ABOUT TOWN: Sharing Memories of Glen Echo at the Stoughton Historical Society

LIKE YEARS AGO—GLEN ECHO TALK BRINGS CROWD: The Stoughton Historical Society drew the largest crowd ever to its Lucius Clapp building headquarters on Sunday afternoon, February 19. A slide show, featuring many Glen Echo pictures, documents, and maps, beginning with the land’s York Pond/Ponkapoag Plantation/Indian past, was featured.

Images of the original deluxe resort built by Elisha Monk in 1895, the addition of trolley lines and electricity, the passing of the land to Elisha’s children, Eunice Mantle, Bertha Marston, and George Monk, the sales of cottage lots on the eastern shore off “Wigwam Path,” the purchase by Lincoln Gibson in 1934 and his Inn and Restaurant, which ran under various managers until 1977, and photos of young men playing at Glen Echo just before leaving to serve in WWII were shown to the standing-room only crowd.

Many people shared their tales of eating, drinking, boating, swimming, diving and other adventures at Glen Echo over the years. There were tales of snapping turtles and rattlesnakes, of diving or jumping from Drum Rock and the other variously-named rock structures—while trying to avoid the slate below.

There was talk of ice fishing, skating, and even skinny-dipping (but no acknowledged participants of the latter.) There was talk about the search for buried Brinks money (with Moderator Howard Hansen telling of his brother's delivery of the Post to Joseph "Specs" O'Keefe, with its January 18, 1950 headline of the 2.7 million dollars Brinks robbery of the day before.) The money was never found, and O'Keefe, a suspect in the case who lived near Glen Echo Lake, was nearly killed over trying to collect "his share" of the loot.

A booklet of collected Glen Echo images and articles is available at the historical society for $5, Members pay $3. 

Historian David Allan Lambert also filmed everyone's recollections of Glen Echo Lake and Park. Historical Society President Dwight MacKerron, who narrated and hosted the event, said he hoped to utilize the footage in a future TV show about the property, which was recently purchased by the Town of Stoughton.

Light refreshments were served after the incredibly interesting and memory-prompting presentation.

Faces In The Crowd: Zoo New England CEO John Linehan, Chair of the Open Space Committee; Ardis Johnson, secretary of the Open Space Committee; Dr. Erdem Ural of the Finance Committee, and candidate for School Committee; FinCom members Ed DeFelice and Peter Ventresco; and Patch photo contributor Hank Herbowy.  

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