Shows
All Roads Lead to NeedhamThe Road to RevolutionFor this episode, our "All Roads" title can be taken fairly literally!This year, the nation celebrates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. It's a big deal in Massachusetts, and for the town of Needham especially. However, the events of 1776 didn't spring up out of nowhere, and it certainly didn't happen overnight. There was a long road leading up to it, and one particular day a year earlier that had a deep impact on our community. Join us as we recount the details of the day, and explain how the Needham History Center...
2026-03-1540 min
All Roads Lead to NeedhamWashington Never Slept HereNo question, as a nation we are living in tumultuous times. Big questions about who we are as a country, and what we stand for are being posed. As a government simultaneously breaking down old systems and building new ones, roles are being challenged, and the efficacy of the different branches are...in doubt, shall we say?Even though it may feel like it to us, this isn't the first time. As we enjoy the Presidents' Day weekend, our minds are transported to the very beginning of our nation. While we might think that it sprang fully...
2026-02-1535 min
All Roads Lead to NeedhamWater, Water, Everywhere!If a quick scan of the internet is to be believed (and when has the internet ever been wrong?), 19th century writer Charles Dudley Warner once remarked “Everybody seems to complain about the weather, but nobody seems to do anything about it.” Through the years, people laugh at its absurd nature, and agree with its sentiment, but it couldn’t be further from the truth. Facts are, we all have a hand in the weather, and some are doing an awful lot about it.In August of 2023, a microburst hit Needham, straining its drainage system to its...
2026-01-1531 min
All Roads Lead to NeedhamHo, Ho, Uh-oh!The winter holidays are upon us and it is hard not to get caught up in the rush of family gatherings, festive parties and the joy of children opening their gifts. But there is a reason these things occur during the darkest of days, and in this episode our own Ghost of Christmas Past explores some of those less-than-savory shadows. Not so long ago, there were enough harsh punishments to be doled out to both the naughty and the nice, and it was really, really hard to figure out which was which. In some ways, you could say, everyone...
2025-12-1539 min
All Roads Lead to NeedhamDancing with the EnemyEvery town has its own troubled past. If history has revealed anything, it is that humans can be pretty horrible to one another, both on a personal and on an institutional level. And when we evolve past it, most would pretty much like to forget that the transgressions ever happened in the first place. Such is the case with enslavement in the Northern United States. We are, rightly, proud of the abolitionist history and the role we played in ending its practice in this country, but often conveniently choose to forget that there a time before, when...
2025-11-2238 min
All Roads Lead to NeedhamNovember 2025 Schedule ChangeFor those subscribed to our monthly podcast stream, we wanted to share a quick announcement. Due to a scheduling conflict, we will be delaying our new episode by a week, so it will drop onto this feed on November 22nd. We will also be changing the intended topic for discussion from our intended discussion of Nehoiden. Gloria Greis has the details on what is to come in this brief announcement.Thank you to all who tune in to our first two episodes. It has been a great deal of fun kicking off this effort, and we can't...
2025-11-1501 min
All Roads Lead to NeedhamSo Sleep the SaintsThis month, we urge you to take a stroll in the local cemetery. For the younger set, it is the source of chills and that creepy-crawly feeling at the back of your neck, best pushed to the periphery of their minds. However, for a long time graveyards have played a much more central role to a town's life. It is a place of remembrance, of duty, and, indeed, history. While the expression may be 'dead men tell no tales', you will find that those who passed still have a lot to say, thanks to the efforts of...
2025-10-1529 min
All Roads Lead to NeedhamThe Adventures of a PinA student's essay reminds us that the walls may have ears, but even a simple pin can make a point...A new school year has just begun, and the procession of bright, excited faces on their way to the schools and bus stops has us nostalgic for our days in the classroom. But education has changed quite a bit over the years. Take this example of an elementary lesson that we have in our collection, for instance. It was a quite popular exercise, with roots tracing back to the late 18th century.We will then...
2025-09-1526 min
Revolution 250 PodcastNeedham Marches to the Fight at Arlington As we get close to Patriots Day, let us remember that the fighting along "Battle Road" and the entire siege of Boston involved thousands of men from hundreds of communities. On April 19, 1775 as the "Lexington Alarm" spread throughout the region, towns mustered their militia and they marched towards the fight. Needham sent 185 men to fight the Redcoats that day, losing five men in the process. Join Gloria Greis of the Needham History Center & Museum in conversation with Professor Robert Allison on the history of Needham's role in the revolution and their plans to commemorate these "Moments that Changed the Worl...
2025-04-1537 min
Der Wandel ist weiblichDie kleinen Nonnen von Nepal (2/10)In armen Familien in Nepal ist häusliche Gewalt gegenüber Mädchen, Kinderarbeit oder eine frühe Ehe mit 15 oder 16 Jahren immer noch verbreitet. Um die oft noch sehr jungen Mädchen davor zu schützen, hat die buddhistische Nonne Ani Choying Dolma die Arya Tara School gegründet. Dorthin kommen Mädchen aus verschiedenen abgelegenen Teilen Nepals. Hier bekommen sie eine bessere Schulbildung als an vielen öffentlichen oder privaten Schulen. Nach dem Abschluss ermuntern die Lehrer die jungen Nonnen zum Studium an Colleges und Universitäten in Kathmandu und Indien und die Schule unterstützt sie dabei finanziell...
2022-10-1226 min