Civics is Back - SHS Pilots "Our Town" - A Civics Enrichment Program for 8th graders

Civics is back! In June 2018, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) adopted a new curriculum framework for History and Social Science, including a full-year civics education requirement for 8th graders. Additionally, after months of discussion and debate, a new project-based civics bill was passed by the Massachusetts House and Senate during the summer and is close to being signed by Governor Baker. In this spirit and because of its commitment to community engagement, the SHS will be piloting a civics enrichment program for 8th grade students that focuses on local government and democratic practices.

Our Town will take 8th grade participants through the ins and outs of town governance, including the process of researching, drafting, and submitting a warrant article and marketing and voting on its adoption in a mock town meeting. Guest speakers from the League of Women Voters, current and former town employees and elected officials, and other guests with expertise relevant to the selected article topic, will discuss their experiences with participants and facilitators will share relevant documents and objects from the SHS collection for primary source use.

The program, slated to begin in mid-October, will take place at least twice a month on a day and time to be determined by participants. Applications are available on the SHS's web site, or at Sign Up Link, and are due to the SHS by Tuesday, October 2nd. The program fee is $100 per student for the full academic year (need-based scholarships are available). Contact Katina Fontes at president@sudbury01776.org for more information.

Pokemon In Historic Sudbury

Pokemon in Wadsworth CemeterySudbury Historical Society, Inc. 2016Catch a Pokemon in Historic Sudbury! Many of Sudbury's historic sites are just brimming with Pokemon. You can start at the Wadsworth Cemetery on Concord Road which has a Nidoran and a Pokemon Training Center

For an entertaining afternoon take either our audio tour of Sudbury Town Center or our driving tour of Historic Sudbury and see how many Pokemon are in residence at some of Sudbury's historic sites.

 

Kidstory: Baseball

KIDSTORY: Katina Fontes talks to kids about Sudbury BaseballSudbury Historical Society, Inc. 2016Our Kidstory programs this summer have been a great success. Most recently we had a great time on July 27th learning about Sudbury's baseball history, including the great Babe Ruth! Mark your calendars for our next Kidstory program on Wed, August 10. The focus will be colonial architecture.

 

Second Place in Family & Friends Division!

Second Place!Sudbury Historical Society, Inc. 2016The Society's float in this year's 4th of July parade was awarded the second place prize in the Family & Friends Division. Many thanks to Elin Neiterman, Jackson Hild, Beth Gray-Nix, Stewart Hoover, Ursula and Frank Lyons, and Jane Kline (not pictured) for all of their efforts to make the float and marching a success!

 

The Sudbury Historical Society float and members, July 4th, 2016Sudbury Historical Society, Inc. 2016

 

Yarnbombing Sudbury - SHS Gets Wrapped Up in History

Scarves were hung at the Loring Parsonage and around the townSudbury Historical Society, Inc. 2015 To raise its community profile the SHS unveiled a new project this fall called Project Scarf Wrap an innovative twist on traditional yarnbombing tactics used by community groups looking to garner attention for causes. Yarnbombing is a form of temporary graffiti, or kniffiti, that uses installations of colorful knit yarn art that can be found in unlikely places. The SHS, however, yarnbombed with a purpose by creating hand-knit scarfs that are useful items people might need and want to wear when they were found around town.

Each scarf left around town had a tag attached printed with information about a Sudbury-based farm past or present. The tag is what related the project to the SHS’s history education mission. “Sudbury’s agricultural tradition is rich. The SHS wanted to shine a spotlight on our farms and farmers and the good work they do to support Sudbury by producing locally grown products and preserving our landscape,” said SHS Director Sally Hild.

The library was bedecked with scarvesSudbury Historical Society, Inc. 2015From spring to fall SHS members and friends knit over 50 scarves that were distributed around town starting in October. The SHS is grateful for the hours spent stitching by knitters Ellen Morgan, Daphna Cox, Serena Caperonis, Rachel O’Brien, Shanna Russ, Diane Seligman, Renata Pomponi, and Heidi Thoren. Said Hild, “I knit quite a few scarves myself, but the skills of our members are impeccable. They made absolutely beautiful things.” All yarn was donated. A simple plea for yarn went out in our newsletter and on Facebook. People gave bags and boxes of all kinds. Special thanks also go to Ruth Brown, Betty Drum, Mary Ellen Hoover, Catherine McNeil, Elin Neiterman, and Susan Pope Skelly for their yarn.

Blue Meadow Farm sponsored the project in memory of David and Maryann Clark. Mr. and Mrs. Clark operated the pick-your-own blueberry farm at 120 Nobscot Road for the past 44 years, but it is now owned by their daughter Audrey Murphy and her husband, Glen. Blue Meadow is also a full-service equestrian center as well. The SHS remembers Mr. and Mrs. Clark and their contributions to Sudbury through this project.

Twillingate Gardens & Flower Shop and Twillingate Farm Alpacas also sponsored Project Scarf Wrap. According to owners Karen and Jim Hodder, Twillingate is the oldest flower shop in Sudbury, located at 136 Hudson Road. Family owned and operated Twillingate has been around since 1934 and has raised poultry, vegetables, and flowers on the land. Their daughter, Amy Dupee, began Twillingate Alpacas in order to harvest fleece which is used in the production of knitwear and specialty yarn sold in the shop.

Our call for yarn was answered by a number of Sudburians!Sudbury Historical Society, Inc. 2015

 

From posts left on our Facebook site we know that our scarves were appreciated locally but had a far greater reach helping warm people as far as Roxbury and north of Boston. One Sudbury resident said that she not only found a beautiful hand-knit scarf, but also learned something new about her own neighborhood. That is more than we could have hoped for. Warm wishes from the SHS!

Each scarf carried an SHS label and tagSudbury Historical Society, Inc. 2015

 

Some Sudbury Farms Past

Colorful locally made scarves in our coloful fall foliageSudbury Historical Society, Inc. 2015Bonnie Brook Farm was located at 528 Boston Post Road where the Raytheon Company is located today. In the 1920s H.P. Hood and Sons made it into a model farm to educate the public about milk production and products. There were dairy buildings and cow barns, called cow houses, which were clean, light, and airy. H.P. Hood and Sons was organized in 1846.

The Briardale-Frost Farm was a successful dairy farm operated by the Frost Family at 148 Great Road. Along with dairy products Gurnsey Frost raised sunflowers there in the 1940s, a popular crop during this time period due to the rise in the bird-watching hobby and need for ready bird food to attract birds to the area. Today the original farmhouse is surrounded by senior housing condos.

The Davis Turkey Farm was located in South Sudbury at 738 Boston Post Road where the Fairfield Inn stands today. The farm operated in the 1930s and 1940s selling fresh poultry to local residents and to Boston’s Quincy Market. Think of Davis when you next buy your Thanksgiving Turkeys!

Green Hill Farm on King Philip Road was owned by the Goodnow family in South Sudbury. The barn at #4 still stands today. Hay was an important farm product and haying fields was hard work. Haying had to be done on sunny days and the hay kept dry in the barns as rain or moisture would spoil the whole load. Hattie Goodnow’s photographs of her family working the farm are held in the Historical Society’s collections.

Mr. Longfellow will be warm this winterSudbury Historical Society, Inc. 2015The Raymond Farm was located at 80 Raymond Road. George J. Raymond (1852-1915) was a wealthy businessman who owned Raymond’s Department Stores in Boston. The farm ran from 1879-1973 and the home was built in 1750 by the Hunt Family. Raymond added a water tower, barns, and many outbuildings, including a mausoleum on the 500 acres. Stained-glass windows from a steamboat are said to have been installed in the house.

Home Plate Farm at 558 Dutton Rd. was owned by Babe Ruth from 1922 to 1926. Ruth’s purchase of the gentleman’s farm was perhaps intended to help him lose weight. Whatever the reason, Ruth spent a few years at “Home Plate Farm,” raising chickens, a horse, a cow, and several turkeys and pigs. While Ruth may not have been much of an agriculturalist, the same cannot be said for subsequent owners Herbert and Esther Atkinson. The Atkinson's established the Sudbury Laboratory which manufactured and sold soil testing kits used by farmers throughout North America to determine the make-up and quality of their soils.

Some Sudbury Farms Present

The horses at Blue Meadow Farm were intriguedSudbury Historical Society, Inc. 2015Blue Meadow Farm is a full service equestrian center located on 27 scenic acres at 120 Nobscot Road in Sudbury, Mass. A comprehensive range of services is offered including training, riding lessons and boarding, as well as horse sales and leasing. The farm has also operated a pick-your-own blueberry operation for the past 44 years. The familiar U-pick sign can be seen along Nobscot Road in mid-summer. Blue Meadow Farm has sponsored Project Scarf Wrap in memory of David and Maryann Clark, original owners and farmers (www.bluemeadowfarm.com).

Cavicchio Greenhouses, Inc. began in 1910 when Giuseppe and Civita Cavicchio emigrated from Italy to Sudbury to raise their family on 56 acres of land which included an apple orchard and field grown vegetables delivered and sold in the Boston markets. The Great Hurricane of 1938 leveled the orchard but the Cavicchios persevered growing other vegetable crops tended by their children and grandchildren. Today the over 250 acre operation includes annuals, perennials and nursery stock, as well as a wide array of landscape supplies (www.cavicchio.com).

Construction workers in Town Center appreciate a warm scarfSudbury Historical Society, Inc. 2015Fairbank Farm has been in operation on Old Sudbury Road since Winthrop Fairbank bought the land in 1880. Revived in the 1990s, today it is run by great-grandson Bill Fairbank, who raises plants and produce, and sells them from his farm stand. In a 2000 Town Crier article Fairbank credits a lot of his farm’s success to the knowledge he obtained from Bill Stone of Stone Tavern Farm and his business partner’s experiences in the greenhouses of J.P. Bartlett’s – an illustration of how Sudbury’s long-time farm families support community.

J. P. Bartlett Co., Inc. is a fourth generation family-owned greenhouse facility located on it’s original Sudbury site. As an agricultural student in 1911, James Lowell Bartlett bought a broken down greenhouse described as, “a pile of rusted pipe, rotted timbers and broken glass.” He first grew carnations but during WWI grew tomatoes as customers needed food not flowers. Later his son perfected geraniums and passed his science on to the next generation who still run the operation today (www.bartlettgreenhouses.com).

Wrapping the town's iconic stone walls!Sudbury Historical Society, Inc. 2015Sienna Farms run by Chris Kurth, his wife renowned chef Ana Sortun and their family has over 75 acres of protected farmland. Using sustainable agricultural practices they grow over 200 varieties of vegetables for their 750-member CSA community, three farmstores in Boston, and select restaurants and chefs (www.sienafarms.com).

Stone Tavern Farm is a roadside farm stand that sells corn, produce, and flowers at 554 Boston Post Road. The late William Stone gave hay and sleigh rides around the farm and was well known for providing horse drawn carriage rides for brides whose weddings were held at the Martha Mary Chapel in Sudbury. Today, along with the seasonal farm stand, his daughter, Anne, runs Pet Nannies at Stone Tavern Farm a dog daycare operation and pet-sitting service (www.petnanniesatstonetavernfarm.com).

Twillingate is the oldest flower shop in Sudbury, Mass located at 136 Hudson Road . Family owned and operated, Twillingate has been around since Ronald and Hazel Hodder purchased the farm in 1934 raising poultry, vegetables, and flowers on the land. Today Jim and Karen Hodder continue the business, and daughter Amy Dupee began Twillingate Farm Alpacas for fleece which is used in the production of knitwear and specialty yarn sold in the shop (www.twillingategardens.com).

I Heart Sudbury

Do you “Heart” Sudbury History?

A Photo Campaign Showing “History is at The Heart of Sudbury”

 

Mr. Longfellow hearts Sudbury History The Sudbury Historical Society has a new photo campaign as a reminder that “History is at the Heart of Sudbury.” Show you care about Sudbury's history by sending us a photo!

The SHS is asking you, our townspeople, to think about how you see that “History is at the Heart of Sudbury” by taking a photograph of yourself, your family, or a group to which you belong somewhere in Sudbury along with a copy of our special heart sign. Places you might consider for backdrops are in front of our historic properties, on our conservation trails, at Town buildings, at school, at club meetings, at a favorite store or restaurant - anywhere!

Download Your Sign Here!

E-mail your photograph or questions to Iheartsudburyhistory@gmail.com by January 31, 2015. Anyone who loves Sudbury history may participate.

Mariachi Mexico Lindo at the Wayside Inn

 

Your friends and neighbors are submitting their photographs. See our growing collection of hearts at Flickr.

Photographs may appear on our web and Facebook sites, or in one of the Society’s future newsletters.By submitting a photograph, you grant the Sudbury Historical Society Inc., unrestricted rights and permission to copyright, use, re-use, publish and republish the photograph through any media, including printed materials or internet postings. Anyone under the age of 18 should have their parent or guardian approve their submission.

Loring Pack 60, Den 4 at Tippling Rock

 

As Sudbury recently celebrated its 375th year of incorporation our history is long and storied. Please support the SHS’s efforts to continue promoting our civic pride and show indeed that “History is at the Heart of Sudbury.”

The Sudbury Historical Society’s mission is to bring the rich history of the Sudbury Plantation area into the lives and activities of Sudbury’s residents. In all that it does the SHS strives to teach why Sudbury’s past matters for the present. Put simply, the past shows where Sudbury has been and where it can head and this awareness fosters greater civic pride. Bringing history to the forefront is imprinted in our bylaws. But, in addition, at the SHS we just heart local history and we want the town to know more about it.

SHS Photo Contest

Picturing Sudbury: A Celebration of our Town

A Photo Contest Sponsored by the Sudbury Historical Society

As the saying goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” In honor of Sudbury’s 375th Anniversary the Sudbury Historical Society asked the community “just what it is that makes Sudbury, Sudbury?” Townspeople were to use a photograph to complete the sentence, “Sudbury wouldn’t be Sudbury without...” It was hoped that the pictures that came to mind and were captured by the lens would be different among neighbors. And indeed they were.

To see all the submitted photographs, visit our Flickr Album. After lengthy deliberation, the Society selected the images shown below as the best!

Open to all ages, the contest, “Picturing Sudbury: A Celebration of Our Town,” began in September 2013 and ran through July 2014. In total 163 photographs by 30 Sudbury residents were submitted for consideration. Photographs captured Sudbury’s buildings, landscapes, monuments, streetscapes, businesses, events and activities. Examples included seasonal views of our farmlands and farm stands, our waterways, and residents’ own backyards. We were shown the artistry in sunrises and sunsets and the simple charms of animals, insects, amphibians and wild plants in our midst.

The beloved Wayside Inn campus and our Town Center were most photographed. But other more unassuming favorite places and pastimes were also revealed. Long-time shops contrasted with new development to illustrate Sudbury’s steady growth. The varied images were striking - quintessentially Sudbury - reminding us that we live in a beautiful town.