Articles by Steven Gilchrist

Boston, MA. – Louis Dembitz Brandeis (November 13, 1856 – October 5, 1941) was born in Louisville, Kentucky.   Brandeis attended Harvard Law School where he graduated as the class Valedictorian.   At the time of his graduation, Brandeis had maintained the highest grade point average in school history.   Later, Brandeis became the first Jewish person to be selected as a justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.   Brandeis was nominated by President Woodrow Wilson and he served on the Supreme Court from 1916 – 1939.   Brandeis’ legal work focused on advocating for working class citizens.   He lobbied against the abuse of corporate power, monopolies, and government corruption.   Brandeis was a founding member of the Massachusetts Bar Association. His notable legal opinions include: Gilbert v. Minnesota (1920) – Freedom of speech; Olmstead v. United States (1928) – Right of privacy; Erie Railroad Co. v. Tompkins (1938) – Federal versus state laws. In his 1911 book, The Opportunity

North Adams, MA - Natural Bridge State Park is the only marble dam in North America.   The park is located in North Adams, Massachusetts and from 1810 to 1947 the area was the location of a marble quarry.   The quarry produced white marble used for tombstones in local cemeteries and hearthstones in homes and buildings.   Beginning in 1837 a mill was built at the Natural Bridge property.   The mill produced items such as: powder for toothpaste, face powder, and pigment for paints and soap.   By 1947, the quarry was producing 200 tons of stone per day. The Natural Bridge – a white marble geological formation, was described by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne who said: “The cave makes a fresh impression on me every time I visit it… so deep, so irregular, so gloomy, so stern.” Natural Bridge State Park - North Adams, Massachusetts