Woburn Historical Society
BURDETT MANSION
Home of
Woburn Historical Society
7 Mishawum Road
PO Box 91
Woburn, MA 01801
781.933.5002
Info@WoburnHistoricalSociety.com
* * * * * * * * * *
OFFICE HOURS:
Mondays and Wednesdays
10 am to 2 pm
Saturdays
10 am to 12 pm
As the Woburn Historical Society approaches its
20th anniversary in 2026,
we proudly recognize
John and Kathy Flaherty
for their unwavering support since our founding in 2006.
Their generosity has
sustained our mission, provided the Society with a home in the Burdett Mansion since 2010, and enriched the City of Woburn through their continued philanthropy.
The Society is extremely grateful to be a recipient of a
Cummings Foundation Grant
SPONSORS
George's Auto Body of Woburn
Lynch-Cantillon Funeral Home
J. Mulkerin Realty
J. Sallese & Sons, Inc.
BENEFACTORS
Kiwanis Club of Woburn
Lawton Real Estate, Inc.
Little Folks Day School
Christine Lojko
Rotary Club of Woburn
SUPPORTERS
Rose L. Blake
Concannon Family
Joanne Conway
Kevin J. Greeley
Mike and Judy Kelley
Andrew Lipsett
Marie Leen
Kathleen McCarthy
Rob and Candice McCulloch
Edmund McGrath & Family
Jim and Joan McPartlin
Meg Meaney
Ashley Serveiss
Welcome to the Woburn Historical Society
Monday, December 8th at 7:00 PM
Woburn Memorial High School
Big Band Swing PowerPoint w/Music Clips
John Clark from The Great American Music Experience will present a dynamic PowerPoint with music clips. The Big Band era officially started in the summer of 1935 but the transition from hot jazz and Dixieland had begun much earlier in the decade. We’ll trace the roots of Big Band music, including the back story of the King of Swing himself, Benny Goodman. Then you’ll hear Benny’s hits like Goody, Goody, Taking a Chance on Love and the historic Carnegie Hall performance of Sing, Sing, Sing! You’ll also be treated to live performances of Goodman vocalists Martha Tilton and Peggy Lee. The last third of the program will be devoted to the most popular bandleader of this period, Glenn Miller with 22 chart-topping songs from 1939-1943. You’ll understand the origins of the unmistakable Glenn Miller sound heard clearly in his theme song, Moonlight Serenade. You’ll see live performances of two of his biggest hits, Chattanooga Choo Choo and In the Mood. There’s even footage of Glenn leading the 50-piece Army Air Force Band in the summer of 1944, just months before he boarded the flight to France that took his life. For ten years orchestral jazz became America’s popular music and you’re invited to wax nostalgic as you learn about two of its biggest stars. The program is free and open to the public.
WHS YouTube Channel
WHS YouTube Channel
As part of the Woburn Historical Society's 15th Anniversary, we created the
Woburn Historical Society YouTube Channel
where you can watch our past programs, PowerPoint presentations and award-winning DVDs,
on-demand and at your convenience.
Make sure to subscribe to our Channel so you won't miss any new uploads!
More videos will be added periodically.
VIDEOS
VIDEOS
Visit The Woburn Historical Society's YouTube Channel
Click on the button below the video you'd like to watch to be taken to that particular video.
Visit The Woburn Historical Society's YouTube Channel
Click on the button below the video you'd like to watch to be taken to that particular video.
Back to School
Back to School
September 2009
1:14:59
September 2009
1:14:59
The Gelly: 97 Years of Atlantic Gelatin
The Gelly: 97 Years of Atlantic Gelatin
September 2016
0:49:51
September 2016
0:49:51
A documentary about the Atlantic Gelatin Co., one of the areas largest employers for people living in the Woburn, Winchester and Stoneham, MA area. A nostalgic look back at the humble beginnings and the changes to personnel and plant equipment highlights a time when the company was considered the worlds largest supplier of gelatin.
The History of
Howard Johnson's
The History of
Howard Johnson's
November 2014
1:06:20
November 2014
1:06:20
A History of the Woburn Fire Department
Part 1
A History of the Woburn Fire Department
Part 1
April 2010
0:53:36
April 2010
0:53:36
A dynamic film on the history of the Woburn Fire Department, promises to be an eye-opening look at an institution that has unflinchingly served our City. Archival photos, first-person interviews and historical records trace the department’s roots and chronicle the changes in what it means to be a firefighter today.
A History of the Woburn Fire Department
Part 2
A History of the Woburn Fire Department
Part 2
April 2010
1:05:55
April 2010
1:05:55
A dynamic film on the history of the Woburn Fire Department, promises to be an eye-opening look at an institution that has unflinchingly served our City. Archival photos, first-person interviews and historical records trace the department’s roots and chronicle the changes in what it means to be a firefighter today.
A History of the Woburn Police Department: To Serve and Protect
Part 1
A History of the Woburn Police Department: To Serve and Protect
Part 1
June 2008
1:04:22
June 2008
1:04:22
The history of the Woburn Police Department from its inception in 1848 to 2008, using a combination of archival photographs and city records along with interviews of retired officers. Retired Chief Philip Mahoney and former Mayor Thomas McLaughlin, a retired Lt. Colonel in the State Police, were also interviewed.
A History of the Woburn Police Department: To Serve and Protect
Part 2
A History of the Woburn Police Department: To Serve and Protect
Part 2
June 2008
0:49:34
June 2008
0:49:34
In the Cause of Liberty: Woburn in the Civil War
In the Cause of Liberty: Woburn in the Civil War
December 2013
1:36:25
December 2013
1:36:25
This film chronicles the lives of Woburn soldiers and the battles they were in; Gettysburg, Weldon Railroad, Petersburg, etc., made in collaboration with the Trustees and contributions of the Woburn Public Library, with additional historical contributions by Leon Basile.
A TELLY AWARD
WINNING FILM
The Middlesex Canal: Woburn's First Interstate
The Middlesex Canal: Woburn's First Interstate
February 2012
1:20:45
February 2012
1:20:45
Old Ironsides:
Our National Treasure
Old Ironsides:
Our National Treasure
October 2014
1:02:46
October 2014
1:02:46
This film depicts the USS Constitution’s role and Woburn’s participation in the War of 1812. The film features an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the ship arranged by Woburn resident, Petty Officer Mark Comeiro.
Photo courtesy of the
USS Constitution Museum Collection
Play Ball!
Woburn Baseball during the 1860s to 1960s
Play Ball!
Woburn Baseball during the 1860s to 1960s
June 2011
1:23:19
June 2011
1:23:19
Learn how Woburn’s children caught the spirit of baseball as it became ingrained in the life and culture of our City through early high school teams, City leagues, PONY league, American Legion league, and the start of Little League in 1952.
Photo of the North Woburn Tigers courtesy of the Ferullo Family
Preserving Woburn's Past Using Ground Penetrating Radar
Preserving Woburn's Past Using Ground Penetrating Radar
May 2017
0:16:42
May 2017
0:16:42
The First Burial Ground (1642-1749) is hallowed ground that houses the final resting place of Woburn's early settlers, military heroes, church leaders and oldest families. The Woburn Historical Society documented 249 remaining gravestones in 2017, and with the use of Ground Penetrating Radar, another 430 unmarked graves were located.
Rag Rock to Okinowa:
A Memoir from
Robert L. Martin
Rag Rock to Okinowa:
A Memoir from
Robert L. Martin
May 2014
1:18:22
May 2014
1:18:22
Silent Film Fest
with Live Piano Accompaniment
Silent Film Fest
with Live Piano Accompaniment
March 2015
1:52:41
March 2015
1:52:41
Join in on the fun as the Society revives the era of Silent Movies...a time when there was no TV, and radio was not yet perfected! Our host, pianist and entertainer Richard Hughes, will transport us back 100 years showing three vintage silent comedy films while providing live authentic piano accompaniment.
Stealing Rembrandts
Stealing Rembrandts
March 2014
1:31:32
March 2014
1:31:32
Anthony Amore, Director of Security at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, presented a program on several thefts of Rembrandt paintings from Massachusetts museums.
This program was presented by the Woburn Public Library as part of the Woburn Reads Program and sponsored by the Woburn Historical Society
Voices from Vietnam
Voices from Vietnam
May 2018
1:42:15
May 2018
1:42:15
This film focuses on the personal experiences of five Woburn residents who served in the Vietnam War in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. Paul Devlin (US Marines), Larry Guiseppe (US Marines), Frank Haubner (US Army), Tom Quigley (US Marines) and Dave Wall (US Marines) recount their experiences of enlistment, boot camp and deployment…some of the experiences were funny, some tragic…some very emotional.
Woburn: From Family Businesses to the Industrial Age
Woburn: From Family Businesses to the Industrial Age
June 2018
1:15:06
June 2018
1:15:06
This PowerPoint presentation explores the evolution of Woburn’s business community from the small family-owned shops along Main Street to today’s large business campuses along Routes 93 and 95, followed by an interview with Bill Cummings, Founder of Cummings Properties and New Horizons.
Woburn:
A Farming Community
Woburn:
A Farming Community
May 2011
1:27:23
May 2011
1:27:23
Reminisce about Woburn’s agricultural past and the proud families who owned and worked the truck farms, greenhouses, dairies and piggeries. Family names such as Cummings, Shannon, Gentile, Crawford, Spence, Schneider, Lundquist, Johnson, and Everberg are but a few that made up our Woburn farming history.
A TELLY AWARD
WINNING FILM
