About
"they lived here"
Famous people from chelsea, massachusetts
Who was Lewis Latimer?
Lewis Latimer was born in Chelsea in 1842 after his parents fled enslavement in Virginia. At age 15 he served in the U.S. Navy during the Civil War. Returning home, he learned drafting and engineering while clerking at the patent law firm of Crosby & Gould. He went on to develop a number of inventions himself and to collaborate within the top industrial pioneers of the time. Working with Edison, he revolutionized the world by developing the filament that makes the electric light bulb possible.
Who was Saunkskwa of Mysticke?
She was the primary authority among the native people of the area now called Chelsea when Samuel Maverick builds his fort on the shores of Winnisimmet. After the death of Nanepashemet the Confederation fractured with some of the bands in extended territories breaking off. Nevertheless, Saunkskwa Mysticke oversaw significant areas along the Charles and Mystic Rivers and up the North Shore. Through a time of extraordinary upheaval, Saunkskwa Mysticke led her people, building alliances with other tribes through the marriages of her children and with the English settlers through the strategic deeding of land.
Who was Harry Siegel?
He came to Chelsea from Romania when he was 18. At the end of World War I, he had saved enough money to bring over his mother, two sisters, and brother. By chance he found a job in a friend's photography store. During the warm months Harry took photographs on the streets of Boston's West end; in the winter he worked in the photography studio. In the 1930's he began taking pictures on Broadway.
For 40 years Chelsea residents have pasted a Harry Siegel's photographs in their family albums. He originally made tintype portraits but remodeled the old camera several times as he changed techniques.
Photograph by Susan Roberts
Who was Helen L. Gilson?
Helen was born in Chelsea in 1836. She began her career as a nurse and went on to become a nurse during the Civil War. "Hundreds of black men in blue from the Ninth Corps numbered among them. Upon their arrival, they were removed to a makeshift hospital separate from the whites. There were little if any resources. Stories of their suffering reached the nurses, many on the brink of exhaustion due to the overwhelming numbers of patients.
No one volunteered to help the African-American troops. Finally, a slight woman with a resonant voice, dressed in gray flannel, stepped forward. Fellow nurses pleaded with her not to go. They told her she would not survive. Helen replied, according to one source, “that she could not die in a cause more sacred,” and set out alone to aid the neglected men. This was quintessential Helen, who often went where no others dared to go."
Who was Chick Corea?
Chick Corea was born in 1941 in Chelsea, where he attended elementary through senior high school. He was an acclaimed pianist and composer, with a special flair for his own distinctive Latin-flavored jazz-rock.
Photograph courtesy of Mr. & Mrs. Armando J. Corea.
Record Staff. "Appreciation: Chick Corea left his heart in Chelsea." Chelsea Record. February 18, 2021.
"A DownBeat Hall of Famer and NEA Jazz Master, 27-time Grammy winner, and keyboard virtuoso, Chick Corea has attained living legend status after five decades of unparalleled creativity and an artistic output that is simply staggering.
Chick is one of the most-nominated artist in the history of the Grammys, with 71 nominations. He's also earned 3 Latin Grammy Awards, the most of any artist in the Best Instrumental Album category."
Discography on ChickCorea.com
Who is John Ruiz?
"John "Quietman" Ruiz became the first Latino heavyweight champion by dispatching Evander Holyfield in their second of three bouts, March 3, 2001. He is also the first Latino resident in Chelsea's history to have a park in his name. The site is steps from where Ruiz was living on Orange Street when he won his first title, and holds sentimental value. "
Written by Recupero, Lorenzo. "Heavyweight honor for Ruiz from Chelsea: Park will be named for former champ." The Boston Globe, July 2, 2013.
