When Roger Kriney learned he was a relative of Susannah North Martin, a woman executed for witchcraft in Massachusetts over 300 years ago, he reportedly decided to take action to memorialize Martin and others who suffered as "martyrs" of the superstitions of their day. His idea: to rename part of interstate 495, the highway that runs through what was once her family's property, in her honor. While smaller markers dedicated to witch trial victims aren't uncommon—there's actually one already in place for Martin nearby—remembering them through highway names may be something new, local historians say.
After consulting with the Massachusetts Historical Society and the state's Department of Transportation, Kriney explained, he was pointed to Diana DiZoglio, the state senator for the area. She took up the cause to honor Martin, and soon after, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker had signed the act authorizing the Susannah North Martin Highway into law.