Local history is not priceless. It costs 50 cents.
Boston Globe columnist Willard de Lue meandered around Burlington and surrounding towns in the 1940s and 50s and waxed historical from an unusual “man in the street” perspective. The scrapbook was compiled by an unknown person and sold to a woman for 50 cents at a yard sale. Years later, Alex Malcomson of 42 Beaverbrook Road in Burlington offered that woman $20 for it. “She ripped that bill out of my hand,” he says.
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This was really interesting to read. I now know why my mom made Irish pizza too. Thanks for sharing these.
What a find. Stories of my own (and your) back yard that I wish I knew when we were young. Mr. de Lue lamented “so much new on the old Burlington road” back in 1955. Wish we could hear what he might have to say about the way it looks now, 66 years of development later.
Enjoyed reading it all! Lexington, Burlington, Bedford, Wilmington, Billerica…took the written tour…such detail. Thanks!
I totaly enjoyed reading about his travels walking around the surrounding area that I can remember seeing since I can remember. I stated my life in Burlington in 1949 and still live only a mile from where I grew up. So I can attest to how much has changed around here yet there are still areas that I remember as if it was in the late 50’s. Thank you Ale for sharing your yard sale find with us. Thank you Robert for taking on your task to show us how much Burlington has changed.
Fantastic article! I, too, imagine what he’d have to say about the current changes. For odd reasons, that Baldwin apple has loads of memories…Great read….thanks!
That is not a Millstone in the picture, it is a wheel-stone used to make wagon wheels, there was on sitting in the front yard of a house in Billerica on Allen rd. second house on the right from Boston rd. it disappeared this past March when they tore down the old house and put up two McMansions, it was originally from the Fuller and son Blacksmith shop located on that site.