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Lake is making (another)
name for itself
By Ed Patenaude
T&G COLUMNIST - So I've Heard
Webster’s
nostalgia network, oldewebster.com, is adding a commercial
component: Webster Lake Souvenirs.
Though new to
the Carla Manzi edited site, and with its retail shop in the
Sterling Real Estate Co. building at 154 Thompson Road, Webster,
the souvenir line is actually the oldest in town, associated for
decades with Dugan’s Drug store.
The Main Street
pharmacy, nearing its 100th anniversary, has moved — staff,
services, and prescriptions — to the new Walgreens on East Main
Street.
“They weren’t
taking the lake souvenirs line with them so I decided to step
forward,” says Ms. Manzi. “Lake items should fit in with
OldeWebster and we’ll set store hours as soon as we get postcards
and some of the things Dugan ran out of before closing.”
Ms. Manzi is
associated with Sterling Realty so she’s generally about, and can
serve customers until regular schedules are introduced for Webster
Lake Souvenirs. The shop already has a good supply of seasonal
weight shirts, caps, tote bags, coffee mugs, wall hangings, key
rings, and other items, all emblazoned with “Lake
Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg.”
Talking about
Webster Lake and souvenirs, The New York Times ran a page one
piece about Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg last
Saturday. Reporter Pam Belluck interviewed several locals,
including Jane Hill and Richard Cazeault of the Webster Lake
Association, Town Clerk Robert T. Craver, historian Paul J. Macek,
state Rep. Paul Kujawski, D-Webster, and Long Island residents
Judy Morrison and Robert S. Reichenberger. They provided a nice
story line for the piece.
Headlined,
“What’s the Name of that Lake? It’s Hard to Say,” the report is
bracketed in references to an old novelty tune by Ethel Merman and
Ray Bolger. If my recall is correct, the lyrics are based on the
hoax about the lake’s name, that it translates to, “you fish on
your side, I fish on my side, and nobody fish in the middle.” The
NYT story goes on to mention postcards at Waterfront Mary’s, how
“they smuggled an extra ‘gaug’ into the name.” This gave the
lake’s identity 49 letters instead of 45.
Chances are,
the miscue wells from a state Highway Department marker, and not
Waterfront Mary’s. State sign makers renewed the lake welcome on
Thompson Road at one point and they planted the extra gaug. It was
subsequently corrected but, now, there’s a couple of misplacements
in the 45 letters, with an “o” instead of a “u” in “chaugg” and an
“h” instead of “n” in “gun.”
Call it
nitpicking if you want but the 45-letter spelling is important.
Otherwise, the world’s major newspapers — and you can put The New
York Times right at the top of that list — would have to search
elsewhere for unusual stories.
It took me more
than two hours on a recent evening to scan three volumes of old
photographs and text that make up “Picturesque Worcester,” but it
was time well invested.
Copyrighted in
1895 by W. F. Adams Co. of Springfield the 10 inch by 14 inch
hardcovers feature 2,500 illustrations, according to the
publishers.
Although a
Worcester series, the volumes include prints of 10 surrounding
towns. There’s a shot of Oxford’s towering Huguenot oak trees (the
ones I remember were on Main Street in the vicinity of the
Congregational Church), but Millbury and Auburn are the only south
county towns with photo series. One of the Auburn scenes is
captioned “The loveliest village on the plain.” The historic
Aldrich House is photographed in its early splendor. There are
general shots, including an activity no longer seen or encouraged,
five boys playing “jack knives.”
The “City and
Environment” series has been preserved by Irene and Roland
Savageau of Oxford. Purchased originally at The Boston Store,
Denholm and McKay Co., Worcester, the volumes have an S. M.
Wilkins imprint. “He was my father,” says Mrs. Savageau, employed
at the Oxford Diner. Her parents weren’t buying new books 110
years ago, she says, offering a bit of mathematics. However, “they
used to go to sales where they had those kind of things,” she
said, figuring the coffee table sized books were purchased used.
Whatever, the
illustrated volumes are interesting.
Chester C.
Corbin Public Library Director Joseph Rodio noticed last week when
I peered over his shoulder to read the announcement he was taping
up.
“Open house and
reception Tuesday, Dec. 7 … Special presentation at 11 (a.m.) to
honor Gerald and Marilyn Fels for their generosity to the
library.” The event, five hours with “refreshments and good
company,” will be under the joint auspices of the library staff,
trustees and friends, and they all have reason to honor Mr. and
Mrs. Fels.
Marilyn Fels
walked into Mr. Rodio’s office a few months ago and presented a
check with enough financial weight to buy new carpeting and
furnishings for the main library.
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