3 in 30: Three Sisters Story & Objects

About this event

Corn, beans, and squash were among the most important crops grown by Indigenous peoples in this region for generations before European settlement. Grown together in a system often known as the Three Sisters, each plant supported the others: corn provided a structure for climbing beans, beans helped enrich the soil, and broad squash leaves helped retain moisture and suppress weeds.

For this edition of 3 in 30, we’ll use three objects from Historic Beverly’s collection to explore the Three Sisters and the long history of these foods on the North Shore. Through three objects, we’ll explore what was grown here, how these foods were used, and the much longer agricultural history beneath the farms, gardens, and dinner tables of later generations.

Three objects. Three sisters. Thirty minutes.

From Historic Beverly