LORNA RHODES GENEALOGY AND LOCAL HISTORY ROOM
MENDON HISTORY – TOWN INSTITUTIONS, INFRASTRUCTURE, COMMERCE, CULTURE
Box 2
ARCHITECTURE AND BUILDINGS
Carter, Elias- architect of the First Parish Church, 1820. Paper written by Wendell Williams in 1945
Civil War Monument, donated by Austin Wood, Mendon Historical Society Scrapbook, 1890 to 1899
Harrison Hall (town hall) – cover photo from “Massachusetts Selectman”, Jan. 1968, V. 27 #1
Historical Museum, paper compiled by E. Jane Coleman, 1966
Meeting houses- story of Mendon’s first three meeting houses- by M. M. Aldrich
Union Chapel- Chapel of Mendon Evangelical Union, dedication (from the Milford Journal, 7/21/1898
Village- Walking through Mendon Village- by 6th grade students of Miscoe Hill Middle School- information and sketches of historic buildings
CHURCHES
Chestnut Hill Meeting House- Millville- oldest original church in Massachusetts- “Let the Work of the Fathers Stand”, a pamphlet
Chestnut Hill Meeting House- a copy of a paper read before Mendon Historical society, 1902, by Horace Benson (2 copies)
Chestnut Hill Meeting House- “The Old Chestnut Hill Meeting House” by Walter Dodge, 1926
Chestnut Hill Meeting House- photo (the Chestnut Hill Meeting House and Cemetery Association)
First Church, an address by Rev. Carlton Staples, before the Worcester County Unitarian Conference, 9/10/1873
First Parish in Mendon- 125th Anniversary of present meeting house, a program on 12/2/1945, includes photo
Mendon Churches- (Mendon Aurora, 1854, V. 1, #1
Quakers in Mendon, from The Annals of Mendon 1659-1880, by John Metcalf, 1880, a paper on the first Friends’ Meeting House
Quaker Cemetery, Mendon, names of those buried and location of plots
Union Chapel (later the Taft Public Library) – new chapel dedicated 7/10/1898, from the Milford Daily News
First Parish Unitarian Church, 125th Anniversary, newspaper article and photo, 11/28/1945 (On reverse side is article by Atty. Wendell Williams in 1920
COMMERCE
Blackstone Block- paper regarding “Blackstone Block’” a trading post on the Blackstone Canal (2 copies)
Boot and Shoe Business- “Origin and Growth of the Boot and Shoe Business in Milford” by Ernest Bragg, 1949 (2 copies)
Ice harvesting- “Winter Work on the Lake”’ Lake Nipmuc- a photo and article from Mendon Town Crier, Jan, 1997
Knights of St. Crispin, Mendon Lodge 80- St. Crispin, patron saint of shoemakers and other leather workers, compiled by E. Jane Coleman, 6/5/1967
FARMING
Agricultural books- a letter from A. W. Cheever of Pine Hedge Farm to Mr. Adams, 1881: a request for information on the cost of books about agriculture
Cattle- article by Gordon Hopper, Milford Daily News, 3/28/1978, “cattle shows once held in Milford” a reference to the Worcester Southeast Society
Farming News- Milford Daily Journal 1888-1896- a typed paper compiled by E. Jane Coleman, on production, husking and the economics of farming.
NATIVE AMERICANS (LOCAL)
King Phillip- “Early Mendon and King Phillip” by Rev. Carlton Staples- Blackstone Valley news 2/3/1922
King Phillip- “The Legend of King Phillip’s Rock” by Grace Scott Southwick
“Local Indians of Long Ago” by C.C. Ferguson, of Millbury, MA 1930s (2 copies)
POETRY AND LITERATURE
“Birth of Hopedale”, by Lessie Drown, 1947- a poem honoring Adin Ballou on the 100th Anniversary of Hopedale’s birth (original)
“Brief history of Mendon”, by Russell Bates, Mendon High School Graduation, 1936
“Nature’s Beauty Spot” by Marcus Aldrich, and “To Save Fair Nipmuc, history of The Founders
“The Old School District or a Reminiscence of Boyhood” Albeeville, by Marcus Aldrich (1834-1914)
“Two Hundredth Anniversary, Mendon, MA, including a poem by Henry Chapin
SCHOOLS
Clough, Henry. A Proclamation by the Selectmen, Town of Mendon, 10/10/1967, honoring Henry P. Clough and naming that week Henry P. Clough Week
High School- the Alumni Association, 1890 to 1939, charter members listed
High School- “Records and Recollections of Mendon Schools, Especially its High School, 1847-1887″, by Hon. G.B. Williams (2 copies)
“Story of our High School” History of the establishment of a high school, along with listing of coursework, voted in 1868. Housed in town hall until building construction, 1904
TOURISM AND RECREATION
Beach- Mendon Town Beach News Releases, 1982?
Christmas Island- Telegram and Gazette, Monday, 3/3/1997- an article regarding future of Christmas Island in Lake Nipmuc- photos included
Christmas Island, Lake Nipmuc, postcard
Mendon, MA walking tour, with map and photos. Information provided by Richard Grady and given to the Rhode Island Historical Society in partnership with the Heritage Corridor Commission
“Summer Hotels in Mendon or Mendon as a Summer Resort”, prepared for and read by E. Jane Coleman, 3/23/1964
TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE
Earliest House lots- grants, a rough draft of a paper, author unknown
Electric Railway in Mendon, 1890 to 1901. Paper compiled by E. Jane Coleman, 1974, from Milford Journal notes
Horses, Wagons and Harnesses at public auction, 12/12/1908
Mendon Roads, compiled by Florence Aldrich, from the settlement of Mendon, an address by Carlton Staples, from Primitive Mendon, by M.M. Aldrich. Mendon’s proprietors laid out the township
Railroad- local time table for New York New England Railroad, 11/9/1888. Also, the B & A Railroad, Mendon, Hopedale, Upton and Medway stages
Stagecoaches- a transcript of notes by Mrs. Marcus Aldrich, 1890
Stages- a news release about the Providence, Newport, New Bedford to Plymouth Stage, 1922 (quality of paper is interesting)
To view items that are not catalogued Click Here: http://www.taftpubliclibrary.org/non-catalogued-local-materials-in-historygenealogy-room/
