Hopedale History April 15, 2005 No. 36 Who Fired First? Last time I asked if any of you knew anything about Lilliputian weddings.  I had a response from a classmate of mine, Phil Roberts.  Phil was the groom in one of them. He looked through old family photos and found one of the “wedding.” Here’s a bit of what he had to say about it.  “I'm wearing a bowtie that's bigger than my head, a tuxedo with striped lapels, and I'm carrying a top-hat.  I look like a circus barker. The picture's dated March 12, 1949--it was taken by James S. Peavey!” Evidently there were at least three of these weddings. A guest book that I found at the library had names and pictures from one in 1940, and names but no date for another one. (Based on the ages of the participants, I’m guessing that one took place in 1947.) They were put on by the Community House Women’s Club.  I’ve put the information from the guest book down at the bottom, below the “Who Fired First?” story. It includes over seventy names.  If you lived in Hopedale in the forties or fifties, the list will probably bring back lots of memories.                                              <><><><><><><><><><> Who fired the first shot at Lexington?  Evidently the question was being discussed within days, or perhaps hours, after the battle. I ran across the following story while looking through some old Cotton Chats and I thought that Patriots’ Day would be the time to send it. Cotton Chats By the Secretary of the Draper Company Hopedale, Mass. No. 17. April 1903                              What Happened in April 128 Years Ago Lexington, April 25th, 1775. I, William Draper, of lawful age and an inhabitant of Colrain in the county of Hampshire, and Colony of Massachusetts-Bay in New-England, do testify and declare, that being on the parade of said Lexington April 19th instant, about half an hour before sunrise the Kings regular troops appeared at the meeting house of Lexington. Capt. Parker’s company who were drawn up back of said meeting house on the parade turned from said troops making their escape by dispersing, in the mean time, the regular troops made an huzza and ran towards Capt. Parker’s company who were dispersing, and immediately after the huzza was made, the commanding officer of said troops (as I took him) gave the command to the said troops “fire! damn you fire!” And immediately they fired before any of Capt. Parker’ s company fired, I then being within three or four rods of said regular troops:  And further say not.                                                                                                                                 William Draper                                               <><><><><><><><><><> Here’s the rest of the story on the Lilliputian wedding of 1940.            Hopedale Woman’s Club Entertains With Lilliputian Wedding The bridal group of the Lilliputian wedding sponsored by Hopedale Woman’s Club in the Community House in which nearly 50 youngsters, representing personages in Hopedale, took part.  Helene Draper, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. B. H. Bristow Draper, Jr., was bride, and the groom was portrayed by Robert LaFountain, son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert LaFountain.  (Picture caption, Milford Daily News) From guest book, dated February 13, 1940: Wedding party: Bride – Helene Draper Groom – Robert LaFountain Best Man – Daniel Steincipher Maid of Honor – Priscilla West Flower Girl – Lynda Kate Sadler Ring Bearer – Gerald Hazard Bridesmaids – Barbara Clark, Janet Moon, Rosalind Thayer, Ellen Brown, Cynthia Clark, Frances Ammen Signatures in guest book: Sylvia Stare Gladys D. Grant Doris Bell Grace M. Steincipher Isobel Callahan Helen MacLeod Helene Creamer Helen E. Peavey Betty Mathewson Robert Bruce Smethurst Robert LaFountain Cynthia L. Clark Frances Webster Dorothy Young Rosamond Thayer William T. Coy Joan Thatcher James Peavey Priscilla Sadler Frances Ammen Danny Steincipher Janet Lapworth Beverly Markham Garfield Moon Donald Webster Edith Barrows Robert Noyes Jane Bridgham Harland Scribner Nancy Gibson Richard Draper Susan Dewar Colton Bridges Barbara Harriet Thayer Claude Snider Mary Louise Stare Gladys Grant Jean Newhall Dorothy Murray Olive Day Bramhall Priscilla Scribner Gladys Sanborn Jeanette Andrews Shirley Webster Nancy Calhoun Barbara Bell Judith Ripley Jane Newell Elinor FitzGerald Carolyn Henderson Virginia Steeves Joanne Kearsley Beverly Sparhawk Yvonne Scanlon Pauline Shanahan Richard Callahan Mrs. Eugene S. Newhall Shirley Mathewson Hilda Chegwidden A few days after finding these names and thinking that’s all there were, I came across more names in the guest book.  Evidently they were from some time in between the 1940 and the 1949 weddings, but no year is given. They are: Bride – Patricia Perry Groom – Billy Ohlson Bride’s father – William H. Thayer Soloist – Donald Seastrom Bridesmaids – Sally Lawrence, Lorna Smethurst, Patty Draper, Judy Nelson, Glenis Bishop, and Joanne Lemon Ushers – Russell Goff, Tommy Draper, David Miles, Robert Iacovelli, Albert Carl Gray and Roger Robbins For more on the weddings, go to http://www.hope1842.com/lilliput1949.html                                                  <><><><><><><><><><> I added Dot Stanas’s memories of Hopedale to the website this week.  To read about the days when the wash was done in set tubs and you could watch the Fourth of July fireworks over the pond, go to http://www.hope1842.com/stanasdot                                             Hopedale History Ezine Menu                    HOME