Why this book?

Newburyport is a gem in New England. People come to enjoy the visual history present on almost every street and around every corner. They enjoy the beauty of antiquity and the Merrimack as it joins the Atlantic.

Many of us grew up hearing about famous people from here: Lord Timothy Dexter, Theophilus Parsons, Patrick Tracy, William Wheelwright, Andrew "Bossy" Gillis, and more. Or how about the people who spent time here as part of the community such as John Quincy Adams.

Most of Newburyport's history seems to focus so much on times other than the Civil War.

It seemed now was a good time to reintroduce everyone to the people from the most trying time in American History. It was a time when the young country was put to the test to see if any country of self-government could remain intact. The United States was the example the world was watching.

We commemorate the anniversary with the Sesquicentennial (150th anniversary) 2011-2015, and it's important for us to remember that nothing can be taken for granted.