This is the house at the intersection of Progress and Freedom streets, where brothers Bob and Art grew up. In the early days of this website, they both wrote their memories of Hopedale in the 1940s. Click here to read Bob’s, and here for Art.
Strike at Draper Company – June 1913
June 7 – The backbone of the strike is broken. Many of the men are returning to work, the police are being withdrawn and there is less activity by pickets.
June 8 – Two carloads of children of strikers were taken by the M. A. & W. Street Railway Co. cars today to Providence to remain until the strike is over.
June 17 – Strike at Green Bros. Factory in force since April 12, settled amicably today and 49 girl strikers resumed work.
June 18 – Selectmen refuse use of Town Hall to strikers when it became known Carlo Tresca and Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, I.W.W. agitators, were to speak.
June 20 – Carlo Tresca and Elizabeth Gurley Flynn of I.W.W. speak in Driving Park hall to 300 strikers and others.
Hopedale Pond – June 3
During most of the first half of the 20th century Dr. Kleber Campbell was the only doctor with an office in Hopedale. In the picture of him above, he’s in front of his home and office which was at 82 Hopedale Street, next to where the post office is now. Recently Laurie Woden arranged a visit to me by Peter Phillips and Libba Moore. Dr. Campbell was Pete’s great grandfather, and he had a good many items that had belong to the doctor. He gave them to me and I now have pictures of some of them on the Dr. Campbell page on this site. I’ll be adding more during the next couple of weeks, and then I’ll give them to the Little Red Shop Museum. Thanks to Pete for that collection, and to Laurie for suggesting that he give it to me,
Recently when Mendon Historical Society member Dennis LaPlante was visiting the Milford history museum, he was given a good number of Milford News negative pictures of Mendon from the 1960s and 1970s. Dick Grady brought them to me to convert to positives. While they were almost entirely from Mendon, the one above was in an envelope marked “Dutcher School science fair – 1972. Recognize anyone?
There was also an envelope marked “Mendon-Upton summer school – 1972.” I looked at those first, hoping to find my late wife, Elaine there, and there she was.
Parade in Upton in 1962. It was part of a music festival at Nipmuc Regional. Twenty-two schools participated. Click the picture to see more. This picture came from the same batch of negatives as the two above it.
From the Hopedale Patch
Milford’s Mitchell Ruscitti Named New Swansea Town Administrator (patch.com) — Hopedale’s town administrator, Milford resident Mitchell Ruscitti, is leaving to become Swansea’s next town administrator on July 6, pending contract talks. He’s credited with stabilizing Hopedale’s municipal operations and finances, and his departure means local leaders will soon need to choose new executive leadership for Town Hall.
Hopedale softball reaches first state final since 1990 (milforddailynews.com) — Hopedale High’s softball team is heading to its first state championship game since 1990 after a dramatic 9-6 comeback win over Georgetown in Lowell. Freshman pitcher Emily Atwood struck out 11 and sparked a six-run rally after being hit by a pitch, sending the Blue Raiders to Saturday’s Division 5 final against Maynard at Worcester State.
Thanks to my son DJ for these pictures of the special sailing of the USS Constitution to celebrate Bunker Hill Day. He went up the 294 steps of the Bunker Hill Monument to take the pictures.
Town Park work with different forms of horsepower.
Hopedale High Class of 1959 at a get-together (Are there enough of us there to call it a reunion?) this month, 67 years after graduating. There were only 27 of us back then. who graduated from what was called General Draper High School. Here’s a page with pictures of us from kindergarten through graduation and on to many reunions.
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