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Manchester, Mass., Friday, August 8, 1913 
ORTH SHORE BREEZE 
AND REMINDER 
No. 32 
The Evolution of a Town 
The Little Municipality of Wenham, Made a “Town Beautiful’’ 
By MARY HERROD NORTHEND 
F YOU had visited Wenham, Mass., twenty years ago 
you would have seen shabby, unkempt streets, gar- 
den plots neglected and a general air of indifference to im- 
proved surroundings. ‘The houses were well built and 
kept in repair, but there the people’s interest ended. What 
eared they save for comfortable homes, plenty to eat and 
a kitchen garden? 
Twenty energetic women started a movement to 
improve the village, meeting in the president’s house one 
night in the month of March, 1893. They decided that if 
the work was to be done they must do it themselves and 
they started. Their object, they stated, was “to make 
more attractive the town of Wenham and to preserve its 
natural beauties.” ‘The charter members numbered twen- 
ty, each member paying her annual subscription of fifty 
Arbor day of that year started the work which 
has never ceased since. ‘I'rees of the chestnut, maple and 
evergreen varieties were secured. The support of the 
men was then reluctantly obtained. They declared that 
it was a foolish movement, and that the result would be 
detrimental to adjoining lands, by reason of the roots 
of the trees drawing nourishment from enriched land. 
Deep, wide holes were dug in straight lines along the 
main road. Into each hole the proper earth for each 
tree was placed. Then the roots were carefully untangled 
and laid out, after which the hole was filled in and the 
work commenced. Many of these trees died afterward, 
but were quickly replaced by others. The result is that 
Wenham today has a fine avenue of thrifty trees, all in 
flourishing condition. 
Along the sides of the rows of trees were ancestral 
burdock that have maintained the right to exist for cen- 
turies. No one has disturbed their growth and they had 
spread and covered the sidewalk in every direction. This 
would never do. It took time and patience to remove 
them. They were replaced by gravel walks, edged with 
grass or stone. The walks were not narrow and insigni- 
ficant, but broad and generous. 
Members of the improvement society grew with the 
success of the work until today the society has increased 
to one hundred. Children grew interested in the good 
cause; fathers’ sons realized what it meant and were 
only too willing to help. Front lawns that had previously 
gone unmowed all summer were now smooth and velvety 
in appearance. Small gardens grew in spots and flowers 
replaced weeds in the grounds of yesterday. 
The next move was to remove the tent caterpillars 
which had become a menace to the trees and shrubbery. 
Tt was a long, hard fight and most discouraging, but was 
finally conquered. ‘There is no trace of their devastation 
along the streets of today. 
cents. 
The next move was to remove the tent caterpillars 
that the villagers should better understand, two lec- 
tures were given the first year. They were by prominent 
men who had given their life to the work. ‘The subjects 
related to trees and their worth and the general need of 
improvement. It sank deep and at the end of the first 
year, the energetic little women felt they had conquered 
prejudice and that they would in the end accomplish what 
they had set out to do. For the town has awakened to 
the fact that it was an improvement needed and shared 
the expense with the society. 
The second year the work progressed and the street 
corners and intersections of the road were attacked. Many 
of these were weed-grown and many were dumping places 
for trash to a limited degree. ‘The spots one by one were 
dug over, filled with good loam, grass seed planted, and 
in many cases, shrubs set out. The work was all done 
voluntarily by different members of the society and their 
families. ‘he men were glad to help out; some volun- 
teered to give the equivalent of three days’ work, others, 
a team of oxen. Others lent financial aid. 
When the intersections were finished, they were not 
neglected, but were kept carefully mown and watered, 
so that today it is a delight to meet them at every turn. 
Rubbish heaps were perhaps the hardest to annihilate. 
They had been used for dumping purposes through gen- 
erations and why not now? ‘The fight was long, but it 
was also won, and now ash barrels contain what was once 
dumped in certain parts of the town designated for the 
purpose. 
The Town hall and school house showed great lack 
of care, the grounds being filled with ashes dumped there 
during the winter, It took a great deal of time to dig 
through so much rubbish but it was eventually done, 
and the green today with its shrubbery is most attractive. 
Naturally, much paper was flying abut the streets, mak- 
ing them so untidy that men were hired to cart it off. 
Hiring men to do so much work was expensive, and 
the problem of reducing labor was solved by the pur- 
chase of many barrels, in which the waste was collected 
at various points. ‘hen came down unsightly signs which 
were inaccurately printed. Who does not remember 
finding signs on their ‘‘journey’s end” which heralded 
their destination a mile farther on. Designs for new 
signs were submitted for they wished them artistic and 
attractive. ‘Today one finds at every turn picturesque 
white signs, with their distinct black lettering and the 
correct number of miles. 
The dingy street lamps were hiding their faces in 
shame at the modern day improvements. ‘They had not 
felt so before. They too came in for improvement, and 
