Winchendon History and Cultural Center, Inc.

Issued by-monthly: MAR-APRIL 2017

Murdock -Whitney House and Isaac Morse House Museums 151 and 135 Front Street, Winchendon, MA 01475

Telephone: 978-297-2142

It’s A Mystery! At the Secret Society So you want to be a member of the Moonlight Club. Well, do you have the mustard to meet the test. How good are you at codes and clues that lead to more clues? Can you do the dance? Yes, we’ve brought it back: Erika LaFrennie and her cohort Amy Scott have set you up for a fun time

trying to figure your way into the Secret Society. Look for it through APRIL. Watch for it and sign up on line!

Www.winchendonescaperoom.com

THIS YEAR’S EXHIBIT COMING JUNE 17TH:

OUR MILL CHILDREN

LOUIS HINES PHOTOS and Presentation by JOE MANNING

We are very proud to announce that a very special exhibit is coming to the Winchendon

History and Cultural Center, on JUNE 17th, to be displayed at the Murdock -Whitney

Mansion on 151 Front St.

Louis Hines took photos of child laborers, some of whom were right here in Winchendon

and at the Nelson White Mills. These are beautiful and revealing photographs. One of the

favorites is Mamie Laberge, a relative of our own Esther Grimes.

But the frosting on the cake is that author, Joe Manning, will do a comprehensive presenta-

tion including video. You will then be able to peruse the photos of these children and read

a synopsis of their story...what happened when they grew up.

Dear Members:

Happy almost-Spring everyone! We are over the hump and the nice weather is within grasp. As always we have lots going on at the History & Cultural Center. We are just wrapping up the first month of our Escape Room: The Moonlight Club. So far, the bookings are strong, and people are having a wonderful time. Special thanks to Amy Scott and Erika Lafrennie for designing yet another hit!! We have also outlined the events planned for this year. As always we will have our Casino Night (Sept. 10th I might add!) and it is a Holiday House Tour this year as well. We also have a Car Show planned, and some-thing new: we plan on doing an Antique &Collectibles Auction under the tent in our parking lot. I am looking forward to that!! Another different event this year is the Members Annual Dinner Meeting; having always done it as a luncheon, we have decided to try it as a dinner instead. Dwindling attendance in the recent years due to work schedules, etc. we thought that by making it a dinner event, that more members could attend. In the mansion projects never end – but that’s a good thing! Next on the list to tackle is the relocation of our fire and police exhibit. It will be redesigned and go in the room formerly known as the “Textile Room”. We hope to offer a fresh new look for the artifacts and hope you come see it when its done. We have also taken possession of the Boston Post Cane, which is owned by the town and presented to the oldest person in town. We have it on permanent display and it looks wonderful in its case! The new year also has brought some better organization to the Butler’s Pantry. All the items used for teas and events are now stored there. Our volunteers did a fantastic job making it pretty AND functional!! Over at the Toy Museum, the “Rocking Horse Room” is now complete (2nd floor). It is dedicated to all things “Clyde”. We are quite proud of how nice this room came out and can’t wait to show it off when we open for the season! Organization is coming along at this building as well. We have begun labeling the toys and putting dates and explanations on them so our guests know what they are looking at. We have also added multiple pic-tures of the toy factories in their heyday in all the rooms. “The Ice Cream Parlor” will be next on the list , and once the weather gets just a tad bit warmer, we can finish up the painting and decorating. Lastly, we have decided to make the kitchen area of the Morse House into the Gift Shop space. Stay tuned to see how that comes out!! As always, the projects and tasks NEVER end. If you can spare an hour, a day, or whatever your schedule would allow, we would love to have some assistance in getting things ready. Our Wednesday research crew is in desperate need of people. Please consider helping out there if you can. We welcome ANY and all help you can give us. Contact me at 978-833-3025 and I can certainly find something for you to do!! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – Many hands make light work! I am excited for this year, and as always, I look forward to, and enjoy, seeing you at our events!

Thanks for being a part of the History and Cultural Center!, Don O’Neil, President

My Fellow Members and Friends:

What’s going on in the Resource Room? Well, I am plowing through old newspapers to find what is relevant to our history. I had the help of my Ms. Murray on the 22nd of Feb. as there was school vacation. She was rebuilding a binder on Alaska Freezer and re-ports to have enjoyed it very much. We have a new file cabinet, so I have moved files from the one in the kitchen to the new one in the Resource Room where they will be more accessible for the day to day work. I am alone a lot, so I have to pick and choose my tasks and try not to get distracted. I am almost caught up on the data entry. That is not to mention the occasional tour as well. Now I will turn my attention to more accessioning/cataloging collections. I am always looking for more interesting items for our newsletter (which I do from home). I hope to be able to do some of our data entry work from home as well. As I work in the Resource Room, as I have often said, I come across many interesting facts and stories. The stories are generally about well known people, especially on our founding fathers. I would like to hear from Winchendonians, young and old about “characters” whom you have known in Winchendon who have contributed to our illustrious history. I would like to hear from YOU. What is your connection to Winchendon? Is there someone in your genealogy who would make for an an-ecdote or brief biology, etc. If so, please write to me at the museum or email me at wanteteunice@gmail.com

Looking Forward to Hearing from You, M

TID BITS:

When I married Joe in 1965, my heart adopted Winchendon as my home town. While I was not a pub-lically active participant outside our relationship with Immaculate Heart, I genuinely loved Winchendon as my own. I bear the title of Curator, but I am but a junior amateur who acquired the “interim” position as a result of sweet Rita Saveall’s retirement. I am consistently impressed, even to overwhelm, at our illustrious history, and I brag about it whenever I can. As a “green” docent, I often passed through the bathroom off the bedroom we call Mary Whitney’s. On that dressing table is a picture of a beautiful woman wearing a hat and looking exquisitely fashionable in a quiet way. I always wondered who she was; well I found out awhile ago; she is our Lois Greenwood! Lois too was an adoptee, as she was from Fitch-burg. But her adoption has benefited Winchendon in multifarious ways. She is the author of The Winchendon Years 1764-1964 as well as the Winchendon in Retrospect Booklet. But how many know that this gracious soul served our wonderful His-torical Center for 20, yes twenty years! She started in 1970 as an assistant to Bessie Eldridge and ultimately became curator herself. When Lois retired in 1990, she was asked what she would do in retirement, and she said she’d be around to help Isabel Bateman, the new cura-tor. Lois had written a column in the Courier called “Homespun Heritage” (9/85 to 5/86) plus essays she’d done for the Annual History Conference sponsored by Fitchburg. She did slide show presentations, which in-cluded architectural styles of homes in Winchendon. She had been a trustee of the Beals Memorial Library. Our Lois (Stevenson) Greenwood, Town Histo-rian, was honored with a plaque at an annual town meet-ing. It stated: “This plaque recognizes the gracious contributions of Lois S. Greenwood to the citizens of the Town of Winchendon this day, May6, 1985 as a public servant, author and civic leader.” This was one remarkable soul amongst many who made Winchendon; she educated us about our-selves. Those of you who remember her can probably say more. Perhaps we should do a little biography of our lovely benefactor. Maybe we could even write a book of short biographies of others...frankly, those of us who care for Winchendon and know about our manufac-turing history, will know the founding fathers; I am in-terested in our women who have quietly done so much as well. M

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF

WINCHEDON’S HISTORY

1. In what year did Abraham Tilton’s petition gain the six square mile tract of land that would swell and become Winchendon?

2. How many divisions were there to be? 3. Who were the first beneficiaries of this tract

of land? 4. Why was the settlement delayed until

1752? 5. The original surveyors miscalculated the

northern boundary by a mile wide strip; what was it called?

6. Who wrote the first History of Winchen-don?

7. What doctor wrote essays and did presenta-tions regarding the history of Winchedon ?

8. What was A.P. Marvin’s profession? 9. What was his first name? 10. Toy Town has another nickname _______? 11. What gentleman of Winchendon invented a

sewing machine? 12. Who was Morton Converse’s “foreman” 13. What organization provided Winchendon

with her first District Nurse? 14. When was Girl Scouting organized in Win-

chendon? 15. Who sponsored the organization of the Girl

Scouts?

1) 1735 2) Sixty-three (6) six acre lots 3) Officers and soldiers of the Battle of Quebec

of 1690 4) Because of the French & India war 5) Royalston Legg 6) Ezra Hyde 7) Dr. John Whiton 8) Minister 9) Abijah 10) “Shingle Town” 11) John Folsom 12) Esther Bourne 13) Winchendon Woman’s Club 14) 1930 15) Winchendon Woman’s Club

Museum Rental Available!

Create Your Own Event

The museum is available to rent for your private functions

Call 978-297-2142 or

Email: djonieljr@gmail.com For details

Give a Membership for the

History & Cultural Center

Or perhaps purchase one of our books:

The History of Winchendon by

A.P. Marvin or

The Winchendon Years 1764 to 1964 by

Lois Greenwood

Or consider something

special from our gift shop

NEWSLETTER

Looking for feedback. What have you seen in the newsletter that you love, or would like to see?

You are not a member but would you like to receive a Newsletter?

Call the Center at 297-2142

Call any of the staff on the last page Email Mary wanetaunice@gmail.com

A WEATHER REPORT

(Ezra Hyde’s of Winchendon)

1755: The “great earthquake” shook all New England, and produced an extraordinary ef-fect on the public mind. The few settlers in these woods felt the shock.

1774: There was a hurricane, moving from west to east which struck the meeting-house on Ashburnham hill so violently as to move it three or four feet from its foundation. It was furious in this town though there is no record of serious damage.

1801: About June 20th a severe frost cut down nearly all the grain and growing crops.

Horse DOCTOR?

Mr. Hyde lists the physicians who served Winchendon. In so doing, he names a Dr. Dunsmore of Lunenburg. He is reported to have been a good doctor with a violent temper. Which is reflect in this anecdote:

On one of his excursions, I pre-sume to see a patient (docs made house calls on a circuit), he stopped to gather some chest-nuts at the roadside. The horse refused to be caught; every time the doc got close, the horse would “caper” away. Well this doctor carried his gun with him, so when he could no longer hold his anger, he shot the horse dead. I reckon he had to walk home…..hope he en-

joyed his chestnuts

MEMBERSHIPS

Memberships run from May to June

Sponsorship: 50.00

Family 40.00

Individual 25.00

Senior Individual 20.00

Student (to 18 yrs) 5.00

Winchendon History and Cultural Center

151 & 135 Front Street

Winchendon, MA 01475

Established 1930 — Incorporated 1955

Telephone: 978-291-2142 (voice mail)

Web Site

www.winchendonhistory.com

Mission Statement

The Winchendon Historical Society’s mission is to preserve the history of the Town of Winchendon by collecting, archiving and maintaining our mu-seum collections and archives with special empha-sis on wooden toys made by the Morton E. Con-verse Company and Mason Parker Company and to preserve the Murdock-Whitney House, our 22 room mansion and home. And the Isaac Morse House.

Memberships

American Association for State and Local History Institute for Non-Profit Development– MWCC

New England Museum Association Gardner Chamber of Commerce

Membership Dues (due in May annually)

Membership benefits include free admission to the Murdock-Whitney House Museum, invitations to spe-cial events, reduced fees to events, bimonthly newslet-ter and annual dinner meeting,

Student (High School 16-18yrs): $5.00 Individual: $25.00 Individual (Senior Citizen 65+): $20.00 Family (includes children under 18yrs): $40

(children under 12 accompanied by an adult free)

Note: The Winchendon History & Cultural Center, Inc. is a tax exempt organization 501 (3) C of the IRS code

and all contributions are tax deductible

Send information to be published in the newsletter to: Email: curator@winchendonhistory.com

Postal Mail: WHCC 151 Front Street Winchendon, MA 01475

MEMBER CHALLENGE!!! SIGN UP NEW MEMBERS

Share your Newsletter with friends?

Officers

President: Don O’Neil 978-833-3025 1st Vice President: Peg Corbosiero 978-297-2415 2nd Vice President: Barbara Lafrennie 978-297-0744 Treasurer: Sandy Creamer 978-297-2045 Secretary: Lee Jacoby 978-297-2622 Curator: Mary Bulger 978-297-0086

Board of Directors

All officers above Lois Abare 978-297-0914 Donna Shaugnessey 978-297-7127 Ruth DeAmicis 978-869-1472 Board of Directors meetings are held the third Tuesday of the month at the Murdock-Whitney House.

Trustee of Trust Funds

Don O’Neil, Peggy Corbosiero, Sandy Creamer

Committees

Membership: Joyce Beauvais Nominating: Lois Abare and Ruth DeAmicis Ways & Means: Donna Shaugnessey, Chairperson Newsletter, Website: Mary Bulger Program Committee: Peggy Corbosiero & Volunteers Hospitality: Guy Corbosiero Business Manager: Joyce Beauvais Advertising: Ruth DeAmicis

Volunteer Staff

Tours & Research: Kerry Bettez Supporting Researcher/ Tours: Julia Cardinal Murdock Room: Esther Grimes

New volunteers are always Needed and

welcome!

Members or others who wish to do research should call ahead. If our volunteers do the re-search for you, it will cost $25 for the first hour and $10 thereafter. If we simply provide the documents and you do the research it is $10 an hour. These funds go toward the preservation of documents and photographs.

This newsletter is printed

by Richard and Sandy Creamer at

Performance Press in Winchendon

WINCHENDON HISTORY AND CULTURAL CENTER

Winchendon History & Cultural Center 151 & 135 Front Street

Winchendon, MA 01475-0279

EVENT WHERE WHEN TIME

Escape Room Murdock-Whitney House February - April You book

Auction Murdock-Whitney House May stay tuned

Manning Exhibit Murdock-Whitney House Sat. June 17th 1:00 pm

Grand Opening: Ice Cream Isaac Morse House July stay tuned

Car Show Murdock-Whitney House August stay tuned

March-April