Textile Institute, Lowell
Kerouac wrote about the then ‘Lowell Textile Institute’, which is now part of the University of Massachusetts, in a number of his books, especially ‘Maggie Casssidy’ – no wonder, since he had to pass it on the way from the house on Phoebe Avenue the family lived in for some time, on the way to … Continue reading
The Merrimack River
The Merrimack River, as seen from the downtown side of Lowell and Bridge Street. It did capture Kerouac’s imagination (as it did with Henry David Thoreau before, who wrote his short story ‘A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers in 1949) throughout his life and especially as a kid. But it was also responsible … Continue reading
Lupine Rd, Lowell, MA
Looking northwest, towards Dracut Looking southeast, towards Centralville Tree opposite the house Jack Kerouac was born in Entrance to Lupine Rd. from Fred St.
Entering Lowell / Entering Dracut
Kerouac’s home turf in the first few years of his life when the family lived in Centralville, the house he was born in on Lupine Rd is just a few streets away from where these photographs were taken.
Bridge Street, Lowell
Jack Kerouac’s dad Leo did run a print shop on Bridge Street in the 1930’s. When the 1936 flood hit Lowell and flooded parts of the city the shops was badly damaged and Leo Kerouac had to give it up. These photos were taken coming from downtown Lowell and crossing the bridge in the direction … Continue reading
The Cassidys
Like many on my blog, this is a highly speculative post. Both photos were taken from Chelmsford Street in south Lowell, but not in the part of Lowell that is actually called ‘South Lowell’. In the book Maggie Cassidy the Cassidys live at 31, Massachusetts Street, but that street doesn’t actually exist (at least not … Continue reading
Arriving in Lowell
Some of the first sights I encountered getting off the train at Lowell. Of course freight trains and Kerouac are mainly associated with his time in California, but I had to take a few photos of these freights anyway. That old industrial building opposite the rather unexciting present day Lowell train station (in Kerouac’s time … Continue reading
The 11:10 am to Lowell
North Station, Boston, MA Waiting for the train to take me to Lowell, Jack Kerouac’s birth town, and I was suitably excited.
Jack Kerouac, The Mill Worker
Bootts Mills, Lowell, MA ‘Books, shmooks, this sickness has got me wishing if I can ever get out of this I’ll gladly become a mill worker and shut my big mouth’ Big Sur, Chapter 37 I always liked this sentence, as it shows that Kerouac often managed not to take himself too seriously, and display … Continue reading
Retracing Jack Kerouac 