Posted on December 5, 2019 by Jenny ONeill
Pond Meadow, the Gatsby-esque mansion in Acoaxet next to the Nubble, is truly one of the most magnificent pieces of architecture Westport has to offer. Surviving hurricanes for the past 101 years, the estate has become a town landmark due to not only its extravagance but the incredible view of the Atlantic from its grounds. […]
Continue ReadingPosted on July 7, 2016 by Jenny ONeill
Westport’s Unique Shipbuilding Challenges In the early years, launching boats and conducting business on the Noquochoke (East Branch of the Westport River) was relatively straightforward. Boats were generally of the smaller variety, and the unique locations of launching points and river crossings did little to impact the boatbuilding business. With the advent of the whaling […]
Continue ReadingPosted on February 10, 2014 by Jenny ONeill
Contact Period (1500–1620) The first documented accounts of Native and non-Native interactions along the shores and harbors of Old Dartmouth (the original territory from which Westport was subdivided) indicate that these areas were inhabited by Native American groups affiliated with the Wampanoag tribe (Denison 1879; Ellis 1892; Howland 1907). The MHC (1982) notes a large […]
Continue ReadingPosted on November 22, 2013 by Greg Stone
Not much is known about how the holidays were celebrated at the Handy House, however we’ve uncovered that Thanksgiving 1927 was a real hair-raising time! Abbott Smith, who purchased the Hix Bridge Road home in 1911, hosted 48 of his nearest and dearest at one large table out on the front porch, according to […]
Continue ReadingPosted on October 24, 2013 by Jenny ONeill
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without” Born in 1914 and still going strong, Elvira Smith reflects on her childhood and what it was like growing up on a Westport Farm located on Horseneck Road, down a long lane. Growing up on a farm was a lot of hard work […]
Continue ReadingPosted on October 22, 2013 by Greg Stone
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Posted on April 2, 2012 by Jenny ONeill
Marjorie Robb (1889-1992) was a survivor of the Titanic disaster. She lived at Westport Point. In 1986 she spoke about her experience. This recording can be heard here. The quality of the original recording is poor and is best heard with the volume on a high setting. http://chirb.it/BegEh7 Poor sound quality:
Continue ReadingPosted on November 1, 2010 by Jenny ONeill
William Almy, Jr. Interviewed by Mary Giles October 25, 1975 William Almy – “According to the early records of the Almy family here in Westport, William Almy, the sone of Captain Christopher Almy and Elizabeth Cornell, was born October 27, 1665 and died on July 6, 1747. Job, the son of William Almy and Ezra […]
Continue ReadingPosted on July 16, 2010 by Jenny ONeill
The Historical Society has discovered an old weekly newspaper from 1896 called Westport News but can’t find any other information, such as who published the paper and for how long. http://www.wickedlocal.com/fall-river/news/x41629578/Westport-Historical-Society-finds-old-newspaper-seeks-information-on-its-origin
Continue ReadingPosted on June 16, 2010 by Jenny ONeill
Temperance – the campaign to curtail the consumption of alcohol – was an important reform movement in the 19th century. Westport had a number of active temperance groups, and one of the most effective and controversial was the Washingtonians, who shot to prominence in 1840, only to be crowded out by competing abstinence groups by […]
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