Norton MA Historical Society

01/21/2021

This is in Taunton, but a great picture. Love that the building is still there!

#ThrowbackThursday
Morton Block, Corner of Main and Union Streets, 1909

This familiar downtown landmark has stood at the corner of Main and Union Streets for 180 years. When it was built in 1840, Martin Van Buren was president and there were only 26 states in the Union. From the time of its construction until the present day, the building has accommodated businesses on the first floor and apartments upstairs.

According to the older photo, taken in 1909, F.K. Wood’s grocery store window was advertising spinach at 12¢ a package, lettuce at 5¢ a head, and celery for 12¢ a bunch. What the well-dressed young man was waiting for is anybody’s guess.

01/16/2021

Norton MA Historical Society's cover photo

12/01/2020

Norton MA Historical Society's cover photo

10/29/2020

Cool photos! In Taunton.

#ThrowbackThursday
Robert Crossman House

Hundreds, maybe thousands, of people pass by the old Robert Crossman house every day without realizing its historical significance. Located at 78-80 Cohannet Street, across the street from the YMCA, it was built in about 1700 by Robert Crossman, Jr. In its day it was considered an architectural masterpiece—a gem—though most of its best features are gone now.

The building stands just a stone’s throw uphill from the Mill River, where the earliest settlers of Taunton built their grist and fulling mills. The Crossmans owned and operated those mills for generations. In their early years as millwrights, they were constantly battling angry townspeople who claimed that the waterwheels obstructed the passage of the thousands of alewives (herring) that were also essential to Taunton in the early days.

Over the years, the building has been used as an inn, a tavern where Taunton militiamen gathered, including during the American Revolution, and a boarding house. For two generations after the Second World War, it was a service station and office operated by the Bloom family. Today, it’s reportedly used as an auto towing and repair business.

We often say that if buildings could talk. . . . If that were the case, no building in Taunton would have more stories to tell than the old Crossman house.

10/22/2020

Some backstory on the cover photo...http://www.boudillion.com/witchbridge/witchbridge.htm?fbclid=IwAR0Bt6EImo_8rvsmD4MVBNX9WqMifiOsU3-FJjv7gzkyfZBquRfVmbRH3OI

10/22/2020

Spooky Legends of Norton [VIDEO]

To set the stage for a spooky Halloween (as if 2020 wasn't scary enough for ya!) https://patch.com/massachusetts/norton/spooky-legends-of-norton?fbclid=IwAR3PVjfFRdE35Wy3pn9tXshumHYXJkkeaaHrmcpudKLqjfAKmJzcZcmjvvk

A devil and witches supposedly resided in town.

10/22/2020

Norton MA Historical Society's cover photo

09/26/2020

Dave

HORNBINE SCHOOL MUSEUM OPEN THIS SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 27, 2020
The Hornbine School Museum is a one room school house (1846 – 1937) LOCATED at 144 Hornbine Road in Rehoboth. Children are always facinated with our outhouse. Fall is here and this will be our last openhouse for the pubic until next year. Don't forget to use your masks. We will be open between 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. this Sunday. FOLLOW us on Facebook at "Hornbine School Museum".
You and your family will have limited access to the building. We ask:
1. Please do not visit if you have symptoms of Covid 19.
2. Wear a mask and maintain a distance of 6 feet.
3. Groups of 4 or less will have restricted access to the Museum.

09/15/2020

78 Dean St, Norton, MA 02766 - realtor.com®

This gorgeous home, "The Lane House" c. 1775 is for sale again! Used to be part of Glenmere Camp. Additional pics in comments!
https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/78-Dean-St_Norton_MA_02766_M41018-57597#photo0

Own a piece of history with this Norton landmark home. Originally The ''Lane House'' (c1775), this stunning and exceptionally maintained 3 bedroom/2 bath antique cape style home sits proudly on a 1 acre corner lot beside a classic two story barn. This unique and impressive property offers all the ch...

09/12/2020

FYI

The Hornbine School Museum will be open to the public this Sunday, September 13, 2020 from 2 - 4 P.M. The Museum is located at 144 Hornbine Road in Rehoboth, MA (about a ten minute ride from Rte. 44 going south on Rte. 118.)
We ask:
Please do not visit if you have symptoms of Covid 19.
Wear a mask and maintain a distance of 6 feet.
Groups of 4 or less will have restricted access to the Museum.

FOLLOW us on Facebook at "Hornbine School Museum"

09/12/2020

Norton MA Historical Society's cover photo

09/03/2020

Landmark Lafayette House slated for demolition

Noooooo!!!!!!!

https://www.thesunchronicle.com/foxboro_reporter/news/local_news/landmark-lafayette-house-slated-for-demolition/article_dca04fa5-c22c-5f81-84c3-81c500bd2bf5.html?fbclid=IwAR0y4clYbi-p0jZnWBio-Xz7bTUL_qZWvCf6xRsYXSnQQ3pRoX4X0mQLTo4#tncms-source=block-contextual-fallback

One of Foxboro’s oldest and most familiar Colonial-era landmarks may be slated for the wrecker’s ball — a victim of changing tastes and, more recently, the coronavirus pandemic.

08/17/2020

Susan

Susan

I am an independent researcher interested in places associated with people who were enslaved in Massachusetts during the colonial and early republic days.

Where was "Quock's Orchard" that is referred to in "A History of the Town of Norton, Bristol County, Massachusetts, from 1669-1859?" According to the book, "Many years ago, there lived about half a mile from, and directly in front of, the present residence of George Lane, an Indian by the name of Quock … An orchard near where his wigwam stood is to this day known as ‘Quock’s Orchard.’ This Indian is supposed to have been slave the latter part of his life, first of Major George Leonard, and then of his son Ephraim." https://archive.org/details/historyoftownofn00clar/page/56/mode/2up?q=quock%27s+orchard

Any information will be greatly appreciated. Even just a small piece of the puzzle that might help solve this mystery will be greatly appreciated.

08/17/2020

Eliot

Can someone tell me what this note is that was included with an ‘intention to marry‘ in 1777 Norton?

07/29/2020

FYI

HORNBINE SCHOOL MUSEUM IN REHOBOTH
We plan to open the school for Sunday Open House, August 9th from 2 – 4 p.m. We are located at 144 Hornbine Road in Rehoboth, MA. Please wear masks. There will be limited access. Visitors will have a chance to use a slate pencil. It's a unique experience. SHARE this with your friends if you think they may have an interest in history. FOLLOW this if you want more postings.
In the nineteenth century, school children in Rehoboth used slates to practice handwriting and arithmetic without wasting precious paper. The board was made from a piece of quarry slate set in a wooden frame. They were personal-sized blackboards. Often, students wiped away their work, using the cuff of their sleeve, after it was checked by the teacher. This process is the origin of the phrase 'to wipe the slate clean', which we still use to mean to make a new start, or to forget the things that have gone before.
A slate pencil (not chalk) was used to form the letters. Slate pencils were made of soapstone or softer pieces of slate rock, sometimes wrapped in paper. Many Palmer River students remember the sound of the slate pencil, "...like nails on a chalkboard..." when they visited the Hornbine School for a day. Many 19th century children would sharpen their slate pencils on the school wall.
These slate pencils are wrapped in paper decorated like the American flag and stored in a cardboard box with an American flag design. In the United States, slate pencils were manufactured at least as early as 1844 and at least as late as the 1910s. A Vermont company produced up to 100,000 pencils a day, which were shipped throughout the world in the mid19th century. By the end of the Civil War, slate pencil manufacturing began to wane as wood and graphite pencils took over the marketplace.

07/23/2020

I remember when they had cows next door.

#throwbackthursday to the 80s.
Est. 1978 Norton, Mass
@produce_barn_norton_ma
ProduceBarnOnline.com

Thank you for shopping at the Produce Barn!

#mansfieldma #attleboroma #nortonma #wheatoncollege #tauntonma #boston #eastonma #plainvillema #xfinitycenter #foxboroma #rochebros #brockton #northattleboroma #norton #providenceRI #seekonkma #rehobethma #pawtucketri #brocktonma #sharonma #marketbasket

07/16/2020

The time when Bob Hope came to neighboring Taunton....

#ThrowbackThursday: Bob Hope on Taunton Green

Thirty-five years ago, in June 1985, the cities and towns of southeastern Massachusetts were celebrating the 300th anniversary of the founding of Bristol County. Several events were held throughout that spring, and Taunton’s most memorable took place on June 2, when legendary entertainer Bob Hope briefly appeared at a program held on the lawn of the Superior Courthouse.

Temperatures that Sunday afternoon were in the mid-80s as thousands of people crowded the Green or watched from open windows of nearby buildings. State and local dignitaries sat in reserved seats and the program was emceed by a television anchorwoman. The crowd was there to see Hope, but as they waited their attention was briefly drawn to a long black stretch limo with tinted windows that made its way slowly up the driveway. While everyone had a guess as to who might be inside the car, loud applause began when the door opened and boxer Marvin Hagler, the reigning middleweight champion of the world, stepped out. A Brockton native, Hagler had many fans in the area and the cheers and applause continued as he moved to his reserved seat.

With Hagler in place, it was time for Hope to appear, and he surprised the crowd by walking out the front door of the courthouse. Accompanied by a Massachusetts state police trooper, he made his way to the microphone, where he was joined by Hagler. They joked a bit and then the program continued. After receiving a couple of gifts, both made locally at Reed & Barton, Hope bantered a little with Taunton mayor Richard Johnson and then addressed the crowd. He thanked his audience for the warm welcome and complimented city officials on maintaining such a beautiful New England setting.

Bob Hope was one of the most renowned entertainers of the last century. Throughout a career that began in the 1920s, he had mastered vaudeville, motion pictures and television. His face was recognized worldwide and over six decades he had shared the stage with most of the famous and a few of the infamous. Beginning in World War II, his star-studded traveling shows had entertained millions of American GIs in every part of the globe.

Hope’s humor was often self-deprecating. He had just turned 82-years old when he visited Taunton, and he told the crowd that last year he had celebrated the 42nd anniversary of his 39th birthday. After a few more jokes, he again told the audience how pleased he was to be here, and asked to be excused because he had another appearance at another Bristol County event later in the day. Bidding farewell to Hagler, he was escorted to a waiting car.

One of the recurrent themes of Hope’s humor was his advancing age, and indeed many wondered how long he would continue to make public appearances. In fact, Hope remained in the public eye until 1997. He died six years later, at age 100.

07/04/2020

Photos: Step right up -- for Brockton Fair photos from 1930s-80s

Happy 4th of July! Going to the Brockton Fair was a tradition for many, so enjoy these old pictures!

https://www.enterprisenews.com/photogallery/WL/20190628/NEWS/628009995/PH/1?fbclid=IwAR0VztoUY5tARnxC-pFWe_kHWQMZ_0nlvuaGrtXFi1Zrnyqh-YdZkOEbOL0

With the Brockton Fair opening on Friday evening, The Enterprise is taking you back in time with photos of the annual event dating all the way back to the 1930s. The fair has been running since 1874.

07/04/2020

Norton MA Historical Society's cover photo

05/13/2020

The former Tweave Building....

An old textile mill building on Barrows Street in the Barrowsville section of Norton went up in flames Wednesday. The 5-alarm fire in the former Tweave Building was called in shortly after 5 p.m. (Mark Stockwell/Sun Chronicle Staff)

03/28/2020

Something to read from the Mansfield Historical Society. Wonder how what we are going through now will be recalled in History books.

Spanish Influenza (1918)
Last year we wrote an article on the Spanish Influenza of 1918-19. We have resisted posting it again. We were not sure if readers would want to revisit that pandemic at this time. However, when profiling the “Our Daily Bread” food pantry on Channel 4 last night, WBZ’s Paula Ebben mentioned that the Congregational Church was used as a field hospital during the Spanish Flu, an example of how ordinary people pulled together then as they are now. How true. Our forebears pulled through that freighting outbreak together, and we will do the same now. So here is our article once again. Be well everyone!

THE SPANISH INFLUENZA

In the autumn of 1918, World War I was nearing an end. But few were prepared for the next crisis that was about kill more people globally than the war itself: the Spanish Influenza.
A horrific flu strain that was incorrectly associated with Spain, the “Spanish Influenza” killed over 20 million people worldwide in a six-month span, far more than the war did (11.9 million) over four years. In the United States 600,000 lives were lost, and in Massachusetts the death toll was 22,000.
And sadly, Mansfield was no exception. From the outbreak in late September 1918 through the following February, 44 Mansfield residents died of the flu. The town was in crisis mode from late September until the first week of November, when the worst of the epidemic subsided. Death by Spanish Flu was horrible, and there was great fear over such a virulent outbreak. Fortunately there was also considerable cooperation to see the crisis through.
The first death by Spanish Influenza in Mansfield occurred on September 24, when John Malloy of Chauncy Street, a 20-year old employee of the S.W. Card Manufacturing Company passed away. By then the town was beginning to mobilize against the flu. That same day the public schools were closed and would not reopen for an entire month. Local factories were decimated by a lack of workers. To prevent further spread of the disease the Board of Selectman soon banned all public meetings and ordered all funerals private.
And a string of sad stories began. Among them was Gussie Hanaford, also of Chauncy Street, whose husband and mother both succumbed to the flu within a span of two hours. There was Mrs. George Lameraux, a wife and mother of seven. Florence White, 34 years old, followed two days later by her husband Charles, 38. Several children and infants were lost, including a six-year old boy and twin 17-day old girls. Five Mansfield servicemen died by Spanish Flu while serving in the war.
Our local doctors made endless house calls. There were far too many cases for them to handle, so the town established a “Community Hospital” at the Congregational Church. Miss O’Rourke, a Red Cross nurse from Lowell, was appointed to run the hospital. Selectman William P. McDermott secured the services of two female doctors, a Dr. Bruce and Dr. Benedict of New York and New Jersey respectively. The hospital was opened for five weeks, treated 146 patients, and suffered 15 deaths. A “Community Kitchen” was also established at the Methodist Church for families that were sick and unable to cook.
The Community Hospital was considered such a success that a committee was appointed to consider a permanent hospital in Mansfield, but in the end no such action was taken. The influenza crisis subsided in the first week of November, and the next week great joy arrived in the form of the Armistice that ended World War I. Nine more influenza deaths hit Mansfield through February 1919 when the strain finally disappeared and the frightening episode faded into history.

03/23/2020

Norton Alerts

Stay Safe Norton and help slow the spread!!

03/16/2020

Stuck at Home? These 12 Famous Museums Offer Virtual Tours You Can Take on Your Couch

Hope everyone is doing ok during this difficult time we are facing. While we all practice the social distancing protocols, here is a link so you can all tour some museums virtually. Stay healthy my friends!
https://www.travelandleisure.com/attractions/museums-galleries/museums-with-virtual-tours?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=social-share-article&utm_content=20200313&fbclid=IwAR3zUKobGxL7OM57EJCvEt3fEqU1CSn4Qh5jqKdEtfWx_OVi8Xii_AXmcmI

Going into a self-quarantine can have many complex issues and complications beyond having enough food and supplies for two weeks. In terms of entertainment, it…

03/03/2020

Not in Norton, but in Canton. So sad.

Today, Canton lost a part of its history and heritage with the demolition of the Canton Water Works Building on Pice Street. Take a moment and consider all we have lost, and help us protect what's left of our heritage. Join the Canton Historical Society and be a part of the preservation of Canton. Tell our town leaders that we care about our architecture, archeology and the artifacts that make Canton special.