Burns. They were taken by Amy's uncle, Doug Taylor. |
Flood at Spindleville - 1955
my mom and dad. My father and Bill Francis built it before the end of World War II. I was very young and would be with my mother while she ran the store, because my father worked in Drapers. A very nice man who worked for Rosenfeld Concrete would stop in the store and take me with him on his runs to deliver concrete. I felt like a giant riding in that cement mixer. We sold the store to Mr. and Mrs. Hatt. Mrs. Hatt had a collection of salt and pepper shakers; some say she had over 400 pair. My brother John helped her husband save as many as they could before the building slipped into the river. My brother added that it was the water wheel that gave the mill its power that caused the water to wash the store down the river. The water wheel came off its stand and lodged crooked and would not let the water pass through, causing the Mill River to find another route. The store was in an area a little lower than the spindle mill. That is where the Mill Street kids waited for the school bus. David Atkinson, February 2008. . |
The photos below were taken by Doug Taylor and scanned and sent by Paul Doucette. |
by the Upton Historical Society in March 2017. They had been taken by the Draper Corporation photography department, and given to the UHS by Robert Anderson of Upton. |
Above and below - The Hatt house and store that had been washed downstream. See article near bottom of this page. |
The 1927, 1938 and 1955 floods in Spindleville (Including much more on the 1955 flood.) Flood at Drapers - 1955 More About the Flood Hopedale South of Route 16 Menu Doug Taylor's photos of the 1955 flood in Mendon HOME . |
This picture, which includes a look at the wreckage of the Hatt house and store,was sent by John Longo. The golf course was built on the area shown around the time of the flood.. |
Thanks to John Longe for this photo. On the left is what was the Westcott Mill, where spindles (used for spinning fibers into yarns) were made and repaired. Also in the picture is the Westcott house that became the VFW home, which is now the home of Bob and Amy Burns. And of course, Spindleville Pond, which looks a bit low after having dumped much of its water through the washed-out area that it created. |