Lucius Beebe Memorial Library, Wakefield, Mass.

Items

• Lucius Beebe Memorial Library
  Wakefield, Massachusetts. From an early 20th century picture postcard.
• Lucius Beebe Memorial Library
  Lucius Beebe Memorial Library - Wakefield, Massachusetts. From a 1924 "Architecture" magazine photo. Finished in 1922, the building was designed by Ralph Adams Cram of Cram & Ferguson Architects, Boston.
• Reading Room - 1924
  Lucius Beebe Memorial Library - Wakefield, Massachusetts. From a 1924 "Architecture" magazine photo. Finished in 1922, the building was designed by Ralph Adams Cram of Cram & Ferguson Architects, Boston.
• "Delivery Room" - 1924
  Lucius Beebe Memorial Library - Wakefield, Massachusetts. From a 1924 "Architecture" magazine photo. Finished in 1922, the building was designed by Ralph Adams Cram of Cram & Ferguson Architects, Boston. The area shown is now the front lobby of a building that has been twice expanded and renovated.
• Balcony & Stairs
  Lucius Beebe Memorial Library - Wakefield, Massachusetts. From a 1924 "Architecture" magazine photo. Finished in 1922, the building was designed by Ralph Adams Cram of Cram & Ferguson Architects, Boston.
• Children's Room - 1924
  Lucius Beebe Memorial Library - Wakefield, Massachusetts. From a 1924 "Architecture" magazine photo. Finished in 1922, the building was designed by Ralph Adams Cram of Cram & Ferguson Architects, Boston.
• Lucius Beebe Memorial Library
  345 Main Street - Wakefield, Massachusetts.
• Revere Bell
  This bell, cast by Paul Revere's company, sat in Beebe Library - Wakefield, Massachusetts - for many years.
• Reading Room - 1924
  Lucius Beebe Memorial Library - Wakefield, Massachusetts. Photo originally appeared in a 1924 issue of "Architecture" magazine. Completed in 1922, the building was designed by Ralph Adams Cram of Cram & Ferguson Architects, Boston.
• Avon Street entrance
  Lucius Beebe Memorial Library - Wakefield, Massachusetts.
• Lucius Beebe Memorial Library
  A present day view of the Lucius Beebe Memorial Library in Wakefield, Massachusetts.
• Lucius Beebe Memorial Library
  Wakefield, Massachusetts. April 23, 2008.
• Laying the cornerstone
  Laying the cornerstone for the Lucius Beebe Memorial Library in Wakefield, Massachusetts (1922). At right, is Harris M. Dolbeare, chairman of the Building Committee. For hundreds more photos from Wakefield's past, visit our Profile and click on the link to our web site.
• Building Committee
  The laying of the cornerstone for the Lucius Beebe Memorial Library in Wakefield, Massachusetts, on March 17, 1922. Standing on the right in the fur coat is Lucia Beebe, granddaughter of Lucius Beebe.
• Beebe Memorial Library construction
  The Lucius Beebe Memorial Library in Wakefield, Massachusetts during construction, circa 1922.
• Beebe Library painting
  A painting by local artist Hope Dillaway depicted a number of prominent early citizens of Wakefield, Massachusetts, along with some of the town's historic buildings. The Lucius Beebe Memorial Library building is in the lower center. The man with the white beard above the building is Lucius Beebe. In the upper right, is Wakefield's Old Town Hall, along with a portrait of Cyrus Wakefield, for whom the town was named. For hundreds more photos from Wakefield's past, visit our Profile and click on the link to our web site.
• Beebe Library Postcard
  A colorized postcard view of the Lucius Beebe Memorial Library in Wakefield, Massachusetts, probably from the mid-20th century.
• Beebe Library
  345 Main Street - Wakefield Massachusetts.
• Lucius Beebe Memorial Library
  Wakefield, Massachusetts.
• Lucius Beebe Memorial Library
  345 Main Street - Wakefield, Massachusetts.
• Beebe Family - Wakefield, Massachusetts
  The Beebe Farm in Wakefield Massachusetts, circa 1890-1910. Once owned by Lucius Beebe and the Beebe Family, the property at 142 Main Street is presently owned by Richard A. Martino, who was kind enough to provide these photos.Top left: from across Main Street (note that Main Street was a dirt road). Top right & bottom left: winter on the Beebe Estate. Bottom right: the Beebe Home from Main Street.
• Beebe Family and Beebe Farm Photo Album
  The Beebe Farm in Wakefield Massachusetts, circa 1890-1910. Once owned by Lucius Beebe and the Beebe Family, the property at 142 Main Street is presently owned by Richard A. Martino, who was kind enough to provide these photos.  Top left: the front porch and main entrance of the Beebe mansion. Top right: looking down the driveway (left) toward Main Street and Lake Quannapowitt. Bottom left appears to be Mr. & Mrs. Junius Beebe.
• Beebe Family & Beebe Farm
  The Beebe Farm in Wakefield Massachusetts, circa 1890-1900. Once owned by Lucius Beebe and the Beebe Family, the property at 142 Main Street is presently owned by Richard A. Martino, who was kind enough to provide these photos.
• Beebe Family & Beebe Farm
  The Beebe Farm in Wakefield Massachusetts, circa 1890-1900. Once owned by Lucius Beebe and the Beebe Family, the property at 142 Main Street is presently owned by Richard A. Martino, who was kind enough to provide these photos.
• Beebe Family & Beebe Farm
  The Beebe Farm in Wakefield Massachusetts, circa 1890-1900. Once owned by Lucius Beebe and the Beebe Family, the property at 142 Main Street is presently owned by Richard A. Martino, who was kind enough to provide these photos.  Top center: a carriage in front of the Beebe Estate, Wakefield, Massachusetts. Top right: Harriett (Mrs. Junius) Beebe.
• Beebe Family & Beebe Farm
  The Beebe Farm in Wakefield Massachusetts, circa 1890-1900. Once owned by Lucius Beebe and the Beebe Family, the property at 142 Main Street is presently owned by Richard A. Martino, who was kind enough to provide these photos. Top right: on the Beebe Estate, with lake Quannapowitt in the background.
• Beebe Family & Beebe Farm
  The Beebe Farm in Wakefield Massachusetts, circa 1890-1900. Once owned by Lucius Beebe and the Beebe Family, the property at 142 Main Street is presently owned by Richard A. Martino, who was kind enough to provide these photos. Top right: Junius Beebe? Bottom center: Girl (Lucia Beebe?) perched on stone wall featuring "behive" design.
• Beebe Family & Beebe Farm
  The Beebe Farm in Wakefield Massachusetts, circa 1890-1900. Once owned by Lucius Beebe and the Beebe Family, the property at 142 Main Street is presently owned by Richard A. Martino, who was kind enough to provide these photos. Top center: Junius Beebe? Bottom right: Beebe mansion, side view.
• Beebe Family & Beebe Farm
  The Beebe Farm in Wakefield Massachusetts, circa 1890-1910. Once owned by Lucius Beebe and the Beebe Family, the property at 142 Main Street is presently owned by Richard A. Martino, who was kind enough to provide these photos. Bottom left: Junius and Harriett Beebe, with child - possibly their son Lucius Morris Beebe. Bottom center: A young Lucius Morris Beebe (born 1902) with big sister Lucia (born 1892)?
• Beebe Family & Beebe Farm
  The Beebe Farm in Wakefield Massachusetts, circa 1890-1900. Once owned by Lucius Beebe and the Beebe Family, the property at 142 Main Street is presently owned by Richard A. Martino, who was kind enough to provide these photos. Bottom center: a horse & carriage parked in fron of the Beebe mansion.
• Beebe Family - Wakefield, Massachusetts
  The Beebe Farm in Wakefield Massachusetts, circa 1890-1910. Once owned by Lucius Beebe and the Beebe Family, the property at 142 Main Street is presently owned by Richard A. Martino, who was kind enough to provide these photos. 
• Beebe Family - Wakefield, Massachusetts
  The Beebe Farm in Wakefield Massachusetts, circa 1890-1910. Once owned by Lucius Beebe and the Beebe Family, the property at 142 Main Street is presently owned by Richard A. Martino, who was kind enough to provide these photos.Bottom left photo appears to be Junius Beebe and his wife Eleanor Harriet Beebe.
• Beebe Family - Wakefield, Massachusetts
  The Beebe Farm in Wakefield Massachusetts, circa 1890-1910. Once owned by Lucius Beebe and the Beebe Family, the property at 142 Main Street is presently owned by Richard A. Martino, who was kind enough to provide these photos. The woman in white is possibly Eleanor Harriet (Mrs. Junius) Beebe. Top left: standing on the Beebe Estate with Beebe's Cove (Lake Quannapowitt) in the background.
• Beebe Family - Wakefield, Massachusetts
  The Beebe Farm in Wakefield Massachusetts, circa 1890-1910. Once owned by Lucius Beebe and the Beebe Family, the property at 142 Main Street is presently owned by Richard A. Martino, who was kind enough to provide these photos. Top center: probably Junius Beebe, owner of the Beebe estate circa 1900. Bottom center: likely his daughter, Lucia, born in 1892. Top right: Note the "beehive" stone design formation. The Beebe family crest was a beehive, and is a recurring motif throughout the family's property and artifacts.
• Beebe Family - Wakefield, Massachusetts
  The Beebe Farm in Wakefield Massachusetts, circa 1890-1910. Once owned by Lucius Beebe and the Beebe Family, the property at 142 Main Street is presently owned by Richard A. Martino, who was kind enough to provide these photos. Top left photo appears to be Eleanor Harriet Beebe and Junius Beebe. The bottom right photo is the Hurd School, at the corner of Pleasant and Cordis streets. The school is on property that would have abutted the Beebe Farm. The Hurd was built in 1899, placing it in the time period that Junius and Eleanor Beebe owned and lived on the Farm and in the same timeframe as the rest of the photos in the Beebe album.
• Beebe Family - Wakefield, Massachusetts
  The Beebe Farm in Wakefield Massachusetts, circa 1890-1910. Once owned by Lucius Beebe and the Beebe Family, the property at 142 Main Street is presently owned by Richard A. Martino, who was kind enough to provide these photos. Top left, playing in the snow in front of the Beebe house. Top right and bottom left: a view of the Beebe home from a southeast vantage point. Lake Quannapowitt is in the background. Bottom right: Junius Beebe (?) with child.
• Beebe Family - Wakefield, Massachusetts
  The Beebe Farm in Wakefield Massachusetts, circa 1890-1910. Once owned by Lucius Beebe and the Beebe Family, the property at 142 Main Street is presently owned by Richard A. Martino, who was kind enough to provide these photos. 
• Beebe Family - Wakefield, Massachusetts
  The Beebe Farm in Wakefield Massachusetts, circa 1890-1910. Once owned by Lucius Beebe and the Beebe Family, the property at 142 Main Street is presently owned by Richard A. Martino, who was kind enough to provide these photos. 
• Beebe Family - Wakefield, Massachusetts
  The Beebe Farm in Wakefield Massachusetts, circa 1890-1910. Once owned by Lucius Beebe and the Beebe Family, the property at 142 Main Street is presently owned by Richard A. Martino, who was kind enough to provide these photos. The woman in the top right photo taken in the upstairs hall of the Beebe mansion, is believed to be Eleanor Harriet Beebe, wife of Junius Beebe, likely in the early years of the 20th century. 
• Beebe Family - Wakefield, Massachusetts
  The Beebe Farm in Wakefield Massachusetts, circa 1890-1910. Once owned by Lucius Beebe and the Beebe Family, the property at 142 Main Street is presently owned by Richard A. Martino, who was kind enough to provide these photos. The lower right photo is believed to be of Junius Beebe and his infant son, Lucius Morris Beebe, the famous author and bon vivant, dating the photo to 1902-1903. The top right photo also appears to be of Junius, who owned the property around the turn of the 20th century. Junius was the son of the first Lucius Beebe, for whom the public Library in Wakefield is named. The girl in the top left photo is possibly Junius's daughter, Lucia Beebe, born in 1892, making her ten years older than her toddler brother, Lucius Morris Beebe. 
• Beebe Farm - Wakefield, Massachusetts
  The Beebe Farm in Wakefield Massachusetts, circa 1880-1900. Once owned by Lucius Beebe and the Beebe Family, the property at 142 Main Street is presently owned by Richard A. Martino, who was kind enough to provide these photos. The man standing in the top right photo is believed to be an elderly Lucius Beebe, for whom the public library in Wakefield, Massachusetts is named. Lucius Beebe died in 1884, so the original photo was likely a dry plate image. This type of technology was typically available at the time only to the wealthy, which would have included the Beebe family. In any case, in the background beyond the trees on the estate, Lake Quannapowitt is visible.
• Beebe Farm - Wakefield, Massachusetts
  The Beebe Farm in Wakefield Massachusetts, circa 1880-1900. Once owned by Lucius Beebe and the Beebe Family, the property at 142 Main Street is presently owned by Richard A. Martino, who was kind enough to provide these photos. The man standing in the top right photo is believed to be an elderly Lucius Beebe, for whom the public library in Wakefield, Massachusetts is named. Lucius Beebe died in 1884, so the original photo was likely a dry plate image. This type of technology was typically available at the time only to the wealthy, which would have included the Beebe family. In any case, in the background beyond the trees on the estate, Lake Quannapowitt is visible.
• Beebe Farm - Wakefield, Massachusetts
  The Beebe Farm in Wakefield Massachusetts, circa 1890-1900. Once owned by Lucius Beebe and the Beebe Family, the property at 142 Main Street is presently owned by Richard A. Martino, who was kind enough to provide these photos.
• Beebe Farm - Wakefield, Massachusetts
  The Beebe Farm in Wakefield Massachusetts, circa 1890-1900. Once owned by Lucius Beebe and the Beebe Family, the property at 142 Main Street is presently owned by Richard A. Martino, who was kind enough to provide these photos.
• Beebe Farm - circa 1890-1910
  The Beebe Farm in Wakefield Massachusetts, circa 1890-1910. Once owned by Lucius Beebe and the Beebe Family, the property at 142 Main Street is presently owned by Richard A. Martino, who was kind enough to provide these photos. 
• Winter snowstorm, Main Street, 1915
  "This street railway car traveled to Lynn through the snowy streets of Wakefield during this storm in 1915. The storm may have occurred in December, as the winter of 1915-1916 is recorded as the ninth "snowiest" season in the season city city of Boston, with 76.2 inches of snow. Wakefield was an important street railway center soon after the Wakefield and Stoneham Street Railway Company was established in 1889. The first tracks ran from Wakefield center to Stoneham, connecting Wakefield with the Lynn & Boston road to Melrose and Woburn. In 1893, tracks were laid from Wakefield Town Hall via Water Street through Saugus to the Lynn city line, establishing a direct connection with the city of Lynn." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• 50th wedding anniversary Dr. and Mrs. Allston Gray Bouvé
  "This is one of the many photos taken during the 50th wedding anniversary celebration for Dr. Allston Gray Bouvé and Delia Carter Bouvé. The photo session itself is also featured in this calendar. The photographer captured this image using what was probably a field camera, complete with a partial hood." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Methodist Church, Albion Street, 1922
  "The Methodist Episcopal Church of Wakefield was organized on June 4, 1865 with a membership of 26. According to the Proceedings of the 250th Anniversary of the Ancient Town of Redding, services were held in the Universalist house of worship for the first four years until the congregation purchased Albion Hall at the corner of Albion and Foster Streets. After "several years of prosperity," a lot of land was purchased further west on Albion Street in 1873. Designed by T.B. Samuels of Boston, the Swiss timber constructed building "adapted to the 14th century Gothic outline" was completed and dedicated in February 1874 at an expense of more than $25,000 with a mortgage of half that amount remaining on the property. A parsonage was established in 1883 at 42 Chestnut Street. Through the "earnest efforts" of Rev. Gilbert Osgood and the "friendly offerings of the membership and other societies," the debt was lifted and a grand jubilee was held on April 9, 1886, complete with a mortgage burning ceremony which also featured "biscuits and griddlecakes provided by the Horford Baking Powder Company at no expense to the church." To say they were excellent would be expressing it mildly, according to the Wakefield Citizen & Banner. The 130' spire was struck by lightning three times: 1916, 1917 and 1926. The church's chimney fell victim to the Hurricane of 1938, causing it to crash to the roof, leaving extensive structural damage. The building was razed on October 11, 1938. Services were held in the Universalist Church for a year until a fire caused them to move to the Lafayette Building (now the Town Hall), the Grand Army building on Foster Street, and eventually to the current location on Vernon Street in 1955. Rev. Benjamin G. Seaboyer, appointed pastor in 1918, served in that capacity at the time of the photo and for a total of 15 years, making his the longest ministerial appointment." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Greenwood Station, circa 1907
  "Erected in the mid-1870s, the Greenwood Boston & Maine train station was originally planned for a location closer to Forrest Street. There was a contentious debate in 1873, according to the December 20, 1873 Citizen & Banner: "The report of 'leave to withdraw' given the petitioners for a change of location of the Greenwood depot, by our Road Commissioners, we presume will be generally satisfactory. We only hope that now the point is decided the Railroad authorities will begin the erection of a new depot at once. We believe that room enough is obtainable on either side of the track for the depot and trust that no personal preferences will be urged against the common good." The station was eventually located in front of Mr. Locke's Grove, also called Greenwood Grove. According to "A History of Greenwood", written by high school senior Betty Jones in 1939, the area included a "picnic grove with the dancehall, cook house, monkey cage, band stand and an observatory." By 1939, all the buildings had been torn down or burned and the land was owned by Mr. Fell. The station was again the subject of debate when the Atlantic Refinery Company put in an offer to buy the station from Boston & Maine to build a "modern, two-bay filling station" in the late 1950s. That never materialized and the station was moved on January 29, 1959 to the soon-to-be opened Pleasure Island. The station was destroyed by fire in April 1971." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Hiker Monument dedication, October 12, 1926
  "The Spanish War Veterans' Hiker Monument was dedicated on Columbus Day, Tuesday, October 12, 1926 as part of the 75th anniversary celebration of the Richardson Light Guard. The day consisted of a morning target shoot at Camp Curtis Guild, a military parade said to be "one of the finest military parades ever held in Greater Boston," the dedication of the monument, an evening parade on the park by a battalion of the 182nd Regt with companies of infantry from Wakefield and other communities, luncheons in halls and church vestries for visiting organizations, a reunion of the 6th Mass. Regt Spanish War veterans, and a banquet at the state armory attended by 400 people. The dedication took place after the parade with the marching organizations on three sides of the Rockery, the Spanish War veterans having the "post of honor at the front and at least 2,000 persons within sight and hearing of the exercises." Col. Edward J. Gihon, former commander of the Richardson Light Guard during the Spanish War, presided over the "impressive exercises." The unveiling of the statue was performed by two Congressional Medal of Honor recipients, Joseph Scott of Cambridge and Anthony Carson of Boston. The Hiker stands on a rock that bears a plaque with the names of the 29 citizens who risked their lives during the war, with the inscription: "This monument erected by the town of Wakefield to commemorate the valor and patriotism of the men of this town who served in the war with Spain, Philippine insurrection, and China relief expedition 1898-1902; dedicated October 12, 1926 under the auspices of Corporal Charles F. Parker, Camp No. 39, United Spanish War Veterans Department of Massachusetts." The foot soldiers of the Spanish American War trekked over rough terrain, earning them the name "hikers." The Hiker monument was created by Boston sculptor Theodora Alice Ruggles Kitson, a well-known sculptor of war memorial statues, whose original statue was unveiled in Minnesota in 1906. There are approximately 50 replicas of the statue at war memorials throughout the country, including Arlington National Cemetery." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Wakefield High School class of 1917 : 47th year class reunion, September 1944
  "Wakefield High School Class of 1917 held its 47th year reunion on Saturday, September 23, 1944 at the Lord Wakefield with 54 (39 classmates and their spouses) in attendance. The evening included a business meeting, reception, dinner, music and entertainment by Mr. & Mrs. Charles Nute and James Morse, members of the Nute Trio. During the business meeting, the class members voted to make a donation to the Heart Fund in memory of a classmate, and another donation to purchase a tree on the Floral Way. Class President G. Leonard Black and his wife, Bertha Hanright Black, of Sarasota, FL and Anne George Cox of Altadena, CA received prizes for traveling the greatest distance. Reunion attendees included: Lillian Anderson Cannery, Mildred Anderson Prince, Leonard Bayrd, Carl Belmore, Class President G. Leonard Black, Bertha Hanright Black, Treasurer Raymond Boardman, Warren Branch, Charles Burke, Gregory Clines, Ada Dadley Ahman, Mary Donegan Creedon, Margaret Douglass McAuliffe, Dr. John Drugan, Esther Dulong Malonson, F. Olive Eager, Ruth Flannigan Cranston, Alice Flannigan Gray, Joseph Fober, Anne George Cox, Dr. Paul Gove, Gladys Grant Barwise, Mary Lally O'Rourke, Dorothy Learned Glidden, Gertrude McFadden Wensell, William MacDonald, Marguerite Mullen Meskell, Mary Murray, Marion Oliver Smith, Clayton Sanford, Helen Powell Sanford, Bella Rattray, Effie Rattray, Vice President William Rattery, Agnes Regan, W. Irving Scott, Margaret Stewart Davison, Nellie Wanamaker Wells, and Helen Webster Fitz." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Cyrus Wakefield mansion, Main Street, circa 1870
  "The home built by Cyrus Wakefield was razed on October 17, 1921 to make way for the new high school on Main Street. An October 18, 1921 Wakefield Daily Item editorial reflected on the once-stately home: "Much has been written and said about the old Wakefield Mansion, and its destruction by building wreckers brings a tinge of sadness to old-time Wakefield people who knew the attractive estate at its best, and who perhaps shared in some of the activities in which the senior Cyrus Wakefield took such an active part of, 70 years ago. In its day, people came here from miles around to see the beautifully kept flowerbeds, the attractive grounds and the imposing mansion. The stately halls of the mansion witnessed many gay and festive occasions when dignitaries from far and wide, and beyond the seas were entertained by Mr. Wakefield. Even up to the time when the Red Cross temporarily occupied the house during the World War, it seemed a great pity to use some of the rooms, for they were in an excellent state of preservation. The 'magic mirror' in the front hall where both young and old were fascinated by its myriad reflection and the numberless nooks and corners about the spacious rooms formed attractive features until the last." In closing, the editorial noted, "...and now the house that long since became historic gives way to a new high school building where children of generations yet to come will know about the mansion only by reading local history or by hearing what their elders may tell them in the line of reminiscences." The 10-acre estate stood on land which now houses the Galvin Middle School." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Colonial Statler Hilton Inn, circa 1966
  "In an advertisement and listing in the 1970 edition of the Hotel and Motel Red Book, published by the American Hotel Association Directory Corporation, the Colonial Statler Hilton Inn was listed as a Colonial Hilton in with "180 rooms and suites with a year-round, glass-domed swimming pool, spacious foyer and ballroom to accommodate 500, a health club, gymnasium, coffee shop and cocktail lounge." Rates per night were $16 to $17 for a single, $21 to $22 for a double. Original plans for the Colonial Inn called for the hotel to be built in Lynnfield, adjacent to the Colonial Country Club and its "18-hole golf course, restaurant with ten separate dining rooms, dancing and nightly entertainment." After Lynnfield Town Meeting rejected the plan, grounds for the new "s-curved hotel" was broken in Wakefield in March 1965 and the hotel open to the public on Monday, December 6, 1965. Owner George Page held a "series of dazzling champagne parties" the weekend before for the press, politicians, "businesspeople, and other dignitaries." The ribbon to officially open the hotel was cut by page and Wakefield native Governor John Volpe during the festivities on Sunday. One of the most "interesting" features of the hotel was the "year 'round swimming pool enclosed with a big bubble-top of acrylic" which the hotel boasted would be open in the summer. As a Statler Hilton Hotel, the Colonial was equipped with a Totel, a message and call system that alerted each room that a call was received while the guest was out. In addition to the Colonial Inn, Page, also a Wakefield native, owned the Olde Coach Motor Lodge and restaurant in Nashua, NH, and the Colonial Country Club. He was the president of Seabury, Inc. on Cape Cod and operated the Unicorn Golf Club." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• 50th wedding anniversary, Dr. and Mrs. Allston Gray Bouvé
  "Dr. Allston Gray Bouvé and Delia Carter Bouvé posed for a photograph in honor of their 50th wedding anniversary. The celebration took place at their home at 16 Summit Avenue with their son Alan Bouvé (watching at right), and daughter-in-law Millie Bouvé (on the porch), along with son and daughter-in-law Henry and Edith Bouvé, daughter and son-in-law Stella and Riberot Dutton, and granddaughters Olive and Dorothy Bouvé and Kathryn Dutton. Grandson Howard, a student at Harvard Medical School, could not attend as he was serving in US Army Medical Reserve Corps during World War I. He served from December 17, 1917 to December 11, 1918 and went on to become a "well-known" Boston surgeon. The couple married on June 4, 1868 in Mount Pleasant Church, Roxbury with Reverend C.J. Bowen officiating. They celebrated their 64th wedding anniversary in 1932 at their son Henry's 39 Fairmount Avenue home. Allston Gray Bouvé, D.M.D. was born in 1845 and was a graduate of Harvard Medical School, Class of 1877. He was a clinical instructor as well as an instructor of Operative Dentistry at Harvard's Dental School and a practicing dentist on Tremont Street in Boston for more than 40 years before his retirement in 1918. Dr. Bouvé was a Civil War veteran and was the next to last surviving member of the H.M. Warren Post, G. A. R., Wakefield when he died in 1936 at the age of 90. Delia Carter Baker Bouvé was born in Boston in 1847 and was a descendent of John Baker who served in the Continental Army in the siege of Boston. She was a member of the Faneuil Hall Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and was active in the T.T.O. Club of Wakefield. She preceded Dr. Bouvé in death in 1932." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Memorial Day exercises, Tuesday, May 30, 1944
  "The annual Memorial Day exercises were held on Memorial Day, Tuesday, May 30th on the Upper Common, now the Veterans' Memorial Common. A procession formed at 2 p.m. on Walton Field near the armory, now the Americal Civic Center, and ended at the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument. According to news reports, the annual tribute attracted far fewer attendees than in previous years due to the Town's tercentenary celebration and dedication of the World War II monument and American Legion's honor roll plaque two days before, on May 28th. The line of march was led by a platoon of police led by Chief John Gates and Motorcycle Officer Morton Griffin, Chief Marshall William Wenzel, chief of staff Ernest Johnson, Col. Edward Connolly, Col. J. Theodore Whitney, World War I veterans, past commanders of the American Legion Cpl. Nelson Post, Board of Selectmen, Red Men's Band of the Wampatuck Tribe (whose three trumpeters played Taps at the ceremony), State Guard unit of the Sixth Company 23rd Infantry, Red Cross truck, Gold Star Mothers and members of Daddie's Club, WHS band, Spanish American War Veterans, Sons of Union Veterans, VFW Post 2106 and Cpl. Nelson Post members and auxiliary, service men on leave or discharge, Middlesex County Cadets, Sea Scouts and Cub Scouts. Federal Court Judge and former Congressman Arthur D. Healey was the speaker. As was customary, flower petals were scattered at the base of the monument by high school "girls" Marjorie Holmes, Ruth White, Jean Geary, Louise Ormsby, Ruth Wells, Mary DeFelice, Jean Hochberg, Ramona Zwicker, Patricia Nardone, Jean Barrett, Betty White and Patricia Millett, all of whom were "in the charge of" Mrs. Grace Martin. From 1868 to 1970 the holiday was held on May 30th. The Uniform Monday Holiday Act changed the holiday to the last Monday of May to increase the number of three-day weekends for federal employees." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• East Main Street, looking south 1908
  "This picture shows not only how Main Street looked in 1908, but also provides a look at some of the buildings from the early 1900s, all of which are now gone. The site on which the second building was erected is thought to be the location of the Town's first post office in 1812. The Wakefield Citizen & Banner was located there during the 1880's and early 1900s, and the building later housed the First National Store in the 1930s." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Lucius Beebe Memorial Library, April 1923
  "Dedicated on Saturday afternoon, April 14th, 1923, the Lucius Beebe Memorial Library was referred to in the Wakefield Daily Item as a new building "of which the citizens of Wakefield are justly proud and which for many generations to come they will use profitably and enjoy." Library patrons entered the building through a low vestibule into a larger "delivery room" where the delivery desk was located. Behind the desk was "a large opening showing the several tiers of stacks for the books and inviting the visitor to enter and browse around." The stockroom was designed "in such a manner that the stacks may be extended at a future day should the present capacity prove to be in adequate." On either side of the stockroom were working rooms for the staff, while the second floor held the "lounging room for the staff, complete with kitchenette facilities" and the Trustees room. The ceiling was "richly coffered, while in the center was a skylight to give greater light." To the immediate left and right of the vestibule entrance were two small rooms, one used as a conversation room and the other as a newspaper room. The staircase to the left led to the children's reading room while the small stairs to the right lead to the main reading room with its fireplace and bookcases around the entire room. Above the entrance to the reading room was a medallion of the Crusades. There were 14 smaller medallions in the reading room that were designed and created by Summerville sculptor Bernadette Chippolini, each carefully researched and selected as "the 14 most representative men of letters known to history." The delivery room medallions were the largest, each 42" in diameter. The card catalog was at the bottom of the stairs, complete with a poster indicating how to find a book. The building was expanded with an addition in 1969 and a more extensive addition and renovation was undertaken in the 1990s, concluding with a rededication in March 1998." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• First Baptist Church, corner of Crescent and Main Streets, circa 1870
  "The first meeting house of the Baptist Society of the First Parish was built in 1800 on Salem Street "near the resident of the late Sylvanus Clark, No. 37 Salem Street." according to the History of the First Baptist Church in Wakefield, Mass., 1800-1900, the newly founded organization had requested to meet in the "schoolhouse near the meeting house" but the request was denied. An additional request to build their church on common ground was also denied, leading to the purchase of the site on Salem Street and the building of a 38' x 34' "edifice with galleries." In 1820, the meeting house was moved from Salem Street to its new home at the corner of Main and Crescent streets and subsequently enlarge by a 16' addition, a porch and a belfry. The building was destroyed by a fire in December 1835. Just one year later, a new building erected on the same site was dedicated. The building measured 68' x 48' with a conference room in the basement. in 1853, the building was enlarged by 16' and the structure raised, "making provision for a commodious vestry" and a conference room in the basement. The congregation grew and the church space became inadequate. In 1871, a decision was made to build a new church on land across the common. Before work could begin at the new site, an "incendiary fire" destroyed the building on June 21, 1871. Ground was broken for the church's new home six days later, on June 27th. The third home of the Baptist Church was destroyed by fire on October 23, 2018." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Greenwood hose house, Oak Street, circa 1905
  "The Board of Fire Engineers formed a hose company in Greenwood in September 1886 at the request of local residents, "with but little expense to the town, as apparatus was in storage and members served without pay." The 13 men of Greenwood Hose Company No. 3 were led by foreman Joseph Gilman and were equipped with one two-wheeled hose carriage with 1000' of leather hose housed in a private shed on Oak Street near Francis Avenue. The equipment was owned by the Greenwood Library Association. In 1892, the Town approved the first Greenwood station, a 20' x 30' two-story building erected by Isaac Heath on Oak Street at Francis Avenue. The Town went on to accept Greenwood Hose Company No. 3 as a part of the Wakefield Fire Department in April 1900. In 1902, the Town voted to sell its Greenwood fire station and convert the former Greenwood School building, also on Oak Street near Main Street, into a new station at a cost of $746.75. The old station and land were sold for private use. Wakefield's first permanent firefighter, James Goodhue, was hired in 1903 to work at the Greenwood station to tend the horse purchased by the Greenwood Library Association for the horse-drawn hose wagon. In 1924, the department's 1912 Webb pumping engine was moved from the Central Station to the Greenwood station. The station's name was changed from Hose No. 3 to Engine 2. The 1902 Greenwood Hose House was razed in September 1962 and a new wood- joisted masonry building was erected in its place for occupancy by the Fire Department and the Greenwood branch of the Lucius Beebe Memorial Library in 1963. During its construction, firefighters, equipment and the alarm system were housed in a small building and a section of the garage on the property of Classen Bros. Inc., a local Dodge car dealership located at 827 Main Street in Greenwood, later renumbered as 1099 Main Street." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Riberot Dutton home, 7 Avon Street, circa 1923
  "Pictured on a snowy January day in front of the Riberot Dutton home at 7 Avon Street are members of the Dutton, Boothby, McMaster and Smith families. The neighborhood children: Helene Smith (front), George McMaster, Kathryn Dutton, Robert Dutton and David (Dib) Dutton (middle row), and Bradford Boothby (back) may have been playing in the snow that fell during a mid-January storm in 1923. At the time, Bradford Boothby, son of paint dealer and merchant Asa and Mabel Boothby, lived at 19 Chestnut Street, while George McMaster lived at 36 Yale Avenue with his parents, news dealer Lauren McMaster and Helen McMaster. Little background information, including an address, can be found for Helene Smith. Robert and Dib lived at 33 Avon Street with their parents, Dr. Richard Dutton and Ethel Dutton, and their grandparents, Dr. Charles Dutton and Mary Dutton. Robert went on to become Dr. Robert Dutton, a longtime and beloved Wakefield physician who practiced at the family home at 33 Avon Street, where his grandfather and father both practiced. Dib also became a physician, specializing in anesthesiology and general practice for many years in West Ossipee, New Hampshire. Kathryn Dutton, daughter of Riberot and Estella (Bouv
• Galvin Middle School: 2017
  "In November 2010, Town Meeting voted to fund a feasibility study for a new Galvin Middle School, and the groundbreaking for the new school was held on April 24, 2013. The school opened in September 2014, with a re-dedication held in the Veterans Memorial Auditorium on November 15, 2014. The building's gymnasium, music classrooms and site work were completed in 2015. The Galvin Middle School was completed under the direction of the Permanent Building Committee, which was comprised of the following members: John Encarnacao, Chair; Joseph Bertrand, Secretary; Lisa Butler; Chip Tarbell; James Lapery; Philip Crosscup; Thomas MacKay; Chris Callanan; and Michael Giannattasio."
• Franklin School: 1903
  Image from the Wakefield Municipal Gas and Light Department annual calendar, 2018
• Asaph Evans House, 19-21 Salem Street: circa late 1880s
  "The Captain Asaph Evens House was located on the north side of Salem Street, near the intersection of Pleasant Street. Local history indicates that the house was built before 1795, probably by Joseph Gould, and that the house is two buildings joined together. The house was owned by Lemuel Sweetser prior to Evans. The son of Paul and Mary (Hart) Sweetser, he was married to Hannah Eaton, the daughter of Lilley and Sarah Eaton. A shoe manufacturer, Lemuel was a 'colonel of cavalry, school committee, justice of the peace, and representative,' who was described as an 'original thinker, well-posted; an effective public speaker; a man of firmness, courage, and probity. In some particulars he was remarkable and peculiar.' Captain Asaph Evans was born in 1805 and married Lucinda Skinner, daughter of wheelwright Thomas Skinner, in 1828. The couple had eight children, all of whom were born between 1831 and 1850. Asaph served as a Captain in the first militia organized in Wakefield, the Reading Infantry Company, which was established in 1644, one year earlier than the Great and General Court order of 1645 that ordered all settlements to keep a military guard. This company disbanded in 1840 when old militia laws were abolished, and a new plan was adopted. Evans served as the company's last captain. Asaph Evans is listed in the 1860 United States census as a laborer. He died in 1881, and his heirs lived in the home for several more years. The house at 19-21 Salem Street is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
• Richard Britton Boots, Shoes and Rubbers: 189 Main Street, circa 1880s
  "Located on the west side of Main Street, south of Albion Street, Richard Britton - Boots, Shoes and Rubbers was established on November 22, 1875. Britton, who bought the retail business from Nathaniel Clark, was referred to as the leader in the retail boot and shoe business, according to the Handbook of Wakefield, published 1895. Britton was active in the community, serving as a Selectman in 1868, 1869, 1872 and 1873; as South Reading's 11th District Representative to the General Court in 1872 and 1873; and as one of three to complete the Town's history upon the unexpected death of its author Lilley Eaton, in 1872. He was a member of several committees including the five-member committee charged by an April 1871 Town Meeting vote to consider building a new high school to replace the South Reading Academy, now the Lincoln School. The committee of five included Britton, Cyrus Wakefield, Lucius Beebe, Oliver Perkins and George Packard. Town Meeting voted in May 1871 on their recommendation to purchase the old Prentiss property at the northwest corner of Lafayette and Common Streets to build the high school, now the Town Hall. The 1890 List of Taxable Polls and Estates published by the Town shows that Britton owned a home on Yale Avenue and had a reported income of $500. Fred I. Wilkins, proprietor of the Britton Shoe Store became owner of the establishment in the early 1900s. When Main Street was renumbered, the store's address changed to 443 Main Street. The building was later purchased by Charles J. Klapes of the Colonial Spa in 1920."
• Rear of the Kingman Block: Looking south from Chestnut Street, 1923
  "This is a rare glimpse of the Kingman Block, now the Bourdon Block, at the corner of Main and Albion Streets, and of the Ye Barnard Inn on Albion Street. The photograph was taken on October 31, 1923 during the razing of Bessey Livery Stables in preparation for the Wakefield Trust Company building. Willard Service Station, at the left, was also razed in November. Several businesses were also forced to re-locate, including Clifford Mortimer and his lunch cart, the taxi office of Richard Barrett, and the Victor Shoe Shine Parlor. The two large elm trees in the photograph were also taken down. The Kingman Block was built in 1860 by Davis and Bryant during the tenure of postmaster Samuel Kingman, the town's sixth postmaster who was appointed in 1853. When the town changed its name from South Reading in 1868, he was reappointed as Wakefield's first postmaster. He retired from the position in 1873, and has been credited with the first free mail delivery in the community. The Kingman block remained in the Kingman family until it was bought by the Middlesex Traders, a local citizen-based realty investment organization, in June 1895. The post office remained at the Kingman Block until 1901 when it moved to the corner of Main Street an Richardson Avenue. Ye Barnard Inn was also the Albion Inn before it was purchased by Jacob Barnard, co-owner of the Quannapowitt Bowling Alley, in the early 1920s. In 1930, W.M. Brooks Company of Boston altered the structure into a two-story building at a coast of $7,500. The alterations included an office in the front of the second floor and an apartment at the rear. The post office, the former location of the WMGLD office on Albion Street, was built in April 1924 and is not pictured.
• Greenwood Seminary Main Street, Greenwood circa 1880s
  "Located on the west side of Main Street, across from the Greenwood School, the Greenwood Seminary was established around 1855 under Universalist 'influence' by Rev. Windsor B. Wait, who served as principal, his wife Hannah, who served as 'preceptress.' The Greenwood Seminary was referred to in local news accounts as a private school that was ' a fine large structure for its time, and a popular and approved educational institution.' Pupils came form various parts of Massachusetts and other states, and its fame was said to be 'widespread.' The couple had conducted a school in Lexington before taking charge of the Greenwood Seminary. The Greenwood Seminary seemed to be ahead of its time, with furnaces that provided hot and cold water to every story and 'bathing rooms' as part of the accommodations, things that were 'more than luxuries in that period.' Although some historical references indicate that the school was attended by female students, other records show that both female and male students were admitted. The male department had a 'large play room in the basement for wet weather recreation and a reading room on the first floor' while the girls' department had parlors on the first floor and a recreation room on the third floor. Among those who attended the school were Joseph Grundy, who later became the manager of the Fred I. Wilkins shoe store, and Frank Converse of Malden, son of Elisha S. Converse, a well-known manufacturer and the first Mayor of Malden. Tragically, Frank was killed in 1863 while working as a cashier at First Malden Bank where his father was president. It was said to be the first armed robbery of a bank in the United States. After the seminary closed, Dr. Albert A. Day of Boston came to Greenwood and opened a home for inebriates from 1872 to 1874. After it was abandoned as a home for inebriates, the seminary building remained vacant until it was destroyed by fire in 1880."
• John F. Swinnerton, Inc.Foundry Street, circa 1930's
  "Best known as the Smith & Anthony Stove Company, the original foundry building on the west side of the Boston & Maine Railroad tracks was erected in 1854 by Abner Blanchard, Charles Tarbell, William Stewart and J.F. Dane, under the name of Blanchard, Tarbell & Co. The company prospered and demand for their products was such that it became necessary to increase the capital in 1856. A stock company was formed under the name of Boston & Maine Foundry Company and investors included the founders, as well as Cyrus Wakefield, Sewall Mack and others. The company was profitable until a fire in 1866. Although the new buildings were quickly erected, and 'the foundry and its connections were the most complete in New England,' the company failed and was bought by the Franklin Foundry Company in 1871. In April 1879, the foundry was purchased by the Smith & Anthony Stove Company. William Smith served as president, and E.W. Anthony was treasurer. The company's line of stoves, furnaces and ranges, made under the name and trademark of Hub, 'were known everywhere, and excelled by none.' The company also built a brass foundry and finishing shop to accommodate its growing plumbing and water closet business. The company is said to have made the country's first enameled bathtub. Smith & Anthony Stove Company, which once had a payroll of $3,000 per week, went out of business in 1917. George Gibby of East Boston purchased the Smith & Anthony interests in April 1917 and operated the plant for several years before moving the equipment to East Boston, while maintaining ownership of the building. The building was later occupied by A.C. Purrington for the manufacture of pipes and fittings, and by John F. Swinnerton, Inc. which made pipes, valves, fittings and boilers. Swinnerton's company left in 1937, and the building was torn down in August 1938. In June 1938, the separate Smith & Anthony brass foundry building on the east side of Foundry Street was purchased by the Diamond Tank and Welding Company, which specialized in the manufacture of oil tanks. The company was owned by William A. Hickey of Hickey Coal and Oil Company and sold the tanks to the fuel oil jobbers and other engaged in tank installation."
• East side of Main Street, circa 1900
  "The picture provides a look at Wakefield's past, including homes and stores which were razed during the 1920s through the 1950s. To the left of the photo is the Italianate-style building which housed the Citizen & Banner, and in the center of the photo is the 1895 Richardson Light Guard Armory that was affected by the Cutler Bros. fire in 1911. At the right in the photo stands the house of Edward Mansfield that was torn down to build the Lucius Beebe Memorial Library, and further down the street is the old Bessey stable that was razed to make way for the Wakefield Trust Company. The third floor of the Taylor Building and the top of the 1871 Wakefield Town Hall are also visible on the upper left."
• Old Town House, circa 1894
  "The advertisement and accompanying photo appeared in the Wakefield Souvenir of the Quarter-Millennial Celebration of the Settlement of Ancient Reading in 1894, and shows the 1834 Town House more than 20 years after it was moved from the Lower Common to the corner of Main and Salem Streets in 1873, and a third story was added. The building was occupied by Stillman J. Putney, a manufacturer of heels, rands and top piercings for footwear. In a synopsis of the business, it was noted that the 'cheapness of footwear' in the 1890s was the result of the manufacturing being divided into specialties. Putney manufactured heels in his factory which was 'fitted up with machinery of the most improved type, driven by an 8-horse power engine.'"
• Ladder 1, 1928
  "Driver Henry Russell, Chief Fred Graham and Tillerman Harry Parker (on the rear tiller) displayed Ladder 1 near the old fire station shortly after its arrival in Wakefield. The Town purchased its first aerial truck in 1928 and put it into service in December. Touted as the area's first aerial, the double-bank 75-foot truck was purchased from the Seagrave Company at a cost of $15,500. According to the 1928 Town Report, 'this machine is of the latest type having several new features which serve to increase the efficiency of same.' It was equipped with a 'water gun having a 3-inch hose,' a 75-foot, two-section wooden ladder with a spring-assist raising mechanism, and 304 feet of ground wooden ladders. The truck had an 80-gallon water tank with 200 feet of 3/4 inch booster hose, and a 75 gallon-per minute pump, as well as a life net, stretcher and an oxygen tank for 'resuscitation work.' The 1928 Seagrave replaced a 1914 Peerless city service type ladder truck that was subsequently sold by the Seagrave Company to Pascoag, Rhode Island for a cost of $1,600. Ladder 1 was taken out of service on June 15, 1954 after it was involved in a collision with Engine 5 at the corner of Pleasant and Lawrence Streets. Both pieces of apparatus were responding to n alarm from box 423 for a fire at 35 Lawrence Street, and both were declared losses. American LaFrance loaned Wakefield a 1932 Mack 85-foot aerial ladder truck that had been previously owned by the Bangor, Main Fire Department. A new American LaFrance 85-foot ladder truck was put into service in May 1955."
• Vernon Market, Vernon Street, circa 1946
  "Lifelong Wakefield resident Louis Pasquale opened Vernon Market at 161 Vernon Street on November 22, 1946. A veteran of the US Navy, Pasquale served in the South Pacific aboard the battleship USS Indiana, and made plans to realize his dream to open his own 'modern' market soon after his discharge. Before joining the Navy, he had gained experience working at Henry's Market in Waltham. Vernon Market was a 'complete' food store with shelves stocked with 'the best brands of meats, groceries, and canned goods.' The store offered delivery and was self-service, with the exception of the meat counter. Customers could also order their groceries over the phone by calling Crystal 0276-R. On its 5th anniversary, local news reports noted that families in the 'four sections of town and Lynnfield' patronized the store in the building that featured the 'latest in lighting and self-service counters.' The Vernon Market continued to operate as a neighborhood store until October 31, 1970 when the Pasquales signed a five-year lease with the Richdale Group. In July 1975, Louis and Nancy Pasquale were given approval to alter the building from a two-family to a four-family dwelling. The space occupied by the store was converted into two three-room apartments."
• Charles Klapes at the Colonial Spa, circa late 1960s
  "Charles John Klapes, a native of Theologos, a suburb of Sparta, Greece, opened the Colonial Spa on Saturday, August 28, 1920. Charles left his home in Greece in 1906 and was ready to start his new business in 1920. According to his son Alexander in a tribute to his father upon his passing, Charles looked at the property in the middle of winter to see it in its 'least attractive state.' He l;liked what he saw and brought his young wife Aphrodite to Wakefield where they eventually raised their children: John, Michael, Mary, Alexander, Constantine (Charles), and Benjamin. According to the ads which appeared in the Wakefield Daily Item on the two days prior to the opening in 1920, the ice cream parlor and soda fountain includes a 'spacious area in the rear half of the store for the ice cream, tables,' and 'eight tables for the ladies.' The 'Spa' as it was called in the newspaper reports, also carried a large line of candies, tobacco, cigars and cigarettes. The opening was very successful, and 'the new fittings and attractive window displays, with orchestral music in the evening, brought many visits and good patronage.' The Colonial Spa continued solely as an ice cream parlor until the 1930s when a luncheonette was added. In addition to the luncheonette, the Colonial Spa evolved over the years to include a book section, an extensive candy section and a giftware section. The luncheonette closed in 1983. The Colonial Spa remained a family owned business until its closing in December 2000 following the death of Alex Klapes."
• Crystal Lake, great New England hurricane of 1938, September, 1938
  "The Great New England Hurricane of 1938 is reported to be one of the deadliest and most destructive tropical cyclones to impact New England. The storm, estimated to have made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane on Long Island on September 21st, moved quickly through New England with the eye of the storm passing over western Massachusetts. The Blue Hill Observatory registered sustained winds of 121 mph and a peak gust of 186 mph, the strongest hurricane-related surface wind ever recorded in the United States. Most were caught unaware of the severity of the storm, due to the unusual speed of the storm and the lack of sophisticated monitoring equipment. In addition to the tens of thousands of homes that were destroyed or damaged by the storm, more than 20,000 electrical poles were toppled and an estimated two billion trees were downed in New York and New England, affecting over 35% of New England's total forest area. In Wakefield, hundreds of trees were uprooted in all areas of the Town, shingles and entire roofs were blown off buildings and homes, including the roof of the Nichols Ice House at the head of Lake Quannapowitt. Windows were blown out at several homes and buildings, including the Central Garage and Taylor Hardware Store, and chimneys were destroyed, including the newly-repaired chimney at the Methodist Church on Albion Street. The damage was so great that the church building was later condemned."
• Company A leaving for Fort Devens, August 26, 1917
  "Richardson Light Guard, Company A, 6th Regiment departed Wakefield for Fort Devens, and eventually to the battlefields of France, on Sunday morning, August 26, 1917. The Company had been notified in mid-August that their Regiment was among those which would be 'broken up' and combined with other to make 'war strength units.' To boost the morale of the soldiers, Capt. Edward Connolly received permission on August 23rd to take the company to Wakefield for a farewell visit before the 'dreaded changes occurred.' The Public Safety Committee hastily arranged a celebration and sendoff, which were held on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. The company arrived in Wakefield at 4:52 p.m. on Saturday, and its soldiers were back at the State Armory for their sendoff parade at 10:30 a.m. the following day. A 'touching' farewell was given by Father Florence J. Halloran of St. Joseph Church before the short parade to the Upper Station. Lieutenant Colonel John J. McMahon, Captain Connolly's predecessor as Commander of Company A, was the Chief Marshall of the parade. He was joined by Captain S.H. Brooks; Lieutenants Jeremiah Creedon and Edward E. Hickey, both formerly of Company A; Lieutenants F. Manning Hartshorne, Edward O. Proctor, Paul H. Taylor and E. Hazen Walton, all of whom were from Wakefield and had received officers' commissions at Plattsburg. The line of march also included the State Guard Company, led by Lieutenant John H. Downing; the Grand Army Veterans, led by Commander J. Warren Poland; the Spanish War veterans, led by Commander Francis H. Marion; Police Chief James J. Pollard and his 'platoon' of police; and Lurvey's Lynn Cadet Band."
• Ricky Nelson, Pleasure Island Showbowl, June 22, 1962
  "'Teenage idol' Ricky Nelson was just 22 years old when he made his first New England appearance at Pleasure Island when it opened its fourth season on Friday, June 22, 1962. According to regional news reports, an estimated 10,000 parents and children attended the park's opening day festivities which included two shows by Nelson, at 2:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. at the outdoor Showbowl. Nelson also performed two shows on Saturday and Sunday. Because of Pleasure Island's popular Showbowl, Nelson was the first celebrity to stay at the Lord Wakefield Hotel which opened for business six months earlier on December 15, 1961. Local newspapers reported that the star's stay at the hotel was a 'fairly well-kept secret,' with Police Chief Merritt Wenzel and 'his men keeping a close watch over the hotel during the weekend to prevent any teenage uprising.' In addition to Ricky Nelson, the Showbowl attracted national and international performers. Pleasure Island's second season, in 1960, opened with the Three Stooges who brought in nearly 20,000 guests during its first week. The park opened with Chuck Connors in 1961, with 57,000 guests during his six-day appearance. Pleasure Island hosted many local personalities such as Rex Trailer, Major Mudd and Wakefield's own Gene Jones with Community Audition shows, as well as national stars including Duke Ellington, Dinah Washington, Dave Brubeck, Gene Krupa, The Four Freshmen, Troy Donahue, Robert Horton, Jimmy Dean, Don Ameche, Joe Ross, Fred Gwynne, Clayton Moore, Lassie, Frank Gorsham, Cesar Romero, Michael Landon, Jerry Mathers, Johnny Crawford, Fess Parker, Dion, and many more. Beyond the Showbowl was the former Greenwood Station, which was dedicated on July 6, 1885 and relocated, restored and renamed the Goldpan Gulch Station for the park's narrow-gauge Pleasure Island and Western Railroad which was owned and operated by Edaville Railroad.
• WHS 25th anniversary reunion, June 25, 1955
  "Members of Wakefield high School, Class of 1930 attended their 25th anniversary reunion at the University Club in Boston. Among the class members at the head table was Dr. Elizabeth V. Upham (sixth from left), who later became a teacher, administrator and Dean of Girls at Wakefield High School. According to the Debater, the high school yearbook, Elizabeth was an assistant artists on the yearbook staff, a traffic officer, a library assistant, and the Corresponding Secretary of the Inter Nos Club, which was in its second year of existence in 1930. Although the yearbook noted that "Lib" planned to attend an art school or Jackson College, she went on to graduate from Tufts University in 1934 and received her Master's Degree in Education two years later. She started teaching at Wakefield High School in 1936, in a career that spanned more than 40 years. As Dean of Girls, Dr. Upham was the class adviser for the Inter Nos Club for several decades, as well as countless other activities. She went on to become a major benefactor of the Lucius Beebe Memorial Library, leaving a substantial portion of her estate in a trust 'to be used for the purchase of books and materials, particularly in history, literature, and the social sciences.' Among others at the reunion, at the table directly in front of Dr. Upham, were John and Giovaninna (Benedetto) Volpe. Jennie, as she was called, was a graduate of the Class of 1930. Both John and Jennie were raised in Wakefield, with John leaving home at an early age and graduating from Malden High School in the mid-1920s. Following her graduation, Jennie was a registered nurse at Winchester Hospital and at Bellevue Hospital in New York. The couple married in 1934. At the time of Jennie's class reunion, John was the Massachusetts Commissioner of Public Works. He went on to serve as the first administrator of the Federal Highway Administration in 1956 and as Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts from 1961 to 1963 and again from 1965 to 1969. He served as the US Secretary of Transportation from 1969 to 1973 and was appointed US Ambassador to Italy where he served from 1973 to 1977. Among the other class members who may have been at the reunion were Winnifred Ashenden, Sigmund Szydlowski and Constance Doyle."
• 250th anniversary celebration parade, May 28, 1894
  "The H.M. Warren Post No. 12, G.A.R. participated in the 250th anniversary celebration of the settlement and incorporation of the Ancient Town of Redding on Monday, May 28th, a day proclaimed as Settlers Day. Approximately 40 members of the Post were on board the float that held four cannons, one at each corner. The barge was 'appropriately decorated with flags and bunting, in charge of Quartermaster A.D. Merritt.' The Commander was Stephen W. Lufkin and Walter Hunt was the bugler. According to the back of the photograph, the identifications are as follows: '(front row, left to right) Maj. John M. Cate, W.J. Bridges, (unidentified), S.W. Phillips, N. Cowdrey, (next two unidentified), W.J. Mansfield, G.K. Walton, Oliver Walton, G.H.S. Driver, W.O. Giles. (Second row, left to right) John Day, (unidentified), D.P. Rolfe, John Day, (next two unidentified), S.W. Lufkin, Dion Malone, in front with the rifle. Mr. Brownell, standing at right of cannon." The name of John Day is listed twice in the identifications."
• South Reading Academy, circa 1870s
  "The South Reading Academy, located on Academy Hill where the Lincoln School was later built, was built around 1828-29 'under the auspices of the Baptist denomination.' The 2-1/2 story wood frame structure was three bays wide with a front-facing gable roof. Its main facade had an entrance centered in a recess that was framed by pilasters and an entablature. The front gable was fully pedimented, with a decorative shingle pattern at its center. According to the Genealogical History of the Town of Reading, Mass., the academy, established in 1829, was intended as an Introductory School to the Theological Seminary at Newton, 'although it was open to others.' The land and buildings were reported to be obtained by private subscriptions of the people of South Reading. While the school flourished for many years, the theological students were 'withheld' and the corporations was without funds, leading to the school being closed and the building returned to its original owners. The building and land were sold to Assistant Principal William Heath and Burrage Yale, who sold them to the Town in 1847 to be used by the newly created high school. The town stopped using it as a school in 1871 when the new high school on Lafayette Street was built. In 1891, it was moved to its present location at 7 Foster Street where it has served as home to a chapter of the Grand Army of the Republic, a Methodist church congregation, and the Fraternal Order of Eagles, among others. It was severely damaged by fire in the 1970s, but was restored to be used as a commercial building. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989."
• Laying of the Beebe Library cornerstone, March 17, 1922
  "In 1916, the townspeople purchased a lot at the corner of Main and Avon Streets for $16,000. That same year, Junius Beebe, son of Lucius Beebe, donated $60,000 toward the construction of a new library building to be built in memory of his parents, Lucius and Sylenda. Construction on the building was delayed by World War I, and several modifications and land purchases were made before work began and the cornerstone was laid on March 17, 1922. Because building costs rose after the war, Junius Beebe and his family increased their donation to $200,000. The cornerstone was laid in a ceremony at 3 p.m. on a cold and raw Friday afternoon 'in the presence of several hundred people.' School children were dismissed early and church bells were rung throughout the Town as a reminder of the important event. During the ceremony, Building Committee member Harris M. Dolbeare outlined the contents of the copper box which was placed beneath the cornerstone: photographs of Lucius Beebe and Junius Beebe, copies of newspaper articles about the Beebe family, copies of the Boston newspapers and the Wakefield Item, circulars and printed materials regarding the campaign to raise money for the site, photographs of public buildings in Wakefield, and a statement written by committee member Dr. Richard Dutton and read to students the day before the event. Speakers included Committee members Dolbeare and Dutton, and Winfield S. Ripley, Jr., Chairman of the Library Trustees. Lucia Beebe, daughter of Junius Beebe and granddaughter of Lucius Beebe, smoothed over the cement that workers placed on the cornerstone using a silver dowel [i.e. trowel] provided by the contractor, James E. Nelson Company. The engraved dowel [i.e. trowel] was found in a basement on Daniel Road and donated to the library in 2009. The building was dedicated on April 15, 1923."
• Wakefield Square, February 25, 1959
  "An antique 20-ton locomotive traveled on the back of a truck through downtown Wakefield just two weeks after the Greenwood railroad station made the same trek to Pleasure Island. The Davenport 2--6-0 narrow gauge engine was hauled by flatcar from the bayous of Louisiana and arrived at the B&M siding on the Junction railroad tracks near Broadway in mid-February. The engine was reported to be from the last of the narrow-gauge roads and had been used to haul sugar cane from the fields at Reserve, the largest sugarcane refinery in the United States in the early 20th century. It was believed that the engines was built around 1900. The locomotive was among several Canadian and American locomotives that were part of Pleasure Island's Engine City exhibit, which included the 216-ton 'old No. 3713'. That engine had been brought out of retirement from Fitchburg. According to local news reports, approximately 4,500' of spur track was laid from the B&M's old Newburyport branch to the Pleasure Island site especially for the locomotives to travel over the rails. Pleasure Island, which opened to the public on June 22, 1959 lasted for 11 seasons, closing on Labor Day weekend 1969. Nelson Blount, who owned Edaville Railroad, moved his Engine City exhibit from Pleasure Island to North Walpole, NH in December 1961. From there, the collection went to Bellows Falls, VT which became Steamtown USA. Some of this collection, which started at Pleasure Island, can still be seen at Steamtown national historic site in Scranton, PA."
• McMasters store, 424 Main Street
  "McMasters Store was owned by Lauren L. McMaster, whose occupation was listed as newsdealer and stationer in the 1918 street and telephone directory.. He and his wife, Helen, lived at 36 Yale Avenue. According to an ad in the same directory, the store was a subscription agency which did developing, printing and enlarging, in addition to selling newspapers, periodicals, stationery, souvenir postcards and Dennison's goods. The ad also listed the availability of electric lamps, Columbia Grafonolas and records. Lauren McMaster was born in Wakefield on July 4, 1881, and died on October 10, 1943, as the result of an automobile accident. Following his graduation from Brown University in 1904, he was employed in the wholesale dry goods business and lived in Chelsea until the loss of his home in the great conflagration of 1908. He returned to Wakefield and became associated with the leading news and periodical store, becoming the owner in 1915 where he remained until 1933. He became the manager of the local office of the Western Union Telegraph Company until April 1943, when he became associated with the Malden and Melrose Gas Light Company. McMaster was active in the community, serving on the Board of Selectmen as Chairman in 1921, as an organizer and first president of the Wakefield Chamber of Commerce, and for many years was active in the Rotary Club where he served as President in 1926-1927, and with the Baptist Church and Y.M.C.A. He was active in the Masons and served as Master of the Golden Rule Lodge in 1929, and as District Deputy Grand Master of the Melrose 7th District in 1931 and 1932."
• Wakefield Hall, circa 1870s
  "The new Town Hall was built on the former Noah Smith lot, at the corner of Main and Water Streets. The land and $30,000 were donated by Cyrus Wakefield in 1868 to build a soldiers' monument or memorial hall to honor South reading citizens who answered the call to arms during the Civil War. Because of his generosity, the Town of South Reading voted in 1868 to change its name to Wakefield. Governor Alexander H. Bullock approved the name change on June 30. A day of celebration was held on the anniversary of American Independence, July 4. The new Town House, referred to as Wakefield Hall, was dedicated on Washington's birthday, Wednesday, February 22, 1871. When completed, it is reported that Cyrus Wakefield had quadrupled his original donation. The dedication was held at 2 p.m. with speeches by Cyrus Wakefield and a host of other notable citizens. After the key to the hall was presented, the ceremony ended and a banquet was held in the upper hall for the 400 guests in attendance. Toasts were given to the President of the United States, Dea. Francis Smith, the State (sic) of Massachusetts, the Merchants of Boston, the Clergy, 'Our Manufacturing Industries,' Dr. Solon Richardson (who gave a gift of $1,000 for the furnishings), the Public Schools, the Farmers of New England, and the State Printer. According to the Wakefield Inaugural and Dedicatory Exercises, in his response to the toast to the farmers, Dr. George B. Loring of Salem 'touched upon the Woman Suffrage question, and as for 'woman's rights', he said, 'I go for them.' Cyrus Wakefield died suddenly, at the age of 62, on October 26, 1873, two and-a-half years after the Town Hall was dedicated."
• Wakefield Memorial High School, Main Street, circa 1954
  "Construction on the addition to the high school started soon after Town Meeting voted to acquire the land south of the school. The school was dedicated on February 22, 1955."
• Bandstand, circa 1890
  "The Park Music Pavilion, referred to as the Pagoda, now the Bandstand, was built in 1885 as part of a $10,000 bequest from Cornelius Sweetser which provided money for park purposes. The bandstand 'of unique and elaborate design' is said to have resembled a pavilion in Brighton, England, and had hanging lanterns to illuminate the area. The structure, made of wood and dressed fieldstone, replaced a bandstand that was 'a square, wood platform, breast-high, the under part latticed in,' and could easily be transported from one part of the Common to another. It stood in the middle of the 'bigger end of the Common, near the big flagpole.' Just prior to its demise, the old bandstand stood on the upper Common, opposite Lafayette and Crescent Streets."
• Old Swain house, Vernon Street, circa 1890s
  The old Swain house was 'situated on the easterly side' of Lot End Road, now Vernon Street, just north of Lowell Street. Although some reports indicate it was built in 1720, it was most likely built around 1752 as the homestead of Dr. Thomas and Hannah Swain on land first granted to Jeremiah Swain in 1652. Thomas, born in 1705 and died in 1759, was the fourth generation to live on the land. He was the son of Dr. Benjamin Swain (1669-1749), grandson of Major Jeremiah Swain (1643-1710), and great grandson of one of the Town's early settlers, Jeremiah Swain (1615-1658). After Dr. Thomas Swain, the home was occupied by three more generations: his son Dr. Oliver Swain, who was followed by Deacon Oliver Swain and Thomas Swain. All seven generations are buried in the Town's Old Burying Ground. By 1865, the home was owned by Dr. David Batchelder. The Old Swain House, later called the Batchelder House, was destroyed by fire on December 15, 1899."
• Cannon on the Common, circa 1890s
  "Although it is unclear to local historians when the cannons were placed on the upper Common, now the Veterans' Memorial Common, generations of Wakefield residents have admired, and often climbed on top of the artillery that is on the Common today. The cannon pictured may be the Civil War-era cannon that graced the Common for many years until it was removed for restoration many years ago. The cannon reportedly was never returned to the Common. The two cannons presently on the Common are 1876 Breech-Loading Howitzers which were last refurbished by the Town in 1994."
• Fountain Engine No. 3, Crescent Street, circa 1886
  Fountain Company No. 3, a volunteer company which was not part of the Fire Department, was organized on August 23, 1875. The hand tub used by the company was built by Increase S. Hill sometime around 1835, and was purchased by Aaron Butler from Salem in 1873. The tub was painted red with a small portrait of the Yale Engine House Fire of 1859 on the side. First housed in a stable in rear of Main Street, opposite Albion Street, the hand tub was moved to Crescent Street, between Water and Lincoln Streets, in 1885. The small building was behind the Henry F. Miller & Sons Piano Company factory, which can be seen in the picture. Fountain No. 3 disbanded around 1888 and was replaced by Volunteer Hose No. 2. Fountain No. 3 hand tub was sold to Reading for $125. The new company used the building to house the Rumsey hand-drawn hose carriage the members had purchased at a cost of $275. It is reported that the building was later moved to Water Street, across from L.B. Evans, where it became home to a cigar store. Fountain No. 3 volunteers included (left to right) William M. Hanley, Benjamin C. Flockton, W.J. Dennett, William E. Parker, Charles H.T. Brown, S.E. Ryder, William L. Block, Albert D. Cate, J,.C. Gould, H.A. Simonds, William E. Cade, Charles Whiting, Irvin E. Phipps, Charles H. Pope, Arthur Skinner and James P. Goodhue."
• Geneva Joy Heath, 1895
  "Geneva Joy (Lord) Heath lived at 617 Main Street with her husband, Elroy N. Heath. The couple married on September 29, 1886 and moved into the home soon after. Although there is little information about Geneva other than working as a clerk in the Town Clerk's office in the 1920s, there is a wealth of information about her husband. A native of Springfield, Elroy moved to Wakefield around 1879 and worked in Boston where, according to the 1883 publication Commerce, Manufactures & Resources of Boston, Mass., he was a 'Manufacturer of Heath's Improved Indexes and Letter Files.' He held several patents for his inventions, including two for letter holders and filing systems, which created 'a convenient combined index book and table, by means of which any name or subject may be found with the utmost rapidity.' A bicycle enthusiast and a member of Wakefield's bicycle clubs in the early 1900s, Elroy had two other patents, one which improved the propelling mechanism for bicycles 'and the like', and another which created an improvement for carrying packages and drawings for 'velocipede' riders. According to the patent application, 'My improved package-carrier resembles a hammock, and I have devised hammock-suspending devices by which it may be readily swung from the handle-bar or some other suitable part of the machine.' A velocipede was any of the several early bicycles with pedals on the front wheel. He moved his business from Boston to Room 5 in the Wakefield Block in 1884, and his patented files, indexes and advertising calendars were reported to have a widespread reputation. In addition to his business and hobby, Elroy was a member of the Sons of the American Revolution and was active in the Town as chairman and secretary of the Wakefield Municipal Light Board and as a member of the Finance Committee. The picture of Geneva was most likely taken at the couple's summer home, Idyll Farm in Springfield. Elroy died in 1909, and the farm was sold in 1911."
• Wright's Boathouse, Lake Quannapowitt, circa 1893
  "The lakeshore on Main Street was not part of the town's common land before 1885; rather, the southeast corner of Lake Quannapowitt and Main Street was dotted with buildings, such as John Aborn's Shoe Shop, which was said to be between the lakeshore and Main Street, Mrs. Courtney's hand-laundry, several houses, and Wright's Boathouse. The structures were eventually moved as a result of the bequest of Cornelius Sweetser to create public parklands, and the 1882 act of the legislature to allow cities and towns to lay out public parks within their limits. The boathouse, built by Albert J. Wright around 1886, remained on the lakeshore until 1893 when it was moved to a location behind his 228 (now 202) Main Street home. Its removal may have also been prompted by the extension of the street railway line along lakeside, which opened on May 26, 1894. Born in 1838 and educated in Boston, Albert J. Wright 'shipped before the mast' aboard the clipper ship Radiant in the mid-1850s where he sailed to San Francisco, making the passage in 135 days. In his travels he learned the tinsmith's trade in Michigan, and returned to Boston in 1858. He read law in the office of the City Solicitor, attended Harvard Law School, and was admitted to the Bat in 1861 to practice in all the courts of the Commonwealth by Chief Justice Shaw of the Supreme Court. He received a commission in 1863 as paymaster in the United States Navy, and after the Civil War he entered the printing business where he and his partner, under the name of the W@right & Potter Printing Company, became the authorized state printers. He was active in many organization, including the Loyal Legion of the United States of America, the Grand Army of the Republic, the Kearsarge Association if Naval Veterans, the Bostonian Society and the Harvard Law School Association, the Boston Yacht Club, of which he was a charter member, and the Eastern Yacht Club of Marblehead, among others. He also served as a member of the General Committee of the 250th anniversary celebration of the Town in 1894, serving as a member of two subcommittees: Procession and Out-Door Music, and Reception and Entertainment of Guests."
• Wahpatuck Tribe 54, Improved Order of Red Men's Band, circa 1950s
  Organized on October 8, 1909 in Grand Army Hall, the Wahpatuck Tribe 54, Improved Order of Red Men was a popular and welcome sight at parades and celebrations during the 1930s, 40s and 50s, including the annual 4th of July parade. According to the History of Wakefield (Middlesex County) Massachusetts, compiled by William E. Eaton and History Committee in 1944 to celebrate the Town's 300th anniversary, the Wahpatuck Tribe 54 was the largest such chapter in the Commonwealth. The Wahpatuck Tribe 54, Improved Order of Red Men Band was known throughout the East Coast, participating in parades and competitions throughout the region. The original Wahpatuck Tribe 54, Improved Order of Red Men Band split up in the 1950s, according to newspaper reports. Its original drum was discovered in the basement of the Americal Civic Center in 1994 and has since been donated to the Wakefield Historical Society. The Tribe had its headquarters at 33 West Water Street. Descended from the Sons of Liberty, the Improved Order of Red Men is a patriotic fraternity chartered by Congress which had trace its origins back to 1765. According to the national organization, the non-profit-organization is devoted to inspiring a greater love for the United States of America and the principles of American Liberty. After the War of 1812 the name was changed to the Society of Red Men and in 1834 to the Improved Order of Red Men."
• Civil defense drill, June 7, 1942
  "In the days and weeks after the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Wakefield residents rallied together to help by volunteering at the American Red Cross headquarters at the Lincoln School, becoming air raid wardens and joining the medical defense unit as part of the Wakefield Committee on Public Safety, and/or collecting scrap metal, rubber and paper through the Wakefield Salvage Committee. In addition to the Wakefield Municipal Light Department-sponsored (now Wakefield Municipal Gas & Light Department) school for air raid wardens, hundreds of local residents were trained in civil defense and what to do in case of a 'red alert.' As the men were registering for the draft at the Lafayette Building (now the Town Hall) or enlisting in a branch of the armed forces, local women were trained in first aid, canteen work and motor transport. One such civil defense drill was conducted by the Fire Auxiliary Department on a rainy Sunday in June on Main Street, across from Oak Street, in Greenwood under the watchful eyes of Fire Chief Fred Graham (left) and Firefighter Arthur Goodrich (center). In addition to the local efforts, more than 1,600 Massachusetts women, including approximately 70 from Wakefield, joined and trained with the Massachusetts Defense Corporation under the jurisdiction of the Massachusetts Committee on Public Safety. The Wakefield Company of the military organization was trained for duty to serve as volunteers in the local Civil Defense agency as air raid wardens, drivers, communications personnel, canteen workers, medics, chemical detection personnel and as emergency fire fighters."
• Wakefield Common, circa early 1860s
  "According to documented history, Wakefield has always had common lands since the first division of land among the early settlers. A special committee was selected in 1727 to lay out the 'ways and watering places' through the Common, and a vote was taken in 1742 that required that land remain unfenced and that parish land 'never be disposed of for any other use whatsoever, without the consent of every freeholder in the parish.' The trees on the 'upper' Common, now the Veterans' Memorial Common, at the right, were planted in the mid-1800s by a 'band of public spirited residents.' who viewed the opportunity as a 'general neighborhood celebration.' Both the upper and lower Commons were unkempt and uncared for, with water coursing through the center, forming a pool of water referred to as Ken's Pond, named after a blacksmith who had a shop on the west side of the Common. In 1859, the Common was drained and graded and, in 1860, the townspeople accepted a committee report and authorized the fencing of the public Common at an estimated cost of $700. The final cost to erect a fence at the Common was $636.75. On May 1, 1871, the Town voted to purchase land between the 'old Common' and Lake Quannapowitt to extend the Common, and authorized the Town Treasurer to 'hire a sum, not to exceed $19,600 for a 10-year term.' In 1883, the townspeople accepted a $10,000 gift from the will of Cornelius Sweetser which was to be 'used and expended in furnishing and beautifying a public park.' At the left of the picture stood the Third Meeting House of the First Parish, the Town House (both not shown), the brick Yale engine House, and a blacksmith shop on the lower Common."
• Albion and Main Street, 1902
  "The success of the street railway system led to double-tracking of the rails from downtown Wakefield to Melrose in 1901, and on Albion Street in 1902. According to news reports, the double-tracking on Albion Street was 'a difficult proposition, for many elm trees that had stood for decades had to be removed. As in the case of Main Street it was evident that a busy thoroughfare was no place for the thrifty growth of shade tress.' It went on to state that paved streets, concrete sidewalks, trolley wires, street railway feed lines, telephone wires, etc. were 'not conducive to the growth of such trees. One after another of these old trees have gone down and have yielded to the march of progress.' The Wakefield & Stoneham Street Railway Company was formed in 1889 and received its charter in May 1892. The two-mile route from the Post Office on Main Street at the corner of Albion Street (former Kingman Block) to Farm Hill in Stoneham began operations on August 14, 1892. The system experienced rapid growth, and eventually became a four-direction electric street railway system which enabled riders to travel to Lowell, Lawrence and Haverhill to the north; Malden, Chelsea and Boston to the south; Lynn, Salem, Beverly and Gloucester to the east; and Woburn, Winchester and Medford to the west. The original Wakefield and Stoneham Street Railway Company and other similar companies eventually merged until all became a part of the Boston & Northern Street Railway System, the Bay State Company, and eventually the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway Company. The line was discontinued on July 6, 1929."
• Leeds Ice Cream Company, Vernon and Lowell Streets, circa 1930
  "Leeds Ice Cream Company was located on the northwest corner of Vernon and Lowell Streets beginning in the early 1930s, soon after the road was widened with the 'permission' of the County Commissioners, and the Town's first traffic signal was installed at the intersection in 1928. The ice cream stand was built on property once occupied by John Sweetser and later by Dr. Robert Cushman. Leeds Ice Cream Company later became Kydd's Ice Cream, stand, a popular stop for many in the 1950s and 1960s. The site is now a gas station."
• Aerial view of Wakefield, circa 1936
  "This aerial view of Wakefield, taken sometime around 1936, provides a look at Main Street in the downtown area. Main Street runs horizontally through the center of the photo, and shows several buildings that are no longer standing, including Wakefield High School (later called the Atwell Building) at the bottom right, the old Wakefield Town Hall near the center of the photo, the Miller Piano Factory behind the Town Hall, the Wakefield Building with its top floor, the buildings which housed the Wakefield Rattan Company (later the Robie Industrial Park) on Water Street near the top right of the photo, the stores and homes that stood on Main Street before they were razed during the 1940s, and the Methodist Episcopal Church on Albion Street that was torn down in 1938. The photo also shows the L.B. Evans' Son Co. Shoe factory on Water Street, the railroad that at one time traveled to Peabody and Newburyport, and the lot of land that would eventually house the Post Office next to the Lucius Beebe Memorial Library."
• Daniel Goss & Co., Main Street, circa 1870s
  "Daniel Goss operated a heating and plumbing business at the corner of Main and Mechanic Streets, now Princess Street, until 1885. Goss, along with Oscar Noble of Wakefield applied for a patent on January 22, 1880 for an invention to improve heating stoves, 'utilizing the heat to the greatest possible extent, thereby economizing fuel' which was granted as #225,484 on March 16, 1880. Among those in his employ was George H. Taylor, who joined him in the business just days before the patent was granted. Taylor became a partner with Goss three years later, under the firm name of Daniel Goss & Co. A year later, this partnership was dissolved when Goss moved from the town. Taylor remained in business at the corner of Main and Mechanic Streets, 'doing a large and successful business for himself.' The building was the site of a fire on March 5th, 1907 that was classified as one of the town's major blazes. Soon after, he purchased the Wakefield Block at the corner of Main and Lincoln Streets and the store remained in business until June 1962. In addition to being a business owner, Taylor was a high ranking member of the Richardson Light Guard and was elected as a Major in the 'historically famous' 6th Regiment of Massachusetts Infantry. It was under his command that the Richardson Light Guard held the Number 1 position in the Massachusetts militia and its rifle team was the 'pride of the State' during the 1890s."
• Wakefield Memorial High School, Main Street, circa 1955
  "Planning for a new high school began in earnest in the late 1940s and early 1950s, with several sites and plans considered by the building committee, including the former Town Farm site on Farm Street, filling in a section of Hartshorne's cove on Lake Quannapowitt and building the school on Veterans' Field and Halls Park, and building an addition on land to the south of the existing high school on Main Street. The latter plan was approved by Town Meeting."
• Hood Farm, Pleasure Island 1959
  In the early 1950s, the late Wiliam S. Hawkes, publisher of Childlife Magazine, envisioned creating a family recreation center to be named Childlife World, similar to the Mother Goose parks throughout the country, such as StoryLand in North Conway, NH. On July 16, 1955 the amusement park industry would never be the same! Disneyland opened, and investors followed the trend leader. Childlife World became Pleasure Island when Hawkes and Marco Engineering of Los Angeles collaborated with Cabot, Cabot and Forbes to break out 168 acres of wetland from CC&F's Industrial Park along the edge of the new Route 128. Billed as Boston's answer to Disneyland, Pleasure Island opened on June 22, 1959 and was the second of three innovative theme parks built across America to mimic Disneyland. H.P. Hood & Sons (now Hood LLC) was the first company to sign a lease for what was officially an 'outdoor entertainment and merchandising center.' As a lessee, Hood signed a five-year contract with the first year's and fifth year's rent paid in advance, which helped underwrite the cost of the park's construction. H.P. Hood & Sons invested $500,000 in a second mortgage to Pleasure Island, Inc. plus $10,000 per year for its five-year lease. The Hood's 4.5-acre farm included a large red barn and silo, and a farm tractor that would draw a wagon-train down through the farm over a winding road. The trip took guests by sheep, cows, calves and a duck pond, as well as a cow barn, a maple sugar house where syrup was boiled and blacksmith's shop. H.P. Hood & Sons also sponsored the Gay Nineties Ice Cream Parlor and snack stands at the farm, lighthouse, juice bar at Goldpan Gulch, and pushcarts. Pleasure Island went bankrupt after its first season, only to become one of the top grossing parks behind Disneyland in the early 1960s. Hood left after season one and a new petting zoo opened in its place in 1960. In 1961, a giant three-story high 'Bozo the Clown' slide was attached to the silo. The park closed in 1969. A portion of Edgewater Office Park Building 500's parking garage and Colonial Point's parking lot are on the site of the former Hood Farm. Hood LLC's corporate office is located in Lynnfield MA, just one mile from its Pleasure Island Farm.
• Greenwood Sunday School Outing Tasker's Grove, circa 1885
  Thought to be a Greenwood Sunday School outing, this gathering of children and adults enjoyed a day at Tasker's Grove, which was located at the west end of Linden Avenue, near Crystal Lake. The group included Rufus Kendrick, the large man with the moustache at the right in the photograph. A resident of Greenwood, Kendrick was the founder of the Wakefield Home Fire Protection Association, 'an independent volunteer association for extinguishing fires, working entirely with small apparatus, appliances generally ignored by fire departments, such as buckets, cans, Johnson hand force pumps, garden hoses attached to house faucets, or any appliance which could readily be made use of.' Hundreds of galvanized pails, milk cans, and Johnson pumps were located throughout the town; the first 'getting a stream of water' on a fire was rewarded with $1.00, and the first one to 'give the first still alarm' was rewarded with 25-cents. Kendrick also served as a fire warden and was well informed about trees and flowers, taking great interest in gypsy moths. As a member of the short-lived Wakefield Improvement Society, he planted a row of 52 trees, from 'Mr. Lee's store on Main Street north to the railroad bridge', which he called Soldier's Row in memory of those who served in the Rebellion.
• Hopkins House, Hopkins Street circa 1880s
  Owned by Ebenezer Sumner Hopkins, the 'old Hopkins place' was featured in the C. F. Richardson stereoscopic view around 1880. A photographer, Richardson was active in photographic circles, both locally and nationally, serving as president of the Boston Photographic Association in 1881, and as a correspondent for The Philadelphia Photographer, 'an illustrated monthly journal devoted to photography.' In addition to stereoscopic pictures of local churches and landmarks, Richardson also photographed private residents. The 1890 List of Taxable Polls and Estates for the Town of Wakefield lists Ebenezer Hopkins' property as a dwelling house, another house and an 'old home' on Hopkins Street, a shed, stable, two carriages, 15 cows and three horses, and nearly 40 acres of land on and west of Hopkins Street, Brook Street and Prospect Street, listed as orchard, meadow, tillage and pasture. The value of this personal property was listed as $900 and his real estate was valued at $7,000 which required him to pay a tax of $128.40. He was one of 84 Wakefield residents who had a Johnson hand force pump on his property which required him to sign a pledge that he would use it to fight any fire within one-quarter mile. Hopkins was born in South Reading (now Wakefield) in 1816 and died in Derry, NH in 1907. He lived most of his 91 years in Wakefield where he worked as a farmer. He and his wife, Mary Louisa Parker, had seven children. Their sons, Herbert and Joseph, were listed as farmers on the property, in the 1917-1918 street listing.