Category: History Posts

Biographies Quincy Artists Quincy Teachers
February 22, 2023

Celestine Dorch: Artist, Educator, Pioneer

“She knew what she wanted. She knew how she wanted to live her life. She loved teaching and spoke highly of her students. She believed in being happy, never complained or felt sorry for herself.”

The remarkable life of Celestine Dorch Howard — award-winning artist, and the first African American teacher at Quincy Public Schools.

Architecture Historic Buildings The Society
November 9, 2022

Adams Academy Sesquincentennial

“Adams Academy, the architectural gem at the corner of Adams and Hancock Streets, turns 150 years old in 2022. With recent renovations completed, Quincy boasts one of the finest 19th century buildings in the country. In addition to the sesquicentennial of the Academy, we are celebrating the 200th anniversary of John Adams’ donation of the land “for a Greek and Latin School or Academy.” To round out the triple play of anniversaries, the Adams Academy became the home of Quincy Historical Society in 1972, making this our 50th anniversary of occupancy.”

History Posts Quincy Businesses
July 7, 2021

The Eng Family and the King Joy Restaurant, Part 1: Quincy’s First Successful Chinese Restaurant

“Over the first half of the 20th century, the Eng family restaurant was one of Quincy’s only dining establishments serving Asian cuisine. It was also the most successful Asian restaurant of its era. That alone would be reason enough to mark the Eng family restaurant as of historical significance in Quincy. But the family behind the restaurant were also notable on an individual level for their accomplishments and service to the community.”

Featured image: The King Joy Restaurant ca. 1932, located on Chestnut Street.

History Posts Revolutionary History
November 30, 2020

The Boston Massacre Trials at 250: Two Men from Quincy Galvanize an American Debate

In 2020 we marked the 250th anniversary of the Boston Massacre and its Trials. These events are some of the most complex in the history of the Revolution, especially in terms of how it is remembered today. The debate surrounding these events began in the moments after the shots were fired, but how it is viewed today was heavily guided by the contributions of two young lawyers hailing from the area now known as Quincy: John Adams and Josiah Quincy Jr.

Editorial History Posts Women's Suffrage
August 19, 2020

Remember the Ladies: Woman’s Suffrage and the Black Holes of Local History

“Remember the Ladies” Abigail Adams implored her husband John in a letter from March 31, 1776. Her letter advocated that in the new Republic women be given more rights than they had been under English law. She went on to say, “be more generous and favorable to them [the Ladies] than your ancestors. Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the husbands.” Whether she argued for women to be given the right to vote or not is a matter of much scholarly debate. However, this letter does make Abigail Adams one of the first women to advocate for women’s rights in Quincy history. She would not be the last.”

History Posts Quincy Granite
June 24, 2020

Solomon Willard: The Enigmatic Man Behind the Monument

“Willard and his work can seem a series of technical achievements by a remote figure. But Willard is worth another look. A main source of information is “Memoir of Solomon Willard”, an 1865 biography by William Wheildon, … . Wheildon provides enough detail about the man to tease out a picture of his personality and of the quite complicated story of his dedication to the Bunker Hill Monument.”

History Posts
April 28, 2020

Sacco and Vanzetti at 100: The Quincy Connections – Introduction

“For nearly all of the 100 years since 1920, the [Sacco and Vanzetti] case and its two principal figures have been objects of world-wide fame and controversy, the stuff of legend and fierce emotions. … Yet, for all its international attention and accumulated symbolic significance, the Sacco-Vanzetti case is in many respects a deeply local story.”