37,000 Flags for Memorial Day in Boston

Fortunately, I heard about the flags on the evening news and knew I had to make a trip to Boston to see them first hand. The Boston Common is huge, and after walking quite a bit, I finally asked several people if they had seen the flags, they hadn't. Soon, I did, and what a sight. A moving sight, and I hope you get an idea from the pictures below. 

Memorial Day isn't just another holiday.

This garden of 37,000 flags was planted in memory of every fallen Massachusetts service member from the Revolutionary War to the present. These flags will be on display through Memorial Day weekend for your observance and reflection. Please remember and honor the ultimate sacrifices of our local heroes.

For more information about the Massachusetts Military Heroes Fund, please visit www.massmilitaryheroes.org

Each flag represents a fallen service member; please respect the display.

Spalding Family, Lowell, Massachusetts -- Tombstone Tuesday

William B. Spalding

October 21, 1844 - March 9, 1912

Benefactor of Lowell General Hospital and Lowell Humane Society.

Mary E. Spalding, His Wife

March 27, 1835 - April 10, 1929

Benefactress of the Faith Home for Children and The Children's Home.

Wilcox and Coburn, Lowell, Massachusetts -- Tombstone Tuesday

Lowell Cemetery, Lowell, Massachusetts

(Front and Back)

William B. Wilcox

July 23, 1857

Feb. 20, 1920

Ida M. wife of

William B. Wilcox

Mar. 17, 1856

Bertha W. Coburn Foss

1879 - 1943

Frederick W. Coburn

1873 - 1918

Charles E. Foss

1873 - 1928

Shirley Coburn Wilson

1911 - 1981

Daughter of

F. W. and B. W. Coburn

Anne Whipple Coburn

wife of

C. B. Coburn

1917 - 1991

 Charles B. Coburn

son of

F. W. and B. C. Coburn

1912 - 1993

War Memorial, Westford, Massachusetts

Pioneers

and

Colonial Period

1675  --  1763

Revolutionary War

1775  --  1783

Two hundred and fifty men served

Thirty-five men died.

War of 1812  --  1815

IN MEMORIAM

Joel Abbot

Walter Abbot

Oliver Fletcher

James Kemp

Civil War

1861  --  1865

THESE GAVE THEIR LIVES

Harvey N. Bailey

James Bicknell

Nathan D. Bicknell

George W. Blodgett

Savillion B. Coburn

John W. Craig

Reuben W. Cummings

William Dane

Anoil Davis

William Dinsmore

Albert W. Fletcher

James T. Flint

Henry A. Friar

John Harris

Francis P. Howard

Edward E. Hutchins

Thomas J. Hutchins

Warren E. Hutchins

Alfred Jackson

Franklin M. Jewett

John Jubb

Edward Keyes

George M. Kawrence

Charles Miner

Hiram Peabody

Augustus Reed

Charles B. Reed

Luther F. Reed

Luther F. Reed

John F. Richards

Alfred A. Richardson

Gardner H. Richardson

Patrick Sheahan

William H. Shedd

John Z. Taylor

Dexter W. Waterman

The Spanish American War
1898  --  1902

IN MEMORIAM
Fred P. Collins
Frank D. O'Brien
Philip R. Prescott

World War

1917  --  1918

IN MEMORIAM

Edward J. Bechard

J. Norbert Brule

Thomas Costello

Adlard Langley

Napoleon J. Lanctot

Antonio Palermo

Charles Smith

Orion V. Wells

Antonio Lozzi

The link for my World War II post is: http://lifefromtheroots.blogspot.com/2014/02/westford-massachusetts-world-war-ii.html

Chelmsford, Massachusetts Has Gone Back in Time

Earlier today, I did a post about a May Breakfast I went to in Chelmsford. It wasn't until we left, that somebody mentioned how nice the area looked since they removed all the telephone poles, and put the wires and cables underground. Once it was pointed out, I could tell the difference, and it was nice seeing how this part of the town may have looked many years ago, before electricity. Many of the buildings were there before that time.

No telephone poles! New sitting area in the old green.

 Streets around the green. I must say, it looks great.

 Old 1879 Town Hall was recently renovated.

(New Town Hall is in another location.)

 Monument and Toll House.

Middlesex Canal Toll House 1832  Oldest Canal Toll House in America. Donated by Heirs of Judge Samuel P. Hadley.

 Old house, now a bank.

Harriet B. Rogers, assisted by Mary S. Byam, opened here in 1866 the Chelmsford School. The first in America to susccessfully teach lip-reading and speech to deaf children. In 1867 it was moved to Northampton as the Clarke School for the Deaf.

Next to the church, the 1655 Forefathers Burial Ground and old school.

Seeing Chelmsford, Massachusetts on May Breakfast Day

May breakfast on the first Saturday in May has been a tradition at my former church for 88 years. After a discussion regarding May breakfasts on facebook, some wondered if they were still being held. I knew of this one, so on this early spring morning, my husband and I went to it, only 5 miles away. Another post will follow, with more photos of the Chelmsford green. It was like seeing it for the first time, since they recently took out the power lines and improved the area, I even saw some historical sites, new to me.

Several signs around the church and on bulletin boards.

 We were early, so it wasn't crowded. Beautifully decorated.

 Oh the handmade baskets, each filled with six or so pieces of fudge.

 When I mentioned my mother and the elevator next to the table to where the baskets were being sold, both ladies got a little emotional. They knew my mother and still are so thankful that my mother left money to the church when she died. The church was able to install the elevator. Since I was curious if they needed to raise more funds, I was told no. One of these days, I'm going to have a plaque put there with her name.

 One of the ladies took me into the storage area to show me the additional baskets, it looked like a period room.

 Looking out the church window at the square.

 Real flowers and menu at each table.

  The "new" town hall is below, as seen from the church.

Chelmsford green, with church.