The Freedom-Oak Northrop Neighborhood
Until 1923, there weren’t any buildings where the former Sneiderman house is now, or where my son lives now. [21 Freedom – Sneiderman; 25 Freedom – Eddie McGrath] There was a house about right across from where Judy Oldfield lives now [28 Freedom Street]. It set facing the street about the same as the small house that is there now. At that time there was some kind of farm building that set kind of sideways, just about opposite the end of Oak Street. In those days Oak Street ended at Northrop Street; it didn’t go through Northrop to Freedom. After they ran Oak over to Freedom, we always called that “the new road.”
The older house on Freedom Street was occupied by Walter Durgin and his family. I’m not sure just what Walter Durgin did; he may have had something to do with being a caretaker for one of the Draper estates; he was also a constable or part-time police officer. [The 1927 town directory lists him as being a gardener for Clare Draper] They moved to South Hopedale [105 Greene Street] and the youngest boy, Lawrence, was in school about the same time we were. When we [Don and his twin brother, Dan] were about three or four years old, the Durgins had a billy-goat which we were very scared of. He’d chase us up onto the porch and then pin us up against the wall of the house with his horns. Our mother would hear us hollering for help and would come out and drive him back across the street. She wasn’t afraid of him.
The Sneidermans acquired the land at the corner [of Freedom and Williams] and I can remember seeing the house jacked up on some kind of logs, about half-way to where it sits now. I guess they also moved the farm building right up front next to the corner, to be the store. At first (I’ve seen pictures of a larger barn, and I can see the foundation still today) it was managed by the oldest Sneiderman son, Nathan; the one they called “Snookie.” They sold bottled cold soda, bread, Drake’s cakes, Bushway ice cream and other foodstuffs. It was supposed to be a handy neighborhood store, and perhaps they visualized it as cutting into the Patrick’s Store trade in downtown Hopedale. I guess the chain grocery stores in Milford weren’t good for any Hopedale grocery store. I think Nathan had an old Model T delivery truck for a while. Before they came to Hopedale, I think the Sneidermans lived on West Pine Street in Milford. He was already in the rag and junk business and continued it in Hopedale, having a little junkyard behind the house. Sneiderman kept a horse and wagon behind the house somewhere for several years, and did quite well in the junk business, especially at the Hopedale dump during World War II. Later on, the crippled son, “Kivy,” took care of the store. At one time the back room was used for a taxi stand office.
24 Freedom Street
Hopedale, MA
June 18, 2007
Dan,
I thought you might be interested to see this page from one of the early 1900s Milford Business Directories.
It shows about the same type of wagon I’ve got. And of course, the wagon I’ve got comes from about the same era.
It used to say “Elm Hill Farm,” over the door, and “Upton” on the back. It came from the Carroll Farm in East Upton, where your father’s sister and her husband, John Byrne lived for awhile, about 1933 – 34 or thereabout.
Don McGrath
Milk Routes in Hopedale, Milford and Vicinity
When we first started going up to Mendon, in the summer of 1931, I think Maple Farm had been recently sold to Arnold VanderSluis, a middle-aged single man from Whitinsville, who had gotten tired of his monotonous job in the Whitin Machine Works, that included watching the clock. VanderSluis had a sister who took care of the house. Arnold was a rather strict Christian, who wouldn’t do haying on Sunday, regardless of the weather forecast.
Probably about 1930, Leonard E. Taft had passed away and his widow, Minnie Taft moved up the street two or three houses. Like Walter Beal, they had a similar milk wagon, and sold cream, and, I suppose, milk too, or at least, so I recall. I don’t think Len Taft went on the milk route. Raymond Barrows took care of that chore, and they only went about four days a week. I can remember seeing the horse and milk wagon trotting along Dutcher Street and making the turn to Freedom Street, heading back to Mendon when we’d be out at recess at about 10:30 at the Dutcher Street School. The milk wagon was in good repair then and the Tafts had a spare wagon to use if the regular one was in the paint shop. Walter Beal used to hire that wagon if need be. The fee was twenty-five cents a day. That wagon said, “Milford Town Farm” on it, and I think Herbert Austin’s name might have been on it as, “Farm Mgr.” Mrs. Austin ran a pig farm at the corner of Asylum and West streets. That included a second farm further along Asylum Street, toward the town farm. Long-time game warden, Bill Prentiss had a small house on that section of Asylum Street.
But to get back to the milk wagons, Arnold VanderSluis continued to use it for a short while, but he rather soon switched to a truck. Later Tim Cronan had it toward the end of his milk route days and it finally landed with Dan Glennon, the wearer out of so many of the old milk wagons. Don McGrath, August 5, 2006.
Don McGrath’s neighbor, (and my father) Ed Malloy had delivered milk in Milford when he was a kid. Here’s what he recalled of that job.
One of my first jobs was delivering milk for the O’Brien Farm in Milford. I’d meet the horse-drawn wagon on Bear Hill. Back then, milk customers would leave a container out on their porch or steps. It could be a bowl or a jar or a pitcher. We’d pour the milk from five-gallon cans into smaller bottles, and we’d empty these into the customer’s container. I wasn’t paid in cash for the job. Instead, the family was supplied with milk.
Thanks to Mendon historian Dick Grady for sending the Davenport photos.
Above -Hopedale High School
Below – Sacred Heart Church
Sacred Heart Church
A little bit of undocumented history. I glanced at some of the literature at Church today and thought I saw something about how the Catholics of Hopedale decided about building a Catholic Church in town in 1935. The date is okay, but I’m not sure that’s just how it happened.
I think it was pretty much Father Jeremiah Riordan’s idea, then pastor of St. Mary’s in Milford, whose parish also included Hopedale and Mendon. When Sacred Heart first opened in 1935 it consisted of both Hopedale and Mendon. At that time Father Riordan had two curates, Father John Donohue and Father Frances McCollough, who became the first and second pastors of Sacred Heart. Of course, this was all accomplished with the consent and support of the Bishop of Springfield, Bishop O’Leary. There was no Worcester Diocese in 1935.
But to really get back to all of this history, you have to get back to a Mr. Roper, who lived on Freedom Street in that house about mid-way down the hill, with the fieldstone bottom story and also with a barn. St. Mary’s owned that Roper residence as long as I can remember. He owned Roper’s shop on Northrop Street, a four-story brick building adjoining Hopedale Town Park. Mr. Roper died in 1916; I think his wife had already passed away.
Father David McGrath was pastor in Milford from about 1900 to 1920. (His funeral took place the day before Christmas, 1920.) After he died, Father Grace was Pastor of St. Mary’s for three or four years until he died about 1923. Father Riordan came along about 1924. Father. Grace dedicated that brick St. Mary’s Academy while he was pastor, I think. So just which pastor bought that Roper property is a little unclear, but it could have been Father McGrath. I suppose the Bishop of Springfield was the real owner.
Sometimes the Roper house was unoccupied and sometimes it was rented, but it was supposed to have been acquired as a possible site for a Catholic church or chapel. The new high school on Adin Street opened in 1928, and that left the old wooden Hopedale High School unused, until 1935, when some kind of a trade was made; the Roper house for the old high school, and that served as Sacred Heart Church until they built the present church around 1964. The old church served as the parish center, CCD classes, etc., until it was declared to need too extensive repairs, and they built the new center. The old building was torn down. Somehow the Roper property on Freedom Street came under Draper Corporation ownership, until they sold their rental properties in 1955. I realize this is all rather irrelevant today, but it’s as I remember it. Don McGrath, (born March 17, 1918), March 12, 2006.
Fr. Reilley Center, Building and Dedication
Donald P. McGrath, 94, of Northbridge, MA. and formerly of Hopedale, MA. diedWednesday evening (August 7, 2012) at the Beaumont Nursing & Rehabilitation Centerin Northbridge after a period of declining health. He was pre-deceased by his wife, Liselotte A. (Philipp) McGrath whom he met while stationed in Germany during WW II. Hethen brought her to Hopedale, MA. until her death in 1980. His identical twin brother, Daniel, of Hopedale died in 2005. In 2008 Donald’s grandson, Joseph, was taken from him. He was born in Milford, MA., the son of the late Daniel and the late Kathryn(Crowley) McGrath and was a lifelong Hopedale resident. Mr. McGrath worked at the former Draper Corporation from 18 years of age until his retirement. He was an avid buggy enthusiast and a member of the U. S. Carriage Association. A founding member of the Hopedale Historical Society he was a resource about the town’s past. Donald was a practicing member of Sacred Heart parish since its inception and recently a friend of the Hopedale Unitarian Church. He is survived by his son, Edward J. and daughter-in-law, Olimpia, with whom he made his home during the last years of his life; (2) grandchildren, Michael and his wife, Christine, and their daughter, Destiny, of Norton, MA. and James and his wife, Toni, and their daughters, Amanda and Angelina of Bellingham, MA. Donald was a very attendant grandfather who was extremely proud of his grandchildren. A funeral service will be held on Friday morning (August 10) at 11AM in the Edwards Memorial Funeral Home, 44 Congress Street, Milford, MA. Burial will follow in St. Mary’s Cemetery Cedar Street (Rte. 85.) Milford. A visiting hour will be held from 10AM-11AM just prior to the funeral service. In lieu of flowers, donations in his late memory may be made to the charity of one’s choice .Milford Daily News