Seventy years ago: Rust Craft comes to Dedham

Posted July 23, 2025 by Jim Parr
Categories: ...all the old familiar places, History/Mystery, Lost Dedham
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The Rust Craft Greeting Card Company as seen in a 1950s postcard view (courtesy of Dedham Museum and Archive)

I can’t really improve upon the caption that accompanied this picture in newspapers across the country on July 24, 1955, the day after the greeting card company opened its new headquarters in Dedham:

700-YEAR-OLD “BLESS HOUSE” CEREMONY, symbolic of inviting good luck to the opening of a new building, was reenacted yesterday as the Rust Craft Greeting Card Co. officially opened its nine-acre plant in Dedham, Mass. Perched atop the clock tower of the new building were these authentically garbed musicians, drumming out evil influences and summoning the good with long heraldic trumpets. 10,000 visitors toured the $3,500,000 plant and watched the making of greeting cards.

During the ceremony described above, six drummers beat kettle drums from the cupola of the building, driving evil spirits away, while trumpeters facing the four points of the compass sounded their 4 foot-long horns, calling good and gentle spirits into the building. Just to cover their bases, company officials invited Father William Kenneally from St. Mary’s Catholic Church and Reverend Rudolph Roell from St. Paul’s Episcopal Church to give blessings as well.

Later in the afternoon, town officials presented Rust Craft co-founder Donald Rust with a silk flag bearing the company logo, along with a large, framed replica of the original Indian land deeds to the Rust Craft property. Also on hand was goodwill ambassador “Rustie,” described by the Transcript as “a living greeting card herself, warm and friendly, lovely to look at, and with a cheery greeting for everyone.”

“Rustie” the ‘living trademark’ of the Rust Craft Company stands by the plane she piloted on nationwide promotional tours. Note her dress, which is printed with a variety of greeting card images.
This full page ad from the Transcript shows the excitement surrounding Rust Craft’s relocation from Boston to Dedham.

This is the logo used by Rust Craft for several years after their move to Dedham, perhaps inspired by the unique medieval opening day ceremony of that hot July day 70 years ago.

Rust Craft operated in Dedham until 1980 when it moved its operations to Pennsylvania, before going out of business in 1982. The Dedham Museum and Archive is putting together an exhibit highlighting the people, products, and pictures of the company’s 25 years in town. If you have any stories to share, or photos/artifacts to loan us for this exhibit, we would love to hear from you! Please email us at memories@dedhammuseum.org

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Dedham did it first!

Posted July 16, 2025 by Jim Parr
Categories: Dedham Then and Now

You may have heard about the furor in Newton over the city’s decision to paint over the street lines that for years had traditionally been green, white and red, the colors of the Italian flag. This story is remarkably similar to the “Battle of Dedham Common” 50 years ago. Certainly, the emotions of those involved are just as strong as they were for Dedham residents of half a century ago. Read the linked story, and see if you don’t agree.

Part 2 coming soon!

https://www.wcvb.com/article/newton-festa-italian-flag-lines-nonantum/65426095

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The Battle of Dedham Common/Part One

Posted July 4, 2025 by Jim Parr
Categories: ...all the old familiar places, Dedham Then and Now, Uncategorized
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Dedham Common, 1890s- Courtesy of Dedham Museum and Archive

50 years ago, communities and businesses began observing the 200th anniversary of the founding of our country, beginning in April 1975 with celebrations and commemorations of the famous battles that marked the start of the Revolution. In the summer of ’75 the town of Dedham saw residents engaged in their own battle, one that could fittingly be described as “uncommon.”

Sometime around the 4th of July, residents in Precinct One were shocked to find the wooden railings surrounding the Town Common had been transformed from traditional white to a Bicentennial color scheme of red, white and blue. The reaction of the townspeople, especially those living on streets adjacent to the Common, was swift and strong. The new paint job was described as “garish,” “an aesthetic outrage,” “the worst of taste” and “inappropriate, incongruous and demeaning.” “It looks like the town trollop,” one woman remarked to a Boston Globe reporter.

Boston Globe July 13 1975

As equally enraging to locals was the process by which the fence received its tacky paint job. Despite the existence of a Bicentennial Commission and a recently formed Historical District Commission, neither group was consulted before Public Works Commissioner Paul Sullivan supervised the work. Sullivan explained that several benches in East Dedham had already been painted the patriotic colors with no public complaint, and when it came time to repaint the Common fence, it seemed like an appropriate way to honor the country’s Bicentennial. “I think it looks wonderful,” he said at a mid-July select board meeting. “Our forefathers would turn over in their graves if they could see it,” was one response to Sullivan’s remarks.

At the July 15 meeting, the select board voted 3-2 to keep the patriotic paint scheme, despite the vocal disapproval of most of the 80-plus in attendance and the presentation of a petition signed by over 100 townspeople demanding the fence be repainted white. At times the meeting became heated, with residents and members of the select board shouting at each other, questioning the taste of those in favor of the red, white and blue color scheme and the patriotism of those opposed. The meeting ended with more than a few attendees asserting that the fence would be repainted white again, one way or another. Hours after the crowd dispersed, a midnight caller to the Transcript calling himself “The Dedham Militia Man” stated “We do not like the fence red, white and blue. The fence now has black crepe paper on it and soon it will be white.” Such threats of civil disobedience were taken seriously by town officials, and a 24- hour police guard was posted at the Common for the next few days.

North Adams Transcript/August 11 1975

News stories throughout New England took a rather bemused tone when describing the kerfuffle, but Dedham residents, especially those living near the Common, took the matter very seriously. Throughout the summer, members of the various historical committees continued to meet to resolve this issue. But for the time being, the fence would keep its “Andy Warhol type pop-art” color scheme.

PART 2 Coming next week: A little history of the Town Common and the resolution to the ongoing disagreement

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Dedham on Chronicle Tomorrow!

Posted June 8, 2025 by Jim Parr
Categories: ...all the old familiar places, Uncategorized
Tags: , ,
Kevin Hampe, clerk-treasurer of the Society in Dedham for Apprehending Horse Thieves, talks to Chronicle’s Ted Reinstein outside the old Norfolk Hotel on Court Street, where the society was founded in 1810.

Monday June 9, 7:30 on Channel 5 (WCVB)- I will be on Chronicle talking to Ted Reinstein about Dedham’s Town Forest as part of his “Who Knew?” series. Also on the segment will be the Fairbanks House, Society in Dedham for Apprehending Horse Thieves and the Dedham Museum and Archive. Here’s a link to the promo; be sure to watch!

https://www.wcvb.com/article/monday-june-9-who-knew/64996622

Read more: Dedham on Chronicle Tomorrow!

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Who Remembers Kalah?

Posted June 5, 2025 by Jim Parr
Categories: ...all the old familiar places, JP's Dedham
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An original Kalah board made in Holbrook, 1960.

While researching various subjects in the Dedham Transcript archives for this blog, I frequently come across the Dedham Playground write-ups published every week in the summer. These summaries were written by the high school and college students who worked at the various playgrounds around town and would include the names of all the neighborhood kids who had attended that week and a description of the activities they were involved in. I found many mentions of my own name and that of my sister and all the kids in my Tower Street neighborhood who used to frequent Paul Park in the late 60s-early 70s. Along with volleyball, baseball, pot holder making and plaster of Paris, one regularly mentioned activity was Kalah. I have fond memories of playing this game for hours on end, and when I became an elementary school teacher I introduced it to my students as Mancala, which it is commonly known and sold as today. At first I thought that Kalah was a nickname the Paul Park kids made up, but then I found this Transcript headline from 1958 and I knew I needed to do some more research.

As it turns out, Kalah was a brand name for the mancala-type game invented here in Boston in 1940 by Yale Graduate William Julius Champion, Jr. It is believed that Champion adapted an ancient bean counting game from either Asia or Africa to create a 20th century version. Champion founded the Kalah Game Corporation in 1958 and the wooden boards were manufactured in various places, including Holbrook, Massachusetts, until the 1970s. Beginning in the late 1950s, recreation departments in towns across the country were sponsoring tournaments at playgrounds and community centers, and Kalah had taken its place among such timeless pastimes as checkers, chess and horseshoes.

Kids in Chicago playing Kalah in 1960 at the height of its popularity

I’m sure many of you have fond memories of scooping those dried beans from pod to pod while sitting on a splintery bench in a Dedham playground. Here’s to that highly addictive game and here’s to all the college and high school teens who worked at those playgrounds. They kept us safe, entertained, and out of our mother’s hair on those hot summer days.

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Battleship Cove Museum Talk

Posted May 6, 2025 by Jim Parr
Categories: History/Mystery
Tags: ,

On Sunday, May 18, I will be giving a talk and signing copies of my book World War II Massachusetts at the Battleship Cove Museum in Fall River. This exceptional historic site is home to the battleship USS Massachusetts, which saw plenty of action in the war after being launched in Quincy in 1941.

Since the book’s publication in March 2024, I have traveled across the state sharing stories of the Massachusetts home front, meeting dozens of interested folks, including many senior citizens who lived through and remember many of the events described in my book. One of my most unique and memorable experiences was presenting at the American Heritage Museum in Hudson, just steps away from World War II-era armored carriers, tanks and planes.

Recently, the events of 1941-1945 are once again making headlines, with the observation of the 80th anniversary of Victory Europe (V-E) Day occurring this week, and the anniversary of the end of the war (V-J Day) coming in August. What better time to learn about this incredible period of our country’s history? Below is a link to the Museum’s website which contains details about my appearance. Both Battleship Cove and the American Heritage Museum are worth a trip any time of the year, but it’s always a boost to see friendly faces in the crowd when I speak. Don’t forgot, you can get copies of my book at any book retailer including the Blue Bunny in Dedham Square, where I can be found working behind the counter during the week.

https://www.battleshipcove.org/event-details/lecture-series-book-signing

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April in New England

Posted April 11, 2025 by Jim Parr
Categories: ...all the old familiar places

from My Name is James and Other Poems © 2012 James L. Parr

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A Century and a half of Business in East Dedham

Posted March 5, 2025 by Jim Parr
Categories: Dedham Then and Now
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23-25 Milton Street/March 2, 2025

Many locals remember this building as the East Dedham Branch Library, which was in operation for an incredible 77 years from 1896-1973! This is what the library looked like when it first opened:

The branch Library opened on January 30, 1896. The library’s annual report at Town Meeting that year stated: “The warm interest already shown in the Library is proof that its advantage to the people of East Dedham will be deeply appreciated.” And it was, for the next 77 years!

Others will recall Gates Pharmacy, which relocated here after several moves and closed for good in 1995. Others remember going to the office of Dr. Glickstein the dentist who kept his office here for decades.

Gates Pharmacy opened for business at its original High Street location on May 13, 1952, and closed exactly 43 years later on May 13, 1995. This stone honoring the original owners, brothers James (Jimmy) and Hyman Dubin is located in the park next to 25 Milton Street.

There are few, if any, who are old enough to recall the building’s earlier past. Here is the same building in an advertisement for George Hewitt’s grocery store from the 1893 Dedham Directory:

According to the 1895 publication Boston’s Picturesque Southern Suburbs, “there is no room to doubt that so far as East Dedham is concerned the store par excellence, to patronize, is the family grocery house of Messrs. Geo. Hewitt & Co., on Milton Street…” Hewitt’s shop carried a full line of groceries and meats, as well as clocks, silverware, stoves and ranges.

George Hewitt was an English immigrant who supervised the weaving operation at the Merchant’s Woolen Mills before opening the grocery in 1877. Until his death in March 1902 Hewitt, lived above the store with his wife and nephew Sam, who helped run the business. Tragically, 26-year-old Sam contracted meningitis and died just a few months after his uncle. The property and business were then taken over by Benjamin Rose. Both Rose and Hewitt were members of a fraternal benefit society known as the Royal Arcanum, which explains the sign hanging above the windows.

When Hyde Park merchant and Russian immigrant Moses Guber purchased the property after Rose’s death in 1912, the sign was repurposed.

Moses, wife Annie and daughters Ida and Martha lived above the store, which was operated into the 1940s. Guber purchased several other properties in East Dedham Square, most of which were taken by the town and demolished during the “urban renewal” of the mid-1960s. Moses died in 1955, Annie in 1968. His daughters continued to live together in Dedham until the early 2000s.  Ida was one of the first female graduates of the Massachusetts Pharmacy School and worked as a pharmacist at the Faulkner Hospital for 35 years. She passed away in 2004 at the age of 92.

Today, the building houses Akiki’s Styles and Dry Bar, continuing a tradition of business at this location for almost 150 years!

Come to the Dedham Museum and Archive and see the M. Guber sign that sparked this deep dive down the rabbit hole of East Dedham history. If you look closely, you will see faint traces of the original lettering for Arcanum Hall! All historic photos courtesy of the Dedham Museum and Archive.

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47 years ago today- the Blizzard of ’78!

Posted February 6, 2025 by Jim Parr
Categories: Uncategorized

This is the Town parking lot on Eastern Ave., a few days after the historic storm that hit Dedham on this day in 1978. My car is currently parked in that same lot, and even though it is snowing and Dedham schools have a Snow Day, I don’t think I’ll see anything like this when I return to it in a few hours. For more Blizzard pictures, check out the Facebook post of the Dedham Museum and Archive : https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Kbtmhdked/

You can also search on this blog and read my Blizzard posts from 2011. It certainly was a storm to remember!

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The Legacy of George Guild: Dedham’s Firefighter and Jeweler

Posted February 5, 2025 by Jim Parr
Categories: Lost Dedham, Uncategorized
Tags: , , , ,

Today’s firefighters live and work in a time in which they can devote their full energy to the demands of the challenging profession they’ve chosen. From the earliest days of organized firefighting until the mid-twentieth century, however, firefighters often held down several jobs in addition to their departmental duties. One such firefighter, George Austin Guild, was not only the chief engineer of the Dedham Fire Department, but also ran a successful business in town for over forty years.

Guild as a member of the Hero Company. Early firefighters used colorful names to designate both their engines and companies.

George Guild was born in 1836, 200 years after the first Guild, John, came to Dedham as one of the original proprietors. In 1853, at the age of 17 he joined the Hero Engine Company One, headquartered at Connecticut Corner near the Town Common. He served as the department’s chief engineer from 1877-1892, when he retired. He was a popular chief and upon his retirement was feted at the central firehouse and presented with “an elegant easy chair, and handsome, as well as valuable writing desk” according to the Boston Herald.

At the young age of twenty-three, Guild opened his business as a jeweler and watch seller in the old Dixon House, which stood on High Street across from Memorial Hall. The wooden watch sign that hung high above his shop window became one of the most recognizable landmarks in the Square.  Guild operated at this location from 1859-1891, when he was forced to relocate to Washington Street as the Dixon building was being torn down to make way for the new Dedham Institution for Savings.

The wooden watch sign can be seen in these two photos of Guild’s shop on High Street
The Dixon Building with George Guild’s shop as seen in this 1876 birds-eye view map by E. Whitfield. Next to it on the corner of High and Washington Streets is the Phoenix Hotel (current Knights of Columbus Building), which burned to the ground in 1880. Memorial Hall stands on the western corner of High and Washington.

The wooden watch sign adorned Guild’s tiny shop for another ten years until declining health caused him to close his shop after forty-one years in business. At the time of his retirement in June,1901, Guild had been the longest serving tradesman in town.

Two views of Guild’s second shop on Washington Street, across from School Street
Same view as above in 2025

George made his home at 41 School Street where he and his wife Abby raised their three children. Jonathan, the youngest, became a successful Dedham businessman himself, after opening a photography studio on High Street in 1891. On October 26, 1901, the 65-year old George made the short walk to the studio and posed for his son one final time. He passed away at his home just a few weeks later on November 18. The following week an obituary in the Transcript praised him as a “man of sterling traits of character, an honest citizen, a steadfast and true friend, an excellent neighbor, a firm believer in religion, temperance and morality, a good husband, a kind and loving father…”

Guild’s final portrait taken by son Jonathan

The wooden advertising watch is on display at the Dedham Museum and Archive, 612 High Street. You can learn more about the Hero Engine Company and early firefighting in the current exhibit on the history of the Dedham Fire and Police Departments. Museum hours are Tuesday-Friday (11:00-5:00) and Saturdays (2nd & 4th of each month) 11:00-2:00. All historical images used with permission of the Dedham Museum and Archive.

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