Lucius Beebe Memorial Library, Wakefield, Mass.

Items

• Walsh's Diner, winter, 1936
  "Walsh's Diner was located at the corner of Main and West Water Streets, on what is now the parking lot of Eastern Bank. It opened in the Fall of 1936, and remained in operation until June, 1950 when a larger diner was built on the back of the site, facing Main Street. Walsh's Dinner [i.e. Diner] was sold by Joseph Walsh to the Gillis family who moved the diner to Newburyport, where it became Gillis' Diner. It remained open until it was destroyed by fire in the mid-1960's. Wakefield residents frequented the diner 'for a bite that's right, day or night'." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Wakefield's Volunteer Hose Company, 1894
  "The Volunteer Hose Company participated in the 250th Anniversary Parade as part of the Third Division. They were joined in the division by the Eighth Regiment Band of Salem Marshal Levi Flanders and staff the Steamer Lucius Beebe, No. 1 and hose wagon Washington Hook and Ladder (with apparatus), Carter Hose Company, Melrose, Drum, Fife and Bugle Corps, Greenwood Hose Company Wakefield Veteran Firemen's Association and the old Yale engine, as well as Chief Engineers from several surrounding communities. The parade participants posed for this picture 'a day or two later.' Among the members of the Volunteer Hose Company were: (front row, left to right) Billy Hamilton, Fred Simonds and Elmo Hines. (second row, left to right) Harry Simonds, Charles Pope, Frank Cade, Al Cate, Ben Flockton, Bob Boyd, Billy Hanley, and Andy Parker. (third row, left to right) Van Wagner, Charles Hanscam, Ernest Heywood, Byron Foster, Lee Tupper, Frank Godfrey, Alstead Brownwell, and Bob Singer. (fourth row, left to right) Toby Porter, John Brewer, Arthur Abbott, Charles Parker, Crozier Latimer and Arthur LaMonte. Six-year-old Fred Simonds had the honor of riding on the hose carriage during the parade." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Wakefield's history and industry
  "Since the mid-1800s, Wakefield has been a residential suburb within commuting distance to Boston. In 1845 when the Boston & Maine railroad completed its Boston to Wilmington line, the community and its appeal grew by leaps and bounds. Because of its proximity to Boston, Wakefield has attracted a mix of industry and new citizens throughout the past century. One of Wakefield's major contributions came from the rattan and reed industry founded by Cyrus Wakefield. As a young boy, Mr. Wakefield found he could turn the useless rattan thrown overboard by stevedores into useful products for everyday use. He began making furniture, mats, floor coverings, baling cloth and baskets from the rattan. As the interest in his products grew, Mr. Wakefield purchased homes and land in the center of South Reading and later bought a mill site on the Mill River. The railroad itself brought a number of industries to the town. Ice houses were opened on the banks of Lake Quannapowitt and ice from the lake was shipped to Boston on the trains. Foundries were opened along the railroad line and the shoe industry, an important part of Wakefield's rich history, played an enormous role in the community's population growth. Other larger industries included a knitting mill and a piano factory. When these industries closed shop, other companies moved into town. The buildings vacated when the rattan industry stopped production were quickly occupied by other industries. New industries also cropped up in the mid 1990s when Rte. 128, now known as Technology Highway, was created. Today, corporate headquarters for major industries are located throughout the town, and scores of commuters travel in and out of the community each day. Wakefield has become a vital asset in the Commonwealth's economy." -- Text from calendar.;Captions: 1. The bandstand in Wakefield Park, better known as the Common. -- 2. The Wakefield Rockery.
• Wakefield's electric light plant, North Avenue, circa 1893, circa 1895-1900
  "The citizens of Wakefield voted in 1893 to purchase the land, buildings and equipment of the Citizen's Gas and Light Company. The company was the predecessor of the Wakefield Municipal Light Department." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Wakefield, circa 1931
  Image from the Wakefield Municipal Gas and Light Department annual calendar, 1993
• Wakefield, circa 1929
  Image from the Wakefield Municipal Gas and Light Department annual calendar, 1995
• Wakefield, 1894
  "This view of the town of Wakefield was taken from Curve Street in 1894. Among the landmarks and buildings which can be seen are the Col. James Hartshorne House on Church Street, First Baptist Church, Unitarian Universalist Church, Lincoln School, the Wakefield Rattan Company chimney, the Wakefield Town Hall, and the Methodist Church (which was then located on Albion Street.)" -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Wakefield Upper Common, circa 1890
  "Wakefield has always had 'common lands' since the first division of land among the early settlers. A special committee was selected to lay out the 'ways and watering places' through the Common in 1727, and a vote was taken in 1741 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 Town made a large purchase of land between the 'old Common' and Lake Quannapowitt in 1871, and, in 1883, the towsnpeople 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.' A Board of Park Commissioners was selected in 1884, and under their supervision, two lots of land were purchased, the park was graded, new concrete sidewalks were added, a mall was laid out, and a new music pavilion 'of unique and elaborate design' was constructed. In the background of the picture (from left) stands the Third Meeting House of the First Parish (razed in 1890), icehouses and private homes, the Park Music Pavilion (referred to as the Pagoda, now the Bandstand, built in 1885), and the Church Street Fire Engine House that was in use on the lower Common until 1891." - Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Donofrio.
• Wakefield Trust Company, 1924
  "When the Wakefield Trust Company building at the corner of Main and Chestnut Streets was dedicated in December 1924, it was heralded as having all the modern conveniences, including vaults and electric protective systems. More than 5,000 people marveled at the 'architectural beauty' of the rooms and offices as they toured the bank building during the Saturday afternoon and evening open house. Cigars were in abundance for the men while more than 1,000 rosebuds were given to the women. Organized as a State Bank in 1854, the bank became the National Bank of South Reading in 1865, and the Wakefield National Bank in 1902, the same year that the bank built a building on the opposite corner with the Wakefield Savings Bank, (now The Savings Bank). The bank became the Wakefield Trust Company in 1916." - Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Donofrio.
• Wakefield town officials
  "The first Reading Board of Selectmen was created in 1647, consisting of seven men who were assigned the task of overseeing the settlement and creating the modified, democratic government of the 1600s. The first Reading Board consisted of: Robert Dunton (1647, 1649) Francis Smith (1647, 1649) William Cowdrey (1647 to 1680, excluding 1659 and 1661) Thomas Marshall (1647-1652 and 1654) Henry Felch (1647-1648 and 1651) William Martin (1647-1848 and 1651) Richard Walker (1647-1650 and 1653). It was these first Selectmen who were charged with running the Town Meeting, a meeting which, if not attended by all the men, would punish and fine all those who did not attend. Meetings were held in the early morning, unlike those of today, which are held at night. In 1812, the town of Reading was officially divided and the area now known as Wakefield took the name of South Reading. The first Board of Selectmen for the town of South Reading included: James Gould (1812) Benjamin Badger (1812, 1814) and John Gould (1812-1820). It was during this time that the differences between the First parish (Wakefield) and the Second and Third Parishes could no longer be resolved and a division was approved after 168 years of unity. In 1868 the town of South Reading, whose citizens were contemplating changing their name, decided to honor one of its most influential and active citizens, Cyrus Wakefield, by changing its name to the town of Wakefield. The change was made on July 4th, 1868 and overseeing the change were Selectmen James Oliver, James P. Mansfield, and Richard Britton. Throughout its history as Reading, South Reading and Wakefield, the town has been ably served by hundreds of men and women who have been selected or elected to the Board of Selectmen. Among its ranks have been several generations of Cowdreys, Eatons, Hartshornes, Flints, Parkers and Emersons and individuals like Lucius Beebe. The position of Town Clerk is the oldest of town-elected offices. The first Town Clerk was William Cowdrey who was elected in 1644 an;Captions: 1. The 1902 Board of Selectmen: (left to right) John Maloney Col. E.J. Gihon George M. Tompson E.K. Bowser, Esq. Thomas O'COnnell Charles E. Walton, Clerk and Albert Flint, Town Treasurer. -- 2. The 1949 Board of Selectmen and associated town officers: (standing, left to right) Harry Marshall, John Preston, Harry Denning, Police Chief John Gates, and Charles Cox. (seated, left to right) Burt Whitcomb, William Lindsay, Raymond Dower, Philip Flanders, and William Dill.
• Wakefield Town Hall, Main Street at Water Street, 1893
  "Cyrus Wakefield, for whom the Town is named, generously donated land and money to build a Town Hall and a fitting monument to South Reading soldiers. Because of his generosity and his service to the community, the Town changed its name from South Reading to Wakefield on July 4th, 1868. The Town Hall was completed and deeded to the Town on February 22, 1871. It was described in 1885 as 'ranking first in beauty, as well as in seating and stage accommodations. The seating capacity is 1164 divided as follows: floor 704, and galleries, 460. Memorial Hall, situated in the northeast corner of the same building, on the first floor, is handsomely and appropriately furnished. This hall contains marble tablets, encased in a black walnut finish, on which are inscribed the names of those honored soldiers of Wakefield who died victims of the Great Rebellion.' As pictured in 1893, the Town Hall was adorned with flags and buntings on the 25th anniversary of the changing of the Town's name, as were most public buildings. The Town Hall was demolished in 1958 after a fire occurred in December, 1950." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Wakefield Town Hall, 1927
  "In 1867, Cyrus Wakefield presented a donation of $30,000 and a building lot to the town to build a soldiers memorial hall. As a result, the Wakefield Town Hall was built at the corner of Main and Water Streets and was officially dedicated on February 22, 1871. The Town Hall was destroyed by fire and was subsequently razed in 1958." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Wakefield Theatre Building, circa late 1930s
  "During the 1930's, there were a number of movies for Wakefield residents to see, and two theaters from which to choose - the Wakefield Theatre at the corner of Main and West Water Streets, and the Princess Theatre on Princess Street. The Wakefield Theatre Building was built in 1915 and was originally referred to as the Appleton Building after the builder, H.A. Appleton. In 1916, the Wakefield Theatre opened its doors for business and boasted of having the first cushioned seats in town. Charles W. Hodgdon, owner of the Princess Theatre, was also owner of the Wakefield Theatre. The marquee on the front of the building was added, with lights, in March 1930. Several new movies were introduced each week, and matinees for children were available until 5 p.m. Children under 12 who arrived before 1:30 p.m. paid a $.10 admission fee. Matinee prices were $.25 for adults and $.15 for children evening prices were $.35 for adults and $.25 for children accompanied by their parents. Continuous performances ran from 1:30 to 10:30 p.m. In addition to the theatre, the building was occupied by A.C. Verge Real Estate and Insurance, W.T. Grant, Thom McCann, Cataldo's Pharmacy, and Schreider's Apparel Shop (on the corner, at left). The second floor offices were occupied by several organizations and businesses over the years, including the American Legion, Spanish War Veterans and, in the 1940s, the John Hancock Life Insurance Company. The building was plagued by several fires throughout the years, including one on March 25, 1971, which gutted the second floor offices." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Wakefield Theatre Block circa late 1940s
  "The 1915 Appleton Building (named for the builder H.A. Appleton of Boston) housed the Wakefield Theatre, W.T. Grant Co. department store, Cataldos Pharmacy and Thom McAn shoe store. W.T. Grant moved into the building in August 1929 in a storefront previously occupied by three stores. A number of offices, business establishments, the Appleton Hall, and the social rooms of the American Legion and the Spanish War Veterans were located on the second floor. The Wakefield Theatre opened for business in January 1916 in the building owned by Samual Singer. Within 14 months, Princess Theatre owner Charles W. Hodgdon leased the Wakefield Theatre and remained as the owner for decades. The Wakefield Theatre Block had many fires throughout the years, the last one destroying the building in 1972. The Town Hall, at the right of the photo, was razed in October 1958." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Wakefield Theatre
  "For over 50 years, the Wakefield Theatre provided hours and hours of entertainment to Wakefield area residents and their family members, long before VCRs were ever imagined. Nestled in the Appleton Building (named for the builder H.A. Appleton of Boston) at the corner of Main and West Water Streets, the Wakefield Theatre was the principal feature when the block was built in 1915 and became the second movie house in the town. The building itself was owned by Samuel Singer of Boston and Brookline, one of the town's largest real estate holders. Throughout the years, the Wakefield Theatre Block, as it became known, was the home to many businesses and stores: W.T. Grant, Schreider's Apparel Shop, Crystal Market, Princess Beauty Shop, Thom McAns, Cataldo Pharmacy, Diskay Department Store, the offices of James J. Curley, Nute's Dry Goods Store, the Shoe Horn and was the headquarters of the Corp. Harry Nelson American Legion Post. Several others came and went over the years. The Wakefield Theatre was the only enterprise to stay in business from the time it was built in 1915 until the building was razed in 1972. The theatre did, however, change to the Wakefield Cinema when it was sold in 1967 by longtime owner Charles W. Hodgdon. Hodgdon was Wakefield's 'movie man', having owned both the Wakefield and Princess Theatres. The Wakefield Cinema was officially closed in August 1972 and 'The Concert for Bangladesh' had the honor of being the last film to be played at the theatre." -- Text from calendar.;Captions: 1. 1931 movie goers were treated to a Silvia Sidney and Robert Cogan movie, while the bottom marquee heralds an upcoming Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. movie. -- 2. In 1940 the trolley tracks were gone and the cars were a little sportier, but the Wakefield Theatre still remained. -- 3. This pre-1930 photo of the Wakefield Theatre shows the building without the marquee. -- 4. Today the Appleton Building is long gone but the Wakefield Theatre has been memorialized in the name 'The Olde Theatre Block.'
• Wakefield Square, circa 1940s
  "Downtown Wakefield is illuminated for the Christmas holidays in this photo taken sometime in the early 1940s. The one-story building at the left of the photo was built in 1939, and the building on the same block, near the center of the photo, was built soon after. This latter building housed Smith's Drug Store and the Cubby Hole (Stationery). Further down the street another one-story building was built around the same time at the site of the old Walton (Odd Fellows) Building." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Wakefield Square in 1903
  Image from the Wakefield Municipal Gas and Light Department annual calendar, 1989
• Wakefield Square as it looked in 1904
  "Wakefield Square as it looked in 1904, complete with an electric street railway. The picture was taken facing South from Chestnut Street." -- Text from calendar.
• Wakefield Savings Bank, Main and Chestnut Street, 1923
  "The bank building on the northwest corner of Main and Chestnut Streets was built in 1902 by both the Wakefield Savings Bank and the Wakefield National Bank. The site was formerly the John Raynor homestead which was built in 1775 and eventually torn down to make way for a new home for Daniel Norcross. The house was destroyed by fire in 1857, and eventually the land was occupied by Mrs. Hannah S. Brown. The First National Bank bought the land in 1900. Both banks occupied the building until 1924. The Wakefield National Bank, incorporated as the South Reading Mechanical and Agricultural Institution in 1833, was organized as a state bank, the South Reading Bank, in 1854. It was reorganized as the National Bank of South Reading in 1865 and changed its name to the Wakefield National Bank in 1902 and to the Wakefield Trust Company in 1916. The bank moved to the adjacent corner of Main and Chestnut Streets in 1924 when a new building was completed under the direction of President Junius Beebe. The Wakefield Savings Bank, now The Savings Bank, received its charter from the Commonwealth on May 26, 1869. Cyrus Wakefield was elected as the bank's first president and its offices were shared with the Wakefield Real Estate & Building Association in the Brown Building. The bank later moved to the Wakefield Block (the Taylor Building) and the Flannery Block (the Odd Fellows Building) until the new building was erecetd in 1902. In 1924 when the Wakefield Trust Company moved across Chestnut Street, the Wakefield Savings Bank acquired the whole building and shared its space with the Wakefield Municipal Light Department. The building underwent extensive renovations in 1939." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Wakefield Rockery, circa 1910
  "As part of the $10,000 bequest from Cornelius Sweetser and an additional $10,000 raised by townspeople, a parks beautification program was instituted which resulted in the Bandstand, the Common as we know it, and the Rockery. A parks commission was also elected by Town Meeting in 1883 to oversee the project. Now one of Wakefield's most notable landmarks, the Rockery was originally the subject of much ridicule when it was first proposed in 1883 and erected in 1884. The original idea for the grotto-like structure came from Park Commissioner Captain James H. Carter, a neighbor of the site. It was his idea to pile the large rocks into a pyramid, surrounded by ivy, shrubbery and a fountain which cascaded into the basin below. A stately elm tree stood on the Rockery in front of the basin. In 1909, the Historical Society and private subscribers erected a tablet at the front of the Rockery, facing the downtown area. This tablet was moved in 1926 when the Rockery was redesigned to accommodate the Hiker Monument and the three stairs which lead to the Spanish War monument. The tablet is now behind the Rockery, facing the upper Common." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Wakefield Redskins, 1961
  "Local resident John Roberto established the Wakefield Redskins semi-professional football team in 1961 as part of the New England Football Conference which included teams from Quincy, Haverhill, Lynn and Framingham. A contest to name the club was held in July 1961 with several entrants submitting the winning name. Prizes included a season pass to the five home games and a gift certificate to Steve's Deli. Although the team was initially denied the use of Walton Field, General Manager Roberto eventually received approval to rent the field for home games. During its first year, the team was coached by Saugus High School Athletic Director, John 'Tex' Scarborough of Lynn. The games attracted crowds of up to 1,100 fans, with an admission price of $1 for adults and 50 cents for children. Team expenses included the rental of lights for the field, payment for the officials, cost of footballs, and a stipend for opposing teams. In 1962, Wakefield High School teacher, Dom DiGiammarino, coached the Redskins. The opening game against Whitman was 'Kids Pony Night,' It was reported that 2,500 children attended the game with 1,000 paying adults. Although attendance during the season was estimated to be 2,200 per game, gate receipts indicated there were many fence-hoppers among them. The Wakefield Redskins ended the 1962 season with a 3-3-0 conference record. Although 20 players reported for practice at Nasella field in the summer of 1963 and a Redskins Boosters Club was in place, the team was disbanded. Wakefield's other semi-professional sports team is the Merchants, established in 1962 as part of the Carling Intercity League by Field Manager Les DeMarco and General Manager Larry McShane." -- Text from calendar.
• Wakefield rattan workers, circa 1906
  "This postcard depicts workers leaving the 11-plus acre factory of the Wakefield Rattan Company, also known as the Heywood Brothers and Wakefield Company, and later , the Heywood-Wakefield Company. After the 1881 fire, the factory was quickly rebuilt, this time using brick instead of wood. In 1894, there were five main four-story brick buildings, as well as boiler, bleach, dye, office and pump houses a paint shop and a supply room three frame storehouses iron and frame storehouses lumber sheds two yarn houses a frame cold air dry house coal shed a barn and a shed, bringing the total number of factory buildings on the grounds to more than 30. By 1906, the company had grown to over 1,000 workers and was responsible for the influx of workers who eventually settled in Wakefield. The business began to slow down before and after the depression, leading to the dismantling and moving of the company to Gardner in the early 1930s. The buildings were rented to smaller industries, eventually returning the area to an active industrial center. The 11-acre property was sold to Rapid Furniture Company owner Abram B. Fox in May, 1945. A major fire destroyed seven large buildings and damaged several more in 1972 in what was then the Robie Industrial Park." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Wakefield Post Office
  "The Wakefield Post Office has been a central part of the community for nearly 200 years, operating in a number of locations until its permanent home was dedicated in 1937. The first mail was brought to Wakefield by private individuals who traveled to the Charlestown Toll House and returned to South Reading where they left the mail in a central location for distribution. The first home of the Wakefield Post Office was established in 1812 on Main Street with John Rayner serving as the first Postmaster. The building, which was on the opposite corner of the present Post Office, sufficed until 1854 when the Postmaster Samuel Kingman built a new post office on the corner of Main and Albion Streets (now known as the Bourdon Block). During his term as Postmaster, Kingman was responsible for the first mail delivery - each Sunday he would stand outside various churches and hand the mail to the recipients. As the town grew, so too, did the needs of her residents. The Post Office was moved to the brick building at the corner of Main and Richardson Streets, then to the building where the Wakefield Municipal Light Department is located, and finally to the current building at Main Street and Yale Avenue. During that time rural free delivery was introduced in 1900 while parcel post was introduced in 1912 with two mail deliveries made daily. The current headquarters at the corner of Main Street and Yale Avenue was the former site of the John W. White Estate (the Burrage Yale Mansion). The building was officially dedicated on January 27, 1937 with a reception sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce." -- Text from calendar.;Captions: 1. The John E. White Estate (Burrage Yale Mansion) in 1934. It is interesting to note that this was also the home of Burrage Yale, the first Postmaster recognized in Washington, D.C. It was Yale who built the original portion of the house. -- 2. The Wakefield Post Office in October, 1936 prior to its official opening. -- 3. The Wakefield Post Office today.
• Wakefield Municipal Light Plant, September 9, 1905
  "The citizens of the Town of Wakefield established the Wakefield Municipal Gas and Light Department in 1894. In 1905, the Wakefield Municipal Light Plant had 206 electric consumers, an increase of 16 over the previous year, and 834 gas consumers, a gain of 116 consumers. According to the Annual Report for the year ending January 31, 1906 sales of gas and electricity increased more during the year than any other year, and because of the increased demand, a decision was made to provide electric current during the day. Since the department was unable to generate a constant supply of current, a contract was signed with Malden Electric Company to install lines to the plant on North Avenue. From there, the extra 'juice' was distributed over the regular lines to the consumer." - Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Donofrio.
• Wakefield Municipal Light Plant, 1919
  "The Wakefield Municipal Gas and Light Department sold gas and electrical appliances for many years. In 1918, there were 2538 gas customers and 1,235 electric customers. The following year, there were 100 additional gas customers (2638) and 159 additional electric customers (1394). By 1919, the WMGLD had an office at the Town Hall in addition to its North Avenue plant." - Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Donofrio.
• Wakefield Municipal Light Department
  "Before the Wakefield Municipal Light Department, the Citizens' Gas Light Company of Reading, Wakefield and Stoneham, a private company, supplied gas and eventually electricity to the residents from its generating station on North Avenue. Established in 1860, with a capital of $93,000, its gas house and works were located in Wakefield with pipes leading into Reading and Stoneham. In 1868 it was manufacturing 4,000,000 cubic feet of illuminating gas which sold for approximately $20,000. It was 1882 when Edison discovered electricity in his Pearl Street generating station in New York City and within a few years towns like Wakefield were illuminating their downtown areas with incandescent and arc lamps. The Citizens' Gas Light Company continued to provide services to the community until 1894. In 1891, the General Court made it possible for all towns to operate their own municipal light plants, a move many Wakefield residents approved. In 1893, the citizens voted to purchase the plant, land and manufacturing equipment with a bond of $180,000. On August 4, 1894, the town officially assumed operation of the plant with all customers owning a part of the department. To govern the newly formed municipal light plant, a Board of Commissioners was established to oversee the operation. Silas W. Flint, an active member of the community, was selected as one of the first three members of the Board, serving as Chairman during the first year. The first Manager of the MLD was Charles S. Spaulding who served as Manager from 1894 to 1899 and again from 1919 to 1921. He was followed by Charles E. White (1899-1907), Albert B. Morton (1907-1912), Sidney L. Cole (1912-1918), C.W. Whiting (1921-1922), Samuel H. Brooks (1922-1942), James M. Whitehead (1942-1951), Michael Collins (1951-1976), and William Wallace (1976-present). Michael Collins served as Manager of the MLD from 1951-1976, the longest period of time of any MLD Manager. Active in the Department only after his appointment as Manager, he nonetheless served the town well for 25;Captions: 1. Wakefield Municipal Light Department Manager Michael Collins served the MLD from 1951 to 1976. -- 2. The MLD Gas House on North Avenue in 1909.
• Wakefield Municipal Gas & Light Department, Railroad Street/North Avenue, 1909
  "The Town of Wakefield purchased the holdings of the Citizens Gas and Light Company, including the land, buildings and equipment, on Railroad Street, now North Avenue, in 1894. In 1908, 14 years after taking over the company's operations, the light plant was losing money by generating electric current on 'old and worn machinery' in inadequate facilities. Although the 'gas-producing branch' was in good financial shape, it was in need of a new tank since the existing holder's capacity was far too small. The Light Board asked Town Meeting for $72,000 to 'rebuild and rehabilitate' the plant, putting it in first class condition. Voters decided to elect a nine-member committee to research the matter, including whether electric current could be produced by a neighboring city or town at a less expensive cost per kilowatt-hour. The next year, 1909, was a year of reconstruction, reorganization and repair as a result of the Town meeting directive. New switchboards, generators ad transformers were added to the electric side, a new gas holder, with a capacity of 100,000 cubic feet, was added to the gas department, as was a new retort house. The department also entered intoa two-year agreement to purchase its day current from the Town of Reading. The Light Plant office was moved offsite, to the 'old court room' at the Town Hall, in 1909, because of the increasing business at the plant. The gas holder was dismantled in 1943, and a new plant was erected at the site in 1951." - Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Donofrio.
• Wakefield Municipal Gas & Light Department, North Avenue, 1940
  "The Town of Wakefield's municipal gas and light plant has operated from this location on Railroad Avenue (now North Avenue) since the community purchased the land, plant and manufacturing operations from the Citizens' Gas and Light Company in 1894. Gas was manufactured and stored in a gas holder at the facility until December 11, 1926 when the community began receiving gas from the Malden and Melrose Gas Light Company. This decision was reached by Town Meeting after 21 months of study and a series of close votes. During World War II, a Wakefield Salvage Committee was created after Governor Saltonstall asked each motorist to turn in old license plates and each community to begin collecting scrap metal, paper and rubber to supplement the raw materials needed for defense. Through a town drive in 1942, Wakefield residents collected 50 tons of scrap metal at the DPW yard. The following year, the MGLD dismantled the huge gray gasometer which had not been in use since 1926, and turned in more than 78 tons of metal for war salvage. Town Meeting voted in the early 1950's to erect a new building at the North Avenue site to replace the original structures. This involved the removal of all buildings. More than 40 tons of buried iron and steel were also removed when the buildings were dismantled. The following year, 1952, natural gas replaced manufactured gas, and in 1993, the Wakefield MGLD began fueling some of its converted vehicles with compressed natural gas at the North Avenue station." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Wakefield Mothers' Club
  "The Wakefield Mothers' Club was established in 1915 when a group of Wakefield mothers met at the home of Mrs. Carl Snow and voted to organize a mothers club for the purpose of 'awakening a deeper sense of responsibility and to help their children develop mentally, morally and physically to their fullest extent.' Since resources for women were limited in 1915, the original 10 members also felt the need to awaken a deeper sense of themselves as women and bring about conditions to make new friendships. Mrs. Snow and Mrs. Edwin Bonney served as the first presidents of the club. The members met every Wednesday afternoon and paid an annual dues of 25 cents. One of the first projects the club achieved was a kindergarten at the YMCA. Through the years membership increased and the club members began to become involved in several projects. Numerous contributions were made to the war effort and the club lent their services and talents to many organizations including knitting and sewing afghans for Children's Hospital, sewing petticoats for the children of Morgan Memorial in 1919, making baskets for the Town Farm and performing many services for the elderly. In 1923, The Wakefield Mothers' Club successfully sponsored a Town Meeting article which imposed a 9 p.m. curfew for children under 16 years of age. The townspeople also voted to impose a fine on the parents after three offenses. In the early 1940s the members began holding their meetings during the evening hours and the club broadened its scope by adding different types of programs and topics to its agenda. The club members have continued their commitment to the children and the elderly throughout the years, establishing a $100 grant in 1955 to a 'deserving Wakefield girl for further education at a recognized school or college.' A permanent scholarship through the Citizens' Scholarship Foundation was established in 1981. For several years the club members have distributed holiday fruit baskets to selected Wakefield seniors and have sponsored a Valentine tea for the residents of local nursing homes. Today the club meets on the fourth Monday of each month between September and May and maintains a colorful agenda. New members are always welcome. The group holds lectures on diverse topics, craft activities, community service meetings, as well as other varied and enjoyable activities. The Wakefield Mothers' Club continues to provide a service to the community by distributing holiday baskets and visiting the elderly. The Club also donated the 'Welcome to Wakefield' sign at the Wakefield Common in 1984 and provided funds for the swingset at the Spaulding Street playground. In 1988 the Club started a holiday door decoration contest for the community." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Wakefield Mansion, Main Street, circa 1880s
  "Cyrus Wakefield, the man for whom the town was named in 1868, built the imposing house, known as the Wakefield Mansion, in 1863. The mansion was built next to the first house Cyrus and Eliza purchased in South Reading in 1851 'lying a short distance from the business center of town,' where the Americal Civic Center now stands. He later erected a 'splendid residence' with a barn in the rear, a gazebo, orchards, canals, greenhouses, and a summerhouse, which can be seen in the picture. For over 50 years, the Wakefield Mansion and estate was known as a 'showplace of the suburbs.' After Cyrus Wakefield's death in 1873, his widow remained in the house until her death in 1877. Since the couple had no children, the estate was left to their newphew Cyrus Wakefield II, who left the estate to his three children upon his death in 1888. In 1913, after 'protracted discussion and much acrimonious dispute' in town meetings, the town voted to buy the mansion and its property for the future home of the high school from George Wakefield for $25,000. The mansion fell into disrepair and was razed by the City Building Wrecking Company of Charlestown in the early 1920s, with some of the materials used in the new high school. The high school was built on what is now the Galvin Middle School parking lot. The new school opened on June 4, 1923." - Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Donofrio.
• Wakefield mansion, 1893
  "The mansion of the late Cyrus Wakefield, at the site of the present Junior High and Atwell Schools, was decorated on July 1, 1893, to mark the 25th anniversary of the town's name change from South Reading to Wakefield." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Wakefield Light Plant, circa 1893
  "The Town of Wakefield assumed operation of the Citizens' Gas and Light Company on August 4, 1894. At that time, there were 84 electric and 169 gas customers, 42 miles of electric wires and 600 poles in the town, but no street lights. The town was able to purchase the private company, its plant, land and manufacturing equipment after a vote at Town Meeting in 1893. This vote was the result of a law enacted by the Massachusetts Legislature in 1891 which allowed cities and towns to operate their own municipal light plants. At the time of the vote in 1893, a $180,000 bond issue was approved for the purchase and a Municipal Light Board, made up of three members, was established. State approval came soon after. In the early days of operation, the Wakefield Municipal Light Department did not operate electric current during the daylight hours. Only in the event of an emergency would the MLD start its generator during the day." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Wakefield in 1882
  "Wakefield in 1882 - Wakefield has grown tremendously during the past century as shown by this artist's rendering. Enormous changes have taken place - the Wakefield Junior High School athletic field was once the Wakefield estate pond a train ran through the town from the city of Salem and Pleasant Street ended at the intersection of Salem Street." -- Text from calendar.
• Wakefield Historical Society
  "On January 17, 1890, 26 individuals encouraged their fellow residents to join with them in forming an historical society to 'not only rescue from oblivion what we may of ancient records, documents, portraits, implements, relics, and the tradition of the elders, but also to gather to ourselves such lessons of import as the past may teach the present.' Among those who sought to form such an organization were Franklin Poole, Edward Mansfield, Charles A. Perkins, James F. Emerson, Chester W. Eaton, Rev. W.H. Williams, Edwin Sweetser, Everett G. Daland, Harry Foster, Will Everett Eaton, John Rayner, Edwin Sawyer, Frances E. Carlton, Fred W. Young, Thomas J. Skinner, Samuel K. Hamilton, Henry H. Savage, George E. Ricker, A.S. Atherton, Edwin C. Miller, W.D. Deadman, A.A. Mansfield, C.F. Hartshorne, Charles A. Magoon, William F. Young, and Aaron Foster. After several meetings, the Wakefield Historical Society was formally organized on February 20, 1890 with 35 members. The first officers of the Society were Chester W. Eaton, President Edward Mansfield and Theodore Balch, Vice Presidents Fred W. Young, Recording Secretary Charles F. Mansfield, Treasurer and Charles A. Perkins, Curator. During the early years and throughout the Society's 100 year history, members have collected various mementos, photographs, books, portraits, relics, and writings for the museum. The Society museum has had several homes over the years including the old Wakefield Town Hall, the Lucius Beebe Memorial Library, and its present home in the Americal Civic Center. The museum is open by appointment only and contains a unique collection of Wakefield's history. Today the Wakefield Historical Society membership is as dedicated to the purpose of preserving the past as were the original 35 members. The Society meets five times annually at the Americal Civic Center and boasts a membership of over 100." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Wakefield Highway Department apparatus, Main Street, 1915
  Image from the Wakefield Municipal Gas and Light Department annual calendar, 1990
• Wakefield High School, Main Street, circa 1923
  "Wakefield High School's Main Street facility was dedicated on Sunday, June 3, 1923 with an 'informal' ceremony at 2 p.m. and an open house and tour of the building from 2:30 to 6 p.m. Nearly 500 people were in attendance. Dr. Payson Smith, the State Commissioner of Education, the principle speaker, was joined on the 'broad stage' of the auditorium by Chairman of the Building Committee John J. Round, Superintendent of Schools Willard B. Atwell, Principal Charles J. Peterson, School Committee Chairman J. Lowe McMahon, building architect Frank I. Cooper, C.H. Cunningham (head of the construction company which built the school building), and two former teachers, Melvin Hill and Mary E. Wentworth. The two teachers were present at the previous high school dedication (the Lafayette Building - now the Town Hall) in 1872. To build the new high school, the Town of Wakefield voted to buy the Cyrus Wakefield estate on Main Street (built in 1851) in 1913. Plans were drawn up in 1916 and in 1919, the Town voted a bond issue of $450,000. The Building Committee began their work in 1921, and after 81 meetings, their work was complete. The architect noted at the dedication that the school exceeded the standards set by the National Education Association which required 50% of the floor area of the school to be devoted to the purposes of education. The dedication of the new high school occurred just a few weeks after the dedication of the Lucius Beebe Memorial Library. The school was officially opened the next day, June 4th. The day started with students and teachers parading down Main Street from the Lafayette Building to the new school. Grammar school students (with the exception of Montrose and Greenwood) were dismissed for the occasion and lined the east side of Main Street, from the Rockery to the school. Later referred to as the Atwell Building of Wakefield Memorial High School, the building remained in use until it was destroyed by fire on December 12, 1971. The high school was built on what is now the parking lot for th
• Wakefield High School, football squad, 1927
  "After a disappointing 1926 season, which, according to the Wakefield Town Report was not particularly successful because of the choice of plays, Coach Homer Shellenberger put the following team on the field, (front row, from left to right) G. Buckle, M. Ball, G. Churchill, C. Wilkinson, E. Marshall, C. Melanson, S. Szydlowski, D. Winkler and F. Minardi. (Middle row, left to right) Coach Homer Shellenberger, D. Dutton, R. Hayes, B. Colpitts, W. Walsh, H. Galvin, E. Messer, Manager L. Gardner. (Back row, left to right) J. Climo, W. Allyn, F. Newman, T. Duggan, D. Snowden, and A. Hovey. Coach Shellenberger was inducted posthumously into the first Wakefield High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 1991. He also was coach of the baseball team. " -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Wakefield High School, December 25, 1897
  "Now known as the William J. Lee Memorial Town Hall, the Lafayette Building was built in the early 1870's after townspeople agreed that a new high school was needed to replace the existing one on Crescent Street. The site selected, on the northwest corner of Lafayette and Common Streets, was the former site of the Parson Prentice house, built in 1740, the third parsonage in the First Parish. A 'fine, commodious high school edifice' was built and dedicated on October 10, 1872 'with becoming dignity and general approval. The building was conceded to be the best in the state.' In 1913, the Town of Wakefield voted to buy the estate of Cyrus Wakefield on Main Street for the new high school which was dedicated in 1921 and opened in 1923. All eighth grade students, with the exception of the Greenwood School, were transferred to the Lafayette School in 1923. The school was closed in 1931 and the remaining students were moved to the new high school where they attended the afternoon session. The building was remodeled in the late 1930's to house town officials and veteran's organizations. The Lafayette Building became the official Town Hall in 1962." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Wakefield High School, 1961 hockey team
  "Although mention of a hockey team at Wakefield High School can be traced to 1913, it was not fully recognized as a sport until the 1937-38 school year. Hockey at WHS got off to a slow start, eventually being dropped in 1919. A group of Greenwood boys were interested in starting a team, and in 1930 recruited Mr. Heavens to be the faculty manager. Edmund Dagnino, former WHS star and player in the Boston Hockey Club, was recruited as coach. In its early years, the hockey team practiced and played games on Lake Quannapowitt, limiting the number of games which could be played each year. In 1940, WHS joined the Eastern Massachusetts Hockey League and remained in that league until joining the Middlesex League. Longtime coach Charles Kirk won his first Middlesex League championship in 1961, and reclaimed it in 1964. The WHS hockey team has captured the Middlesex League crown several times, including in 1980 with a 16-0 record, and most recently in 1989 when the team record stood at 19-0-1 (overall 20-2-1)." -- Text from calendar.
• Wakefield High School students, Main Street near the Rockery, June 4, 1923
  "Wakefield High School pupils, teachers, staff and administrators moved from their former school on Lafayette Street (now Town Hall) to their new home on Main Street next to the state Armory on June 4, 1923. The move, which took the form of a parade, was led by Superintendent of School Willard B. Atwell, Principal Charles J. Peterson, Sgt. Ernest Munroe, and Miss Irene Laughton of the office staff. The drum corps of the high school battalion followed the staff in the line of march. All high school classes marched in order, beginning with the senior class led by Class President Roger Seabury, who later became the WMGLD Electric Superintendent. The seniors were followed in line of march by juniors, sophomores, freshmen and their teachers. The street was lined with students from the Greenwood and Montrose grammar schools, as well as many automobiles and their owners. When they arrived at the new high school, the pupils went to the rooms assigned to them and then assembled in the auditorium where Principal Peterson explained the rules and regulations and read the new orders students were to follow. Following recess and lunch, the students were dismissed for the day, with 'lessons' beginning the following day. The 'new' high school was located on Main Street where the Cyrus Wakefield estate once stood. The original high school building was destroyed by fire in December 1973. The site is now the Galvin Middle School parking lot." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Wakefield High School students, 1900
  "The Class of 1900, was said (at the time) to have been the class with the greatest number of graduates from Wakefield High School. Of the 39 graduates, 21 successfully completed the Classical Course, and 18 completed the English Course. The graduation exercises were held on Thursday evening, June 28th at the Town Hall. The class motto was Pas a Pas (Step by Step), the class song was music from 'Martha', and a disputation 'Resolved that the Navy of the United States Should be Increased' was led by Owen Long Burdett (affirmative) and William Barron Rogers (negative). The salutatory and essay 'Is Higher Education of Advantage to Women?' was presented by Mary Gertrude Hickey, with the essays and valedictory, 'The Golden Age' presented by Anna Carter Mansfield. In the 1900 Town Report, School Superintendent U.G. Wheeler said: 'The high school occupies a more advanced position then ever before. The graduate of the school to-day (sic) has a better education than the college graduate of less than 100 years ago, and in our town it stands, as it should, at the head of our school system the goal of which the pupils of the lower grades are working and the number belonging to the high school shows that a good proportion of them attain their object and avail themselves of its privileges.'" -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Wakefield High School staff, 1898
  "The town's annual report for the year ending January 31, 1899 noted that there were 50 teachers and more than 1,500 students throughout the school system. Of that total, seven teachers, including the principal and 196 students were at the high school. According to the report, the staff included Principal Charles H. Howe, First Assistant Helen W. Poor, and teachers Jennette S. Wendell, Emilie E. Emerson, Jessie D. Pierson, Clara A. Barnes, and Mabel P. Wall. The eighth person in the picture may be janitor George Russell. The report also indicated that there were 20 graduates nine who studied the English course of study and 11 who studied the Classical course of study. It was estimated that the high school enrollment would increase to 225 students the following year." - Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Donofrio.
• Wakefield High School Drum Corps, 1900
  "Members of the Wakefield High School Drum Corps were most likely a part of the Wakefield High School Cadets. Due to the large number of young men who participated in this battalion, two Companies were formed: Company A and Company B. Officers are the young men in the front, differentiated by their uniforms (covered buttons) and swords. The Wakefield High School Cadets had its beginnings in 1885 when the group entered the Second Massachusetts School Regiment, forming a battalion with the Reading and Andover Cadets. Among its activities were annual prize drills, exhibition drills and officers' parties where 'many out-of-town officers and cadets enjoyed their hospitality.' They also escorted the Grand Army Post each May, and on the day of a big baseball game, the Drum Corps escorted the opposing team from the street railway to the Common, where the games were played. Crowded conditions at the high school in 1931 meant the end of the Cadets, although it was reinstituted during World War II, and required of all young men in the junior and senior classes." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Wakefield High School co-eds, Church Street, May 28, 1894
  "Among the highlights of the three-day 250th anniversary celebration was the Settler's Day celebration on Monday, May 28, 1894. The day's activities included a procession that included four divisions of marchers, bands, and floats. A float containing 'young ladies of Wakefield High School' was part of the procession's second division. Dressed in white, the ladies represented the 13 original colonies and the 44 states that were in the union at the time. Also on the float was Miss Grace Carlton as the Goddess of Liberty, along with Miss Mitchell, Peace Miss Nellie Temple, Plenty Miss Grace S. White, Education and Miss Black, Justice. It was also reported that the four seasons were represented, as was Columbia." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Wakefield High School Cadets, spring, 1886
  "The first military drills were introduced in October, 1885, when the 'boys of Wakefield High School' formed a military company and entered into the Second Massachusetts Regiment. Together with the cadets from Reading and Andover, the group formed a battalion. Local military men served as drillmasters and in later years, officers of the United States regular Army acted as instructors. For several years, the companies which made up the Wakefield Battalion held spring prize drills in the Town Hall and later on the park (common). Military drills were abolished in 1931, due to the crowded conditions at the high school and the overcrowding of the program. With the entrance of the United States in World War II, military training was thought to be of value to the young men entering the service. The program was resumed and required of all boys in the junior and senior classes.' -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Wakefield High School boys basketball, 1929-1930
  "Basketball was first introduced to Wakefield High School in the early 1920's. The 1929-1930 basketball team was referred to as the 'most successful one since basketball was introduced to the school. With only three veterans returning to the quintet, the first team players fought a stiff schedule to obtain the enviable record of winning 13 of 16 games, one loss being the undefeated alumni team of 1927.' The team played against Newton, Everett, Lexington, Winchester, Stoneham, Reading, Melrose and Belmont. Coached by Homer Shellenberger, first-team players were Berg and Robinson, forwards Richardson, center Climo and Gersinovitch, guards. A second team, nicknamed the 'Blunderbusses' by the first- team, included Dinan and Davis, forwards Seavey, center and Atwell and Fairbanks, guards. At the end of the regular season, Wakefield and Stoneham tied for the honor of Middlesex Champions, requiring a post-season game to determine the winner. Wakefield won after a 'hard fought game in which it showed its superiority in every department of basketball.' This was the second consecutive year the team won the league title. Coach Shellenberger also coached several other sports at Wakefield High School, including baseball and hockey. He was one of the first inductees into the WHS Hall of Fame in 1991. Throughout the years, the WHS boys' basketball team has won several league and division titles. In 1997, the team captured the state Division II title, in a 74-66 win over St. Bernard's of Fitchburg." -- Text from calendar.
• Wakefield High School baseball club, 1900
  "Baseball was a popular sport in Wakefield at the turn of the century, thanks to the efforts of the 1900 Wakefield High School Baseball Club. The team shared the Suburban League championship with Melrose and had quite a record, defeating more than 20 strong teams from the Boston area. During their season, the boys were accompanied by the WHS drum corps as they traveled through the square on the electric cars. Visiting teams were often met by the drum corps and escorted from the electric car in the square to the park. Today's baseball players and fans alike will note the striking difference in equipment and uniforms. Players wore shoes with metal cleats, a wire catcher's mask, quilted uniforms with laces and small hand gloves." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Wakefield fire stations
  "The Town of Wakefield is fortunate to have two fire stations to service the needs of the community, one in close proximity to Wakefield Square, the other in the Greenwood section of town. The central station was located near the Wakefield Common on Church Street until the official opening of a new station in 1891 at the corner of Crescent and Mechanic Streets. T he station house was formerly the Academy Hill Center School (circa 1853) which was moved from its location a few hundred yards away on the current site of the Lincoln School House. Bricks from the Church Street station were used for the foundation and the total cost of renovating and moving the former school building was $6000. The station house was in operation until the Hathaway Fire of October 23, 1899. A new station was built shortly thereafter in 1900 by Roger Howard of Wakefield at a cost of $14,554. The station was officially opened on December 22, 1900. As the town grew, so did the Fire Department. In 1902 the original Greenwood Fire Station was built, recycled from the former Greenwood School. The original structure was built in 1847 and was located on the East side of Main Street, just south of Meriam Street. The building was later moved to Oak Street in 1858 at a cost of $450. The schoolhouse was converted in 1902 to Greenwood Engine 2 Station and remained in operation until it was torn down in 1962. The existing Greenwood Fire Station was opened on Monday, May 6, 1962 and also housed the Greenwood Branch of the Lucius Beebe Memorial Library." -- Text from calendar.;Captions: 1. The Greenwood Station today. -- 2. The Central Fire Station today. The addition on the right was built in 1975. -- 3. The Central Fire Station in 1894 during the 250th anniversary celebration of the town. At the time, the station housed the Silsby Steamer 'Lucius Beebe No. 1', supply and hose wagons for the steamer and Abbott Downing Ladder Truck. -- 4. The Greenwood Fire Station in 1931 was the former Greenwood School. It was converted to the Greenwood Engine 2 Station in 1902 and was in operation until 1962.
• Wakefield Fire Department, 1915
  "1914 Peerless Chemical and Hose Wagon (Greenwood Hose 3) 1914 Peerless Squad Wagon 1914 Peerless Ladder Truck. In September, 1914, three new pieces of motor-driven fire apparatus were delivered to Wakefield from the Peerless Motor Company of New England at a cost of $6,445.16. With extra equipment and painting, the total cost was $7,392.69. The 1914 Peerless city-service ladder truck was the first apparatus to arrive in Wakefield on Sunday, September 12. Thirty minutes after its arrival, it responded to Box 112 for a fire which heavily damaged a dwelling on Forest Road. The new ladder truck was placed in service on Monday, September 14, as Ladder 1, the Town's first motor-driven ladder truck. The three ton truck had a four cylinder gasoline engine and carried nine ladders with lengths from 15 feet to 65 feet in a single bank. The new ladder truck replaced the horse drawn 1892 Abbot-Downing ladder truck which was discarded. On Friday, September 18, a 1914 Peerless chemical and hose wagon was placed in service as Greenwood Hose Co. 3, replacing the horse-drawn 1906 American LaFrance combination wagon, formerly of the Steamer Hose Co., which was placed in reserve at the Greenwood Fire Station. The four cylinder gasoline engine wagon carried 1000 feet of 2 1/2 inch hose and was the first motor-driven apparatus in Greenwood. On Tuesday, September 22, a 1914 Peerless squad wagon arrived and was immediately placed into service. The six cylinder gasoline engine wagon had a long bench seat in the rear for personnel to ride and was designed to tow the 1907 Amoskeag steamer when needed. With the 1912 Webb pumping engine, all apparatus at the Crescent Street headquarters was motorized. Only Montrose Hose Co. 4 remained horse-drawn. As a result of the arrival of the motor-driven apparatus, the entire team of six horses (one pair from Greenwood and two pairs from the central fire station) were transferred to the MLD and the highway department." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Wakefield filtration plant, Broadway, 1930
  "On March 28, 1927, a special committee was appointed by Town Moderator Theodore Eaton to study the feasibility of a filtration plant at Crystal Lake to eliminate bacteria and organic matter (algae) from the water. A report was presented to the Town on April 23, 1927, after four weeks of consultation of records, conferences with recognized authorities and investigation of various information which concluded that odors, objectionable taste (of chlorine) and suspended matter could be eliminated though the use of a slow-sand filtration plant. The report recommended that such a plant be constructed and maintained by the Water and Sewerage Board, as well as a storage basin for filtered water (with a capacity of 250,000 gallons), all at a proposed cost of $145,000. To provide this additional capacity, the report also recommended the construction of a new standpipe or storage reservoir (with a capacity of 500,000 gallons) at Harts Hill or at a similar elevation as the engineers deemed suitable. This recommended method was also favored by the Board's engineering firm, Weston and Sampson. The contract for the filtration plant was awarded in July, 1927, to A.P. Rounds of Stoneham. The filtration system was in use by February, 1928." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Wakefield Engine 3, 1938 Seagrave fire apparatus, Chief Frederick D. Graham, October 13, 1938
  "Purchased from the Seagrave Fire Apparatus Co. of Ohio at a cost of $9,500, this sedan-style pumping engine was first shipped by railroad to New Orleans to the International Fire Chief's convention. After the convention, where it received considerable attention from Fire Chiefs from around the world, the engine arrived in Cambridge on October 7th. Before it was put into service on October 27, 1938, a four-hour Underwriters pump test was conducted at the Wakefield Water Department pumping station at Crystal Lake. This 750 GPM pumping engine had a 100 gallon water tank." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Wakefield Daily Item, circa 1950
  "During the late 1800's Wakefield residents were able to get their news from a wide variety of newspapers. Prior to the founding of the Wakefield Daily Item on May 7, 1894 by Fred W. Young, Wakefield residents read the South Reading Department of the Middlesex Journal (1854), Wakefield Banner (1868) later known as the Wakefield Citizen (1872), the Wakefield Advocate (1872), the Wakefield Citizen and Banner (1874), the Bulletin (1881), and the Record (1886). After the establishment of the Wakefield Daily Item, the Citizen and Banner launched two more newspapers, The Wakefield Evening News in September, 1894, which remained in operation for one month, and the Wakefield Daily Banner in 1899. In March, 1900, Mr. Young sold the Wakefield Daily Item to Alstead W. Brownell, a printer in the Wakefield Block (now the Taylor Building). A few days later, in April, Mr. Brownell sold the newspaper and the printing business to Citizen and Banner reporter Harris M. Dolbeare who started his career in 1888 while still in high school. Shortly after acquiring the Wakefield Daily Item and Item Press, he also purchased the Daily Banner in 1900 and Wakefield Citizen and banner (a weekly publication) in June, 1911. One year later, in 1912, the Wakefield Daily Item and Item Press moved from the Taylor Building to its new home at the corner of Albion and Foster Street, making it one of the first small-town daily newspapers in New England to build its own newspaper plant. An addition was built in 1935 on the site of the former Atherton grocery/Champagne furniture store. The Wakefield Daily Item and Item Press were incorporated under Massachusetts laws under the name of Wakefield Item Company on January 1, 1923." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Wakefield Council #104, Knights of Columbus, 1923
  "The Wakefield Council #104, Knights of Columbus, celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1994. It was on September 16, 1894 that John William Smith, along with William H. Butler, met with Wakefield men who they felt would be interested in starting a local K of C Council. The organization was founded 12 years earlier on the guiding ideals of charity, unity, fraternity, and patriotism. The meeting was held in the Connell & Curley Block building on Main Street in a room used by the St. Joseph's Christian Total Abstinence Society. One week later, 20 men passed a K of C examination and Council #104 was established the next Sunday. On September 30 and October 7, 1894, the first and second degrees were conducted in ceremonies which took place in the Odd Fellows Building in the Walton Building on Main Street. John W. Smith was elected as the first Grand Knight. During the past century, the Council has held its meeting in the Traders Building, Walton Building, Richardson Building, and in the Odd Fellows Hall in the Walton Block which was torn down to make room for the First National Supermarket in 1941. The Council moved to the Hibernian Hall on Foster Street and in 1945, the membership purchased the Council's first permanent home at 15 Foster Street. The current headquarters at 570 North Avenue was dedicated on April 27, 1963." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Wakefield Common, July 4, 1887
  Image from the Wakefield Municipal Gas and Light Department annual calendar, 1990
• Wakefield Common, circa 1900
  Image from the Wakefield Municipal Gas and Light Department annual calendar, 1989
• Wakefield Common, circa 1900
  "Beginning in 1871, the Town began to repurchase some land it had previously sold between Church Street and Lake Quannapowitt. Improvements were made each year through enlargements and beautification of the area, assisted by the will of Cornelius Sweetser, who bequeathed $10,000 to 'extend in furnishing and beautifying a public park.' Land gradually came into the hands of the town through transfers and sales. By the turn of the 20th century, the land was being used as a park where Wakefield High School baseball teams played their games. The Wiley Boathouse (seen at right in the photo) offered rowboats, sailboats and canoes to Wakefield residents for many years. A dance hall was added in 1912 to the second floor of the boathouse where the big name bands played." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Wakefield Common, circa 1893
  "The Wakefield Common as it appeared near the end of the 19th Century. The icehouse is at the left of the picture. In the 'Handbook of Wakefield - a strangers' guide and residents' manual' written by Will E. Eaton and published in 1885, the 'park' was described as follows: 'If there is any one thing of which Wakefield may justly feel proud, it is her fine Park. The special features, aside from the artistic manner in which it is laid out, the careful manner in which it is tended, and its very central location, are its noble trees and the scenery afforded by the adjoining lake and distant views of forest and hills. Seats are conveniently located under the shade trees, and serve as enjoyable resting places for thousands during the year.'" -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Wakefield Common and Lake Quannapowitt, circa mid-1940s
  "The lower common, near the bandstand, has always attracted scores of people who enjoy the shores of Lake Quannpowitt. While still a source of pleasure for recreational and leisurely pursuits, the common at one time was the site of High School baseball games, and attracted spectators to water carnivals and speedboat races. In this circa 1947 photo, note the trees, the benches and the docks." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Wakefield center, 1890
  "Wakefield as a community began in 1639 when a small group of Lynn (also known as Linn) residents petitioned the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony for an inland plantation at the 'head of their bounds.' Permission was granted a short time later and in 1644 Lynn (Linn) Village was incorporated as the Town of Reading (Redding). Twenty-nine men and their families moved themselves and their belongings over the terrain and settled in Wakefield. These pioneers adopted a modified democratic government in 1647. The land holdings increased when the General Court gave the settlers 2 square miles of land in 1651. (Today, this additional land encompasses most of North Reading). As the number of settlers increased, political differences between the community's segments also grew during the next century. These differences did not inhibit the community from unanimously adopting the colonists' cause during the Revolutionary War and accepting the Declaration of Independence which they pledged to 'adhere to its sentiments, and stand by it to the last with their lives and their fortunes.' The long-standing political differences centered around a conflict between the Democratic Republicans (Wakefield - the First Parish) and the Federalists (North Reading - the Second Parish and the present day Reading - the Third Parish). On a mutual vote, the Second and Third Parishes voted to send a Federalist representative to the General Court, leaving Wakefield without representation. The differences could no longer be resolved and in 1812, the citizens of Wakefield split from the town of Reading and obtained a charter. Wakefield was now known as South Reading. South Reading continued to grow and in 1868 the town of South Reading changed its name to 'Wakefield' in honor of Cyrus Wakefield, the man who is credited with changing the course of Wakefield's history. It was Mr. Wakefield who brought the rattan industry, and its enormous profits, into the community. As a gift to the community, Mr. Wakefield donated the money;Caption: This photograph was taken from the top balcony of the old Town Hall and shows a northerly view of the downtown area. Prominent buildings include (from left) the Ira Wiley House (now the Olde Theatre Block) the Perkins Block on the South corner of Albion Street the Kingman Block on the north corner of Albion Street the Emerson Shoe Factory (now the Y.M.C.A.) the Baptist Chrch (erected in 1871) the Lafayette School (the old high school, erected in 1872) the old Congregational Church (at the end of Main St.) and the Universalist Church to the right.
• Wakefield & Stoneham Street Railway, circa 1907
  "Wakefield was a bustling center of transportation in the late 1800's and early 1900's because of the Wakefield & Stoneham Street Railway Company. What began as a two-mile route from the Wakefield Post Office (on Albion Street) to the junction of Main and Elm Streets in Stoneham, eventually became a four-direction electric street railway system which residents could ride 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. Planning for Wakefield's street railway system was started by Col. Charles F. Woodward. The street railway company was formed in 1889, before anyone realized the need for such a system. He was instrumental in securing a charter for the company in May, 1892, and before long, 'strong capitalists' became interested in the project. In the summer of 1892, tracks were laid along Albion Street to Elm Street, Stoneham and the first car was run over this line on August 14, 1892. Tracks were laid from the center of Wakefield, down Main Street to the Melrose line, and in the fall of 1893, tracks were laid from Wakefield Town Hall (at the corner of Main and Water Streets) through Saugus to the Lynn line. This route was opened in April, 1894. After much opposition, the Wakefield & Stoneham Street Railway Company extnded its line from Wakefield center, via Main and Lowell Streets, to Reading Center, in May, 1894. All these routes were extended within these communities. The railway met with such success that double tracks were added in the early 1900's. By 1918, however, the automobile was responsible for the demise of the street railway. The Reading route was discontinued in 1918, with the Lynn line following in 1920, and Stoneham by 1929. All street railway routes were out of operation by May, 1931. " -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Wakefield & Stoneham Street Railway, circa 1893
  "Crews on the Wakefield and Stoneham Street Railway were responsible for removing the snow from the tracks to keep them clear while the Town cleared the sidewalks. The 'rolling stock' of the Wakefield and Stoneham Street Railway Company was said to be of the latest and best equipment. The cars were heated by electricity during the winter months, a fact that the riding public was said to 'fully appreciate.' Chartered in May 1892, the street railway attracted several 'strong capitalists' in its early years. By the summer of 1892, tracks were laid from the Post Office (at the corner of Albion Street) along Albion Street to the junction of Main and Elm Streets in Stoneham. The first car traveled the route on Auguust 14, 1892. The route was soon extended to Stoneham's Central Square. In November, tracks were laid from downtown Wakefield to the Melrose line, extending to Franklin Street in that city by the spring. Both the Stoneham and Melrose extensions resulted in connections with the Lynn and Boston Railway. In the fall of 1893, tracks were laid from the Town Hall, at the corner of Water Street, through Saugus to Lynn." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Volunteer Hose 2, Chestnut Street at Tuttle Street, May 18, 1894
  "Volunteer Hose 2, under Captain A.D. Cate and Lieutenant B.C. Flockton, was among the many fire companies that participated in the Third Division of the 250th Anniversary parade. Led by the Eighth Regiment Band of Salem, the fire company division included Chief Engineer Levi Flanders and two assistants, one steamer with 12 men, a hook and ladder with 15 men, two hose companies with 10 men each, one chemical company with six men, and the volunteer hose company of Greenwood. The Reading and North Reading Fire Departments, along with Chief Engineers from five surrounding towns, also participated. The 25-member company, formerly Fountain Engine 3, reorganized as Volunteer Hose 2 on September 4, 1888. Shortly after reorganization, the members purchased a Rumsey four-wheeled hand-drawn hose carriage by subscription at a cost of $275. The volunteer company, which for many years was an 'efficient, independent company,' became a part of the Wakefield Fire Department following a Town Meeting vote in March 1892." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• View from Cowdrey's Hill, circa 1876
  "This picture was taken from Cowdrey's Hill, probably from Fairmount Avenue. Cowdrey's Hill, in the Prospect Street area, was named for the area in which William Cowdrey, one of the Town's first inhabitants, settled. The picture shows the rear of the Atwell and Emerson houses. According to the 1886 street listing, John B. Atwell lived at 1 Prospect Street where his property included a dwelling house, two shops and two to three acres of land. James Emerson lived on Prospect Street, west of Cedar Street. His property included two cows, a dwelling house valued at $1000, a barn, and eight acres of land on Prospect Street, with an additional one-acre of land on West Cedar Street, a three-acre meadow on Elm Street and 12 acres of woodland on Nahant Street. Emerson, the second son of shoe manufacturer Thomas Emerson, was active in town affairs, serving as town treasurer for 25 years, president of the Wakefield Savings Bank, director of the National Bank of South Reading and was active in organizing the Richardson Light Guard." - Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Donofrio.
• Vestry, Fourth Meeting House, First Parish Congregational Church, before 1909
  "The fourth meeting house of the First Parish Congregational Church was dedicated in 1892, and was known as one of the finest north of Boston. The style was a simple harmonious development of Byzantine-Romanesque form and color. The church was in the form of an L with the main body of the church extended north and south, while the Sunday School rooms, library, class rooms and ladies' parlor were located in the west wing. The main room of the church measured 71' x 91' with pews that could seat 750 people and a gallery in the south that could accommodate an additional 100 to 150 people. The Sunday School room measured 40' x 60' and could be added to the main room by sliding the sashes, further increasing the seating capacity by 400. This may have been the area referred to as the Vestry in the photograph. The church building was destroyed by fire in February 1909. The fifth meeting house of the First Parish Congregational Church was dedicated in February 1912." - Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Donofrio.
• Upper Depot, circa early 1900s
  "The Wakefield Board of Trade successfully circulated a petition in 1888 that requested that the Boston and Maine Railroad build a new depot on the west side of the tracks to replace the 'decrepit' wooden depot on the east side of the tracks. As early as 1886, the Citizen and Banner called for a new station 'for the safety of the patrons on the road and to do away with the present unsatisfactory and uncomfortable minutes spent in waiting on the "other side of the track" in the warm, cold, or damp and disagreeable weather.' In addition, the newspaper noted that it had become the adopted principle of the B&M management to locate depots on the west side of the track in suburban towns and cities, citing that Melrose was moving its station to the west as well. In August 1888, B&M Railroad Company agreed to the petition. The company also agreed to purchase an 82,140 square foot vacant lot of land between Chestnut and Murray Streets from the Wakefield Real Estate and Building Association, at a cost not to exceed 19 cents a square foot. B&M also agreed to buy a strip of land from St. Joseph's Church, not to exceed 25 cents a square foot, and to build a street 50 feet wide from Albion to Chestnut Streets. In return for erecting a 'commodious' station of brick and stone, the Town was required to buy a 13,720 square foot strip of land on the east side of the old station for a price equal to the average price the B&M paid for its land. The Town agreed to those terms in October 1888. Built of 'first-quality' dark red-face brick laid in English Venetian red mortar at a cost of $12,000, the station was 73 feet in length by 27 feet in width with two ornamental chimneys and a 9 feet wide veranda surrounding the station. The interior included a waiting room 25 feet by 50 feet, with a 12 feet by 14 feet ticket office in the center and four entrances, two on each side, with a monogrammed B&M inserted into the transom over each entrance. The windows were filled with the finest German glass. The depot was set back 12 to 14 feet from the tracks to allow sufficient room to increase the number of tracks from two to four at some time in the future. The station opened on Sunday, July 27th, 1890 with the ticket office opening on Monday at 3:00 p.m. The old depot remained in use as a baggage and freight storage facility until it was sold to Enos Wiley who moved it to his farm on Water Street." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Universalist Church May Festival, 1910 or 1911
  "During the early 1900s, the Ladies' Society of the Universalist Church held a May Festival at the Town Hall for boys and girls, complete with costumes and 'original and fancy dances' arranged by Miss Rose Byrne of Roxbury. The 1910 May Festival featured 175 children who participated in such skits as 'The Police and the Nursemaid,' the 'Old Fashioned Garden,' 'Mistress Mary,' 'Jack-in-the-Pulpit' and the 'Gardener.' The 1911 May Festival featured 150 children and an unusually large audience. The entertainment included eight fancy dances and May Day specialties, including a May pole as well as 'Morning, Noon and Night,' 'Witches,' 'Violets Dance Poem,' 'French Maids and Bell Boys,' 'Indian Novelette,' 'Good Night and Living Flag.' Several well-known Wakefield residents participated in the May Festival when they were children, including Laurence Young and former Town Historian Ruth Woodbury." - Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Donofrio.
• Tredinnicks - a Wakefield legacy
  "Frank A. and Mary Louise Tredinnick may well be remembered as two of Wakefield's most active and community-minded citizens. Both Mr. and Mrs. Tredinnick were actively involved in nearly every aspect of the town and its organizations for over 50 years. Frank A. Tredinnick, the son of John and Barbara (Smith) Tredinnick, was a native and lifelong resident of Wakefield. Mr. Tredinnick served as Wakefield's Building Inspector for 15 years until his retirement in 1965. He was elected to the Board of Assessors in 1952 and served as Chairman and Secretary for several years. He was Executive Secretary of the Wakefield Industrial Development Commission and was active in many community organizations including the Hurd School PTA. His active involvement in Wakefield led him to become active in several state and regional committees including membership in the New England Building Officials' Conference, Massachusetts Building Commissioners and Inspectors Association and the Massachusetts Assessors Association. He was President of the Middlesex County Assessors' Association as well as a member of the Executive Board. Mr. Tredinnick served as an assessor and compliance inspector for the Veterans' Administration. A veteran of World War I, Mr. Tredinnick served with the Combat Engineers and received a Purple Heart. He passed away in 1967 at the age of 71. Mary Louise Tredinnick was born in Lynn in 1892, the daughter of William and Mary Emma Hutchinson. Her family moved to Wakefield in 1914. She served as a member of the Wakefield School Committee for 18 years, from 1936 to 1954 and was the first woman to serve as Chairman. As a member of the committee, she was primarily responsible for the Wakefield High School (now the Jr. High School) building as well as the Dolbeare and Walton School. She was a member and President of several organziations including the Kosmos Club, the Wakefield Garden Club, Arts and Crafts Society, Visiting Nurse Association, the Monday Club, the Wakefield Mothers' Club, the Hurd School PTA, the Mary Franham Bliss Society and the First Parish Federation of Women's Clubs (the predecessor of the Women's Guild). Mrs. Tredinnick was the chairman of the Women's Division of the Melrose-Wakefield Hospital Development Program in 1961 and spearheaded the house-to-house campaign for pledges and contributions for a major building project. She was an active member of the Cancer Control Committee, the Speakers' Bureau of the United War Effort during World War II, the New England Genealogical Society and was an officer and member of the Col. James Hartshorne House Association. Mrs. Tredinnick was a member of the Court of Honor for the Massachusetts Mother of the Year in 1946 and was honored as the West Side Social Club's Citizen of the Year in 1958. A gifted writer and an avid student of music, poetry and dramatics, Mrs. Tredinnick was the author of the Tercentenary Hymn of the First Parish in 1944. She was a weekly contributor of poems to the Boston Herald and authored a book of poems as well as an essay 'The Only Book' to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the printing of the Bible. The essay was reprinted widely throughout the country and in college textbooks. Mrs. Tredinnick passed away in April 1964." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Train #26, May 7, 1903
  "Train travel to and from Boston was a necessary method of transportation in the mid-1800's and early 1900's. In 1840, the Boston and Maine Railroad built a service from Boston to Wilmington which began operating the following year. Eventually, Wakefield was on the main line from Boston to Portland, with 31 inbound and 34 outbound trips running daily. At one time, Wakefield served as an important railroad junction with three active stations and two flag stations. The present train station was built in 1890. The old depot was moved to the junction on North Avenue and was used as a freight office." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Traders' Block, Wakefield Square, 1930
  "In December, 1929, William T. Curley, Sr., owner of the Traders' Block, leased a portion of the building to the J.J. Newberry Company of New York for a period of 21 years, beginning in March, 1930. Formerly occupied by the Adams Company dry goods store and Kelsey Drug Store until January, 1930, the Traders' Block was remodeled and extended a distance of 50 feet in the rear, westward toward Foster Street. This was the second time in 10 years that the building was remodeled, the first time to benefit the Adams Company and adjacent Boothby's Specialty Shop. The site of the Traders' Block was occupied by a house which was moved back to make room for the block when it was erected in 1897 by the Middlesex Traders, a local realty investment organization of citizens of that day. The house was torn down with the 1930 remodeling for J.J. Newberry. A narrow building next to the block, now site of the Colonial Spa, was formerly owned by the Street Railway System office and Britton's Shoe Store, the Town's leading shoe store of that period. The Newberry Company operated '5/10/25 stores' which were described as a combination of the style of the W.T. Grant Company chain of dry goods store, and the Woolworth Five-and-Ten-Cent stores simply by the 'character of the goods carried.'" -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Track, 1966-1967
  "In 1916, a 'new' sport, track athletics, was introduced at Wakefield High School. The team slowly lost momentum, and after many years of inactivity, the indoor track team was reintroduced to WHS in 1961, competing in the Essex County League. By 1962 the team had a 7-0 record, and by 1964 had captured three league titles. The team joined the Middlesex League during the 1964-1965 school year, the first year under Coach James Duff. They won the league title that year with a 6-0-1 record. In 1966-1967, the indoor track team won the Class B State Championship. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, competition was so fierce in the league that WHS lost the league championship to Lexington by one point, in 1969. Coach Duff was also named coach of the outdoor track team during the 1964-1965 school year. In 1979, Coach Martin Callahan started a girls track team which competed in the North Shore League. They moved to the Middlesex League in 1980, taking the league crown in their first year of competition." -- Text from calendar.
• Town taxi, summer, 1943
  "Walter Walsh, proprietor of Town Taxi which was located at the corner of Main and Mechanic (Princess) Streets, found that he didn't have enough gasoline coupons to keep all his motor-driven taxis on the road all the time. Faced with the possibility that gasoline for taxicabs would be cut-off altogether during World War II, Walsh purchased a 'smart stepping horse' and an old-time depot carriage to carry his customers. The horse-drawn carriage was used to supplement his fleet of automobiles, but it was reported that many Wakefield patrons passed up the opportunity to ride in the cars when offered a choice. The carriage was an enclosed four-wheeler, allowing the two passengers to remain dry in the event of inclement weather." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Town Hall, circa 1947
  "The Wakefield Town Hall, dedicated on February 22, 1871, was the result of a community's desire to honor its citizens who answered the call to arms during the Civil War. Four years earlier, in 1867, a Soldiers Monument Association was formed to build a suitable monument or hall for that purpose. In January, 1868, the association reported to Town Meeting that Cyrus Wakefield had offered to donate a parcel of land, known as the Noah Smith lot, on Main Street at Water Street for the new Town Hall which would house an appropriate soldiers' memorial. In addition, he also pledged a sum of $30,000 or more, to build the structure which would also have a lecture hall for town meetings, and a room for the town's library. Solon Richardson also pledged $1,000 for furnishings. As a result of Cyrus Wakefield's generosity, the Town of South Reading became the Town of Wakefield in 1868. The Town Hall remained a vital part of Wakefield until a fire occurred on December 13, 1950. Some offices located in the structure were moved to the present day Town Hall, then the Lafayette Building, where they were to be temporarily located. Committees, Town Meeting voters, and Town officials discussed the renovation, as well as the razing of the structure which was still intact. Town Meeting accepted the recommendation to raze the Town Hall in March, 1958. At the same time, the Parking Committee recommended the site for use as a parking lot. The stately Town Hall was razed on October 20, 1958." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Town Farm, Farm Street, 1930
  "The Town Farm, also referred to at different times as the Town Almshouse, Town Infirmary, and Town Home, was located on Farm Street where Wakefield High School now stands. Shortly after Farm Street was accepted as a street in 1853, the Town Infirmary was built at a cost of $3766. In 1861, an out building was erected to house the 'insane inmates' at a cost of $174. During that same year, 224 'tramps' received care. By 1888, those numbers had increased to 1094 and a 'lock-up' in the Town Hall was used to house the tramps in 1889. According to reports, the Town Farm cared for more than 2,300 tramps in 1898. As a result, the 'Poor Department' built a tramp house in the rear of the Wakefield Block (Taylor Building), where they were given a night's lodging and breakfast for which they were required to saw a certain amount of wood before leaving in the morning. The Town Farm was enlarged several times over the years. A major fire on March 6, 1902 destroyed one of the new additions, with the main building saved by the fire department. At the start of World War I in 1917, the Board of Selectmen offered several acres of land at the Town Farm as its contribution to the nationwide movement to utilize all available ground for agricultural purposes. Over 100 local residents applied to use the land for farming. During the early 1920s, the Town Farm became a working farm, with a 'pig business, dairy business, poultry business, slaughterhouse and farm' on the 50-acre site, 12 acres of which were cultivated. The Town also entered into the garbage collection business to feed the pigs. In 1933, Town Meeting voted to discontinue the farm business, instead opting to 'provide adequate and proper care of the needy...and pay more attention to the infirmary.' This meant selling the livestock and farm equipment, but not the hay and manure which would be used for the garden. Town meeting also voted to get out of the garbage collection business, and against selling or leasing the easterly side of Farm and Nahant Street, excluding 'the premises retained for public welfare purposes.' An ERA project enlarged the dining room in 1935, and in 1940, the Town Report noted that 'here are gathered dependents not otherwise provided for. The purpose and effort of the Board and those in charge is to make it as real a home as possible.' At that time, there were 12 permanent residents and 12 residents who lived there during a portion of the year. The Town Home was closed somewhere around 1950. A special Town Meeting voted to maintain ownership of the land in 1955. In 1956, control of the home was transferred to the School Department and test borings were made to make a high school athletic field. In December 1960, the land housed the new Wakefield Junior High School, now Wakefield High School." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Three modes of transportation in Wakefield
  "The horse and buggy, the automobile and the electric street railway were prominent at the time this undated photograph was taken. The Wakefield & Stoneham Street Railway Company was organized in 1889, and chartered in May, 1892. The first tracks were laid in the summer of 1892, from the post office to the junction of Main and Elm Streets in Stoneham, a distance of about two miles. The first car made its run on August 14, 1892. Shortly thereafter, the Stoneham line was extended to Central Square in Stoneham, where connections were made with the Lynn and Boston Road to Melrose and Woburn. Tracks were later added to provide electric rail service from Wakefield center to Melrose, Wakefield Park on the West Side of town, Montrose, Lynn via Saugus, and Reading center. Electric rail service was slowly discontinued from 1919 to the early 1930's, when the trolley lines gave way to bus service." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Thomas Winship and Joshua Whittemore (1850 to 1900)
  "The period from 1850 to 1900 was an important time in the history of the town. South Reading became Wakefield, the town purchased the gas and electric works to form the Municipal Light Deparment, and the rattan and shoe industries were at their peak, bringing hundreds of new residents into the community. It was during this time of community growth that the Honorable Thomas Winship began his close association with Wakefield. A native of South Reading, (born in 1826), Winship attended local schools and worked as a clerk in the grocery store of Gardner and Hartshorn. He later worked as a bookkeeper in the Boston wholesale grocery store of Richardson & Hartshorn. In 1855 he became associateed with the Blackstone Bank in Boston where he gained his enormous financial knowledge as a paying teller. Upon the death of Lilley Eaton, Mr. Winship was appointed cashier of the National Bank of South Reading and treasurer of the South Reading Mechanical and Agricultural Institution. Considered an authority in finance and business transactions, he was sought after by the townspeople for their financial dealings. Because of this, he was named Treasurer of several organizations including the Citizens' Gas Light Company. He served as a member of the School Committee, a Trustee of the Beebe Town Library for over 20 years, and represented the town in the Legislature in 1876 and 1877 and the Senate in 1881 and 1882. Mr. Winship was an original Corporator of the Wakefield Savings Bank, serving as a member of the Board of Trustees. He was also one of the original stockholders of the Wakefield Water Company. Thomas Winship was also instrumental in changing the town's name to Wakefield and in the dedication of the Town Hall. He was a staunch friend and member of the Richardson Light Guard and an active member of the Masonic fraternity. Because of his involvement in the state Republican party, Winship was known throughout the Commonwealth for being a gentleman of broad intelligence, excellent judgement and sparkling wit. Born in Boston on; Caption: Wakefield Square in 1865 was mainly a residential area.
• Thomas Emerson's Sons Shoe Manufacturers, corner of Yale Avenue and Main Street, May, 1894
  "Decorated for the Town's 250th anniversary celebration, the Thomas Emerson's Sons Shoe Manufacturers was located where the Wakefield and Reading YMCA building now stands. Manufacturers of gentleman's dress shoes, the company had its offices on Summer Street in Boston, with its factory in Wakefield. The '1894 Business History of Wakefield' reported that the company was founded in 1805 by Thomas Emerson, and was the oldest shoe manufacturing establishment in the United States. Thomas Emerson was joined by his sons, Thomas 'the second,' as a partner in 1837, and James Emerson in 1851, at which time the name was changed to 'Thomas Emerson & Son.' Another name change, to Thomas Emerson's Sons, came into effect with the retirement of the founder in 1854. The addition of 'labor-saving machinery' necessitated the expansion of the business and its move from Albion Street to the Yale Avenue/Main Street site in 1863. The Thomas Emerson's Sons factory closed in 1902. The factory building was razed to make way for the YMCA." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Thomas Emerson's Sons Shoe Manufactory Office, circa 1890
  "Pictured in the office of the shoe manufactory of Thomas Emerson's Sons at the corner of Main Street and Yale Avenue are (from left) Harry Foster, James Emerson, Miss Carrie Wallace, E. Eugene Emerson and an unidentified gentleman in the derby hat. The company was established by Thomas Emerson in 1805, and was recognized as the oldest and 'one of the most honorable houses in the trade.' By the early 1890s, Thomas' son Thomas, Jr. was 'full of years' and was no longer running the company. He was succeeded by his brother James, who joined the company in 1851, and his own son, Edward Eugene, who joined the company in 1866. Both men were active in the community, with James serving as town treasurer for 25 years and commander of the Richardson Light Guard, and Eugene serving as a bank director and an active member and clerk of the Congregational Church of the First Parish. Thomas Emerson's Sons was a leader of 'fine footwear' and 'practically established the styles' of the day. They were the first shoe manufacturer to successfully operate a McKay 'sewer' stitching machine and were instrumental in introducing many new varieties of leather." - Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Donofrio.
• Thomas Emerson
  "Thomas Emerson was one of Wakefield's most respected citizens. Born in Reading (now Wakefield) on October 2, 1785, he was descended from a Puritan ancestry. Due to his family's limited means, he was not well educated, yet he rose above this obstacle and eventually became one of the most prominent members of the community. In 1810 he formed a successful partnership with Ebenezer Nelson for the manufacture of shoes. The partnership lasted a short time and eventually Mr. Emerson as sole owner increased the business until it was one of the most successful in the community. The factory was located on the present site of the Wakefield YMCA and produced men's shoes. Mr. Emerson was the first manufacturer in the town to inaugurate a system of cash payments to his workers in place of the previous barter system. He frequently purchased new machinery and introduced new methods for the profit of his workers. Mr. Emerson was kind and sympathetic to the poor and was a contributor to many philanthropic and missionary enterprises. In 1825 he sold his farm and surrounding buildings to the town for the sum of $3,275 to establish the Town Almshouse. He was instrumental in the formation of the South Reading Mechanical & Agricultural Institution in 1833 which was located at the corner of North Avenue and Albion Street and served as both Vice President and President. In 1844 he was elected President of the South Reading Bank, a position he held until his death. He was very well liked and was appointed to nearly every town office by his fellow citizens. He was also chosen to represent South Reading in the Legislature for eight years and served as Senator for two years. Mr. Emerson was an active member of the Congregational Church. Mr. Emerson died on November 29, 1871." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• The wharf at Lake Quannapowitt, 1905
  "During the first half of the last century, Lake Quannapowitt hosted regattas, motorboat and sailboat races, and other events both in the water and along the shore. The Lake was equipped with a wharf that served as a platform for the judges, members of the press and event/race committee members. In addition to launching boats during races and special events, the wharf was where boats were launched on warm summer days. According to published reports looking back at the era, 'sailboats, canoes, and row boats lined the water along the wharf...Wakefiedl residents enjoyed the serenity of boating and the cooling breezes of the lake.' The Wiley Boathouse is at the right, before the second story dance hall was added in 1912." - Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Donofrio.
• The third home of the First Parish Congregational Church, circa 1890
  "The history of the First Parish Congregational Church is woven into the history of the Town of Wakefield. The first house of worship was erected by the citizens of Reading on the westerly side of Main Street near Albion Street. In 1689, a more 'attractive and commodious meeting house' was erected near the present church. This structure sufficed until a third more spacious edifice was built in 1768. This third structure faced west when built and had a tall spire which was blown down in the 'great gale' of 1815. The interior of the structure was completely remodeled in 1838 and again in 1859 when the structure was considered to be 'too small and inconvenient for the growing needs of society.' The building was turned around to face the south the old steeple was taken down and a new and graceful spire erected 'commodious' apartments were provided and furnished for evening meetings, Sunday school, ladies' parlor and kitchen and the interior was greatly changed and modernized. As time went on, the sanctuary was considered too small and its accommodations too limited. A look into remodeling revealed 'conditions of weakness and decay from turret to foundation.' It became evident that extensive and costly repairs would be necessary to make the church suitable, safe and modern. On December 29, 1887, the church members took preliminary steps to erect a new church upon the site of the old one, the entire cost of which was to be defrayed by voluntary subscriptions. It was necessary to obtain additional land which was subsequently secured from the old burial-yard and the open land lying northerly of Church Street by unanimous vote of the town of Wakefield. At the same time, the parish released to the town its rights to adjoining land and received permission from county and municipal officials to widen Church Street in front of the church. Impressive farewell services were held in the sanctuary on May 24, 1890 and the third structure was demolished soon after. The cornerstone for the fourth structure was laid "The history of the First Parish Congregational Church is woven into the history of the Town of Wakefield. The first house of worship was erected by the citizens of Reading on the westerly side of Main Street near Albion Street. In 1689, a more 'attractive and commodious meeting house' was erected near the present church. This structure sufficed until a third more spacious edifice was built in 1768. This third structure faced west when built and had a tall spire which was blown down in the 'great gale' of 1815. The interior of the structure was completely remodeled in 1838 and again in 1859 when the structure was considered to be 'too small and inconvenient for the growing needs of society.' The building was turned around to face the south; the old steeple was taken down and a new and graceful spire erected; 'commodious' apartments were provided and furnished for evening meetings, Sunday school, ladies' parlor and kitchen; and the interior was greatly changed and modernized. As time went on, the sanctuary was considered too small and its accommodations too limited. A look into remodeling revealed 'conditions of weakness and decay from turret to foundation.' It became evident that extensive and costly repairs would be necessary to make the church suitable, safe and modern. On December 29, 1887, the church members took preliminary steps to erect a new church upon the site of the old one, the entire cost of which was to be defrayed by voluntary subscriptions. It was necessary to obtain additional land which was subsequently secured from the old burial-yard and the open land lying northerly of Church Street by unanimous vote of the town of Wakefield. At the same time, the parish released to the town its rights to adjoining land and received permission from county and municipal officials to widen Church Street in front of the church. Impressive farewell services were held in the sanctuary on May 24, 1890 and the third structure was demolished soon after. The cornerstone for the fourth structure was laid October 11, 1890 at the southesterly corner of the tower." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• The Motorist's Corner, 1935
  "Printed weekly in the newspaper, the Motorist's Corner featured local garages, gas (filling) stations and automobile dealers that offered specials such as American Gasolene & Oil Company's lubrication and top painting combination job advertised at $1.00. The column also included motor car tips for owners, such as why and how to clean the cooling system, how radiator ornaments change the appearance of the car, how to detect if gas has entered the crankcase, how washing dust off a car is sometimes better than wiping it off with a dry cloth, and why the best tires should be on the rear wheels. Hokie's Garage, a longtime fixture in Wakefield, is still in business as the Woodville Service on Water Street. Established in Montrose around 1926 by Maurice 'Hokie' Lenfest, the business moved to the community garages at the corner of Lincoln and Mechanic (Princess) Streets in 1928. The business moved to the rear of 85 Albion Street in 1931, and, in 1936, Lenfest bought the Kirk Brothers' grain store at 62 North Avenue at the corner of North Avenue and Armory Street. Hokie closed his business in 1956 and became associate with his son Paul at Woodville Service." - Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Donofrio.
• The boat house
  "Lake Quannapowitt and all its beauty has been the source of recreation for several generations of Wakefield residents. The bandstand was the scene of many concerts and the lake and her shore provided endless hours of swimming, sunbathing and boating. In 1872, Albert S. Wiley captured the spirit of the lake and established a boat house at the end of Spaulding Street. His son Will soon joined him and together they built a larger, more modern boat house, complete with a large wharf. This building stood facing West in Hartshorne's Cove, but was later turned to the North and used for several years as the Bath House. In 1887, Will Wiley erected the new boat house which stood at the end of Lake Avenue, directly on the shores of Lake Quannapowitt. For several years after, Wakefield residents enjoyed the serenity of the lake with numerous sail boats, row boats and canoes lining the wharf. A dance hall was added in 1912 where several big name bands performed. After the death of Will Wiley, his widow sub-let the ballroom to local promoters, namely Kimball's and Cubberley's, and the hall soon became the recreational facility for servicemen stationed at Camp Curtis Guild during World War I. The boat house and dance hall were sold to Harold and Gertrude Hill in 1923. The Hills opened the dance hall to flower shows, exhibitions, and special events sponsored by local organizations. The Hills owned the boat house until 1963 when it was purchased by the Town. The property became a Town-owned beach and later a playground for children. Recently the Wakefield Center Neighborhood Association built a new playground for the children which was dedicated in 1987." -- Text from calendar.;Captions: 1. Wiley's Boat House was originally located at the end of Spaulding Street. In this photo, taken in 1890, the boat house and its long wharf faces West near Hartshorne's Cove. The building was later turned North and used as the bath house. -- 2. The second 'more modern' Wiley's Boat House was built in the late 1880s at the end of Lake Avenue. A dance hall was added on the second floor in 1912 and the building was purchased by the Hill family in 1923. -- 3. The site of the Wiley Boat House and its successor the Hill Boat House, is now the home of a Town-owned beach and playground. The Bath House can be seen at right.
• The Big Freight, 1930
  "Local resident Ernie Payro, son of Joseph Payro, took this photo of the 'Big Freight' with its 100 cars, in July 1930. It was taken during a time when Boston and Maine Railroad was celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of the railroad and during the same month that the legendary 'Flying Yankee' first took to the rails on its express runs from Boston to Portland, Maine. According to reports, the largest of the Boston and Maine freight trains was a huge 4000 class, weighing 337 tons, with a rate of 3400 horsepower. It was said to carry 18,000 gallons of water and 24 tons of coal." - Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Donofrio.
• The Armory, A Company, 6th Regiment, near the corner of Main and Water Streets, 1906
  "In April 1894, the armory in the Rink Building at 390 Main Street, was deemed unfit for use by state building inspectors, and Company A, also known as the Richardson Light Guard, was ordered to remove all state property from the building. On May 1, 1894, Town Meeting voted to appropriate $12,000 to build a new Armory. Shortly thereafter, a lot of land was purchased next to the Cutler Bros. grocery and grain store at the corner of Main and Water Streets, just south of Town Hall. To help furnish the building, the company held an event on December 19, 1894 that 'cleared' $100. The new armory was designed, built, painted and decorated by members of Company A. The new armory was dedicated on February 15, 1895 in a ceremony that was called 'a notable event' with 'many distinguished military guests' present. The evening included a banquet at 4:30 p.m., followed by a concert and grand ball attended by 100 couples. Just 16 years later, Company A was without a home again when fire partially destroyed the armory after lightning struck wires at the corner of Water and Main Streets on July 6, 1911, igniting the Cutler Bros. store and, eventually, the armory. The building was later rebuilt, with the former drill hall becoming the new home of Robert Godfrey and Jacob Barnard's Quannapowitt Bowling Alley, and the front of the building remodeled into storefronts. The company's final armory, now the Americal Civic Center, was dedicated in January 1913, and was built across the street from its former home, on the north corner of the Cyrus Wakefield estate." - Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Donofrio.
• The altar at St. Joseph's Church, circa early 1900s
  "With its cornerstone laid in place on September 8, 1889, St. Joseph's Church was dedicated on November 9, 1890. This center altar, one of three, was resplendent in white and gold and was created under the watchful eye of Father J. E. Millerick, according to written reports. Its beauty and 'striking features of its beautiful interior' remained unchanged until a fire on March 24, 1977 destroyed the church building. Crews from 16 communities battled the wind-swept fire which began during the mid-morning hours. Newspaper accounts of the day reported that the fire probably began behind the altar. A new church was dedicated on June 27, 1980 at the same location at the corners of Albion, Tuttle and Murray Streets." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Testimonial dinner for Felix Pasqualino, February 21, 1934
  "The Italian-American Citizens' Club hosted a testimonial dinner for past president Felix Pasqualino in honor of his appointment as Postmaster of Wakefield. The banquet was attended by members and associate members at the club's headquarters above Paine's Clothing store (now Brother's Restaurant.) Head table guests included Selectman V. Richard Fazio, club president Virgil F. Cambareri, Rev. Theodore DeLuca, J. Henry Morgan and David T. Barry. The banquet committee included Salvatore Lazzaro, Sr., Fernando Proira, Salvatore LoFaro, Santo Savo, and Rocco Giaquinta. Mr. Pasqualino's appointment was announced by Congressman William Connery on January 15, 1934 and his confirmation was finalized by the United States Senate on February 10. According to the Italian News of Boston, Mr. Pasqualino was the youngest person in charge of a First Class Post Office in New England." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Taylor's Hardware, 1942
  "Taylor's Hardware advertised Blackout Curtains in preparation for the first town-wide test blackout on Sunday, March 15th, 1942 between 10 p.m. and 10:20 p.m. The test was conducted by the Wakefield Committee on Public Safety to comply with the Air Raid and Blackout Regulations of Executive Order 3, issued by Governor Leverett Saltonstall on January 8th. These orders were issued following the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. The orders required occupants of 'premises or parts of premises, public or private' to extinguish all lights or darken the premises so that no light was visible from the outside. All private signs, storefronts and other public lighting displays were to be extinguished at 10 p.m., and owners or tenants of factories, churches, municipal buildings, stores and office buildings were to provide watches during the blackout. This work was to be done without compensation, as it was the 'duty of defense.' Dog owners were advised to keep their animals inside or restrained during the blackout so they would not become nervous and attack the numerous air-raid wardens who were on patrol. Several similar tests were administered during the year. The blackout regulations were lifted in 1944." - Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Donofrio.
• Swimming at Lake Quannapowitt, 1948
  "Although a bath house was located on Spaulding Street for many years, swimmers flocked to other parts of Lake Quannapowitt to beat the summer heat. The head of the lake was a popular spot, with swimmers flocking to the area often referred to as Boulevard Beach. Other popular swimming areas included the area of Beacon Street where the Girl Scouts conducted their swimming classes. Swimming in Lake Quannapowitt was once such a popular pastime that the bath house had extended hours during heat waves. In the late 1940s, the Town Planning Board called attention to the 'conditions' at the head of the lake, referring the matter to the Metropolitan District Commission. It was the Board's intention to eventually build an additional bath house for swimmers. Eventually, the Town established another supervised swimming area at Col. Connelly Park." - Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Donofrio.
• Stringer Block, 29 Albion Street, 1937
  "The block on Albion Street known as the Stringer Block was occupied by the John T. Stringer Funeral Parlor, a firm which was established in 1911. In September, 1930, Stringer opened and formally dedicated a new funeral home. An open house was held from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and the public was invited to 'inspect the establishment and complete line of modern equipment' which made it 'one of the most up-to-date and fully equipped funeral homes of its kind.' The announcement of the grand opening also boasted of the installation of the 'latest' type of oil burner. Mr. Stringer's office was centrally located and the chapel, which accommodated 85 people 'seated', was at the rear of the building. The chapel addition had been 'stuccoed' in harmony with the finish of the funeral home. The chapel itself was determined to be a 'most welcome innovation...extremely useful when restricted space, inconvenient location or other sicknesses in the family' made it impractical to conduct the funeral from a private home. Mr. Stringer was also an insurance salesman and was very active in the Town of Wakefield. He was a member of the Expansion Board and served as the President of the Business Men for five years, among other endeavors." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Stout Building - Wakefield Rattan Company, circa 1866
  "The rattan industry was established by Cyrus Wakefield sometime in the 1830s or 1840s. In 1855, Cyrus Wakefield, a resident of the Town of South Reading, brought his growing enterprise to South Reading. He purchased property on Water Street, 'a short distance east of the Center Depot,' which consisted of two mill ponds, one on each side of the road, and a few small buildings which had been used for various manufacturing purposes. The Stout Building, a cane a rattan shop, was named after Richard S. Stout, one of Wakefield's foremost citizens and a large stockholder in the company. He was the superintendent of this department, a position which was later held by his son, George H. Stout. The building was destroyed in the great fire of 1881, which destroyed all original buildings, with the exception of a large, long wooden building near the Vernon Street side of the property. Damage was estimated to be $190,000 and the company went on to rebuild, eventially becoming the largest rattan business in the nation." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Stereograph of the First Parish Congregational Church circa 1880s
  "When viewed through a stereoscope or special glasses, two superimposed stereoscopic pictures create a two [i.e three] dimensional effect. The third home of the First Parish Congregational Church was built in 1768, facing west at the site of its current home adjacent to the lower common. It was turned to face south in 1859 with its interior enlarged and modernized. By the 1880s, the church was said to be in need of extensive repairs. A farewell service was held in May 1890 and the building was razed soon after." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Steamer Minnie Maria, circa 1873
  "The steamer, Minnie Maria, was built by Augustus Taylor, who 'had Mr. Moody do the actual work on the steamer,' according to the diary of Capt. James F. Emerson. The steamer was launched on Lake Quannapowitt on June 10, 1871. In 1874, a 30' canal was started through Reading Meadow to take Reading residents aboard, but was later abandoned. The steamer was drawn out of the lake on November 26, 1874, and, on May 24, 1876, the steamer was drawn to Spy Pond in Arlington by ten horses. The Minnie Maria was destroyed by fire in February 1878. In the photograph, the Minnie Maria was opposite 'the Carpenter's house - to the left of the steamer was Mrs. Courtney's laundry,' according to an entry in the diary." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• State Armory, Main Street, circa 1912
  "Called an 'architectural ornament' to the town, the State Armory was built of brick and limestone, with artificial stone and granite trimmings in colonial design. It was built to be different in appearance from other armories in Massachusetts and was planned to be less severe in outward appearance. The armory was dedicated on January 15, 1913. According to printed reports, 'The entire building fronts 77 feet, four inches on Main Street, and is 148 feet deep.' The drill shed at 109 feet long was a full 20 feet longer and 17 feet wider than its predecessor that was destroyed by fire in 1910. It was also noted that 'four handsome columns add to the imposing character of the front of the headhouse, and the approach is by a fine granolithic walk.' Inside the main public entrance, a bronze tablet was placed bearing the date the armory was built, along with the names of the governor, adjutant governor, members of the armory commission and advisory member, Capt. McMahon. The armory was built on the north corner of the Cyrus Wakefield estate, seen at the left of the picture, before Armory Street was graded later that year. In 1922, the knoll and driveway in front of the armory and new high school was cut away, Main Street was widened, anbd the curve on the street was eliminated. In 1923, the retaining wall in front of the armory was moved forward to align the armory lot and wall with the high school lot. This enabled the town to lay a straight sidewalk." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Stage of the Wakefield Town Hall, circa 1900
  "Wakefield's Town Hall (pictured decorated for a Masonic party) was located at the corner of Main Street and Water Street. The gift of the land and money for the building was presented to the Town in 1868 by Cyrus and Eliza A. Wakefield. The deed for the land and building read 'a building designed for a Town House and for municipal purposes but also with the desire and intent that such portions thereof as are adapted thereto, shall be, from time to time, devoted to use for patriotic, charitable, scientific, military, literary, aesthetic, educational, moral and religious purposes, and for meetings, lectures and addresses promotive thereof - as a free and unrestricted gift to the town.' Two portraits were hung at the left and right of the stage one of George Washington and one of Cyrus Wakefield. The Washington portrait was presented in 1872 as a gift to express the townspeople's gratitude to Cyrus Wakefield for his generosity. The portrait, painted by South Reading native Thomas Badger, was a copy of an original painted by Gilbert Stuart in 1796 which was said to have been in the Carlton House in London. After raising the necessary funds, the townspeople also commissioned a portrait of Cyrus Wakefield which was completed in 1783 by Thomas H. Badger, son of Thomas. The paintings were restored and repaired in 1929. A fire in the Town Hall occurred on December 13, 1950. The building was razed on October 20, 1958." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• St. Joseph's Parochial School, circa 1930
  "St. Joseph's Parochial School was built under the guidance of Father Florence J. Halloran. In addition to overseeing the building of the school, he was responsible for a mission chapel built in Lynnfield in 1922 the Chapel of the Most Blessed Sacrament (1928) and the Santissima Maria del Carmine Society chapel on Water Street, a mission of St. Joseph's Church. A new parish was formed in 1947, named in memory of Father Florence Halloran who passed away on March 26, 1947. St. Joseph's School opened on September 9th, 1925 with 92 students in the first and second grades. The school was staffed by two teachers and a music teacher, all Sisters in the Order of St. Joseph. A grade was added each year. The building had 11 classrooms, six which were occupied when the school year began in 1929. The building was described as 'architecturally beautiful...the structure is of waterstruck brick with trimmings of cast stone at the entrance and at the pinnacles.'" -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• St. Joseph's Church, 1899
  "Prior to July 1851, South Reading Catholics were accustomed to traveling to Lynn to attend Mass, and sick calls were attended from St. Mary's Church in Boston. The first Catholic Mass in South Reading was heard at the Junction home of Malachy Kenney with 'between 200 and 300' people in attendance, most coming from surrounding communities. The following day, using $600 collected at the Mass for the purpose of securing a church lot, Rev. Thomas H. Shahan purchased a 150' x 80' piece of land on Albion Street. While work on the church was in progress, Mass was celebrated once a month, usually in a private home, although it was officiated twice in the town hall. The first church stood 100' from the railroad tracks and faced Albion Street. With the increase in the number of Catholics, additional land was purchased for a new church building which was dedicated on November 9, 1890. Constructed of wood, with a tall spire surmounted by a gilded cross, the church could seat about 1200 people, including the space in the two galleries of the main body and in the easterly gallery where the organ was located. There were three altars, the central one resplendent with white and gold memorial windows (the gift of individuals and societies) stained glass windows massive pillars and ornate decorations of fresco work. St. Joseph's Church was destroyed by a general alarm fire in March, 1977. A new church building was dedicated with a Mass on June 27, 1980." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• St. Joseph's Church 100th anniversary banquet, October 12, 1954
  "St. Joseph's Church celebrated its 100th anniversary with a week-long celebration which began on Tuesday, October 5th, 1954 with a 'monster whist party' at the church hall, and ended on October 12th with a high votive Mass on Wakefield Common in the morning and a banquet and dance at the State Armory in the evening. Over 1,000 people attended the Mass, and 585 attended the banquet. The Auxiliary Bishop of the Boston Archdiocese, His Excellency, the Most Reverend Eric F. MacKenzie presided at the Mass, with Pastor and celebrant, Reverend Frederick Deasy. The procession onto the Common was led by the 4th degree Knights of Columbus, and the 100-member Nazareth Academy Girls' Choir performed that duty. The banquet and dance, under the direction of the committee led by Walter Slocumb, was held at the State Armory (now the Civic Center). Guests received a souvenir booklet which included information about the parish, including photographs, and a list of the names of the 22 men who became priests, and the 33 women who joined a religious order. The guests were entertained by Joseph McDonald who sang 'You'll Never Walk Alone' and 'Little Things Mean a Lot.' Following dinner, dancing music was provided upstairs by Jack Hennessy's eight-piece orchestra, and color movies of parish events played in the downstairs room." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• St. Joseph's Church
  "During the early days, when Wakefield was still called South Reading, Catholics in this 1500-resident community did not have a church of their own. When they wanted to congregate for worship, they travelled to Lynn. Some years later, several members of the Catholic community approached a priest from Salem who agreed to say Mass in Wakefield. The first Mass was attended by only a few Wakefield families, with over 200 people attending from the surrounding towns. The money received from this Mass was enough to buy a 150' by 80' parcel of land on Albion Street. A chapel was built on this land in 1852 and was dedicated as the Church of St. Mary's on August 18, 1854. The town of Wakefield grew tremendously over the next two decades and necessitated additional space for worship. In 1870, plans were drawn to build a church to seat 800 people and the original church was moved to Murray Street and became known as Lyceum Hall, and later as St. Joseph's Hall. In November, 1871 the new church opened with a front entrance on Albion Street. The Church of St. Mary's, which was previously considered a mission, became a full parish and was renamed St. Joseph's Church in 1873. A rectory was later built on the corner of Gould and Albion Streets. Every family in the parish was required to rent pew space for a period of three months. The church became too small and additional land was purchased. Over a period of 16 years, the church was moved closer to the railroad tracks, the nave was extended, the spire was erected, the entrance was changed to Tuttle Street, and a basement was added. The new church, officially dedicated in November 1890, cost $30,000 and had a seating capacity of 1200. The church was the victim of two fires. The first occurred on September 20, 1963 with substantial water damage, while the second completely gutted the church on March 24, 1977. Parishioners attended Mass at the Wakefield Jr. High School until the church was rebuilt and dedicated on June 27, 1980. Today the church is in the same locati;Captions: 1. The church prior to the 1977 fire. -- 2. St. Joseph's Church in 1860. The front entrance was located on Albion Street -- 3. St. Joseph's Church boasts a modern, elliptical shape.
• Speedboat regatta, Lake Quannapowitt, summer, 1929
  "An estimated crowd of 20,000 people attended the first outboard motor race ever held on Lake Quannapowitt. The race was also the first of its kind to be held on inland waters in this region and attracted 45 entrants who participated in one of six events each event included a first heat, second heat and the finals. The Class E race determined the 'fastest boat.' The race was conducted by the Expansion Board as a sporting event for Wakefieldians and 'to bring visitors to the town, put the town on the map and stamp Wakefield as up to date.' While scores of people lined the shores of the lake, the balcony of Harold J. Hill's Wakefield Boat House was reserved for guests, with the wharf open only to the committee, officials and the press. According to published reports, 'the Common itself and the boathouse never saw such extensive smoking among women folk. Girls and women of all ages could be seen contentedly puffing away at their cigarettes." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
• Spanish War Veterans Welcome Home Day, October 13, 1919
  "The Spanish War veterans marched in the Welcome Home Day parade 'in force, the men who followed the Civil War veterans as their country's defenders...they marched together for the last time, these heroic men whom the entire town delighted to honor, a khaki host that made a picture that will remain in the memories of those who beheld them for many a day. The line of march was lined with a tremendous crowd on foot and in automobiles and these applauded heartily as the heroes passed by.' The parade was held to honor the returning veterans of World War I. The Richardson Light Guard was called to action when the United States declared War on Spain on April 26, 1898. The 6th Regiment, of which Company A of the Richardson Light Guard was a member, was the first regiment to offer its services as a volunteer regiment. The men left town on May 6, 1898 under Captain Edward J. Gihon and were mustered into United States service on May 12, 1898 as Company A, 6th Massachusetts Volunteers. The men traveled to Virginia and South Carolina and boarded the Yale to the battlefront in Cuba, Guantanamo and finally Puerto Rico. They were the first United States Regiment to land there. The Regiment returned to Wakefield later that year. The veterans formed the Corp. Charles F. Parker Camp 39, United States Spanish War Veterans organization in 1909 with principles of freedom, patriotism and humanity. On October 12, 1926, the Spanish War Veterans' Hiker Monument was dedicated at the Rockery in honor of the men who served in the war." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.