Conference 7.286::maynard

    This doesn't go back *that* far, but I know a guy who's first job
    was with Raytheon in the mid-50's in the Mill.  I don't know whether
    Raytheon was here in '57 when KO moved in or not.
    
    Don

When I lived in Chelmsford, my next-door neighbor was John Thompson.  He
started working at the Mill in the '40s, when it was still a woolen mill.
He's still there, on the maintenance staff.

    I can go back a bit further based on information that my mother
    gave me.  Shortly after I moved to USA from Canada, my mother and
    father visited me - she wanted to go to Walnut Street in Maynard
    and went on to explain why - it seems that she lived with her aunt
    when she was 16 and her aunt worked there - and when I told her
    that at least 40 years later - I was working at the MILL -- to take
    this story a bit further - where I moved to in Hudson was a dance
    hall on the corner that my mother used to walk to from Maynard and
    had to "sneak" back into the house on Walnut Street - history does
    repeat itself!!  
    

    THERE IS A HISTORICAL SOCIETY THATS MEETS EVERY MONTH AT THE TOWN
    HALL. THERE HAVE QUIT A BIT OF INFORMATION ON MAYNARD. IF YOU REALLY
    WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT MAYNARD I RECOMMEND GOING TO SOME OF THERE
    MEETINGS.
    

    	The town of Maynard, through the efforts of the late Mr. Tobin,
    he of Dec caf. fame, published an interesting short hsitory of Dec
    and the Mill on Dec's 25th.  I have a copy of same if anyone would
    like to see it but they will have to visit me at AKO, it is not
    to available for loan.
    
    	A small bit of history, street cars used to flow out of Maynard
    to the surrounding towns (Acton, Stow, etc.) which were used by
    the farmers, and others, when they wanted to take a trip into the
    big 'city' - Maynard!
    
    Douglas 

    
    	My father has been with the company for 28 years now.  He's
    one of those people with a two-digit badge number.  I can't give
    much history about the town of Maynard, but I can about the start-up
    of the company.  When they started in the mill, it was an industrial
    park, with over twenty companies using it.  Each time a company
    moved out, Digital would buy the space.  The last company to leave
    was Hi Comp (now in Sudbury) in 1978 I think.  If you want to hear
    more tidbits, let me know.
    
    						-Jerry
    

re .6:  Yes, post whatever you can.  I eat up stories of early DEC history
alive!

-Mike

    
    absolutely continue!

    I only eat the dead ones myself, but plese go on!
    
    Dave.
    

    
    	The founders of DEC came from Lincoln Lab, but Lincoln Lab wasn't
    into building computers.  Ken left with some of those people and
    their first location was floor two in building 12.  35,000 square
    feet, and that was all.  Major funding came from ARD, and when Ken
    said they wanted to make computers, ARD said no because so many
    companies that started that way failed, to set their sights lower.
    Durin the first year, they made logic boards.  After just one year,
    they had turned a good profit so ARD said to go into computers,
    and Ken said no!  They hired Ben Gurley in the summer of 1960 to
    design a computer and in December of the same year, the PDP-1 was
    shown at the full joint computer conference.
    	Arthur's furniture was underneath DEC in building twelve and
    left shortly afterwards after spilled chemicals through the floor
    had ruined a bunch of their furniture.  More tidbits as I gether
    them.  If things get too current, just let me know that the rest
    is history!
    
    						-Jerry
    

    	Speaking of the furniture store below Early DEC, I heard that
    Ken had to keep paying for each couch that was ruined by the 
    chemicals that dripped through the floor in to the furniture store.
    He would pay for each one as it got ruined and then trash it (I
    don't know where, maybe in the Pond).
    
    	I also know a lady, Jean Judd who lives in Boxboro, whose father
    owns a dental supply company which started in the Mill many years
    ago.  She used to come in to help out her father and has some neat
    Mill stories to tell.
    
    	My husband's family, the Sweeney's, is from Maynard since before
    it was even Maynard.  Great Aunt Grace used to tell us stories of
    the woolen mill and the freight trains bringing sheep in and the
    different colors the water in the Pond would be depending on what
    kind of chemicals were being used that day.
    
    	Maynard has a fascinating history.  If I recall correctly, 
    St. Bridget's Church wrote a history of the town (or maybe it was
    just the parish), by getting information from all the oldest members
    of the Maynard community.  This was a few years ago but if anyone
    is interested, you can probably contact the pastor for more info.
    
    		- Susan Sweeney, ex-Maynardite

    My grandmother passed away last year and my daughters and I were
    going through some of her things this past week-end.  The American
    Woolen Mills used to publish a magazine-type newsletter with a few
    pages dedicated to each of the mills they owned.  There are stories
    of bowling teams, and chums who went on vacation, etc.  I discovered
    why this particular issue had been saved when I got to the Assabet
    Mills (that's us - DEC).  There was a photo and story of my uncle
    who was a deligate to the American Legion convention.  This is the
    January 1922 issue.  If anyone would like to look at it, I'm in
    10-1, but it's not available for loan.  I'm sure you can understand
    why.
    
    Karen
    

    Be it noted (albeit, belatedly) that next Monday, 24 April, will
    be the annual Open House at the Maynard Historical Society.  The
    old  photo albums will be out, browse the collection, meet the people.
    
    Lower Level of the Town Office Building, 7:30-????
    
    thanks
    dave pierson

    For those of you who are interested in history, here is some
    information about an interesting event that will be taking place in
    Acton on the Patriots Day weekend next month.
    
    The Trustees of the Acton Memorial Library are sponsoring a Civil War
    encampment from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, April
    13-14.  They will be assisted by members of the 5th Regiment New
    Hampshire Volunteers, a non-profit group of Civil War re-enactors.

    In addition to this being the Patriot's Day holiday weekend, this will
    also be the 130th anniversary of the firing on Fort Sumter (April
    12-14, 1861), the call-up of the Davis Guards ( Co. E, 6th Mass Vols.)
    from Acton on April 15, 1861, and the passage of the 6th Mass. through
    the street riots in Baltimore, MD. on April 19, 1861. The Davis Guards
    were organized in Acton on April 19, 1851 and were the local militia
    unit; they were formally commissioned into the 6th Massachusetts
    Volunteers in 1860.

    The encampment will be held at the Arboretum, a tract of conservation
    land at the corner of Route 27 and Taylor Road in the town center.
    There will be displays of an early war camp of instruction including
    drilling, firing demonstrations, and period scenarios.  Saturday
    morning the troops will march to the Acton Memorial Library, donated by
    William A. Wilde to the town of Acton in 1890 as a Memorial to the
    Civil War veterans of Acton, for a wreath-laying ceremony at the marble
    tablets where the names of Acton's Civil War men are memorialized.	
    Saturday evening local historian Stanton Collins will present a slide
    and lecture show on the Davis Guards at 8 p.m. in the Acton Town Hall.	

    Sunday morning at 11:00 the troops will march to the Woodlawn Cemetery
    to conduct a brief memorial ceremony and fire a volley over the grave
    of an Acton soldier, Nathaniel Allen, who was awarded a Congressional
    Medal of Honor for bravery in retrieving his Regimental Colors during
    the Battle of Gettysburg.

    The encampment and all events are free and open to the public. A full
    schedule of events will be posted at the camp site.

	DIRECTIONS: Mass. Route 2 east or west to Route 27. 
	    North on Rte.27 for six-tenths of a mile.
	    Turn Right (sharp reverse turn) onto Taylor Road.

	For more info: 
		Dennis CFSCTC::AHERN DTN 287-3113  	Acton Memorial Library
	    or
		Tom STUDIO::REILLEY  DTN 234-4269	  5th New Hampshire

    Dennis,
    
    This isn't meant to be an inflammatory reply, but every year around
    this time it does enter my mind.  Has the town of Acton ever discussed
    the possibility of dedicating a Memorial to veterans of wars more recent 
    than the Civil War?
    
    Regards,
    Steve 

    RE: .15
    
    >Has the town of Acton ever discussed the possibility of dedicating a
    >Memorial to veterans of wars more recent  than the Civil War?
    
    There was one erected several years ago in the Center (near the fire
    station) that's a combined Korean/Vietnam memorial.  There's a granite
    and bronze memorial by the big pine tree next to Town Hall that's for
    WWI, but there's some question about the status of the wooden WWII
    memorial that had been in front of Town Hall.  I think it got taken
    down when they put on the addition to the building and either hasn't
    been returned or is too deteriorated and needs to be replaced.
    
    RE: .14  "Civil War encampment in Acton"
        
    For those of you who may be considering a visit to the living-history
    encampment on Saturday or Sunday of Patriot's Day weekend, here's some
    more information and a pointer to a map.

SCHEDULE: 

   Saturday    9:00    	    Roll call, drill and recruiting
              11:00         Wreath laying at the Acton Memorial Library
               2:45, 3:45   Drill and firing demonstrations
               8:00  	    Collins' talk on the Davis Guards at Town Hall 
   Sunday      9:00         Roll call and  drill
              11:00         Parade; Concord Rd. to Woodlawn Cemetery
              11:45         Medal of Honor salute at graveside
               2:00, 3:45   Drill and firing demonstrations

      In case of rain, listen to WBZ 1030 AM for cancellation notice.

DIRECTIONS: Mass. Route 2 east or west to Route 27. 
	    North on Rte.27 for 1/4 of a mile.
	    Turn Right onto Coughlin Street.
	    Turn left onto Taylor Road to drop off passengers and proceed to
	    	Town Center for parking behind Town Hall.
	or
	    Mass. Route 2 east or west to Taylor Rd.
	    North on Taylor Rd. to Conant School and walk through 
	        arboretum from Minot Ave.

	640 block PostScript map available from:

	FRMWRK::DISK$CFSUSER02:[AHERN.PUBLIC]MAP2.PS;4  (RWED,RWED,R,R)

For more info: 
		Dennis FRMWRK::AHERN DTN 287-3113  	Acton Memorial Library
	    or
		Tom STUDIO::REILLEY  DTN 234-4269	  5th New Hampshire