Life in Town
Eclipse (1918)
On Monday, August 21, a total solar eclipse will cross the United States, the first time a total eclipse has occurred in the country since June 8, 1918. Below is an excerpt from the Old Farmer’s Almanac from 1918, alerting New England’s residents to the upcoming eclipse. We unfortunately do not have any photographs or…
Read MoreEarthquake (1755)
The Earthquake of 1755 was the largest earthquake in Massachusetts history, occurring on November 18, 1755 around 4:30 in the morning. The quake originated off of Cape Ann and registered at least as a 6.0 on the Richter scale. The earthquake thankfully did not result in any deaths and did little damage to buildings beyond…
Read MoreFlood (1900)
In 1900, there was a spring flood which devastated West Boylston–which was already devastated from the construction of the reservoir. The flood damaged property and washed out a major bridge. The photograph below features some damage from the storm in front of the Cowee household. The Cowees owned a local mill.
Read MoreSesquicentennial Parade of 1958
Some photos of floats and marchers in West Boylston’s Sesquicentennial Parade in 1958! Everyone in town came out for this: local businesses, the Boy Scouts, and several Churches. West Boylston owes much of its 1808 foundation to Ezra Beaman, who advocated for his town. Initially, West Boylston was part of Shrewsbury. With help from Beaman…
Read MoreThe Beaman Oak (1958)
The Beaman Oak is a symbol of West Boylston featured on our town seal. Its origins date back to pre-Revolutionary War times, when West Boylston was part of the larger town of Shrewsbury. The Beaman Oak was a tree on town founder Ezra Beaman’s property beside his family’s cemetery. According to legend, Ezra filled the…
Read MoreGrapevines (before 1620)
If you enjoy spending time exploring the various rail trails and pathways around our town and those nearby, you might notice some grapevines mixed among the trees. These plants were cultivated and eaten by Native Americans before the arrival of Europeans. It’s also possible that, at one time, these grapes were cultivated by local mill…
Read MoreNews and Weather Events
Earthquake of 1755 Town Population (1800’s) Flood of 1900 Independence Day (1905) Eclipse of 1918 The Beaman Oak (1958) …
Read MoreThe Sesquicentennial Celebration
In 1958, West Boylston celebrated its Sesquicentennial (150th) Anniversary! Here are some photos from the festivities. In the fall of 1957, West Boylston Junior and Senior High School students entered their new high school. For the two previous years, they had attended Wachusett Regional High School during the construction of their brand new school in…
Read MoreWest Boylston’s Sesquicentennial
In 1958, West Boylston celebrated its Sesquicentennial (150th) Anniversary! Here are some photos from the festivities. Tag or let us know if you know anyone in a photo! See more photos by clicking the links below. The Ball The Banquet Decorations around town Floats in the Parade Marchers in the Parade Old West Boylston…
Read More