Framingham Views

The E.M. Loews Hollis Theatre closed in 1954. The building is still there, owned by a Church. Imagine if the theatre were still there today. Here’s how the block might look.

Chet’s Diner on Route 20 was a popular late night spot for many years. It was built on site, around 1931, and looks like what is called a Worcester Diner.  I found these photos at an estate sale a few years ago. The photographer seems to have stopped at Chets after an evening out in Boston, around 1940.

Here are some interior views.

Many years ago, Nobscot Cleaners seemed to be everywhere in Framingham. The store I remember well, was the one on Route 30 in between the Cock a Doodle Doo and the aero-moderne gas station. You know the block of stores that never seem to be open, with the sign in the window that says “refurbrished laptops.”  Nobscot Cleaners had a huge neon sign in front, and if memory serves me right, usually huge neon signs on top of every building they owned.

Back in the day when Cinemas had ushers in uniform, Nobscot Cleaners was the place to go every Tuesday. The crew would leave their uniforms (sport coat, and tux pants) in the office, so that the Manager could drop them off at Nobscot to be cleaned in time for the next weekend.

I don’t know what happened to all the Nobscot Cleaners, but they’re all gone. I wish I had a photo, but the only thing I could find, was a lonely coat hanger with the paper label still attached. Here it is. 

Eddie Byrnes was called the Gateman, as he guarded the front gate where most of the workers entered on the corner of Howard Street. Here’s a photo of Eddie, from the 1943 salute.

Here’s the Howard Street entrance with lots of people waiting to get their picture taken. 

In 1943, the Dennison published a couple of glossy pictorials, meant to be sent to the boys at war. It was intended to give them some hope for what was waiting back home. A good job, and friends. Here’s the cover of one of these magazines. 

Of course what else would the GI’s like to see while in their foxholes overseas? How about petite Helane Dugan, new girl in the transcribing department?  She must have been wondering what kind of a company she hired onto.  Of course what better than a girl from Saxonville, and here’s Jane Suprena of the Sales Service Department with a photo on a wagon wheel, maybe taken at the Twin Maple Farms?

Did anyone notice the announcers frequent mention of “deceptive style” when Okajima was on the mound pitching during game 3 of the World Series? Was that a subliminal suggestion dating back to the old days? Whenever I saw the headline of the newspaper the day after Dice   pitched , I couldn’t believe my eyes: Did they have to mention that he was the “Japanese Ace”? And the headline, with the subtle suggestion of a Charlie Chan cliche, could have actually looked like this, and might have if this were 1947 instead of 2007:

Newspaper pandering, or just a little bit of old time stereotype? You be the judge.

Kudos to Framingham for the efforts. This town has so much going for it, check out the link.

http://www.framinghamma.org/planning_dept/FDR_main.htm

And this one http://amazingthings.org/

http://www.framinghamnatickretail.com/

Click on the link to a great website for everything you need to know about retail along Rte 9,

past and present.

Found in an old photo album, this lady looks like she’s poking fun at  “Washacum” in Framingham, probably around 1911.

I’ve found some great things related to local history, at various estate and yard sales over the years. Here’s more from an antique photo album I found once.  First, Lake Waushakum.

Next, a view of the Dennison. I’m not sure from what street this view was taken.

Here’s the more often seen view, taken from Waverley St, at the crossing.

Notice the Dennison sign isn’t on the main roof, but to the right, there’s a part of a sign that says Crepe. The building with that sign is now gone.