Turner's Public Spirit, October 29, 1921
A look back in time to a century ago
By Bob Oliphant
“Center. Taxpayers are kindly reminded that on all taxes not paid by November first interest
will be charged from October 15.
“Last week was ‘telephone week,’ throughout the country its object seeming to be to bring the
‘central’ and the subscriber to a mutual good understanding. At our local exchange Mrs. Isles
kept open house for any who wished to call. A delegation from the academy, about twenty-eight
in all, visited the exchange, and a man from the Lowell office was present to elucidate the
workings of good telephone service.
“The sixth, seventh and eighth grades of the Frost school are to enjoy a Halloween party at the
lower town hall this Friday evening.
“The joint meetings of the American Legion and the Ladies’ Auxiliary took place on Monday
evening at their headquarters [at 20] Boston road, the men meeting upstairs and the ladies
downstairs. There was a good attendance….
“About Town. The Clam Shell club of Westford Corner and West Chelmsford enjoyed a
recent outing at the Edwards Camp at Nabnassett [sic] lake.
“The [first] and only frost of the season was on earth and other fixings Wednesday morning.
Ice half an inch thick prevented the chickens from drinking at the Old Oaken Bucket farm.
“Alvin Hutchins, of California, a native of Westford, has been visiting relatives and friends in
Westford, Chelmsford and Lowell. He bought land in California and fortunately located oil on it
which he sold to the Rockefeller Co. Mr. Hutchins will be remembered as the son of George
Hutchins, who for many years carried milk to the Westford station and owned the farm in
Parkerville now owned by Almon S. Vose.
“The last meeting of Westford Grange was largely attended, representatives being present
from Tyngsboro, West Chelmsford, Dracut and Lowell…. The usual harvest supper was served
to a large congregation.
“The well-known Marshall’s hall at Westford Corner and West Chelmsford, half of the hall
being inside of the town line, has been changing owners frequently of late. Lewis Trudell, of
Lowell, is its recent purchaser.
“The next meeting of the Grange will be held on Thursday evening, November 3, when the
following question will be discussed: “Why do we not send more farmers to the legislature?” …
The following persons are expected to speak on all sides: Mr. and Mrs. William E. Anderson, Mr.
and Mrs. Harry Ingalls, Mrs. M. Aurilla Wright, W. R. Taylor. This question ought to interest
every farmer in the Grange, who should come out and commit to memory a few thoughts on more
farmers in the legislature. You can be brief—not over thirty minutes and sixty seconds.
“The open hunting season is upon us once more. Oh, blessed, happy, day when the innocent
birds with their inspiring song and plumage can be listed for annihilation We are proud of the
day and the consistent legislation that allows this open opportunity to cultivate humanness to
dumb beasts and we are so sorry that we cannot do our share of humane shooting, but we are so
busy trying to finish up haying and hunting for a few potatoes in an acre of witch grass that we
have not time to do our full duty in legalized humanness….
“It is a pleasure to learn that the president of the Woman’s club in Winchester is Mrs. Henry
Hildreth (Harriet C. Sargent). Mrs. Hildreth is one of our [1897 Westford] academy graduates
who has shown herself to be a woman of ability and public spirit….
“There was a full house at the concert by the Abbot Worsted Company band on Tuesday
evening at Abbot hall, Brookside. The band played some splendid music which livened up the
crowd for the movies that followed the concert. We are not a judge of movies, having only been
once before in seventy-five years but we fell to laughing with the crowd and felt like saying as of
old, “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine.” [Proverbs 17:22a]
“Graniteville. A bowling league has recently been formed here, composed entirely of local
men. The names of the different teams with their captains are as follows: Giants, Raymond Wall;
Yanks, Wilford Duchenean; Pirates, Carl Hanson; Tigers, Levi McMullin. The first contest was
played at the Richard alleys [later the Idle Hour Country Club] here on Tuesday evening….
“The Abbot Worsted Co. soccer team defeated the General Electric club of Lynn in a state cup
game at Forge Village on last Saturday, 8 goals to 0….
“Classes in millinery and sewing will soon be opened here in Abbot hall for all the women in
the vicinity….”
Carl Hanson married Esther Johnson in 1916 and worked at C. G. Sargent Sons machine shop. Carl was an active sportsman and formed a bowling team in 1921. Courtesy Photo / FindAGrave.com.