The Society publishes its newsletter bi-monthly during the season from September through June. Issues carry news of upcoming meetings and dates are generally mailed one to two weeks prior to the next meeting.

Recent issues of the newsletter have featured reports on the work to preserve Stetson Hall and the many fund raising (even some hair raising) events that have taken place and are being planned. Some of these are:

On Wednesday, March 8, 2000, 7:30pm at the Jonathan Belcher House, we shall have the pleasure of hosting Ms. Janet Heyward, who is Director of Interpretation, Friends of Mt. Auburn Cemetery.

Many of us may have passed by the imposing gates and iron work of this solemn site without realizing what reposes within. Whilst famous solely as a cemetery, and the final resting place of many notable and influential Americans, it is also a handsome landsc ape site, a world famous arboretum, and is very well known and appreciated amongst the aficionados of ornithology (bird watchers).

So please plan to join us to learn the multifaceted and intriguing history of this green jewel in an increasingly paved cityscape.

Here are some brief facts about Mt. Auburn garnered from the web pages of the Friends of Mt. Auburn: Founded in 1831 by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, Mount Auburn was the first landscaped cemetery in America and was influential in the creation of America's public parks. Still an active cemetery it also serves as an arboretum, a museum of sculpture, and a wildlife sanctuary.

Mount Auburn is the final resting place for many famous America ns. Some include: George Angell, Mary Baker Eddy, Isabella Stewart Gardner, Buckminster Fuller, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Winslow Homer, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and B.F. Skinner. It is striking that in one place are so many notables who are not simply famous but who were and remain influential in shaping society and its ideas. Can you name the field in which each of the above shone.

Many significant contributors in the American birding community are also buried here including William Brewster, founder of the American Ornithological Union (AOU) and Ludlow Griscom, who Roger Tory Peterson refers to in 'A Field Guide to the Birds' as "The man to whom we all owed our inspiration and expertise . . . [he] was the court of last resort in matters of field identification . . . "

Birding at Mount Auburn

There are several ways to go birding at Mount Auburn. Organized tours are offered by: The Friends of Mount Auburn, The Brookline Bird Club, and the Massachusetts Audubon Society. These tours serve as a good introduction to Mount Auburn. Here are some suggestions if you are unable to join a tour or if you prefer more independent explorations. The Entrance Gate has a sightings board and pamphlets that list recent sightings with dates and locations. See what birds have been seen recently and where they've been sighted. Purchase a map, you'll need it. Expect to get lost, or at least disoriented, on the more than 10 miles of twisting roads and paths. As described in the Mount Auburn General Information sheet: The entrance to Mount Auburn Cemetery is on Mount Auburn Street near the boundary of Cambridge and Watertown, approximately 1.5 miles west of Harvard Square, just west of Mount Auburn Hospital and Fresh Pond Parkway. Mount Auburn Street is reached via Fresh Pond Parkway or Storrow Drive (Route 2). The Cemetery is easily reached by public transportation from Harvard Square (Number 71 or 73 bus). For those interested in supporting Mount Auburn, The Friends of Mount Auburn Cemetery is "a charitable trust promoting the appreciation and preservation of the cultural, historic and natural resources of Mount Auburn." Membership is open to all. Contributions are also welcomed. Remember that Mount Auburn is a cemetery and not a public park and always act accordingly. The cemetery is open every day of the year from 8am - 5pm. During daylight savings time, the hours are extended to 7pm.

The above information comes from the web site of the Friends of Mt. Auburn Cemetary.

A Taste of Randolph 2000.

This will be the fourth 'Taste of Randolph' scheduled for Saturday, March 4, 2000, starting at 4:30pm at Randolph High School. There will also be various entertainments in the auditorium, while the food tasting will be held in the cafeteria. Admission is $10 pre-sale only, no tickets sold at the door. There will be Raffles with tons of great items and services from local businesses and merchants. And also a Silent Auction with even more great things to bid on. .

Last year's Taste was a huge success, the most frequent comment "There is too much great food for one person to sample it all!".

Delicious Memories from the Past, A History of the Walter Baker Chocolate Factory

Baker chocolate was the first American maker of chocolate. The original mill was erected on the banks of the Neponset River at the location known as the lower falls in 1765. And it continued to make chocolate there for almost two centuries, until 1964 when production was relocated to Dover, Delaware by the then parent company of General Foods.

Join us on Wednesday, February 16 (the third Wednesday of the month rather than the usual second) to hear local author, historian and raconteur Anthony M. Sammarco presents what he refers to as his favorite lecture upon his favorite subject. He has written on many areas of Boston and the South Shore but the lower mills area and the Baker Chocolate works are his special interest.

The story of the Baker family and factory are long and complex and are inextricably intertwined with the story of the cacao bean from which chocolate is produced, as well as the story of pre and post industrial America and the social mores of those periods. It also reflects modern marketing, as Baker was one of the first to promote its products using as person known as the Chocolate Girl whose image appeared on the packages and on promotional literature and even decorative items commissioned by the company.

Early on the many workers employed at the factory lived in nearby rowhouses. While most of the factory is on the Dorchester side some buildings are on the Milton shore and later many workers lived in the surrounding communities, including Braintree, Randolph and Holbrook.

Many from Randolph were most familiar with the plant if they commuted into Boston via the Ashmont rapid transit station. The bus from Randolph wound its way through Milton and as it skirted along Milton Hill one could get a panoramic view of the Neponset river, including the large concrete silos and out buildings of the Baker plant. The tracks of the Milton/Dorchester branch of the New Haven railroad were also clearly visible as they crossed a small bridge and snaked into the factory complex.

Then the bus would take a sharp left onto Dorchester Avenue and plunge down to cross over the road bridge. On each side the rushing waters of the Neponset river could be seen boiling around the rocks, spraying up a mist that sometimes wafted over the road. On each side the factory and warehouse buildings lined the road. And then the columns of the headquarters building loomed up on the left. And when the plant was working the smell of chocolate permeated the air.

In 1765, Dr. James Baker helped fund a nearly indigent Irish immigrant named James Hannon who had apprenticed in England as a chocolate maker and who carried away the secrets of how to convert the incredibly bitter cacao bean into the more palatable chocolate then used mostly for a beverage. Hannon takes on an apprentice named Nathaneil Blake and the plant struggles along until Hannon goes off to the caribbean to buy cacao in 1768 and never returns. In 1780, his widow sells her share of the plant to Dr. Baker and that is the beginning of the Baker name. In 1818, Baker's grandson Walter joins the business and eventually his name carries on. Up to 1896, the company is controlled by the family, that year it becomes a public company.

In 1931, General Foods gains control and starts to even more aggressively market the products. In 1964, production moves away from Dorchester and in 1866 the last employees are relocated to New York.

During its nearly two hundred years, Baker produced chocolate powder for hot chocolate which was popular in Europe and the 1700's and 1800's, often served in chocolate shops, the Starbucks of an earlier era. Here in America the beverage was more of a confection enjoyed by youngsters. Later, Baker supplied chocolate for making cakes and other cooking use, as well as wholesale chocolate for candy makers. However, while some candies were sold under the Baker label, the company was never a major maker of chocolate candy.

Today the remaining buildings are mixed use, industrial and residential. Various efforts have been made to revitalize the area with mixed results.

Millenium Flask Still Available

The Society still has some of the azure blue Millenium Flasks made by the Clevenger Bottle Works of New Jersey. These feature the image of Stetson Hall on the front and a dedication to the new Millennium on the obverse. Only 250 were produced and these will be a collector's item. They are $20 each. All proceeds from these go into the Society's General Fund for normal expenses. They can be purchased at any meeting. Or from the same source as the Bicentennial Memorabila.

Other stories featured in the last issue of the newsletter spoke about prgress at Stetson Hall and some details of proposed trips in the spring.

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