In 1841, the property was purchased as a site for the Hopedale Community.  I was then a child of two
    years when my father, Henry Lillie and his wife took up their abode in The Old House, previous to the
    coming of other members of the Community.  In October 1841 my sister Lucy was born.  Hers was the
    distinction of being the first child born in the Hopedale Community.  She was named Lucy Ballou Lillie, for
    the beloved wife of Reverend Adin Ballou.

    The winter was a memorable one to my mother, for it was her first experience of frontier life.  Being a very
    timid woman, she suffered exceedingly.  From the back roads, leading from Mendon, there often
    appeared,wandering dissolute men, who in those days were called "Shacks."  On one occasion, father
    happened t obe away and a "shack" made his  appearance frightening us all, with his peculiar actions.  
    He drew out along knife from his belt and commenced to sharpen it.  No harm resulted there-from, but
    we were glad to see him leave.

    One family after another came in the course of the next few months, and Community life began in
    earnest.  Families were crowded, each into one room, which served as sleeping room. Dining room, and
    kitchen.

    My parents occupied the southeast chamber, a pleasant room with four windows.  The bed was an old
    fashioned four-poster, in summer curtained with mosquito netting.  A trundle-bed underneath held the
    two youngest children, my sister and me. Sarah L. Daniels, Greenville,  Sonoma County, California, 1910

    Click here to read much more of the history of the Old House as recalled by Sarah.

    I remember Henry’s farm on Dutcher Street (no. 200) quite well. It was owned by Norman
    Henry, whose son, Richard, was a friend of mine. They had a cow barn. There were
    trapdoors at one end of it where they could hoe down the manure where it would drop down
    under the barn. One day I was with Richard and he was going down under the barn. He
    wanted to go across to the other side. I said, “You go first.” He did. He went waist deep in
    manure. I didn’t go any further. I kept back as far as I could.

    He told me later, “Boy, did I get hell when I got home.” Of course, home was just a few steps
    away. Later he moved to the state of Washington. His sister Murial married Wesley Tinkham
    and they moved to New Hampshire. Marshall Clark, 2013   

Hopedale in May 2017


Hopedale in May 2016   

Ezine for May 1 -
Hopedale Schools in 1886, Part 1   

Ezine for May 15 -
Hopedale Schools in 1886, Part 2   

Ezine Menu              HOME   

.


    This fire hydrant is beside the driveway going into
    the former Larches, now known as Crossroads
    Clubhouse. As you can see from the town report, a
    few months after the fire it was decided that it would
    be a good idea to have a hydrant there .

    The former Larches, now Crossroads Clubhouse.It was
    built shortly after the original home on the site burned.

    The Durgins had a neighborhood grocery store at their house at 120 Dutcher Street. The
    store was downstairs and they lived on the second floor. It was part of some chain of stores.
    I don’t think it was IGA, but something like that. The Jenks family next door (122 Dutcher) had
    a candy store in their house. They might have sold soda, too. Marshall Clark, 2013

    May 1991 - Click here to go to the rest of the story
    on the big weekend building Kingdom Hall.

May Day in Boston

The Hindenburg - May 6, 1937.
120
122

Old House plaque at Adin Ballou Park.
History of Milford by Adin Ballou

    From the Park Department Facebook page: There was some spraypaint
    vandalism in the Hopedale Parklands this week. Some has been removed,
    some has been covered.

    Walter Swift has personaly offered a $200 reward to the person, who
    supplies the Hopedale Police or the HPC with a name of the vandals if it
    leads to their conviction regarding this disrespect to our town.
    Please feel free to share this info. Please call in ANY suspicious activity.

Religious graffiti? Seems like that would be an oxymoron.

    Some say, Water under the bridge." Others say, "Water over the
    dam." As in many places, here along Freedom Street, it's both.

    A broken window that looks a bit like a cartoon character.

    Parklands bridge near the Dutcher Street
    entrance. Poison ivy and skunk cabbage.

    Three houses demolished to make room
    for a new Cumberland Farms store. Click
    here for more photos.

    Below - The same location, May 11, 2017.

    Here's another picture from the Bancroft Library. The negative was a
    bit of a mess, as you can see in the lower left corner, but fortunately
    most of it survived. This one was in an envelope dated 1938.

    Council on Aging annual volunteer appreciation breakfast held at the Community
    House. Thanks once again to Atria Draper Place for providing the breakfast.

    Opening Thursday, May 11: The Little White Marketplace  on Depot Street, behind
    the Hopedale Police Station. Handcrafted items from local vendors are on display:
    soaps, jellies, jewelry, cards, and much more. Hours:  Thursday, Friday, Saturday  
    10am-6pm   For more (and better) pictures, see the Hopedale Bulletin Board on
    Facebook.

    Also across Depot Street  (under the Hopedale Town Hall) is the Curiosity Shoppe
    run by the Friends of Elders. Gently used treasures of all sorts. Hours: Thursday,
    Friday, Saturday  9:30am- 12:30pm

Hopedale Pond sunset - Photo by Amy Burns.

    Click here for the Cumberland Farms
    project with pictures now up to May 16.

    The sidewalk on Hopedale Street between
    Route 16 and Adin Street is being replaced.

Concrete dust from out-of-sight jackhammer.

May 18 - Lots of pollen on the pond.

    May 21- Gypsy moth caterpillars on the maple tree in front of my house. So far
    a smear of Vaseline on tape is keeping them from getting up to the leaves.

    Thanks to Jim Tweed for showing me this neat little item. These
    gold (sorry, evidently I need a better camera to show the real color)
    medals were given to Hopedale servicemen who served during
    World War I at a welcome home banquet at the town hall in 1919. As
    you can see on the back view, this one was given to B.H.B. Draper.

May 22 - Spindleville Pond

    Photos taken May 23. This happened a few days earlier. I could see it
    from my kayak on Sunday, May 21. Here's a bit about it from the Park
    Commission Facebook page.

    More photos.   

    We need help! Someone has been cutting trees in the Hopedale
    Parklands. All of these trees and more have been cut down.It actually
    looks worse in person. I am beyond words to explain this. I know there
    will be a reward offered for info, please report anything you have seen
    or know.

    May 29. They'd like to get to the leaves on my maple tree, and
    in some places the oak leaves are looking pretty ragged.