Tunk Summer 2014
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The Hanson Historical Society Newsletter Summer 2014 Editor: Melinda Barclay HANSON HISTORICAL HAPPENINGS -Early settlers were known to address every married man and woman as “Goodman” and “Goodwife.” Only high society was given the title of Mr. and Mrs. -There was an unwritten law amongst the early settlers that required every resident to attend church. Some folks would walk ten or more miles for the Sunday service. -Approximately 4,300 years ago, Hanson’s first early Archaic inhabitants would cremate their deceased and then bury the remains. -County Road in Hanson was named because the county paid for the majority of the expenses used to build the road. -In 1903, a room and boarding house known as “Central House” was built across from the South Hanson train station on Main Street. The hotel had steam heat and people could pay by the night or week. -In 1876, drawing was added as a regular lesson taught in all schools. -Rainbow Camp on Indian Head Street was founded in 1948 by Lulu H. Gobrecht and continues to operate today. -Wells Elliot, a famous photographer from Hanson, built and owned a few portable photographic wagons around the turn of the century. These wagons acted as traveling photography studios. -Part of Burrage Industries burned down during a fire at the Atlantic Dye Company on March 6th, 1919. -In 1941, Hanson Public Market would deliver fresh fish to residents on Thursdays and Fridays. -On December 1st, 1905, Thomas Hall in Hanson held a Thanksgiving Musical. Admission to this event cost residents 15 cents. The event began at 8 o’clock sharp! -The trolley tracks in front of the First Congregational Church on High Street were built in 1900. This provided residents with a more convenient and less time consuming mode of transportation to church than they had previously experienced. THE HANSON TUNK Page 2 Biography of Corp. Franklin Nelson Massey (1916-1944): Former Hanson Resident Killed In Action By: Mary Blauss Edwards Franklin Nelson Massey was born 28 July 1916 at Brockton Hospital to Guy Ernest Massey, a foreman at the National Fireworks Company, and Marta “Martha” Nanny Fredrika Nelson. At the age of two, his father died during the Spanish influenza epidemic and he moved with his widowed mother and two siblings Martha Irene (b. 1915) and Vernon Edwin (b. 1918) to the home of his grandparents, Swedish immigrants John and Cecelia (Johannesdotter) Nelson on King Street in Hanover. In 1920, his mother remarried Hjalmar Fritz Nicholas Werme, and they had children Alice (b. 1921), Frederick (b. 1923) and Ruth (1927). Hjalmar Werme worked for the National Fireworks Company, and the family moved to a house on State Street in Hanson where they lived during the 1920s and 1930s where Franklin attended Hanson schools. In 1940, Franklin was employed as a pressman for the West Hanover Rubber Company lived with his parents and siblings on School Street in Hanover. As his family employers Rubber Company and National Fireworks began to develop war munitions, Franklin enlisted for World War II at Boston on 20 March 1941 at the age of 24. His enlistment records describe him as a high school graduate, with a semi-skilled occupation in the “production of industrial chemicals” (a reference to his job at the West Hanover Rubber Company), 71 inches tall (5’9”) and weighing 166 pounds. Franklin was assigned to the 26th Division, nicknamed the “Yankee Division” due to its New England servicemen. He trained and participated in maneuvers for three years in the United States and was assigned to the 104th Infantry Regiment within the 26th Infantry Division. The 26th Division was stationed at eight different camps during that time: Camp Edwards, Mass; Fort Dupont, Delaware; Camp AP Hill, Virginia; Fort George Meade, Maryland; Fort Jackson, South Carolina; Camp Gordon, Georgia and Camp Campbell, Kentucky. Then in the late summer of 1944, the division was called to active duty overseas. The 26th Division landed on the beaches of Normandy on 7 September 1944 and began an intensive training regime for their first month. According to a history of the 26th Division, “during these first weeks in France the troops maintained their hard fighting edge with daily hikes and bayonet practice and further perfected their combat skills. Classes in mine removal, first aid and radio were conducted.” Combat began in earnest on 7 October 1944, when the 26th “relieved the 4th Armored Division in the Salonnes-Moncourt-Canal du Rhine au Marne sector” and launched an attack on 22 October 1944 in the Moncourt woods. On 8 November 1944 the Division “went on the offensive, took Dieuze, 20 November, [and] advanced across the Saar River to Saar Union”. The French town of Sarre-Union was held by the Germans at this time, and the 26th Division participated in fighting to capture the town. A company of the 104th Infantry 26th Division was sent during the night of December 2nd to strengthen the town’s defense internally and from December 3-4 dodged German shells on the town and participated in hand-to-hand combat, rooting out German soldiers hiding in cellars and buildings. (continued on page 3) THE HANSON TUNK Page 3 (continued from page 2) The remainder of the 104th Infantry 26th Division attacked German troops just outside of Sarre-Union. Although the Allies successfully captured the town of Sarre-Union, Franklin Massey did not survive the fighting. He was killed in action during the capture of Sarre-Union on 4 December 1944. At the time of his death, Franklin held the rank of Technician Grade Five, an army rank which was addressed as “Corporal”. Franklin Massey would have been taken to a field hospital behind the front line. He was buried at the Lorraine American Cemetery and Memorial, Saint-Avold, Departement de la Moselle, Lorraine, France in Section B, Row 26, Grave 11. He was awarded the Purple Heart Medal and Bronze Star Medal posthumously. Franklin Massey served with the Anti-Tank Company, 104th Infantry of the 26th Division, shown at the center of this map on the front line of 30 November 1944, and pushed back the line to the town of Sarre-Union (shown on the lower right side of this map) by 4 December 1944, when he was killed in action. Map courtesy of http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/USA-E-Lorraine/maps/USA-E-Lorraine-XXXIX.jpg The Massey-Werme family had a memorial placed in Franklin’s honor in their family plot at Hanover Center Cemetery (which lists his place of death as the nearest city to the front, Nancy, France). In 1962, the General Court of Massachusetts approved a request for the bridge which crosses over Route 3 in Hanover at exit 13 to be named in honor of Franklin. It is marked and known to this day as the Corporal Franklin N. Massey Bridge. (continued on page 4) THE HANSON TUNK Page 4 (continued from page 3) Memorial of Franklin Nelson Massey (1916-1944), Hanover Center Cemetery, Hanover, Mass. Photograph Courtesy of Mary Blauss Edwards. Citations http://www.yankee-division.com/history.html; http://www.26yd.com/p3; http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/USA-E- Lorraine/USA-E-Lorraine-12.html#fn9 ; U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946; Register, World War II Dead Interred in American Military Cemeteries on Foreign Soil and World War II and Korea Missing or Lost or Buried at Sea; U.S. Rosters of World War II Dead, 1939-1945. THE HANSON TUNK Page 5 HANSON HISTORICAL SOCIETY CALENDAR Meetings held at Schoolhouse #4 unless otherwise stated June 5th Meeting 7:00pm Speaker: Allan Clemmons on “Hanson History” June 8th Hanson Day 1:00pm-4:00pm Camp Kiwanee *See President’s Letter for further information June 12th Strawberry Prep. Night 5:00pm June 13th Strawberry Festival 5:00 – 8:00pm August 7th Meeting 7:00pm Speaker: TBD Hanson Residents Owen David, DJ David and Ryan Firth standing in front of the old Sept. 4th Meeting 7:00pm South Hanson Railroad Station. th Sept. 20 Annual Harvest Fair 9:00pm-3:00pm Rain date: Sunday, September 21st October 2nd Meeting 7:00pm Speaker: TBD THE HANSON HISTORICAL SOCIETY November 6th Meeting 6:00pm BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2014 Annual Potluck Supper at Thomas Mill John & Patty Norton - Co-Presidents tel # 781 294-8645 e-mail: [email protected] Allan Clemons Vice-President Kathy Bergeron Secretary Richard & Betsy Blake Treasurers Mary Blauss Edwards Webmaster /Curator Melinda Barclay Director at Large THE HANSON TUNK Page 5 PRESIDENT’S LETTER Our May annual turkey dinner was a success. It was well attended and everyone seems to have enjoyed the entertainment. Our thanks to all the members who helped make it so successful. Allan Clemons has graciously agreed to speak at our June 5th meeting. His subject will be “The History of Hanson”. Obviously, those who know Allan and his depth of knowledge of Hanson history will realize this is a “do-not-miss” event. Also in June, will be a new event. Hanson has decided to have a “Hanson Day”at Camp Kiwanee in hopes that all of the non-profit organizations and clubs in town will participate; providing a chance for all of Hanson's citizens to become acquainted with the diverse cultural opportunities of our community. We hope to display some artifacts, run a continuous slide show of photos from our web site and of course, take the opportunity to sell books, postcards and find new members. In addition, Helen Vess has kindly offered to donate some ceramic pieces for us to use in a fund raising raffle.