HISTORICAL LECTURER
"NEW ENGLAND'S POCKET HISTORIAN"
"HISTORICAL RACONTEUR"
"A ROGUE NOSTALGIAN"
"A LEADING HISTORICAL WEATHER AUTHORITY, GREAT FIRE CHRONOLOGIST, NEW ECONOMIST, PARANORMALIST AND CONSUMATE HISTORIAN OF 19th CENTURY ASTRONOMY"
"RETURNING BABY BOOMERS TO THEIR YOUTH WHEN AMERICA WAS HONEST AND FULL OF PROMISE"
"A CROSS BETWEEN INDIANA JONES AND FOX MULDER - BUT WITHOUT ALL OF THE DRAMA"
"HISTORICAL SOCIETIES NEED TO ADAPT TO THE 21st CENTURY TODAY OR ELSE THEY WILL BECOME HISTORY"
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NOW BOOKING THESE HISTORICAL LECTURES!
"KNOX CANNON TRAIN AND EVACUATION DAY"
Description: Revolutionary War researcher and weather historian John Horrigan will retrace the steps of a historic military expedition that helped free Boston from British occupation during the Revolutionary War. He will present a slide show about the amazing engineering feat undertaken by the Knox brothers (Henry and William). In the Winter of 1775 and 1776. They used 80 yoke of oxen to drag 59 cannons 300 miles in 56 days, which culminated in a clandestine battery placement at Dorchester Heights overlooking Boston Harbor. This forced the British to evacuate Boston on March 17th, 1776. Mr. Horrigan will also discuss the favorable weather conditions that the expeditionary force encountered during the operation. He'll digress about a massive blizzard that just missed Boston in January of 1776 (but gave Quebec and the besieged Benedict Arnold expedition twenty-foot snowdrifts!) and he will expound upon a freak gullywasher that hit Boston early on March 6th and consequently thwarted a planned British counter-attack on Dorchester Heights. Because his men were ill, General Howe then decided to evacuate his 7,000 troops from Boston and relocate them in Nova Scotia. John has a version of this lecture ("Evacuation Day For Kids") that is a good learning tool for students ages 9 through 15 as it gives a broad and basic background of the American Revolution. Listen to the speech in the audio archive at the following link.
"WINTERS OF THE REVOLUTION"
Description: The harsh winters endured by George Washington and the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War affected the outcome of several battles and changed America’s destiny. Join historical weather researcher John Horrigan as he presents a captivating lecture that describes the severe winters (and their subsequent historical impact) from 1770 through 1783. Mr. Horrigan will discuss the bleak conditions encountered during the Crossing of the Delaware, the Arnold Expedition and the Encampment at Valley Forge. Many other historic winter events relative to the American Revolution will also be discussed. One of the key weapons that the colonials used as an advantage against the British was the weather.
"GREAT HURRICANE OF 1938"
Description: The surprise hurricane of September 21, 1938 raced up the Atlantic Seaboard at 65 MPH (with record low air pressure) and left residents of the thickly populated Northeast Coast with no time to react. This maelstrom devastated Long Island, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Western Massachusetts. 11 states and 2 countries felt the wrath of this unforgiving meteorological monster. While many victims drowned, some partied. Entire landscapes along the exposed southern New England coast were scoured, eroded and decimated. Some vicitms were swept out to sea, never to be seen again. There were unbelievable acts of heroism, cowardice, kindness, selfishness and poor judgement. Actress Katherine Hepburn lost her family home in Connecticut while others lost their livelihood and property to the storm surge. New England folklorist and weather historian John Horrigan will take you from the mariner's unheeded warnings through the botched forecasts of the National Weather Service to the unmarked graves with a driving narrative about "GH38". If you experienced this storm, you are encouraged to attend this lecture and talk about your own personal recollections.
"THE PORTLAND GALE"
Description: Join Weather Historian John Horrigan as he recounts the tragedy of the Portland Gale. On Nov. 26, 1898, the steamship SS Portland left India Wharf in Boston, Massachusetts for Portland, Maine, on a regularly scheduled run. She never made it to port. None of the 192 passengers and crew survived the massive storm that wreaked havoc on New England's coast — a storm that was later dubbed "The Portland Gale". The storm that struck the coast of New England on November 26 and 27, 1898 formed when two low pressure areas merged off the coast of Virginia and travelled up the coast. At its peak, it produced a storm surge of about ten feet in Cohasset harbor and wielded hurricane-force winds in Nantucket. The storm took 400 lives and sank more than 150 boats and ships. It also changed the course of the North River, separating the Humarock portion of Scituate, Massachusetts from the rest of the town.
"THE WORCESTER TORNADO"
Description: It was a stifling Spring day on June 9th, 1953, when a merciless black funnel of wind touched down at 4:30 PM in Central Massachusetts and cut a swath of destruction 40 miles long from Barre to Southborough, ripping out the heart of Worcester, Massachusetts. By the time it recoiled back into the sky at 6 PM, it was the most powerful and destructive tornado ever to strike New England: 94 dead, 1,300 injured and 15,000 homeless. 4,000 buildings were damaged in Worcester alone by this F5 tornado that had peak winds with a velocity of 327 MPH.
Join New England folklorist John Horrigan as he gives a moment-by-moment slide show and account of this twister, and also talks about other twister in Massachusetts that day and other famous New England Tornadoes including "John Winthrop's Sudden Gust" of July 5th, 1643; The Great Middlesex Tornado of August 22nd, 1851; The Fitchburg Cyclone of July 17th, 1924; The $60,000 Cyclone of August 16th, 1938; The Truck Stop Tornado of August 28th, 1973; The Bradley Airport Tornado of October 3rd, 1979 and the Rhode Island Triple Twisters of August 7th and 8th, 1986.
"THE GREAT MIDDLESEX TORNADO"
Description: New England folklorist John Horrigan retraces the path of the Great Middlesex Tornado - a whirlwind that began in Worcester and tore through Wayland, Weston, Waltham, Belmont, Arlington, Medford, Malden and Lynn, Massachusetts. He will provide a chronological account of this fateful day of August 22nd, 1851, with the assistance of anecdotal evidence, historical recollections and a rare map belonging to the Waltham Historical Society. John will also present a concise history of New England Tornadoes beginning with John Winthrop's ``Sudden Gust'' of 1643. The Great Middlesex Tornado was a twister that began in central Massachusetts and raced eastward along modern day Route 60. Utilizing levity, John considers this to be one of his greatest lectures as he transforms an obscure whirlwind into high infotainment.
"THE NEW ENGLAND LIGHTHOUSE STORM AND YANKEE GALE"
Description: On April 16th, 1851, a fierce nor'easter ripped into Cape Cod Bay and brought the highest waters ever seen in this region at the time, easily exceeding the legendary tides of 1723. That evening, the newly-constructed Minot's Ledge Lighthouse was destroyed by this massive storm. The storm weakened the tower's iron support piles, causing them to collapse and topple into the boiling surf off the coast of Cohasset, Massachusetts. The lighthouse keeper, John Bennett, had been away in Boston at the time of the storm. As he gazed out at the ledge at dawn the following day, he could only see the bent iron pilings where the lighthouse once stood. It was a tragic and heroic story as Bennett's two assistants, Joseph Wilson and Joseph Antoine, managed to keep the lighthouse lamp burning as late as 10:00 PM on the night of April 16th. The fog bell was heard to be ringing as late as 1:00 AM, before they were swept away in the breakers.
Meanwhile, on the North Shore of Massachusetts, the brig Primose, laden with coal, was foundering off of Salisbury Beach and heading towards the reef of Plum Island, when two young men, a T. G. Dodge and one O. Rundlett, of Newburyport, discovered the wreck. The crew of the Primrose could plainly see them on the beach, and communicated with them by signs, as the brig gradually beat on to the sands. The mariners endeavored to throw a line on shore. In the meantime, Dodge and Rundlett were joined by two other men, who toiled for 4 hours in the raging seas to secure a rope and save 9 passengers, including the captain.
From October 3rd through the 5th, in the same year of 1851, the Yankee Gale lambasted the Gulf of St. Lawrence and decimated much of the New England fishing fleets. Dozens of ships were lost (19 from Gloucester alone) and over 160 lives were lost in the worst maritime disaster in the history of Prince Edwards Island and the Canadian Atlantic Provinces.
"THE GREAT BRANT ROCK FIRE"
Description: On Monday, April 21st, 1941, a firestorm driven by unseasonably high winds engulfed 446 homes, 96 garages, 12 stores, 2 hotels, a casino, a post office and a church in Brant Rock, Massachusetts. Miraculously, due to the heroic actions of several police and fire departments (who were aided by local volunteers), not one life was lost. But in the aftermath of the inferno, many things changed in Marshfield: the landscape of Fieldston, Brant Rock and Ocean Bluff, the subsequent building codes, the firefighting methodology, the retail district and the way of life of many year-round and summer residents of Marshfield. Join New England folklorist and historical fire researcher John Horrigan as he presents a slide show and lecture that will bring you back to that blustery day through photographs and newspaper accounts of the period. He will show you the spot where the conflagration was sparked and the area where it was halted. Did you know that there is a beautiful little park that is dedicated to the Great Fire? Mr. Horrigan will also give a brief overview of the great fires in Massachusetts' history. At the conclusion of the presentation, you are invited to share any memories that you may have of the event.
CLICK HERE FOR GREAT FIRES OF MARSHFIELD AUDIO VAULT
"NEW ENGLAND'S DARK DAY"
Description: “It was a dark and stormy night…” So begins the 1830 Bulwer-Lytton novel, Paul Clifford. 50 years earlier it was a dark, if not stormy at midday in parts of New England as a mysterious darkness fell over New England on the late morning of May 19th, 1780. Candles were brought out at lunchtime and churches were filled as many New Englanders thought that the Day of Judgement had arrived. Was it retribution for the disruptions of the American Revolution raging at the time of the darkening? Some Tories thought so. Was it a natural meteorological phenomenon, explicable in the terms of modern science or is there a more mundane explanation? Join historical weather researcher John Horrigan for a presentation about “New England's Dark Day” as he reveals the definitive explanation of one of the most strangest meteorological events in America’s History. He'll also present a chronology of dark days throughout world history, including New England's little known Dark Day of 1819 and Detroit's Dark Day of October 19th, 1762.
"GREAT FIRES OF WATERTOWN"
Description: New England folklorist and great fire historian John Horrigan presents a chronology of great fires in Watertown, Massachusetts including the Wigwam Fires of 1630, the Great Fire of 1841, the Arsenal Fire of 1866, the Great Fire Bugs of 1897, the Cat Fire of 1907, the Paint Factory Fire of 1919, the Soap Factory Fire of 1926, the Mrs. Babe Ruth Fire of 1929, the Great Lumberyard Fires and other great conflagrations. Horrigan will also give a brief historical overview of the Watertown Fire Department and speak about some major fires to strike Boston over the past 350 years.
CLICK HERE FOR AUDIO FILES ABOUT THE GREAT FIRES OF WATERTOWN
"GREAT AMERICAN FIRES OF THE 19th CENTURY"
Description: During the industrial revolution of the 19th century, the United States was afflicted with many urban conflagrations and wildfires as tactical firefighting and fire prevention practices were undeveloped. Cities underwent transformations as areas formerly occupied by the impoverished social classes were unexpectedly displaced by major fires and consequently relocated to different urban neighborhoods. Reconstruction in these fire-ravaged wards of poverty attracted both new industry and the affluent. Cities were both architecturally and culturally revamped as they either relinquished or claimed their place as key industrial and artistic centers. Join historian John Horrigan as presents a lecture and slide show that recounts a chronology of great American fires during the 19th century, including Portsmouth, NH (1802), Newburyport, MA (1811), Nantucket, MA (1846), East Boston, MA (1861), Lawrence, MA (1864), Portland, ME (1866), Boston, MA (1872), Martha's Vineyard, MA (1883) and Roxbury, MA (1894).
CLICK HERE FOR AN INTERVIEW WITH BOSTON FIRE HISTORIAN AND AUTHOR STEPHANIE SCHOROW
"THE GREAT DEPRESSION AND THE DUST BOWL"
Description: Coined "Black Tuesday", October 29th, 1929 was the birth of a severe worldwide economic downturn known as "The Great Depression". On that date the stock market "crashed". After the Dow Jones Industrial Average hit a record high 381.17 on September 3rd, 1929 - it suddenly began to decline. On October 29th, 1929, tabbed as "Black Tuesday", about 16 million shares were traded, an unprecedented amount, and the Dow Jones closed at 230.07. The American way of life changed in a few short days as a decade-long economic lethargy would put millions out of work and many out of their homes. During this period, there was an unusual drought in the "bread basket" of the United States. Little of no rainfall made areas arid and untenable in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, New Mexico and Colorado. Then the wind started to blow. It did not stop blowing for several years, taking precious layers of topsoil and turning it into dust. Join New England Folklorist John Horrigans as he takes you back to the "Dirty Thirties" with a lecture filled with vivid images of vast American dust storms that compounded the misery of an already-suffering nation.
"EARTHQUAKES OF OLDE NEW ENGLAND"
Description: New England folklorist John Horrigan presents an overview of the temblors to shake New England from 1638 through 1800. The slide show presentation and lecture will focus on the impact of earthquakes on New England and its early settlers. Discussion will include the temblors of the 16th century (as relayed to Roger Williams by Native Inhabitants), the earthquakes felt in Boston in 1638 and 1663, the Concord/Bulkeley earthquake of 1653, the Littleton Shaker of 1668, the Brockton Earthquake of 1697, the Great Cape Ann Earthquakes of 1727, 1744 and 1755 and the Harvard Earthquake Riot of 1768. the talk will conclude with a brief interlude on the "Boston Rattle of 1800". Some poems related to the events will be recited and Horrigan will digress about the limited impact on Boston from the New Madrid Seismic Events of 1811 and 1812.
"THE WRECK OF THE ST. JOHN"
Description: On September 7th, 1849, a "famine ship" (a ship full of Irish immigrants) left Galway, Ireland. One month later it was smashed up against a rocky ledge (known as Grampus Rock) off the coast of Cohasset in a raging October gale. 100 people lost their lives. Author Henry David Thoreau, heading to Cape Cod for the first time, witnessed the horror firsthand as he traveled along the Massachusetts coast. Thoreau's thorough recollections of the wreck were later published under the title The Shipwreck in an 1855 issue of Putnam's Magazine. Three years after Thoreau's death in 1862, the piece would be reprinted as one of his more captivating works in his book Cape Cod. Join New England folklorist John Horrigan as he provides an overview of the Irish famine, details the tragic voyage of the St. John and tracks the course of the Great October Gale of 1849. He'll also discuss other shipwrecks off of the South Shore coast of Massachusetts and Cape Cod Bay.
"THE LOS ANGELES AIR RAID"
Description: During the night of February 24th, 1942, several unidentified "enemy" aircraft caused a panic in Southern California as thousands of residents of Greater Los Angeles looked skyward when they heard the thumping of artillery, the wailing of air raid sirens and saw searchlights sweeping the sky. Los Angeles was under attack! By what and by whom? Join folklorist John Horrigan as he presents a riveting lecture complete with photos, videos and audio recordings of the forgotten Battle of Los Angeles. John will also talk about the air raids of San Francisco and New York on Dember 8th, 1941.
"ROBINSON CRUSOES OF WAKE ISLAND"
Description: The Japanese finally took control of Wake Island in the Pacific Theater after their second invasion on December 23rd, 1941. Two men, Logan "Scotty" Kay a.k.a. "Wake Island Scotty", 55 years old from Clearlake Park, California and Fred J. Stevens, 49, of Sioux City, Iowa stowed away right under the nose of the occupying Japanese soldiers. They survived on rations that they had hidden during the intitial Japanese invasion of December 11th, 1941 - and held out until March 9th, when the ragged "Robinson Crusoes" surrendered to the Japanese. It is nothing short of amazing that they survived. Join New England Folklorist John Horrigans as he reads from their diary and brings you back to the brush on Wake Island where you'll feel like you are peering out at Japanese soldiers while you lay down in a prone position, hoping that you are not spotted. This 60-minute adventure is thrilling.
"AHOY PIRATES!"
Description: For centuries piracy has impacted national economies as privateers and pirates (some commissioned clandestinely by governments and monarchies) brutally preyed upon defenseless cargo ships and then absconded with their plunder. Some of these treasures were never recovered. Join New England folklorist John Horrigan as he takes you onboard a galleon and takes you on a cruise from the Golden Age of Piracy through the contemporary pirates who lurk off the coast of Somalia today. You'll learn about the Pirate Code, pirate myths, buried treasure, pirates in pop culture and many notorious pirates including:
"THE NIGHT THE STARS FELL"
Description: On a clear evening in 1833, people looking skyward witnessed what is still considered to be the greatest astronomical spectacle in recorded history. It was November 12th and 13th of that year when countless meteors shot across the night sky, catching many people’s attention and interest. People knelt down and prayed or flocked to churches, thinking that the Day of Judgement was at hand. Historical astronomer John Horrigan will take you back to that day with an interactive indoor/outdoor presentation and also discuss some of the greatest meteor showers in history, including the the Great Leonid Showers that were seen on November 27th, 1966 and the most recent star spectacular on November 17th, 2001. During the program, Horrigan, a Watertown resident, will prepare audience members to view the annual Perseid shower in August, in addition to helping them identify some major constellations, double stars and Messier objects. He'll help you locate the North Star, gaze at some major satellites (including the Hubble Space Telescope and International Space Station), identify craters on the moon (including landing zones of Apollo missions) and talk about the SETI project. He’ll also let attendees hear a recording of what a fireball sounds like. A telescope and binoculars will be provided for this all-ages show. The best booking time period is in the late Spring or Summer (for an indoor/outdoor interactive lecture and post-lecture skywatch), particularly August for the Perseid meteor shower and November for the Leonid meteor shower. “The goal is to educate families and kids so they can go outside and look to the heavens on their own,” Horrigan said. “Folks need to know that there’s more to life than American Idol, the Red Sox and Wii. Ancient TV was simply looking up. We all need to be humbled every so often by our universal meekness.”
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