VOLUME XLVII NO. 2
Upcoming Events
November 19 - Sacco-Vanzetti Revisited 2:00 P. M. at 6 Park St. Historian, author, lecturer Christopher Daley will present an illustrated lecture on this case involving two Italian immigrants; Bartolomeo Vanzetti & Nicola Sacco (of Stoughton) - both avowed anarchists, who were convicted in a Massachusetts courtroom in 1921 for the robbery & murder of a paymaster and his guard in South Braintree. Sacco was a trusted employee of the Triple K Shoe Company on Park St. Stoughton photographer George Gerard and farmer Frank McNamara were on the jury and were publicly pressured by both sides.
December 9, 5:00-8:00 P. M. Open House for Stoughton’s Parade of Lights & Winter Warm Up – 4:00 P M.-7:00 P M. at 6 Park St. We will have all our publications on sale for holiday gift purchases and light refreshments available.
President’s Report
On September 17, we held a sign dedication at and near the Lucius Clapp Memorial. We dedicated three signs. Two were signs created by the Stoughton Historical Commission: one honoring the building of Stoughton’s first church in 1744 on the site of the First Universalist Church on the other side of Pleasant St. The sign shows the second church on that site, which was built in 1808 and burned in 1966. The sign also features a picture of the dedication of a stone, which took place in 1908, honoring the 100th anniversary of that second church. The picture includes eight-year-old Robert Atherton, the youngest living descendant at that time of Rev. Jedediah Adams, and the father of the late Joan Atherton O’Hare, whose daughter, Jane O’Hare Mooney spoke briefly at the dedication, followed by remarks from Howard Hansen. Across the street, we dedicated the Historical Commission sign on our lawn, which mentions the first school house and has two pictures: the Capen Tavern in the oldest known outdoor photograph from Stoughton and a picture of the Public Library, when it was bordered by the Atherton building in back and the Chicataubit Club to the South. We concluded the ceremony with a dedication of a sign showing the Glen Echo trolley. Fittingly it is directly behind the section of trolley tracks placed in the ground in front of our Stoughton Historical Society sign. The new sign was paid for by donations made in memory of Mary Kelleher and created under the guidance of Joe and Jeanne DeVito. Jeanne read a tribute to Mary, and many of Mary’s family attended. Please check out these signs the next time that you are in the area.
On September 18, we held a very successful Harvest Dinner at the Cedar Hill Golf course, which was attended by more than sixty people, our largest turn-out in many years. The food was delicious! We watched a number of computer-projected images, which covered the past year of activities at the Historical Society and also several images on the history of the Cedar Hill Golf course.
In doing the research for this topic, we learned many things: The land was purchased in 1948 by Ruthie Fitzpatrick’s Uncle, Ed Parent, who made his money at Bestread, a legendary Stoughton rubber mat business on Central St., which created an effective (golf) spike-proof flooring for country clubs Ed Parent also wanted to buy Chisolm’s land and create an 18-hole course, but the Chisolms would not sell. Chase Run now sits on that property. Kathy Coffee Gilroy recalls “having to pick up rocks from the first fairway and put them into a bushel basket when I was about 6… I also remember eating Thanksgiving dinner and either roasting or freezing depending on your seat in relation to the fireplace and the ultra creepy bathroom My Dad modified a pump to use in Little Goosey, the pond off the parking lot, which never had much water in it and was full of weeds. The thing ran in our bathtub for weeks. That was the entire original irrigation system.”
When we stated that the Parents had built the golf course, Cynthia Walsh informed us that it was actually her father who had built it, as contracted by the Parents.
On October 8 we had a full house for “Glen Echo Revisited” and were pleased to have in attendance former owner of the property, Joanna Gibson. In the post-meeting discussion we learned that the ruins of the truck, formerly on the property were from a burned-out lumber truck that Linc Gibson used to transport wood to and from the saw-mill, which we located just to the South of the road going out to Deady Ave. That sawmill paid for itself when it was used to cut the wood downed by the Hurricane of 1938. It was claimed that on hot summer days, the trolley cars for Glen Echo could be lined up all the way out to Pleasant St. We reprinted 20 copies of our Glen Echo booklet and sold most of them at this event.
On October 28, I led another walk at Glen Echo during which our group of twenty-five identified the location seen in the trolley car picture with the large boulder to the East. Drum Rock is now owned by a Canton abutter and barricaded-off from Stoughton hikers. Such is, IMHO, a reasonable compromise worked out by the Town of Stoughton and the Community Preservation Committee, which had difficulty establishing an eastern boundary for the land and was also concerned about liability issues connected to jumpers off of Drum Rock. The Glen Echo property, although as yet unimproved, remains a fine recreational opportunity for hikers, kayakers, and fishermen, as the gates are now open for public access.
On October 31, we hosted almost fifty high school juniors, taking American Studies, all of whom received tours of each of our display rooms and a presentations on Stoughton history, including a few of its notable individuals, such as the late Forrest Bird. Having just completed a unit on Word War I, they were shown slides of Stoughton in 1917, the year that the United States entered the War. Our volunteers commented that these students were the best-behaved and most interested of any students they had ever spoken to.
The work on the windows at the Lucius Clapp is progressing. Small amounts of lead paint have been removed separately after which the large frames have been stripped down to the bare wood and the installation of storm windows has begun. When that process is completed, the old windows will be removed and repaired off-site. Our exhibits inside have been “re-arranged” away from the windows, but are still able to be viewed.
In preparation for our upcoming Sacco-Vanzetti program , we have located a scrapbook in our archives, which contains several new items on the trial. The longest article is one published in a Taunton newspaper in which the writer, ten years after the trial interviews all the members of the jury that he can find, including Stoughton farmer Charles McNamara, the son of deceased juror Frank McNamara and Stoughton photographer George Gerard. All of those interviewed remain firm in their conviction that their verdict of guilty was supported by the facts of the case and that they were not influenced by the socio-political issues which swirled around the trial. From the article: “Charles H. McNamara, son of J. Frank McNamara almost predicted the call from somebody about the Sacco and Vanzetti trial. Only two days before, while moving from the old homestead to a new house down the street in the farm country around Stoughton, the son’s wife came across a picture of the jury taken while on a fishing junket.
Mr McNamara left seven children, five boys and two girls, of whom three are now dead. Like his son, Charles after him and his father before, the Stoughton juror operated a diary. He died Sept. 31, 1931, age 74, firm in his belief, the son said, that the verdict was called for by the evidence.
“I remember the period of the trial well,” the son recalled. “I was filling silos with corn, just as I am these days. I remember thinking an army of persons wishing us harm could have hidden in the fields of corn around the house. The policeman on guard made so many tours of the barn that he beat down a path around it. We were, however, not half as afraid as we should have been, realizing as we do now what a tempest was raised by the trial and all the excitement afterwards.”
Several bombings were made in retribution for the verdict, but none were directed against jurors.
“More reticent about commenting on the trial than any of the other jurors, George A. Gerard of Stoughton says his memory is none too good. He thinks the verdict was entirely fair but that the “case is best forgotten. The outstanding thing about that trial was the judge. You can quote me on that. The fairest judge I ever saw or heard of. Who are these people who keep bringing up the case and complaining about the verdict? If they say the country was witch-hunting those days, it must have escaped me. I don’t remember all the radical talk. I always thought it was propaganda only.
“Am I bitter about it? Oh no. not a bit of it. Such things happen every day, trials like that. Heavens no, I am not bitter. I just think the trial is best forgotten. Being on that jury did not affect my life, though it was a new experience for me. I suppose a murder trial is an everyday affair over the nation, though. That’s the way I look at it.”
A time-line of events in the lives of Sacco and Vanzetti can be found at http://www.famous-trials.com/saccovanzetti/770-chronology
The following is one of the last letters written by Nicola Sacco before his execution on August 23rd:
August 18, 1927.
MY DEAR SON AND COMPANION:
Since the day I saw you last I had always the idea to write you this letter, but the length of my hunger strike and the thought I might not be able to explain myself, made me put it off all this time.
The other day, I ended my hunger strike and just as soon as I did that I thought of you to write to you, but I find that I did not have enough strength and I cannot finish it at one time. However, I want to get it down in any way before they take us again to the death-house, because it is my conviction that just as soon as the court refuses a new trial to us they will take us there. And between Friday and Monday, if nothing happens, they will electrocute us right after midnight, on August 22nd. Therefore, here I am, right with you with love and with open heart as ever I was yesterday.
I never thought that our inseparable life could be separated, but the thought of seven dolorous years makes it seem it did come, but then it has not changed really the unrest and the heart-beat of affection. That has remained as it was. More. I say that our ineffable affection reciprocal, is today more than any other time, of course. That is not only a great deal but it is grand because you can see the real brotherly love, not only in joy but also and more in the struggle of suffering. Remember this, Dante. We have demonstrated this, and modesty apart, we are proud of it.
Much we have suffered during this long Calvary. We protest today as we protested yesterday. We protest always for our freedom.
If I stopped hunger strike the other day, it was because there was no more sign of life in me. Because I protested with my hunger strike yesterday as today I protest for life and not for death.
I sacrificed because I wanted to come back to the embrace of your dear little sister Ines and your mother and all the beloved friends and comrades of life and not death. So Son, today life begins to revive slow and calm, but yet without horizon and always with sadness and visions of death.
Well, my dear boy, after your mother had talked to me so much and I had dreamed of you day and night, how joyful it was to see you at last. To have talked with you like we used to in the days--in those days. Much I told you on that vist and more I wanted to say, but I saw that you will remain the same affectionate boy, faithful to your mother who loves you so much, and I did not want to hurt your sensibilities any longer, because I am sure that you will continue to be the same boy and remember what I have told you. I knew that and what here I am going to tell you will touch your sensibilities, but don't cry Dante, because many tears have been wasted, as your mother's have been wasted for seven years, and never did any good. So, Son, instead of crying, be strong, so as to be able to comfort your mother, and when you want to distract your mother from the discouraging soulness, I will tell you what I used to do. To take her for a long walk in the quiet country, gathering wild flowers her and there, resting under the shade of trees, between the harmony of the vivid stream and the gentle tranquility of the mothernature, and I am sure that she will enjoy this very much, as you surely would be happy for it. But remember always, Dante, in the play of happiness, don't you use all for yourself only, but down yourself just one step, at your side and help the weak ones that cry for help, help the prosecuted and the victim, because that are your better friends; they are the comrades that fight and fall as your father and Bartolo fought and fell yesterday for the conquest of the joy of freedom for all and the poor workers. In this struggle of life you will find more love and you will be loved.
I am sure that from what your mother told me about what you said during these last terrible days when I was lying in the iniquitous death-house--that description gave me happiness because it showed you will be the beloved boy I had always dreamed.
Therefore, whatever should happen tomorrow, nobody knows, but if they should kill us, you must not forget to look at your friends and comrades with the smiling gave of gratitude as you look at your beloved ones, because they love you as they love every one of the fallen persecuted comrades. I tell you, your father that is all the life to you, your father that loved you and saw them, and knows their noble faith (that is mine) their supreme sacrifice that they are still doing for our freedom, for I have fought with them, and they are the ones that still hold the last of our hope that today they can still save us from electrocution, it is the struggle and fight bewteen the rich and the poor for safety and freedom, Son, which you will understand in the future of your years to come, of this unrest and struggle of life's death.
Much I thought of you when I was lying in the death house--the singing, the kind tender voices of the children from the playground, where there was all the life and the joy of liberty--just one step from the wall which contains the buried agony of three buried souls. It would remind me so often of you and your sister Ines, and I wish I could see you every moment. But I feel better that you did not come to the death-house so that you could not see the horrible picture of three lying in agony waiting to be electrocuted, because I do not know what effect it would have on your young age. But then, in another way if you were not so sensitive it would be very useful to you tomorrow when you could use this horrible memory to hold up to the world the shame of the country in this cruel persecution and unjust death. Yes, Dante, they can crucify our bodies today as they are doing, but they cannot destroy our ideas, that will remain for the youth of the future to come.
Dante, when I said three human lives buried, I meant to say that with us there is another young man by the name of Celestino Maderios that is to be electrocuted at the same time with us. He has been twice before in that horrible death-house, that should be destroyed with the hammers of real progress--that horrible house that will shame forever the future of the citizens of Massachusetts. They should destroy that house and put up a factory or school, to teach many of the hundreds of the poor orphan boys of the world.
Dante, I say once more to love and be nearest to your mother and the beloved ones in these sad days, and I am sure that with your brave heart and kind goodness they will feel less discomfort. And you will also not forget to love me a little for I do--O, Sonny! thinking so much and so often of you.
Best fraternal greetings to all the beloved ones, love and kisses to your little Ines and mother. Most hearty affectionate embrace.
YOUR FATHER AND COMPANION
P.S. Bartolo send you the most affectionate greetings. I hope that your mother will help you to understand this letter because I could have written much better and more simple, if I was feeling good. But I am so weak.
Ed. Note: Celestino Maderios (sometimes Medeiros) was a fellow prisoner of Sacco and Vanzetti?s. He testified that he was a part of the Morrelli gang and that they committed the hold-up and murder for which Sacco and Vanzetti were executed.
(from http://www.famous-trials.com/saccovanzetti/799-saccocharlestown
In the upcoming weeks, we will gather more information from local newspapers on microfilm in the library, regarding the response in Stoughton to the life, trial, and tribulations of Nicola Sacco.
Student-volunteer Zachary Mancusa has transcribed the following from a diary found in the Holmes box in our archives. The writer, possibly one William Holmes is working at the James Smith farm at Dry Pond at the corner of Plain St. and Bay Rd. Zachary happens to live just a couple hundred yards away, close to or on land that was owned and worked by the Smith farm in the mid to late 1800’s. I have tried to make these lines match up with Erastus Smith’s diary. He mentions a William, who works on the farm in 1846, but the dates and events do not match up. The events described below (in a yet-to-be fully proofread draft transcription) take place in April, but we cannot yet determine with any certainty the year, nor the writer, since he does not name himself. The diary covers a period of March to the beginning of July:
“8th Warm but cloudy in the morning but cleared off before noon wind NE. Did the chores and trooped some it being fast day. The folks all went to meeting except James and myself. Mr (James) and Mrs Smith, Melissa, James and Erastus went to the sing down to Mr. Holmes in the afternoon. (Ed note: We have the diaries of Erastus Smith for1845-1847, 1853, and 1856. Later, Erastus will combine with neighbor James Clapp and Aaron Gay to form the Smith, Clapp and Gay Popcorn Company.)
9th Cold and cloudy wind NW in the morning but changed to South before noon. It began to rain about 8 o'clock AM and rained nearly all day. Id the chores helped Mr Smith load 3 loads of woods (???) he carried to Hodges. I went over to Mr Clapp to exchange some papers at night. (Ed. Note: Lucius Clapp, library benefactor and for whom our building is now named lives in the Dry Pond neighborhood, and he is likely the Clapp mentioned here, rather than the Clapps mentioned below, who are not directly related to Lucius.)
10th Cold and cloudy wind NE did the chores helped Mr. Smith load a load of wood to carry to Hodges and went over to the meetinghouse and carried a load of wood to Albert. Mr and Mrs. Richards and Catsey came up here.
11th Cold and windy wind NE did the chores and went to meeting all day Mr. Eddy preaching. I went to John's at noon.
12th Cold and cloudy wind NE did the chores and carried a cord of wood to Mrs. Lenfields and the same to I Hill. The white cow calved yesterday.
13th Cold and very windy it snowed all day wind NE did the chores and ground 10 dippers of coffee got my shoes mended it cost 65 cents.
14th Cold and cloudy most of the day. Did the chores went up to Col Pierce to get some tools and shoveled some snow. (Ed. Note: Col Jessie Pierce lives in Highland St. and is the father of Henry Pierce and Edward Pierce, the former a President of Baker Chocolate Company and Mayor of Boston and the latter a biographer of Sen William Sumner and speaker at the dedication of the Stoughton Town Hall.)
15th Cool and windy wind NW did the chores and planed some in the shop (?) Mr. Smith went over to Mr Marn's to carry more window frames and sashes Philip went to Boston. James and myself went down to Hodges in the evening he bought a hat for 3 dollars. I bought a bunch of matches for 12 cents.
16th Warm and pleasant wind SW did the chores helped Mr Smith cart a cord of wood to Ms Beal's. We loaded one load of wood to go to the meethinghouse. I went over to Mr. Barney Gay's to carry his paper in the evening. Ruth and Mary Clapp were here visiting in the afternoon. (Ed. Note: Ruth Clapp is the daughter of Dry Pond neighbor Benjamin Clapp and the older sister of the aforementioned Jame Clapp and Susan Clapp. Ruth will later run a private school in West North Bridgewater at which Susan teaches in the 1850’s before she begins her own school in Stoughton and later teaches for the Stoughton Public Schools. After the Civil War Susan teaches a school for freedmen on North Carolina for a year and returns to Massachusetts where she marries and begins a teaching ministry on Martha’s Vineyard. Susan Clapp’s diary will soon be published or made available online.) 17th Chilly and cloudy. It began to rain about 11 o'clock did some of the chores and carted half a cord of wood to J ? Parker and the same to Mr. J Lenfield's, traded with Alder Beal's and let him have a wallet nearly new for a bow arrow and two cents.
18th Very rainy in the forenoon. It cleared off about noon cool and windy, did not go to meeting. Did the chores read some and wrote a letter to Mary J Holmes. I went to the sing in the evening.
19th Cold and windy wind WNW did the chores shot 8 robbins and carted half a cord to Mr. Hodges. Mr. Smith carted a cord to Hodges. James went to the sing to Canton in the evening. I went to Mr. B Gay's to carry his paper. I bought four sheets of paper for 4 cents.
20th Warm though cloudy wind NE carried a load of wood to N Richard's and a cord to J Drake and half a cord to W Tenney. I bought 4 sheets of paper for four cents.”
Archivist’s Report – John and I cleaned and re-filed one of the large map drawers, cataloging almost half the contents. We are working on creating a "Log File" of contents.
- Received from an anonymous donor a bound copy of " Stoughton News Sentinel" for the year Oct 10, 1949 Through Sept. 28, 1950.( #931.11 shelf 31)
- Researched and wrote a text for the new Trolley sign that we dedicated to Mary Kelleher.
- Searched for a plan of the layout of the Stoughton RR station for Pam McCarthy. A not to scale layout was found.
- Filed a letter (On line purchase) written to Miss Anna Glover of Stoughton. Re; Glover family living in Sag Harbor, NY in 1873. From the village Clerk in Sag Harbor NY.
- Received an Early 1940's guest Book for the Glen Echo Inn from David Belmonte of Stoughton, MA. (# 714.03)
- Received 2- 1868 Calendars from Cathy Limbey: 1 Stoughton Co-Operative Bank & 1 General advertising Calendar. Both with Police Department theme. Published by American Safety League of Plaistow, NH.
- From Mindi Rodriques for Sandy Moneypenny we received copies of two Stoughton News Sentinels: one each from 1926 & 1941. (#931.07)
- From M. Lucas of Rockland, MA we received a number of pictures and Genealogy documents that had belonged to Margaret Edwards, formerly of Stoughton. This will take a considerable amount of time to sort out and catalogue.
- From Bob Zeph of Canton, Ma we received and catalogued a photo of the Glen Echo Campers Association taken at Tracy’s Grove on Sept 1, 1947. (#731.03 Filed in LFF Drawer # 5)
- Re-organized the Stoughton Fire Dept File which was in considerable disarray. (#302.25)
- Cleaned up, made feet for, and put on display another ballot counting machine that we received from the Town Hall. -Richard Fitzpatrick
I continued to help with the filing of materials, assigning numbers, and putting them on the computer. I helped clean up the displays, moving them from the windows and returning them for the High School students' visit and moving them away from the windows again. All hands were on deck for their visit. I baked for the October meeting and helped set up the refreshments. -Ruthie Fitzpatrick
Jason Martin has assisted in research on 175 Turnpike St. and 54-56 Seaver St. and searched for records relating to Harry Hitchcock, a ward of the state, who died in Stoughton at the age of 21 days. New, student volunteer Zachary Mancusa has been transcribing the mid-1800s diary of a young man (possibly William Holmes) who worked on the James Smith farm at Dry Pond.
Curator’s Report - Acquisitions: 7 inch glass decanter engraved with”Stoughton” from Paul Twardy, an approximately three inch cannonball, originally purchased from a shop in Gettysburg from Elizabeth Smith; 250th Anniversary coin of Stoughton from Albert Manson.
We had the flag pole repaired by having the ropes replaced with the help of the Stoughton Fire Dept. Our flags are now back flying in time for Veteran’s Day. -Brian Daley
Clothing Curator’s Report. Since our last Newsletter, the Clothing Department has received the following items.: A Stoughton High School baseball cap of the Class of 1944 owned by Christopher Carabatsas and donated by his son, John. A Stoughton High School Cheerleaders sweater donated by Elizabeth Griffin. Two wedding dresses donated by Celia Andrade. One of them was worn in 1920 by the mother-in-law of Evelyn Keele. It has a large amount of wonderful heavy lace. It has some damage but it should clean-up nicely. The second dress was worn by Jesuing Andrade in 1924. It is chiffon with some very nice beading pieces. It has some damage but has been hydrated and looks good. Along with that dress we received parts of the headdress and also the wedding photograph. We are pleased that these families were willing to share these pieces with all of us.
We helped put together clothing and other items from World War I for the anniversary of the beginning of that conflict. -Janet Clough
Membership
New members: Victor Palaza, Lorraine Carter Whitehurst, Sandra Medeiros, Kathy Morelli.