In October Stories, the odor emanating from the Panther Rubber Factory is an integral part of the setting, as he describes it mixing in with the smells of baking pizza at the original Town Spa. This reference, along with our current exhibit on Stoughton businesses, and other recent references to Stoughton having been "the rubber town" all contributed to the decision to feature significant pieces of Stoughton's past rubber and shoe industry in this year's Community Calendar. It will have on its cover the complex of buildings of the Stoughton Rubber Company, which later housed the Joseph F Corcoran's Shoe Company. The most conspicuous of these buildings, the reinforced concrete, three story building at 2 Canton St. was being built exactly 100 years ago this year.

We learn from the "Sentry Box Notes" of the Stoughton Sentinel of November 25, 1911: "The Stoughton Rubber Company have placed a large gold sign on the outside of their new factory building on Canton St. which reads "Stoughton Rubber Co.," in letters that he who runs may read. It is one of the most beautiful and elegant signs in the town and will make a most pleasing impression on the passer by on the cars as well as letting them know that they are in Stoughton. On one side of the train is the Stoughton Rubber Co. sign and on the other side is the Sentinel sign both bearing the word Stoughton in a way to serve as a guide board to the town." In that era, of course, trains passed THROUGH Stoughton, as it was not the end of the line, but one stop on a railroad line which extended all the way to Fall River, a scenario, which the South Coastal Rail Project plans to re-create.

As part of the research, I visited the Stoughton Center Business Park/Trackside Plaza, got a tour of the premises from owner Stephen Kelley and reconnected with old friend Sarah Feragen, who

several years ago painted the historical mural at the entrance to 2 Canton Street. She occupies one of the artists' lofts in the building and has produced a number of paintings of the view from her windows in different seasons, portraying the monitored roofs of the inner buildings of the complex. Under these roofs, hundreds of tons of rubber products and hundreds of thousands of pairs of boots and shoes were once manufactured, not only by the previously mentioned companies, but also Mystic Rubber from 1877-1889 and Acme Boot Company from 1967-1989.

In July, Jeff Pickette from the Stoughton Patch stopped by the Society and took stills and video, which he featured in an online article within the next week. David Lambert, Christine Iacabucci, and Mark Snyder also write regularly for the Patch and some of Hank Herbowy's pictures appear there. Those of you who are online may want to check it out as a source of local news and features.

Since our last Newsletter, we have lost Past President of our Society Phyllis Batchelder and long-time members Phyllis Hanna and Paul Bishop. I did not have the privilege of knowing Phyllis Hanna, but I got to meet Phyllis Batchelder once at her grandchildren's home on West Street, not far from the Lucius Clapp-Carl Libby (her father) house, where she grew up. She spoke of having explored the area with Lenny Whitten, who had showed her sites where Indians would have been most likely to camp, which were also the best places to look for arrowheads. Phyllis was convinced that there had been a glass factory on West Street, but David Lambert, who also lives nearby, has never been able to document such a factory.

A Newsletter from 1970 informs us that President Batchelder told the Society that the six years before the 250^{th Anniversary would pass quickly, and preparations should begin. That same year, the Society made a Pilgrimage during which they planned to visit the old Indian Burial Ground, mentioned earlier, but apparently they could not find it. During that Pilgrimage, members did hear a presentation from Frank Reynolds at his house and then after a "short drive and leisurely walk" visited the stone marking the corners of the old Ponkapoag Plantation. Later they visited the Isaac Stearns home-site on West Street, the site of the mysterious bottle factory, the Libby place, and finally the Myron Gilbert Quarry. "A fine cook-out prepared by Mr. and Mrs. Warren Batchelder and Mr and Mrs. Carl Libby was thoroughly enjoyed...and well-earned after much traipsing about town," concludes Newsletter-writer Ed Meserve. Phyllis Batchelder's painting of William Stoughton occupies a prominent place in the Pierce Room at the Society, and we recently had her painting of Lennie Whitten on display for the James Barber program.}

Paul Bishop would often stop by the Society just after lunch and this friendly, and gregarious man would fascinate us with the stories and scars of his youth on Sumner Street, working on various farms, swimming in C. W. Welch Pond or in the quarries to cool off from his work at one of the nearby pig farms. He loved to tell the story of being among a number of volunteer, local carpenters and masons who built Girl Scout Camp Walihiyu and of the Cape Verdean builder, who arrived late, but was given the "honor" of laying the last block. I believe that Paul said that his own palm prints are also in one of the buildings at the Stoughton Fish and Game. He remembered cutting cedars near Stoughton Junction and knew the location of Connie Sullivan's ("we kids thought that Connie Sullivan was mean") bog; aut, alas, he had never seen "the Great tree." During his last visit, he was sharing stories of and seeking more information on Highland Park in Avon and an auditorium on Page St. where the Veterans Parade had stopped. Paul Bishop and his friendly manner, along with his memories of our fields, farms, woods, ponds, and barbed wire fences will be missed.

We thank Chris Peduto for her donation in memory of Phyllis and Joanne Marden Bussey of Alexandria, VA for hers in memory of Paul.

Joe De Vito has been providing information to the Town and Library necessary for the restoration of the Lamb painting and has also been consulting with the Town Building Inspector regarding the upcoming repairs to the back stairwell and the rusting water pipes near our gas furnace.

Archivist's Report - Our whole team has done considerable work performing research for individuals seeking information on a variety of topics: Debra Sampson Gannet for a movie being made for the Sharon Historical Society, the Isaac Stearns lineage, an inquiry on the history of 166 Morton St., the Briggs family, the John Hill Family of Early Dorchester, the Bryden-Beaumont families of Stoughton and Canton, the Goldthwaite house on Sumner St., the Capen-Standish family, and the extensive religious affiliations of the Drakes of Stoughton.

Acquisitions: Celebrity Softball Team Program Stoughton Firefighters Union vs. Boston Bruins July 1, 1993; Telephone Book Cover with Stoughton Ads 2004; 1986 Calendar Di Nolo & Angelo's Plumbing & Heating - Gas Fittings; History of Moxie c. 1967-70. Pamphlet; "Stoughton Chamber of Commerce Honors the Fourth of July Committee Members 1993, Fred Diamond, William McGlaughlin, Earl McMann,Joe De Vito,John O'Meara" "Stoughton Chamber of Commerce Honors Ray Leonard as Person of the Year 1992" all from Evelyn Callanan.

Permits for Oil Storage @ 295 Lincoln St. - 1936, issued to Maurice L. Burt, Signed by Frederick Pye, Fire Chief; oil burner installation notes (Diary) 1923; 22 cards re: oil in tank, fuel consumption, 1932-1951. Some include kw hours as well donated by Joe De Vito.

Two School Registers 1. Atherton School 1891-2, Etta May teacher. 2. Adams School 1898-1899, Florence M. Walker, Teacher. Found and donated by Stoughton High School. Mary Baker Eddy and the Stoughton Years (1868-1870), donated by Ruth Fitzpatrick.

Thursdays if I have someone to work with. Please consider what you can do to help and let me know at cloughjrverizon.net. Thank you in advance. .. - Janet Clough