Hopedale History
    April 15, 2012
    No. 202
    April 1912



    Vietnam vets join Tillotson Post, American Legion, 1971   

    Draper family reunion in Hopedale, 1999   

    A forgotten street and the unfortunate razing of what was, in 1958, the oldest house in Hopedale.
    Carpenter Road and the Madden house.    

    Park programs, 1967. A fishing derby and a tennis tournament. Milford News photos and an article.  If
    you were a Hopedale kid at that time, you’ll see lots of familiar names and faces.

    I’ve recently added Milford News clippings to the pages on   Richard Griffin,     Mort Dennett,   Billy
    Draper’s Store,    the Draper duplexes,  and the Police Department.

    Recent deaths   

    Twenty-five years ago – April 1987 – The Annual Town Meeting will be televised. This will be the first
    live TV program to be presented by the local access group.      On network TV – Simon and Simon,
    The Cosby Show, Knot’s Landing, Cheers, Miami Vice, Golden Girls, Spencer for Hire, Dallas, Falcon
    Crest.      President Reagan challenges Moscow to establish a date this year for withdrawing troops
    from Afghanistan.

    Fifty years ago – April 1962 – Uniforms have been ordered for high school band members for the
    first time. The cost will be $3090 for sixty uniforms. Band members have gone door-to-door for
    donations, and Draper Corporation has contributed $1000.     Chairman Willard Taft presides over
    Park Commission meeting.      400 expected at Protestant Youth Rally at Hopedale Unitarian
    Church.      Hollywood beds, $59, complete, at Stone’s Furniture, Milford.      Robert Narducci has
    been named manager of the All-State Orchestra.

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                                                                                 Hopedale 1912


    The small town newspapers of years ago printed all sorts of things that don’t get into the news now.
    Here are a few items from the Hopedale column in the weekly Milford Gazette from 100 years ago.
    One thing that caught my attention as I was typing this at the Bancroft Library was the many events
    that were held at the Town Hall. Also, as we’ve been hearing a lot about the 100th anniversary of the
    sinking of the Titanic, I was surprised to find a Titanic-related story in Hopedale. There are various
    other bits of trivia that leave no doubt when reading them that they aren’t from today’s paper.

    April 5, 1912

    E.L. Tinkham is soon to remove to Montana for his health.

    The road commissioners have ordered a 10-ton road roller from the Buffalo-Pitts Company.

    Harry Cronin, who has resigned his position with the Draper Co. to play ball with the New Bedford
    league team, was presented with a suit case, a purse of money, and a baseball suit roll Friday
    afternoon.

    The Christian Endeavor society held a mock Harvard, Yale and Princeton meet, with numerous track
    events in miniature Tuesday evening in the chapel. The affair was pronounced an unqualified
    success by all present.

    Fifteen were in the high school party which left for Washington Saturday afternoon. The concert in
    Town Hall Friday evening, under the auspices of the school chorus, was largely attended and most
    successful. The program included chorus singing, a cornet solo by John P. Manuel, violin selections
    by Mrs. Tuttle, and readings by Frances Brown and Avis Rockwell.

    An enjoyable private dancing party of 50 couples was held in Town Hall Saturday evening, under the
    direction of B.H. Bristow Draper, Harry Lawrence, S. Fred Smith, John Caffy, Clarence Lapworth and
    Charles Austin. McEnelly’s orchestra furnished the music and the hall was beautifully decorated with
    flowers from ex-Governor Draper’s conservatory. Lilley & Mader of Milford served ices in the reception
    room, which was arranged to represent a flower garden.

    April 12, 1912

    J. William Hall of Dartmouth college is at home for the Easter vacation.

    Mrs. Harry Billings has entertained her mother from Worcester the past few days.

    The fire department was called out about midnight Tuesday by a still alarm for a fire in Mrs. Sophia
    Piper’s woodshed. The damage was slight.

    Otis Lurvey was operated upon for appendicitis Tuesday evening at the Milford hospital by Dr.
    Emerson of Worcester, assisted by Dr. K. A. Campbell.

    At the Unitarian parsonage Sunday Rev. Lewis united in marriage Harold Smith and Miss Alice
    Smith, both of this town. The couple were unattended.

    Worcester parties have bought the old Draper Co. office building and are offering the material for
    sale. The building must be removed before June 1 under forfeiture.

    The annual ladies’ night of the Unitarian Men’s club was held last evening in Town Hall with a large
    attendance. An enjoyable lecture on Alaska, splendidly illustrated, was given by Frederick Brooks of
    Boston.

    A largely attended meeting of the Roundabout club was held Tuesday evening in Town Hall. Besides
    musical numbers Mrs. Christabel Whitney Kidder of Somerville, whose readings from Kipling under
    the auspices of the club gave such pleasure here previously, gave a delightful rendition of “The
    Piper.”

    April 19, 1912

    The new road roller arrived in town Tuesday.

    Mr. and Mrs. H.W. Bracken, Mrs. C.M. Day and Miss Anna Bancroft have returned from their visit to
    Florida.

    The Union church has voted to pay the salary of a native preacher in India who will work under the
    direction of Rev. James Perkins, well-known here.

    The Draper Co. has announced that it will make its annual award of lawn prizes this year, $300 to
    residents of the company houses in the village and $75 to the Brick village tenants.

    Mrs. Susan Preston Draper and daughter Margaret, accompanied by O.H. Lane as secretary, were to
    have sailed tomorrow on the ill-fated Titanic for two months in London and Paris.

    The 70-horse power combination chemical and hose wagon of the LaFrance company of Boston
    was brought here Monday afternoon for a demonstration by Joseph Webber, and the machine met
    with an accident on the Upton road while a dozen or more firemen of this town and Milford were
    riding on the machine. The driver was demonstrating the capacity of the machine for speed, when a
    soft stretch of road was struck in turning out for a passing vehicle and the steering wheel broke,
    causing the heavy machine to collide with a stone wall. Chiefs Kellogg and Crockett were somewhat
    bruised and W.N. Draper sprained the ligaments of his right hand, which was also somewhat cut.
    The other occupants of the machine escaped injury. The machine was drawn back to the town by
    horses and was repaired. The town is not in the market for such a machine, but for an auto fire
    pump, and such a piece of apparatus was successfully demonstrated here by the same concern
    Tuesday afternoon.

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