Posted on December 30, 2022 by Jenny ONeill
Fragments of Westport’s History Preserved in Scrapbooks The Westport Historical Society’s scrapbook collection includes more than 30 volumes, amounting to more than 1000 pages. Many of the scrapbooks have been digitized for easy access via our online collections database. The collection provides a valuable miscellany of local news, spanning a timeframe from the late 1800’s […]
Continue ReadingPosted on December 27, 2022 by Jenny ONeill
By Donald M. Allen (March 13, 1926 – December 17, 2022) My name is Donald Macomber Allen, and I was born in Fall River, Massachusetts in 1926. As my name indicates, most of my ancestors were from southeastern Massachusetts, and some were born in Westport, MA. From about 1911 to 1964, some of my close […]
Continue ReadingPosted on December 13, 2022 by Jenny ONeill
Revealing their unique recipe for success! Have you ever suffered from a case of food nostalgia – a yearning for tastes and flavors from the past and especially for food produced by a local business that is no longer in operation? Many Westporters of a certain age may suffer from this condition of food nostalgia […]
Continue ReadingPosted on December 7, 2022 by Jenny ONeill
In the latter part of the 19th century, two wealthy men from Brooklyn NY bought land and built large houses and outbuildings at Westport Point, Massachusetts. They were the Hall and Southard families and their estates ran from Main Road to the West Branch of the Westport River, just north of the village. The Rev. […]
Continue ReadingPosted on December 5, 2022 by Jenny ONeill
By Mark Allen Ever since I was a child, my family played a game while heading down the American Legion Highway. Surely you’re familiar with it, and if not, it’s a fun tradition to start. Without fail, every time we drive through the few dozen feet between Westport and Tiverton, we hold our breath through […]
Continue ReadingPosted on August 23, 2022 by Jenny ONeill
Explaining the spatter-painted floors of the Handy House. Many visitors to the Handy House ask about the spatter-painted wood floors. Showcasing a variety of colors — ochre, grey, dark blue, brown, and mustard yellow — the floors are reminiscent of Jackson Pollock-style abstract art. For those with imagination, some floors could almost be images of […]
Continue ReadingPosted on June 28, 2022 by Jenny ONeill
The oddly named “Parade of Horribles” (also known as Antiques and Horribles) was a traditional feature of Independence Day festivities in 19th century New England. As suggested by the name, it describes a procession of a comically strange nature. Westport held its own version of such a parade, calling it a “parade of Antiques, Horribles […]
Continue ReadingPosted on June 7, 2022 by Jenny ONeill
“I was free, but there was no one to welcome me to the land of freedom. I was a stranger in a strange land.” Attributed to Harriet Tubman What was the moment of becoming free like for enslaved African Americans? Emancipation provoked a wide range of emotions, all of which are conveyed within a short […]
Continue ReadingPosted on April 15, 2022 by Jenny ONeill
Westport’s Forgotten Rite of Spring Westport’s old-timers have fond memories of a now forgotten tradition of May baskets. These hand-made paper or cardboard baskets, filled with small treats and trinkets, were hung on a neighbor’s door as a gift. It was a May time tradition that celebrated life in a close-knit community, neighborly familiarity and […]
Continue ReadingPosted on April 14, 2022 by Jenny ONeill
After crisscrossing the country from Westport to Alaska and back again, an extraordinary collection of materials relating to the history of North Westport has arrived at the Westport Historical Society. The Sherman family collection includes deeds, correspondence, photographs, maps, and journals that will significantly enrich our understanding of the far northern parts of Westport in […]
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