Lowell National Historical Park - Pay a virtual visit to a different National Park location each week as Lowell National Historical Park begins its "Travelogue Series." Plan ahead for your summer vacation or just spend some time learning about a new and exciting place that may be right in your own backyard! *All programs are free and begin at 2:30 p.m. and are held at the Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center, 246 Market Street, Lowell, MA unless otherwise noted.
Sunday, February 28th
Maggie Walker National Historic Site/Richmond National Battlefield
Join Curator Klydie Thomas for a look at the life of Maggie Walker, first African American bank president. Learn about her accomplishments and what they meant during a time of segregation in America, when African Americans were held to be 2nd class citizens with few rights. Walker started the St. Luke Penny Savings Bank, in 1903. For nearly 100 years, St. Luke’s existed as the longest continually African American-operated bank until 2005. Today it is known as Consolidated Bank and Trust, and is operated by a Washington DC company. Walker accomplished this and much more as chief financial officer of the Independent Order of St. Luke, a fraternal organization that morphed into a major African American insurance company under Walker's leadership. Hear more about her extraordinary life and how it relates to the Boston/Lowell area in this exciting program.
*12:30pm - 1:30pm
Saturday, March 6th
New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park
Join Living History Interpreters Judy Roderiques and Lucy Bly as they transform into two New Bedford women from the 1850s and discuss the issues of the day and life in the bustling whaling port. Listen in on their conversation or join in to learn about a remarkable era.
Saturday, March 13th
Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
The Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area is brand new, as far as National Parks are concerned, but the rich cultural history of the park spans thousands of years. Throughout history, the islands have evolved to meet the needs of a changing nation. Originally, a summer hunting ground for Native Americans, the islands later became strategic military locations. When the military abandoned their fortifications, the islands experienced a period of neglect before they were recognized for recreational opportunities. Presently, the islands offer visitors a chance to reconnect with nature, explore a historic fort, or camp in the urban wilderness. Join park rangers Jessica Renehan and Beth Jackendoff to learn more about this exciting site.
Saturday, March 20th
Adams National Historical Park
"Faithful are the Wounds of a Friend." In 1804, after a silence of more than four years, and without informing her husband John, Abigail Adams initiated a correspondence with their old friend and nemesis Thomas Jefferson. Abigail and the President exchanged seven letters that illuminate the tensions, the turmoil, and the tenderness of their twenty-year relationship. Listen as this historic trio reads and responds to these intriguing and revealing letters
Saturday, March 27th
Minuteman National Historical Park
Why were the “Regulars" in Massachusetts? Why did they come to Concord? What happened on April 19, 1775 from the perspective of the King’s Army? Join ranger John Fuller from Minuteman National Historical Park to explore the answers to these questions.
Saturday, April 3rd
Roger Williams National Memorial
The Rev Blackstone will speak about his life here in "New" England as he calls it. He was the first English settler in Boston, several years before John Winthrop and company. Blackstone soon had problems with the new settlers and moved south into what is now Rhode Island, settling along the river later to be named after him. His observations about life in New England in the 1600's, particularly his observations about the radical to his south at Providence, Roger Williams, bring to life the possibilities faced by the people then as well as now.
Saturday, April 10th
Boston National Historical Park
From securing the rights of Englishmen to defending the homeland of America, Boston National Historical Park encompasses almost 350 years of history. Sample two of these stories when you meet “Rosie the Riveter", defending the home front in WWII, and an opinionated colonial lady with strong views on the idea of liberty.
Saturday, April 17th
Lowell National Historical Park
Meet a mill girl in this lively discussion of life in the "City of Spindles." Was every mill girl thrilled with a chance to work and live in Lowell? Why would a young woman come here to work and how long might she stay? Learn about working in the textile mills, the changes from farm life to city life, and the exciting opportunities presented to young women of the early 1800s.
Thursday, April 22nd
John Muir National Historic Site
John Muir - founder of the Sierra Club, booster for our early national parks, and Scottish immigrant - played a critical role in establishing what we now identify as the environmental movement. Learn about the man and his unusual home, a unit of the National Park Service, in this presentation by Lowell NHP's Chief of Cultural Resources David Blackburn.
Follow Lowell National Historical Park on Twitter @ Lowell_NPS. Visit www.lowellwomensweek.org for complete listing of events.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
