Norton MA Historical Society

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.

02/08/2020

Norton MA Historical Society's cover photo

12/13/2019

Norton MA Historical Society's cover photo

11/24/2019

Norton MA Historical Society's cover photo

10/17/2019

Eric Paulus is a Norton High School teacher who was born to baby boomer parents. Influenced by his parents' music at an early age, he fell in love with Woodstock. He uses Woodstock to teach the history of the time to his classes and to show how music and history are intertwined. If you were there or heard about it from your parents or grandparents you will surely enjoy this program! The public is invited to this free program. Please Share!

10/17/2019

Plainville Historical Commission, Plainville Massachusetts

Norton Muster 1968 Best Ladder Trophy Chief Skinner and Chief Witherall (Norton)

@ Norton Fire/Rescue Department
@ Norton MA Historical Society

10/17/2019

Peter J.

This is an article in the Mansfield News from Friday October 15th, 1926 and it was on Thursday October 14th, 1926 that a large barn located in the rear of the Wheaton Inn at Wheaton College in Norton and it was used as a livery stable to store hay and as an American Railway express representative office was almost destroyed in a fire of an undetermined cause

10/17/2019

Eric Paulus is a Social Studies at Norton High School and he and his students join us when the 3rd graders take their annual historical tour of Norton. On Sunday Oct. 27th, Eric will deliver an informative and interesting talk about Woodstock. Please join us!

09/24/2019

Norton MA Historical Society's cover photo

09/19/2019

Norton MA Historical Society's cover photo

09/19/2019

Due to the ongoing night operation of the sewage project along the street, there will be no monthly September meeting at the Historical Society. The next meeting will be October 27th. As always, if you are interested in volunteering at the Society during the week, please contact us at 508-285-7070 or at [email protected]. We recently reduced our open hours due to lack of volunteers.

09/11/2019

Learn. Remember.

From the Taunton Daily Gazette on September 12, 2001.

Explore the work of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum
Visit www.911memorial.org/anniversary
Learn
Remember

08/15/2019

Great place!

There was a ribbon cutting today to commemorate the reopening of the Fisher Richardson House! Under the leadership of Historical Commission and Historical Society member Lou Andrews, the Fisher Richardson House is ready for visitors again for the first time in several years, beginning this Sunday. Come see the displays depicting life in Mansfield from the Colonial era to the Industrial Age. Hope to see you there!

08/03/2019

Historic Campbell House and barn in Norton coming down

So sad.

NORTON — One of the oldest homes in the Attleboro area, believed to date to the late 1600s, is slated for demolition Monday.

06/24/2019

Norton MA Historical Society's cover photo

06/15/2019

This was in today's Sun Chronicle! Chartley Country Store

05/19/2019

Norton MA Historical Society's cover photo

03/24/2019

Not in Norton, but I'm sure most of us remember Sannie's. I always hate to hear of old buildings being torn down!!

Times change, places change…it happens. And through it all Mansfield remains a great place to be. But we must note what appears to be the imminent demolition of a genuine Mansfield landmark: the former Sannie’s clothing store of North Main Street.
Sannie’s was founded by the four Farinella brothers: Santino (Sannie), Charles, Anthony and Frank. Initially Sannie’s occupied the southerly part of the building, which was once three stories high. Sannie’s purchased the Wasserman Block in 1958 and expanded the store all the way to Thomas Street. Shoppers came from all over the area to the store “Where Mansfield Styles Begin.” Decades of children recall doing their back-to-school shopping at Sannie’s. Others reminisce about the unusual ramp that separated the original store from the newer section below. And many fondly remember the tall exterior “Sannie’s” sign that became a local landmark.
Business boomed at Sannie’s in the second half of the 20th century. But as time went by the Farinella’s reached retirement age, malls had become the “place” to shop, and in 1992 Sannie’s closed its doors. The building was sold and divided into retail space in the style of a mini-mall. It was anchored by a breakfast restaurant at the corner of North Main and Thomas Streets, known over the years as the Bagel Train, Devon’s Place, Driscoll’s, Aunt Aleda’s and the Looking Glass Café. Knapp Video offered VHS movie rentals at the southerly end of the building in the 1990’s. Colonial Insurance later occupied that space.
Also slated to come down is the Billings Building of Thomas Street, formerly the A&P grocery store, better known in recent years as the Fabric Care Center. That building dates to the early 1900s. In the 1970s the location was a Cumberland Farms store, and later the Fabric Care Center, a combination laundromat and dry cleaner.
In between Sannie’s and the Billings Block was the Spaulding house, a large homestead that once belonged to jewelry manufacturer Doliver Spaulding. The Spaulding house was moved twice. Originally located at the corner of North Main and Thomas (then Chauncy) Street, it was moved a few hundred feet west up Thomas Street next to the Billings Building. The home was moved again on January 21, 1994, from Thomas Street to 80 Pratt Street where it still stands today. The Mansfield Bike Shop was between Sannie’s and the Spaulding house, which later became Sannie’s Little World and featured children’s clothing.
That busy corner has seen a lot of traffic and a lot of change over the years. But to those who lived in Mansfield in the second half of the 20th century, it will always be Sannie’s. And thank you Mark Farinella for these wonderful Sannie’s photos!

02/02/2019

Norton MA Historical Society's cover photo

12/20/2018

Norton MA Historical Society's cover photo

12/20/2018

"Merry Christmas, you wonderful old Building and Loan!"

Technically I know it's the Norton Savings and Loan..but still

12/20/2018

Norton MA Historical Society's cover photo

12/07/2018

Interesting!

We present to you a Mansfield mystery. When the veterans of World War I came home from overseas, the citizens of Mansfield organized a “Welcome Home Day” celebration to commemorate their return. A souvenir program was printed with an Honor Roll of 307 men and one woman from Mansfield who served in the Armed Forces. The program also featured photographs of the 12 local men who died in the service, with a brief descriptive caption.

One of these men was William A. Shaw. Born in Mansfield on June 6, 1887, he was the son of Stillman F. Shaw and Lena (Lacy) Shaw. He attended local schools and later worked as a jeweler. He boarded with his parents in a house on Bristol Street.

The commemorative program suggests that at some point, William Shaw entered the Canadian Army Medical Service. This was most likely prior to the U.S. entry to the war in April 1917. The program states that he was killed in the well-documented explosion in Halifax Harbor on November 30, 1917.

And so the mystery starts. History clearly states that the great explosion in Halifax Harbor occurred on the morning of December 6, 1917, when the French ship SS Mont Blanc, loaded with explosives, collided with the Norwegian vessel SS Imo. The subsequent blast shattered the city and killed almost 2,000 people. This historic date does not jibe with the one listed in the Mansfield Welcome Home program.

The records of all victims of that fateful day are maintained in the Nova Scotia Archives. William A. Shaw is not found in those records. Nor is he listed in the military records of the Archives of Canada. No trace can be found of the man. Searches of the Mansfield News have turned up no references of his traveling to Canada, enlisting in the Canadian Army, or of being a causality of events in Halifax.

When Stillman and Lena Shaw passed away their obituaries stated that their son William had died in the Halifax explosion, just as the Welcome Home program indicated. Mr. and Mrs. Shaw are buried in Spring Brook Cemetery in Mansfield (their grave is pictured here). But there is no memorial stone or inscription to William’s memory, and the Spring Brook records confirm that he is not buried there.

It’s as if any verifiable proof of William Shaw’s demise has vanished from history. If you should happen to have any, the Mansfield Historical Society would like to hear from you! We would like to fully document and honor William Shaw’s service to the Allied cause during the Great War.

11/19/2018

Peter J.

This Afternoon at the Norton Historical Society, it was a military open house and there were lots of historical memorabilia that was donated from local residents who served in the military ranging from sheet music and medals to pillow covers and gas masks and all sorts of things, plus historical information on the stuff as it was a wonderful event and it was attended by a couple of people including local veterans Fred Williams, Herbert Church, Paul Romanelli and Carl Pietro and all sorts of people there as it was a great time

11/06/2018

Norton MA Historical Society's cover photo

10/06/2018

Filming and Photography in Quincy & Neighboring Communities

This was posted online and this page was tagged in it. See who you may recognize!

Norton High School Marching in
Quincy's 40th Annual Christmas Parade
December 1, 1991
Quincy, Massachusetts
Norton MA Historical Society Norton High School (Massachusetts) Norton MA Town Clerk Norton Patch
#Christmas #Parade #NortonHighSchool Norton Public Schools Norton Public Library Norton MA Historical Society Norton High School The Downtown Norton Cable Access Norton Commons The Norton Local Wicked Local Norton Norton TOWN Council Norton, Massachusetts The Sun Chronicle Norton, MA - Norton Reporter The Norton Social #Norton #Massachusetts #Quincy #Massachusetts

09/24/2018

Norton MA Historical Society's cover photo

09/12/2018

Flea Market at Historical Society on 9/15/18
8am-2pm
Space available for $20

08/14/2018

Peter J.

This is an photo in the Sun Chronicle from Thursday May 11th, 1989 and it is LG Nourse Students taking in a history class by Mrs. Gloria Gregg dressed in a historical costume and a shot of George Yelle