Milford

By Deborah Eastman, Anne Lamontagne, Marilyn Lovell and Leila Dunbar

In 1670, Puritan pioneers colonized the Nipmuck Indian territory that would develop into the town of Milford, officially incorporated in 1780. Its advantageous location between the Mill and Charles Rivers created a convenient commercial center. By 1850, major railway lines traversed routes to Boston and New York, enabling Milford to develop the largest boot-and-shoe industry in the nation. When pink granite was discovered in the late 1800s, Milford s stone business boomed. The quarries and factories attracted skilled European immigrants who made the area home. The community grew, establishing cultural commitments to education, music, and athletics. Dr. Joseph E. Murray, winner of the Nobel Prize in Medicine, and Col. Alexander Scammell, a hero of the Revolutionary War, were both sons of Milford. Today, Milford continues to prosper with successful businesses like Consigli Construction, Archer Rubber, and Waters Corporation. The town is also noted for the Milford Regional Medical Center, which ranks as a premier facility in New England.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Release date: Sep 15, 2014
• ISBN: 9781439647257

Deborah Eastman

Marilyn Lovell and Anne Lamontagne, both members of the Milford Historical Commission, and Deborah Eastman, Milford Town Library�s Curran Collection librarian, have selected vintage images from their respective archives to honor the past of this early American town.

Book preview

Milford.

INTRODUCTION

This book gives a picturesque tour of Milford’s history. One can read more complex and complete narratives of the town’s origins in Ballou’s famous two-volume set and the commission’s bicentennial work. But offered here is a stroll through a hundred years of Milford’s people and places in charming vintage photographs, some never before shared.

What gave Milford its prominence, the granite quarries and the shoe industry, is only part of the story. The lively business district enjoyed by both locals and commercial travelers was teeming with hotels, taverns, liveries, billiard halls, and restaurants. Factories producing cigars, straw goods, and boxes afforded immigrants good jobs. Buffalo Bill Cody and his troupe performed at the music hall. Rudolph Valentino appeared at the Opera House. The first three-ring circus transported on a flatbed made its debut in Milford. Neighbors and youngsters mingled at penny candy stores and soda shops.

A competitive edge coupled with athletic prowess fueled Milford’s excellence in sports. Frank Fahey made it to the major leagues in baseball. Golf, swimming, and harness racing were popular. Three generations of the Pyne family played professional football. Adam Diorio, coach of the Boys’ Club wrestling team, was an outstanding boxer.

In a community nicknamed Music Town, many talents became local celebrities, like the McEnnelly dance band; Lou Breeze Calabrese; and Alexander DiGiannantonio, who composed the song Allegiance for the town’s 150th birthday. Others with real genius for jazz and improvisation, Henry Boots Mussulli and Victor Ziggy Minichiello, achieved fame performing with international luminaries like Stan Kenton and Charlie Parker. George Morte and Leo Curran booked Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton as headliners at the nightclub the Crystal Room—a thrill for the locals.

People new to Milford may have slight idea how this town began and became a center of so many important and diverse disciplines: architecture, music, sports, medicine, scientific innovations. Other readers who have lived here all their lives may discover unexpected surprises and fond memories.

We invite you to enjoy this nostalgic view of Milford’s past.

—Deborah Eastman

One

MAIN STREET

This photograph from around 1900 shows Main Street, which was originally called Sherborn Road. A charming little girl stands on the left with her violin, and a trolley comes up the road. Visible are business blocks and the tower of St. Mary’s Church. Milford was always a busy center for locals as well as surrounding townspeople to conduct business.

The Claflin Inn, located at the corner of Main and Park Streets, was established about 1805 by John Claflin Jr. It burned down in 1838 and was later replaced by the Mansion House. (Courtesy of Robin Philbin.)

The Milford House stood on Main Street across from the town hall. Originally called the Quinshipaug House, it operated from 1853 until it was sold in 1927. Several hotels were opened in Milford due to the arrival of the trains. This site was later the location of a gas station and is currently home to Tedeschi’s Market.

The Mansion House was built in 1873 on the corner of Main and Park Streets, across from Draper Memorial Park. It was the largest rooming house in Milford, with 75 rooms. In back, there was a fine livery stable. The inn was torn down about 1927 to make way for the State Theater. (Courtesy of the MTL.)

The Music Hall Block, on the corner of Main and Pine Streets, opened in 1880 as a building offering theatrical performances, musical concerts, and the circus. Architect Fred Swasey is credited with designing the building, which was also known as the Opera House. Renowned stars such as Enrico Caruso and Rudolph Valentino performed there. The Lincoln House, on the opposite corner, was a popular boardinghouse. A fire destroyed the building around 1980.

The Hotel Willian opened in July 1887 and offered 40 sleeping rooms. It soon became the accommodation of choice for entertainers and actors appearing at the Opera House. Bowker, the Clothier operated a shop on the first floor. Co-Mac’s Café later occupied this location, and it is now a Brazilian