My son and I took these pictures on the night of December 1, from the third floor of my house on Inman Street. It looked like they were no more than a mile away, but actually the fireworks show was taking place in Mendon.
When she was a teen, Marge jumped off the Hope Street bridge onto the top of a boxcar. The photo above, from the Milford News, shows her skiing to work after a heavy snowfall. Click on her picture to read about Marge.
Click on the map to go to a page about the Hopedale Village Historic District, which was included in the National Register of Historic Places in 2003. Click here to see a page about the proposal for a local historic district made in 2018.
The house on Jackson Way appears to be what used to be called the Harel House. It was originally built as the home of Dana and Laird Osgood. In the late 1940s it was purchased by the Lacy family where they sold furniture, etc., under the name Harel House. Click on the clipping to read about it.
Christmas in Early Hopedale
I presume that the reputed anniversary of our Savior’s birth was never celebrated in my ancient Mendon parish, nor elsewhere in the vicinity, until the year 1838. Traditionary prejudice, an inheritance from our Pilgrim and Puritan ancestors, was strongly against it. But I suggested and encouraged a change from the long-prevailing custom, to which my people readily consented. Autobiography of Adin Ballou. Click the title above to read about Christmas in the early years of Hopedale.
Or the one below – Hallelujah.
The wind and rain storm of December 18-19 caused damage around town. Above are signs of it still visible several days later: a large puddle near the main entrance to Hopedale Village Cemetery, and trees down in the Parklands. For a while during and after the storm, the Mill/Greene intersection was blocked, but at least the situation wasn’t as bad as it was in 1955, shown below. Click the picture to see many more of the August 1955 flood in Spindleville.
Good that the Royal Family is now so much better behaved than in Henry’s time. No more, “Off with her head!”
Egad, it’s the moon, by Jupiter.
It felt like spring on December 26, so we got out on Hopkinton Reservoir for a little while. There were lots of walkers in the State Park, but we had the water to ourselves.
Above you can see a few of the trees than came down in the Parklands during the recent storm.
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Hopedale in December 2023
Hopedale in November Ezine for November