​Greetings from cold and wintery Easton!  Snow blankets the ground and the coldest air in two years ensures its survival for a while.  A winter storm is looming for Monday and Tuesday.  Shovel Shop Pond is finally iced over, and a few people have been testing the ice near the shore in hopes of doing some skating this weekend.
 
Today’s historical photo is another rare one.  One of Easton’s leading families is featured in this picture of a father with his two sons.  George Washington Hayward (1807-1880) lived in the house at 227 Foundry Street that was built by his father Joseph Hayward in 1778.  (This house replaced the first Joseph Hayward house, built on the same site sometime prior and moved to the rear of the lot when the new house was built).  The Haywards were farmers and also cut timber, and were very successful.  One of them, probably George, introduced hop growing to the farm, and their hops, dried in their own kiln, was much in demand from local beer brewers.  Much of the land now occupied by the Southeastern Regional High School was used for hop growing.  The house, with a large barn situated across Foundry Street, includes a wonderful “great room” and large fireplace, providing spacious living quarters for the growing Hayward family.  Joseph, and his wife Sylvia nee Pratt (1812-1887) had fourteen children.  One could see the need for more space!  There was another need for space.  During this period, Foundry Street from West Bridgewater ended at the Hayward farm, and on occasion, lost overnight travelers or wandering salesmen could find a warm bed and a meal there before being sent on their way in the morning.
 
George W. Hayward eventually came into ownership of his father’s new house (the old house was destroyed by a violent gale in 1812).  There he and Sylvia raised a smaller family of three children:  daughter Georgiana (1835-1899), son Edward Russell (1837-1915), and son Dr. Joseph Warren Hayward (1841-1905).  Later, son Edward and his wife Caroline (Belcher) would build 239 Foundry Street and continue in the farming business.  Son Joseph and his wife Lemira (Drake) would move to Taunton where he conducted a successful medical practice for many years.  Daughter Georgiana married  J. Richard Hunt.
 
At some time after the Civil War, George had his portrait taken with his two sons by an unknown photographer and at an unknown location.  George is in the center of the photo, and at the left is son Edward, with the other son Doctor Joseph on the right.  George was well known in Easton, serving the Town in several offices as well as being a leader in church.  The photo, measuring about 3” x 4” is behind glass in a metal frame, and enclosed by a tooled leather case.  A clipping from an unidentified newspaper is included in the photo case, and serves as an obituary for one of Easton’s best-known men.  It reads as follows:
 
“Capt. G. Washington Hayward, whose death was noted in these columns last week, was the seventh son of Joseph and Lydia (Barrows) Hayward, and a descendent of Thomas, who emigrated from Aylesworth, England, in 1635.  He resided on the patrimonial estate inherited from his ancestors, formerly of the Taunton North Purchase, and the house is over a hundred years old, although improved.  Capt. Hayward was in command of the Easton Company, sixty years ago, of the regiment and brigade of which his neighbor General Shepard Leach, had command.  He was a member and chairman of the Board of Selectmen for many years; also a member of the Old Congregational Society, over which Rev. Dr. Sheldon ministered some fifty years.  He is the last member of a family of fourteen, including seven brothers who were over six feet in height – the seven aggregating 43 feet.  Capt. Hayward, during his years of farmer’s life, enjoyed the esteem of his townsmen.  He leaves a widow, a daughter, and two sons, Edward R., a farmer in Easton, and Dr. Joseph W. Hayward, of Taunton.”
 
On July 14, 1878, a Centennial Celebration was held at the house and adjoining field, where more than one hundred family members gathered.  The keynote speaker was George himself, and the family later published the proceeds of the gathering.  There is one other item that deserves mention.  Among the artifacts in our collection is what appears to be a Tudor era window that came from the Hayward family’s ancestral home in England.  It was brought here to Easton by one of the early Haywards and was installed in the old Joseph Hayward home.  It is one of the oldest windows I know of in the area, and may date to the late 16th or very early 17th century.  I hope to make contact with someone who can help me trace the family home in England, and perhaps gain more knowledge regarding the window and the home it came from.  Much more can, and should, be written about this important Easton family that has direct descendants still living on what once was the family farm.
 
Stay well, stay warm, and until next week,
Frank

​Good morning, afternoon, or evening as the case may be!  It sure is good to be back out and about town, back to doing some history.


As promised, here is the update to the two 1952 Little League team photos I sent out a few weeks ago.  There are a few discrepancies with some of the names, so I hope that after reading them, you might be able to clarify them for me.  Thank you to Robert Silva, Priscilla Almquist-Olsen, Russell Anderson, Gil Heino, Nancy Hill, Don Cabral, Patricia Maguire Parrie, and John Conant who all suggested the names listed here.

I have attached the two team photos for you to go over and compare names.  In a few cases, two possibilities are given for one person.  A few others are missing first names.  A few people suggested Paul Keyes as one of the team members, but in different locations, so if we can get that figured out it would be appreciated!

Stay well, and looking towards spring training,
Frank

Fernandes Little League Team
July 4, 1952
 
Front: Joseph Fernandes shaking hands with Alan “Peanuts” Johnson
 
Top row:  Harold Bailey
 
Next row down:  ?, Shep Williams, Billy Tufts, Phil Baker or Bob Jacobson, Charlie McMenany
 
Next row down: ?, ?,  John “Soupy” Webster, Butch Stevens, ?, Carl Fitton, Joe “Norby” Lyons, Coach Phil Baker
 
Bottom row (sitting on the ground): ?, Bruce Bowden, ?
 
Pioneers Little League Team
July 4, 1952
 
Front row:  Walter Larsen (or Larson), Richard Burley or Timmy Manning, Henry Baxter, Peter Kelly, Cliff Rideout, Peter Galvin
 
Second row: ?, ?, ?, Eddie Meehan, Eddie Robicheau, Bob Varney, David Gardner
 
Third row: ?, Bowden, Richie( or Ed) Robicheau

​Hello from a very wet and soggy Easton!  This has been a different week as I have to quarantine due to possible Covid exposure.  I just found out that our testing returned a negative result, but I am still under quarantine until Thursday as a precaution.  If you have been looking for me at the Museum, or left a phone message, I'll be back in circulation soon.  I do check emails frequently, so if necessary, use email to contact me in the meantime.


Next week I should be able to send you the list of names from our two Little League photos, so be watching for that!

A few of you have asked about 2021 dues.  We are working on a letter that should be out in the mail in early February.

This week, working from home, I reached into my old archives to offer a special photo.  Horace M. Pool (1803-1878), of the Pool family of South Easton, was one of two brothers engaged in the manufacturing of surveyor tools and levels, as well as thermometers.  By the late 1840's, he had built for himself and his young family a nice home at 269 Foundry Street, very near the old manufacturing plant for the Pool Instrument Company.  This young family included a daughter, Ann Maria Pool, and in 1846, at the age of 13, she sat for a photograph in the parlor of her new home.  That photo is attached to this update.

Ann Pool was born September 15, 1833 to Horace M. and Abby Ann (Avery) Pool.  She had a brother, Horace F. Pool.  Ann married Brockton businessman Lucius Richmond (1829-1901)  January 16, 1853, and moved to Brockton.  The Richmonds ran a painting and papering store on School Street in Brockton for several generations, and the business was successful even when Richmond went off to serve in the Civil War.  The couple had four children - Frederick (1855-1930), Jennie (Richmond) Merrill (1864-1948), Agnes (Richmond) Gould (1867-1953) and Charles (1873-1917).  It appears that following her husband's death in 1901, Ann moved back into the family home at 269 Foundry Street where she remained as a widow until her death on January 19, 1920 at age 86.  She is buried in the Richmond family lot at Union Cemetery, Center Street, Brockton.

Some years ago this photo turned up on an auction site, and I was able to purchase it, bringing it back to Easton after many years.  The photo itself is especially early in the history of photography, and must have been quite rare at the time of its taking by an unknown traveling photographer.  It does indicate that the Pool family at that point in time was successful, having the extra income to engage a photographer to take this extraordinary photo. Ann sits very still (exposures could take a while) wearing her best dress and probably a family heirloom necklace and bracelet or watch.  A simple note on the back reads: "From Jane R. Merrill to Ned Richmond - A.M. Pool - Born Sept. 15th, 1833.  My mother (your grandma) taken at her home parlor in 1846, Easton Massachusetts and personally autographed.  Taken at 13 years of age."

Stay well,
Frank

​A warm hello from chilly Easton!  I hope this finds you all well as we continue to live through these historic times.


Our new book, Easton In Stereo, is selling well!  Featuring over 70 images taken from our collection of stereocards, the book looks at life in Easton during the very late 1860's through the 1880's.  Included among these rare images are photos of North Easton before the Rockery and Richardson buildings when the old Methodist Church still stood at the future Rockery site.  There are lots of other great images as well, all printed on high quality paper.  The book can be ordered through our Museum store and is available for curbside pickup as well.  The price is $12.

As promised last week, attached is the photo of another Easton Little League team, the Pioneers.  This photo is dated July 4, 1952, and we need your help in getting names for the people in the photo.  I have received names from last week's photo, and I am waiting on one or two other people to get back to me.  Once I have as many names as I can get, I'll send out an update with those names.

Stay well, stay safe!
Frank

​Hello, and a Happy New Year to all of you!  2020 began with such promise and ended with a big thud!  I am very hopeful that we can all get back to more normal living during 2021.  I have no idea about when we can reopen the Museum for programs.  While I am still in a wait-and-see mode, work at the Museum continues with research projects.


As I look out the windows this morning, a steady drizzle is falling in the chilly air.  A mix of snow tonight, coupled with a snowfall Sunday night into Monday, has me longing for the days of summer!  As a reminder of better things to come, I have attached a photo of the 1952 Fernandes Little League Team taken at Frothingham Park on July 4 of that year.  I believe the photo was taken by Gene Fongeallaz of West Bridgewater, Ma.  Bats, gloves, hats and uniforms are all on display, and there is even an early "photobomb" of the young fellow who is riding his bike in the background.  I love the gloves, a far cry from the giant sized gloves used today.  Thank you to Burt Lewis who donated the photo.  I'll send a second photo next week of another team who needs identifying.

I ask you to take a good look at the people here and name as many as you can for me.  Photos last a long time, but names and memories fade over the years.  Let's put as many names to these faces as we can!

Thanking you all for your continued support, stay well,
Frank