When Westford was still a small town, people from outside the area would often only know of two Westford landmarks, Kimball’s Ice Cream and Wyman’s Beach.
By James VanBever (December 2020)
Some people said they had been to Kimball’s or Wyman’s but insisted they had never been to Westford. Wyman’s Beach was located on the shore of Long Sought-for pond which is a lake located in the northern part of town. During the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s, it was a summer destination point for the Merrimack Valley and beyond. When one drove past the lake on Route 40 on a warm weekend day you could see the throngs of people across the lake at Wyman’s.
Wyman’s was owned and operated by Horace (Hoppy) Wyman. Hoppy was born in Staten Island, New York but spent the last 50 years of his life in Westford. He was a Navy veteran in World War II and became a 32nd degree mason. Mr. Wyman was also the owner and operator of Wyman’s Lunch which was a popular gathering place in Forge Village.
Hoppy married Iona Farrow and the couple had six children, Thelma, Barbara, Viola, Horace, Harvey, and George. George Wyman became Westford’s superintendent of the highway and parks department. The family lived on Dunstable Road and was highly active in the operation of the beach.
Aside from managing and operating his businesses, Wyman was highly active in the social fabric of the town. He was a member of the V.F.W., American Legion, Kiwanis Club of Westford, H.E. Fletcher Social and Athletic Club, Franco American Club of Forge Village, and was quite active in the Westford Golden Age Club and Council of Aging. He also served on the Westford Board of Selectman from 1955 to 1972 and when he retired from the board, Hoppy was presented a citation from then Governor Francis W. Sargent. In 1983, Wyman was named Westford’s “Person of the Year” during the annual Apple Blossom Festival.
Hoppy Wyman died on August 8, 1985. A few months after his death, Board of Selectmen Chairman
Geoffrey Hall presented his widow Iona a plaque in Hoppy’s honor that still hangs in the town hall. During the presentation, Hall commented that he only lived a few miles from the beach and recalled how his mother used to give him a ride to Wyman’s. He also remembered Hoppy as the guy who seemed to run the town. Wyman’s Beach has long been closed, today there are summer camps where the beach once was. But for all those old-time town residents who had a Wyman’s Beach sticker on their car’s side vent window the memories of summer afternoons at Wyman’s live on. (Jim VanBever)