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Stoughton Historical Society Newsletter - VOLUME 35 - NO.13 - April, May, June 2005 |
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2005
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It has been a busy winter [between snowstorms] and now that spring is in sight, the many dedicated volunteers at the Historical Society are working on a new exhibit to be placed in our museum. The Clapp and Pierce rooms will feature paintings by local artists Charles Vermoskie and Mortimer Lamb along with the John Stiles Collection of photographs of Stoughton and some of its people. Hank Herbowy, our curator, is hard at work bringing antiques upstairs that haven't been seen for many years. Period clothing will be displayed by Emily Guertin and Joan O'Hare. The Archives Dept is assisting with documents, maps, etc, thanks to Anne Petterson, Jack Sidebottom, Dwight MacKerron and Brian Daley.
Our appreciation goes to Dwight MacKerron for his purchase and donations of archival supplies, to Bob Drew who has agreed to do custodial duties for us and to Tony Leal for shoveling the front steps of the Lucuis Clapp Building every time it snowed and this year that was quite often. Finally, be sure that your 2004-05 dues have been paid as our new year 2005-06 begins June 1st. We are always looking for new members. Why not ask a friend to join? They will thank you for it.
Also, please pay attention to all the important information to follow. Thanks.
Joe DeVito, President. [p. 2]
SUNDAY APRIL 17 2 P.M. A program on Edwin A. Jones, written by our own Helen Hansen will be performed by several members of the Historical Society who have been practicing for their acting debuts. We hope for a special guest flutist to appear as accompanist for the musical segments. The nominees for the slate of officers will be announced.
WEDNESDAY MAY 18 6 P.M. at Alberts restaurant. Annual dinner. Election and installation of officers. Reservation form is on last page. Please detach, fill out and return by May 9th. Thank You. Hall of Fame: The Hall of Fame sponsored jointly by the School Department and the Stoughton Historical Society will be held on Friday April 29 at 12:30 P.M. at the High school. Among this year's honorees will be our own Helen Hansen. We hope many members will be present as Helen receives her award. [p. 3]
FROM THE ARCHIVES: Anne Petterson is going on with volunteers Anne Petterson, Jack Sidebottom, Dwight MacKerron and Brian Daley. The archival dept has acquired a much needed file cabinet The Society was given a box of material containing photos, news items, annual reports etc; from the family of William Hodges and will be interestingly studies. We are looking forward to better weather and more people coming into the building to use its resources. The archival personnel are looking into paintings and photos for the Society's next exhibit.
From Dwight MacKerron We are pleased to announce the acquisition of a deed dated 1769, showing a distinctively shaped lot of more than 257 acres running along the County line [Easton/Stoughton boundary] all the way from Ames Pond almost out to Bay Road. This lot was surveyed by Joseph Hewins for the owner, Samuel A. Jones. What is particularly interesting about this lot is that it corresponds directly to the 34th lot on the " Map of the Twenty Five Divisions" dated 1730 and recopied in 1895. This old deed was a gift from Mrs. Bray of Hingham, Ma. As part of our picture exhibits which will be ready by the April 17 meeting, we will display this deed beside a copy of the "Map of the Twenty Five Divisions" and try to have copies of this classic and beautiful old map, ready for sale at a moderate price. Description of the picture exhibit honoring John Stiles. We will have on display for the next few months exhibits which will feature more than thirty photographs taken by John Stiles, a long time Stoughton resident, early radio man/aviator/aerial photographer World War II veteran and former curator of the Stoughton Historical Society. Mr. Stiles had a life long interest in photography and his pictures show many scenes of celebration and of disaster in Stoughton life from the first half of the Twentieth Century. We will also have on display some of the scrapbooks put together by Mr. Stiles featuring Stoughton residents like Len "Skunk" Whitten, Howard Randell, Bob Ivaldi, Rev. Fr. Callahan and Charles Vermoskie. Many of Mr. Stiles photographic works were left to the Stoughton Library as well. We will also be exhibiting paintings by renowned Stoughton artists Mortimer Lamb and Charles Vermoskie.
CURATOR: Hank Herbowy: Spring is finally here, we hope. Now we can concentrate on our Society's display work that has been delayed as many of our volunteers were unable to help set up due to the lack of parking or unplowed sidewalks. Many items from the turn of the century to 1950, paintings and photo's will be displayed. Our thanks to Donna Hodges for her generous donation to the Curators Dept. Thanks to Peter and Pat Barbato for donating Perfection Water Cooler Base made in Stoughton early 1920's. SATURDAY JUNE 18 YARD AND PLANT SALE We will try to replicate our successful sale held last year. Please save items for us and bring them to the Society any Tuesday 10 3 or Thursday 6 8 P.M. Please no electronics or items needing repairs. Last year jewelry, household items, linens, small tables, cabinets, recent books, matched glassware and children's toys sold well as did plants. If you need to thin out your garden, bring us. your plants that week. We will need a lot more help from 7:30A.M. 8:45 A.M. to bring articles out of the building and set them out If you can help please call Jeanne at 781 344 5456. Contributors: Joe and Jeanne DeVito, Hank Herbowy, Anne Petterson, Dwigbt MacKerron, Howard Hansen. Editor: Joan O'Hare WEDNESDAY MAY 18 Stoughton Historical Society Banquet and Annual Meeting. Albert's Restaurant, 217 Washington St.Stoughton May 2005 6:00 P.M. $ 15.00 Member 1 $17:00 Guest. Please make checks payable to: Stoughton Historical Society, P.O. Box 542, Stoughton, Ma. 02072 and remit by May 9th 2005. [p. 4] The Last of the Old Historical Society Gang, Part II ROBERT L. BENSON 1917 - 2004 Stoughton Historical Society President 1966-69 In the January 2005 Newsletter was a memorial to Evelyn Healy who departed in early April 2004, just before the death of Past President Robert L. Benson. Evelyn and Bob were the last survivors of the "Old Gang" that were responsible for making the entire Lucius Clapp Memorial a museum of local history. Bob was to be an honored guest at the two day Centennial celebration of the Lucius Clapp Memorial. PATRIOTS' DAY 2004 was very appropriate for Robert Benson's funeral services. He died on April 16, 2004. From 1895 until 1985 Patriots' Day was the official "Pilgrimage Day" established by the Historical Society's first President, Elisha C. Monk. Bob was a World War II Veteran and Past President of the Stoughton Historical Society. His love of local history, of old automobiles and mechanical "things" and his "old soldier" spirit surrounded his life here in Stoughton. Robert L. Benson was born September 4, 1917 in Dedham, Mass. He had found employment with the Foxboro Co. after graduating from Dedham High School. His working career was interrupted by his service time in the U.S. Army. He served in combat at Guadalcanal where enemy fire exploded near his tent permanently damaging his hearing. Bob once told the story of how his mechanical skills were called into action for a village church that had been battle scarred. The unit Chaplain asked him to repair the church's reed organ for Sunday worship. That was not quite the same as repairing an automobile, he was not a musician, but he said he would try. Then came time for the Sunday service. The Chaplain called for a tune. Bob looked around to see who would play the organ, only to realize that the Chaplain was asking him to perform! With no rehearsal, nor any idea of what he would play, his fingers glided over the keys for a couple of minutes and upon the conclusion of his act was applauded by the troops. When he returned to Dedham after the War, the town celebrated with a big bonfire on the common. Bob remembered that the fire was so huge that it set the telephone poles ablaze. Shortly thereafter, he married Anna Forrest, and the couple found a new Cape style home on Whitney Avenue in Stoughton. The house overlooked the pastures of Denison's Farm and a few bungalows on Plain Street. That was when they befriended a neighbor "a character" named Leonard "Skunk" Whitten. Lenny Whitten dressed like Buffalo Bill, hunted and trapped in the nearby woodlands. Skunk was born in Stoughton and knew the west side of the town and its history. It was Len Whitten who introduced Bob to the Historical Society. Bob would bring along Len Whitten as Buffalo Bill to be his passenger in the Model T Ford Wagon whenever there was a parade of antique cars. Bob's Model T Ford "Woody" wagon was his pride and joy Sitting in the Benson yard is really the "masterpiece" of Bob's ingenuity his "industrial strength" snow blower. This machine, a combination of a manure spreader, corn chipper, and assorted salvage auto parts powered by a Model A Ford engine, was so powerful that it would blast snow into his neighbors' yards. Bob was President of the Historical Society, when the Library Trustees were actively pursuing adding onto the 60 plus year old structure. There was a question of whether the Society would be out of a home. Even after the town had voted to build a new facility, there was talk of making it a police station or additional town office space. At the same time the Redevelopment Authority was presenting plans to completely redesign and modernize the Square and demolish the railroad station. The "Old Gang" of Carl Smith, Fred Kelleher, Clyde Holmes, John Stiles, Gus Winroth, Ed Meserve, Ken and Evelyn Healy, Ted and Eva Graham, Bertha and Frank Reynolds supported Bob Benson in organizing the Historical Commission and working to put the railroad station on the National Register of Historic Places. Most of these people then, including Bob, were not retired. Yet, they found the time and energy to keep the Society active and visible. When Bob Benson retired in 1981, he was elected Vice president to a 37 year old Society President. Since time permitted, Bob volunteered to plan the Annual Pilgrimage. The destination was the Newport, Rhode Island "Cottages" and Fort Adams. The President's father was delighted to assist, since he was once stationed at Fort Adams. The two Swedes took a reconnaissance mission in late spring and reported back to the President that the cost of the trip, meals, bus and admissions included would cost $22. per person. That was more than any pilgrimage in the past had cost! The President thought he could do better retired folks would never pay this kind of money. Well, Bob Benson and Orrin Hansen proved this writer was wrong. The bus was so full, the President had to sit on the floor of the bus and the passengers paid $25. During the past few years, after Anna died in 1998, Bob did slow down. But when he heard a few years ago that the Memorial Day and Fourth of July Parades were to be cancelled because of budget limits, the Old Soldier promised he would march in every parade as long as he could walk, he was not going to forget his fellow soldiers. On Memorial Day in 2003, while I stood with the town officials at the American Legion lot, there was Bob in his WW II dress uniform standing at the south gate of Evergreen Cemetery. With his soft voice said,"well, I made it again." - Howard Hansen
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