Travel in Time with Dan: Fictional Interview with the Ghost of Jerusha Howe, the Belle of Sudbury
Dan: Hello, everyone! This is Dan Blanchard with the Travel in Time with Dan Show, where we mix travel, history, and leadership. Today, I’m in Sudbury, Massachusetts, at the historic Wayside Inn. This place opened in 1716, making it older than the United States itself! It’s a place of literature, revolution, and… as rumor has it… some permanent guests. I’m honored to be joined by the spirit of Jerusha Howe, often called the “Belle of Sudbury.” Welcome, Jerusha.
Jerusha Howe: (A soft, cool breeze seems to rustle the curtains) Thank you, Dan. It is a strange thing to see the inn so busy after all these years, yet comfortingly familiar. The smell of the hearth and the murmur of travelers never truly change, do they?
Dan: They certainly don’t! You were part of the original Howe family that ran this inn for generations. Your family saw the Sudbury Minutemen gather right here in the tavern to plan for the Revolution. What was the energy like in the room during those meetings?
Jerusha: It was electric, but solemn. My ancestors didn’t just provide ale and beds; they provided a space for what you call “diverse perspectives.” Farmers, scholars, and soldiers sat together. It wasn’t an “echo chamber.” They argued, they listened, and they refined their ideas until they were strong enough to forge a new nation. I remember the weight of the silence after they marched out… the bravery it took to leave the warmth of the parlor for the uncertainty of the field.
Dan: That leads perfectly into what I call the “Parlor Principle.” It’s the idea that leadership thrives when we bring different people together to solve problems. Speaking of people coming together, the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow made this place even more famous with his Tales of a Wayside Inn.
Jerusha: Ah, Mr. Longfellow. He had a way of capturing the soul of a place. He wrote “Paul Revere’s Ride” as the “landlord’s tale” to try and remind a divided country of its shared courage. He understood that stories are the glue of leadership. Stories remind us who we are when we forget.
Dan: Now, Jerusha, I have to ask about the “Secret Drawer Society.” Visitors today still hunt for hidden messages in the small drawers of the inn, hoping to find a word from you. Do you ever read the notes they leave?
Jerusha: (A faint, musical laugh) I do. Many are looking for love, some for hope, and some are just curious about the girl who played the first spinet piano in Sudbury. I died with a broken heart, waiting for a suitor who never returned from across the sea, but seeing the guests connect with one another through those secret notes… it mends the heart a little. It turns the inn into a living mosaic of human stories.
Dan: That’s a beautiful way to put it. You’ve seen this inn transition from a colonial outpost to a landmark preserved by Henry Ford. Looking at the leaders who pass through these doors today, what wisdom would the “Belle of Sudbury” offer them?
Jerusha: I would tell them to mind their “parlors.” Do not surround yourself only with those who agree with you. A leader who listens to only one voice is like a piano with only one key. You cannot make music that way. Invite the different colors and shapes into your circle. It is the only way to see the full picture and build something that, like this inn, can stand for three hundred years.
Dan: Truly timeless advice. Jerusha, thank you for stepping out of the shadows to share your story and your insight on leadership.
Jerusha: (The candles flicker once) The light is fading, Dan. But remember… the walls here always remember.
Dan: Here at the Wayside Inn, history isn’t just in the books… it’s in the floorboards and the very air we breathe. It reminds us that leadership is about creating a space where every voice can be heard, and where our shared stories can unite us across centuries.
Uncovering History. Inspiring Leadership. The Travel in Time Show is where travel, history, and leadership intermingle with history teacher, author, and speaker Dan Blanchard.
