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Centennial Monograph: John A. Crowe Park

mhs-2019.241.pdf

Dublin Core

Title

Centennial Monograph: John A. Crowe Park

Description

A short history of the origins of Crowe Park.

Creator

Birger Koski

Date

1969-03

Identifier

2019.241

Document Item Type Metadata

Text

This monograph was slated to be prepared by the late James B. Farrell at the time of his death. Having all the articles on the Park from the Maynard News plus his personal recollections of Rev. Crowe, his paper would have done much more justice to the subject and would have been enjoyed much more by you than anything that we can write. As it would have been his monograph, we would like to dedicate this to "the Old Curmudgeon”.

Rev, John A. Crowe of St. Bridget’s Church, the chairman of a committee that approached the Town Fathers in 19OO to see if the town would buy sufficient amount of land for a Town Park. An article at the 19OI Town Meeting appropriated $1,000 to buy 6 acres of land from William H. Eveleth on Great Road for this purpose.

Rev. Crowe logically was the first Park Superintendent because of his great interest in youth and sports. He did not hide behind the cloth but participated actively in all sports personally. Many an anecdote you would have heard from Jim Farrell about faux-pax committed by out-of-town baseball teams that did not realize the Maynard team had aReverend on it.

The grounds were leveled, a small grandstand was erected, baseball field put in; cricket club field (this club had its building and field also at this park); track events, football games, soccer and cricket, band concerts after the band stand was erected, tennis with the courts erected, all sorts or activities were engaged in.

At the 1908 Town Meeting it was voted to name the Park "John A. Crowe Park”.

A September 3, 1915 article in the papers tells that through the instrumentality of a number of public spirited citizens of Maynard, a stone marker with a bronze tablet inscribed "John A. Crowe Park, purchased by the Town of Maynard, 19O1", is to be erected at the park and will be dedicated with appropriate ceremonies. The monument is being prepared by the Maynard Granite & Bath(?) Works, Rev. Crowe of Cambridge, will be present. The Committee is ... A.J. Coughlan, P.J. Sullivan, B.J. Coughlin.

Oct. 1, 1915 - The dedication exercises took place with A.J. Coughlan as Master of Ceremonies, Selectman Binks spoke on behalf of the Town. Mayor Good and Superintendent of Schools, Michael Fitzgerald of Cambridge eulogized Rev. Crowe. Rev. Crowe spoke at length of the happy years he spent in Maynard and the many friends he left here on moving to Cambridge.

Some years ago the Green Meadow School was erected in the rear part of the park.

All dates are from the Maynard News.

Read at the March, 1969 meeting of The Maynard Historical Society

B.R. KOSKI

Storage

SU9-4