Around Town

Get a Free Bike Check Up, Safety Tips & Info on Routes

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The following information was provided by Live Well Watertown:

NOTE: This event is postponed to the rain date on Saturday, June 17, 2023. Dig your bike out of the basement, garage, or shed and bring it down for a free mini bike/safety check-up with Urban AdvenTours! Meet representatives from Live Well Watertown, Watertown’s Bicycle & Pedestrian Committee, and the Watertown Transportation Management Association (WTMA) on Saturday, May 20, 2023, from 1:00 – 3:00 pm (Rain date 6/17) at Watertown Square Dock, Charles River Rd at the Galen St. Bridge. Learn about Watertown’s healthy living programs, advocacy efforts, and active transportation initiatives.

Around Town

Celebration of Spring Herring Run at Watertown Dam

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The Charles River Watershed Association will celebrate the migration of herring up the Charles River in Watertown on Wednesday. The Spring Herring Run Celebration will be held on May 17 at 6 p.m. at the Watertown Dam. The CRWA sent out the following announcement:

Did you know, each Spring, thousands of migratory fish return to spawn in the lakes, ponds, and tributaries of our river? Join us for a short walk along the Charles River to witness this extraordinary migration + learn why we advocate for the removal of Watertown Dam to restore the ecosystem. Join us for a short walk along the Charles River to witness this extraordinary migration and learn why we advocate for the removal of Watertown Dam to restore the ecosystem. Speakers include River Science & Restoration Program Manager Lisa Kumpf, Climate Resilience Specialist Robert Kearns, and Hartman Deetz of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe.

Around Town

Our History: Society Works on Veterans’ Grave Registration Project

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Helen Learned’s gravestone in Common St. Cemetery (Photo courtesy of Joyce Kelly)

This article is part of a series on local history provided by the Historical Society of Watertown. It was written by Joyce Kelly, Board member of the Historical Society of Watertown. Joyce writes articles for the newsletter and is the newsletter editor. This was published in our April 2011 newsletter, “The Town Crier.”

In the early 1930s, the American Legion veteran’s organization launched an effort to identify the gravesite of every deceased veteran buried in the United States and create a permanent record.

Around Town

Final Part of Civil War Nurses of Mount Auburn Cemetery Features 3 Women

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Anne Kendall Freitag

By Bill McEvoy

In honor of National Nurses Week, local historian Bill McEvoy has compiled histories of some of the Civil War nurses who are buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery. This is part seven of seven. Annie Frances Kendall Freitag:

Annie Frances Kendall Freitag was born in Boston on May 4, 1830. She was the daughter of Abel and Anne Mayo Richards Kendall. In 1856, Abel committed suicide, by hanging himself, in the attic of their Somerset Street home in Boston. His death notice stated that he was depressed and was losing his hearing.

Around Town

Armenian Memorial Church Hosting Fair, Portion of Proceeds Going to Syria Earthquake Relief

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The Armenian Memorial Church of Watertown will hold its Annual Fair on Friday, May 19, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday, May 20, from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. (rain or shine). Both days, the Church will be serving its delicious kebab dinners and exquisite desserts. Visitors will have two days to enjoy the fabulous Armenian beef, chicken and losh (ground meat) kebab dinners complete with sauce, rice pilaf, salad and pita bread. The selection will also include meatless meals. Visitors may enjoy eating at tables under the tent or may purchase take-out orders if they prefer.

Around Town

Civil War Nurses of Mount Auburn Cemetery: Harriet Ann Jacobs

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Harriet Ann Jacobs

By Bill McEvoy

In honor of National Nurses Week, local historian Bill McEvoy has compiled histories of some of the Civil War nurses who are buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery. This is part six of seven. Harriet Ann Jacobs was born into slavery, on February 11, 1813, in Edenton, North Carolina. She died on March 7, 1897, in Washington, D.C. Raised in Edenton, Harriet, and her brother, John Jacobs were born to Delilah Horniblow and Elijah Knox, a carpenter. Harriet recalled a happy early childhood. 

In her book, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, available as a free download on Google Books, she noted: We lived together in a comfortable home; and though we were all slaves, I was so fondly shielded that I never dreamed I was a piece of merchandise.