It's Thanksgiving so it's time for a little nostalgia. Here are a few Wrentham related Thanksgiving tales.
Eagles for Thanksgiving
Football and Thanksgiving certainly go well together and that was the case back in 1926 when Boston College's football team set up camp in Wrentham in preparation for a showdown with its rival, Holy Cross. The team was holding practices in Franklin at Dean Academy, known today as Dean College, and staying "safely and quietly quartered 'somewhere in Wrentham,'" according to the Boston Globe.
After a Thanksgiving Day workout, the football players returned to Wrentham for a turkey dinner and party. According to the news report, "The Boston College men are enjoying themselves at Wrentham for they are away from all bother. The squad will make the trip from Wrentham to Boston Saturday morning in limousines, with speeding tabooed."
It seems the stay in Wrentham didn't help the BC Eagles offense. The game was played at Braves Field in Boston and ended in a 0-0 tie.
Huskies for the Holidays
Last year we remembered Edmund Nolan and his trained lions which made a fuss out in Brighton back in 1962. Well, he wasn't the first person to have a trained animal act from Wrentham. Back in the 1930s, Dr. Bill Bloomberg reportedly had a Dog Academy in town where he trained huskies. And on Thanksgiving night in 1935, his dogs were part of an unusual carnival at the old Boston Garden.
The exhibit combined a wrestling bout with an exhibition by trained dogs. In addition to showing the huskies' ability to haul a large load, Bloomberg's dogs would perform acrobatic tricks. Totem, a 91 pound black and white husky, could do somersaults reports said. Another Bloomberg dog reportedly could do a side twist and turn. Other dogs in his act would swing on ropes.
Traveling on a Budget
And while it's not specifically a Thanksgiving story, it is a November travel story from way back. But in 1826 if you needed to travel from Providence to Boston, you could take an accommodation stagecoach which would stop in Wrentham and Walpole. The fare for the trip was $1.50. The stage ran every day except Sundays.
Hope everyone has a happy and safe Thanksgiving.