Dublin Core
Title
Centennial Monograph: The Twilight Club
Description
The Twilight Club was a social organization, founded by members of St. Bridget's church, which maintained a clubhouse on Lake Boone in Stow as a summer retreat for 60 years (1904-1964).
Creator
Ralph L. Sheridan
Date
ca1965
Identifier
2019.219
Document Item Type Metadata
Text
The Twilight Club of Maynard was organized in 1904 by a group of young men of St. Bridget's Temperance Society, Maynard, Mass. John E. Hannon, Louis Hannon, and James J. Hilferty(?), members of the society, had camped during the summer of 1904 at Lake Boon (Stow) and conceived the idea of purchasing a lot of land and building a cottage. They talked the idea over at a meeting of the St. Bridget's Temperance Society and several of members became enthusiastic.
A lot of land was purchased from the Parks family on the west side of Lake Boone, in the part known as the Narrows (between the 1st and 2nd basins), and a large and commodious clubhouse was built. The contract to build the cottage was originally given to Mr. Joshua Carr of Maynard, and was later given to Mr. James Mullen of Maynard who completed the cottage in time for the official opening on August 5, 1905. At that time there were but few cottages at the Lake. Clubs with camps at the lake were the West Point, Tonawanda, Wisteria, Parks, Lone Pine, Lincoln and Fairview. The name "Twilight" was selected by a majority of the members.
The Twilight Club members were the first to vision the development of Lake Boone as a summer colony. Today the shores are dotted with cottages and homes, many of them owned by people from Boston and vicinity, as well as those towns and cities nearby.
Since its completion, the clubhouse and grounds had for many years been the popular center not only for the summer colony(?) but also for the people of Maynard, many of whom have had the use of it for family gatherings, outings and class reunions. The ???? at the Lake had so increased by 1908 there was a demand for ???? Sundays. The Twilight Club gave the use of its cottage ?????, the pastor of St. Bridget's parish of Maynard ??????? Mass. Mass was said at the Club for three years ????????? attending became so large that an association was organized and Association Hall was built on land donated by the Twilight Club and Mr. James A. Dooley.
Charter members of the Club: William Connolly, President; John E. Hannon, secretary; Thomas Smith, treasurer; Matthew Campbell, James Claflin, William Cleary, Daniel Colbert, Owen Duggan, Louis Hannon, John Horan, John Keegan, James J. Ledgard, James C. Mahoney, Charles McGill, Patrick Murphy, William Scully, Edward Sheridan, Joseph Sheridan, Patrick Sherry, and Nicholas Whalen.
James J. Ledgard is the only charter member who is still active. Other charter members living are: John J. Keegan of Maynard, Patrick M. Murphy of Framingham, William Cleary of Winchester and Charles McGill of Newton.
Present members: Thomas J. Duggan, president; Ralph L. Sheridan, secretary; Edward F. Ledgard, treasurer; James J. Ledgard, Charter member; Thomas F. Maley, J. Howard Herbert, Louis J. Imbimbo, Herbert W. Martin, John A. Doran and Louis J. Primiano, all of Maynard; also. William J. Murray of Lake Boone, Harold J. Priest of Acton Center, Edward J. Hannon of Baltimore, Md., William D. Tobin of Holliston, John B. Ledgard of Laconia, N.H., and Robert L. Murray of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Robert Murray is the son of the late Frank J. (Jinx) Murray of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a native son and nationally known football coach at Marquette University and the University of Virginia. Coach Murray was a member of the Twilight Club for many years and spent part of his vacation each summer at the Club, and while lounging about the spacious quarters worked out many of the gridiron plays that brought about victory to his teams.
James Ledgard, Herbert Martin(?) and William Cleary were successful business men, the former two in Maynard and the latter in Winchester, Mass. James Claflin for many years was Deputy Superintendent of the Boston Police Department. Ralph L. Sheridan worked several years as Assistant Deputy Superintendent at the Massachusetts Correctional Institution - Concord, Mass.
The Twilight Club will long be remembered for the fine spirit of service and friendship during its sixty years of existence.
At the annual meeting of the Club held Monday, May 11, 1964, it was voted unanimously to sell the clubhouse and land owned by the Club at Lake Boone, Stow, Mass., and to dissolve the association.
Thus comes to an end another era.
A lot of land was purchased from the Parks family on the west side of Lake Boone, in the part known as the Narrows (between the 1st and 2nd basins), and a large and commodious clubhouse was built. The contract to build the cottage was originally given to Mr. Joshua Carr of Maynard, and was later given to Mr. James Mullen of Maynard who completed the cottage in time for the official opening on August 5, 1905. At that time there were but few cottages at the Lake. Clubs with camps at the lake were the West Point, Tonawanda, Wisteria, Parks, Lone Pine, Lincoln and Fairview. The name "Twilight" was selected by a majority of the members.
The Twilight Club members were the first to vision the development of Lake Boone as a summer colony. Today the shores are dotted with cottages and homes, many of them owned by people from Boston and vicinity, as well as those towns and cities nearby.
Since its completion, the clubhouse and grounds had for many years been the popular center not only for the summer colony(?) but also for the people of Maynard, many of whom have had the use of it for family gatherings, outings and class reunions. The ???? at the Lake had so increased by 1908 there was a demand for ???? Sundays. The Twilight Club gave the use of its cottage ?????, the pastor of St. Bridget's parish of Maynard ??????? Mass. Mass was said at the Club for three years ????????? attending became so large that an association was organized and Association Hall was built on land donated by the Twilight Club and Mr. James A. Dooley.
Charter members of the Club: William Connolly, President; John E. Hannon, secretary; Thomas Smith, treasurer; Matthew Campbell, James Claflin, William Cleary, Daniel Colbert, Owen Duggan, Louis Hannon, John Horan, John Keegan, James J. Ledgard, James C. Mahoney, Charles McGill, Patrick Murphy, William Scully, Edward Sheridan, Joseph Sheridan, Patrick Sherry, and Nicholas Whalen.
James J. Ledgard is the only charter member who is still active. Other charter members living are: John J. Keegan of Maynard, Patrick M. Murphy of Framingham, William Cleary of Winchester and Charles McGill of Newton.
Present members: Thomas J. Duggan, president; Ralph L. Sheridan, secretary; Edward F. Ledgard, treasurer; James J. Ledgard, Charter member; Thomas F. Maley, J. Howard Herbert, Louis J. Imbimbo, Herbert W. Martin, John A. Doran and Louis J. Primiano, all of Maynard; also. William J. Murray of Lake Boone, Harold J. Priest of Acton Center, Edward J. Hannon of Baltimore, Md., William D. Tobin of Holliston, John B. Ledgard of Laconia, N.H., and Robert L. Murray of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Robert Murray is the son of the late Frank J. (Jinx) Murray of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a native son and nationally known football coach at Marquette University and the University of Virginia. Coach Murray was a member of the Twilight Club for many years and spent part of his vacation each summer at the Club, and while lounging about the spacious quarters worked out many of the gridiron plays that brought about victory to his teams.
James Ledgard, Herbert Martin(?) and William Cleary were successful business men, the former two in Maynard and the latter in Winchester, Mass. James Claflin for many years was Deputy Superintendent of the Boston Police Department. Ralph L. Sheridan worked several years as Assistant Deputy Superintendent at the Massachusetts Correctional Institution - Concord, Mass.
The Twilight Club will long be remembered for the fine spirit of service and friendship during its sixty years of existence.
At the annual meeting of the Club held Monday, May 11, 1964, it was voted unanimously to sell the clubhouse and land owned by the Club at Lake Boone, Stow, Mass., and to dissolve the association.
Thus comes to an end another era.