Brookfield in the Future!

Published by W. B. Hale, Williamsville, Massachusetts
Postcard@1912
Courtesy of William Jankins

McLaurin-Jones Co. Another fine donation!

Thank you to Joyce Landine for this very nice donation!  Her uncle was a chemist for McLaurin-Jones Co. and his office was in the current rug factory (it was part of McLaurin-Jones Co. then).  His name was Harold Kenneway.  We will have to review our collection of Team Mates (their newsletter from 1944-1957 in our collection) for more information!

Other holiday boxes donated by William Jankins and Barbara Clancy.

Local author books available at the library for purchase!

Title:	Author:	Price:	Checks Payable To:
America's Apple	Russell Steven Powell	$46.00	Russell Steven Powell
an apple a day	Jacob Knight (print 1989)	$20.00	Brookfield Community Club
Bathshua	Bojan Hamlin Jennings	$15.00	Friends of the Library
Bathsheba Spooner	Jeffrey H. Fiske	$13.00	Jeffrey H. Fiske
Brookfield	Brenda Metterville, Kate Simpson	$22.00	Friends of the Library
	& Andrea Faugno		501(c)(3) #31954
Cat's Meow - Brookfield Cemetery Gate		$20.00	Cemetery Commission
Cat's Meow - Brookfield Merrick Public Library		$20.00	Friends of the Library
			501(c)(3) #31954
Cat's Meow - Brookfield Unitarian Church		$20.00	Brookfield UU Church
Devil's Elbow	Ed Londergan	$15.00	Ed Londergan
The Long Journey Home	Ed Londergan	$15.00	Ed Londergan
Making Hay	John Jeppson	$30.00	Tide Pool Press
Merrick Public Library Notecards (5 pack)		$5.00	Friends of the Library
Merrick Public Library Print		$5.00	Friends of the Library
Souvenirs	Dee Matthews	$14.00	Dee Matthews
West Brookfield	Brenda Metterville & Bill Jankins	$22.00	Quaboag Historical Society

Brookfield High School (BHS) state of Massachusetts basketball champions 1904-1905

 The boys' basketball team beat Holyoke at the Springfield Auditorium to win the championship.  Pictured here are, from left to right, (first row) George McDonald, team captain William Clancy, and Thomas Dunkin; (second row) team manager Albert "Chalky" Balcom, William "Chuck" O'Brien, school principal Guy Howard, and Raymond Gerald.

This large portrait is stored in the gallery of the library, on top of a bookcase.

Lake Lashaway Park @1898. Ladies and gentlemen await the arrival of the steamboat "Lashaway" to pay passage for a venture around Lake Lashaway

Image by William Bullard

Brookfield Times, July 2, 1897:  There are to be 15 new arc lamps placed in the Lashaway park, each to be of 800 candle power.  They will be run by electricity from the plant at Brookfield.  

Arrangements are being made for a hub and hub hose race between the Grouts of Spencer and the Brookfield hose company, to take place at the picnic at the picat Lake Lashaway, July 3. 

Brookfield Times, June 27, 1902:  There was a big audience at the sacred concert at Lake Lashaway Park last Sunday afternoon.  Supt. Clark of the W., B & S, street railway had the cars running on 20 minute time from North Brookfield to Spencer giving the patrons of the road good service.  At Marchessault's cafe a first-class shore dinner was served.  The fleet of pleasure boats did a good business and the merry-go-round man was kept busy.

 
Richards, 1898
Spencer Leader, August 26, 1921:  Harold P. Andrews of Main street who recently what is known as the Lake Lashaway park property in East Brookfield of George R. Upham, this week purchased another section on the east side of Mr. Upham, known as the Milo Drake lot.  It extends from the East Brookfield cemetery to the park lot.
       Mr. Andrews will develop this section also for cottage purposes.  In the park section are about six acres and in the Drake section there are five acres.

More information is available at the Merrick Public Library, Brookfield.

Summer on Quaboag Pond in the early 1900's, postcards from 1914 and 1922

Courtesy Brookfield, MA, Merrick Public Library Collection. (Dated 1914)

Courtesy Brookfield, MA,  Merrick Public Library Collection. (Dated 1922)

Aug. 22, 1922 (Moulton's Cottage postcard sent to New Jersey)--Dear Gram,  Having a wonderful time rowing swimming etc. Miss Aunt Eva.  Do wish she was here.  We'll be back soon to see you.  Maud and I are burned as berries.  Mama is still in Boston and will be home soon. Will write more later.  Thelma is going to New York next week.  Vivien and Maud

Quaboag River and a business on Central Street with Martin Donahue

Donahue's Landing on the Quaboag River (at today's boat ramp).  Image was sent as a postcard around 1913 from a young girl named Mabel to her mother in Worcester; she wrote, "The man on the wharf is Mr. Donahue.  We are having a dandy time." (Courtesy of James Allen.)

Mr. Donahue, also, owned a business on Central Street.  In the Valuation and Taxes of the Town of Brookfield, Massachusetts 1898, Martin Donahue paid stock in trade 500 and 6 boats 75.  Today, left to right, Tip Top Country Store, garden lot and Hillcrest Montessori School with Ms. Shelby and Ms. Jen. (Courtesy William Bullard.)

 Mr. Donahue is in the doorway of his business on Central Street in 1911.  He sold a variety of paper goods, cigars, and groceries. Hardy Frazier purchased the building and business in 1924, his daughter Velma ran the business until 1988 when she retired. 

(Courtesy of Barbara Clancy.)

Mr. Donahue in the white coat, in front of his store is surrounded by H. Donahue, J. Shea, L Lucier, E. Lucier, W. O'Brien, H. Irwin, J. Bowler, J. Byron and E. Hannigan.  The photograph was taken by Roy Moulton. This building is now Hillcrest Montessori School on Central Street. 

(Courtesy of Michael Seery.)

A memorial Field Day at Oakland Gardens on Quaboag 1896

 Image of Oakland Garden @1905 photographer Theodore Clemens Wohlbruck, from the American Antiquarian Society collection

L.J. Richards & Co. Atlas 1898

Brookfield Weekly Times, June 5, 1896

FORESTERS FIELD DAY AT OAKLAND GARDENS, May 30, 1896  (excerpts from a 2 column article at the library)

Every available team from surrounding towns was pressed into service.  (Ware, Spencer and all the Brookfields).  Old Quaboag lake was in a happy mood, her bosom was just ruffled by the passing breeze, while here and there her surface was dotted by boats moving lazily along, the merry laugh of the occupants echoing shoreward over the sparkling waves.

By 12 o’clock it is estimated that there were 1500 people on the grounds and by 2 o’clock this number had been increased to 2500: practically everybody came in coaches and carriages, hence there were teams everywhere; some were hitched in the open, many in the groves, while not a few found their way into the stables.

            About this time a party of nearly 20 lady bicylists arrived from West Brookfield, dressed in their jaunty wheeling costumes, they made a decided stir among the young men, some of whom had apparently been waiting for them.

            The big stack of sandwiches stored away in the restaurant were in great demand, everybody seemed to be hungry and dry.  At the lunch counter under the grandstand it was the same story; temperance drinks were sold the rate of a case a minute until the supply was exhausted.

(Events included: tournament ball games and horse trots.  The Foresters competed by laying 200 feet of dry hose the quickest.)

More postcards in Picasa Web Album

More photographs and postcards (from Sherril Cote's great collection) may be found on our website in our Picasa Web Album and on display in the library.

Vintage postcards and more on loan from Sherril Cote

These items and more are currently on display at the library.