Hopedale in December 2015

Hopedale history ezine for December 1 - GReenleaf-3   

Ezine for mid-December - Community House Dedication   

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    A.Draper pay envelope from a time when
    employees were paid in cash. In the days
    before credit cards, Draper employees could
    have their bills for coal or oil at the Coal and
    Ice, and gasoline at Draper's Dutcher Street
    gas station, deducted from their pay. H.M.B.A.
    refers to Hopedale Mutual Benefit Association,
    an employee insurance fund.

Winter moth.

    Photos taken from the back of the George
    Cemetery, George Street, Mendon.


    Below - The statue, protected for the winter, in 2015.


    From time to time I've heard people say that princess pine is a protected
    plant and shouldn't be picked. Here's a link to the Massachusetts List of
    Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Species There are three
    princess pine relatives on the list, but the maps show them to be found only
    in coastal areas. The wreath above was made of princess pine from
    Blackstone. Here's more about them on Wikipedia - Lycopodiaceae     
    Diphasiastrum    

    Hopedale's most momentous celebration was Christmas, held in
    December to commemorate not so much Christ's birth - which was
    supposed to have been in the spring - as his example.  It was a
    conscious defiance of New England's religious past, when Puritans
    had spurned Christmas as a heathen holiday. Edward K. Spann,
    Hopedale: Commune to Company Town. Click here for more on the
    celebration of Christmas in early Hopedale.

Ready and waiting to go!
1916

    Birds on the Draper stack. Must
    be a great view from up there.

    The G&U Polar Express.

    Warren Henry Manning photo of the Parklands in the
    early 1900s. I decided to give it a HOLLYWOOD look.

    I was a bit surprised to see this heron near the beach at Hopedale
    Pond. When there's one at the pond, it's usually at the upper end.

    Santa arrives for lunch at the Bancroft
    Library. Click here to see more.

Santa is a busy guy. Here he is in Millville.

    Thanks to Kathi Wright for sending this page which includes a mention of a Hopedale High senior class on
    their Washington trip. (Probably in 1921.) See second paragraph in "Many Call on President."  

    If Dorothy, Lillian and D.W. went to the White House to see President Coolidge in 1922, as it states in the
    paragraph below the clippings, they were a bit early. He became president when Harding died in August 1923.

Victrola ad from 1913.

    In these days of Christmas trees, public and private, in all religious denominations, it
    is difficult to realize that the evolution of the Christmas tree in this country covers
    comparatively few years; and that the little village of Hopedale was one of the pioneers
    in this line, some sixty years ago. Frank Dutcher, Hopedale Reminiscences, 1910

    Interested in Draper items? Shuttles, books, papers, videos,
    photos, etc? Click here for a page of search results.

December 15, 2015


    Knit-goods trees. Left, Bancroft Library children's room.
    Right, Senior Center room at the Community House. The
    items will be donated through the Milford Food Pantry and
    the Home for Little Wanderers.

Hopedale Pond - on Christmas Day in the morning.

    Winter moths have been a problem in this
    area for the past couple of years. They've
    been busy reproducing in December, and the
    caterpillar stage will be busy eating in the
    spring. Below are some suggestions to help
    in dealing with them, and here's a link to a
    page on the UMass site about control of them.

Oak Street - December 2015

Click here for more on Fitzgerald Drive.

    Click here to go to the Milford Daily News article
    on the top Hopedale stories of the year.

    From a Hopedlale page on Facebook.

    Frank E. Wylie
    December 29 at 11:23am


    Hello everyone, if you know anyone who lost a drone at
    Christmas tell them we have it at 17 Home Park ave. it was
    almost in our pool

    December 29. A little wet snow, that soon changed to rain. The
    last time that I took a picture of snow on the ground was April 1.