Turner's Public Spirit, May 29, 1920
A look back in time to a century ago
By Bob Oliphant
“Center. Tuesday afternoon the Westford academy baseball team played the Bromfield school team at Harvard. The score was 9 to 3 in favor of Westford. The Westford team has made a good number of winnings in its games thus far this season.
“Care taker W. M. Wright has the Whitney playground and the academy grounds [now Roudenbush Community Center] in the best of conditions. Mr. Hanscom also follows the standards of his predecessors in keeping the library lawn in fine shape.
“Miss Marjorie M. Seavey has the sincerest sympathy of a wide circle of friends in the tragic and untimely death of her fiancé, Paul C. Locklin [after an operation for appendicitis]. Mr. Locklin’s and Miss Seavey’s engagement was announced some months ago.
“The apple blossoms have been at their best this week and some of Westford’s fine orchards have been a beautiful sight.
“Plans are about completed for Memorial day in charge of Westford post, A.L. These young veterans have taken up the work with enthusiasm to the grateful satisfaction of the Civil war veterans who have ‘carried on’ for so many years….
“Union memorial services at the Unitarian church Sunday. Rev. W. A. Anderson will preach the sermon. Other parts of the service by Rev. O. L. Brownsey. The legion will attend in a body.
“The Legion play, which had been faithfully rehearsed for some weeks, was given Saturday evening at the town hall to a capacity audience of interested people. The play had been given the previous evening at Abbot’s hall, Forge Village. The four-act drama, ‘The American flag,’ written by Lieut. Beale Cormack, was finely presented by the nine [only eight listed] people in the cast, who were as follows: Seth W. Banister, Edith L. Hildreth, Alice M. Gilson, George E. Perkins, Mary E. Sullivan, Harold W. Hildreth, Frank C. Johnson and William F. Buckingham….
“About Town. The handsomest stand of alfalfa ever in this vicinity can be seen growing on the Nabnassett farm of George C. Moore. Being close to the farm buildings and the road it is the admiration of all passersby. On another field at the junction of Oak hill and Forest road is another large field of soy beans and wheat sown in drills. This is also in a healthy and vigorous condition. The superintendent of the farm is a graduate of Amherst Agricultural college and the farm shows it….
“William J. Parfitt has leased an acre of land on the Prairie farm of Amos Polly and has it all set to strawberries. This acre runs all ready for popcorn. Mr. Parfitt claims the acre is good for $1000 if all is favorable. The popcorn would yield about eighty bushels to the acre, which at fifteen cents per pound would still be quite below the value of berries.
“Grange Anniversary. The twenty-fifth anniversary of Westford Grange was observed last week Thursday evening in charge of past masters. It was a large gathering, visitors being present from Townsend, Shirley, Pepperell, Groton, Ayer, Littleton, Acton, Carlisle, Lowell, Tyngsboro, Chelmsford, Harvard and other towns in various parts of the state….
“The following pastmasters responded to roll call: James W. Rafter, John P. Wright, Wiley M. Wright, Frank C. Wright, J. Willard Fletcher, Fred L. Fletcher, Alonzo H. Sutherland, Fred R. Blodgett, William R. Taylor and Samuel L. Taylor.
“Graniteville. Many people from here attended the performance of ‘The American flag,’ presented by Westford post, A.L., at Forge Village and Westford on Friday and Saturday evening….
“The full amount collected for the Salvation Army service fund from the Abbot Worsted Co. and C. G. Sargent Sons corporation and the employees was $430. The committee in charge feel deeply grateful to all those who contributed to this worthy cause.
“Harry Hartford, the well known baseball player of Westford, has recently declined a very flattering offer to coach a strong semi-professional club in one of the nearby cities. Owing to pressing business Mr. Hartford cannot accept the position at this time.
“The Abbot Worsted Co. baseball club will open the season here on Saturday, June 5, when they will have the strong Camp Devens team for opponents. Eddie Boyce, formerly of the Fitchburg N.E. league team, will do the pitching for the Abbot Worsted Co. club….
“Forge Village. The members of the Abbot Worsted Company band are preparing their program for the concert at Westford, Memorial day. Free transportation is to be furnished between Forge Village and Westford and between Graniteville and Westford on that day by the Abbot Worsted company so that the residents of either village may go there or come back at any time between 8:30 and 5 p.m.”
George C. Moore (1848-1923) of North Chelmsford owned textile mills there and at Brookside; he also owned a 138-acre farm at Nabnasset Street and Oak Hill Road in Westford. (Courtesy Photo/Westford Museum)