Stoughton Historical Society Newsletter Online Edition
VOLUME XLX NO. 1 OCT-NOV-DEC – 2020
Upcoming Events
Given what it happening with Covid 19, we have not had events scheduled, but the Society will be open during the usual hours as much as possible for those who wish to purchase historical holiday presents. Joe Mokrisky informs us that we may have a moderate number of bricks from Stoughton High School available “by Dec 21st at the latest” for a donation of $5. We will likely have to limit the number of bricks to two per person, at least until after Christmas. We will communicate the actual date we get them via our email, our Facebook site, and other social media.
Dues for 2021 will be due as of January 1.
President’s Report
Alas, COVID-19 has taken a heavy toll on our programs and dinners in 2020. A few of us have been at the Society on Tuesdays and Thursdays, entertaining several visitors, most of whom had made appointments.
Our celebrations of Stoughton’s 50th Earth Day during the week of April 18- 25 were quashed by the Coronavirus outbreak, but we are working on materials for publication related to several farms in Stoughton, the history of the Conservation Commission, and Open Space Committee. The actions of these committees resulted in the acquisition of the approximately 1,000 acres of conservation land, which the Town now owns, the Bird St. Conservation Area and Glen Echo parcels topping the list.
Congratulations to two Stoughton worthies, who just celebrated their 100th birthdays: Barbara Canavan and Eleanor Meserve!! In our Mass. Memories Road Show session, which is available online, Barbara described what it was like to drive back from Bridgewater State College during the afternoon of the Hurricane of 1938. She said with a twinkle in her eye, “Being only a few years out of St. Mary’s, I thought that it might be judgment day.” She also remembers moving books from the old library, now the Lucius Clapp Memorial to the (then) new library, which has since been completely rebuilt into a newer library.
Eleanor Meserve is the widow of Past President of the Historical Society Ed Meserve, “Ye Old Ed,” who wrote many years worth of our first newsletters that we have on file. I never had the privilege of meeting Ed, but when I first joined the Society, Eleanor Meserve and Esther Madan would come down every Thursday evening and methodically go through our card catalogues and check each card against each item in the file folders to affirm that they were indeed there. Eleanor is a life member of the Historical Society, and Esther just reconnected with us to catch up on her dues.
It seems fitting, given the reference to Eleanor to give a brief tribute to Ed Meserve. He was President of the Society twice, 1973-81 and 1987-1988. He wrote our Newsletter from 1970 to 1992 and served as Curator for all of the 1990’s. It seems clear to me from those numbers that he may have contributed more to the Stoughton Historical Society than anyone before him, or after him! More tributes to Ed will be forthcoming in the future.
Although the Society has had only a few visitors in the last months, we have had some very productive on-line or phone conversations with several individuals, who provided valuable information about various aspects of Stoughton History.
Clifton Sawyer worked for Gill Machine in Stoughton for fifty years. He currently lives in Pocasset, Mass. In a phone conversation he remembered going with his mother to see the fire that destroyed the shoddy mill (The Stoughton Garnet Corporation) and cost the President of the Company, Paul Stewart, his life. The mill burned on October 28, 1949. Clifton remembers that the one Stoughton fire truck that was trying to pump water onto the fire from the nearby mill-pond, kept getting the hose clogged. Within a year, the Gills bought the old shoddy mill site and began to rebuild. Clifton began work there in 1951, when most of the machine work was being done in the basement of the burned-out mill in the building closest to the mill-pond. In the basement was a horizontal water wheel, most likely a turbine that was connected to the dam via a pipe and that device generated some of the electricity for the machine shop.
According to Clifton, Charlie Gill was the “big brain” of the outfit. Early on, the company secured important contracts with Sealy Mattress Co. for which the Gills made the machines that produced the coils and the clamps for the mattresses. They also made specialized sewing machines. Gill Machine made the babbit bearings for the Plymouth Rubber Company in Canton. These special bearings up to three feet in diameter contained among other metals, a substantial amount of lead and Clifton recalls pouring the lead into cubes that were six feet on a side on the outside, containing an inner circle the intended size of the bearing. They would perform this operation outside and the excess lead would fall onto the sand beneath. These babbit bearings were essential to the machinery at Plymouth Rubber, all of which operated from one central power source and the bearings were needed to transfer and redirect the power into the many different machines.
During one of the hurricanes in the 1950’s, Clifton remembers that the mill-dam was full with water running over the top. Felix Gill walked out a short distance on top of the mill-dam and made a small channel with his foot, just as a joke,” as Clifton recalls it. The water began to flow with increasing force through that small channel, soon creating a much larger one and eventually washing out the whole dam and flooding all their buildings.
Clifton bought a house nearby on 25 Simpson St., where he had twenty-five tall blueberry plants, which were very productive. He had a separate well for watering his garden. He was attracted to blueberries by the fact that when he was growing up on Station St., his neighbor would pay him 50 cents for each half gallon bottle that he brought back full of blueberries.
Men had died at fires at the shoddy mill in both 1903 and 1949, and Clifton claimed that on certain days you could go outside and hear someone walking on the roof. One of their workers there, a welder, was discovered to have been a guard at the Auschwitz concentration camp. The Israelis came to investigate, but by then the man had become ill, was on a dialysis machine, and no further action was taken against him.
Clifton retired in 2001, one year before the company was disbanded and the machinery sold for scrap metal.
One of the late Jack Dembrowsky’s daughter’s, Maria Dembrowsky Nigro, connected me to her Godfather and Jack’s first cousin, John Kotlik. John’s mother, Julia, and Jack’s mother, Stella, were sisters and grew up together on the Zabrosky farm at the end of Sheehan St. I had heard a fair amount about this farm from Jack, but got more specific details in several email exchanges with John Kotlik. John writes: “My maternal grandparents were John (Jan) and Agnes (Babinsky) Zabrosky. John immigrated from Poland first, Agnes followed w/Zigmond. They were from Kneizan a small farming village in the Bialystok area. This was around WWI and Agnes told the story of basically escaping from Poland with Zigmond being an infant. They had 5 children which I’ve listed in order of birth: Zigmond, Helen, Julia (my mother), Stella (Jack Dembrowsky’s mom) and Edward. I think there may have been a sixth child that died at birth.
They settled in Canton for a period of time where my grandmother had a small store of sorts. Eventually they made their way to Stoughton buying up small parcels of land to form the Zabrosky farm. At some point John and Aniela (my dad’s sister) Swietoniowski purchased the farm. My parents, Adam and Julia Kotlik then purchased the farm sometime in the early 1950s. Somewhere between John and Agnes’ ownership and my parents taking ownership, it transitioned from primarily dairy to a hog farm. In the summer of 1961 my dad Adam met his death from a farming accident. I was nine years old at the time and with no one being able to take over the operation of the farm it became an urgent rush to sell off the livestock and then eventually the land, which now comprises of Poskus St., Kotlik St., Legaski Ave., Zabrosky Ave., McNamara St. and Taxiera Rd. The main entrance to the farm was at the end of Sheehan St.
(In response to my question regarding the extent of the farm property) There is a circular paved area on Poskus near Spallus, which can be seen on satellite imagery. This was a cul-de-sac prior to the development of the farm, which basically marked the property line. That end of the farm was referred to as blueberry hill. The farmhouse was located approximately at the 108-123 Kotlik St. area.”
I am still trying to locate pictures of the farm. If I come across these and there is an interest, perhaps we can meet (6 ft. apart) at some point. I could also then tell you the more personal stories that have been handed down. (As I was looking through a few of Ed Meserve’s Newsletter, I noted that Maria Dembrowsky did thirty hours of volunteer work with Alice Petruzzo for some kinds of credits. Way to go, Maria!)
In response to a Facebook thread regarding the Portuguese in Stoughton, I made contact with Kim Hunkeler, the daughter of Vasco Rodrigues, who offered to talk to her father and pass along their shared perceptions: “My grandparents (Kim’s) came to Stoughton like most immigrants to find work, mostly in the factories. My families were from Madeira Island, my dad said most of the Portuguese in town were from there as well. It seemed the Azorean’s came later. They already had friends and family here who sponsored them and in most cases many families lived in the same house until they could establish themselves here. My dad was the oldest in his family so when he entered school he couldn’t speak English. At that time there were no services in the schools to help him and he was held back in the third grade because he just didn’t understand. He said there were many other immigrant families in town from Italy and Poland at that time.
The Catholic church had their own Portuguese priest and Sunday mass said in Portuguese. I’m not sure if that is still the case, I’ve moved away to central MA. Because there were so many Portuguese children in the schools by the 1960’s they hired bi-lingual aids in the elementary school (mostly the Jones School) to help the kids. My mother and her sisters were all part-time bi-lingual aids. They loved helping the children learn English and understood the struggles they had.
As today, there were prejudices. My dad would be bullied, called names like “green horn” and sometimes beat up on his way home from school. I remember hearing these stories and felt such anger, especially since we haven’t evolved much since then.
The immigrants in those years were such hard workers, they would do whatever they had to do to support their families. Both of my grandparents owned their own homes and most of their children and grandchildren went on to college. A strong work ethic and pride of heritage was instilled in us at a young age.
My dad doesn’t know much about the second wave but assumed that they came as others did. They had family here who could get them work. The small islands provided few opportunities until tourism started to bring resorts and restaurants to the island.
My grandfather Alvaro Rodrigues was quite active in the Portuguese club. I know there are photos of him on the walls there. He spent every weekend playing cards much to the dismay of his family My dad never continued the ritual, it was not his thing.
When dad graduated from Stoughton high in 1948, where he was class president. He entered the Marine Corp; he fought in Korea and returned home after 4 years. Entered Boston University and got a degree in Marketing and worked for Prudential Insurance his entire career. He is an artist, a furniture maker, all around best guy on the planet!
I’m an amateur genealogist, over 5,000 people on my tree. Some of what I’ve learned about these early immigrants is that American manufacturers would offer incentives for them to come here and work. I know for sure that happened before Hawaii was a state, they wanted experienced sugar cane farmers to come to the island and offered free passage and housing. My dad seems to think that may have happened here in Mass as well.
My dad was actually born in Madeira 1929, his parents were already here in US but my grandmother went back to visit family, had my dad there and returned when he was 2 years old. That grandfather actually had some money in his pocket, opened a bar room in RI but lost everything when prohibition hit. He ended up working at the Panther Rubber for the rest of his life. Kind of a sad story
My parents returned to Madeira to visit 5 or 6 times. I still have family there who I’ve just recently connected with due to my research. I planned to visit in May then in Sept but had to cancel due to the virus so hoping for 2021!
I grew up in Stoughton with all the traditions of Madeira, the food, the music, the elaborate nativities. My parents never taught us the language as they didn’t want it to hold us back as it did them. They wanted us to be as American as possible but still made sure we knew about our heritage.
It is interesting that all three conversations above were facilitated by a daughter/God-daughter in order to make them happen. Holly Sawyer connected us to her father Clifton, Maria Demrowsky Nigro, connected us to her Godfather, John Kotlik, and Kim Hunkeler talked to her father Vasco Rodrigues and passed along his thoughts. We hope that more of you out there will pass along your Stoughton memories.
Around the Lucius Clapp Memorial. Rick and Linda Woodward acquired new flags, which they set out for Veterans Day. Richard Fitzpatrick put up our “Stoughton Historical Society honors all veterans” sign/banner. Richard put out two Christmas wreaths on our front railing. Richard brought in a magazine holding rack and added it to the front desk, where it facilitates the storage and display of the older newsletters. Near the end of October, I led a hike of Girl Scout Brownies and some of their parents in to the site of Girl Scout Camp Waluhiyo, inside the Bird St. Conservation Area. Joan Bryant and I cut some cedar, pine, and spruce greens in our yard, and Joan took them down to the Society and put Christmas arrangements in both our big pots out front. Our regulars on Thursdays are Richard Fitzpatrick, Janet Clough, Rich Pratt, John Carabatsos, and your President. Richard Pratt did the heavy mental lifting required in transferring our Office 365 to two more of our computers. John Carabatsos is a great resource for retrieving pictures, including the ones I will need to expand, refurbish, and reprint in our “Billy White’s Field” booklet, which may be expanded to include the Elijah Farrington Farm on Plain St. where we have determined that the drilling and camping of the Stoughton Home Guard took place during WWI. On Thursday nights, Richard and I have been joined by Denise Peterson and Joanne Callanan. Zachary Mandosa is continuing his work transcribing Stoughton’s fires and Maureen Wahl is working on our membership lists. We wear masks, try to stay as distanced as possible, and do what has to be done.
Zachary Mandosa contributes the following transcription of a Stoughton fire:
Sentinel
Oct. 9, 1897
W.H. White’s Market
Washington Street and Railroad Ave.
At 5:30 o’clock Tuesday morning (Oct 5, 1897) fire was discovered in the side entrance of W.H. White’s block on the corner of Washington street and Railroad avenue. The fire was discovered by a railroad employee who lives nearly opposite the building and he rang in the alarm from box 58 at the Town House. The department responded with the hose carriage and soon three lines of hose were run out from adjacent hydrants and streams of water were poured on the fire which was found to be running up through the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd stories of the building. The steamer was afterwards brought into service and by use of the new extension ladder from the new Ladder Truck, a big stream of water was poured into the upper story from the upper attic window. The fire had obtained a great headway before the alarm was sounded and it was a stubborn one to fight. Six streams were finally concentrated on the fire and although the flames finally burned the roof through, at no time was there any danger of the fire getting beyond control. The firemen worked hard, intelligently and with a will and finally by sheer force of water concentrated on the blaze succeeded in drowning the flames before they could break through the walls of the building. The structure was badly gutted, all three floors being blackened and burned, and the interior of the building is a wreck. The loss on the building is estimated at $4000; insured for $1500. The occupants were W.H. White, Jr. + Son, meat market, loss $1000; insured for $500; Benson Whip Socket Co., lost $1000; the Stoughton Brass Band, loss on instruments and music $200; the Chemung Sportsmen’s Club, loss on furniture $100. The cause of the fire is unknown. It is said that the side hall door was left open all the time and might have been a place for tramps or loafers. The Stoughton Band held a rehearsal Monday night and left it all dark at about seven o’clock. Police officers Pye and Curtis passed the building about half an hour before the alarm was struck and there were no indications then of a blaze.”
Still to be determined: did the Whites rebuild their market and continue the business at this location? How was their slaughter house across the street affected? The 1890 Taxable Valuations lists a hall and a slaughterhouse for William H White, but nothing is listed for him in the 1901 issue. The older William White died in 1900 at 89 years old, described as “Stoughton’s oldest man.” Did Whites get replaced by Atwood’s Market, which in turn, gave way to the State Theater? Certainly, Billy White, the younger (probably the Third, although he did not go by that name) remained an upstanding and prominent citizen of Stoughton for several more decades. He died in 1929 at 92, at which time he was also “Stoughton’s oldest male resident.” What is difficult to determine is why Billy White is not listed as owning any land in 1901. We hope to have an answer by the time the latest incarnation of the “Billy White’s Field” booklet appears in our shelves.
During December in 1863, Stoughton Pvt Edward Waldo was with Burnside’s much-reduced Corps in Knoxville, Tennessee. They were cut off by Longstreet’s forces for several weeks, supplies ran low, and food was scarce. The following is a letter he sent home to his parents:
Knoxville, Tenn. – Dec 19th, 1863
Father & Mother,
I have been waiting to get a mail before I wrote again. I wrote a letter the day that the Rebels left here and I suppose you have received it before this time. We got a mail yesterday and I received 6 or 7 letters and some Courier’s. I have got my mittens and they were just the fit. I have wished that I had a pair a good many times since the Rebels had us surrounded here. I have not got my memorandum (the small note-books his parents send him in which he writes these entries in pencil. We have the originals.) or shirt yet but I guess that I have got all of the rest of the letters. I received Emma & Bett’s letter before we retreated to this place. I shall answer Frank’s letter soon now and should have done so before if there had been any chance to have sent it. You wrote in one of your letters a good while ago that Henry Gill had sent home his Picture and you did not see why I did not send mine. But you know that he has been spending a few months in or near the city of Cincinnati at the Hospital where he could have it done. lt just as well as not and I am away down in the woods of Tennessee where they never heard of such a thing as a picture. I will have it taken as soon as I have a chance to. I received a letter from Charles Upham a few days ago and I answered it day before yesterday.
There is no vacancy in this company now or in the Regiment. lt has got to be so small now that they will not allow only 2 commissioned to a company, a Captain or 1st Lieut.
I wrote to Charles Upham that I would take a commission in any regiment. I expected ere this to have been promoted to sergeant. When I was promoted to Corporal. (in Aug last) Capt. Stickney (then Lieut and in command of this company) told me that within three weeks that I should have a Sergt.’s berth, but he expected that our orderly Sergeant would be commissioned and I would have taken his place, but owing to the smallness of the Regiment he did not recieve his promotion.
They are forming regiments to go into the Veteran Corps I see in Mass. (3 or 4 of them). I did not know but through the influence of some of the influencial men, I might obtain a commission in some of them, (that is the way that most of the officers got there commissions).
We were surrounded here in this place 17 days. We had 4 battles with the enemy on the retreat to this place. The loss in our regt. was but 2 killed and 12 wounded and a few taken prisoners. The largest one was at Campbell Station. We fought there from noon till after dark and the Rebels came very near getting us all surrounded. They came down on the sides of us in 3 or 4 lines of battles but old Burnside got away from them with his little Corps. They outnumbered us by thousands. I never saw so many of them in my life on the battle field.
We have had to go on picket say this morning at 4 o’clock and stop till tomorrow at this time and then we would have to go into the rifle pits and stop till 4 the next morning and then go on again (we did not pretend to eat but 1 meal per. day).
Our regt. has made 2 charges since we were here and we drove the enemy out of the Rifle pits both times.
The last charge that we made I was struck by a piece of shell that was nearly spent on my skin. lt bruised me a little and that was all (so I guess that they don’t mean to kill me after all). I am tough and well and can eat all that I can get. I think that I grow tougher & tougher every day. I have got to the bottom of my paper and it is most dark and I will stop.
Edward
Dec 20th Sunday
Some of the reg. started to day for the front, I expect to start tomorrow and am glad to get off
Dec 21 Monday
I started for the Regiment to day. We did not get any thing to eat on the road and “liked to starved to death.” We went 10 miles.
Dec 22nd Tuesday
I reached the reg. to day but they had gone on picket. Morse has come back to the company.
Dec 23d Wednesday
We were ordered to pack up and march we went out about three miles and found that the Rebels had left the valley. The 1st Brigade went out about 7 miles.
Dec 24th Thursday
The regiment came from picket this morning Serg. Thayer, Morse & I tent together
Dec 25th Friday
It is Christmas Morse & I went out into the country about 5 miles and got some Grab so I guess we will live for a day or so longer
Dec 26 Satuday
I set up last night until 12 0 clock and cooked a Soup and we had a Christmas supper.
Archivists Report
Denise Peterson & Joanne Callanan, have started coming every Thursday night to help with cataloging and filing. Both are hard workers and are settling in and becoming more and more familiar with our various systems. They have filed away all the obituary notices which have very helpfully been written out in a uniform format and sent alomg by Bonnie Molin. Maureen Wahl has come several nights and is creating a file of all our members and the years that they have (or have not) paid their dues.
Received from John Fernandez: the Cub Scout Charter for Pack # 57 dated Jan. 31, 1945. This has been added to our Troup 57 boxes. Additional items our Object and Clothing Archivists and a large assortment of Stoughton Boy Scout history. Troop #57 and others. Rick & Linda Woodward donated a number of pictures Re; the building of the CAPP Playground.
I cataloged a number of items we received from Julie Gitto: a Chamber of Commerce bulletin “Facts of Stoughton”. Possibly 1926. Stoughton High School Class of 1956, Graduation Invitation. And a Stoughton High School Class of 1956, Program. A program from a ceremony honoring Father, William Gunn c. 1963. Two copies of a letter from Dr. Marshall Brickell, Re; his resignation from the Stoughton School Committee. Adam Capen’s Diaries have finally been itemized and filed in Box 7 of our “Capen Collection”.
Received from the Stoughton School Department, via Joyce Husseini, the following items: Bronze plaque c.1952 Re; Renovation and addition to Stoughton High School, Aluminum plaque c. 1965 Re: Addition to Stoughton High School. -Photo Class of 1911. In front of the Treasury Building in Washington D.C. -Photo collage Class of 1926. -Photo Class of 1934 in front of Stoughton High School. -Photo of Students (All Classes) in front of Stoughton high School (Thought to be c. 1923, & the first students to attend the New Stoughton High School) All of these four photos are from the walls of the School Committee’s office at the old high school.
Peter Wallan, of Sharon donated a 1876 map of Stoughton. The pages are from a book of maps of Norfolk County. He also donated four High School yearbooks for the years 1957, 1958,1959 and 1960. Marcia (McStowe) Drago, donated a 1956 Stoughton High School Yearbook. The Family of Evelyn Callanan, donated her 1946 Stoughton High School Yearbook, a Clapp School music book, State theater ad from 1967. A 250th Anniversary booklet. A 1920 Stoughton Weekly Newspaper and several Postcards Re; Stoughton Square.
The Stoughton Town Managers office, donated a frame containing two deeds. One describing land from Jesse Holmes, Samuel Savels, Jr. & his wife Betsy Savels to the Town of Stoughton dated 1841. Payment for this land is described as being “$187.50 Paid by Enos Talbot, Treasurer of said town of Stoughton pursuant to votes passed at legal proceedings of said Town on the second and seventeenth days of August 1841 and in consideration of $112.50 paid by certain inhabitants of the town by voluntary subscription.” The second from Abraham Capen & Mary Capen, his wife, to the Town of Stoughton 1841.
A 1959 Stoughton High School yearbook of Barbara Munson was donated by Carol Shaw Munson. Diane Hayner, donated a group of Stoughton postcards as follows: -SWAN TAVERN #4149, –OLD GLOVER #A.M.S. 8421, -GLEN ECHO LAKE #93002, -SOLDIERS & SAILORS MONUMENT @ EVERGREEN CEM. #9230, -RAILROAD STATION # 9232. –STOUGHTON SQUARE Looking North # 211873, -STOUGHTON SQUARE Looking West #9231, -STOUGHTON SQUARE Looking South (Before 1946 No. Number). -STOUGHTON LIBRARY #4425, and -STOUGHTON LIBRARY (Before 1933 No Number). This last one, is new to our collection, although there is one similar. -Richard Fitzpatrick
Curator’s Report
Curator’s Report – Our long-term project to inventory the artifacts in our collection continues. Acquisitions: From Diane Radvilas: Porcelain electrical insulator made in 1923 and round gold frame eyeglasses. From the Estate of Evelyn Callanan: Bri-tone chalk in original box, hand painted wood plaque showing 4 old stores in the Swan building, 3 commemorative coins celebrating Stoughton’s 250th anniversary, 2 commemorative coins celebrating the Statue of Liberty’s 100th anniversary, package of pipe cleaners, McNamara Farms milk bottle cap, 2 Stoughton Cooperative Bank plastic head/rain covers, and 4 DeVito’s Liquors ballpoint pens. From Richard Fitzpatrick: Churchill Oil Co. and Nocera’s Restaurant ballpoint pens and 2 Simonds Chevrolet matchbooks from 1968. From Denise Peterson: 2 tambourines and a 1999 High School award ribbon from the Stoughton Art Association. From Julie Gitto: A full loop button hook inscribed Magrane Huston Co., Boston. -Richard Pratt
Clothing Curator’s Report –
It has been nice to be able to come to the Historical Society and feel a little useful again. The work crew has been small and that was good for us. I have spent time better organizing the shoe collection; polishing shoes, finding better boxes and doing some relabeling. I have begun to finally complete entering the pieces of the many items donated in the early spring by Ruth Fitzpatrick and Liz Griffen. Numbers have been assigned and now I need to sew in labels and then do the computer work for all of that collection.
We have received a donation of 2 S.H.S. T-shirts from a fundraiser in 1985 at the Thanksgiving Day Football game with Canton.. Thank you to whomever donated the shirts.
-Janet Clough
Donations
In memory of the late Evelyn Callanan’s 90th B-day from Maureen Jusckiewicz
Membership
New members: Daniela Dana, Peter Wallan,