STOUGHTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY FOUNDED 1895

Volume II, Number 2 - March 1971

FEBRUARY'S MEETING, presided over by 1st Vice-President Carl L, Smith, found us richer by the presence of five new members: Eleanor LaBombard of Canton; Donald Hill of Illinois; Edith Hinckley, Leona Teed and Helena Blum of Stoughton. We are now represented in far-removed towns in Massachusetts and in further-removed locations in other states. We reach now more than 5,500 miles and it occurs to ye ol' Ed that there are many, gaps to be filled in between. . . will you consider enrolling a friend or member of your family in our Society? Particularly should they be . former Stougntonites they may be interested in keeping in touch with old friends. ' 

DONATIONS were welcomed from Mrs. Irene Swanson and Carl L. Smith.

OUR SINCERE SYMPATHY goes to Louis Poillucci who experienced a sorrowful loss recently. And we wish a speedy recovery to both Harold M. Drown and Leonard Whitten.

GUS WINROTH brought inspiring news of the younger generation in Easton: the De Molay spent, as their community project, a marathon thirty-six hours scraping paint from the walls of the North Easton Depot, now the home of the Easton Historical Society, Inc. The boys used sleeping bags during their rest periods and worked right around the clock and halfway around again!

THE FILM PROGRAM promised for February's meeting brought some greater numbers to the meeting. Shown first was the film taken by Fred Phillips of the fire department moving its equipment from beneath the Town House to the then new fire station on Freeman Street. The audience was invited to call out the names of familiar faces in the film and great interest was shown by the ready response. A second movie, also by Mr. Phillips, showed portions of the Bi-Centennial Parade in 1926. This was a very interesting film as almost all of the audience was able to recall the parade and pageant held that year. . . granted, some of the members present were reliving a childhood memory while others were remembering their early adult days. . . and others were, obviously, just enjoying nn old movie. In great contrast to these first films was the final presentation of the evening. This was the WNAC-TV-produced film "Community Salute" which was shown originally on that channel in 1967; and there were marked changes in the appearance of Stoughton when compared with the earlier films. (It seemed that there were a few remarks as to whether or not there had been an improvement in forty-one years.) The final film is a gift of the Chamber of Commerce to whom it was first : presented by the TV Station.

HOSPITALITY HOSTESSES for the evening were Ruth Gomes, Hazel Kelleher and Helen Healey. Soft drinks and home-made cookies were served buffet style from a table decorated in a theme suited to St. Valentine's Day. This period following the meeting and program is proving very popular. The earlier opening time allows much more time for a pleasant social hour after an interesting program and our members are again renewing acquaintances with old friends who are "returning to the fold."

WE HAVE NEW stationery suitable to our-continuing promotion of the dual celebration in 1975-76. Incorporated in the design is the Town Seal which very plainly boasts of our 1726 birth date. (Edwin A. Jones, designer of the Town Seal said: "The facts intended to be represented are first, the fact that the territory now known as the town of Stoughton was for many years a part of the town of Dorchester. . .this is represented by the larger shield containing a landscape. . . The smaller shield on the left overlapping the Dorchester shield symbolizes the fact that portion of Dorchester set apart for our town took its name from Governor William Stoughton. This is indicated by the presence of the Stoughton family arms. . . The harp which rests above these shields in the language of heraldry bespeaks the origin of the first Musical Society in the Country. . . These facts give to our town a distinction entirely characteristic and seem to me eminently proper for the embodiment in the corporate seal of the town.")

25 YEARS AGO (News-Sentinel, .March 1946). . . Successful candidates filling vacancies in Town offices were: Selectmen Francis Heelan and George Whiting; School Committeemen Thomas Herron and Appleton Woodward, M.D.,  Leonard Anderson to FinCom; and Charles S. Cleaves elected Moderator. . . 2,395 ballots cast for nineteen candidates. . . At the Town Meeting the "voters expressed themselves in no uncertain terms and threw the recommendations of the FinCom, Board of Selectmen and special committees' out the window.". . . Groveside Moorings on Grove Street was THE place to hold club functions. . . Gus Sullivan was frequent M.C. of entertainment programs around town. . . Local Merchants were observing evening hours, on Fridays only, until 8:30......Five Ruggiero boys given rousing welcome home. . .Victory Gardens were still recommended to supplement food supplies.

NEXT MEETING'S PROGRAM will consist of films of local natural disasters such as the 1938 hurricane. Gus Winroth, Curator-Historian will present the program a surprise film. Be with us on March 15 at 7:30 (right after you vote.)

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