Upper photo - boundstone in Laurelwood at the
    Hopedale-Mendon line.

    Lower photo - boundstone on Greene Street


Wow!!!

    American chestnuts still grow in the Parklands, but they're spindly little
    things like the one in the picture at the right, sprouting up from old roots,
    and usually dying before they're big enough to bear nuts. The 1915 article
    above gives a hint at what the Parklands must have been like before the
    blight hit and the Park Commission hired Mr. Lapham to take down the
    dead and the dying.

    If you could custom design the ideal tree species, you couldn't come up
    with a better one than American chestnut. It was a huge, majestic tree, with
    a very straight stem. The wood was nearly ideal. As George Hepting has
    written, "Not only was baby's crib likely made of chestnut, but chances
    were, so was the old man's coffin." One of its good qualities was high
    durability. The heartwood could be used in situations where decay was a
    hazard. The tree was common. It made up about 50% of most eastern
    hardwood forests. It grew fast, and would regenerate itself by root sprouts
    vigorously. The nuts were edible, not only by wildlife but also by humans. It
    was an important food source for all. "The farmer's hogs were fattened on
    chestnuts, and, to no small degree, his children were also". Chestnut was
    also prized as a landscape tree. From forestpathology.org

    It's looking a lot like fall. Highway Department
    vacuuming leaves - November 2.

    Three wheels, three cyclists - unicycles on Progress Street.
    Want to try it? There's lots of help on YouTube. Watch a few of
    them before you run out and buy one.

    My son, DJ, saw the "Hopedale ZIP code car" again. He
    got a better picture this time. It  was in Harvard Square.

Hopedale in November 2015


Hopedale history ezine for November 1 - The Kentuckians, Part 1  

Ezine for mid-November -
The Kentuckians, Part 2   

Recent Pictures Menu, 2015                  HOME   

.

    I'd say make your reservations now, but the Brae-Burn
    has been replaced with a parking lot.

    Vetererans' breakfast at the senior
    center in the Community House -
    November 5. Click here for more.

    Above - The corner where the restaurant (the subject of the
    article to the left) and another little building stood years ago.

    Below - The restaurant and the house that's still there.
    Between them is a building that had various uses over the
    years. It was a cobbler shop for some years and a store at
    other times. The doll carriage parade was one of the night-
    before activities connected to the annual field day.

    All ready for the Milford Regional Medical Center melange at
    the Draper Gym and the Community House - November 7.

    Terrible picture, but it gives a rough idea of what it looked like at the Milford Hospital Melange.
    And yes, that is a very rare sight at the lower right. Alcohol at the Community House.

    On several pages in this site I've referred to the structure shown above as the Third Fireplace, but I suppose it's time for
    me to start being numerically correct. (or NC) When I was a kid there were three picnic areas on the east side of the
    Parklands, and were known as the first, second and third fireplaces. In 1957, another picnic area was added. It's between
    the first and what had been known as the second fireplace. I have been using the old names, but now that 58 years have
    passed since that was done, I'll start calling the  one above, the Fourth Fireplace, and promote the former Second to Third.

Hopedale Street - November 9

    I just saw this Draper house postcard on ebay. The Draper stack
    on the left should help in figuring out where it is, but I don't know
    yet. The way the land rises up at the right is another clue.The
    section of Progress Street between Soward and Freedom,
    maybe??? Here's a link to it on ebay.   

    Hello, Friends,
    The holidays are upon us and we have a couple of events in the
    works.

    On Saturday, December 5 there will be 2 decorative painting on
    glass workshops at the Hopedale Community House.

    Also our annual Student Art Show will also be held on Saturday,
    December 5th at the Community House. This art show is open to
    students ages 3-18 years from Hopedale and surrounding
    communities. Ribbons and prizes will be awarded.  Details and
    registration forms can be found on the Hopedale website (right
    side). www.hopedale-ma.gov   

    Both of these events are being held in conjunction with other
    happenings (such as Santa's arrival and tree lighting) in Hopedale
    that day. Be watching the news from Friends of Historic Hopedale
    and the Community House for more information.

    Hopedale Cultural Council-  Community Organization

    Billi Manning

Hopedale Winterfest 2015

Glass Painting Workshop
Saturday December 5, 2015
Hopedale Community House
43 Hope Street, Hopedale, MA 01747

Session 1 – 1:00 pm
Session 2 – 2:00 pm

You will leave this one-hour workshop with your own hand painted vase or glass.
The workshop will be run by Laura Welch, the art teacher at Hopedale Jr/Sr High
School.

The cost for this workshop is $10.00 per person.  This includes a glass or vase,
paint, a smock and bag to transport your glass piece.

You must register in advance.  Please sign up at the Community House or call
Tara Chambers at the Community House (508) 473-0820

    Okay, found it, thank's to DJ's search on Google Earth. Turns out that
    it's 2-4 Union Street. There are a few changes such as the railing in the
    middle and the removal of part of the porch, but windows, dormers,
    chimney, and Draper stack are all the same. The house on the left is
    different because the Water Cure House that used to be there was
    razed in 1968 and replaced with the one in the picture.

    Here another Hopedale item on ebay. There are dozens, but this
    and the Union Street house are ones that I hadn't seen before.
    Click here for more on Hopedale Coal & Ice.

    It's the past few years it hasn't been unusual to see turkey's in Hopedale,
    but my son, DJ, took this picture in Harvard Square on November 18.

Hopedale Pond - November 16. It was a bit breezy, but the temperature was 60.

Thanks for this ad from the good old days, DJ.

The G&U Railroad yard in North Grafton, and the LNG tanks.

Click here to see another piece of Waldo's work in Hopedale.

Click here for more on Buy Nothing Day.

Click here to see more World War II posters.

    There was a skim of ice on parts of Hopedale
    Pond on Thanksgiving, November 26.

    They're heeere!. Winter moths. Click here for
    the site the suggestions below comes from.









Photo removed because of objections of postcard purchaser.