Massachusetts Trivia & Tidbits - Page 5

Looking for Massachusetts trivia? Try our list Massachusetts little know facts, tidbits and trivia.

Rebecca Lobo, who played high school basketball in Southwick (pop. 8,835), led an unbeaten University of Connecticut team to win the 1995 NCAA Championship. She was one of the Women's National Basketball Association's original players.

first appeared: 7/16/2006

On top of a commercial building on Centre Street in the Jamaica Plain section of Boston sits a weather vane shaped like a whale. The building once served as the state headquarters of the environmental organization Greenpeace.

first appeared: 7/2/2006

The tabby cat was made the official state cat in 1988 in response to the wishes of schoolchildren. The term "tabby," which often is mistakenly believed to be a breed, refers to the stripes, dots and swirling patterns of a cat's coat.

first appeared: 6/25/2006

"Say Hello to Someone from Massachusetts," by Lenny Gomulka, was adopted as the official polka of the commonwealth on Oct. 1, 1998.

first appeared: 6/4/2006

The schooner Fame, known for its heroic exploits during the War of 1812, originally was built as a fishing vessel. A full-scale replica of the schooner was launched in 2003 and is based at Pickering Wharf Marina in Salem (pop. 40,407).

first appeared: 5/21/2006

Harriet Hemenway of Boston, with her cousin Minna Hall, founded the Massachusetts Audubon Society in 1896. They wanted to protect birds that were being killed for their feathers, which were used at the time to decorate women's hats. The women convinced many of the city's elite to boycott the feathered hats.

first appeared: 5/14/2006

Although more than 30 communities in the original 13 Colonies eventually renamed themselves to honor Benjamin Franklin, the Bay State town of Franklin (pop. 29,560) was the first, changing its name in 1778.

first appeared: 4/23/2006

Norfolk County is the birthplace of four U.S. presidents: John Adams, John Quincy Adams, John Fitzgerald Kennedy and George Herbert Walker Bush.

first appeared: 4/9/2006

More than 550 original documents pertaining to the Salem witch trials of 1692 are preserved by the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem (pop. 40,407). Eerie memorabilia associated with the trials, such as "witch pins" used to examine alleged witches, are part of the collection.

first appeared: 3/26/2006

Deborah Samson of Plympton (pop. 2,637) fought in the American Revolution disguised as a man. Wounded in battle, Samson was awarded an honorable discharge for heroic service, but a pension was not provided until famed patriot Paul Revere interceded on her behalf by writing a letter to Congressman William Eustis.

first appeared: 3/12/2006

The "Pledge to the Flag" first appeared in the Boston-based Youth’s Companion in 1892 and was intended for schoolchildren to recite during activities commemorating the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ discovery of America. The recitation later became known as the "Pledge of Allegiance."

first appeared: 2/26/2006

The Paper House, made almost entirely of newspapers, stands in Rockport (pop. 7,767). Attached to the house’s standard wood frame is newspaper that has been covered with a waterproof varnish. Inside is furniture made from tightly wrapped 1920s-era newspapers, many of which remain readable.

first appeared: 2/12/2006

High atop Captain’s Hill in Duxbury (pop. 14,248) stands the Myles Standish Monument, a 116-foot granite shaft crowned by a 14-foot statue of Captain Myles Standish, military leader of the Plymouth Colony, founded in 1620.

first appeared: 1/29/2006

Beginning in the 1840s, Rockport (pop. 7,767) became a leader in the granite cutting trade. Today, granite outcrops can be seen at abandoned quarries in Halibut Point State Park, which contains 440 million-year-old granite.

first appeared: 1/15/2006

MISS MASSACHUSETTS 2006—Kristin Michelle Gauvin was named the New England Patriots’ Cheerleader of the Year and performed at the Super Bowl in 2004. She also graduated from Assumption College and was a Fulbright Scholar nominee.

first appeared: 1/8/2006

More than 300 years old, the Munroe Tavern in Lexington (pop. 30,355) served as a temporary headquarters and field hospital for British troops on the afternoon of April 19, 1775. It’s said that a bullet hole still visible in the tavern’s ceiling is evidence of the conduct of the uninvited guests.

first appeared: 1/1/2006

NEW HAMPSHIRE—Built in 1881, the Blacksmith Shop Bridge in Cornish (pop. 1,661) was so-named because of its close proximity to a local farrier’s shop. It is one of more than 50 covered bridges in the Granite State.

first appeared: 1/1/2006

The Revolutionary War era comes to life along Boston’s Freedom Trail, a 2.5-mile walking route that connects 16 historic landmarks related to the nation’s fight for independence. The trail begins at Boston Common, wanders through the historic North End and ends at Old Ironsides.

first appeared: 12/18/2005

The mayflower (Epigaea repens) is the state flower of the commonwealth. Also known as the trailing arbutus and gravel plant, the wildflower blooms in early spring and is protected by a state law as an endangered species.

first appeared: 12/4/2005

Brockton native Rocky Marciano won the world heavyweight boxing title in a bout with Jersey Joe Walcott in 1952, and went on to defend it six times. He won an unprecedented 49 consecutive fights, 43 by knockouts.

first appeared: 11/20/2005

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