STOUGHTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY FOUNDED 1895

Volume II, Number 1 - February  1971

FORMAL INSTALLATION of officers and trustees for the coining year were dispensed with at the January meeting due to the absence of many of the principles who were laid up with the flu. We wish them all a speedy and successful recovery. The short business meeting was presided over by President Phyllis Batchelder.

DONATIONS from Mrs. Mildred Harwood and the Chamber of Commerce included a film "Community Salute", originally produced as a TV presentation honoring our town. This is a 16mm sound film which we may view (with or without sound) at the February meeting.

VOTED: all meetings from now on will open at 7:30, allowing more program time and a longer social hour during refreshments.

WELCOMED as new members were Mr. and Mrs. Fred Graham. They make our two-month total newcomers number thirteen, a lucky number for our organization. However, if you have the slightest superstition regarding 13, bring in another member to change the count.

OUR INVITED GUEST for the evening was Mrs. Caroline McCormick of the Enterprise's local correspondent staff. Perhaps you have already read her. account of our meeting; and have seen a few of our officers and trustees in the accompanying photo.

"THE WONDER BOXES" were just that . . there are no other words. Curator-Historian Gus Winroth's presentation was enjoyed by an excellent turnout for such a cold night. The boxes Mr. Winroth brought with him continued to divulge an amazing assortment of beautifully-executed and unusual items: a music box encased in the back section of a picture book illustrated with lovely views of Europe; scores of old tie pins, one an old gold piece and most with semi-precious stones; silver boot buckles and knee buckles; miniatures painted on paper-thin ivory; an 1888 almanac. Also brought forth for display were a variety of quill pens; Daguerreotypes; sealing wax dies, some mounted very exquisitely; ladies' calling card cases of tortoise shell, ivory, silk and velvet; a stamp album from Civil War days; samples of scrip over a century old; a 1910 aviation catalog of manufacturers and parts. A rare item (among many) was a contract drawn up and handwritten in England in 1721 and bearing the inevitable tax stamp! Other uniquely interesting articles were a play printed in Germany in the year 1302; some humorous mechanical banks; powder horns, one of which took four years to decorate with a manner of scrimshaw; and mother-of-pearl and silk fans.

REFRESHMENTS followed and were prepared and served on a gaily-decorated table by Mrs. Amy Terrell and Mrs. Gertrude Morrill.

MORE REFRESHMENTS for your mind: in spite of additional expenditures during the year, our treasury balance is more than $400 increased over last year's report. We ARE growing in all ways.

THIRTY YEARS AGO . . . .February, 1941 (News-Sentinel). . . Perseverance Rebekah Lodge observe 50th anniversary. . . Annual Town Meeting on Feb. 6 resulted in an estimated tax rate of $3 5.40 for a budget of $294,600. . . under Article 30 a committee of five was appointed to look into the matter of a recreational center and building. . . Townsend Club Council met to plan dance and membership drive. . . Stoughton High School basketball team won Hockomock League title in playoffs at Brockton YMCA (team consisted of Leonard, Goward, McKay, Rafalko, Limbey, Phillips). ."For Sale ----8 room house and extra lot near square--$2700". . . The following Town Officers were up for re-election: Rudolph Krona, Charles (Shepley) Cleaves, William Lutted, Raymond McEvoy, Henry Johnson and George Malcolm. New Young candidates were Robert Keefe and Joseph O'Brien. . . Ralph Lehan won the cribbage tournament at the Chicataubet Club, with Leo Madden and Eddie Owerka placing second and third. ..."Gone With the Wind" with Clark Gable and Vivian Leigh at the State Theater (four hours of movie for forty cents!). . .28 young men in Stoughton's February draft call. ..

DUES ARE DUE. . . Have you paid your 1971 dues yet? And all further • contributions are always gratefully accepted. We have only recently received a nice letter from the Pistors in Hawaii. They like their adopted "home" of Stoughton so much that they enclosed a donation along with their dues (for which we thank them). And, speaking of donations, we received as a gift from our president the huge volume of the membership of the American Association of Museums, in which our Society is listed in three cross references.

NEXT MEETING on February 15 at 7:30. The program, hopefully, will be the showing of two films: "Community Salute" and the 1926 Bi-Centennial Parade. Come and be prepared to call out the names of familiar faces in the films. Bring a new member and your dues.

THE FLAG of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts was adopted in 1915. With an Indian warrior on one side and a green pine tree on a blue shield on the other, it is one of the few state flags with two distinctly different sides. The Latin motto on the flag is translated: "With the sword she seeks peace under liberty."

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