Articles by Steven Gilchrist

Brockton, MA. - On March 10, 1941 the Strand Theatre in Brockton, Massachusetts was destroyed by a fire. The cause of the fire is still unknown.  Thirteen Brockton firefighters died in the Strand Theatre fire. Their names are inscribed on the Brockton Fighters Strand Theatre Fire Memorial outside of Brockton city hall. Brockton Firefighters Memorial The names of the thirteen firefighters are inscribed in gold on the front of a granite memorial.  The memorial was dedicated on May 10, 2008. For more information about the Memorial visit Skylight Studios: Brockton Firefighters Strand Theatre Fire Memorial – Skylight Studios, Inc. (skylightstudiosinc.com)

Frank Grant plaque - Williamstown, MA. Williamstown, MA. - Ulysses Franklin "Frank" Grant was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts on August 1, 1865. Grant was considered to be one of the best African American baseball players of the 19th century. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Grant was one of the most influential baseball players in the early Negro Leagues. In 2006, Grant was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. There is a plaque dedicated to Frank Grant in Williamstown, Massachusetts, where he lived with his family for several years.

SAN FRANCISO, C.A. - Phoebe Apperson Hearst (December 3, 1842 - April 13, 1919) was born in St. Clair, Missouri. Hearst was a philanthropist and suffragist. Her husband, George Hearst, was a U.S. senator. Throughout Phoebe Hearst's life she advocated for various social causes. She was the founder of the University of California Museum of Anthropology and the co-founder of the National Parent-Teacher Association. Phoebe Hearst was also the first woman to serve as a regent for the University of California, Berkeley.  Hearst Fountain - San Francisco, CA There is a memorial dedicated to Phoebe Hearst at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. The Phoebe Hearst Fountain is located in front of the California Academy of Sciences.

Boston, MA. - Known as the "Father of the American Navy" John Barry (March 25, 1745 - September 13, 1803) was born in Wexford, Ireland.  On December 7, 1775, Barry was selected as a captain in the Continental Navy.  He was the first captain appointed to command a United States warship commissioned under the Continental flag.  John Barry plaque - Boston, MA. In 1797, Barry was selected as the first commissioned United States naval officer. He was granted the rank of commodore by President George Washington. During his 13-year naval career, Barry commanded the following U.S. warships: Alliance,  Delaware, Lexington, Raleigh, and United States.  Barry died at the age of 58 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There is a plaque dedicated to John Barry located on the Boston Common in Boston, Massachusetts.

Boston, MA. - On June 4, 1979, Proclamation 4664 was issued by President Jimmy Carter. This Presidential Proclamation established National POW/MIA Recognition Day. This day of recognition honors American service members who were imprisoned and returned and also those who remain unaccounted for from military conflicts. POW/MIA plaque & seat, MA State House Last year, National POW/MIA Recognition Day was held on September 16, 2021. In paying tribute to American service members who are still missing, President Joe Biden said: "On National POW/MIA Recognition Day, we remember the debt we owe to them and to their families. We pay tribute to our former prisoners of war and recommit to the difficult but essential task of seeking out answers for the families of those still missing. We will always remember and honor our Nation's prisoners of war and those still missing in action, and keep faith with our promise as a Nation to bring all of our heroes home."  At the Massachusett...

Frances Slanger plaque - MA State House   Boston, MA. - In Nurses Hall at the Massachusetts State House there is a plaque dedicated to Frances Y. Slanger - a nurse who served during World War II. Born in Poland in 1913, Slanger emigrated to Boston, Massachusetts with her family in 1920. Slanger eventually became a nurse serving as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps. Slanger served in the 45th Field Hospital unit in Normandy after the D-Day invasions. She died as a result of artillery fire. She was the first American nurse killed in action after the D-Day invasions. After her death, Slanger was awarded the Purple Heart medal.

USS Massachusetts Memorial Committee display. Fall River, MA. -  September 11, 2021, marked the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks that occurred in New York City, Washington,  D.C., and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The 9/11 attacks were the deadliest terrorist act in world history. The attacks took the lives of 2,977 people who represented 78 countries. More than 6,000 people were injured in the attacks. The victims of the attacks ranged from ages 2 to 85 years old. In Fall River, Massachusetts, there is a memorial dedicated to the 94 Massachusetts residents who died from the September 11th terrorist attacks. In 2002, the Memorial was established by legislation signed by then-Massachusetts Governor Jane Swift. Massachusetts State Representative Robert Correia of Fall River sponsored the legislation to create the Memorial.  Massachusetts victims of 9/11/2001 There is a quote from a statement delivered by U.S. president George W. Bush on the day of the 9/11 attac...

Boston, MA. - Henry Cabot Lodge, Sr. (May 12, 1850 - November 9, 1924) was an American historian and politician from Massachusetts. During his time as an elected official, Lodge served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, U.S. Congress, and he also served as a U.S. Senator from 1893 until his death in 1924. Henry Cabot Lodge statue - Boston, MA. Henry Cabot Lodge bust - Boston, MA. There is a statue dedicated to Lodge outside of the Massachusetts State House. There is an inscription on the bottom of the statue which reads: "To Henry Cabot Lodge: 1850 - 1924, statesman and scholar, whose leadership was of lasting service to his countrymen." There is also a bust of Henry Cabot Lodge inside of the Massachusetts State House.

Boston, MA. - At the Massachusetts State House there is a memorial dedicated to the crewmembers of landing ship tanks that were used during the 20th Century. The landing ships used in different parts of the world were the largest ocean going amphibious vessels to land artillery, supplies, troops, and vehicles onto enemy held beaches in every major conflict. Part of the plaque in the State House reads:  "Landing Ship Tank Memorial: Dedicated to the  Navy and Coast Guard men of Massachusetts who manned landing ship tanks during World War II, and the Korean and Vietnam Conflicts." The memorial was dedicated on February 13, 2001 by the Massachusetts Chapter of the United States Landing Ship Tank Association. Landing Ship Tank Memorial - Boston, MA.

Boston, MA. - At the Massachusetts State House there is a plaque dedicated to Jeremiah O'Brien an American naval officer. O'Brien (1744 - 1818) was born in Kittery, a province of Massachusetts Bay Colony. O'Brien was a Captain for the colonists in the first naval conflict during the American Revolution. He was also the first regularly commissioned naval officer and commander of the Revolutionary Navy of Massachusetts. Jeremiah O'Brien plaque - Massachusetts State House

Portland, ME. – At 78 acres the Eastern Promenade is the largest developed park in Portland, Maine. The Promenade was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and John Olmsted. The Promenade includes a community garden, a multi-use trail, and scenic views of the Casco Bay. Another feature of the Eastern Promenade is a memorial dedicated to Corporal Jacob Cousins. Cousins, who was an Army soldier, died on October 14, 1918 less than a month before the conclusion of World War I. During World War I, approximately 250,000 Jewish soldiers served in the United States military. 3,500 of the Jewish soldiers who served died in the war. Jacob Cousins bronze plaque - Portland, ME. The boulder memorial dedicated to Cousins includes a bronze plaque which reads: “This boulder erected by the Jacob Cousins Post No. 99 Portland, Maine of the Jewish War Veterans of the United States to the memory of Corporal Jacob Cousins Company C who was killed in action at Meuse-Argonne, France on October 14, 1918. He w...

Monterey, CA. –  Don Gaspar de Portolá (1716 – 1786) was a soldier and explorer from Spain. He led expeditions in the 1760’s & 1770’s in what is now modern-day California. During one of his expeditions to California, Portolá’s sailing crew became the first known Europeans to view and record San Francisco Bay. Portolá’s travels along the California coastline led to the establishments of San Diego and Monterey. In Monterey, there is a monument dedicated to Gaspar de Portolá. The monument reads: “Captain Don Gaspar de Portolá of the Army of King Carlos III of Spain. First Governor of California, 1768 — 1770. With Father Junipero Serra founded Monterey on June 3, 1770. Donated by H.M. King Juan Carlos I of Spain to the city of Monterey on the Bicentennial of the United States of America. Fausto Blazquez – Sculptor. Rededicated by H.M. King Juan Carlos I of Spain. October 3, 1987.” Don Gaspar de Portolá 

Puerto Rican Veterans Memorial - Boston, MA. Boston, MA. – Located in the south end section of Boston, the Puerto Rican Veterans Memorial is dedicated to all Puerto Rican veterans who have served in the United States military. The memorial site and sculptures were created by Robert Shure and Skylight Studios, Inc. The focal point of the memorial is a statue of two soldiers. One soldier is wearing a contemporary Army combat uniform and the other soldier is wearing a desert camouflage uniform. At the base of the statue it reads: “La libertad no es gratis,” which means in English: “Freedom is not free.” In addition to the statue of the two soldiers, the memorial includes a bust of Roberto Clemente and a Purple Heart Monument. Roberto Clemente was a U.S. Marine Corps reservist and the first Latin American to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. One section of the Memorial reads: “In honor of all Puerto Rican Veterans who have served our country: In 1999, Boston’s ...

George Frisbie Hoar statue - Boston, MA. Boston, MA. – George Frisbie Hoar (1826 – 1904) was a well-known American political figure during the 19 th century. During his time in elected office, Hoar was on the forefront of several contemporary social issues. Hoar was born in Concord, Massachusetts. In 1846, he graduated from Harvard University and in 1849 he graduated from Harvard Law School. After completing law school, Hoar went on to run for elected office. Eventually, he would serve in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and the Massachusetts Senate. Later, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for four terms and the U.S. Senate from 1877 – 1904. In 1865, Hoar was one of the co-founders of the Worcester County Free Institute of Industrial Science – which eventually became the Worcester Polytechnic Institute.   In addition to writing the Presidential Succession Act of 1886, Hoar was an advocate for the inclusion of African Americans and Nativ...

Theodore Roosevelt bust by Gutzon Borglum. Boston, MA. – In the State Library at the Massachusetts State House there is a sculpture of Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. (1858 – 1919), who served as the 26 th President of the United States. Roosevelt was born in Manhattan, New York City. In addition to serving as president from 1901 – 1909, Roosevelt served as Vice President of the United States, Governor of New York, and Assistant Secretary of the US Navy. The bronze bust of Roosevelt was sculpted in 1919 by John Gutzon de la Mothe Borglum. Borglum is best known for designing the Mount Rushmore National Memorial in Keystone, South Dakota. On the bottom of the Roosevelt sculpture it reads: Theodore Roosevelt (1858 – 1919). 26 th President of the United States. Nobel Peace Prize Recipient, Environmentalist. “It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.” Sculpted by Gutzon Borglum (1867 – 1941).

Florence, MA. – Sojourner Truth, born Isabella (Belle) Baumfree (c. 1797 – 1883), was a prominent abolitionist, public speaker, and women’s rights activist.   Truth was born a slave in Swartekill, New York.   In 1826, Truth escaped enslavement from John Dumont of Nest Park, New York and she eventually lived at the home of Isaac and Maria Van Wagenen of New Paltz, New York.   Truth resided at the Van Wagenen home until 1827, the year in which the New York State Emancipation Act was approved.   In 1844, Truth joined the Northampton Association of Education and Industry in Northampton, Massachusetts. Although Truth was unable to read or write, she was able to dictate her life’s story to one of her neighbor’s in Florence, Massachusetts.   In 1850, abolitionist and journalist William Lloyd Garrison privately published her book titled: The Narrative of Sojourner Truth: a Northern Slave .   Also in 1850, Truth purchased a home in the area of what would event...

Goethe-Schiller Monument - Golden Gate Park San Francisco, CA. – The Goethe-Schiller Monument is located at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California.   Dedicated on August 11, 1901, the Goethe-Schiller Monument in San Francisco is a replica of the original Goethe-Schiller Monument which was built in 1857 in Weimar, Germany.   There are three other replicas of the monument in the United States, located in: Cleveland, Ohio (1907); Milwaukee, Wisconsin (1908), and Syracuse, New York (1911). The original Goethe-Schiller Monument was sculpted by Ernst Rietschel.   The bronze statue depicts Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) and Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (1759–1805).   In the monument, Goethe is standing on the left and Schiller is on the right.   Both Goethe and Schiller lived in Weimar, Germany.   Goethe was a well-known writer, who published memoirs and novels.   Schiller was a poet, philosopher, physician, and playw...

Plymouth, MA. – On South Spooner Street in Plymouth, Massachusetts there is a memorial dedicated to the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks.  The memorial, which was created by former town of Plymouth Selectman Dicky Quintal, displays all of the names of the nearly 3,000 people who died as a result of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.  The center of the memorial has 8 granite blocks.  There is also a 10-foot beam from the wreckage of the World Trade Center towers.  Plymouth, MA 9/11 Memorial In addition to the names of those who died on 9/11, there inspirational quotes inscribed in the front of the memorial. One of the quotes is from U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt: “If civilization is to survive, we must cultivate the science of human relationships – the ability of all peoples, of all kinds, to live together in the same world at peace.” A steel beam from one of the WTC towers. Another quote from former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani read...

Korean War Memorial by Robert Shure & Moisey Altshuler. Boston, MA. – The Massachusetts Korean War Veterans Memorial commemorates the U.S. service members from Massachusetts who served during the Korean War.  Built in 1993 by sculptors Robert Shure and Moisey Altshuler, the memorial is located in the Charlestown Navy Yard.  The memorial contains a 9-foot bronze statue of a soldier surrounded on five sides by six columns.  Each of the six columns have the names of Korean war veterans engraved on bronze plaques.  Above the columns are the names of battles that occurred during the Korean War including: Chosin Reservoir, Hamhung, Inchon, Kapyong, Kumwha, Mig Alley, Pusan perimeter, Seoul, Wonju, Yalu River, and Yongdungpo. On one section of the memorial there is a quote which reads: “Dedicated to all the men and women who served their country during the Korean War: 25 June 1950 – 31 January 1955.  A quote from Dr. San Seek Park, the former Amb...

Boston, MA.  —   Mary Dyer (1611–1660) was a Quaker known for her commitment to her religious viewpoints.   She became a martyr after being hanged in Boston, Massachusetts on June 1, 1660.   Dyer was born in England but left with her husband William to seek religious freedom.   Mary and William Dyer arrived in Boston in 1635.   While living in Massachusetts Bay Colony, Mary Dyer defied a banishment order placed on her from colony leaders.   Puritan leaders within the colony did not agree with the Quaker religious philosophy.   This disagreement led the Puritans to make laws against Quaker religious practices.   On the day that she was executed, Dyer was asked to renounce beliefs in order to save her life.  Dyer refused to renounce her beliefs.  Before her death she said: “Nay, I came to keep bloodguiltiness from you, desiring you to repeal the unrighteous and unjust law of banishment upon pain of death, made against the inno...