Turner's Public Spirit, July 23, 1921
A look back in time to a century ago
By Bob Oliphant
“Center. The regular correspondent [Mary (Williams) Wheeler, wife of Leonard W.
Wheeler] for Westford Center has resumed the work again and bespeaks the same pleasant
cooperation as heretofore. Telephone personals and other items of interest and help make the
column accurate and readable and interesting.
“Misses Gertrude and Julia Fletcher and two young lady friends, the latter from North
Chelmsford, returned Wednesday evening from a three-days’ trip to the Mohawk Trail [now Rte.
2] and other points of interest. The party went in Perley E. Wright’s car, the latter doing the
driving. Good weather and good roads helped make a most enjoyable trip.
“Westford people represented among the Cape Cod summer colonies are Mrs. Julian A.
Cameron, Misses Elinor and Marjorie Cameron at Hyannisport, Mr. and Mrs. Walter P. Wright at
Hyannis, and the Donald M. Camerons at North Brewster.
“The Board of Trade met at the town hall on Thursday evening of last week with President W.
C. Roudenbush presiding, and A. R. Tuttle in the secretary’s chair. Some items of business were
acted upon and L. W. Wheeler gave an informal talk of his recent automobile trip to Denver, Col.
The speaker gave some account of the various states and cities passed through, their road
conditions, industries, crops, flowers, birds, etc., and of the many and beautiful sights in and
around Denver.
“Good shipments of raspberries and blackberries have been sent to the Boston market this
week, in fact more blackberries than for some seasons. The short apple crop makes pretty light
shipments of early apples for this apple-growing town.
“The reading circle of the Tadmuck club, after a period of quiescence, resumed its monthly
gatherings at the home of Mrs. George F. White on Monday afternoon, Miss Mabel Drew as
chairman. Four one-act plays from ‘Representative one-act plays from American authors’ [by
Margaret Gardner Mayorga (1919)] were enjoyed….
“The Westford baseball team was defeated at Chelmsford on Tuesday evening by the score of
7 to 1.
“Westford was well represented at the first annual picnic of the Middlesex County Farm
Bureau, held on the grounds of the Middlesex school, Concord, Wednesday. Among those in
attendance were Mrs. A. M. Buckshorn, Fisher Buckshorn, Mrs. John Feeney, H. M. Gumb, Mr.
and Mrs. H. G. Osgood, William E. Pollock and family, Mr. and Mrs. F. C. Wright, Fred A.
Burbeck, Mr. and Mrs. L. W. Wheeler and Mr. and Mrs. Harry Nesmith. It was an interesting
day of good weather, music by the Chelmsford band, motion pictures of the crowd, sports,
speaking and dinner hour.
“The young people tripped the light fantastic to good music last week Friday evening at the
town hall, and a very pleasant summer dancing party is reported.
“Electric lights and a bathroom are being installed in the cottage on the firehouse lot [now the
Westford Museum office], occupied by Clarence Hildreth, as it was voted to do at town meeting.
“Genevieve and Cyril Blaney have returned home from the Lowell General hospital, where
they had their tonsils and adenoids removed.
“About Town. Ralph P. Cutting has bought the standing grass on the W. R. Taylor farm on
the Stony Brook road.
“Frank C. Drew is having his barn shingled. This is the longest and handsomest barn in the
Stony Brook Valley and many other valleys and hilltop farms.
“The town teams are repairing the cradle holes on the Lowell road. The automobilists move a
vote of thanks and the writer [Samuel L. Taylor] seconds the motion. It seems to be unanimous.
“Nabnassett is still the picnic resort for many Lowell parties and other parties. Several were
held there last week and more are planned and unplanned by the weather.
“Graniteville. The Abbot Worsted Co. club visited Hudson on last Saturday and met with
defeat at the hands of the Hudson town club by the score of 8 to 5. Williams, Duggan and Liston
were in the points for the Abbots. On Saturday, July 23, the Abbots will play on the home
grounds at Graniteville, when they will have for opponents the fast Bennett A.A. club of Boston.
The Bennetts were defeated by the Abbots by a 1 to 0 score on their last appearance here and the
game next Saturday promises to be equally as interesting. Game called at three p.m.
“Many of the baseball fans accompanied the Abbot club to Hudson on last Saturday.
“A large number of the Graniteville people attended the St. John’s parish picnic at Lake
Nabnassett last Saturday.
“The Abbot Worsted Co. band furnished excellent music for the Lamson Co. outing at
Canobie lake park on last Saturday.”
Home of Leonard W. and Mary (Williams) Wheeler at 66 Main Street in 2019. Courtesy
Photo / Google Maps