This is a Halloween card from the late 50s/early 60s manufactured by Rust Craft Greeting Card Company which operated in Dedham from 1955-1981. I love the mid-century graphics and colors; reminds me of the Fractured Fairytales cartoons I used to watch. The later versions of their cards from the 70s-80s were, in my opinion, bland and uninteresting.
We can’t promise a Learned Elephant as Moses Gragg did in 1822, but you will find the best local craft beer, wine, distilled spirits, pub food and music at the annual TAVERN NIGHT at the Dedham Museum and Archive. This FRIDAY, October 18, from 7:00-9:00.
Breweries include Castle Island (Norwood), Jack’s Abby (Framingham), Lost Shoe Brewing and Roasting Company (Marlborough), Roundhead (Hyde Park), Wormtown (Foxboro & Worcester), non-alcoholic options, and more!
Spirits and Wine from Privateer Rum, M.S. Walker, and Total Wine & More.
Music by the Zip Finn Band. This event takes place at the Dedham Museum, 612 High Street, which is right around the corner from Moses Gragg’s Tavern, which still stands on Court Street! Get your tickets here:
https://www.dedhammuseum.org/programs-events/special-events/: Dedham Museum Tavern Night- This Friday!
The Dedham Museum and Archive is hosting its annual Tavern Night this coming Friday, October 18, from 7:00-9:00 at the Museum, 612 High Street. The event features craft beer, wine, locally distilled spirits and pub food. Music provided by the Zip Finn Band. Don’t miss your chance to enjoy a great evening out at a unique and historic venue! Gentlemen AND ladies can certainly depend upon being well and reasonably entertained and accommodated! Here’s a link to buy tickets and get more information:
https://www.dedhammuseum.org/programs-events/special-events/: Dedham Tavern Night: A Must-Attend EventJuly 1, 1964
Ground was broken for construction of the “Charles River Arcade” on this date in 1964.
The opening date of September 1965 proved a little ambitious; the shopping center would not be officially open until 1967 when it would have an additional name, “Dedham Mall.” While almost everybody called it just “the Mall,” the two names were used interchangeably in advertising until the early 1980s. More posts about the Mall will be coming, check out my previous posts “Working at the Mall” and “More Mall.”
This plaque can be found at the base of the fountain inside Brookdale Cemetery. The memorial fountain was dedicated in May, 1953 four years after Mrs. Marietta Paul passed away. Ebenezer Paul served on the Board of Assessors for many years and owned a large farm off of Cedar Street that was developed as the Farview subdivision beginning in the 1920s. This farm stood where the present Dresser and Taylor (Marietta Paul’s maiden name) Avenues, Beech Street and Kimball Road are located. The Paul family also owned the land where Paul Park was created and named for them in 1952.
Several people guessed Paul Park, and while there was a plaque honoring the Pauls affixed to a large boulder and dedicated in 1952, that plaque has been missing for many, many years.
There has been quite a favorable response to my last post about the wooden street signposts that remain in Dedham. During my search for more of these, I discovered (with the help of Google maps street view) that one had disappeared from the corner of Mt. Vernon Street and Woodleigh Road some time after April, 2022.
Turns out, rather than an example of some nefarious act of vandalism or theft, the missing signpost is an inspiring story of civic pride. For years, this particular signpost has been maintained (including hand painting the faded street names) by nearby resident Paul Reynolds, Fablevision CEO, Blue Bunny mainstay, and long time supporter of Dedham cultural and charitable organizations. After noticing the tipped over post last fall, Paul discovered the bottom had rotted out and could not be fixed.
Not to worry! Through the generous cooperation of the town DPW, a new post has been crafted, delivered and awaits the addition of street names before being placed in its usual corner.
While these signposts are not very practical (hard to read, in need of constant maintenance) and were eventually replaced for those reasons, they clearly stir strong feelings of nostalgia and stand out as something uniquely Dedham. That’s why they should be preserved, and perhaps restored as Paul Reynolds has done, so they can be appreciated for years to come.
Who remembers when these wooden street signs were found all over Dedham? These have to be at least 50-60 years old; I remember one at Sycamore and Tower when I was a kid. These are just a few I found in a short drive around town- maybe you’ve seen more in other locations?
Anyone who has spent any time walking the paths of Wilson Mountain off Route 135 will recognize this forlorn chimney standing on a small hill a short distance from the parking area. Some of you (myself included) will remember a time when a log cabin stood on the site, and you may have even had some nighttime adventures here. I’ve been researching this part of Dedham recently, and have discovered some amazing facts, the first of which I’ll share in the form of this short item from the Dedham Transcript of December 27, 1924.
MORE TO COME!
The Town of Dedham is currently conducting a survey of residents to gather ideas for the future use of the transfer station site off Washington Street. Built as an incinerator in 1961, the facility was closed in 2019 and currently serves as DPW storage. But did you know it was built on land that once served a much different purpose?
As you can see, a bath house once stood on the site and Dedhamites flocked there for over half a century to cool off in the waters of Mother Brook. The 1947 view shows the bath house built in 1925 after the original one from 1898 burned down two years earlier. The popular spot was staffed with lifeguards and swim instructors, and swim meets and games capped the season at summer’s end. The swimming area was occasionally dredged to create a real old- fashioned swimming hole, and the beach area was regularly maintained. The NY, NH & H railroad tracks ran northwesterly from Dedham Square under Washington Street across what is now the Dedham Mall parking lot. Brave (also reckless) swimmers would sometimes dive off the railroad bridge, despite the diving platform supplied by the town (see below).
Rumors began circulating in the late 40s that the water had become polluted, and the beach and bath house closed for good after the summer of 1952. The town sold a portion of the land in 1955, and the incinerator was approved in April 1960, with construction beginning the following year. While the days of swimming in local waterways are well past, it was a cherished summer activity until the mid-twentieth century, best summed up in this transcript column from July, 1925:
“Every normal child just naturally seeks the water, and swimming is the art that should be acquired by all…And just as long as we support our bath house and just as long as we see these young people sporting in the water, we are sure we have done something, locally, that childhood may be made happy.“
If you are a Dedham resident, you have until Friday March 15 to take the survey. Here is the link:
Happy Valentine’s Day from Rust Craft Publishers, which made its home in Dedham from 1955-1980. I plan on doing a more detailed post on this company in the future, but for now just enjoy these vintage valentines and ads from the 50s-60s!
Dedham Tales 