Hopedale Business Ads - 1869

    These ads came from the Miford business directory for 1869. Thanks to Giancarlo
    BonTempo for sending them. There are a few things that are new to me in them. I'd
    known about Almon Thwing's mill, just a little downstream from the bridge at the end
    of Thwing Street, but I didn't know about the Chapman and Davenport business
    and mill that was on the same site later. The two manufacturers and importers of
    needles is quite a surprise. The Smith business sounds like it would belong on the
    coast, not here. The Gibson grocery business is also one I hadn't run into before.

    For a while I was thinking that the George Draper who was the postmaster (see
    bottom of H. O. Givson ad) may not have been one of the Draper Company
    Drapers. In addition to several Georges in the company family, there were two
    other Draper families in Hopedale, including at least two by the name of George.
    However, I don't think those others were in this area as early as 1869. Also, it's
    pretty certain that the building that housed the post office was owned by the
    George Draper of company fame. The Geo. Draper & Son ad must be for the
    company Drapers. The company name changed from E.D. and G. Draper
    Company to George Draper & Son in 1868 when William F. Draper bought out his
    uncle's share of the company.

    Based on an old map, Gibson's grocery and the post office may have been in what
    had been the Home School, later the American Legion home, and now the site of
    the police station. (Click here to see it on an 1870 map of Hopedale. Look for
    "Store & P.O. just off the upper left corner of the Unitarian Church block.)

    Here's some information on synoptical needles, sent by Peter Metzke: Synoptical
    needle cases normally have a removable top, are flat and made of cardboard, once
    the top is removed they reveal a size chart so that you can choose which size
    needle you may require for darning.

    Most contained size 6 to size 10 needle, although one could order size 6 and under
    in separate packets, due to their small size the synoptical cases were not made for
    them. Under the size chart a small pocket was made in the case to store the
    different sizes under the size shown and also for repositioning a needle after use.

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    An ad for the Westcott Mill, from a business
    directory for 1878, sent by Peter Metzke. Click on
    the ad for more about the mill and Spindleville.

    That's a business that I'm
    surprised to see was operated in
    Hopedale.

    The Hopedale Furnace
    Company was one of several
    owned and operated by the
    Draper family, that was later
    consolidated as the Draper
    Company, and in 1916 as
    Draper Corporation. They didn't
    produce furnaces. It was the
    name of the branch that
    operated the foundry producing
    parts for Draper products.