USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Wakefield > Town annual report of the officers of Wakefield Massachusetts : including the vital statistics for the year 1936 > Part 11
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Arkansas Centennial Commission
Atlantic Monthly Company
Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Bean Mrs. Junius Beebe
Mrs. Henry A. Behnke
Mrs. Wallace Boardman
Josiah S. Bonney
Boston Globe Reference Library
Boston Symphony Orchestra
George Carpenter
Mr. and Mrs. William Cartland
Chemical Foundation
Christian Science Church, Reading, Massachusetts
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Dr. L. Marshall Crosby
Daughters of the American Revolution
Rev. Charles H. Davis
Dr. and Mrs. Richard Dutton
William Eaton
Mrs. F. L. Edson
Arthur L. Evans
Miss Isabel Flint
Edward A. Filene
Firestone Tire and Rubber Company
Stephen Foster Hall
Mrs. J. D. Fraser
Charles R. Gay
Miss Lillian Goldsmith
Mrs. Mary K. Hall
The Japan Society Alexander Legge Memorial Committee
Mrs. Hubbard B. Mansfield
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Miss Hilda Morrill National Petroleum News
New England Council
New England Sanitarium
New York Stock Exchange
Mrs. Lyman Churchill Newell Mrs. Peterson
Arthur A. Shurcliff
Mr. and Mrs. Hervey J. Skinner G. S. Southworth
Mrs. Sylenda B. Stearns
161
REPORT OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES
Swift and Company Mrs. Frank A. Tredinnick United Fruit Company United States President's Emergency Commission for Unemployment Wakefield Community Choral Society
Wakefield Garden Club
Wakefield Daily Item
Wakefield Rotary Club
Arthur G. Walton Mrs. Selim White
Washington Publishing Company
Col. Arthur Woods
Dr. Frank T. Woodbury
Miss Ruth Woodbury
Mrs. Jennie Wright
162
TOWN OF WAKEFIELD
TABLE I FINANCIAL STATISTICS 1936 Receipts
Town Appropriation Dog Tax
$18,000.00 1,192.81
Income from Library Funds:
Junius Beebe Fund
$724.31
Marcus Beebe Fund
570.10
Decius Beebe Fund
535.32
Katherine Beebe Fund
136.75
Eleanor H. Beebe Fund
209.09
Frederic Beebe Fund
344.67
Charles S. Beebe Fund
47.80
John H. Beebe Fund
96.09
J. Oliver Beebe Fund
203.82
Alice B. Carpenter Fund
163.60
George O. Carpenter Fund
47.65
Sylenda B. Stearns Fund
82.91
J. G. Aborn Library Fund
51.05
Cyrus Gilbert Beebe Fund
65.53
Frederic Beebe Library Fund
30.23
Willard Donnell
10.03
Rev. Thomas A. Emerson Fund
15.11
Flint Memorial Library Fund
30.23
M. W. Gove Library Fund
12.58
Melvin Hill Fund
15.11
Dr. F. P. Hurd Library Fund
81.90
Franklin Poole Library Fund
15.11
Mary H. Pratt Library Fund
6.05
Cyrus Wakefield Library Fund
15.11
$3,510.15
Total Income
$22,702.96
163
REPORT OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES
Expenditures
Books
Periodicals
Binding
$4,622.43 452.73 1,412.02
Salaries:
Library service
$10,445.65
Janitor service
2,006.76
$12,452.41
Other Expenses :
Printing
$24.00
Light
529.58
Heat
753.77
Supplies
1,291.67
Maintenance
892.47
Miscellaneous
267.58
Total Expenditures
$22,698.66
Balance
4.30
Total Income
$22,702.96
Library receipts returned to the town for the year; from fines, pay- ment of lost books, etc .- $1,021.75.
TABLE II CLASSIFIED TABLE OF VOLUMES ISSUED IN 1936
MAIN LIBRARY
SCHOOLS
OTHER DEPOSITS
Adult
Juvenile
GREENWOOD BRANCH Adult
Juvenile
Adult
Juvenile Transient Camp
Boit
Home
Reference works and bound periodicals
185
196
27
73
4
Philosophy
1,099
12
125
Religion
513
172
119
77
97
Sociology
2,638
1,516
378
697
250
Philology (Language)
178
33
18
2
Natural science
1,027
731
175
713
227
Useful arts
3,736
878
434
654
234
23
Fine arts
3,330
696
486
409
47
115
Music scores
337
Literature
5,475
1,258
938
579
17
435
12
History
1,772
1,003
352
729
235
16
6
Travel
3,682
2,258
979
1,207
338
30
4
Biography
3,723
625
922
1,447
233
8
1
Fiction
79,873
21,887
28,265
11,449
3,600
1,639
787
Little folk's readers
10,811
6,193
1,594
Foreign books (on loan)
227
Current periodicals
5,884
1,294
2,559
420
Pamphlets
464
9
TOTAL
114,143
43,379
35,777
23,649
64
7,362
1,728
798
157,522
59,426
7,426
2,526
Total circulation for the year
226,900
Pictures issued during 1936
3,549
LIBRARY BORROWERS REGISTERED
Main Library Greenwood Branch Library
6,212
1,174
7,386
164
TOWN OF WAKEFIELD
Total number of registered borrowers Borrowers of school and deposit collections not registered.
165
REPORT OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES
TABLE III
RESOURCES
Volumes belonging to Library, January 1, 1936
57,594
Additions in 1936:
MAIN LIBRARY
New Titles
Adult
1,223
Juvenile
464
1,687
Replacements and duplicates
Adult
506
Juvenile
355
861
GREENWOOD
New Titles
Adult
293
Juvenile
187
480
Replacements and duplicates
Adult
8
Juvenile
17
Gifts accessioned
27
Books for school deposits
24
Bound magazines
79
Unclassified
24
Total additions
3,207
Volumes withdrawn, 1936
1,422
Volumes belonging to Library, December 31, 1936
58,379
25
166
TOWN OF WAKEFIELD
TABLE IV
American Library Association Form for Uniform Statistics
Population of Wakefield (1935)
16,494
Term of use of Library: FREE
Agencies : Main Library, one Branch, 34 school class rooms, 2 deposit stations
304
Days open during the year-Branch Library
153
Hours open each week for lending-Main Library
66
Hours open each week for reading-Main Library
69
Hours open each week for lending-Branch Library
1612
Hours open each week for reading-Branch Library 161/2
Number of volumes at beginning of year 57,594
Number of volumes added by gift
27
Number of volumes withdrawn during year
1,422
Number of volumes added by purchase
3,101
Number of volumes at end of year
58,379
Pictures (13,230 mounted)
68,341
Pamphlets
5,498
Number of registered borrowers
7,386
Number of volumes lent for home use
226,900
Number of pictures lent for home use
3,549
Registration period (since May 1936)
3 years
Number of newspapers (2 gifts) received currently
10
Number of periodical titles currently received : Main Library 146
Greenwood Branch
37
Library receipts:
Town appropriation
$18,000.00
Income from dog tax
1,192.81
Income from trust funds
3,510.15
$22,702.96
Library expenditures :
Books
$4,622.43
Periodicals
452.73
Binding
1,412.02
Salaries, library service
10,445.65
Salaries, janitor service
2,006.76
Light
529.58
Supplies
1,291.67
Heat
753.77
Other maintenance
1,133.05
Balance returned to town
Library receipts returned to town from fines, payment of lost books et cetera, during 1936:
$22,698.66
4.30
$1,021.75
Days open during the year-Main Library
167
REPORT OF PARK AND CEMETERY COMMISSIONERS
Report of Park and Cemetery Commissioners
To the Citizens of Wakefield:
The Board of Park and Cemetery Commissioners respectfully sub- mits its report for the municipal year ending December 31st, 1936.
For several years past it has seemed unnecessary to make an extended report, a simple financial statement of the Board's operations being in- cluded in the report of the Town Accountant, merely showing our appropria- tions, receipts and expenditures. This year, in view of the steady increase in the amount of territory, general supervision, care and labor falling to our department and the general increase in the public interest and use of the various units of our local park system, the Board feels warranted in briefly listing its holdings, which have grown with the growth of the town and which we are confident have added to the beauty of the town and its attractiveness and value as a place of residence.
Many of the people of the town have a vague and inadequate idea of the duties and activities of this Board. There is vested in the Board the custody, maintenance and proper care of all public lands, commons, ceme- teries, etc., within the present limits of the town, handed down from ancient colonial times or acquired by purchase, gift or bequest. The ancient Common, near the business centre, for instance, never has been under private owner- ship but is a part of the territory bought from the Indians 300 years ago and reserved continuously since that time for public use. The Board also has in a large degree the care of our two beautiful lakes, in collaboration with the Selectmen, the Water and Sewerage Board and the Common- wealth of Massachusetts.
The Board's major cases, to date, are not only our central, historic Common and lakeside park, but also two burial grounds and several good- sized playgrounds. The playgrounds (Greenwood; Nasella on Water Street; Church Street and North Avenue; and Moulton, between Albion and Gould Streets), are being developed at considerable expense-with draining, filling, grading, seeding, shrubs, baseball diamonds, tennis courts, etc. This work has been and is being done under the general supervision of our Board and only partly at the expense of the town. The town furnishes material, truck- ing, etc., while the cost of labor is defrayed by the Federal Government. The completion and active use of these projects will prove to be a substantial asset to the town and well worth the money invested.
Another major feature of the Board's duty is the development, main- tenance and care of Forest Glade cemetery, of comparatively recent origin but now well established and rapidly growing as the town increases in size and population. This beautiful piece of ground, located on the north side of Lowell Street not far from Vernon Street, comprises, at present,
168
TOWN OF WAKEFIELD
29 acres. Owned by the town, it is governed, of course, by strictly non- sectarian rule and is open to all sects. A considerable section on the north side, near where the old "Foster's Lane" formerly led in from Vernon Street, is set apart for communicants of the Catholic faith, and an oval plot in that section probably soon will be graced with a large monument (a cross), the donor of which is understood to be the rector of St. Joseph's Church of Wakefield. The monument plot comprises about 1,413 square feet, and it is estimated that the monument itself will cost not less than $500. Three other sections of the cemetery are set apart for local veteran organizations -the Spanish War Veterans, the World War Veterans and the Veterans of Foreign Wars respectively. In the soldiers' section on Armistice Day last, Nov. 11, 1936, a large assemblage of the people of Wakefield witnessed the dedication of a new 40-foot steel flagpole, obtained through the united efforts of the Veterans, the Municipal Light Board, the Park Commissioners, Highway and W. P. A. workers and others. Major Edward J. Connelly was the orator of the occasion, and John T. Stringer spoke in behalf of the Park Board. The exercises were presided over by Col. John H. McMahon, marshal of the day and Spanish War Veteran, and the beautiful flag which floated from the top of the handsome silver-painted memorial staff was the gift of Mrs. John H. Sweeney, whose husband, a Spanish War veteran, lies buried near-by.
A small sheet of water in the Forest Glade cemetery grounds is to be deepened and developed, adding further to the beauty of the locality, and the building of a receiving-tomb is contemplated. The massive stone gate at the entrance from Lowell Street has been completed and painted and elicits the admiration of all who behold it. The trees and shrubbery on the grounds are making satisfactory growth and in due time will afford a grate- ful shade for the increasing number of avenues and paths. A considerable section has very recently (December) been levelled and regraded for burial lots and undoubtedly will soon be in demand. The services of Frank O. Legro have been continued as superintendent of the cemetery and he and his as- sistants have done commendable and satisfactory work.
The sale of lots in the cemetery continues to show a gain, the receipts for deeds, etc., as turned over by the Board to the Town Treasurer totalling $2,872 for the year 1936. The number of interments during the year was 67. The trust fund for perpetual care, etc., in the hands of the Town Treasurer for lots in Forest Glade has been increased during the year by $1,290.
The historic "Old Cemetery" on Church Street, partly abutting on Lake Quannapowitt, is also under the supervision of our Board and dur- ing the past year has been given the usual care. Arthur G. Abbott's services in caring for the grounds and Daniel R. Carr's care of the wide strip of grass land between the fence and the street have been appreciated by the Board. The fence has been repaired and improved and a new tablet placed thereon, indicating that this is the last resting-place of many of the early families of the town.
The town bath-house, on the Quannapowitt shore off Spaulding Street, has continued to be no small part of the Board's care. David F. Ingerton
REPORT OF PARK AND CEMETERY COMMISSIONERS 169
has been continued in the position of supervisor (his third consecutive year) and he and his six assistants have given efficient service, guarding carefully the welfare and safety of the thousands of young people who have resorted to the place. Mr. Ingerton's detailed report is appended to the Board's report and shows beyond question the recreational and health-giving value of the town's public bathing institution.
The Common, with its Civil War Soldiers' monument and World War Soldiers' memorial stone, has been kept in good care as usual, turf frequently shaven and concrete malls kept in cleanliness and repair. A few of the older elm trees thereon have been damaged by violent windstorms, necessitating trimming and in some instances removal altogether. One of the midsummer gales caused the falling of the 55-foot top-section of the tall flagpole, weakened by unsuspected dry-rot, and Laurie Young was called into requisition for the placing of a new piece, together with the painting and rigging of the halyards.
The Park, extending from the Church Street side of the Common, northerly to the sandy beach on the shore of Lake Quannapowitt, com- mends itself more and more every year as the town's gem beauty spot. It has been kept up to the usual standard. Some of the recreational sports and children's games hitherto held there have been transferred to playgrounds in other parts of the town but a section is still used for baseball. The Met- ropolitan Park Commission favored us with four open-air band concerts during the past summer, in accordance with the usual custom, and also furnished the policing therefor. These concerts were listened to and appre- ciated by thousands of people, on foot and in motor cars, and it is confi- dently hoped that similar programmes will be rendered during the season to come. No finer setting nor more beautiful bandstand can be found in this section of New England.
Not the least of the Board's holdings is the beautiful Rockery, between Main and Common Streets, directly south of the Common. This has been kept in good condition throughout the past season, together with the foun- tain and basin, as has also the "Hikers' Monument" (Spanish War Veterans' Memorial) in the adjacent oval of grass and flowers. The fountain, which usually excites much admiration, has been kept in operation on Sundays and holidays during the warm months.
The entire lake-shore has been taken care of, as usual, and here, as on the Common, several fine trees have been damaged or destroyed altogether, by windstorms during the past season. The parking space on the shore near the corner of Main and Lowell Streets has been somewhat enlarged and im- proved and seems to be vastly appreciated by the automobile public.
Other spots recently taken over and now being cared for by the Board, include the triangle (with shrubbery) in front of the Congregational Church, another at the junction of Church Street and North Avenue, and the ex- tensive playground on the northerly corner of Church Street and North Avenue; this latter, extending from the Col. James Hartshorne house to a point opposite the Municipal Light Plant, is one of the most conspicuous in town; it has a fine tennis ground, baseball field, a cement fairway and steps, flagpole, etc., and a swimming-pool is in process of construction; the
170
TOWN OF WAKEFIELD
whole area borders on the lake, replacing former marsh-ground, and a hand- some cement sidewalk borders the entire street frontage on the south and west.
Three plots at the Prospect and Elm Street section have been taken care of during the past two years.
The Board is continuing its care of the "Park Oval," a beautiful bit of wooded land just inside the Park gate near the head of West Chestnut Street.
On the "West Side," during the past year or two, the Board has had charge of what is to be known as the Moulton Playground-acquired under vote of the town August 19, 1935, and the cost thereof defrayed from a legacy to the town for outdoor recreational purposes from the estate of a former resident, Isabel H. Moulton, deceased, of Washington, D. C. The Federal Government is aiding, as in other local instances, the development of this area of several acres and the project promises to be a fine one for a rapidly growing section of our town. The ground has been somewhat levelled, and ultimately will be better drained and provided with the usual outfit for open-air recreation purposes. Suitable entrances are to be provided from Gould and Albion Streets.
The Nasella playground, on Water Street near Melvin, named for a local youth who gave his life in the World War, has been in considerable use the past season and further work is to be done there. There are sand- boxes for children, lumber has arrived for the building of a baseball stand ("bleachers"), and W. P. A. men have constructed an outdoor skating rink. This tract of land, hitherto undeveloped, is one of the largest in town to be devoted to public recreational purposes and cannot fail to become particularly valuable to the large Italian section which of late years has grown up in that vicinity.
Other "island spots" graded, trimmed and cared for by the Board include the long triangular grass plot in front of the Home for Aged Women, between Main Street (Junction) and the branch railroad tracks. A con- siderably larger park plot, with lawn, shrubbery and large shade trees, is that extending from the Junction railroad station to Main Street, the gift of a public-spirited citizen of the town (John J. Round) a number of years ago. This plot is in the view of scores of passengers on the trains stopping there daily and receives favorable comment.
Still another triangle cared for by the Board is the bit of ground at the juncture of Nahant and Franklin Streets.
An important and much used park tract is the level part of the Hart's Hill reservation, north of the eminence on which the forest fire-warden's tower and the Water Department's reserve standpipe are located. The level ground is devoted to athletic sports of various kinds, children's games, etc., and is kept mowed therefor throughout the season. This tract, of goodly size and already in considerable use, is capable of further development when opportunity offers and could be made one of the principal playgrounds of the town. The hill itself is maintained in its primitive wooded state, with only an occasional thinning out of underbrush sufficiently to clear the foot- paths to the top. The view from the top of the hill is beautiful-over Crystal
171
REPORT OF PARK AND CEMETERY COMMISSIONERS
Lake and its two islands and also a large part of the town, attracting numer- ous visitors every season from Spring to late Fall.
In Greenwood a new recreation reservation recently has come into existence and already is in a good state of development. It comprises a wide spread of several acres near High Street (east of Main) and has been given the name of Mapleway Playground. Entrance to the grounds is marked by a massive gate of fieldstone, and inside there stretches out a wide field capable of splendid use in the near future. The residents of Greenwood and vicinity are manifesting keen interest in the project. A large squad of W. P. A. workers, with John Canavan in charge, has been engaged there in constructing a skating rink and various other attractive features, including a toboggan slide, lawn tennis court, a baseball field, and even (on a sheltered hillside) outdoor rock fireplaces and primitive ovens for the use of fre- quenters of the place at all seasons of the year.
Arthur G. Abbott, the Board's superintendent of the town's entire park system, succeeding the late William H. Murray early in 1935, has completed the second season of his duties and has given general satisfaction.
The Board regrets to record this year the passing of another of its valued employees, Daniel R. Carr of Lawrence Street, who died in Novem- ber last. His work for three or four years past has been of much assistance in the maintenance of plots in different parts of the town.
1936 INCOME
For Park Department, $4,225 appropriation from the town's tax levy.
For cemetery department, $3,300 appropriation, and interest on trust funds for perpetual care, etc.
Total, $7,525.
For salaries of Board, $180.
For 1937 the Board is asking for substantially the same allotments for the two departments-the park figures to be about the same and the cemetery figures somewhat less on account of less road-building during the coming year.
1936 EXPENDITURES
Park department-labor, equipment, supplies, etc., including main- tenance and care of bath-house, $4,323.61.
Cemetery department-labor, equipment, supplies, etc., $3,299.26. Salaries, $180.
For more detailed financial statement see Town Accountant's report.
Respectfully submitted,
WILLIAM J. GARDEN, Chairman, GEORGE W. ABBOTT, Secretary, JOHN T. STRINGER.
172
TOWN OF WAKEFIELD
Report of Bath House Instructor
Wakefield Park Board,
Wakefield, Massachusetts:
The bath house, opening July 1 and closing August 31, was favored with very good bathing weather with the exception of three days on which we had rain.
The following statistics will give the tax payers some idea of what actually took place:
The bath house was open 62 days from 9 a. m. to 8 p. m. on week days and on Sundays from 2 p. m. to 6 p. m. In the case of an extremely hot period many times we stayed open for 2 or 3 hours longer for the safety of the workers or night bathers.
Total number in attendance 62,496
Average daily 1,008
Maximum weekly
14,400
Number of minor injuries
166
Number of serious injuries (needing medical attention)
We also had 2 cases of epileptic fits 2
Number of persons beyond their depth needing help 69
Help rendered to overturned canoes, sailboats, motorboats and the like 7
Number of suspensions
7
Due to the "Learn to Swim" campaign inaugurated when the bath house opened, 250 people were taught to swim and how to take care of themselves in the water.
I recommend that parents warn their children to swim only from the bath house, under supervision, instead of swimming from shore to shore. On many occasions the guards have had to respond to the aid of those swim- ming outside limits, and this practice should be stopped.
I also wish to take this opportunity to thank the Park Board and many citizens who by their kind acts helped to lighten our tasks during the sum- mer.
DAVID F. INGERTON,
Instructor.
October 11, 1936.
173
REPORT OF MUNICIPAL LIGHT BOARD
Report of the Municipal Light Board
To the Citizens of the Town of Wakefield:
We submit for your consideration the forty-third annual report of the Municipal Light Board, covering the year ending December 31, 1936.
The operations of the Department resulted in a net profit, after de- ducting debt retirement, of $27,697.57 as compared to a profit of $23,145.63 in 1935.
The balance of our Operating Fund is $34,486.84 as compared to $23,751.88. The increase being due, in part, to a decided improvement in collections, which is reflected in a 25% decrease in our outstanding accounts.
The Department has no liabilities other than $69,000.00 in bonds, $2,589.26 in insurance and accrued interest, and Consumers' Deposit $36,830.54,-this item is offset by cash in the banks of this same amount. The amount of bonds outstanding was reduced by $10,000.00 during 1936 and will be reduced by the same amount during 1937.
At the annual Town meeting in March 1936, the Department turned back its entire cash balance of $23,751.88 to the town to apply against the tax levy. The total cash returned to the town during the past four years is $81,251.88.
We furnished the town with street lights for $18,000.00 during 1936 and will ask for the same appropriation for 1937. The Board feel, that in the future, the appropriation should be increased to $20,000.00 in view of the fact that we are now charging a price per K. W.H. which is somewhat less than our cost.
Our sales in K.W.H's. to private consumers has increased about 10% over 1935. The increase in domestic consumption was 8.5% and in commer- cial and industrial consumption 14%.
The sales of gas show a slight increase over 1935.
The principal improvement made in our electric plant during the year, are the completion of the Chestnut Street and Park Avenue under- ground system; the installation of underground ducts in Avon Street, Yale Avenue and part of North Avenue; putting into service a 1500 KVA trans- former which increases our substation capacity to 4500 KVA; increasing the size of underground cables in the Square, and the purchase of the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway duct line in Main Street The gas depart- ment has laid about 6500 feet of gas mains which includes additions and replacements.
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