The history of Ward Park, located in Marlborough, Massachusetts. Researched, written, and presented by Paul Brodeur, trustee of the Marlborough Historical Society, on March 22, 2011

2. My thanks to: Bob Kane and Joan Abshire for their assistance And Special Thanks to Kathleen Lizotte Lynde for her frequent contributions to my research

9. The park located near to the center of Marlboro is dedicated to Gen. Artemas Ward, first commander of the Revolutionary forces, on land first owned by his great grandfather William Ward.

11. who did extensive research in England, but could find no proofs of his early life.

12. Nevertheless, it is believed that he was born about 1603, possibly in or near Yorkshire. We know

13. that he was married twice (from his will), but of his first wife's origin, name, or circumstances we

16. many by Elizabeth, although it is almost certain that Elizabeth had at least the last seven.

17. It is believed that William came to America in the large fleet of Puritan ships that arrived in the

19. who received an initial land grant.

22. He became a Freeman in 1643 giving him voting rights and governing responsibilities.

23. He became a friend and ally of John Ruddock and the two were involved in a number of controversies in Sudbury that eventually led them, with others, to petition the colonial government to establish a new settlement west of Sudbury originally called Whipsuffrage, but changed to Marlborough after its namesake in England. John Ruddock was a native of Marlborough, England.

24. This satellite view locates William Ward's property in Old Sudbury (now Wayland, MA). The red box is the general area described in Charles Martyn's Genealogy of William Ward. The next slide shows the area close up.

28. later called the 'Never Failing' spring because of its consistency

29. even in times of drought.

30. The following slide shows the general area of Ward's 50 acre

31. land grant . Exact boundaries are impossible to determine, but

32. are almost certainly within the red lines.

34. This is a photo of most of Ward's property taken in the 1880's. The foreground house is on Liberty St., the street on the left is South St., and the street beyond the row of houses in the middle is West Main St. The church in the distance is the Unitarian Church at the corner of Pleasant and Lincoln Sts. Just to its right is Frye Boot Co., and straight down from the factory is Orchard St. The Ward/Hayden residence and barn are to the right. The Never Failing Spring is near the building furthest to the right.

36. He became involved in all of the factional disputes in Marlborough in the early years, mostly over land, fencing, and taxes.

37. He received other land grants including the area along the main road near to Lake Williams. This land he gave to his daughter Joanna who had married Abraham Williams. On it they built Williams Tavern. (at site of D'Angelo's)

38. The Tavern was first built in the early 1660's and experienced a number of fires, the first during the siege of Marlborough by the Indians in King Philip's War in 1676. George Washington visited and slept here in 1775. His hosts were descendants of William Ward, as was General Artemas Ward who Washington was heading to Boston to replace.

43. The Ward family was one of just a few who did not flee Marlborough after the Indian raids. By the end of the war, there were only 4 garrison houses left.

44. The following photo shows the location of the Meeting House (near the Walker Building), and the location of Ward's Garrison residence. The townspeople were at Sunday church services and had only a few hundred yards lead over the Indians. One man was wounded trying to help an older congregant.

47. Eleazar Ward, son of William was also killed. The site of his death was a hill in the east of Marlborough, north of Rt 20. It was named Mt Ward, in his honor.

48. The building on the left is St. Matthias Church on Hemenway St. The street to the right is Langelier Lane and the hill in the distance is Mt.Ward. At the end of Langelier Lane is a small area to park and a trail leads to the top of the hill. The following picture shows the position of Mt. Ward in relation to Rt. 20. Just to its right is the Easterly Wastewater Treatment Plant and Trash Recycling Center.

51. His house was apparently in two sections. He had given the western section to his son William along with the western half of the original 50 acre grant. According to Martyn, his biographer, William Jr. moved the west section of the house to his new house lot.

52. In his will, he gives his son Samuel the eastern half of his original lot with the understanding that Samuel will care for his mother. Samuel continued the tradition of Ward hospitality, frequently hosting visiting clergy.

53. William Ward's burial place is unknown, although it is reputed to be in Spring Hill Cemetery. His wife was buried there in 1700.

54. Spring Hill Cemetery is the grassy area in the top/right/center of this photo. The Dairy Queen is the building with the red roof to the right, on E. Main St. Access to the cemetery is gained by going north on Bolton St, taking the first right onto High St. (in front of the Congregational Church), going to the end of High St. and taking a u-turn to the left. There is a small area for parking.

55. Elizabeth Ward's original headstone is on the bottom. In 1925, shortly before his death, Artemas Ward, descendant of the Revolutionary General, had the headstone and a new plaque embedded into a new stone.

58. Daniel Hayden stands before the Ward/Hayden house in the 1880's. Built by the Ward family in the first half of the 18 th century, it has an attached side house (possibly the same type that William Jr. had moved in the 17 th century), barn, and other out buildings. The rear of these buildings can be seen to the right in the following photo.

62. Joseph: 2 nd child of Samuel, inherited homestead. Had 7 children.

63. Daniel Sr.: eldest child of Joseph, inherited homestead. Died 1764. Had 9 children. His second wife was Grace Newton .

64. Daniel Jr.: 7 th child of Daniel Sr., inherited homestead. Died 1775 at age of 33. His older sister Mary married Jonas Morse . He and his wife Ann had six children.

65. William: 5 th child of Daniel Jr. inherited homestead. Born 1772. His fate is unknown.

66. In total, the first 5 Ward generations living at the Ward Homestead had 44 children.

68. 1771 Anna age 4, Phebe age 2 died

69. 1775 a serious case of dysentery struck Marlborough. Smallpox outbreak across the country. In Marlborough, 78 dead (avg 22 in the previous years).

70. Among the victims: Daniel Jr. age 33, Ann, age 33, Daniel III, age 12, Cousin Samuel, age 65.

71. William (age 3), Aaron (newborn) were left orphans.

73. The above section of the 1803 map of Marlborough shows that Col. Luke Drury was believed to be living at the Ward Homestead. The question mark leaves some doubt. Note that Rev. Asa Packard's blacksmith shop is the only other building on the property.

84. Daniel was 7 th of 9 children of Josiah and Mary Patch Hayden of Hollis, NH. He came to help his Uncle Bonney in about 1835. Bonney was about 75, Daniel was about 26. Samuel Boyd opened his first shoe factory around the same time.

85. Marlborough was a farming town of about 2000 people. The shoe industry would create phenomenal growth.

88. the Old Common cemetery. Her death meant that no children would

91. Daniel, Hannah and Sarah Hayden were buried in Maplewood Cemetery on Pleasant St. Apparently, Sarah was disinterred and reburied with her parents.

94. Samuel Boyd built this mansion on the top of Fairmount Hill. He had purchased most of the property on Fairmount Hill from his brother-in-law, Caleb Witherbee whose house was near the bottom of the hill. The hill was then developed for house lots for managers of the shoe factories.

96. although in highly modified form: the first at 85 Maple St, the second

97. at 57 Main St. The third building is the Boyd and Corey building which

98. was located across from the old Fire Station.

103. He had little interest in politics, but did serve as a representative and a term as a selectman, being largely drafted into both positions.

104. He was the driving force behind the creation of upper South St. and the present Maple St.

105. He was responsible for developing two areas of real estate, Fairmount Hill and Chestnut Hill. Apart from the housing on both hills, he was responsible for two parks, the one on his own land known as Fairmount Park, and 40 acres he donated to the city on Chestnut Hill.

106. A photo of Fairmount Park follows.

108. This photo was shot in the 1880's from Mt. Pleasant. The steeple on the Immaculate Conception church was built in 1886. When Daniel Hayden came to town around 1835, there would have been very few buildings apart from his own farm buildings in the center of the photo. This is the city that men like Daniel Hayden and Samuel Boyd helped to build.

109. This is Samuel Boyd's gravestone in the Chipman Cemetery which is located immediately to the right of Rocklawn Cemetery on upper Steven's St.

112. “ Hayden Meadow is not much more than a mud hole: wet, damp and full of malaria and disease; has been shunned by man and beast ever since the world was created; fit only for growing vegetation and a natural sink for the surface wash of that section of the city. And I do not wonder that those who are so unfortunate as to have this unproductive and unsaleable land are anxious to unload it at a fancy price” Winfield Temple (front page, center, Marlboro Daily Enterprise, March 17, 1913)

115. Fairmounts were the 3 rd best amateur team in the country. The

116. following year, they played the Cincinnati Red Stockings in Worcester.

117. The Red Stockings were the pre-eminent professional team of the era.

119. Prospect Hill, probably because of housing pressure. Lincoln St. was

122. The lower box in red is the approximate area described as the location of the original Prospect Park created in a field by the Marlborough Fairmount baseball club. That section of Lincoln St. did not exist at the time. The upper box delineates the new Prospect Park at the top of the hill built in the 1880's and used well into the 20 th century. Kelleher field is at the left. It eventually replaced Prospect Park.

125. In 1908, Mayor Henry Parsons promoted the idea of purchasing Hayden Meadow in his inaugural address, and numerous letters and articles spoke in support over the next fifteen years. In 1913 much debate took place culminating in Attorney Winfield Temple's loud and (apparently) influential letter to the editor.

126. In 1913, pressure began to increase for the use of Hayden Meadow, especially for winter activities. Temporary lights were installed for night skating and discussions were initiated with land owners for the outright purchase of Hayden Meadow.

128. “ Homestead Ale, at $1.25 per case of 24 bottles, is a good investment for all those who are not feeling fit. If the medicine you are not taking does not give the desired result, take our word, and try a few cases of 'Homestead'.” Advertisement in the Marlborough Enterprise

130. Frank Rock and John Hayes were long time residents of the neighborhood and partners in the liquor business. At some point they ran separate establishments next to one another at Monument Sq. under separate licenses. They used the Hayden barn as a warehouse.

131. When prohibition came in 1920, the value of the barn was greatly diminished and the economic pressures may have created extra impetus to sell property. Nevertheless, public pressure to purchase the Meadow had to have been the greatest single influence.

132. This is a photo of the Rock building taken in the 1950's. The building, now demolished, was at the Monument Sq. site of previous buildings housing the Rock & Hayes liquor establishments. The building to its left still stands.

133. On August 31, 1923, the City Council finally passed an order authorizing $50,000 for the purchase and development of 19.1 acres of Hayden Meadow.

134. The development of the park was the responsibility of Thomas Fahey, contractor, and Francis Granger, city engineer. Both were residents of the neighborhood, and both now have streets named after them. The park was due for completion by November 1, 1924. Work required a 36” pipe to carry the brook and additional piping in the area of the 'Never Failing' Spring. Considerable reconfiguration of the hill near the location of the barn had to be done to accommodate the oval track.

135. August 8, 1925 was set aside as the date for Acceptance and Dedication of the park. The park had been used extensively for certain activities in 1925, but the dedication didn't occur til August, probably for fear that a large crowd would affect the grass (a common problem through the years). The original construction did not include the tennis courts or wading pool which were added around the same time as the construction of the new Bigelow School in 1931.

136. This photo was taken in the 1930's (cars on the left verify this). The first sets of tennis courts were built around 1931 and within a short time there was an overwhelming demand for court time. Additional courts were added in 1934 and nearly 3000 permits were requested that year.

137. The original plan was to put the wading pool and playground area on the east end of the park, near Water Terrace. This may partially explain the 'dugout' that was a feature there for many years. It may have been the presence of the new elementary Bigelow School that influenced the shift to its present location. A gift of the Kiwanis Club explains the 'K' in the center of this dedication photo in 1931.

138. Artemas Ward had made a fortune establishing newsstands at train stations. Gravely ill, he wanted to create a legacy for his great great grandfather and the Ward name. He had already paid for a number of plaques in the city (slides following), as well as the Gen. Artemas Ward museum and other memorials in Shrewsbury. He was approached about the idea of putting up a gateway and thus the name 'Artemas Ward' replaced 'Hayden Meadow' as the name for the park. Final cost for the gateway reached $25,000, half as much as the cost for the entire park. A nice bio of the General can be found here: http://backyard-history.com/artemaswardmuseum/index_files/Page691.htm

139. The Gateway to the park was originally placed at the entrance to the parking lot on Windsor St. (behind the Senior Center). It had to be moved to accommodate Granger Blvd. The original Gateway had stone seats and a stone area underfoot similar to the Soldier's Monument in front of the Walker Building.

141. This marker, donated by Artemas Ward, is located at the foot of Brown St, near the corner of Main and E Main Sts.

142. This plaque is on the right side of the previous marker.

144. From 1931 to the late 1960's, Ward Park was the center of tennis competition in Marlborough, often requiring permits to play. The building of other indoor and outdoor courts in the late 60's and 70's caused the courts at Ward Park to fall into disuse, and, finally into unplayable condition.

145. The Marlboro High School Panthers Football team practiced here until the building of the High School on Union St.

146. Local American Legion Baseball teams played here for many years.

147. . . . and the Practice Field of National Champions

149. Marlboro's Drum and Bugle Corps practiced both at Ward Park and Bigelow School. They had a huge local following, a welcome diversion from the challenges of the depression. Local contributions were needed to send the team to as far away as California for the national championship. Their first national title was in Chicago in 1933.

150. They repeated in Miami in 1934. Competition for space at the park must have been intense. There were about 20 baseball teams looking to play games at the same time. With hundreds of tennis players, children at the wading pool, and spectators for various events, Ward Park must have seemed like a beehive.

151. In 1936, they won their fifth straight State Championship. Since their victories at the state level had become a foregone conclusion, other teams began to pass on the state championship. In deference to the competition, Marlboro stopped participating at the state level.

152. They won their third National Championship in 1938 in Los Angeles. Within a few years, war had brought an end to the glory days of the local corps. In the 60's, there was a flowering of drum corps among the youth of the city, influenced, no doubt, by the huge national success of the previous generation.

162. Bibliography The History of Artemas Ward Park Available on the Web The William Ward Genealogy by Charles Martyn (Robert Kline's website) History of the Town of Marlborough by Charles Hudson Historical Reminiscences of the Town of Marlborough by Ella Bigelow History of Middlesex County by D Hamilton Hurd Marlborough, Massachusetts Burial Ground Inscriptions by Franklin P. Rice & George Maynard A Historical Account of the Doings and Sufferings of the Christian Indians by Daniel Gookin

163. Bibliography (cont) Other Books Puritan Village by Sumner Chilton Powell (about the Sudbury settlement) The King's Best Highway by Eric Jaffe (about the Boston Post Rd)

164. Bibliography (cont) Websites of Interest John Buczek's Marlborough Website (tons of stuff on Marlboro's History) http://freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~historyofmarlborough/contents.htm#CONTENTS Robert Kline's Genealogy Page http://www3.bc.sympatico.ca/robertkline/ This site has links to Martyn's bio of William Ward and a full database of Ward descendants. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~haydenfamilyalbum/genealogy_report.htm Website devoted to the family of Josiah Hayden with much general Hayden family info.

165. Bibliography (cont) Resources at the Marlborough Historical Society Daniel Hayden's Daybook by Daniel and Hannah Hayden Papers from the Estate of Luke Drury (there are also papers at the Umass Library, Amherst and at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem) Paul Harrington has written a history of the American Legion Drum and Bugle Corps Photographs of Marlborough Any Questions or Requests feel free to call me. Paul Brodeur 508-485-1995 Please consider becoming members of the Marlborough Historical Society