Nothing happens in a vacuum. The events and movements that make news across the world are reflected and rooted in practically every community. In this podcast, we highlight the importance of local history and explore the expanse of American History as viewed through the lens of a small New England town.
Produced by Gloria Greis and the Needham History Center and Museum (https://needhamhistory.org), we look at matters great and small--and sometimes quite quirky. Each episode will feature a historical story and a conversation that ties it to our contemporary world. After all, nothing happens in a vacuum.
So, get ready to roam down memory lane, but be warned--all roads lead to Needham.
How much fun is the month of October? It is the month of dragging out all the old skeletons in your closet, scaring yourself silly, and eating way too many of the chocolates you purchased "for the kids". It's the month of holding your breath as you pass by cemeteries, and eyeing nervously that slightly run-down house at the end of the road. And, yes, it is also the time you think most of ghosts.
There are a few high profile spooks known to the Needham History Center and Museum, and in this episode, Gloria Greis shares them with some surprising details. For instance, the town's best known ghost story is more a tale of ghost-busting. But before you can say that 'you ain't 'fraid of no ghost', she'll tell you about a haunting so persistent, the house eventually moved out of town.
Gloria's guest today is Ginny Gregg, who has a different perspective on living with the past. Sometimes, co-existing with your home's prior occupants can be relatively easy... if you choose to embrace them.
15 Sept 2026
Water Under the Bridge
We like to think that we use this podcast as "a bridge to the past", but in this edition of All Roads, the bridges are the history we are looking at. The town of Needham, Massachusetts has an uncommon number of bridges as a matter of necessity, as the Charles River winds its way around most of its borders.
As we kick off our second season, Gloria takes an inventory of the many crossing points that form the town's gateways, including what may be its most beautiful and fear inducing spans.
She also talks with two of the people responsible for keeping the structures safe and functional. Her guests, making a return appearance, are Carys Lustig, director of the Needham DPW and town engineer Thomas Ryder. They explain that indeed, they don't make them like they used to....and maybe that's a good thing.
25 Jun 2026
Saving the Emery Grover
School may be out for summer in Needham, but the administrative staff will be working hard to prepare for September. Fortunately, they have a modern, cool space in which to perform those duties. But that was not always so. The home for Needham Public Schools is the Emery Grover Building, the oldest public building still in existence in the Town. It was always a bit of a grand, odd duck, out of character for a small, New England town. It was also, for a long while, out-dated, severely lacking, and somewhat dangerous.
In this episode, we remember the town's efforts to bring it back from the brink, and track its evolution to the 21st century with one of the people most responsible for breathing new life into the site, Needham's Director of Building Design and Construction, Hank Haff.
15 May 2026
Wet and Wild
You could say that Nature is what happens when humans stop imposing their will on their surroundings. Judging by the fact that we've been around only for a relatively short period of time, our environment has a pretty strong mind of its own....and that is a good thing.
As our New England spring continues to bring renewal to the natural world, our minds are cast to a couple of companions that we have enjoyed in town during our colorful past. Horticulturally, we have a mystery to solve: why do we have landmarks that refer to Rosemary, when it isn't native to the area? Is it possibly a red herring? Speaking of which, will our fishy friends ever make a real comeback in this area?
We will speak with the Needham Conservation Specialist Tim Puopolo joins us as we talk rivers, marshes, woods, and habitats. It will certainly be a wild time!
25 Apr 2026
Minding Our Own Business...Since 1711
In just over a week, representatives from every neighborhood will descend on the Town Hall, and Needham will tend to the business of being Needham. Budgets will be finalized, rules will be set and changed, and the big issues that face the community will have their moment to be raised, contemplated, and resolved as best they can.
Welcome to Town Meeting, one of the hallmarks of Needham life for 315 years, and all over New England for close to four centuries. Loved by some, ignored by others, this is where your voice can be heard, and town plans are made, altered, advanced and deferred.
Executive Director of the Needham History Center and Museum, Gloria Greis walks you through the history of this remarkable institution, and then is joined by the person charged with safeguarding it for Needham, Town Moderator Michael Fee.
So let the meeting come to order, and may all in favor say "Aye"...
15 Apr 2026
April 2026 Schedule Change
For those who regularly to our monthly podcast stream, we wanted to share a quick update. Due to a scheduling conflict, we will be delaying our new episode by a week or so. We will also be changing the intended topic from our intended discussion of Nehoiden. Gloria Greis shares the latest details on what is to come in this brief announcement.
If you have not yet, please check out our last episode, which details Needham's involvement in the events of April 1775. It is a great way to remind ourselves about how Patriot's Day came to be. See you soon!
15 Mar 2026
The Road to Revolution
For 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 and Museum has grown the tradition of remembering them. This time our guest is Kevin Keane, a member of the town's Select Board and the history center's board of directors. His passion for Needham's early history and its role in the Revolutionary War has led to an epic--and fun-- walk to Arlington.
15 Feb 2026
Washington Never Slept Here
No 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 formed from the head of the British Empire, the truth is that the United States stood on pretty wobbly legs for most of its early history. It wasn't a sure thing, and what the founding fathers needed was someone the fledgling nation could stand behind. A unifying figure. They needed...George Washington. Time for old George to pack his bags--again.
15 Jan 2026
Water, 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 fullest, and leaving many neighborhoods to deal with intensely damaging floods. While the duration of the event was just a few hours long, the ramifications of the flooding will carry over for many years to come.
Of course, this wasn’t the first major flooding to hit Needham, and today Gloria Greis, Executive Director of the Needham History and Museum, walks us through some of the town’s most striking storms. We also will talk with two of the people who are working to make residents more resilient to weather events, through building both infrastructure and community partnerships. We sit down with Carys Lustig, Director of Public Works, and Tom Ryder, Needham’s Town Engineer.
15 Dec 2025
Ho, 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 was Scrooged. We then touch base with two spirits who'll keep our season bright: Greg Riebman of the Charles River Regional Chamber will share the business end of the holidays in town, and the Needham Community Council's Sandra Robinson reminds us of the gift of giving.
22 Nov 2025
Dancing with the Enemy
Every 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 the practice was considered acceptable... even in Massachusetts. In this episode, we look at the footprints that were left in state and town records, and the effort to bring a buried past back to light.
We also talk with Rev. Catie Scudera of the First Parish in Needham Unitarian Universalist Church. The First Parish has partnered with the Needham History Center and Museum to learn the truth about enslavement in Needham, and how best to remember those whom history has tried to forget.
15 Oct 2025
So Sleep the Saints
This 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 those who laid them to rest. In this episode we explore some of the stones we have found at the Needham Cemetery and the meaning behind them. We will also talk with Laurence "Skip" Eaton, whose family has been witness to the tradition for over two centuries. He shares how the Eaton Funeral Home got started and why it has remained at the heart of his family, and the town throughout the years.
15 Sept 2025
The Adventures of a Pin
A 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 (https://needhamhistory.org/back-to-school-short-takes/)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 check in with the Needham Public Schools' Superintendent, Dr. Daniel Gutekanst, to discuss how education has changed over the years. Together we examine the role of the school system in students' lives, and look ahead to see what the town can look forward to in upcoming years.
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