Tom O'Brien: A Biography

By Justin Cushing

He sits in his chair. Wearing sweatpants and moccasins with the classic t-shirt. He stares off, bringing back the good and the bad memories of his past. As the first question is asked he looks calm and ready to answer anything thrown his way.

Woburn, a small city? If you asked me that today, I would have thought you were crazy. I mean, sure, it's not New York City, but still it's not tiny. However, when Tom O'Brien was little, that was how it was. There was little to no industry throughout the area of Woburn. There were a few large farms, only about an acre or so; those were the biggest areas.

The main sport of Woburn was baseball. When there were no games to be played, wiffleball games were organized. Most of them took place at playgrounds. Mr. O'Brien was a big help to whatever team he was on, according to an unknown source (aka him).

"Every city has its ups and downs." A quote from the inspirational Thomas O'Brien. The ups, you ask? Teachers cared so much about students' education. Also, there was little to no crime. What else could one family ask for in a city? A quiet little town is a great way to describe Woburn back in the '50s.

The school buildings were the downs of Woburn. The buildings were starting to become more and more outdated. The growing population was demanding that school buildings become bigger to fit all the students.

Could you believe that Horn Pond was the main swimming area? Or that the Woburn Mall used to be a swamp in the summer and an ice rink in the winter?  Well, back when Tom was a 13-year-old, that was the way it was.

If you wanted to go golfing or, better yet, just go to the driving range, you would go to the Woburn Country Club. When Mr. O'Brien was a child he would go to the driving range at Four Corners. Yes, believe it or not, there was a driving range behind McDonalds, where the bank is today, which used to be open land where golfers would go for fun. Or to have friendly competitions.

The dress style of the '50s, you ask? Boys of all ages wore "peg" pants. They could also be referred to as extremely skinny pants. White bucks were the shoes back then. Most teens wore collared shirts.

How would you like this? Gas prices were 17 cents a gallon. In 1950, that was the price! The price of gas didn't rise until 1970, when it rose to about 99 cents. That is still a pretty good price.

All of this just proves how much things have changed since the '50s. I'm Justin Cushing, reporting for Ms. Materazzo's News. 

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