Foundation near Saltbox Road in the Parklands  



    Milford Chronicles, Paul Curran's recently published book on the history of Milford, can be purchased
    at the Milford Library. It's filled with interesting Milford stories covering subjects from The Little Engine
    that Could, to the Irish round tower, the Hurricane of '38, war heroes, sports stars, businesses along
    Main Street years ago, churches, world travelers, and Melvil Dewey's Milford connection. If you live
    around here, you've almost certainly been in the house where Dewey was married. Click on Hopedale
    in December above and you'll see it. The book even has a chapter titled "Hopedale's Terrible
    Casualty."

    At the end of No. 240, The War at Home, I said that at some time I'd continue it to the end of the war. I
    decided that rather finish it in another ezine, I'd put it on my Hopedale website. It starts with what was
    on No. 240 and continues through the war and a bit beyond. Here it is.

    In No. 241, I had a link to a page on shuttle lamps. If you'd be interested in making one, but think the
    base looks like more of a project than you want to get into, or you think finding the right shuttles could
    be a problem, a solution (for making up to three, anyway) has turned up. For more on this, go to the
    page about the lamps, and look in the text box at the bottom of the page.

    During the past two weeks, I've added to the following pages:    Sacred Heart Church (In 1917, the
    Milford Gazette reported plans to build a Catholic Church in Hopedale. In June 1918 excavation for the
    cellar of the church was reported. Then evidently nothing happened until the church was given the old
    high school in 1935. The Gazette clippings have been added to the page on the church.)   Milford
    historical markers (Jewish veterans' marker added)     Memorial Hall, Milford (history of Memorial Hall
    added)     Aerial views (c 1976 color aerial added)     Darrell Lindsey (Lindsey was killed during World
    War I. The clipping added to the page shows the connection between the Lindsey and the Drisko
    families.)     Patrick's Store (Article on the 50th anniversary of the business mentions that early in the
    20th century, Patrick's had a profit sharing plan and equal pay for women.)   Dredging Hopedale Pond,
    1949 (A few more pictures)     Recent deaths     

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    The general work done on the park property during the year includes improvements at the bath house,
    the interior of which has been stained, and in which additional dressing rooms have been furnished.
    A float and spring board have been provided. Sand was drawn onto the ice during the winter, so that it
    could settle and furnish a better bottom for the bathers. With the co-operation of ladies offering their
    services as matrons, we arranged for use of the bath house facilities by women and girls two
    afternoons each week. During the season, there were 3100 baths taken by males and 222 by
    females. Report of the Park Commission, 1905.

    An exhibition of amateur photography was held during the first two weeks in December. The exhibit,
    which consisted of 261 mounted photographs, 63 postals and 12 lantern slides, was hung under the
    supervision of Miss Varney, our teacher of drawing. The library was visited during the week by 893
    people, a greater number than in any past year. The exhibitors were Mr. and Mrs. F.E. Ball, Mr. E.A.
    Bragg, Mr. Richard Britten, Mr. C. H. Chapman, Mr. G.O. Chickering, Mr. Wickliffe P. Draper, Mr. J.S.
    Henry, Mr. G. Draper Osgood, Mr. C. B Stowers, and Mr. L.K. Whiting. Library Report, 1907, Harriet B.
    Sornborger, Librarian
    .
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                                                                     Abandoned Home-sites

    Adin Ballou's HIstory of Milford includes a chapter titled Abandoned Home-sites. Each description is
    numbered. To include just some of those in what is now in, or along the border of Hopedale, I'll start
    with No. 18.

    No. 18 is near the junction of Plain and Mill Streets, on the west side. this was the dwelling-place first
    of David Hayward, and afterwards of his only son, Ephraim. It must be one hundred and thirty years
    old. The house was abandoned as a dwelling fifty years ago, I think, and the shell used by Lowell
    Fales as a carpenter's shop. It has been demolished perhaps twenty years or thereabouts.

    No. 23 is on the east side of Hopedale Street, some forty or fifty rods south of where it crosses Main
    (now Mendon Street/Route16) It is completely obliterated, and I should not have known the spot had
    not the late Henry Chapin certified it. The site occupied the swell of land ten or fifteen rods northerly of
    Thomas Moore's cottage. There dwelt and died Seth Chapin, jun., one of the wealthiest men on our
    territory at his death in 1740. His eldest son, Josiah, grandfather of Henry above named, occupied the
    premises some years until he built anew near the site now occupied by Samuel Walker's mansion.
    Date of demolition never told me.

    No. 24 is the site of the "Old Jones House" in Hopedale, believed to have been built in part by Elder
    John Jones about the year 1703. It was greatly enlarged by him and his son Joseph in 1735. Its
    historic fame has given it much celebrity. It was demolished in October 1874; and its remains have
    been nearly swept away.

    No . 25 is on Freedom Street, north-westerly of Hopedale Village, on the easterly side of the street. It is
    not conspicuous, but plainly discernible. This was for several years the home of Joseph Marshall. He
    came from Holliston nor far from 1750; and, having purchased small parcels of land of Joseph Jones
    and others hereabouts, built himself a modest dwelling on this site. He does not appear to have
    remained very long here. I think the place was ultimately bought by one of the Jones family, and
    became incorporated into the so-called "Jones farm." What successive owners or tenants occupied it
    meantime, I have not critically inquired.

    No 26 is the "White place" so called, which was once a short distance from the road that led across
    Mill river, nearly west from Ransom Clark's on Green Street, to the Eight-Rod Road near its junction
    with Mill Street. That road was long ago discontinued, and this site left to commemorate itself by its
    ruins. These are now to be found in the open pasture owned by Albert Gaskill, which formerly
    belonged to the Esek Green farm. I suppose the site must have been abandoned before the road was
    discontinued, which was in 1791. The house was built and long occupied by descendants of Joseph
    White, one of the most eminent original proprietors of Mendon. I have not traced out the particulars.

    No. 29 is on what we may call the north fork of Freedom Street, not far from the "Salt Box" (of
    undignified memory), on the opposite side of the way. I never viewed it, and judge, from descriptions
    given, that the remains, though obvious, are not very distinct. I understand this to have been the home
    of Josiah Nelson previous to 1784, and later of his son Paul for a few years; still later it was occupied
    by tenants. When and by whom the domicile was built or demolished, I have not been told. (Saltbox
    Road)

    No. 30 is the Cutler place, on an old discontinued "Drift-Way or Bridle-Road," that led from what is now
    Freedom St., north-eastwardly, over the Cutler Bridge, towards the Dea. Rawson place. David Cutler
    was the most prominent early owner, and dwelt, in 1760, where the ruins now are. Then said "Drift-
    Way" was laid. I have never been there to inspect the site, but am told that it is situated on a north-
    easterly line from the Cutler Bridge, forty rods or more in the direction of the Rawson estate. I suppose
    the Cutler place descended to his heirs, was sold out to different purchasers, and ere long passed
    out of the family name. The house is said to have been tenanted last by one Pease, who had Indian
    blood in his veins. I have not been told the date of its final abandonment.

    No 31 is on Freedom Street, above Felix Kearney's place, in the pasture, on the south side of the
    street, forty or fifty rods easterly of Kearney's new dwelling-house. There we find plain indications of a
    cellar, and not far off an old well. The ruins are much obliterated, and show that the site was long ago
    abandoned. It is believed to have been the cheaply-constructed home of the first Benjamin Wheaton,
    an early settler and contemporary of John Jones. He owned a tract of land thereabouts and eastward
    of not less than eighty acres, perhaps in all a hundred. The Scammell farm comprised the bulk of it;
    having been purchased of one Sleman, who bought it of this Benjamin Wheaton, or his son of the
    same name. Sr. Samuel Scammell is said to have lived here a while after he purchased the place.
    (An 1898 map shows the "Kearney place" on the south side of Freedom Street, between the five-
    corner intersection to across from 36 Freedom Street.)   Adin Ballou, History of Milford, pp. 392 - 395.

    Click here to go to a more complete page of Ballou's abandoned sites in and bordering Hopedale.

    Click here to go to History of Milford online.

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