Washington Street 1901

Washington Street - 1901

North or South? I have little idea as to which direction we are looking in this image of Washington Street. Over 100 years have passed since this photograph was taken and so much has changed along our main thoroughfare. On the left hand side of the picture are the tracks of the Blue Hill Street Railway. And, on the right hand side you can see an ancient fence set behind the youthful elm trees that would be gone fifty years later. 

Washington Street is our most ancient way, originally the King's Highway it stretched from Boston to Rhode Island. It ran through its present location as early as the middle of the 17th century, starting as a bridle path through the woods and then a cart path. It was first laid out in 1700 by the Selectmen of Dorchester as a road "three rods wide" approximately 49.5 feet wide. In 1703 it is called "the road leading to Billings' in Sharon" which then becomes the "road to Rehobeth" by 1707. At various times it was called he "Country Road" or "Road leading to Rhode Island".  It later becomes known as "the great road from Boston to Taunton" and by the early 1800's it was the "Great road" or the "Taunton road". All of this indecision ends in 1840 with a commemoration in the name of our first President and great Patriot the General George Washington. From Milton to the Sharon line our main thoroughfare becomes Washington Street. 

Along the way were the famous taverns that provided rest for horses and men who would travel this road.  Doty, Cherry Hill, and Cobb's to name just a few.  This is a great image where the streets are not paved and "rapid transit" was genteel. Long lazy afternoons on the porch in the shade of the broad leafy trees. We look back upon a street that is over 350 years old and still our "Main Street".

Hook and Ladder No. 1

Hook and Ladder No. 1 Parade

For me this is one of those images that help give a small glimpse into the past such that I can just about see this event in my mind's eye. The photo seems to have been taken from Neponset Street loking towards Washington Street - towards where the small convenience store is located (7-11). If you look closely the horses are pulling a hook & ladder and the fireman are marching in the rear in sparkling white uniforms. Note how closely the small buildings are next to Neponset Street and in the background you can see the building (17 Neponset Street) that now houses Harold Drake's Law Offices; with the lovely mansard roof. The first house is where Jack Spierdowis has his home and locksmith enterprise.

This is the kind of photo that makes fire buffs so very happy. To see the well ordered parade marching on a beautiful day, and the small children at the curb. What a sight in Canton's History. It turns out that the Hook & Ladder was purchased from L. M. Rumsey & Co. in 1885 and cost about $500 - at least this information comes to us from the February 27th 1886 Town of Canton Annual Report. L. M. Rumsey manufacturing specialized in fire apparatus, brass bells and hardware. They were located in St. Louis, Missouri and Seneca Falls, New York.

1885 was the year that newly professional fire department also purchased a new pumper as well. In fact, the department was so proud that they spent $125.00 for "Commemoration Day" to celebrate the organization and the pride of Canton. Local historian, Jim Roach has deduced that it may have been the August 7, 1885 "Observance Day". According to the Canton Journal the parade was to Assembe at Church Street.

The early years of the Canton Fire Department were full of frustration as the vote to "profesionalize" the department underwent considerable scrutiny. Allegations of deliberate arson on the Sherman Firehouse and unruly behavior were part of this shaky start. By 1884 the newly formed department was making plans for brick firehouse which would be built in Canton Center (where Walgreens now stands) and the purchase of several new pieces of equipment, including Hook & Ladder No. 1.

Hook & Ladder No. 1 was motorized around 1915 with the addition of a Kissel Car Roadster as an engine. Look closely and you will see the fire helmets in a basket atop the rig. The gear baskets on the truck were a fixture on fire trucks as late as 1943 and 1944 which allowed the fireman to quickly get to a fire with their safety gear already on the truck.

Folks like our former Chief Fitzpatrick and so many others will have more information on this photo, so watch for updates. In the meantime, when you drive up Neponset Street towards Washington Street take a moment to consider this photograph and see if indeed your minds eye can place this event.

Canton Center Railroad Depot

Canton Center Railroad Depot

For the past twenty-five years or so, I have been commuting into Boston on the MBTA. With so many days that start and end with a commute, it is hard not to be fascinated by trains. For many years my stop in-bound and out has been Canton Center. I like the rural charm of the stop and it is very close to our house which makes it very convenient. And, while it looks like a simple parking lot and a single platform, the photo above attests to it's one-time importance.

The connection to the railroad in Canton has been especially strong and ever since 1834 we have had a close relationship to trains. In fact, but for Joseph Warren Revere (Paul Revere's Son) we might never have had the rail line through Canton, and this is especially true for the Stoughton Branch. Revere was on the Board of Directors of the fledgling Boston & Providence Railroad, and it is likely his pledge of Stock and money to support the enterprise led to the decision for the line to run through his father's factory - The Revere & Sons Copper Rolling Mill. The Stoughton Branch line runs right past the first railroad spur in America, built specifically for the Revere Company.

The image above is a postcard, one that recently sold on eBay. Take a look at the small shelter on the right hand side, and also note that in fact this is a time when the rail-line was "double tracked" to Stoughton. If you look closely at the details in the photo you will see the flag man who has stopped traffic (traffic???), the man on the strange bicycle contraptions mounted to the tracks, and the lady under the shelter dressed in her finest early 20th century duds. The depot h as a spur for freight that runs just behind the building and you can see the freight cars awaiting their shipments. To the left is the large depot station, and the photo hints at the bucolic nature of the period - way in the background in the far left is a small bard with a cart loaded for the day.

At some point the buildings were removed. The small waiting room structure (which had a beautiful architectural roofline,) and the larger depot building were no longer needed and fell victim to neglect. Eventually the second rail line through the center was also removed. There are few vestiges (if any) from the scene left today. The retaining wall for the small historic house is still there, but all else seems like a dream from another time and place. Next time you drive through the center and cross the tracks, take a moment to reflect at what stood at this crossing in another age.