A few announcements: The station will be closed Wednesday, September 13 and Friday, September 15. Also, don't forget the Open House scheduled for Sunday, September 17- the dedication of the Lee Williams Family Colonial Shed and a cookout for our members and donors- in appreciation. Twelve-thirty to four- thirty. New memberships will be available at the door. Also, the Society is planning an Open House for Sunday, October 22, that will focus on "Growing Up in Easton in the '50's, '60's and '70's". We are looking for 'artifacts' from those decades. If you have items we can display please notify the Society at [email protected] or email me at [email protected]. Thank you in advance! To everything – turn, turn, turn There is a season – turn, turn, turn These lyrics, written in 1959 by Pete Seeger, came to mind as I finished my recent walk at Wheaton Farm. As soon as late August, early September, the natural world is already, in quiet, barely discernible ways, signaling a turn of season. Whether it’s the color of berries, the turn of a leaf, or an abundance of mushrooms, little hints are everywhere Most of the land that makes up Wheaton Farm Management Area was once agricultural land. It is named for Daniel Wheaton (1767-1841) whose house still stands at 519 Bay Road and was the first major purchase of Easton’s Conservation Commission. Many Easton citizens worked very hard to save Wheaton Farm from development and in May of 1967 the first acquisition of land was officially dedicated. During the mid-sixties Conservation Commission members fought to procure Wheaton Farm and to preserve it as a green space. Serving on the commission (1965, 1966, 1967) were Alice B. McCarthy, Raymond Taylor, John Freitas, Elizabeth Ames, Charles Willis, and Clifford Grant. Other individuals instrumental in acquiring Wheaton Farm include Evelyn C. White, Virginia Reusch, and John E. Grant. Today, the land area comprising the Wheaton Farm Management Area is greater than Borderland State Park. At the start of the trails off Bay Road is a pollinator garden. Shortly after I began walking, this butterfly (below) greeted me and hung around long enough for me to take its picture. Trash bags are conveniently located a bit further along for dog walkers. There are several different trails of varying length. My butterfly friend. Also located at Wheaton Farm, since 2019, is the Ed Hands Community Garden, which makes garden plots available to community members. The plots here are crammed full of produce and flowers at the end of August. In this especially rainy summer, many vegetables are ripening late. On other parts of the property Langwater Farms has grown produce since 2014. Hikers and walkers (many with dogs) enjoy the property; the Bay Circuit Trail passes through, and hunting is allowed in season. Daniel Wheaton’s old farm serves new purposes. I’m sure the current residents of Easton appreciate their fellow citizens’ foresight and their commitment to land conservation that began decades ago. More mushrooms. Ed Hands Community Garden.
Tomatoes rot in the compost pile Nearby, a rusted watering can, Broken chair and a red wheelbarrow Reminisce about the harvest Anne Wooster Drury [email protected]
0 Comments
Easton has a little known, but highly respected, author in its past. He once resided at 261 Purchase Street at a farm known as Glen Easton and later as Maplewood Farm. In 2016 Barnes & Noble issued a special reprint of James Rankin’s “Artificial and Natural Duck Culture”. The original was printed in 1906 and sold for 50 cents. Reprint of James Rankin’s book, 2016. “……this classic text introduces us to the basics of raising ducks, be it for pleasure, exhibition, egg production or meat purposes. Included are details on the major duck breeds, as well as how to raise and breed them for eggs or meat. Included are sections on housing, feeding, incubation of duck eggs, brooding and care of ducklings and more. Of particular focus is the management of ducks specifically for meat purposes, including how to dress them.” Barnes & Noble 2016 Original book, 1906, 50 cents. James Rankin was born in Glasgow Scotland in 1830 and died in Easton in 1914. He was known as ‘The Father of the Pekin Duck Industry in America’ and his expertise was well-recognized. After buying the run-down Deacon Reed farm in 1874, Rankin began improving the property. In a letter to Chaffin, Rankin said that he “had bought the place for its possibilities.” By about 1876 he was well-known as an inventor and manufacturer of an innovative incubator for duck eggs, which he eventually patented. Every day a wagonload of Rankin’s ducks would be shipped via the Easton Center railroad to locations all over the United States. Rankin’s Monarch incubator worked equally well on chickens, geese, and turkeys; his hatch rate was never less than 90%. By 1891 he was hatching 4,000 to 5,000 chicks, which he sold as broilers and by 1906 he was raising 25,000 to 30,000 ducks per year. Original house, Maplewood Farm, now Easton Country Club, old pic. In 1908 Rankin sold his farm to Ezra Pratt. In 1914 Frederick Lothrop Ames II bought the farm and housed his prize-winning Clydesdales there. In 1923 Frederick’s widow sold the farm to Producer’s Dairy of Brockton. In 1945/1951(?) the farm was sold to Samuel Joseph and Mary C. Lombardi of Rhode Island. Initially managed as a dairy farm, in 1961 they began construction of a nine-hole golf course, today known as the Easton Country Club. Today Easton Country Club is a beautifully maintained eighteen-hole golf course. Today, Rankin’s advice is still sought out by members of the poultry community. The book’s content is available as an eBook at no cost through Project Gutenberg, www.gutenberg.org. 261 Purchase Street. Rankin house. Built in 1880.
Anne Wooster Drury [email protected] Sources: Easton Historical Commission Easton Historical Society History of Easton, Chaffin, 1886 Easton Country Club website A recent open house (July 16) at the Museum showcased agricultural implements manufactured by the Ames Plow Company. The Ames Plow Company was a later incarnation of the Ruggles, Norse & Mason Company, established prior to 1835 in Shrewsbury, Mass. Over time the company grew and took over a space at Quincy Hall in Boston. In 1861 the existing partners were succeeded by Oliver Ames & Sons. Items advertised in their catalogue included carts, wagons, trucks, wheelbarrows, contractors’ supplies, and ice tools. In 1866, a branch was incorporated at 53 Beekman Street in New York City. In 1874, a large new factory was built in Worcester, Mass. The firm was related to the Ames Shovel Company, also known as Ames Tool Company. One of the implements displayed at the EHS&M is a corn sheller. It removes the grain from dry ears of corn; the kernels fall into a bucket underneath the device. The corn can be fed to livestock or used for other purposes. It was very popular in New England. Corn shellers come in different sizes. Found in a barn on Lincoln Street in North Easton, the Lawn Hand Cart shown below was restored at Southeastern Regional School and has been returned to its original appearance. It was manufactured in two sizes and came with flaring sides and wide tires. Lawn Hand-Cart. A Fan-Mill produced by the Ames Plow Company. Three models were The Boston Fan-Mill, The Improved Worcester Fan-Mill, and The Grant Fan-Mill. The Company also made fan-mills to sort coffee.
A Fan-Mill cleans grains and small seeds. It is an early farm machine, separating the grain from the chaff and straw with a breeze. The fan is hand-cranked and blows grain and chaff across vibrating screens. According to Chaffin, in 1865 there were 91 farms in Easton. Grown were: Indian corn, wheat, rye, barley, buckwheat, oats, potatoes, English mowing hay, English hay, wet meadow hay, turnips, other vegetables, apple trees, and more. Livestock included: sheep, horses, oxen, steer, milch cows, heifers, goats. Take-aways- It wasn’t all that long ago that farming in Easton was common and much more labor intensive. These farming machines (Ames Plow Company) were all used by farmers in Easton to get their work done. And although the Ames family was known for manufacturing shovels, they were also involved in various other related enterprises. All photos by Jon Coe. Anne Wooster Drury [email protected] This is a cemetery, yes, but an unusual one; this is a photo of a bull cemetery located on the Holy Cross grounds near Stonehill College. This graveyard for Frederick Lothrop Ames Jr.’s prized bulls was located somewhere near the barn, which has since been converted, but the tombstones disappeared, and no one knows where they went. According to Reverend Anthony V. Szakaly, C.S.C., when work was being done on an irrigation system some years ago, a large bull bone “popped up”. Today it is displayed in the College archives. Photograph of Bull Cemetery. Courtesy of Stonehill College Archives. Six of the best bulls were buried here. Langwater Guernsey’s were genetically superior and from the 1920's until the 1960's the Langwater cow was considered the perfect cow. Stonehill College was founded in 1948 by the Congregation of the Holy Cross. It is located on what was once the estate of Frederick Lothrop Ames Jr. Today Holy Cross priests and brothers live on the part of the Stonehouse Hill estate where Frederick Ames housed his prized Guernsey cows. Fr. Tony gave me a tour of the lovely grounds here, where past and present meet. Frederick Ames’s cow barn is now living accommodation for the priests and brothers. He took me up to the attic where the charred beams from a fire in the late 1920’s can still be seen. Fortunately, the barn was mostly spared. Above, renovated cow barn, now housing for priests and brothers. Charring in the attic from a fire in the ‘20’s. A view of the old farm silo that now houses a chapel. The silo is on the left and obscured by trees. A better view of the silo. Today, the building that originally housed the old Ames Airport Office and Farm Office serves as a residence for priests. According to Fr. Tony, their closet is the old walk-in safe. As for the Retreat House itself, “The Holy Cross Retreat House is made up of the old cow stalls and the bull pen with later additions made of surplus World War II army barracks. The chapel of the retreat house was once the old hayloft for the cows.” (Fr.Tony) The Holy Cross Retreat House from the outside. It was once a barn for cows and bulls. Inside the Holy Cross Retreat house it is possible to imagine the old cow stalls. The footprint is the same. The stalls have been converted into rooms for those on retreat. A view of the chapel in the hayloft.
There is much more to be said about the history of the Ames farm and the repurposing of the estate, but space is limited. At one time, this particular piece of land was home to a thriving farm known for its Guernsey cattle and Clydesdale horses (Clock Farm). Also- it was the site of an early airfield. I know that somewhere in the ground- though not exactly sure where- strong Guernsey bones still linger, reminders of times past, lush green fields, and fresh raw milk. Update and A Look Back at Summer Days A quick update on the last newsletter. This is a great photo showing the wooden screen and librarian’s desk as they originally looked. They provided a barrier to the stacks and only the librarian could retrieve books. Borrowers would approach the desk and ask for what they wanted. Notice the drapes on either side. This week, a reminiscence by Tom Wooster about summer days in Easton, 1970’s-‘80’s. Enjoy! "Growing up in Easton in the 70’s and 80’s was a great time to be a kid as we had much more freedom than kids nowadays. Planning our day wasn’t done by parents, but by meeting my friends on summer mornings at the bench by Day Street at Frothingham Park. We would meet most summer days and figure out what sports or adventures we wanted to do on that particular day. Most days involved playing baseball or basketball or going to someone’s house to listen to records and eat whatever snacks were in the house. Sometimes we would go on bike rides around town and my favorite was going to Borderland. We would go through the Town Forest and cross Bay Road and down the dirt road to Borderland and ride the trails there and then usually head to the Corner Store to get soda and candy. Some of my favorite candy bars were the Marathon Bar, Rally Bar, and the Waleeco Bar (which was actually produced by the FB Washburn Candy company in Brockton and they are known today for making Ribbon Candy). If I remember correctly candy bars were around $.15 and cans of Coke or Pepsi $.20 and still could get some penny candy as well. Sometimes we would ride to the fire station and get Simpson Spring soda from a machine where they parked the fire trucks. I don’t remember how much they cost, but I’m thinking it was more than Coke or Pepsi or we would have gone there more often Frothingham Park, bench near Day Street gate, today. We would go home for lunch and then get our chores/jobs done in the afternoon. My jobs were picking up any trash on the ground at the park which took about an hour each day for which I was paid $.25 a day, if I remember correctly. I also had jobs mowing lawns once a week and for that I was paid $5.00 by the homeowner and that price never changed over the years. While I was always eager to run to the store to buy junk food my parents made sure I deposited most of it in the bank. I had my account at Easton Co-operative Bank, which then was located at the corner of Center and Main Street, and ironically is my current employer just at a different location. After dinner on most nights I would play croquet or hide and seek with my siblings until either the mosquitoes drove us inside or our parents called us in for the night. As I look back I realize how good I had it growing up in Easton as I had a great group of friends to hang around with and a very loving family with six siblings. We had much more freedom in those days, but we also were responsible and were where we were supposed to be when we were supposed to be there. I hope you enjoyed my short summary of what I remember most about how I spent my summers during my childhood in Easton. Of course growing up with a beautiful park across the street and having six siblings also allowed us to do many things together and for that I will always be grateful to my parents who raised us to enjoy life, but also to be responsible for our own actions." ...playing games in the park til way after dark….back through the crooked bar again, where only children fit. Anne Wooster Drury [email protected] "When all else fails, give up and go to the library." Stephen King North Easton: left to right, Rockery, Oakes Ames Hall, Ames Free Library. Fortunately, in Easton, we have a lovely library with an interesting history. I have enjoyed it throughout my life. I remember sitting on the wooden floor in front of the shelves in the Children’s Wing searching for a mystery I hadn’t read yet. Later, in junior high, I remember working on homework with friends and waiting to be “shushed” if we so much as whispered. (I remember there was a book on human biology or anatomy that had to be requested from the librarian at her desk. We had some giggles about that.) Then in college, snagging a study alcove and hiding in it for hours. Later, I loved venturing upstairs to the balcony area, where the floorboards creaked as you walked, searching for treasure among the books on art and exotic religions. Picture of the Reading Room with its large brownstone fireplace designed by Stanford White, above it a bas relief of Oliver Ames, the library's donor, by Augustus Saint-Gaudens. Here are some interesting facts about the library’s early days, collected from A Centennial History of Ames Free Library of Easton, Inc. 1883-1983 on the Ames Free Library website. The Ames Free Library opened in 1883. Prior to that, there were some subscription libraries in Easton, but this was the first public library, funded by Oliver Ames in his will. *In 1883 when the library opened a borrower had to be over fourteen years old and could only take out one book at a time. *Initially the books were arranged by subject, with 19 departments. Black covers were put on the books to protect them. *When the library opened in March of 1883, 1,643 books went into circulation. At the time, the population of Easton was 4,000. An impressive amount of interest. The first borrowers preferred Prose Fiction (novels) and Juvenile Reading. *For a long time, the book stacks were separated from the rest of the library by a carved wooden screen and the librarian’s desk. Only the librarian could go into the stacks and retrieve your book. *Mary Lavinia Lamphrey, daughter of the Easton High School principal, Maitland C. Lamphrey, became the second librarian in 1891. Although she’d been a student at Boston University, she received only one month training before officially taking over; she and her family moved into the apartment on the second floor of the library. Interestingly, her father was to complete or oversee any janitorial work. She served as librarian for 53 years and was enormously loved and respected. Miss Mary Lavinia Lamphrey. She continued to live in her library apartment even after she retired.
*Because there had been an increase in the Swedish population, in 1905 twenty books in Swedish were acquired along with a subscription to a Swedish newspaper. *Sometimes young boys were sent by Miss Lamphrey directly to the Queset to wash their hands before they were allowed to touch the books. *In 1932 there was a huge change when, “‘the cage’ (Miss Lamprey's high desk) was removed. Also removed was the grill between the charge room and the stack area. The high desk and grill gone, the library moved into the era of the open stack, and readers could go directly to the shelves to pick out their own books instead of filling out ‘Hall Slips.’ The balcony was still off-limits and would be, until Mrs. Irene Smith, Miss Lamprey's successor, opened it in 1944.” Today it is closed and used for storage. Today, as in the past, the Ames Free Library is an island of calm in a busy world and a portal to numerous other worlds. Slip into River Heights with Nancy Drew or walk into the woods of Concord with Henry David Thoreau. The fact that it is within walking distance of schools is a bonus. To quote Mary Lamphrey on the occasion of her 50th year as librarian, "In a library you deal with the stuff out of which eternity is made - the garnered best that mortals have thought and hoped, preserved in words of force and beauty." Anne Wooster Drury [email protected] There used to be a Flyaway Pond in Easton. Now there is the Flyaway Pond Management Area. In March of 1968, Flyaway Pond flew away. There was a breach of the dam after heavy rains; the dam broke and tumbled a short distance to where it still sits today. The dam, built by the Ames Company in 1845, created the 50 acre pond, which harnessed needed water power for the growing Company. An 1895 map showing Flyaway Pond. Apparently the Ames Company monitored the dam over the years, especially during storms, but by 1968 the industry and the town had changed. The shovel works had begun to shut down by 1952. No one was watching as the rain continued to fall that March. As Ed Hands writes in Easton’s Neighborhoods, “Shortly after 5:30 pm, (3/18/1968) a large section of Flyaway Dam collapsed, unleashing an estimated 350,000 tons of water on North Easton. The burst of water uprooted trees, washed away cars, overturned two loaded freight cars and damaged houses.” I remember walking around the area of the dam within days of the flood, climbing over fallen trees that spanned what was left of the ‘pond’, now an otherworldly jumble of demolished trees, spewn concrete, and moving water. I remember writing an essay about it in my sixth grade class. Prior to that day, as children, my siblings, cousins, and I, led by my father, often walked on weekend mornings from our house on Sheridan Street, up Coughlin Road, then right off Western Ave., through the woods to the Plains and across Lincoln Street to Flyaway. Maybe we’d stop at Pout Rock, then walk on, making sure to walk across the dam before turning back, slightly unsettled by the shooting from the nearby Ames Rifle and Pistol Club. We often found shotgun shells on the ground. I remember them as red or green-colored. Last Sunday I walked a trail in the Flyaway Pond Management Area that begins at the Easton Town Pool and meanders about, exiting the woods at Deer Run, a residential Road off Bay Road. A blue jay and an iridescent green bug were my only company, except for three mountain bikers who raced past me. The trails are more popular with bikers than walkers, I think. The warm, slightly humid air was regularly punctuated by gunshots and occasional murmurings of flowing water. Well-constructed boardwalks spanned wet areas. It amazes me, wherever I go in town, including here, there are always stonewalls in the middle of the woods reminding me of our colonial past. The trail is not a loop so to walk it out and back is over four miles. Scenes along the way: Boardwalk. Parts of the trail are incredibly rocky, especially as one heads left from the dam area. Step carefully. In some places further on, the ground is riddled with tree roots, in others, fallen pine needles. The ubiquitous stonewall. Stone walls began to appear the closer to Bay Road I walked. Hikers or bikers can continue on, crossing Bay Road and taking Bob's Trail into Borderland State Park. Incredible green foliage. This was toward the end of my walk back to the old dam location.
It was a beautiful and nostalgic walk; I strongly suggest enjoying it if you live nearby. Also a nice hike, and more remote- you'll feel completely alone- is a fairly new trail (2021) behind the Edwin Keach Park off Chestnut Street. Quite a long walk and not a house or person in sight. Depends on your preference! “In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks.” – John MuirAnne Wooster Drury [email protected] I am going to follow up with two interesting stories that connect with the 'unusual' or 'unexplained' in Easton. The first is shared by Jim Carlino, who with his partner Peter, witnessed uncommon events and sensations during their stewardship of Unity Close; the second one, shared by both David and Fred Ames, is about a premonition experienced before the aviator Freddie Ames’ death in 1932. The story about Freddie Ames was mentioned to me initially by David and Fred followed up with a detailed memory. During their stewardship of Unity Close, Jim Carlino and his partner Peter, were given a photo of the gardens from sometime in the '30's- they guessed. It was the Urn Garden where there were four cherry trees. The photo showed a shadow of a man with one hand on his hip, and close by, the shadow of two dogs. Some time later, they were given additional photos from the same approximate time, with a clear picture of one of the gardeners standing in the same manner, but in a different location, and another with Mrs. Parker and her two small dogs, positioned similarly as in the shadow photo. A coincidence? Jim was also certain that Sarah Ames' spirit was in the house. Sometimes they would feel as if someone walked by them briskly; they didn't see anyone, but the sensation was there. Other times they noticed a shadow going up or down the main staircase. This was usually at dusk and they sensed she was always happy. Parker House/Unity Close, North Easton. Painting by Bill McEntee. The second story, in the words of Fred Ames, May 2023: "Sunday, November 6th, 1932, the last day of his life, Freddie Ames, 27, had breakfast with his mother at the Ritz Carlton Hotel. Edith Cryder Ames, the widow of Lothrop Ames, lived in a suite of rooms at the hotel. Freddie lived at Stone House Hill in North Easton and had a Back Bay apartment in town. He planned to fly his plane down to North Easton later that day with college friend and flyer, Oliver Sproul, along with Oliver’s friend Frances Burnett, also a licensed pilot. Freddie had a small airport on his estate, “Ames Country Club of the Air”, on what are now athletic fields for Stonehill College. Not only was he an experienced pilot with a cross-country flight under his belt, but Freddie was also known on both sides of the Atlantic as an ocean racer. Besides his passengers he took along his small dog “Salud”, a Mexican chow, and a case of champagne. A week before, on that Sunday, my father David, then twenty years old and a sophomore at Harvard, went looking for Freddie at Stone House Hill. Although seven years younger than his first cousin, they were good friends who shared a love of blue water sailing and carousing. As my father told me, while walking by the garage, a terrifying feeling of dread overwhelmed him. Something terrible was going to happen. In a panic he fled from the estate and drove to the telephone exchange on Main Street. Those were the days of operators sitting at switchboards with jacks and switches. He asked them to call the police. The chief came shortly. Given my father’s agitated state the chief decided the best thing to do was to drive my father back to Langwater, his parents’ house. Dad said the chief obviously thought he was just a crazy college kid and didn’t take him seriously. But what rational evidence did my father have? Supernatural sensations were not admissible. At the time of his death Freddie was married, settled in his childhood home in North Easton, and the father of a two-year daughter, Sally, who herself would become a noted ocean racer. He was outgrowing his life as a playboy adventurer and was on the cusp of a serious career in the new field of commercial aviation. Besides his airfield in North Easton, he had an air travel services company, Skyways, Inc., at the East Boston Airfield. In the late morning Freddie’s private plane took off with Frank and Frances on board and headed south to Stone House Hill. The plane crashed about halfway there in Randolph and all on board were killed. Being an experienced pilot Freddie had the presence of mind to turn off the ignition to prevent a fire on impact. Unfortunately, it was the impact that did them in. My father got the call that afternoon at Langwater from the Easton chief of police to come and identify Freddie’s body. The plane crashed nose-first and Freddie’s face smashed into the instrument panel, and he was unrecognizable. Not much was said in the cruiser on that trip to Randolph. My father was able to identify the body of his friend and cousin by the shape of an ear. Image of plane carved into Freddie Ames’ gravestone in the Village Cemetery, North Easton.
The question I should have asked my father was, did he tell Freddie about his premonition? Would it have made any difference? That’s a good question. Why was it my father who had the premonition? Was he chosen? I know that sounds a bit silly, but one has to wonder." As Jim Carlion wrote, "It would seem Ames properties have lots of ghosts or connection to the supernatural!" Thank you all so much for sharing your stories! (Any mistakes are mine alone.) Anne Wooster Drury [email protected] A big thank you from Hazel Varella for her tribute at the May 7th Open House. What an amazing turn-out, and so well deserved. (Who left the windchimes? Much appreciated.) This week we have a wonderful reflection on Memorial Day by guest writer and EHS member Ed Leonard. He is something of an expert on war memorials and monuments. MEMORIAL DAY Monday May 29, 2023
We remember the many lives lost in all the Wars to protect our democracy and all of those who mourn their loss- Mothers, Fathers, Sisters, Brothers, Family and Friends. The first observance was May 30, 1868 at Arlington National Cemetery and called “Decoration Day” with the placement of flowers on the graves of the soldiers lost in the Civil War. Easton Dedicated its Civil War Soldiers Monument on May 30, 1882. I recently found a pamphlet at the Historical Museum “Exercises Held at the Soldiers Monument”. The Preface identifies the Committee chosen in 1880 at Town Meeting to “Consider building a Monument or Memorial Hall” as Dr Geo. B. Cogswell, Geo. A. Lacky, L.S. Drake, Oakes A. Ames and Joseph Barrows. The 1881 Town Meeting approved their recommendation of erecting a monument and $5000 to defray expenses by the same committee. At the March 1882 Town meeting, $200 was appropriated for the G.A.R. to plan and meet the expenses of dedicating the monument on May 30th, including building a platform for speakers in front of the Town Hall. Two thousand people, including those in two hundred carriages, attended the dedication. Good weather favored the all-day event. The program began with a prayer by Rev. W.H. Bowden, followed by an Introduction by Dr Cogswell, the President of the Day. Joseph Barrows Esq gave a historical address, naming the 47 soldiers who gave their lives. Four more speeches were made, interspersed with music by a chorus and a band. Two of the speakers were veteran military officers from Brockton and Bridgewater. An Appendix lists the names of the soldiers who returned from the war and were buried in local cemeteries. The Monument was moved 75’ last fall at a cost of $100,000 to make room for the new intersection. A massive concrete base was allowed to settle and cure for ten weeks before the 16 granite pieces, including the statue, were carefully assembled to recreate the Monument. Pressure washing completed the process. Curved granite curbing was removed from the original site and now surrounds the base. Two issues regarding the relocation of the Monument come to mind. 1. The committee was directed to consider a “Monument or Memorial Hall”. I have documented a collection of 1,650 Soldier Statues dedicated in the United States since the Civil War. Only 5 have a “Memorial Hall” with a Soldier Statue. One is on the Common in Foxboro which has the only Statue of a Soldier sculpture in wood. It is also the 6th earliest soldier monument to be dedicated following the War. Erected in 1868 and dedicated in 1870. Foxboro’s Hall must have been considered? 2. The most active period for dedicating Soldier Statue Monuments was from 1880 to 1920. Motor vehicles were of basic design or non-existent and the drivers were without license or experience during this period. The horse-drawn carriages maneuvered easily around the monuments in town centers. Motorized vehicles were constantly crashing into them. Thus, many were removed to safer locations such as into cemeteries. The closest example is the Soldiers Monument in Attleboro which was originally located in the town square, dedicated in 1908 and moved to Capron Park in 1929 at a cost of $3,300. It is interesting that our Monument survived being damaged by vehicles but had to be moved to prevent vehicles from hitting each other. Ed Leonard [email protected] A new biography, "Blanche Ames Ames (1878–1969) and Oakes Ames (1874–1950)—Cultivating That Mutual Ground." has been published by Wipf & Stock and is available now! [wipfandstock.com]. It is written by Elizabeth F. Fideler, EdD. Dr. Fideler is a founding member of the Sloan Research Network on Aging & Work at Boston College. You can read more about the book and author at https://www.amazon.com/author/olderworkers
|
Author
Anne Wooster Drury Archives
June 2024
Categories |