Turner's Public Spirit, June 3, 1922
A look back in time to a century ago
By Bob Oliphant
“Center. Chief Whiting took an insane patient to the Worcester state hospital last week Friday.
“The fire department was called out twice last Saturday. Both fires were in the Parkerville section of the town, the one at Carlisle station having been set by sparks from an engine on the New York, New Haven & Hartford railroad.
“John P. Wright has purchased a new Gardner car.
“Books displayed at J. Herbert Fletcher’s [general store on Lincoln St.] under ‘What to read next,’ are ‘Mysterious affair at Styles, [Agatha] Christie, and ‘Burned bridges,’ [Bertrand William] Sinclair. These books may be obtained at the J. V. Fletcher library.
“Memorial Exercises. The union Memorial service held at the Congregational church last Sunday morning was largely attended. Delegations were present from the G.A.R., world war veterans and Sons and Daughters of Veterans. Rev. John Blair, pastor of the church, delivered the sermon, and Rev. William Anderson of the Graniteville Methodist church offered prayer. There was also special music by a combined choir from the Unitarian and Congregational churches of the Center and the Methodist church of Graniteville, under the direction of Mrs. Nora Colburn…. Following the services a lunch was served to all the veterans and was in charge of several of the ladies of the church. At the close of the lunch the veterans and friends proceeded to all the cemeteries of the town and placed a potted plant upon the graves of the soldier dead.
“At each cemetery there was singing and firing of a volley by a firing squad from the Legion under Lieut. George Wilson of Forge Village. Taps were also sounded by Bugler Gordon Seavey. Mr. Blair rendered solos.
“School Notes. The Westford boys suffered a bad defeat at the hands of the Townsend high school team in Townsend on Wednesday, May 24. The score was 21 to 3.
“On last week Friday afternoon they played the Groton high at the Whitney playground, the home boys succeeding in defeating the Groton boys by a score of 7 to 2….
“On Friday of this week the senior class enjoyed their annual outing, consisting of a trip to Nantasket Beach during the day and returning to Boston in time to attend a theatre at night.
“The senior class went to Lowell on Wednesday to have their graduation pictures taken.
“Memorial Day Exercises. On Memorial day the civil war and world war veterans and Sons and Daughters of Veterans met at the Cavalry building on Boston road, and accompanied by the Abbot Worsted Company band proceeded to the soldiers’ monument [at Boston Rd. and Hildreth St.] where appropriate exercises were held….
“At the close of these exercises the veterans, accompanied by the band, proceeded to the town hall, where … exercises were held….
“At the close of the morning exercises an excellent dinner was served in the lower town hall under the direction of the Legion, with Lydon Company, of Lowell, as caterers.
“At two o’clock a band concert, which was much enjoyed by all present, was given on the common by the Abbot Worsted Company band, James P. Larkin, director.
“All the exercises were largely attended by people from all the villages of the town, and many out-of-town people were also present.
“Surprise Party. Mr. and Mrs. Perry Shupe, Boston road, gave a very pleasant surprise party for Wayland Balch at their home [23 Boston Road] last Monday evening. The occasion for the affair was that Mr. Balch had reached his eighty-third birthday on Sunday…..
“About Town. Frost was reported in different parts of the town last Sunday morning….
“The Fletcher Cold Spring farm folks are shingling their house, evidently expecting it will rain again, but thus far it hasn’t….
“One of our civil war veterans who was able to attend the Memorial service on Sunday was Wayland Balch, who that day was eighty-three years old. He walked with as erect a bearing as any young man.
“The last weekend was like an old home time for many returned to Westford to decorate the graves of loved ones. We never saw Fairview cemetery more beautifully decorated than it was for Memorial day, thanks to the cemetery commissioners and the very painstaking caretaker, D. L. Greig.
“A new stone in Fairview cemetery which was placed there just before Memorial day was the monument with just the word ‘Abbot’ on it. It is a beautiful white monument, rare marble, with a chaste carving….
“Those whose memories go back to civil war days especially enjoyed the roll call of the civil war boys of ’61 from Westford at the Memorial day exercises…. The last war has brought home afresh to us the solemnity of Memorial day.”
The Gardner Model S sedan sold for $1,795, per “Motor” magazine, January, 1922. It was the only car available with a one-year warranty.