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.)
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. Business ads 1907 1918 and 1927 1948 1965 Business Menu HOME |
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. |
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. |