Connecting to Newton's Past

My name is Allison Carter and I will be contributing a weekly column to the Newton Patch, "Then and Now." As an historian and a longtime Boston-area resident, I am proud to write about the history of Newton.

I earned my B.A. in History at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2003 and my M.A. in History at Northeastern University in 2007. For over two years I have served as Museum Educator for Historic Newton, which is housed at the Jackson Homestead and Museum. Over the course of my career, I have worked in a variety of settings, from National Park Service sites to small historic house museums.

I love history, and I believe local history has the power to engage people in a way that is so much more tangible than grand stories of our forefathers and epic histories of wars (although those subjects are important, too); loca history offers the opportunity to connect our lives to the larger story of our national past.

From the Native Americans who inhabited our region to modern times, this column will span the known course of history in Newton. History is part of our lives in ways that we may not be able to notice. Remnants of our past are all around us, weaved into the fabric of our everyday lives. While many consider history to be irrelevant, I believe that it matters to us all because every one of us makes history everyday, even if we do not realize it.

Just ask a Newton senior if they remember Norumbega Park and you will discover a world of entertainment and sophistication unparalleled in scale by anything in the city today. As teenagers dancing in the Totem Pole Ballroom, many Newtonians of the 1940s and 50s would never imagine that their experiences there would one day be history, and that the grounds on which they walked would be occupied by a hotel. One can never know what the future will bring, but the past will always be there as a reminder of times gone by and a guide for future decision making.

I welcome your questions, comments, and suggestions about topics to include in the column. Though I am steeped in Newton's history through my everyday work, there is no substitute for the knowledge of longtime residents. Oral histories are critical parts of the historical record, and I view community input as an invaluable resource. I will do my best to respond to the interests and comments of readers.

In this column, I hope to make real connections to the past for everyone who knows Newton, and I hope that Patch readers will enjoy it.