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PotpourrEMAIL
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Vol. 1, No. 4, 1 September 1999. Circulation: 60 and growing!
(C) 1999 Boylston Historical Society and Museum
7 Central St., PO Box 459, Boylston, MA 01505
boyhisoc@ma.ultranet.com
508-869-2720
Editors: Betty L. Thomas and Judith Haynes
Boylston Historical Society and Museum Web Page:
http://www.ultranet.com/~boyhisoc/index.shtml
To subscribe or unsubscribe to the PotpourrEmail, or
to submit information to be included in the PotpourrEmail,
e-mail info to: boyhisoc@ma.ultranet.com
CONTENTS. Welcome; What's in a name?; From Our Readers;
Time Capsule; Story Time with Norm; Oral History;
Book of the Month; BHS NEWS; Boylston Queries;
On The Web; Humor
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Welcome to our Brand New email newsletter! For those of you who are not
members of BHS and don't receive the snailmail newsletter, it is called
The Potpourri. Sooooo, we thought the appropriate name for this version
would be PotpourrEMAIL. This email version is not meant to repeat or
copy the snailmail version, but to complement it, with the addition of
topics of interest to those with computer and web capabilities. If you
have a story to tell, information to impart,a good genealogy joke, computer
or web genealogy info, a Boylston genealogy Query, or anything that would
be of interest to our readers--please email us at:
boyhisoc@ma.ultranet.com
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What's in a name ?
>From "Names of Places" by G.L. Wright -
Boylston Historical Series Vol. I
The Gulf
Northerly of Boylston Center, and back of the place formerly occupied by
Charles Knight, is a deep ravine long known as the "Gulf". This was a
locality long famous for the profusion of trailing Arbutus which grew
there. Through this vale meandered a small brook - once famous as a
trouting place. Down the easterly declivity of the Gulf, from near the
place owned by Mrs. Frederique Ropp, flowed the French Brook which united
with the Gulf Brook. Where the French Brook flowed down the slope was a
beautiful waterfall of some thirty or forty feet in length, long know as
Dinner Pail Falls. Below the union of the French and Gulf Brooks, partly
hidden in the evergreens of hemlock and spruce, were the picturesque ruins
of an ancient dam once the site of Capt. Robert Andrews' saw and corn mill.
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>From Our Readers
Fred Brown Pagan-Hawk@worldnet.att.net
DID YOU KNOW that Rocky Pond in Boylston, near the boundary line with
Northborough had a
floating island?
It came loose during a hurricane and floated to the present position of the
"boat ramp." From there it floated north to the left of the boat ramp. It
was towed to its present position where it has remained for many years.
Where is it located? Well it is the bushy piece of land to the left before
you go into the main part of the pond. It can be seen easily from the boat
ramp on Rocky Pond Road.
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Dave and Diana Smith, Scottsdale, AZ Diana1234@aol.com
What a delight to be added to your email newletter. Thank you everyone for
all your help to find Ethan Smith, his son-in-law, William Howe Sanford and
the tour of the cemeteries. Our pictures of the Sanford home turned out
great and we are enjoying reading all the books we purchased at the Boylston
Historical Society -- even when they do not pertain to our family. We look
forward to the new books coming out. Thank you again.
---------------------------------------------
"Hank" Stone Num1granny@aol.com
New Installment on the Mystery paintings!!!
....I have since found a third painting (in my attic) that is by the same
artist
with the same advertisement on the back! I have a matched pair! Can you
believe it?
I also found that the framed painting is dated July 31, 1882 and is signed
"SOS". The other two do not appear to be signed but the paint is very dark.
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Millennium Time Capsule 1999-
Love History? Need a unique gift? Like to Write down your thoughts?
Boylston Historical Society will be sealing the Millennium Time Capsule on
Friday Dec. 10 at 7:30 pm. It will contain archival sheets of paper on
which will be written YOUR thoughts, views, ideas, or stories about what it
is like to live in the 20th century.
Call, write, or drop in to the Historical Society ANYTIME to purchase YOUR
archival paper. It will also be available at the Oct. and Nov. programs.
You may purchase as many archival sheets as you need (Members - $4/ sheet
Non-members - $5/ sheet). Each archival paper comes with an instruction sheet.
All Millennium Time Capsule entries must be returned to Boylston Historical
Society by WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1st.
You are invited to the sealing of the Time Capsule at a ceremony on Friday,
Dec. 10 at 7:30 with reception to follow.
The time capsule box will be stored in the Boylston Historical Society
Vault for 50 years, at which time it will be opened and the contents
examined, reboxed and resealed, for another 50 years....and so on.
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Story Time with Norm -
My name is Norman Houghton French, Boylston native, 71 years old.
Prior to World War II and in the 1930's, Memorial Day as it is now called,
was called Decoration Day. It was to honor the veterans of World War I and
the Civil War. The day before Decoration Day, we grammar school kids would
march from the Consolidated School ( in Boylston Center where the tennis
courts are now) up to the Town House and listen to George L. Wright talk
about Decoration Day. George was the town clerk and also an historian. We
would thengo down to the cemeteries in town and decorate the graves with
flowers that we had picked, such as lilacs and may flowers. While marching
from place to place we sang " The Blue, Gray and Khaki Too" which was a
song about the Civil War and WWI - blue for the north, gray for the south
and khaki for World War I. **editor's note - next time you see Norm, ask
him to sing the song for you!
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Oral History by Judy Haynes
You selected your family member to be interviewed. You call and arrange a
convenient time to record --usually at the interviewee's home or office.
Expect to set up and do several one hour tapings (possibly longer if you
have a lively elder, but you don't want to overtire them). It is best to
be alone in a quiet room with that person. If there are other persons or
animals in the room, the voices may get confusing. You may have
interruptions, and the recording may not be clear. Set up the recorder on
a table or chair between you, the interviewer, and the interviewee.
Placing a small tape recorder on a cushion or something soft helps prevent
some scratchy and extraneous noises. Reassure your family subject that if
he/she wants to change or correct something, that can be done. Tell them
to forget the recorder is on and just be as natural as possible. You
should have a clear outline or questions you want to ask and go in prepared
with a plan. Usually a chronological plan is a good way to begin a family
history. Start with Name, present address, age, then go into place of
birth etc. For the sake of history and for the sake of a record, you
begin--when the recorder is on--by saying: "Tape One, Side One. My name
is [your name] and today is August 26 and I am talking to Mary Smith.
Mary, please state your full name, address, and birth date for the record."
Then begin your questions. Next time: reassuring the reluctant
interviewee.
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Book of the Month -
August is John B. Gough's birth month sooooo we have again picked " John B.
Gough, Temperance Crusader" ,
by William O. Dupuis--$10 + $3 shipping/postage. This is a book about the
life and times of John B.Gough, 19th century international Temperance
leader who lived in Boylston. It will take you through his boyhood into a
manhood of early drinking, degradation and despair and then into the light
of temperance and deliverance. Photos and pictures round out the text. The
book also won a New England Museum Association Book award!! If you are
more into television than books, well then, we also have the video version
of the book! It too is only $10 + $3 shipping/postage. For more info go
here: http://www.ultranet.com/~boyhisoc/gift.htm
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BHS NEWS -
1999 - 2000 PROGRAMS and EVENTS
*** MORE humble apologies--WE have added one event in January!!
All Programs are FREE, open to the public and held at the Society (unless
otherwise noted). Donations at the door are gratefully accepted!
Program - Friday, Oct. 15, 1999 at 7:30 pm.
"In Defense of the Common-Wealth: Arms,Armor and Military Organization of
Seventeenth-Century New England" by Walter J. Karcheski Jr. curator Higgins
Armory Museum of Worcester.
Program - Friday, November 19, 1999 at 7:30 pm.
"History of West Boylston" by Frank Brown of the West Boylston Historical
Society.
Event - Friday, December 10, 1999 at 7:30 pm
Millennium Time Capsule Sealing Ceremony
Purchase archival sheets of paper(comes with instruction sheet) and write
down your thoughts about life in our times.
Members - $4 Non-Members - $5
All returned archival sheets will be sealed and stored in the Society Vault
for 50 years, at which time they will be opened, examined, and resealed,
for another 50 years.
Event - Friday, Jan. 21, 2000 at 7:30 pm
"Old-Time Boylston" Photo Exhibit Opening and Reception
Photos from the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Program - Friday, Feb. 18, 2000 at 7:30 pm
"Genealogy for the Beginner"
Boylston Historical Society Staff members Bill Dupuis and Betty Thomas
Finding your roots is a fun and interesting hobby. This program
will show you how to get started and will include both traditional
and computer approaches.
info packet: $4
Program - Friday, March 17, 2000 at 7:30 pm
"Genealogy Research"
Boylston Historical Society Staff members Bill Dupuis and Betty Thomas
Where do you go and what do you look for? This program will
help give your research a direction whether you are at the
library or on the Internet.
info packet: $4
Program - Friday, April 14, 2000 at 7:30 pm -
"Oral History" by Boylston Historical Society Staff member Judith Haynes
Where do I start, and what questions do I ask? Judy will answer all your
oral history questions.
Event - Sunday May 7, 2000, 2pm - 5 pm at "Hillside"
"John B. Gough Day"
Informal talks, Tours of Hillside, Entertainment, and more!!!
Event - Monday, May 29, 2000, Hours TBA
"Memorial Day Open House"
Come and visit!!! Free admission to the Museum!!!
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Arcadia Book
We are taking orders for the first NOW--scheduled for the first of the
year( but maybe before!!). These books would make a really GREAT Holiday
Gift!!! The book will have at least 200 photos of Boylston people, places,
etc. Price is $18.99 + $3 shipping. Reserve several!!! We will include a
gift card to put under the
tree if they won't be in til after the holidays.
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BHS Wish List:
These are items the Society could really use ( or the $ to buy them!).
Is there an angel out there who can make a wish come true?
1. overhead projector( we really could make good use of this for our
genealogy programs!) - about $250
2. small under the counter refrigerator (the one we had died, may it rest
in peace!)(Norman has no place to put the milk for his coffee!) - about $150
3. Water Alarm- yes water- Its for the Vault- about $150
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Volunteers Needed!!!
Thank you Wendy Masselli from CT for volunteering!! Wendy has been typing
like a deamon!!
WE still need more volunteer transcribers. We have many manuscripts in
need of
transcribing. This can be done at home on your computer. We photocopy the
pages so YOU can work at home. Do you know how to save a file in .rft or
.txt ? WE also have the following word processing software - MS Works,
MS Word, Wordperfect, or Lotus WordPro. We will supply the floppy disk to
save the files on. You can also come in to BHS and do transcribing-- Jim
Lavallee has donated a second computer to BHS!!!WE ARE WAITING TO HEAR FROM
YOU !!
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Boylston Historical Society and the Hillside Restoration Project
join up with Yankee Magazine!!
Our partnership with Yankee Magazine offers us a unique opportunity to raise
money for the renovation of the John B. Gough Estate at Hillside. As
many of you know, the house is an important historical and architectural
treasure that is in need of extensive restorations and repair.
The win-win fundraising effort with Yankee Magazine works like this: Yankee
pays $10.00 to the Gough Project for every $20 subscription, gift, or
renewal sold through BHS. (Subscriptions are originally $24.00) A
subscription card is provided by the magazine. Look for subscription cards
at various places around
town-- like the library ! Or visit the Yankee Partners Page:
http://www.newengland.com/cgi-bin/ymcp/print_partner.pl?number=183
or the subscription page
(under Benefit: don't forget to SELECT Boylston Historical Society):
http://www.newengland.com/YMCP/subscribe.html
If you or your company are interested in getting involved with this
very worthwhile preservation project or would like to purchase
a subscription, please contact Nel Lazour at 869-0388.
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Boylston Genealogy Queries--
Looking for information on Zephaniah Williams and wife Damaris. Their
deaths are recorded in Boylston VR. They are the parents of Dinah Williams
who married David Hastings 25 Mar1765 in Lancaster. I have undocumented
information that Zephaniah is the son of Abraham Williams and Prudence How
of Marlborough- his birth date is given as 16 Jan 1724/25, the same date as
the death of Prudence (How) Williams. While this makes sense, I have been
unable to substantiate it. Would also love to know Damaris' surname. The
IGI gives their marriage date as 1744 in Marlborough- also makes sense, but
not in VR.
Wendy in CT
gmasselli@tekrab.net
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On The Web--
Will Testators indexes have just added Worcester county
http://www.wasatch.com/~dsam/sampubco
Visit the Worcester County GenWeb!!
http://www.rootsweb.com/~maworces/
Trying to locate a Town??? Try These!!!
USGS Geographic Names Information System Search Form
http://www-nmd.usgs.gov/www/gnis/gnisform.html
GEONet Names Server
http://164.214.2.59/gns/html/index.html
Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names
http://shiva.pub.getty.edu/tgn_browser/
Canadian Geographical Names
http://geonames.nrcan.gc.ca/
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Humor - from Betty Thomas
My niece Andrea sent this to me. It's not really a joke, but you can
impress your kids or grandkids with this one!!!
HOW TO FIGURE OUT YOUR STAR WARS NAME:
For your first name:
1. First 3 letters of your 1st name
2. First 2 letters of your last name
For your last name:
3. First 2 letters of your Mom's maiden name
4. First 3 letters of the city you were born
Example: Betty Thomas becomes BETTH HEBAT !!!
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PERMISSION TO REPRINT articles from PotpourrEMAIL is granted
unless specifically stated otherwise, PROVIDED: (1) the reprint
is used for non-commercial, educational purposes; and (2) the
following notice appears at the end of the article:
Written by
Previously published by PotpourrEMAIL,
PotpourrEmail, Vol. 1, No. 4, 1 September 1999. Please visit
Boylston Historical Society and Museum's main Web page at
http://www.ultranet.com/~boyhisoc/index.shtml .
This newsletter is distributed monthly, on the first day of the month,
to all Boylston Historical Society members (who have email!), genealogists
and friends who have a special interest in the history of the town of
Boylston.
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