Lowell Textile Mills – Sherri Ward

Friday, June 15, 2007

     We are on our way home from the Lowell Textile Mills, and Tim our bus driver is giving us all of his ism’s regarding how to spot a Colorado Teacher.  He is so cute!

     We arrived in Lowell today, and I was struck by all of the brick buildings, as well as, the lush ivy growing up the brick walls.  Lowell is a town which became a melting pot of sorts. There were so many young girls from all parts of the world who came here to work 14 hour days.  The Irish immigrants eventually worked 7 days a week.  It was the first time that farm girls left home and worked for cash money.  Water is money!

     There were four girls to a room and two to a bed, which helped them to stay warm.  We saw the process of what the mill workers did to make cloth. 

     Our guide, Seth Cooper also took us on a really neat canal ride to the gate lock.  This reminded me so much of the Ballard Locks in the Seattle area.  I think the principle is the same, just on a larger scale.  We learned about how water power works.  Lowell diverts the Merrimac River and made a canal that runs through the city.  It was hand dug and much of the stone work alongside the river was done without mortar.  Many of the stone workers were from Ireland were good at this type of work.  Flooding is a major problem in the area.  They used to drop an old wooden gate, but now whenever flood danger is imminent, they pile steel beams on top of one another to block the water from flooding the town.  The ride on the canal was very beautiful and refreshing.

       Later we did an activity that I really liked – loom weaving.  When I looked at the loom, I remarked this is going to be just like working on the computer – and lo and behold it was a lot of fun.  I liked weaving. 

     I don’t teach the industrial revolution, but I do teach major rivers and I’m sure I can manage to get water power into the classroom, and show my students how it works.  It was a very nice day. 

     Kelli, Connie, Delphine, Delores, Chris and I took a taxi to Victoria Station at the Pickering wharf and had dinner beside the bay.  The food and atmosphere were awesome.  It brought back so many memories of living in Seattle. 

     I will be glad to get home, but I will really miss this group and all the neat things we have been able to share together. 

    Thank you Jonathan, Matt, and Scott for all of the planning and preparation that you did, in order to make this trip happen.  I am so grateful and feel so privileged to have been able to share in this very special time.  I know that I will be able to take so much back to the classroom, and share that information with my students.  I will see you this summer.  Sherri

Massachusettes Historical Soceity – Pauline Maier – Sherri Ward

Thursday, June 14, 2007

  

      We are headed to the Massachusettes Historical Society today in order to study the Declaration of Independence with Pauline Maier.  I am beginning this entry on the bus in order to make good use of my time.

     Okay, we saw Pauline and she is a very dynamic speaker.  This morning I went back to the dorm to get my America Scripture book and then left it on the bus.  Duh!  So, I had to have her sign a piece of paper which I will tape into my book.  Not quite the same but better than nothing.  I found it very interesting that there were/are different forms of the Declaration, and that the one that was read at the state house, did not have all of the signatures and was considered a broadside, and 201 copies were made and only 25 are left.   It was very interesting.

   

     I think the most important thing that I took from today was learning about the MHS web site which is going to help me tremendously with doing my lesson plan for this class.  That will be an incredible resource for my classroom.  I will have three extra computers in my classroom next year which will have internet access.  I think I may let those students who finish with there work early access the MHS society web site and do research or free read on the site.  What an incredible resource. 

 Tim graciously stopped at the cemetary where John Hancock and Sam Adams are buried. 

    

     We ate at the Beerworks in Salem and then I sat at this computer for the next 2 hours with little success.  Some evenings are better than others.   

Paul Revere’s House – Sherri Ward

Wednesday, June 13, 2007    

     It was great going to see Paul Revere’s house today.  It was awesome to be in his home and see some of his belongings, and, to have some of the myth’s dispelled.  It was fun to imagine him retelling the tale of the midnight ride and embellishing it with a dog, and a woman’s petticoat.  I bet he got a lot of chuckles from his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. 

     Of course the Old North Church was absolutely the neatest site of the day for me.  Since January, I’ve been longing to see this church.  I don’t know what it is about seeing a site in person, versus a picture or video.  It makes a difference.  One thing that I will change when I teach Paul Revere is the line about Two if by Sea – from now on I will replace the word sea, with water and explain why. I will also teach students about all the different things Paul was involved with like his denistry business.  It seems that whatever was needed at the time, Paul tried to do.  The guide told us that he did not work with Pewter.

     Kelli, Connie and I ate on the North side in a restaurant in Little Italy.  Of course, we had Italian food that was baked in a wood oven – just like cooking in a beehive oven.  The food was delicious, slow, but yummy!

     I thought I might actually have a heart attack, climbing up the Bunker Hill monument – 294 steps.  Whew!  I found the view from the British side to be very interesting.  I believe General Howe said, “It wasn’t worth the cost.”  I can see why he would say that. From this site I was able to see and understand what a redoubt was.  From the top of the monument we were able to see rooftop patio’s that were pretty spectacular.  The Bostonians are certainly inventive. 

     I don’t know whose idea it was to go to see the USS Constitution/Old Ironsides – but it was a great one.  That was really a neat old ship to visit.  They also had a great bookstore. 

    Tim dropped a bunch of us off to ride the ferry back to Salem.  Apparently, the seas were a bit rough, and the ferry had closed for the day.  There was a very kind lady at the acquarium who whas just getting off from work, who took the time to help us.  The weather was soooo cold, and we didn’t think it would be bearable to stay down there until 10:00 p.m., so we called our kind bus driver Tim, and he told us not to panic, he would be there in about 10 minutes.  Thank you to the passengers for being understanding.  I hope the rest of the group had a great time at the Red Sox/Rockies game.  It’s about 9:00 p.m., and I just heard the Rockies are ahead.  Go Rockies!   

      

  

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State House, Old South Church and Faneuil Hall – Sherri Ward

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

     We traveled to Boston this morning and Professor Robert J. Allison spoke to our group about the Boston Massacre, at the Old State House, which was built in 1713.  The Boston Massacre occurred right in front of this building as well as, the first reading of the Declaration of Independence was read from the balcony of this building.  John Adams our second president, was also inagurated in this building. Pretty cool!    

    After lunch, we did a mock trial that was very thought provoking and fun for all of us.  We split up into the prosecution and defense.  (I think Connie and Brian have new careers ahead of them!)  Some of us took on roles of people who were actually questioned at the trial.  We gave our testimonies of what happened that day.  It was interesting to find out how harassed and provoked the soldiers were by the longshoreman, and the townspeople.  I did not know that all were acquitted except Montgomery who fired and killed a soldier, as well as, another soldier who was found guilty of manslaughter.  Manslaughter carried a penalty of being branded below the thumb.   It was also interesting to find out that John Adams defended them.  I think the idea was that he wanted to show England than anyone could get a fair trial in Boston.  I think many of us will use this activity to teach our students about the Massacre. 

     It was a very good lecture and Professor Allison was kind enough to sign his book for me. 

     We then took a tour of the Old South Church which was so beautiful.  We were able to sit in the “rented” pews and participate in a great activity in which, the town’s people met in order to discuss what to do about the 3 ships in the harbor full of tea.   The discussion was full of huzzah’s and fie’s and lots of noise.  The governor eventually decides the ships stay where they are and Sam Adams declares gives the green light for the Son’s of Liberty to dump the tea.  This church was beautiful and it gave me goose bumps to hear all of us recalling the words of our countrymen, in the same church approximately 216 years later. 

     It was also such a treat to go into Faneuil Hall.  It was very nice of the Parks Department to allow us to go in even though it was under restoration.  The paintings and artwork were exquisite. 

     Before heading back to the bus, I walked down by the harbor and just soaked up the sea, yachts, and the sounds of a harbor.  I use to live on the west coast for about 10 years and miss it terribly.  It was a nice reminder.  Great day!

  

Massachusettes Historical Society – Sherri

Monday, June 11, 2007

    I woke up late today and had to scurry to make breakfast with Kelli.  Last night, I felt so much more successful working on the computer.  I’m sure I am doing it over and over and remembering the right buttons that might work for what I want to do.  Yes!

     Anyway, I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed the French and Indian war lecture by Professor William M. Fowler.  I will be teaching pre-revolutionary war this year to my 3^rd graders and was excited to learn more about this war, as it obviously is the piece I need to set up the Revolutionary War.  The maps were great and all the background information was so interesting.  I thought he was a very good lecturer and funny.  Perhaps I can do my lesson plans on this war, since I will be teaching it.  This lecture made this part of my curriculum come together for me. 

      All of the original paintings of Washington, Abigail and John Webster, Daniel Webster, Esther Wheelright, John Hancock, Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride, etc., were jaw dropping.  Wow!  There were so many wonderful things to see.  I also think it will really be cool to access much of the museum’s material online after returning to Colorado. 

     At lunch Kelli, Connie, and I walked to the Victory Gardens and oohed and awed over the spectacular color and fauna of the vegetable and flower gardens, that the locals rent.  We were able to talk to one man who owned 6 plots.  He was kind enough to let us go through his gardens.  Kelli commented that he had bushes of things, that she just has a little piece of, in a flower pot.   

     During the second half of the day,  I enjoyed the exercise where we broke up into groups and looked at a couple of primary source articles, in which we had to discuss and  determine what kind of articles they were.  It’s kind of like playing detective.  I think I can modify this activity to fit for 3^rd graders, and discuss primary sources.  I was also thinking of having my kids reenact the French and Indian War.  I could have ¼ of the students take paper grocery bags, color them red to represent the redcoats, have the next ¼ Indians be friends of the Brits, ¼ Indians be friends of the French, and have the last ¼ dress in a different color using the brown paper bags.  Reenact and discuss the war.  We could make rivers using tape on the floor and pretend we are traveling the rivers and the problems represented for each side.   Just a thought.  J

     This evening we went to an Irish pub and had a wonderful meal.  The atmosphere was very Englishy.  Then we walked through the Boston Commons and the Boston Gardens.  They were both absolutely beautiful.  It was interesting to watch families play games there. It struck us that since they live in these big brownstones, the park must become their yards.  We also stopped into the Cheers bar from the TV show, and took some pictures, bought some souvenirs and headed for the bus.    On the way back our wonderful bus driver/tour guide Tim told us that Beacon Hill has some of the most expensive real estate in Boston.  What is amazing to me, is to look out and see millionaires all over the streets of Boston.  Cool! 

Sherri Ward 

    

   

Day 7 – Visiting Lexington and Concord

Sunday, June 10, 2007

     I spent about 4 hours last night getting my blogging entry and learning how to load and get pictures onto my blog.  I have done this 2 other nights as well, and find it extremely frustrating.  I tried to comment on other blogs but was unsuccessful.  Thank goodness Duane was kind enough to help me figure out some stuff last night.  I hope that the professors know that for some of this, this is a huge learning curve – but I’m determined to learn as much technologically as I can on this trip.  I am so grateful for the opportunity and know that learning to do slide shows and pictures will enrich my classroom curriculum. 

     We are off to Lexington and Concord today.  Our first stop will be at the Reverend Clark’s home where Samuel Adams and John Hancock were hiding from the British.    

     Our group just stopped at the home of the Reverend Jonas Clark where Samuel Adams and John Hancock were staying on their way to visit the Committee of Safety.  Apparently, John Hancock’s uncle was the pastor before Clark for almost 50 years.  Most of the furnishing in the home are original. I found it very thought provoking to picture these men and their families using this house and furniture.  This is where Paul Revere and William Dawes arrived independently, to tell Adams and Hancock that they needed to leave because the British were coming.  According to the tour guide Major Pitcairns horse gets scared during the battle and dumps Pitcairn on the ground.  The horse then goes over to the Minutemen side, and they keep the horse and the dueling pistols which were on display there.  Apparently, they were offered to George Washington on his visit, but he didn’t accept, because he said he did not participate in the battle of Lexington.   The original drum of William Diamond that was played before the battle was in this house.   I thought that was really neat looking.

     Our next stop was Buckman-Tavern which is where on April 19, 1775 many of the minutemen stayed all night waiting to face the Redcoats on the green.  I found being able to walk on the Green was very inspirational.  I know it must have been bigger then, but it was so neat to be able to walk the ground and relive the history that I have learned in my head.  There was a musket ball hole in the door from the battle.  (I’m really getting into the doors!)  

Munroe Tavern – British troops were at this tavern on April 19^th.  We were able to go upstairs and visit the Washington exhibit.  The guide allowed us to touch a chair that Washington had sat in – AWESOME!  We able to see the tea cup and spoon that he drank out of as well as a piece of tree that Washington had been under when he took  command of the American army.  I thought it interesting that they were enterprising enough that before his death people were already saving stuff like the chair and desk he sat in, and a tea cup, that Washington drank from.  The guide let us touch the chair that Washington sat in.  That was cool!

      I was a little surprised that since we could not take pictures that there weren’t any dvd’s to purchase. 

     The Minute Man Park was really neat.  I thoroughly enjoyed the video presentation.  I was hoping to purchase it for my 3^rd graders but no luck.  I was informed that it is only presented at the park.  It was a neat presentation.  Bummer! 

     We at lunch at the Depot and then went to Hartwell Tavern.  Our guides were dressed in period clothing.  One guide was dressed in a redcoat soldiers clothing and the other in a colonial farmers outfit.  The one dressed in the redcoat fired a musket.  Next, we walked down to Battle Road.  Our guide talked about the battle on the North Bridge.  The first official orders to fire upon the British happened here.  The Brits were outnumbered and were able to see the Americans from a ways off.  He talked about how both groups must have been scared and unsure of what was to come in the next few minutes.

     The shot heard around the world was an idea to Emerson in Concord, and in Lincoln they believe the first shot was heard.  There seems to be an ongoing debate today about where the first shot was fired.

     Lastly, we stopped at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  It was really fun to walk through parts of the college.  I called my teenage son and told him where I was and he said, “That’s probably as close to Harvard as any of us will get!”  Ha!  The green ivy growing up the walls was pretty cool.  It was a lovely and very busy day. 

    

   

Days 5 and 6 in Boston

Friday, June 8, 2007

     We set off for Maine at 7:30 a.m.  On the way there,  we watched Three Sovereign’s for Sister Sarah.  It was a great video about the witch hunt of Salem.  I think the young girls who were accusing and crying foul, were spoiled little brats.  Anyway, it was a great video to watch and show in classrooms.  We stopped at Pemmaquid, which is a beautiful, quaint fishing village where cod was caught in great boatloads.  William Henrys’ fort is also there.  We saw the oldest relic in America there.  The ocean and boats were fun.  We then stopped at Pemmiquid Lighthouse Park and ate our lunch overlooking the sea.  We were then able to climb to the top of the lighthouse.  The view was breathtaking.  Until I looked from the top of the lighthouse, I didn’t realize how steeply the rock walls dropped off.  Inside the innkeepers home was a 28 pound lobster that had been caught in the harbor, which was now hanging on the wall.    

     We then boarded the bus and watched a video about Martha Ballard who was a midwife in 18^th century Maine.  

     We ended up at Old Fort Western in Augusta, Maine, and was taken on a tour by people dressed in the period.

Next we headed to Freeport, Maine.  It is a quaint,and expensive town.  We went to an old plantation type restaurant and Connie ordered a boiled lobster.  This was the first time she had had one like that, and  I enjoyed a good laugh at her expense.  She was hilarious!  She had to learn how to take the thing apart, and when she saw green stuff inside she about lost it – I almost lost it!  However, it was pretty funny.  We laughed through the meal.  TJ and Janelle were sitting across from us and Delores and Delphine were down the way.  We got a real tickle out of the whole ordeal.  Afterward, Kelli went to Bath and Body Works and I went to Ben and Jerry’s.  I had never tried their ice cream – it was good.   It is amazing that we could be in 3 states in a four hour period.  

Friday, June 9, 2007

     We are off to Sturbridge Village today.  It is a foggy New England morning and I am falling in love with the area here.  I love the lush greenery and of course the New England accent is fun to hear, when people speak.

     For me Sturbridge Village has been the best.  The history concentrates mostly on the 1830’s.  It was incredible to see a working sawmill and to see them saw a log,.  The grist was cool as well.  The best was making the meal there at Sturbridge.  Learning to card wool and make it into pieces of yarn was fun too. 

     Cooking over the hearth and in the beehive ovens and reflector ovens, was amazing.  I think it would be possible to make a meal with our students.  We would have to improvise but how cool it would be to have each grade make certain dishes.  The primary grades could make butter and whipped cream, 3rd-5th could make salad, and dressing, 6^th could make bread, 7^th cake and carrots, and 8^th the chicken and dressing.  That would make a great Thanksgiving meal.  Where there is a will, there is a way!   Making the meal together today was a lot of fun and a bonding experience for each group.  Very tasty too!

     I know many people may have wanted sunshine today, but the rain and fog was really beautiful to me.  I enjoyed the smell, the feel, the whole deal.  The covered bridge, the millpond, as well as, old wooden bridges, stretching out over the river, were very poetic.  Also, the brilliant hues of the gorgeous flowers were all so rich and vibrant. 

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First 4 days of the Boston Trip 2007- Sherri Ward

Sunday, June 3, 2007

     After traveling all day our Boston group arrived at the Boston airport in the evening.  There was lots of traffic and the big city sounds.  After picking up our luggage the group headed out to the bus.  However, Connie, Kelli and I lost our group.  We looked to the left and headed that way and realized that our group was no where to be found.  That was the moment that I realized I did not have Scott, Matt, or Jonothan’s phone numbers.  I finally saw Kelli heading to the right.  She had found our group walking up the sidewalk toward a bus.  We eventually boarded and took off through the big city toward Salem. 

     After arriving at Salem State University, I became suite mates with Dave and Amy.  The dorm rooms are very nice. 

Monday, June 4, 2007

     After eating at the cute little café that reminds me of the little café across from the hospital on the show ER, we boarded the bus and visited Plymouth Rock that has had a massive stone column covering built over and around it.  The rock is not as big as I thought it would be, and it has 1620 engraved in it.   Then we visited the Mayflower II.  That was really cool.  I loved looking in the hold and kitchen as well as, meeting John Carver was a hoot.  It was amazing to think that 102 people, livestock, and supplies as well as, a boat was stored in there.  Then we headed to Plymouth Plantation which is a recreation of the Plimoth Plantation.  We saw the Indian village where there were some descendents of the Wampanoag Indians going about daily life in the village.  What I found most interesting was the English village, where there were people who were dressed up and acted their parts as characters of that time.   The most interesting characters that we met were Mr. Brown and Experience Mitchell.  Experience was courting Jane Cook.  It was interesting also to hear about courting at that time.  Jane said that her parents trusted her to be in the home alone with Experience and that any member of the colony could give their input as to their thoughts of the courtship.  I was really struck by how grateful these people were for God’s provision for them as well as, how sad some of the people were at the loss of their friends and family members.  The gardens were neat to look at.  The plantation is very meticulous about getting everything as close as possible like it was back in the 1600’s.  So much so that they have begun back breeding of the livestock in order to get them to look as much like their ancestors as possible.  I don’t have a clue how they do that.   

     It poured rain while we were there.  The best investment that I made all day was a poncho.  Kelli, Connie and I looked like the drenched, light blue, trio. 

     A wonderful thanksgiving meal of the period was served to us.  It was really cool as we had the pleasure of Experience Mitchell and another girl from the colony’s company.  They laughed and joked with our party.  It was an awesome time!

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Tuesday, June 5, 2007

     We spent the day in Salem yesterday.  We went to a museum which had some incredible artifacts and paintings.  We ate lunch at the Brewery and some of enjoyed the brewery immensely.  We also we walked along the wharf and visited the graveyard in which some of the Mayflower people were buried as well as monuments of the witches that were hung.  Apparently, none of the witches that admitted they were witches were hung. 

     We spent a lot of time walking the streets of Salem, exploring some shops.  We talked to some men who were retired and one of which had lived on his boat year round for the past 18 years.  They were very respectful and funny.  They said retirement is good.  It looked very inviting.  I bought shirts for my family. 

We went to eat dinner at the Witches Brew.  The waitress was rude and unkind.  That evening we worked on computers and blogging.

Wednesday, June 6, 2007

     We left at about 7:30 this morning for Deerfield, MA.  The landscape was absolutely beautiful, as it was so green and lush.  We met Dr. Kevin Sweeney for a lecture at 10:00 a.m.  He lectured on the massacre of Deerfield in 1704.  He said that the Indians had planned the massacre and capture of certain individuals like the pastors family.  Women who were captured that were pregnant or who had just had children, were many times clubbed to death, because they were not able to keep up with the group.  Apparently the thinking was that it was more humane to kill them rather than let them be killed by wild animals.  I think I would rather have taken my chances.  They made a 300 mile trek to Canada. Some of the captives were put up for ransom or remained in Canada and started families like Eunice Williams. 

     We went to several museums and at one of them was my favorite part of the whole trip – the door with the hatchet marks and a hole, where the Indians had hacked at the door to gain entrance to the house.  I believe that my students will be able to visualize this raid by seeing a picture of that door.   That really brought a picture to my mind. 

Today, I learned that chairman of the board came from the eating table being a board that was laid across some saw horses – the board is where you eat and the only chair they might have belonged to the head of the household – the man.  Room and board same thing.  Cool!

Thursday, June 7, 2007

     Today we went back to the cemetery in Salem and looked at the differences between the carvings on the gravestones.  Depending on the date there was a face with wings and sometimes crossbones on the older gravestones.  On a stone with a later date you might see a happier face.  As the stones moved up in date, we sometimes saw Grecian vases and perhaps angels on the stones.  There was one stone that said that this person was one of the Mayflower pilgrims. 

     About 12:00 p.m., our group left for Danvers to visit the home of Rebecca Nurse who was 71, and hung as a witch in 1692.     PBS had built a recreation of the meeting house on the property.  We ate a tasty boxed lunch inside the meeting house, and my group was taken over to the Rebecca Nurse’s home in order to see the inside. There were two hearths, a low ceiling (therefore, it was warmer on that side of the house).  Sometimes whoever owns this home opens it up to the public and they make candles and cook over the hearth to show people the life at that time.  Apparently, there was some jealousy and possible feuding between neighbors and you could be called a witch for just about anything.  There were some girls who were given to fits and began naming people as witches.  Rebecca was not on their good list.  After the trial she was apparently acquitted, and when the verdict was announced the girls started screaming that Rebecca had indeed been one of their tormentors and a witch, then the jury decided they needed to talk some more and changed their verdict and pronounced her guilty of witchcraft.  Rebecca denied being a witch and despite 40 signatures saying that she was not a witch she was eventually hung at Gallows Hill in Salem.  Her family secretly collected her body and rowed it back to her home, and secretly buried her in the family graveyard in an unknown plot. 

     Personally, as I walked up the drive from the graveyard, in my spirit I felt a profound sadness, and an awful feeling in the pit of my stomach.  What a needless waste of life.  This woman was a devout Puritan of 71 years of age.  You have to wonder why she wasn’t a member of that particular village church. 

     It seems that the witch movement here in Salem today, is a weird and wacky way to make money off of people who are willing to buy a lie, and want an excuse to have a party.  People prosper off of the deaths of these innocent people.  I think of the families who never recovered from these losses.  I can also understand the man that was “pressed to death” with heavy rocks on top of him.  I’m sure he was angry and wasn’t about to give them the satisfaction of admitting to being a witch.  They only wanted to believe a lie, and to lie would to be untrue to his faith.