All posts by Doreen Stevens

The Smith Museum of The Arlington Historical Society

George Albert Smith (1862-1952) died at age 91, one year after he announced his vision for The Jason Russell House. The son of Reverend Samuel Smith and Maria Edes Smith, George Smith lived nearly his entire life in the home where he was born at 41 Academy Street. Samuel and Maria had three sons and a daughter, with George being the next to youngest child.

Samuel Abbot Smith

Samuel Abbot Smith

Elizabeth Abbot Smith, however, was not finished. She wanted a museum to complement the April 19 historic site, and she wished it be built in honor of her father, George Abbot Smith, her grandfather, Reverend Samuel Abbot Smith( 1829-1865) and his grandfather, Reverend Abiel Abbot ( 1765-1859) of Peterborough, New Hampshire.

Jason Russell House

George A. Smith Had a Dream

The Smith Museum is named in honor of three generations of Smiths: George A. Smith, Reverend Samuel Abbot Smith, and Reverend Abiel Abbot. The funds for the museum building itself were donated by Elizabeth Abbot Smith, George A. Smith’s daughter, who inherited her father’s fortune and realized his vision for his beloved Jason Russell House.

William H. Pattee Letter

The Big Town of West Cambridge

William H. Pattee, son of Jesse P. Pattee, followed his father’s flour-dusted footsteps into the bakery business as well as embracing his passion for fraternal organizations, serving as Master of the Hiram Lodge, 1862-1865. William H. Pattee was the namesake of an illustrious English ancestor, Sir William Pattee, who was a noted physician –having as … Continue reading The Big Town of West Cambridge

Menotomy Hall

Menotomy Hall and The Eureka

In 1906, Menotomy Hall was demolished to make room for Arlington’s grand new Town Hall, realized in 1913. The humble Menotomy Hall housed much Arlington history with its ground floor bakery churning out bread and rolls for nearly one-hundred years while its upper story helped raise congregation after congregation for area churches. The large meeting … Continue reading Menotomy Hall and The Eureka

Admit the bearer

Admit the Bearer

In 1868 in newly minted Arlington, Massachusetts—the vote to change the name of the town from “West Cambridge” to “Arlington” had just occurred—the high school graduated 13 students, 7 people died from consumption, 107 dog licenses were issued, Nathan Robbins was the richest man in town, and the age of the oldest person to be … Continue reading Admit the Bearer

Locke Houses

Benjamin Locke: Menotomy Minute Man

Benjamin Locke, 1738-1791, served as Menotomy’s Minute Men Captain during the Lexington Alarm. After both Paul Revere and William Dawes rode past his house at the Foot of the Rocks, on present day Appleton Street in Arlington, MA., Captain Locke and his lieutenant Solomon Bowman mustered their troops in the early morning of April 19 … Continue reading Benjamin Locke: Menotomy Minute Man