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PotpourrEMAIL
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Vol. 3, No. 3 - 1 September 2001. Circulation: 100 and growing!
(C) 1999 Boylston Historical Society and Museum
7 Central St., PO Box 459, Boylston, MA 01505
boyhisoc@ma.ultranet.com 508-869-2720
Editors: Betty L. Thomas and Judith Haynes
Boylston Historical Society and Museum Web Page:
http://www.ultranet.com/~boyhisoc/
To subscribe or unsubscribe to the PotpourrEmail, or
to submit information to be included in the PotpourrEmail,
e-mail info to: boyhisoc@ma.ultranet.com
CONTENTS. Welcome; What's in a name?; Tidbits;
Book of the Month; BHS News; On The Web; Humor
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Welcome to our email newsletter! For those of you who are not
members of BHS and don't receive the snailmail newsletter, it is called
The Potpourri. Sooooo, we thought the appropriate name for this version
would be PotpourrEMAIL. This email version is not meant to repeat or
copy the snailmail version, but to complement it, with the addition of
topics of interest to those with computer and web capabilities. If you
have a story to tell, information to impart, a good genealogy joke, computer
or web genealogy info, a Boylston genealogy query, or anything that would
be of interest to our readers--please email us at:
boyhisoc@ma.ultranet.com
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What's In a Name??
"Names of Places" by G.L. Wright
Volume I in the Historical Series
The Local Names of Places
*editor's note - remember that the last time this info was
updated was 1980, the page #s refer to the page #s in
Vol. I that the name appears on
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Page NAME NAME LOCATION
# THEN NOW
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6. Walter A. Stone---Jack Millard---25 Rocky Pond Rd.
6. Henry L. Reed------Walter E. Bedell---89 Cross St.
7. Rev. Dr. Andrew Bigelow---Lester & Nancy Hatch---15 School St.
8. John B. Gough Estate---Digital Equip.Corp---off 215 Main St.
[ed. note- there was no # 9]
10. George A. Flagg---Fred Letchfield---307 Main St.
11. Tory Cave*---"Blank"----Southerly, about a 5 min. walk back
of Raymond Duffy home, 316 Linden St.
11. Solomon Houghton---Ernest G. Savoie---330 Linden St.
11. Alonso Ball---Charles Draper, Jr.---211 Mile Hill Rd.
12. George H. Prouty---Thomas Buckingham---246 Central St.
12. Joseph P. Garfield---Richard E. Anderson---396 Central St.
12. John E. Smith---John Dietl---79 Stiles Rd.
12. East School House---Remains can srill be seen about 600 ft.
south of 385 Central St. on land owned
by Anthony Thurston. Structure
was brick.
13. Cushing Swamp---Located on the west side entrance half
way down Stiles Rd.[Rev. Job Cushing]
14. Deacon Jonathan Bond---David Werme---183 Main St.
[ed. note - there was no #15]
16. David Taylor Tavern---Earl Farmer[apt house]---653 Main St.
16. William Garfield---Richard Prince---661 Main St.
17. Mr. Woodhead---Christian House---4 Church St.
17. George A. Vickery---Vacant Lot---11 Central St.
17. Elliot A. Hubbard---Gladys Peterson---22 School St.
17. John H. Keough---Arthur R. Flagg---715 Main St.
18. John N. Flagg---Joseph Larkin---22 Diamond Hill Ave.
[ old place]
18. George A. Flagg---Under water below Diamond Hill Ave.
on continuation of old road, foundation
can still be seen when water is low.
18. Historical Sketch of Boylston by Matthew Davenport, Esq.,
1830; copy can be seen a Sawyer Memorial Library.
[ed. note - no #s 19, 20, 21, 22]
23. Charles Bigelow---House was on Stiles Rd. half way
down to Straw Hollow.
23. James Longley---Jack Millard---25 Rocky Pond. Rd.
24. Cyprian Keyes, Jr.----Rear of James------12 Shrewsbury St.
[James Locke Mill Chambers home
& Bannister Mills]
24. Dinnerpail Falls---MDC property---Below home of Herbert
Brigham, Main St. Circle
Note: Enter State property and follow French Brook just
opposite Brigham House. You will come upon ruins of # 2
saw and grist mill. Dinnerpail Falls is just below the ruins,
and can be seen when reservoir is low. The Falls are not
as beautiful as described by George L. Wright because all
of the top soil and trees were stripped when the Wachusett
Reservoir was constructed. Wachusett Reservoir was enacted
by Massachusetts State Legislature in 1894, and work
started in 1895. The project was completed in 1906.
[ed. note- there was no # 25]
26. Amy Garfield---Richard Prince---661 Main St.
26. Col. Bush Mansion---Michael Silk---723 Main St.
27. Chester A. Smith---Barbara K. Smith---119 Central St.
27 . George L. Wright---Vacant lot---Easterly of 60 Central
St., home of Bertil Quist
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This is the end of Vol. I of the Boylston Historical Series.
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Tidbits
from the BHS scrapbooks -
CAP Club members picked this month's selections!
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Feb. 24, 1936
Norman Houghton French, who was eight years old today,
was given a birthday party this afternoon by his mother,
Mrs. Harold B. French, who served refreshments. The
table was decorated with pink and white, and birthday
cake bore eight pink candles. The guests were Robet
W. Jennison, Raymond B. Stark, Dana W. Adams,
Allyn J. Kimball, Robert H. Lovell, John E. Stark, and
Russell W. Wood.
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July 25 [ no year]
The saw and grist mill belonging to Albert A. Bedard,
known as the old Banister mill, situated on what is
known as the Mill Road, between the two roads which
lead to Worcester and near the headwaters of Lake
Quinsigamond, was destroyed by fire between 12 and
1 o'clock today. The loss is estimated at $2000 to
$3000, including lumber that was piled in the yard.
Mr. Bedard had a machine screw lathe in the mill
and manufactured coach screws.
The fire was set by a lad about 7 years of age, grandson
of Mr. Bedard. The house and barn caught fire several times,
but were saved with hand fire extinguishers. Help was
called by telephone. The wind, although blowing a gale,
carried the embers directly on to the mill pond.
In the yard was piled 40,000 to 50,000 feet of sawed lumber,
mostly pine, cut from a lot near by Walker, Wilder, & Davis
of Sterling, and sawed at the mill. This was valued at
$800 to $1000.
The boy who set the fire found some matches on the
floor of the mill and set fire to some pieces of paper.
Then when it got beyond his control, he was scared
and ran to the woods, fearing he would be whipped.
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July 28 [ no year]
During the storm this morning at 2 o'clock the lightning ran
in on the telephone wires at the house of Burtis J. Garfield
on the Shrewsbury Rd. and burned the wire, leaving its
trail on the clapboards and breaking al lthe glass in that
end of the house.
It entered the house performing some queer stunts,
such as lifting an iron clock from the shelf so quickly
that two vases standing on the clock were left standing
on the shelf unharmed, knocking over several chairs and
turning the rest of the furniture in the room topsy turvy.
It left the house by way of the cellar, making a hole half
the size of a man's head through the middle of a board.
It scattered and plowed five distinct furrows from the
house to the barn. It enterd the barn and set the third
fire within a week in Boylston. This however, was
quickly discovered by Mr. Garfield, who succeeded in
extinguishing the flames with little damage.
All the telephone lines were put out of commission.
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Book of the Month
"Victor's War" by Patricia Delnore Magee
Victor's War contains the World War II letters of Lt. Col. Victor
Delnore of the 13th Armored Division, stationed in Europe
during the final months of that war.
The book recounts:
Ø the 1945, six-week invasion through Germany and into Austria
Ø the liberation of thousands of Allied soldiers
Ø medals and honors bestowed upon Col. Delnore
Ø His life at a French castle
Ø Photos
Ø Historical supplements
Ø And much, much more !!!
$21.95 plus shipping
We still have a few left that have been signed by
Ms. Magee!
Visit the gift shop for more info:
http://www.ultranet.com/~boyhisoc/gift.htm
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BHS News
2001 - 2002 PROGRAMS and EVENTS
All Programs open to the public and
held at the Society (unless otherwise noted).
7 Central St., Boylston
Donations at the door are gratefully accepted!
Program - Thursday September 20, 2001 at 7:30 pm.
"The History of the Blackstone Canal"
by National Park Service Rangers
Members - $2 Non-Members - $3
Program - Thursday October 18, 2001 at 7:30 pm.
"When Women Went to Sea: Whales, Pirates,
Shipwrecks, and Foreign Lands" by James Coogan
Members - $2 Non-Members - $3
Event - Thursday November 15, 2001 at 7:30 pm
"Shay's Rebellion, 1786-1787: Causes and the
Consequences" by Larry Lowenthal
A slide lecture on the basic causes of the Rebellion,
to explain why the Shays forces did so poorly.
Members - $2 Non-Members - $3
Event - Every Saturday, Nov. 10 to Dec. 15, 2000
from 10 am to noon
Every Saturday morning from Nov. 10th through Dec. 15th,
BHS will be open to supply all your holiday gift- giving needs
- Books, maps, stationery, postcards, holiday cards, photos,
jewelry, tea, Dog Jack mugs, and much more.
Event - Thursday, Feb. 14, 2002 at 7:30 pm
"Be Our Valentine" Exhibit -
Grand Opening Reception and Talk
Late 19th and Early 20th century valentines on
display and a talk by William Dupuis on the
History of Valentines. The exhibit will run through
September 2002 during normal open hours
and at regular museum admission.
Members - $2 Non-Members - $3
Program - Thursday, March 21, 2002 at 7:30 pm
"The life and Times of John W. Partridge"
by William O. Dupuis - BHS Curator
A slide lecture on a Civil War soldier from Boylston
who left behind over 100 letters detailing his war experiences.
Members - $2 Non-Members - $3
Program - Thursday, April 18, 2002 at 7:30 pm
"Genealogy on the Internet"
by Betty Thomas - BHS Computer Services Dir.
Find out what you need to know about
doing genealogy on the internet.
Members - $2 Non-Members - $3
Event - Monday, May 29, 2002, 10am to 2pm
"Memorial Day Open House" Come and visit!!!
Free Museum admission
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New this Year !!! Season Tickets!
Buy one ticket that will admit you to all six
of this year's programs ! Only $10 each,
saving you $8 on the "at the door" non-member
price and $2 on the "at the door" member price.
Buy one for every family member.
This also makes a wonderful gift for family and friends!!
Get yours TODAY!! Call or Stop by the Museum.
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LAST CHANCE TO SEE:
"Who Are They - Boylston's Unidentified Citizens"
The photos from this exhibit can be viewed in The Banner
[our local newspaper] and at the Historical Society website.
If you can identify any of the photos, please contact us!
The exhibit runs through September 2001.
This is an interactive exhibit. Each photo has a place for
viewers to leave their comments, ideas, and clues to the identity
of the people in that photo.
Museum admission: $2
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C.A.P. CLUB
CAP [Cut and Paste] Club meetS at BHS EVERY Thursday
from 10am to noon to organize the photo copies of BHS
Scrapbooks into useable, indexed research tools.
Work involves cutting out each individual article, grouping
them, and pasting the groups onto pages, putting the pages into binders,
and then indexing the binders. You will have fun reminiscing, discovering,
and reading all the old newspaper articles. Coffee and tea will be served!
Everyone is welcome to join in the fun....no dues....no roll call... .
Just show up!!!!
9-5ers - Take a day off from work, join us and have some fun.
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BHS BY-LAWS ARE BEING UPDATED
The Bylaws update committee, consisting of:
Betty Thomas - bettythomas@charter.net
Judy Haynes - bjhay@worldnet.att.net
Rita Fuller - r.r.fuller@att.net
Bette Seymour - benedict18@aol.com
We invite any and all input from the BHS members.
Any suggestions or ideas on any of the by-laws can be given to any
committee member or drop by the musuem on Tuesday or Thursday morning.
The last time the by-laws were revised was in 1986. Any member who
would like a copy of the current by-laws should contact the committee
at the museum.
The committee will complete the task by September and the new version
will be voted on by the BHS members. Watch for updates on that voting
process in a later newsletter.
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COMMITTEES / VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR 2001-2002 SEASON !!!!
Your Society needs your help. Please sign up for one or more.
Refreshment Committee
Fund Raising
Publicity
Program Planning
General Museum Help [work on the collection, etc.]
Data Entry/ Computer work
Nominating Committee
Annual Meeting
Contact the Society to add YOUR name to one or
more of these groups.
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Visit the gift shop
http://www.ultranet.com/~boyhisoc/gift.htm
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On The Web
MAGIC TRICK. This has nothing to do with genealogy or
history unless you descend from a magician or wizard,
but it amazed and amused us so we thought you might
have some fun with it too.
http://www.img.net/magic/index.html
DAR PATRIOT LOOKUP SERVICE (FREE). Do you think you have a male
or female Revolutionary patriot in your family tree? The DAR
will search its database of proven Revolutionary patriots.
http://www.dar.org/cgi-bin/natsociety/pi_lookup.cfm
LATIN TO ENGLISH DICTIONARY ON THE WEB
http://www.histopia.nl/onldict/lat.html
Everything you ever wanted to know about your
Elgin watch
http://www.midwestcs.com/elgin/help/index.html
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Humor
Two elderly ladies had been friends for many decades. Over the
years they had shared all kinds of activities and adventures.
Lately, their activities had been limited to meeting a few
times a week to play cards.
One day they were playing cards when one looked at the other and
said, "Now don't get mad at me. I know we've been friends for a
long time, but I just can't think of your name. I've thought and
thought, but I can't remember it. Please tell me what your name
is."
Her friend glared at her. For several minutes she just stared
and glared at her. Finally she said, "How soon do you need to
know?"
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PERMISSION TO REPRINT articles from PotpourrEMAIL is granted
unless specifically stated otherwise, PROVIDED: (1) the reprint
is used for non-commercial, educational purposes; and (2) the
following notice appears at the end of the article:
Written by
Previously published by PotpourrEMAIL,
PotpourrEmail, Vol. 3, No. 3- 1 September 2001. Please visit
Boylston Historical Society and Museum's main Web page at
This newsletter is distributed monthly, on the first day of the month,
to all Boylston Historical Society members (who have email!), genealogists,
and friends who have a special interest in the history of the town of
Boylston.
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boyhisoc@ma.ultranet.com
508-869-2720
Boylston Historical Society
PO Box 459
Boylston, MA 01505
Web Page: http://www.ultranet.com/~boyhisoc/index.shtml