Interesting Blog By Mike Cain This Morning

[Henry]

Mike Cain was doing a little reminiscing this morning in his blog at http://mysite.verizon.net/vze7krm0/ - If I didn't know better, I would take a wild guess and say Mike must be crawling towards 50.

As I was reading his blog, I was thinking that maybe our school kids could have a little mini-course on the history of our town.  Some may never even realize that up where the Mini-Mall is that there was a sawmill at one time and over the bank where Rick parks his vehicle, there was a big slab pile and the sawmill went up in flames when a local gentleman stopped down at Boutin's Store, bought a small can of gasoline and went up and set it on fire.  That same sawmill had moved from where there had been a sawmill for years in Mill Hill on The Fletcher Road where the Condos are now.

I believe I heard that The Union Bank has or has intentions of buying the old Ramsey Garage - I don't know if I have a photo of that or not, but if they do I am sure it will be torn down and be another vanishing place in town that our youngsters of tomorrow will not be aware of.

I know that years ago that Jim Meunier had his cement business up there in the J & L area and believe that was after Peloquin's sawmill burned.  Not sure when the Country Pantry was built or how many years after it was built that Sam started running it then bought it.  Also don't know when the hardware store was built.  Both the Pharmacy and Hardware Store were a welcome addition to the town as prior to that we either had to go to Milton, St. Albans or Essex to go to a drug or hardware store.  At one time there was a drug and hardware store at 2 Fletcher Road, which is now an apartment building, but it had been quite a few years since that ceased to be both.

It was also a good many years ago that Dewell Decker built the store and house where Minor's Store is now.  He had originally ran the store where Nan's Mobil is now and then sold it to Raymond & Betty Howard, I believe.  Ruth & Dewell Decker had lived on a farm on Route 128 just beyond the Westford Town Line on the left.  That house had burned a number of years ago and the farm raised veal for a while.  I don't believe there is anything going on there now.

Ahhhhhhh!!!! Yes, Mike, Maybe you and Al Daniels, who is also quite a Historian and does a lot with his students on the History of Fairfax could develop a little Mini-Course while your memories are still vibrant.

I don't know about everybody else, but I do enjoy your blogs when you get into local history - Keep up the good work Mike

[MikeF9]

All you have to do is look around town, know that something has changed, then figure out how long it's been different.
Like;
The old St.Luke's Church has been a store for what-close to 25 years now?
The old town hall/casket showroom has been sitting in it's current location as our museum for 15 years.
The Senior Citizen housing across from school has been there close to 25 years.
The sewer plant has been in operation almost 30 years.
The Historical Society has been around 45 years next year.

By the way, I'll be 47 next month. That's really scary.

[Henry]

Just received a note regarding some of the businesses up in the J & L Area:

Hi Henry:
I was reading your website as I do most mornings to get the local news.  I didn't know if you wanted to know when the following were built but thought that I would pass the info along just in case.  The hardware store was built in 1988, the mini mall was built in 1989 and the restaurant that Sam now owns was built in 1992.  Have a great day.