Caboose House - 7 Overdale Parkway
		G&U Caboose Houses    The two oldest cabooses are located on private properties in Hopedale. Once lived in by their original owners and now built inside two homes, they are no longer recognizable from the outside of either building. One of the cabooses was purchased by Edwin Aldrich (probably prior to 1907) while he was employed by the G&U. The wheels and undercarriage were removed, the “buggy” was brought to Aldrich property on South Main Street in Hopedale and then modified to become a small comfortable home for the family. It was recalled as still being their home when their 50th wedding anniversary was celebrated in 1929. Later, it was moved to a new location nearby and today, although it cannot be seen from outdoors, it is part of the home owned and lived in by Rita Wilde at 212 South Main Street in Hopedale, and later by the William Brown family. It has been covered completely on the outside, as it has become part of a larger house. The inside of the caboose and a couple of the cupola windows are still visible inside the house. The second caboose was purchased by Sam Yanco in 1939 when he was employed by the railroad. It was an extra long caboose, being in the 35-foot class. Yanco sold it to Ellsworth Naylor in 1943 or 1944 and it was moved on a long lowbed trailer owned by M. Palanzi to its present location at 7 Overdale Parkway in Hopedale. This “buggy” is not visible from the street side because it has been widened and a new outside wall with a picture window has been installed on it. The lower windows on the back side along with the cupola windows are very visible. Inside the home, the original roof is still very evident. It serves as the ceiling for the entranceway, the dining room, kitchen and bathroom areas. The lower windows along one side and all the cupola windows are visible inside the house. Window hardware, the door on one end and some of its hardware along with some of the wood inside the dining room area are original. The manufacturers original brass metal plate marked “LACONIA CAR WORKS, BUILDER, LACONIA, N.H.,” is still attached to the caboose. Gordon Hopper, 1995. When I put a question about the caboose house on Overdale Parkway in one of my Hopedale history emails in 2009, I received a reply from Dave Atkinson.. You'll see that it differs a bit from what Hopper wrote. The Hopper version indicates that it wasn't moved to Overdale until it was sold to the Nayors, but the Yanco's grandson remembers his grandparents living there. Here's what I wrote in Hopedale history email No. 145. As to the question about the caboose house of Overdale Parkway, Dave Atkinson knew a bit about it, since it had been the home of his aunt and uncle. He passed the question on to a relative and I received the following: “During the depression, Sam Yanco worked for the G & U Railroad along with Fred Philpot (who was Fannie's Uncle). Sam, his wife Fannie, and daughter Carlia bought a caboose from the G & U Railroad and Fred and Sam pulled it home using a Desoto and placed it up on land that Fannie and Sam owned on Saltbox Hill. Sam set it on a rock foundation, hand dug a water well, and hand dug a cesspool. Sam, Fannie and Carlia lived in it. Fannie was the daughter to Howell Neally of Hopedale. This information provided by Paul Moroney, Grandson of Sam and Fannie, and son to Carlia.” Ellen Alves also responded to the question. She remembered the people who lived at 7 Overdale after the Yancos - Axel and Elsie Naylor. Acording to the street listing books, Sam and Fanny Yanco resided at 29 Hopedale Street in 1938 and 1939. In 1940 they were recorded as living on Overdale Parkway. Before moving to Hopedale in 1938, they had lived in Mendon.                                         G&U Menu                     HOME