Author Archives: Rebecca Beatrice Brooks

About Rebecca Beatrice Brooks

Rebecca Beatrice Brooks is the author and publisher of the History of Massachusetts Blog. Rebecca is a journalist and history writer who got her start in journalism working for small-town newspapers in Massachusetts and New Hampshire after she graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a B.A. in journalism. She is a member of Historic Salem Inc, the Danvers Historical Society, and the Salisbury Historical Society and she volunteers for the National Archives and the Massachusetts Historical Society transcribing historical documents. Visit this site's About page to find out more about Rebecca.

Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Mass. Photo by Walter R Wheeler, 2017, courtesy Secretary of the Commonwealth William Francis Galvin, Chairman, Massachusetts Historical Commission.

History of the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts

The Peabody Essex Museum is an art museum in Salem, Massachusetts. It houses the nation’s largest collection of Asian art. The museum began as the Essex India Marine Society in… Read more »

Roger Babson in 1918

Roger W. Babson

Roger Babson was an American entrepreneur, businessman, and philanthropist from Gloucester, Massachusetts. Born on July 6, 1875, in Gloucester, Massachusetts, to Nathaniel Babson and Ellen Stearns, Roger was the 10th… Read more »

Babson Boulder inscribed with the word "Kindness" in Dogtown in Gloucester, Mass, circa 2012. Photo by Rebecca Beatrice Brooks.

Babson Boulders in Gloucester, Massachusetts

The Babson Boulders are a 6.5-mile-long trail of over 30 granite boulders in Dogtown, which is a ghost town in Gloucester, Massachusetts. The boulders are glacial erratics, which are rocks… Read more »

News report about the poisoning at Tewksbury State Hospital. Published in the Boston Post on October 30, 1903.

The Tewksbury State Hospital Poison Mystery

On October 27, 1903, 11 patients at the Tewksbury State Hospital were poisoned when they drank water that had been mixed with poison. One of the patients died the following… Read more »

Administration Building, Tewksbury, Mass. Photo by Candace Jenkins, 1991, courtesy Secretary of the Commonwealth William Francis Galvin, Chairman, Massachusetts Historical Commission.

History of Tewksbury State Hospital

Tewksbury State Hospital was a psychiatric hospital located in Tewksbury, Massachusetts. Built in 1854, it was originally established as an almshouse before later being converted into a hospital. The property… Read more »