Before the Community House opened in 1923, the Knights of Pythias met upstairs in the Harrison Block in what was called Pythian Hall. Old news clippings show that many other events were held there also.

Hopedale History
February 2023
No. 412
Hopedale in 1923, Part 2

Hopedale in February  

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Twenty-five years ago – February 1998 – A United States military pilot causes the deaths of 20 people near Trento, Italy, when his low-flying EA-6B Prowler severs the cable of a cable-car.

The 1998 Winter Olympics are held in Nagano, Japan.

Iraqi President Saddam Hussein negotiates a deal with U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, allowing weapons inspectors to return to Baghdad, preventing military action by the United States and Britain.

Fifty years ago – February 1973 – U.S. Army Colonel William B. Nolde, the last American serviceman to die in the Vietnam War, was buried with full honors at Arlington National Cemetery.

Operation Homecoming, the release of prisoners of war in the Vietnam War, began as three U.S. Air Force C-141 medical transports landed at the Gia Lam Airport in Hanoi in North Vietnam to pick up American POWs.

Following President Richard Nixon‘s visit to mainland China, the United States and the People’s Republic of China agreed to establish liaison offices.

One-hundred years ago – February 1923 – The U.S. Senate voted, 63 to 6, to approve the proposal of Senator George W. Norris of Nebraska to amend the U.S. Constitution to change the date for inauguration of the U.S. president and of Congress from March to January, and to have newly elected officials take office less than three months after their election, rather than 13 months.

After 32 centuries, the inner chamber of the Tomb of Tutankhamun was opened in Egypt near Luxor, as Howard Carter and his archaeological team broke the seal and went inside to find the sarcophagus of the boy pharaoh of Egypt. Present were 20 invited witnesses, including the expedition sponsor, George Herbert. Inside the tomb were 5,398 separate items, most prominently Tutankhamun‘s solid gold coffin. In the Egyptian chronology, agreed upon by the majority of Egyptologists, Tutankhamun is believed to have died in 1323 B.C.

The U.S. Supreme Court decided the case of United States v. Bhagat Singh Thind, upholding a lower court determination that the definition of “white persons” did not extend to light-skinned persons who were not of European descent for purposes of naturalized U.S. citizenship. The action had been brought by Bhagat Singh Thind, a native of Punjab who had served with the U.S. Army in World War One. The Naturalization Act of 1906 limited naturalization to “free white men” and to “persons of African nativity or persons of African descent”. Bhagat remained in the U.S. despite the revocation of his citizenship and would later be made a citizen when war veterans were made eligible for citizenship regardless of race.

News items above are from Wikipedia. For Hopedale news from 25, 50 and 100 years ago, from the Milford Daily News and the Milford Gazette, see below this text box.

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Hopedale in 1923, Part 2

News items from the Milford Gazette

May 4 – A steak supper was served at the central fire station Saturday evening, after which cards and a Victrola concert were enjoyed.

May 11 – Thomas J Coyne, who was born in Mendon in 1856, has just completed 52 consecutive years of employment at the Draper plant.

Professor William Cole of Amherst gave a demonstration of jam and jelly making and canning at the Memorial library Tuesday evening.

May 18 Town Hall was filled to capacity Friday evening for the carnival of nations presented by the school children in elaborate costumes and introducing folk dances of the various countries, songs, dialogues and drills.

May 25 – A large stone from a blast on the West Main Street (now Mendon Street) construction work recently killed one of a pair of horses at work in a nearby field. The other horse and the driver were uninjured.

The Draper soccer eleven defeated the Abbott Worsted eleven at Forge Village Saturday, 5 to 1. A social and banquet was enjoyed in Pythian Hall in the evening by the two elevens and their ladies.

June 1 – The Draper Corporation has secured a new bullet-proof automobile for the use of its payroll crew.

Pupils of Grades 4 and 5 hung a May basket recently to Gladys M. Wood, who has been ill for several months.

June 8 – Fire Chief Kellogg has a new Hudson speedster for fire department use.

Max Kupperman and family are spending the week in New York.

Dr. K.A. Campbell and family are occupying their summer home at Mendon.

June 15 – Mr. and Mrs. Paul C. Grant have purchased from H.L. Patrick a lot on Dutcher Street adjoining the Dennett property and are preparing to erect a bungalow.

June 22 – The high school won the Tricounty League championship, by defeating Ashland Wednesday, 8 to 2. The game was played at Medway.

The Boston estate of the late George Albert Draper on Commonwealth Avenue, assessed for $158,000, has been sold to Charles A. Proctor.

The Community House, the gift of the late George Albert Draper, will be formally opened with simple exercises tomorrow afternoon. F. J. Dutcher, president of the trustees, will be given the keys and title by Mrs. Helen Draper Taft, daughter of the donor.

June 29 – Piano pupils of Bertha Beal gave a pleasing recital in Town Hall Tuesday evening.

Alfred Bliss, 31 years old, was run over by an ice wagon in Hopedale and was brought to the Milford hospital Monday for a double fracture of the right foot.

July 6 – Winfield Lapworth took part in the radio concert from the Medford Hillside station last Thursday.

Mr. and Mrs. James Meade, formerly of this town, are guests of Mr. and Mrs. J.J. Emig at Lake Nipmuc.

At the recent meeting of the Mission circle of the Union church, Mrs. E. Talmage Root of Boston gave an interesting talk on home mission and immigration work.

July 13 – Mrs. Harry A. Billings and children have gone to Maine for their vacation.

A boys’ orchestra has been organized with John Howard, violinist and manager, Bernard S. Forbes, corneter, and Harry Lutz, pianist.

July 20 – G. Russell Goff and family are spending their vacation at Onset.

Francis Larkin, clerk at the post office, has gone to Detroit to visit his uncle, making the trip by automobile.

July 27 – John S. Henry is undergoing treatment at a Boston hospital.

A.A. Lovejoy and family left Monday for a vacation in the White Mountains.

August 3 – There was a large attendance at the opening of the Community House, Wednesday. The enrolment already exceeds 600.

George Draper lodge, Knights of Pythias, held its last good time in Pythian Hall last Friday night, after 33 years in the same quarters, where the lodge, which was instituted July 22, 1895, has steadily grown until there are now 440 members. Never in the history of the lodge has a Friday night meeting been omitted. (The K of P had been having their meetings upstairs in the Harrison Block. With the Community House opening they would have their own room there.)

August 10 – The Draper plant will be closed today, the date of President Harding’s funeral at Marion, Ohio, and tomorrow when the annual field day will be held.

August 17 – J. Harold Durgin, who operates the store at the waiting room here, was married Wednesday, to Ethel B. Sollis, a graduate of the Kingston high school and the Hyannis normal school, and for the past three years a teacher at Plymouth.

August 24 – Employees of two of the departments at the Draper plant enjoyed a clambake at the Holmburg grove in Upton Saturday, followed by a program of sports and a ball game.

August 31 – Mrs. Charles Young underwent an operation for appendicitis last Thursday at the Milford hospital.

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Hopedale News – February 1998

Hopedale News – February 1973

Hopedale News – February 1923

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