enthusiastic audience, which included literary stars Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Ralph Waldo Emerson, seemed to have forgotten...

Quakers Outlawed in Plymouth

December 3, 1658
December 3, 1658

Quakers Outlawed in Plymouth

On this day in 1658, Plymouth Court ordered that any boat carrying Quakers to Sandwich be seized to prevent the religious heretics from landing. A year earlier, Quakers in Sandwich had established the first Friends‘...

African Meeting House Opens

December 4, 1806
December 4, 1806

African Meeting House Opens

On this day in 1806, the Reverend Thomas Paul was installed as pastor of the new African Meeting House in Boston. Two days later, the church was officially dedicated. The Meeting House served as a...

"Good Will Hunting" Released

December 5, 1997
December 5, 1997

"Good Will Hunting" Released

On this day in 1997, Miramax released "Good Will Hunting," a movie about the collision of two Boston-area cultures: the heady, prestigious world of Cambridge academia and the proud but gritty working-class brotherhood of South...

Erastus Bigelow Dies

December 6, 1879
December 6, 1879

Erastus Bigelow Dies

On this day in 1879, Erastus Bigelow, the father of the modern carpet industry, died in Boston. Born in West Boylston, Bigelow and his brother followed their father into the textile business. After several inventions...

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