Wow, Two Weeks Without a Blog

For everyone who was worried about my lack of blogging, I just wanted to make a short post to let them know I'll soon be back regularly. The Historical Commission sponsored a historic house survey of about 150 properties, and your dedicated blogger got the job of reviewing all of them. The survey included properties in Furnace Village and a swath of North Easton south along Center Street and Sheridan Street.

Furnace Village is already well known for its historic properties associated with the foundries that were once in the area, but we all thought our researchers might have trouble getting information on the area outside the old North Easton Historic District. Not so. The researchers have discovered the boyhood home of George Shepard, the first Easton man killed in World War I and the namesake for our American Legion Post. Of course, the researchers didn't know this so someone, me, had to write that down for them. Interestingly, however, the researchers did know that his mother was an English immigrant which may have been a motivation for his service.

The research team also discovered the home of Harry Pratt. Pratt was a science teacher at Oliver Ames, and a coach who led the boys basketball team to its first state championship. He is a member of the OA Athletic Hall of Fame. In a rare editorial comment, the researchers note that the house's "association with a newcomer and a school teacher is reflected in its unconventional, modern design." Yup, that's school teachers–unconventional and modern. The story of the house is rather mysterious. The researchers have the home being built sometime between 1911 and 1925. Their research shows that Pratt bought the lot in 1911 and that an insurance map from that year shows no building on the site. By 1928 Pratt shows up in Andover where he was working as a realtor. In that year he sold the house to Tony Pires. The house remained in the Pires family until 2006. Something about this didn't ring true since I had done a lot of the research for Mr. Pratt's induction into the Hall of Fame. A little further research closed the gap on the house. Pratt last taught in Easton during the 1916 school year. Anna C. Ames died in 1917 and the OA sports program died with her since she seems to have been its principal financial backer (with equal team opportunities for boys and girls, God bless her suffragette heart). The Ames Gymnasium program was also shut down. Thus, it seems likely that Pratt left Easton for a chance to coach elsewhere while holding onto the property as a rental as so many people did in this neighborhood. In fact, since Mr. Pires had emigrated from Portugal way back in 1909, he and his family may have lived in the house as renters before finally buying it. The Pires family was associated with the house for so long no one seems to remember a time when they weren't there.

Finally two other bits from my proofreading which is still only two thirds completed! First, Josiah Goward and Lemuel K. Wilbur created an 80 unit subdivision between Columbus Avenue and Wilbur Street in 1890. This is the first large subdivision designed for Easton. Goward lived in the neighborhood and ran the slaughterhouse whose foundation can still (barely) be seen on the grounds of Frothingham Park. Wilbur, from South Easton, had gotten rich selling lumber, feed and grain. He was a real promoter and towards the end of the decade supported the building of a street car line connecting Easton and Mansfield. Not surprisingly, the line ran right by the slowly growing subdivision. In between these two Easton events Wilbur had served on the jury that decided that Lizzie Borden really hadn't given her father forty whacks.

While tracking down Harry Pratt's teaching record, I came across an entry in the 1920 town report that stated Rev. Chaffin was at work doing a pamphlet for the school department on long serving teachers, principals, and school committee people. As a teaser, the report included a biographical sketch of Chaffin, a long time school committee member, and George Withington, who just happened to live in our survey area. Chaffin's biography of Withington reminds us that he was a very progressive educator and the very first high school teacher in Easton. A picture is included of Withington as a old man-still looking at least a tad unconventional.

Back to the research. See you all soon.