STOUGHTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY FOUNDED 1895

Volume V1, Number 5  - June  1975

DON'T THROW IT AWAY . . . Just another reminder to think of your Society when you undertake that big Spring cleaning job. Remember we want articles relating to Stoughton's past.

FLEA MARKET ... on June 7, a Saturday, your Society is taking part in the book fair and flea market sponsored by the First Parish Church on the are in the square. We ask all members who have anything to donate to our tables to bring their articles to the Lucius Clapp Memorial on Thursday evenings between seven and nine or on Sunday mornings from ten to twelve. We can make arrangements to receive items on Wednesday afternoons between two and four if this is more convenient. For those of you who cannot bring your donations to us please call 344-2494 and we will arrange a pickup. Please do not call between 4:30 and 6 p.m. Thank you. (NOTE: All fund-raising activities add to our treasury and some of the current monies will be earmarked for our part in the coming dual birthday celebrations in these next busy months. Please help in any way you fenl able.)

WE ARK ALREADY OPEN on Wednesday afternoons for two hours and have received our first interested visitors. Curator John (J.C.) Stiles is in attendance along with other volunteers. Our schedule is arranged so that no one person is called upon more often than once a month. We do not need such a crowd of volunteers as appears to the left . . . but we DO NEED MORE FOLKS who would like to enjoy an occasional afternoon away from housework and other chores. People who like people will find such an afternoon given in the name of the historical society is rewarding.

OUR GIRL SCOUT TROOP, besides doing an admirable job cleaning up the grounds of the Lucius Clapp Memorial on Saturday, May 3, also planted fifty-three tulip bulbs around the building. These bulbs were a gift of the Woman's Club and will be a nice bright touch next Spring.

THANKS FOR OTHER GIFTS . . . from George and Ruth Harding (Civil War manual and a business directory dated 1869), from June Malcolm (journal kept by George E. Malcolm in 1936), from Mildred Jones (many interesting items from the estates of her husband and her grandfather), from Curtis and Helen Brewster (many George Gerard photos, an 1894 directory, a collection of church music dated 1829 and including Billings' work), and A. Nony Mous has been rather generous again. Thanks to all for your kindness,

SOME TIME AGO a piano was donated to the Society by Ruth Burnham. Many months later we managed to arrange transportation at a reasonable cost and on a recent Saturday, with the assistance of Bob Benson, Ken Hlealy, John Stiles, and Ed and Frances Podgurski, our piano arrived at its new home. It was tested on Sunday morning by Carl Anderson and Ted Graham, chairman of the House Committee, reports that it is in remarkably good tune. For those of you who are now wondering; just what Frances was doing at a piano moving party the held the door open and saw to it that the "boys" did not overdo it pushing the instrument.

HELP STOUGHTON CELEBRATE ITS 250th BIRTHDAY and the BICENTENNIAL - 1976

TWO MORE Girl Scout troops have been our guests. Also, two high school seniors have been assisted with their final school project which had much to do with Stoughton's history. (A fine letter of appreciation has been received from them.) A thank-you note and a generous donation has come from the Blue Hills Convalescent Home. "Bread cast upon the waters ... "

FROM OUR FILES: In his history of Canton, Huntoon says: "In 1620, when the forefathers landed at Plymouth, they found the Indian Chief Chicataubut in full possession of all the country. His tribe, the Massachusetts, were the next great people north of the Wampanoags and were settled principally around Massachusetts Bay. The petty tribes around paid tribute to him. In 1621 he went to Plymouth and made a treaty with the English. He consented to the occupancy of Dorchester by the English in 1630 and was paid to his satisfaction. He died of smallpox in 1633 and Kitchamakin, his brother, was appointed to govern as sachem during the minority of Wampatuck, son of Chicataubut." (How, we quote from a Chicataubut Club souvenir program of 1906 -) It is well authenticated tradition that not many years before the settlement of this section by the English a disease or plague devastated the country. This, with the murderous inter-tribal wars, greatly depleted the Indian population, leaving only remnants of various tribes scattered throughout the country. In the vicinity of Great Blue Hill, York and Ponkapoag Ponds the Indians of this section made their last residence, and today but a memory remains of those over whom Sachem Chicataubut ruled. As the last expiring embers of the campfires vanished from the tepees of the Red Men near Great Blue Hill, another light, illumined by the Fathers of the Revolution, was kindling; and from the old Doty Tavern there sounded the rallying cry, pregnant with liberty and freedom, which culminated in that grand inheritance our forefathers have given us and which we enjoy today.

The Chicataubut Club was situated next door to the old library., It was on the corner of Park Street and Seaver Street.

IN THE BEGINNING . . . 200 YEARS AGO, pumpkins were cooked by cutting off the top, scooping out the seeds, closing it again and putting it into a hot oven. After it was baked, the colonials filled it with milk and ate the insides with a spoon. Since the shell had hardened from the heat, it could be used as a bowl. Pumpkin seeds could be baked in the oven, salted and eaten. Mo- / thing was wasted from the pumpkin. 

HAVE A PLEASANT SUMMER and think of us ... we'll be thinking of you.

                                                                          Ye ol' Ed

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