House History Workshop
Saturday November 16, 2024
2pm-4pm
Pollard Memorial Library
401 Merrimack Street
Lowell, MA
The Lowell Historical Society welcomes you to its House History workshop on November 16th where you will learn how to uncover the mysteries of your home or property using public records and other resources. This two-hour workshop will go over what records are available, how to access them, and how to put the information together to form a complete history of your property. After the workshop you are welcome to stay for an overview of the records found within the Pollard Library. This workshop can help more than just Lowellians, as the resources discussed can be found in most Massachusetts towns and cities.
This workshop is also great for Real Estate professionals, business owners, or anyone who wants to create a one-of-a-kind housewarming gift for loved ones! This workshop will be led by Society Board Member Kim Zunino who has researched historical properties in her former position as the Assistant Administrator of the Lowell Historic Board.
Voices from Industry: Portuguese Workers in Lowell’s Late Manufacturing Era
A Free Public Program at the Boott Mills Events Center
Lowell National Historical Park, 115 John St.
(Parking at Downes Garage, 75 John St.)
Saturday, December 7, 10am-Noon
In the early 1970s, Lowell suffered among the highest unemployment rates in the nation and the city’s population, which had been declining since the 1920s, continued to plummet. Many believed Lowell’s economic well-being was irretrievably lost. Yet largely overlooked amidst this gloom were rising Portuguese and Greek immigrant communities, that helped revitalized a number of densely settled urban neighborhoods. In addition a new group of South American immigrants, notably from Colombia and a few from Brazil, moved into the city.
Many of these new residents found employment in “older” industries such as textiles, garment making, shoe factories, and the well-known Prince Pasta Company, that persisted during these difficult years. Their stories of work in these manufacturing jobs have been mostly eclipsed by more publicized accounts of the emerging high-tech industries such as Wang Computers and a renaissance of Lowell’s economic development due in part to the creation of Lowell National Historical Park.
Join us for a program dedicated to learning about the experiences of the women and men who labored in these declining industries from the 1970s into the 1990s. The program will feature a panel of Portuguese immigrants who will share their stories of factory work and life during this time in Lowell. Light snacks and refreshments will be included, along with a tour of the current exhibit in the Boott Gallery, “The Portuguese in Lowell: The Familiar and the New.”
This program is jointly sponsored by UMass Lowell’s Saab Center for Portuguese Studies, Lowell National Historical Park, and the Lowell Historical Society.