Blog: Local History

140th Celebration for the Converse Memorial Building and the Malden Public Library 10.8.25

Posted on by Cait Quinn

Come and celebrate the Malden Public Library’s 140th birthday on October 8 from 6-8pm! It will be a fun evening of music, history, reading, and food. From 6-7 will be a concert and talk titled “The Life and Music of Mary Parker Converse” in collaboration with Nightingale Vocal Ensemble. From 7:00-7:30 will be a “Read-A-Thon” where staff will read speeches and poetry from the 1885 dedication ceremony of the Converse Memorial Building. From 7:30-8:00 will be a reception for socializing, snacking, and enjoying the visual art on display at the library.

Mind Your Business! A Local History Game

Posted on by Katie Walsh
TONIGHT! Malden Public Library and Malden Chamber of Commerce is hosting ‘Mind Your Business: a logo guessing game’ on August 11, 6-8pm, in the library’s historic Converse Memorial Building. Participants will guess edited logos of local businesses for a chance to win prizes! It will be a fun night, so be sure to register using the QR code, or at: bit.ly/lh-myb
This is a recreation of a game that Mary Caroline (Parker) Converse devised in 1896. On December 31st of the same year, Malden Evening News describes the event: “Mrs. Converse had prepared a large number of popular advertisements, such as are seen in newspapers and in street cars, and had omitted the advertiser’s name. The game was to guess the advertiser.” She hosted this game for her Malden High School peers with whom she graduated four years earlier.
Converse had varied interests. In addition to creating the clever game mentioned above, she was a sea captain and composer. Her nautical passion began in her early adult years when she and her husband, Harry Converse (son of Elisha Converse), would sail on their personal ship, Penelope. She would pursue this further to become the first woman awarded a government issued ship navigating license and the first woman commissioned by the United States Merchant Marine.
Mary Parker Converse was also one of Malden’s notable musicians. She was a vocalist, pianist, and composer, and, in January of 1910, she demonstrated all three of these talents in one performance. Converse sang (while accompanying herself on piano) her ‘Wonder Songs’ for an audience in Boston. ‘Wonder Songs’ is a collection of tunes for children. The score is unique in that it is illustrated, much like a children’s book. She was involved with several other local concerts and served on the ‘Committee on Musical Exercises’ for Malden’s 250th anniversary celebration.
Please join us in celebrating Malden’s rich history and industry in this fun game on August 11, 6-8pm, at the Malden Public Library!

Closed for Juneteenth 6.19.25

Posted on by Cait Quinn

The Malden Library will be closed this Thursday June 19th, in honor of Juneteenth. We reopen again for Friday from 9-6pm and then Saturday from 9-1pm with the start of our summer Saturday hours. While we are closed feel free to enjoy the Malden Juneteenth Festival. And if you would rather stay in and avoid the heat, check out our online database ProQuest: Black Freedom Struggle for some really interesting topics on the African American experience in the United States.

And speaking of Juneteenth…here is a little history you might find fascinating…

Juneteenth is a federal holiday in the United States. It is celebrated annually on June 19 to commemorate the ending of slavery in the United States. William Shiloh was one of many former enslaved men and women that came north after freedom to make a new life in Malden.

William Shiloh was owner of Shiloh & Company, a barbershop on the south side of Pleasant Street. The business was listed in city directories as early as 1857. William was succeeded by his son, C. D. Shiloh, who was a photographer and architect.

According to An Early History of Malden, William Shiloh was working at his shop on the day of the bank robbery and murder of Frank Converse in 1863. William provided Franks’ father Elisha Converse a list of everyone he saw who entered and exited the bank the day of the murder. He was thanked by the family and records indicate that Elisha Converse built Shiloh and his family a house on Walnut Street, an area later known as Shiloh’s Hill.

A poem “Shiloh & Co.” was written by John Holland and published in the Star Streaks in 1870.

“What numerous barbers arrive in our town.
The first raise their pole and they next take it down.
Because there’s no man can successfully go,
And hold out his own against Shiloh & Co.;
For who can a razor so tastefully strap,
Or frizz up the curls on a dandified chap.”

“Let me of all nations in Malden unite.
To Do up the thing that is perfectly right.
Raise a shout that shall bring down the mountain
echo,
For Colfax and Grant, and for Shiloh & Co.
Their weapons are peerless in peace or in war,
And when there’s no fighting time they tune the guitar’
And the music they play makes our rooster birds crow,
Tis “The Star Spangled Banner” and Shiloh & Co.”

 

Summer Hours Start Saturday June 21st! Saturdays 9-1pm

Posted on by Cait Quinn

Summer is back! And this year we are open on Saturday. Starting Saturday, June 21st the library will open from 9am-1pm. This will give you and your family time to stop by and pick up your beach reads, audio books for the long car ride, or movies for a rainy weekend. For the rest of the week our hours will be the same, and packed with lots of summer reading special events. Check out our calendar to see what is going on! And don’t forget to sign up on Beanstack to log your reading minutes!

Industry in Converse Sq.: A walking tour

Posted on by Cait Quinn

Lace up your Chuck Taylors, grab a bottle of water, and get ready to learn about the cool and interesting history of our city. Local History at the Malden Public Library is excited to announce a free walking tour! Welcome in Spring by getting outdoors and exploring Malden’s rich industrial history in a guided tour put on by local history librarian, Phillip Wright. The tour is about a mile, and it begins and ends at Malden Public Library’s historic Converse Memorial Building.

There are two sessions:

May 13th (Tuesday) from 5-7pm Sign up here

May 15th (Thursday) from 10am-12pm. Sign up here

Registration is required.
Sign up using the links. You can also register by calling the library at (781) 324-0218.

Saturday, April 12 @ 3pm: The Life, Music, and Mystery of Connie Converse

Posted on by Katie Walsh
Attention, music aficionados and local history buffs! Join us in welcoming author Howard Fishman as he talks about his new book, “To Anyone Who Ever Asks: The Life, Music, and Mystery of Connie Converse,” this Saturday at 3pm in the Maccario room.
Connie Converse (a distant relative of Malden’s Converse family) was a 20th century singer-songwriter and activist, considered by some to be a precursor to Bob Dylan. However, she disappeared in 1974 and her music nearly fell into complete obscurity. This Saturday, come learn how, decades later, fans of her music have worked to revive her legacy and her story.
Registration is suggested, you can do so HERE!

Local History Trivia Night 1.13.25

Posted on by Cait Quinn

Join Local History Library and quizmaster, Phillip Wright, when he tests your Malden knowledge at this fun and illuminating trivia night. Prizes will be awarded as will local bragging rights to all those who can answer the most who, what, when, and wheres of Malden history. This event starts at 6pm on Monday, January 13th in the historic local history room of the Converse Memorial Building. This event is for single competitors and champions. No teams. And we will award prizes. Please kindly preregister at this link: bit.ly/lh-trivia

Growing Up in Malden – A Memoir Marathon

Posted on by Katie Walsh

Calling all readers, writers and history lovers. In honor of Malden’s 375th Anniversary, join us on Thursday, September 5 at the Malden Public Library for a marathon reading of Malden’s best published memoirs. We will be collectively reading aloud works of personal storytelling in two sessions – 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. (daytime) and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. (evening). Aspiring memoir writers are invited to share short excerpts from their own stories of childhood and teenage years. Or simple come to be inspired to begin to write your own story.

Works we will read aloud include: Childhood in the Old Parsonage by Darius Cobb, Linden on the Saugus Branch by Elliot Paul, Back Then: One Family’s Way of Life in the 1930’s and the 1940’s by John Bowman, Delightful Yesterdays by Emma Fall Schofield, and Monkey Corner: Life on the Outside Looking In by Jerry (Rocky) Romano.

Memoirs also have historical value. They provide insight into world events from the author’s perspective and allow us to understand what a person felt in a given time period. This event is part of the City of Malden’s 375th celebration, a year-long program that honors the rich history, vibrant culture, and resilient spirit of our City. Check out other upcoming 375th events at https://www.cityofmalden.org/1041/Maldens-375th-Anniversary-Page

For more information, contact the Library at 781-324-0218. Light refreshments will be served.

Introducing our Civic Ancestors: A Virtual Cemetery Tour 5.20.24

Posted on by Cait Quinn

On Monday May 20th at 7pm, join us for a virtual cemetery tour featuring Malden’s Civic Ancestors. This is a Zoom lecture with Historian Dee Morris who will explore Malden’s civic history through the lens of their final resting place. This is a hybrid event and will held virtually via Zoom and in person in the Library’s Maccario room .  You can join us in person for the presentation or watch from home. Registration is required for a Zoom link, so please sign up here: Registration Link. If you need assistance registering call the library at 781-324-0218 or stop by the Information desk.

Researching African American Genealogy with Genealogist Melanie McComb 2.13.24

Posted on by Cait Quinn

This event is postponed due to weather.

Tuesday, February 13th at 6:30 pm join us for a lecture and Q&A about researching African American genealogy. This will be a hybrid event: you can either join us in the Maccario for a live stream with a moderated question and answer period, or join us from home via Zoom and ask your questions in the chat. We are really looking forward to learning more about the tools available to people researching their ancestry. This should be a fascinating and informative event for all members of the community. So please join us! Registration is required, please use the link here: bit.ly/AAGenealogyMPL

All registered participants (whether in person or online) will receive a recording of the program via email after the program concludes.

Getting Started in African American Genealogy 

Researching African American ancestors can be challenging, especially when trying to break through the 1870 brick wall to discover more about ancestors prior to the end of slavery. In this presentation, Genealogist Melanie McComb will discuss go-to records and demonstrate creative search strategies for piecing together your family history.

Melanie McComb, Senior Genealogist, assists library visitors, both on-site and online, with their family history research. She is an international lecturer who teaches on a variety of topics. Melanie holds a B.S. degree from the State University of New York at Oswego. She previously served as the social media coordinator for the NextGen Genealogy Network, a non-profit that creates a community for younger genealogists, where she managed the Facebook and Twitter accounts. She continues her interest in helping younger genealogists get involved at American Ancestors by assisting with educational programs from local schools, scout groups, and universities. Her areas of expertise include Irish genealogy, DNA, Atlantic Canada, Jewish genealogy, and military records.