Framingham Views

http://frambors.syslang.net/election-2007.html

Here’s my Father shoveling snow in front of our apartment in Saxonville,  circa 1949. You can see The First National Store behind him, with a car parked in front.  To the right, on the corner of Concord and Danforth, is the Schaltenbrands drug store. There was another market up Elm St. called Patrunos Market. (Thanks to Jack Gallimore, long time resident for the update and information.)

Here’s my Mother, probably the same day standing on the other side of the house looking down Elm St toward the Roxbury Carpet Co.  

And finally, my Mother looking back at the camera in the springtime. Roxbury Carpet Co. behind her, trees in full blume.  

Ted Wlodyka,  joins John Berry and a town official as the official judges for a pumpkin contest at the St. George Theatre, in the early ’50s.  Two of the most familiar faces downtown in those days, were the theatre manager, and the cop who walked the beat.

Westbound on Route 9 just past the junction of 126 is this house converted to a Chinese Restaurant. It’s still there, althought the name has changed, and the building has undergone extensive renovation. In the 1950’s lots of houses along this stretch of Rte 9 were converted to business use. I’ve listed this under the category of the Golden Mile, even though it’s not on that stretch, but since it’s on Rte 9, I thought it appropriate. This restaurant today is called Imperial China, and is one of the best Chinese restaurants in town.

Three years ago last Thursday (Ides of March in Natick), this amazing man was unceremoniously bumped from the organization he founded. Why? I think there were bigger egos in the building.

He’s now doing in Framingham, what he started in Natick. Maybe there, it will be appreciated. I can’t wait.

Here’s an aerial view of the Stop & Shop at Shoppers World, taken just before Christmas in 1964. You can see the playground area to the left. This store was later the Toy’s R Us. When I began working as an usher at the Cinema in 1966, we would go to this store every Friday night to buy butter for the buttermat at the candy stand. By 1968, the real butter was replaced with butter flavoring, ordered from Theatre Merchandising in Boston, and delivered every Tuesday night with the “candy shipment”. The flavoring was a product made with butterfat, which didn’t need refrigeration.

I love this view looking toward the Kendall Hotel at the corner. There’s Carpenters, which is now called the Sampan. There was a bowling alley on the second floor, around the corner.  That big clock on the sidewalk in front of the Framingham Trust Co. is still there.

This is a real photo postcard, showing Irving Square looking north toward the railroad crossing. The banner across the road says it’s the Chataqua Festival. It looks as though downtown was an exciting place to visit many years ago.

I notice the Bullard Building on the corner had a conical style roof. There are telephone poles along both sides of the street and at the corners. I wonder when those disappeared?

Looks like a trolley headed toward us in the distance on Concord St. There are tracks in the forground, which means the trolley might even come down Hollis St. I think we can learn some things when studying old photos like this one.

I posted a section of this photo before, with a closer view of detail. Here’s the wide angle showing nearly the entire view. Looks like a special day downtown in 1916. Thanks to the library for keeping such a great picture available for viewing.