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Weekly Update

1/16/2021

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​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
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    Curator: Frank Meninno

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Hello! June closes with a beautiful weekend of sun and warm, summer temperatures. This weekend would be terrific for sunning on the beach, working in the yard, cooking out, or taking in a ball game.

Sixty-five years ago that is exactly what was going on at Frothingham Park. In the summer of 1957, someone took a photo of a baseball game being played at Frothingham. The photo is taken from the hill near the Sheridan Street gate, and overlooks the outfield towards home plate. Though the photo is printed in black and white, one can easily see why playing ball at Frothingham Park is such a special experience! The field is well manicured, the basepaths smooth, the infield and outfield grass short and sturdy. Dozens of people are watching from the concrete stands. Others find the shade of the beautiful trees is the best place to watch from. Since the trees are well leafed out, I think this might be a summer game, perhaps our beloved Easton Huskies. How many of us have trekked to the Park to watch the Huskies, or our Oliver Ames High School teams, or Little League teams play? Even better, how many of us played in any of those games? With its beautiful baseball field, shade trees, natural beauty, and welcoming water fountain, Frothingham Park has no equal when it comes to a great place for sports. Today the Park is still a wonderful place to play in, or watch a baseball game. This photo, taken from approximately the same location as the 1957 photo, looks over that same green outfield towards the area of home plate. The field itself, aptly named for the late Robert "Buddy" Wooster who took such great care of the field, the park, and played games there, is as nicely kept as ever. The trees have matured since that 1957 photo was taken, providing even more beauty and shade. Driving by one can still catch a good ballgame, and certainly catch memories of heroics of years past. Does anyone remember Ken MacAfee hitting a ball onto Sheridan Street, over the iron fence? That must have been a truly Ruthian blast! Today the Park provides a safe playspace for young people, basketball, tennis, and pickleball courts, a track and paths for walking. A new pavilion adds a nice piece to an already inviting area. How many people packed a picnic lunch and escaped to the shady places at the Park to escape the summer heat? The Park is many things to many people, and a true treasure to our town since its establishment in 1930 as a gift from Mrs. Mary Ames Frothingham in memory of her late husband, Congressman Louis A. Frothingham. By the way, Mr. Frothingham was an excellent athlete and one of the best baseball players ever at Harvard. During the Great Depression, the Park was an anchor for so many. During this past pandemic, the Park once again proved its importance to so many people as a place to play, a place to relax, and a center of our community. Until next week, stay well,
Frank
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  • Home
    • Our Story
    • Curators Corner
    • Tours
  • Discover
  • Gallery
    • Richardson Buildings
    • Records
    • Maps
    • Ames Mansions
    • Event Photos
  • Research
    • Cemetery Records Collection
    • Crimes and Disasters Collection
    • Easton Churches Collection
    • Easton Ledger Collection
    • Easton's Neighborhoods
    • Folklore Collection
    • Frank Seymour Hersey Papers
    • George Warren Andrews Collection
    • Hayward Family Collection
    • Morse Family Collection
    • Randall Genealogical Papers
    • TECCOE Collection
    • Unity Church Collection
    • William L. Chaffin Papers
    • Links
    • Newsletters
  • Find Us
  • Books
  • Novelty Items
  • Prints and Maps
  • Contact
  • Events
  • Membership
  • Weekly Update
  • Weekly Update