Celebrate with a Grateful Heart

With the Thanksgiving holiday coming up this Thursday, we thought it was a good time to share some of the Thanksgiving Day proclamations that are in our collection! 

In November 2019 we displayed our Proclamation for a Day of Thanksgiving and Prayer that was issued by Governor John Hancock on November 8, 1783. Printed as a broadside and distributed throughout the Commonwealth to notify citizens of the upcoming observance, this document established Thursday, December 11 as a day for all Massachusetts residents to devote themselves to prayer and giving thanks. It also was issued to commemorate the official ending of the Revolutionary War. Though this 18th-century day of Thanksgiving is different from the holiday that we celebrate today, the proclamation urges citizens to “assemble to celebrate with grateful hearts and united voices,” a sentiment that continues today, much as it did well over two hundred years ago. Read more about this historic proclamation in our previous blog post.

This 1783 proclamation is just one of many in our Special Collections holdings. You can see images of our oldest proclamation from 1779 and a 1796 proclamation issued by Governor Samuel Adams in another past blog post. Our collection includes 112 Thanksgiving Day proclamations that have been digitized and uploaded to our online repository. They date from 1779 to 1903 with continuity, and then there are a few more recent ones issued by Governor Baker. If Governor Healey issues a proclamation, it will also be added to our collection! Explore the full collection of proclamations here, using keyword "Thanksgiving."

A reminder that the library will be closed this upcoming Thursday and to those who celebrate, we wish you a happy Thanksgiving!

Elizabeth Roscio

Preservation Librarian

’Tis the Season for Cranberries!

Image courtesy of A complete manual for
the cultivation of the cranberry

One of the images that people conjure in their minds when they think about Massachusetts is the cranberry, and that is for good reason. Not only is the cranberry the official berry of our state, but it also has quite a history in the Commonwealth. We have a blog post about the cranberry from a few years back and since it’s cranberry season, we thought it was the perfect time to shed some light on that post once again! The post delves into the history of the cranberry in the Commonwealth from the Indigenous people of this land, to the arrival of European colonists in Plymouth in 1620, then moves into the 1800s when a sea captain brought cranberries to Cape Cod, and next provides information on the contemporary cranberry industry. There are some great images as well, so be sure to give it a read!

In addition to the wealth of information in that blog post, we wanted to highlight some other fun facts about the berry of the Commonwealth. The cranberry was a highly-valued crop to the Indigenous people of the current New England area. They referred to this berry as Sassamenesh. When the colonists arrived in New England, they called this berry the “crane-berry,” after the white blossoms that appeared in early June, which resembled the heads of cranes.

Image courtesy of A complete manual for the cultivation of the cranberry

Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association (CCCGA), established in 1888, is one of the nation’s oldest farmer’s associations. According to their website, cranberry cultivation began in 1816. Revolutionary War veteran Captain Henry Hall from Dennis, Massachusetts, had wild cranberry bogs and noticed that the berries grew better when sand from the Cape Cod dunes blew over them. Captain Hall then began transplanting cranberry vines and spreading sand on them to spark their growth. The sand not only helps the vines grow, but also slows the growth of insects and weeds. Word spread about the technique Hall discovered and it was adopted by the increasing number of growers throughout the 1800s. Today, cranberry growers spread one or two inches of sand on their cranberry bogs every three years. As time has gone on, the cranberry has adapted to change and the modern world, just like its name. Earl Mills Sr, Flying Chief Eagle of the Mashpee Wampanoags, said that in many ways, “the history of this indigenous fruit mirrors that of the native people.”

Images courtesy of A complete manual
for the cultivation of the cranberry

Did you know that UMASS Amherst’s Center for Food, Agriculture, and the Environment has a Cranberry Station in East Wareham, MA? Serving as an outreach and research center, this part of UMASS’ campus has a mission to maintain and enhance “the economic viability of the Massachusetts Cranberry Industry through research and outreach and serving the public welfare by supporting economic development and the protection of the environment.” They also share information about how cranberries grow, as does the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association. The CCCGA created the graphic below to show the layers of sand, peat, gravel, and clay-like materials that are needed for these berries to grow:

Image courtesy of Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association

For more information about cranberries, including a timeline of major events related to cranberry history, check out the CCCGA’s website. Be sure to read our previous blog post on cranberries as well--it’s full of “berry” good information!

Works and websites consulted:

• A complete manual for the cultivation of the cranberry : with a description of the best varieties, by Benjamin Eastwood, 1856
• Cape Cod Wampanoag Cookbook : Wampanoag Indian Recipes, Images & Lore, by Earl Mills Sr. and Betty Breen, 2001
• Cranberries: The Berry of Massachusetts, State Library blog post, 2020
• Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association
• UMASS Amherst Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment

Jessica Shrey

Reference Librarian

The Great Blue Heron Glides into the Library

Since November is Native American Heritage Month, we're displaying an Audubon print that has significance to the Indigenous community. The Great Blue Heron (plate 211) will be on display in the library through December 7. The Great Blue Heron is an adaptable water bird that resides in both fresh and salt water - specifically marshes, swamps, shores, and tide flats. It feeds mostly by walking slowly or standing still in shallow water, as depicted here. You might also spot one gliding high above. The adult male is shown in this print, but the female looks very similar. You can read more about the Great Blue Heron in the Audubon Field Guide. 

For members of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, who inhabit Massachusetts and Eastern Rhode Island, the Great Blue Heron represents patience, balance, and accuracy. Read a homage to this stately water bird in a past issue of Mittark, the monthly newsletter of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe. 

Elizabeth Roscio

Preservation Librarian

Author Talk with Representative Josh S. Cutler

• The Boston Gentlemen's Mob: Maria Chapman and the Abolition Riot of 1835
• Wednesday, November 15, 2023. 12pm - 1:00pm
• State Library of Massachusetts - Room 341, Massachusetts State House
• Livestream: https://www.youtube.com/user/mastatelib

The State Library of Massachusetts Author Talks Series is excited to host Representative Josh S. Cutler as he discusses his book, The Boston Gentlemen's Mob: Maria Chapman and the Abolition Riot of 1835.

Please join us on Wednesday, November 15th at noon, in our historic reading room to hear Representative Cutler speak on his 2021 book, The Boston Gentlemen's Mob: Maria Chapman and the Abolition Riot of 1835. Representative Cutler serves the Sixth Plymouth District which includes the towns of Duxbury, Halifax, Hanson, Marshfield, and Pembroke.

For anyone who cannot make it into the library, we will be livestreaming the talk on our YouTube channel, courtesy of the Massachusetts House of Representatives Broadcast Services. The recording of the talk will also be made available on our YouTube channel post-event to enjoy at your convenience.

About the book: The Boston Gentlemen's Mob focuses on the events of October 21, 1835 in the city of Boston. As the anti-slavery movement grew, so did the tension between businessmen and abolitionists. On October 21, 1835, a riot broke out in the streets of Boston. Enraged businessmen, merchants, and bankers disrupted a women’s abolitionist meeting and an angry mob soon formed. The group would eventually set their sights on William Lloyd Garrison, publisher of The Liberator - the period’s leading abolitionist newspaper. Garrison was trapped, caught, and left to the mercy of the mob. Cutler recounts this day in history from four different perspectives: Maria Chapman, an abolitionist; Susan Paul, a school teacher; Theodore Lyman, Boston’s Mayor; and Wendell Phillips, attorney and spectator of the day’s events. The Boston Gentlemen's Mob is an exciting read that highlights the early days and struggles of the anti-slavery movement.

About the author: Representative Josh Cutler serves the Sixth Plymouth District and is currently serving as House Chair for the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development. Cutler is an attorney with degrees from Skidmore College, Suffolk Law School, and University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, MA in Environmental Policy. In addition to The Boston Gentlemen's Mob, Cutler is also author of Mobtown Massacre: Alexander Hanson and the Baltimore Newspaper War of 1812 (2019). For more information, please visit Cutler’s author site.

If you are able to join us in person for this talk, attendees will be able to participate in a question-and-answer session with the author, and Rep. Cutler will sign and sell copies of The Boston Gentlemen's Mob, with 100% of proceeds being donated to the State Library. As always, this author talk is free and open to all. Assisted listening devices will be made available upon request. Any questions or concerns, please email us.

Want to stay up to date on future Author Talks at the State Library? Join our mailing list. Also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, or X for updates! For more information on the State Library Author talks series, please visit our site.

 

Author Talks Working Group

On Display in the State Library - Corn, Squash, and Beans

November is Native American Heritage Month, and in our monthly display case, we’re showcasing a few 18th and 19th-century agricultural books from our Special Collections holdings that give information about the three crops that comprise the Three Sisters. These three crops – squash, corn (maize), and beans – have been cultivated together by Indigenous communities for centuries. When English settlers arrived on Native American land in the 1600s, they learned of this planting regimen from the Indigenous people already living there, which helped them to survive in their new home.

Three Sisters planting is a type of companion planting where each crop sustains the others. The corn stalks provide a tall stake for beans to climb so they don’t get snarled in squash vines, and the beans in turn provide extra support for the stalks. Beans also provide nutrients in their roots that fertilizes soil, and squash leaves provide shade and retain moisture. And in addition to this symbiotic relationship, the vegetables also complement each other and add to a nutritious diet. Squash, beans, and corn are a major component of Native American dishes, and though the origins of Three Sisters planting is attributed to the Iroquois, many Native American communities throughout North America employed it, including the Wampanoag and the Nipmuc here in the northeast. You can read more about Three Sisters planting on these sites. And from our own collection, you can read The Nipmuc Story of the Three Sisters (story 8) in Stories and Poems for Northeastern Native Tribal Families.

Though we don’t have any historical Indigenous sources in our collection, we have selected some 18th and 19th century agricultural books that help us to share information about the three crops of the Three Sisters. We are displaying the following sources:

• The New American Gardener: Containing Practical Directions on the Culture of Fruits and Vegetables; Including Landscape and Ornamental Gardening, Grape-Vines, Silk, Strawberries by Thomas Green Fessenden, and published by J.B. Russell in Boston in 1828. The book is displayed open to the entry on squash and includes a note that “the squash is applicable to all the uses of the pumpkin, and for many purposes, is superior to that vegetable.” Winter squash is a more mature squash, and its hardened rind means that it can be stored and consumed well into the colder months. This was especially useful for Indigenous communities and settlers in the northeast, who after a bountiful harvest, would continue to have squash in their diet throughout the winter. 

• The Cultivator's Almanac, and Cabinet of Agricultural Knowledge, for the year 1841 compiled by William Buckminster and published in Boston by H.B. Williams in 1841; and A Treatise on Cobbett’s Corn: Containing Instructions for Propagating and Cultivating the Plant, and for Harvesting and Preserving the Crop by William Cobbett and published in London by Mills, Jowett, and Mills in 1828. These two sources are displayed to highlight corn: Cobbett’s Corn shows an illustration of a corn stalk (shown above), and The Cultivator’s Almanac is opened to the November page, writing that “the harvesting of corn is pretty work, and much of it may be done by moonlight; or in cold weather, by candle light. When placed in a convenient floor way, a number of hands will sit very happily for three hours in an evening, and separate the corn from the husks.” The almanac also includes a notation on November’s Thanksgiving holiday, writing that “this festival usually happens on the last week in this month, and all the fall work should be finished before its arrival.” Even among these three important crops, corn stands above. It's a versatile vegetable that could be eaten raw, roasted, baked into other foods, or dried and then ground into cornmeal. Its a lynchpin of the Native American diet, and consequently, it became a key component of the English settlers' diet when they arrived in North America, too. 

• The New-England Farmer or Georgical Dictionary: Containing a Compendious Account of the Ways and Methods in Which the Important Art of Husbandry, in All Its Various Branches, Is, or May Be, Practised, to the Greatest Advantage, in This Country by Samuel Deane and published by Isaiah Thomas in Worcester in 1797. This dictionary is displayed open to the section on beans, and it describes the different varieties of beans found in New England, along with the notation that "there is no danger of their being hurt by a small degree of frost, should it happen to come early." When planting the Three Sisters crops, it was recommended that the corn is planted first and then the beans two to three weeks later.

Visit the library through December 1 to see these agricultural sources on display. And if you're looking to get outside after your Thanksgiving meal (which may include squash, beans, and/or corn!) you can explore the Three Sisters Trail in Milford! 

Elizabeth Roscio

Preservation Librarian

State Library Newsletter - November Issue

With a new month, comes a new newsletter! From displayed items, upcoming events, and new books on the shelf, find out everything that's happening this November at the State Library.

Pictured here is a preview, but the full issue can be accessed by clicking here. And you can also sign up for our mailing list to receive the newsletter straight to your inbox.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from the State Library! Enjoy these creepy-crawly finds from the collection.

COMMON SPIDERS, 1902 

SPIDERS: THEIR STRUCTURE
 AND HABITS, 1890

Looking for more spooky reads? Check out the titles below!

The Ruin of All Witches: Life and Death in the New World (2022) - Written by Malcom Gaskill, a historian and leader in the study of witchcraft history, The Ruin of All Witches is a nonfiction account of 17th century Springfield, Massachusetts and the strange happenings which gripped the community. In 1651, Springfield started experiencing unexplained events and witchcraft was thought to be the cause. Blame was soon cast on Hugh and Mary Parsons - a young couple with an unpleasant reputation in the town. Described as riveting and absorbing, The Ruin of All Witches, is a must read for anyone interested in the history of 17th century New England. 

Over My Dead Body: Unearthing the Hidden History of America's Cemeteries (2022) - Author and journalist Greg Melville takes readers on a tour of the country’s cemeteries. From the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in L.A. to Burial Hill in Plymouth, Massachusetts, Melville explores the influence these spaces have on landscape architecture, literature, society, and even sustainability. Over My Dead Body is a fascinating look at how Americans memorialize the dead.

New England Legends & Folklore (2017) - A reprint of Samuel Adams Drake’s (1833-1905) classic compilation of New England legends and folklore includes stories of pirates, witchcraft, ghosts, creatures and more! Read about the Sea-Serpent of Nahant, The Bell Tavern Mystery of Danvers, or The Shrieking Woman of Marblehead. Also includes popular legends of Rhode Island and Connecticut. 

For more thrillers, check out Libby! State Employees can use their State Library card credentials to download Libby, the library reading app. Sign-up for a library card today! Did you miss last week’s Author Talk on the Salem Village Witch Trials? You can view author Daniel Gagnon’s recorded discussion of his biography on Rebecca Nurse on our YouTube channel!

Happy Halloween and happy reading!

April Pascucci
Legislative Reference Librarian