USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Maynard > Brief history of the town of Maynard, Massachusetts > Part 2
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Previous to 1849 the village had no railroad facilities, freight being teamed to and from South Acton, and transportation by means of a stage which made regular trips from Lowell to Framingham, being discontinued when the Low- ell & Framingham Railroad was built. In 1849, a survey being made, land and a right of way were purchased, and the building of the Marlboro Branch began. Amory Maynard was one of the prime movers and so aided in securing the right of way that he was given a life pass over the road,
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ASSABET MILLS-1867
besides being appointed station agent, which position he held (in his name) for about forty years. The first depot stood where the freight house now stands. Upon the advent of trans- portation facilities a large ice house was erected by N. J. Wyeth where the Front Street houses now stand. The building was of brick and held 40,000 tons of ice which was cut on the mill pond and shipped to Boston. About 1864 it ceased to be used, and the Assabet Manufacturing Co. purchased and tore down the building, using the brick for mill construction. The granite arch and keystone may be seen over the door of No.
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12 Mill near Main Street. It may sound strange, but when Mr. Maynard came to town, there was no "Main Street", but the rapid growth soon made necessary a road through the valley and a bridge across the river. On September 22, 1848, Stow appointed a Committee to contract for the building of a new road and bridge as ordered by the county commissioners, on the petition of William H. Knight and others. Sudbury voted on April 2, 1849, "to pay for the road and bridge at Knight's factory, $1,310". The bridge was a two span wooden one resting on a centre pier of stone; the present one is of iron and wider than the original one.
Walnut Street was first built on the south side of the river from Main to Thompson Street. In 1872 it was necessary to use this land for addi- tional mill buildings, and it was re-located on the north side of the river and an iron bridge erected. Walnut Street was first opened for building pur- poses in 1868. Gavin Taylor, Overseer of the Weaving Room, was the first to build, this house now being owned and occupied by Mrs John Flood. At that time it was the only house on that side of the river until Parker Street was reached.
Sudbury Street was opened and extended across the pond by a bridge, through a vote by
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NASON STREET, 1877
Sudbury September 4, 1854, "to accept proposals made by A. S. Thompson and Amory Maynard to build a bridge and road at Assabet" and by another vote April 16, 1855, "to authorize the treasurer to borrow money for the building of the road and bridge at Assabet Village". This wooden bridge was replaced by a concrete struc- ture in 1915.
Nason Street was partially opened soon after Main Street, its name being given to it by our first local printer D. C. Osborn. It was sugges- ted by a highly appreciated lecture "The Model Town" given by the Rev. Elias Nason of Billerica.
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Glendale Street was named for the hotel of that name which stood near by on Summer Street. Dean, Warren and Walcott Streets were named for persons who were the first to build on them. Pine Street was so named on account of a growth of pine trees on the west side; Harriman Court for the Harriman family who owned considerable property in the court; Thompson Street, for Aaron S. Thompson who owned most of the land there; Parker Street, for William T. Parker, owner of the Paper Mill and otheradjacent prop- erty; Elm Street, because of the large elm trees in front of No. 9-the old Parker house; Brooks Street, for Silas P. Brooks who owned the land before it was cut up for house lots. Tre- mont and Brown Streets were named by Warren A. Haynes, who purchased and cut up a section of the Ezekiel Brown place, and Haynes Street was named after him. Everett Street was named by Hiram Curtis of Everett, owner of the land. Percival Street received its name from the owner John Percival from whom Mr. Maynard pur- chased it for building purposes. Florida Road was named by Luke S. Brooks, owner of the land, and perhaps in memory of his pleasant winters in Florida where he owned some orange groves. The streets on Maynard's Hill were given their names by Monks, the real estate dealer who pur- chased the property and laid out the streets.
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PAPER MILL BRIDGE
When the No. 5 Mill was erected, more tene- ments were required, and in 1901 the Reardon farm, and in 1902 the Mahoney farm, was pur- chased by the American Woolen Co., who erected 160 tenements, having their own sewerage system and their streets being named after Presidents of the United States. In 1918 the Gorham Brown farm was purchased, and one of its new streets was named for Frank E. Demars, the first Maynard man to fall in the Great World War. Forest Street was named for Forest Holt, son-in- law of Gorham Brown. Florida Road was opened to the public in 1914, October 9th, by the
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completion of a concrete bridge across the river, displacing a wooden foot bridge erected by pri- vate parties. The new structure cost $6,000.
A new section of the town is now being opened up on the south side of the Great Road. House lots have been laid out and three streets have been named for persons who were first to build on them,-O'Moore, Espie and Keene. In Sep- tember, 1918, the square at Main and Nason Streets was enlarged and both streets widened by purchase of land from the Naylor estate.
The introduction of electric power at the mills opened the way for electric lighting of the town, and September 1, 1902, a contract was made and the old kerosene lamps put in oblivion. Soon after the Company secured a charter to light and furnish power in this town and Acton. Electric- ity is now used in most of the homes and stores at a rate of 13 cents per Kilowat hour. Gas was introduced in 1912 by the Marlboro & Hudson Gas Co., and is extensively used for cooking pur- poses, the rate being $2 per M.
August 19, 1901, the first electric car was seen on our streets, a line having been built from Hudson to Concord by the Concord, Maynard & Hudson Street Railway Co., followed soon after by a line from here to West Acton.
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MILLS FROM POMPASITTICUTT HILL
With increasing population, the need of a water system became a crying necessity, and a Committee was appointed reporting that an ade- quate supply of pure water could be obtained by securing White Pond, about three miles to the south. Application was made to the Legislature and although objection was made by Sudbury parties, a bill was passed May 25, 1888, giving us rights to the pond and leave to issue thirty year bonds. Thomas Hillis, Thomas Naylor and Frank W. Nyman were chosen Water Commis- sioners who made a contract with Howland & Ellis to put in a system with reservoir for $70,000.
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Trouble broke out in the Fall of'88, and the work stopped, a suit against the Town being brought by Howland. Friction developed among the Commissioners, one of whom brought suit against the town. Backed by the authority of the Town, Hillis and Naylor continued the work, Naylor taking full charge of the construction; its com- pletion being accomplished in 1889 and bonds for $125,000 issued. The Town won the lawsuits which dragged on for several years at a cost of $30,000.
The Reservoir on Pompasitticutt Hill is 199 feet above the Ben Smith Dam. It is 22 feet deep, 113 feet in diameter and holds 1,500,000 gallons of water, the pressure being 90 pounds on Main Street. Extensions have been made each year and the construction costs now stand at $213,500. The water flows by gravity to the receiving wells and is then pumped to the Reser- voir or directly into the mains. William Naylor is the present Superintendent.
With the introduction of water came the de- mand for an organized Fire Department and apparatus to replace the volunteer mill service. Warren S. Peters was one of the prime movers and was Chairman of the Building Committee. The Hose Company was organized March 19, 1890, and the Hook & Ladder April 29, 1891.
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4
TOWN FARM
Land was purchased on Nason Street, the fire house erected, and occupied January 29, 1891. The first hose wagon was hand drawn. Later a pair of horses was purchased and larger trucks, and, on January 1914, an up-to-date LaFrance auto hose truck was installed with two or three men constantly on duty. The brick Lock-up in the rear of the Fire House was built in 1894 at a cost of $694.
A sewage system is one of the most needed things at the present time. The town appro- priated April 6, 1914, $1,000 for a preliminary survey, plans, etc. The Committee secured
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these and had the enabling act passed by the Legislature of 1916, and as yet the plans are still on file.
The Glenwood Cemetery was established by the purchase of land on the east side of Parker Street in 1871, being kept in fine condition and a credit to the town. The tomb was erected in 1888.
In 1869 St. Bridget's Catholic Church secured land and laid out the fine cemetery on Great Road. James Heffernan, a Civil War veteran, was the first person interred.
May 1, 1892, the town purchased the old William Smith place on the Great Road from Abel G. Haynes for a town farm at a cost of $4,800. Up to this time the poor had been so few the inmates had been boarded out. The same conditions exist now and the farm was rented in 1920.
The need for a public park and playground was met by the Town with the purchase of six acres of land on the Great Road from Wm. H. Eveleth in 1901 for $1,000. Under the super_ vision of Rev. John A. Crowe, the first Park Superintendent, it was leveled and improved, and because of his great interest in securing it for the town and fitting it for use, it was named in his honor-the John A. Crowe Park.
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OUR FIRST GRAND STAND
THE OLD BRICK SCHOOL
The settlers in both Stow and Sudbury were very much interested in establishing schools and church privileges, these being their first endeavor. Stow, at the town meeting assembled March 7, 1757, voted that "every quarter of the town shall have their proportion of schooling" and on March 3, 1766, voted to build three school houses in the outlying districts-previous to this, a couple of schools had been opened near the center. There is no doubt but one of the three was the old Brick School on Summer Street, now the residence of William Bishop, for we find the record of the School Committee chosen Dec. 17, 1789, for the "Northeast Corner" district were Luke Brooks Ist, John Marble and Capt. Sargent, all residents of this district. It was afterwards called District No. 5 and so designated until the Town of May- nard was incorporated. The school lot is said to have been given by Mr. Randall. The old Brick School was closed in 1872, having worthily served its purpose for over one hundred years, many of our honored citizens receiving all the schooling they ever had within its walls. Among its pupils were numbered-Ezekiel Brown, his son George F. Brown; Mrs. Joel Abbott and her son Charles of Keene, N. H .; Georgia Smith Brown, Mrs. Lizzie W. Jones of South Acton; Thomas Brooks and his son Luke; Mrs. J. W. Reed, Artemas and
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ROOSEVELT SCHOOL
John Whitney, George and Charles Maynard, Lorenzo and William Maynard and their child- ren; Thomas Hillis, the Fowlers, Bents, Parmen- ters and many others, most of whom have passed beyond. Among those still with us are Wm. H. Gutteridge and his wife. He has a list of thirty- five scholars still living. The last of the teach- ers to pass away was E. F. Richardson of South Acton who died in 1917. In conversation with the writer, he remarked 103 pupils presented themselves for registration on the first day of one winter term. Needless to say all could not be accommodated.
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In 1864 Stow purchased from Artemus Whitney "for a school in District No. 5" forty rods of land on Nason Street for $225, a two room building being erected, and enlarged in 1871, and that was the beginning of the development of a High School. The High School was transferred to a new building on Acton Street in 1877 where it remained until a larger twelve room building was erected on Nason Street in 1892, additional land having been obtained and the old building sold and removed to Acton Street to be used as a dwelling house. The twelve room building cost $30,000 and in its day was considered a model school; it was destroyed by fire September 20, 1916. It was replaced by a larger brick build- ing built by J. E. Warren & Co., at a cost of $70,000. It was occupied May 6, 1918, and named the "Roosevelt School".
January 13, 1915, the town voted to purchase the Dr. F. U. Rich lot on Summer Street (once the John Whitman place) for a school site and a fine brick building was erected which accom- modates our first class high school and several grades at a cost of $61,500, being occupied in the Fall of 1916.
On the Sudbury side of the river, this section was known as the "Northwest District" and we find the first vote for the location of a school
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T
MAIN STREET SCHOOL
here was in 1779 when $157.50 was granted to build a one room structure located on the Sud- bury road beyond Balcom's at the fork of the roads near and just north of the Dettling house. Like the "Old Brick School" it afforded educa- tion to many of our respected citizens. Among its pupils were the Voses, Washington Parmenter, Daniel Parmenter, Sarah Nyman, William Mc- Gowan and his wife; Levi R. Cheney, the Raf- fertys, the Reardons, Brighams, Puffers, Thomas Farrell and others. Of those now living the writer has a list of seventeen. There is also one teacher, Ellen Clark of Sudbury. The school
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was moved to the cross roads near the cemetery; in 1881 it was vacated and sold and moved to Acton Street and is now a dwelling house.
The Garfield School on Sudbury Street was built in 1881 but was sold and turned into a dwelling house when the large Nason Street School was built. The Old Main Street School was built in 1857 on a lot of 32 rods purchased from Amory Maynard for $208 and the Town of Sudbury also voted "that the Committee might borrow $300 in addition to the $1,000 granted, if necessary to build the school houseat Assabet". This building survived until 1903 when it was sold and moved to the rear of the James Mullen residence, and a modern brick structure erected on its site, additional land being purchased for increased play grounds. A further need for schools was met in 1906 by the erection of a large brick building on Bancroft Street with ample play grounds extending through to Parker Street.
The Supernteindent is Wm. H. Millington, Horace F. Bates, Principal, George A. Kennedy, Director Commercial Department. Graduates are admitted to the colleges on their certificate from our High School. In 1871 the town expend- ed for schools $2,000. Male teachers received from $12.50 to $15 per week. Female teachers $9 to $10.50 per week. Now we expend $70,000 and pay female teachers from $950 to $1400 per annum.
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BANCROFT SCHOOL
HIGH SCHOOL
CHURCHES
Assabet Village was entirely without religious service until 1852. Those more convenient to Sudbury went there to a church which had been built at the centre in 1723; others went to Stow where religious service was established in 1683. Mrs. Gutteridge, mother of William, related how Mr. Maynard would take all his conveyance would hold, and drive to Stow to attend church on Sunday mornings. He played the bass viol and assisted in the service. He was greatly in- terested in church work and continued so until the last, as did his wife who at one time was superintendent of the Sunday School at Assabet village. The first move along church lines was the organization of a Sunday School July 23, 1851, in the old passenger station which stood at the corner of Main and Sudbury Streets. Steps were taken March 15, 1851, for the formation of an Evangelical Society on the petition of Amory Maynard and sixteen others. Aaron S. Thomp- son was the first clerk. This was followed by the formation of a Union church Sept. 23, 1852, which afterwards became the Union Congregational Church, with an original membership of ten. The church was erected in 1853 on land donated by Knight & Maynard. It was enlarged in 1866
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UNION CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
and again in 1889, and in 1890 a fine organ was installed by A. Maynard, and stained glass win- dows by Lorenzo Maynard. The tall spire was blown off in a gale April 8, 1909 and rebuilt in 1920. List of pastors :-
Mr. George W. Frost (Licentiate of the Methodist Episcopal Church, May 1852-May 1854.) Rev. J. K. Deering, May 1854-May 1856 Rev. A. Morton, Nov. 1856-May 1859 Rev. E. P. Tenney, Aug. 1859-Dec. 1860 Rev. F. Wallace, Dec. 1860-Feb. 1862
Rev. A. H. Fletcher, June 1862-Jan. 1864 Rev. Thomas Allender, March 1864-April 1866 Rev. O. Hall, April 1866-June 1867
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Rev. T. D. P. Stone, Oct. 1867-June 1870 Rev. Webster Hazelwood, Aug. 1870-July 1872 Rev. Edward S. Huntress, Dec. 1872-March 1874 Rev. P. B. Sheire, Sept. 1874-April 1876 Rev. S. S. Mathews, May 1876-May 1878 Rev. C. E. Milliken, Jan. 1879-July 1882 Rev. Edwin Smith, Sept. 1882-Aug. 1886 Rev. David H. Brewer, Oct. 1886-April 1891 Rev. Merrill Blanchard, July 1891-Aug. 1897 Rev. Thomas C. Jackson, Nov. 1897-May 1899 Rev. Charles H. Washburn, Oct. 1899-May 1904 Rev. Eugene F. Hunt, Sept. 1904-April 1911 Rev. Frederick N. Rutan, June 1911-June 1918 Rev. E. N. Atiyeh, June 1919
By 1867 those of the Methodist faith had be- come sufficiently large in number to warrant the organization of a Methodist Episcopal Church. Worship was at first held in the Union Hall, which they bought in 1870, selling it later and building the present church which was dedicated in 1895. The hall was purchased by James Hig- gins, who removed it to face Main Street and remodelled it for business and a residence. A. Distasio now occupies it. The list of Pastors :-
Rev. J. A. DeForest 1867-1869
Rev. L. P. Frost. 1869-1872
Rev. J. S. Day. 1872-1874
Rev. M. H. A. Evans 1874-1876
Rev. A. Baylies. 1876-1877
Rev. A. C. Godfrey 1877-1879
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METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH
Rev. G. R. Bent. 1879-1880
Rev. L. P. Frost . 1880-1881
Rev. G. W. H. Clark 1881-1882
Rev. I. B. Bigelow 1882-1885
Rev. W. Wignall 1885-1888
Rev. C. A. Merrill 1888-1891
Rev. J. F. Mears
1891-1895
Rev. I. A. Mesler 1895-1898
Rev. E. Higgins 1898-1900
Rev. F. H. Ellis 1900-1901
Rev. W. F. Lawford . 1901-1904
Rev. R. E. Bisbee 1904-1908
Rev. T. J. Judge. 1908-1912
Rev. A. M. Osgood 1912-1917
Rev. C. F. Parsons
. 1917-1920
Rev. D. M. Angell . . 1920
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In the early history of the village Catholics were served by the parish priest at Saxonville, St. George parish, many of them walking back and forth on Sundays, and burials were made there. Mass was often said at varying intervals in Assabet Village in private houses on upper Main Street until Union Hall was built in 1857 which was then used. In 1864, Archbishop Williams assigned them to the Marlboro parish, and through the efforts of Rev. Fr. John Conlon, a church was erected on upper Main Street and dedicated September 1866 by Archbishop Wil- liams. In 1871, Rev. Fr. O'Reilley was appoint- ed resident pastor and St. Bridget's parish came into existence. Rev. Timothy Brosnahan fol- lowed as pastor until 1873 when it became a mission of St. Bernard's parish, Concord, and continued so until 1894. Rev. Michael J. McCall served from 1877-1894 and during his pastorate the present church was built, being dedicated in 1884 by Archbishop Williams. January 1, 1894, the parish was re-established with Rev. John A. Crowe as pastor who served until 1905. The present fine parsonage was built during Rev. B. F. Killilea's term, in 1906. He was followed by Rev. Walter Browne, 1909-1917; Rev. John Mc- Hugh, 1917-1918; and Rev. Edward F. Crowley was appointed, and is now in charge with Rev.
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ST. BRIDGET'S CATHOLIC CHURCH
John J. Sweeney, and Rev. Edwin Walsh as assistants. The Polish Catholics use the base- ment of St. Bridget's Church for their services, and their title is the St. Casimir Parish, Rev. Francis Joblonsky in charge.
Those who prefer the Episcopal service began their meetings in May 1894 with a mission given by Rev. Wilson L. Bevan, Ph. D., of Concord, held in Co-operative Hall. He was followed by Rev. Geo. H. Moffett and Rev. E. and H. J. Massè. The corner stone of the present St. George's Church was laid August 10, 1895, and the first service held the following Christmas.
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The mission was incorporated May 28, 1896, as the Parish of St. George, and the Church was consecrated by Bishop Lawrence April 24, 1897. Rev. Robert L. Lynch was Rector from 1896- 1898; Rev. Robert W. Hudgell 1898-1899. The present rector, Rev. Arthur B. Papineau began his rectorship Jan. 1, 1900.
By 1910 the number of Finnish speaking peo- ple in town had increased so that a Lutheran Church was built on Glendale Street, Rev. John Vartianen, Pastor, and in 1913 a Congregational Church on Walnut Street, Rev. John Vaananen, Pastor, which was dedicated December 14, 1913. Prior to this meetings were held, beginning in 1903, in the Union Congregational Church. In 1917 a Russian Orthodox Church was built on Prospect Court, the first service being held on Easter Sunday.
SOCIETIES
For a town of its size, Maynard can boast of a great many societies, secret and otherwise, the oldest being the Iola Lodge of Good Templars, started in 1866 and flourished for forty years, until crowded out by numerous other lodges, and numbering most of the young people of that period.
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+
ST. GEORGE'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
FINNISH CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
Chas. A. Welch Lodge, F. & A. M., was insti- tuted March 1, 1872 and is a large and influential body. Maynard Lodge, I. O. O. F., was institu- ted April 2, 1884. Assabet Lodge, M. U., I. O. O. F., on January 17, 1884; Knights of Pythias, July 25, 1898. There is also Magdalene Chapter, Eastern Star; the Mizpah Rebekah Lodge, the Ancient Order of Hibernians, the Eagles, Loyal Order of Moose and also a Finnish Socialist Club, with about 150 members holding their meetings in Parker Street Hall. The Grange was institu- ted in 1914 and there is also a Holy Name Society, White Cross Guild, Knights of Columbus, and the "Double Triangle", a social club composed of Jewish people.
A post of the American Legion was formed in 1919 with headquarters in Riverside Hall,-the Frank Demars Post-named in honor of the first Maynard man to fall in the World War. St. Bridget's Catholic Temperance and Benevolent Society has long met in Co-operative Hall, while the Alku Temperance Society cater to the Fin- nish people in the Harriman House on upper Main Street.
The need of a hall for public gatherings was felt as early as 1857 when twenty citizens assoc- iated themselves together and built Union Hall at Main and Summer Streets where the Method-
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RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH
1
LAT'NDINY
COLONIAL HALL AND POST OFFICE
ist Church now stands. The lower floor was used as a store; in the basement was located the first billiard table in town; in the north end, the first barber shop was opened by James M. Saw- yer, on his return from service in the Civil War. The hall was used for all public functions until Riverside Hall was built, late in the sixties by the Maynards. Co-operative Hall was built in 1882 and Colonial Hall, built by the Naylors, was opened February 1914. The large building on Harriman Court known as George Flood's barn, was remodelled in 1920 and named Pastime Hall. The People's Theatre is at present under con- struction on Nason Street. Moving pictures are shown several nights during each week by B. J. Coughlin in Colonial Hall.
The first hotel was built on Summer Street by Peter Haley in 1867 and named the Glendale House, on account of the Assabet Mills at that time making blankets ticketed "Glendale Mills Blanket"; later the name was changed to the Maynard Hotel, enlarged twice, scorched by fire several times and finally practically destroyed by fire January 29, 1921. The Maple House was built and managed by George F. Cutting for many years and is now occupied by William Campbell.
A Public Library now containing about 7000 books was opened April 4, 1881, in a room of the
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PUBLIC LIBRARY
Acton Street School, the first appropriation being $1,000. Joseph W. Reed was greatly interested in it and was one of the trustees, purchasing most of the books, and together with his wife caring for the library some time after it was opened; they prepared the first catalog. About 1885 it was moved to the Riverside Co-operative Build- ing, remaining there until July 13, 1918, when it was removed to new quarters on Nason Street, in the Naylor Block. Mrs. Sara Nyman has been the librarian for thirty-six years, and has had Miss Nellie May as assistant until recently when she was succeeded by Mrs. Mary Moynihan, the present assistant.
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The Assabet Institution for Savings was open- ed June 1904 in the Riverside Hall building with C. J. Bodfish, President, and Alfred T. Haynes, Treasurer. The deposits are now $675,000, with a fine conservative record under the guidance of the president Charles H. Persons, and the treas- urer Arthur E. Walker.
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