Ashland Day Honorees, Part II

Welcome back! Last month we visited the honorees from the first Ashland Day through A’Day 1991. Everyone I mentioned had contributed, and in a lot of cases still contribute to the town in a variety of ways. This installment starts with A’Day 1992. Ben Montenegro – 1992 Grand Marshal. Many of the honorees returned for another tour of duty. Ben […]

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The Magunco Tub

There’s a long standing rivalry between Ashland and Hopkinton that spans generations. Most will recall it as the annual Thanksgiving Day football game, but this event dates back to our incorporation in 1846. August 13th, 1846 to be exact. From our earlier visits we know that Ashland was the result of land from Hopkinton, Framingham, and Holliston. When Ashland incorporated […]

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Water Woes

Concerned about the ability to effectively fight fires, Ashland was looking into some form of municipal water system as early as 1875. A committee was appointed to study the needs and resources that existed in town, and this was their recommendation: “The cheapest supply of water for the town, to put out fires, will be obtained by putting a pipe […]

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Law and Order

Every city and town, regardless of the size, requires protection of life and property. As we all know, this usually comes in the form of fire and police departments either on the local or regional level. At the time of our incorporation in 1846, Ashland was required by the Commonwealth to appoint a constable. At the first town meeting, James […]

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Bells

With all the technology that exists today we can easily lose what was the primary means of alerting the masses that it was noon time, a fire had erupted somewhere in town, or there was imminent danger. The messenger is universal and it transcends centuries. This basic form of communication was the bell. Every town has a bell, whether it […]

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