Ray Farrar wrote articles on his memory of Shirley people, places, and events for our local newspaper. These were published along with photos and we now have copies in a scrapbook.
If you want to see the entire article, come visit us on Mondays or Saturdays, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm or contact us at mail@shirleyhistory.org about making copies.
| DATE OF NEWSPAPER | TITLE | LOCATION | PEOPLE | OTHER NOTES |
| 1/10/2012 | John Harris Farm | Parker and Little Turnpike | Margaret Harris, Horace Harris, | Working farm until 1970’s |
| 1/17/2012 | Overlook | Between Center and Benjamin Roads | John Soltesz | Called overlook due to view of Ft. Devens. Originally built in 1920’s. Used as entertainment for army officers during WWII. |
| 1/24/2012 | Henry Dodge Farm | Little Turnpike Road | Henry and Bell Dodge | In its glory in 1800s. |
| 1/31/2012 | Hazel Cummings Farm | Little Turnpike Road | Cummings Family, then daughter Hazel | Built 1700s. Large Apple Orchard. Suicide. |
| 2/7/2012 | Ice Cream Parlor | Corner of Chapel and Porter Streets | Mr. and Mrs. Thomas | Parlor was built by Mr. Thomas so wife could make money in the 1930s |
| 2/14/2012 | Ayer Junction | Electric trolly car from Shirley to Ayer | Gave mobility in 1900s | |
| 2/21/2012 | Cooperage | Across from todays Pheonix Bar & Grille | Ran by Gran Fairbanks | Cooperage is a mill to make wooden barrels. |
| 2/28/2012 | Tavern | Little Turnpike Road | Mr. Little. Wilfred Chevrette in 1920s-1930s | Built for travelers unable to pass between Rt. 2A and Lunenburg in spring due to mud. |
| 3/6/2012 | White Mill Dam | Built 1856 to power saw mill off Rt. 2A. Taken out by flood of March 1937 | ||
| 3/13/2012 | Race Track | Peabody Road | Proposed in late 1950s. Voted down 3 times. | |
| 3/20/2012 | Crowe House | Lawton Road | 1716 Mr. Lawton, 1904 purchased by John Crowe | House built in 1716. Burned down in 1965 |
| 3/27/2012 | Pound | Shirley Center next to the Meeting House and the Center Town Hall. | Jack Farrar, pound keeper | Jail for loose farm animals: cows/horses |
| 4/3/2012 | Horse Pond Road | Shirley Center near Walker Road | Burial ground for large animals. | |
| 4/10/2012 | Hole in the Hill | Center Road | Mort Lawrence | Built 1930. Refused to move house for power lines. Moved land across the street for many years to fill in around the house. |
| 4/17/2012 | Max Pit | North side of Catcunemaug Railroad Crossing | Frank and John Max | 1936 used fill to rebuild Center Road. |
| 4/24/2012 | Granite Posts | North side of Front Street near Train Depot | Pat Walsh and Doris Wheeler: Green Committee | Donations from townspeople and 25 volunteers beautifed Shirley 1980s |
| 5/1/2012 | Big Move in Shirley | Road replaced trolley line to Ayer | Route of Fitchburg and Leominster railway | |
| 5/8/2012 | Highway Department | Clark Road | Frank Westover, ed Onners, James Devine, Bill Wilson, Harry Wheeler, Tony and two unidentified. | Built 1930s. Nine employees. |
| 5/15/2012 | Paul Farrar House | Benjamin Road | Meylands: 1920s, Nowokenski’s, Julia & Ed Sweetser | House moved from Benjamin Road to across the street around 1980 |
| 5/22/2012 | Monument Picture | Shirley Center | Civil War veteran Bill Jubb | Memorial Day Celebration |
| 5/29/2012 | World War I Veterans | Camp Devens | Book provided by Hollie McGrath | Photo |
| 6/5/2012 | Shirley High School | Lancaster Road | Teachers 1936: Middle School, Sara James & Nellie McNiff | Used in 1800s as high school |
| 6/12/2012 | Farrar Farm | Benjamin Hill | Asparagus grown on the farm | |
| 6/19/2012 | Shirley Train Depot | Now gives good impression. | ||
| 6/26/2012 | Mrs. Tidd’s Kitchen | Main Street | J. Walter Desmond, Richard T. Lilly, Sylvester J. Tidd: Selectmen | Met in Mrs. Tidd’s Kitchen for comfort. |
| 7/10/2012 | 1930 July 4th Parade | Shirley Center | Truck owned by the Longley Family | 1930 Ford Model A Truck carried the Girl Scouts |
| 7/17/2012 | Rebuilding a House | Leominster Road | Ray Farrar, Bill Blair, Donald “Red” Farrar and Michael Gray | 1965 2 houses moved from Haskell St. to Leominster Road. Repairs took a year to complete. |
| 7/24/2012 | Shirley’s American Express | Front Street Laundromat | Company ran until 1950. Railroad brought the packages and cars delivered until they got small trucks. Original building had no windows just storage and was torn down when company closed. | |
| 7/31/2012 | Coal Sheds | South side of Main Street. Now a parking lot for Lambert’s True Value Hardware | Business run by Amy Wheeler. Delivered by Kenneth Longley. | 1930’s sheds lined the edge of the railroad tracks. Housed coal and coke (charcoal) |
| 8/7/2012 | Bull Run Fair Grounds | Dr. Eddy’s practice on 2A | Ray Farrar’s great, great-grandfather, George Farrar and wife Mary ran the blacksmith shop and coffee shop where Shirley Package Store is today. | Used in 1800s as Bull Run Fairgrounds. Prize bulls would fight and wagers were made. This is how the Bull Run got its name. |
| 8/14/2012 | Rags to Riches | 48 Ayer Road | Original owner Artie Adams, Current owner Scott and Diane Renstrom | New owners are restoring the home. |
| 8/21/2012 | Miner’s Blacksmith Shop | 10 Main Street | Mr. Miner | Owned and ran the blacksmith shop in the 1880s and 1890s |
| 8/28/2012 | Wells Livery Stable | Fredonian Street | Mr. and Mrs. (Abbie) Wells | 1920s and 1930s the stable was a good place to rent a horse and buggy to go for a Sunday ride or Shopping in Ayer. The house and stable was torn down in the late 1930s. |
| 9/4/2012 | Dr. Lilly’s Office | Main Street | Dr. Lilly 1920s, Mr. Brackett 1940s, The Olivers 1950s | The home had an office in the front and living quarters in the rear. |
| 9/11/2012 | Desmond Livery Stable | Davis Street | Barn/stable three stories high: wagons & buggies 1st floor, horses on the 2nd and hay on the third. | |
| 9/18/2012 | Grist Mill | Route 2A on the Ayer Town Line | Del Waterman, Current owner Bob Gonynor | Mill in 1700s and 1800s to ground corn, rice, oats or wheat into meal. |
| 9/25/2012 | George Morin House | Corner of Center Road and Davis Street | George Morin | Built late 1800s-early 1900s. Purchased by Geoge Morin about 1930s. |
| 10/2/2012 | Ned Harkins Home | Center Road | Ned Harkin | Ned was the Postmaster of Shirley and Time keeper for the town during the 1930s. |
| 10/9/2012 | Cranberry House | Center Road | Used in 1800s to dry cranberries grown on Holden Road. | |
| 10/16/2012 | Munson Mansion | Corner of Center Road and Munson Avenue | Norman C. Munson in 1800s then Quinty Family 1930s | Norman worked in Boston filling in Back Bay Boston. |
| 10/23/2012 | Goodrich-Jardine Home | North Corner of Center Road and Hazen Road | Mr. & Mrs. Goodrich. Miss Jardine moved in when Mr. Goodrich passed | Mrs. Goodrich was an R.N. and was said to have a two-digit license number. |
| 10/30/2012 | Little Tug Saved Ben Davis | Story: Repair of wagon using a tug connected to the horses in 1840s. | ||
| 11/6/2012 | Broom Factory | Shirley Center across from Trinity Chapel | Longley Family | 1800s |
| 11/13/2012 | Shorty’s Market | Corner of Fredonian and Phoenix Streets | Mr. & Mrs. Cutler then Paul “Shorty” Cournoyer | Ran from 1930s to 1940s |
| 11/20/2012 | John Soltesz Home | Center Road Mansion | Soltesz family | Picture from 1910 |
| 11/27/2012 | Brookside | Intersection Main Street and Center Road | Mr. “Chappy” & Mrs. Chapman | Rooming house in 1908 |
| 12/4/2012 | Now Is The Hour | Where the Shirley Garage now stands | George Sanderson Sr., George Sanderson III | Profile of farmer G. Sanderson.G. Sanderson III took the farm on Lancaster Road and made it into an airport |
| 12/11/2012 | Chicken Pox on the Farm | The Farrar Farm | Amos, Donald “Red”, Ray Farrar | Story: digging potatoes and catching chicken pox |
| 12/18/2012 | Christmas in the 1930s | Legion Hall | Story: Christmas during the Great Depression | |
| 1/8/2013 | Shirley to Ayer in the Teens | Road between Shirley and Ayer | Roads changed between 1910 and now | |
| 1/15/2013 | Shirley 1910 | Overview of Shirley | Snow in 1910. Town rolled it, not plowed. | |
| 1/22/2013 | #8 School House | Church Street | Sarah Stevens/James, Sadie Gately White | History of the school building |
| 1/29/2013 | Church Street School | Church Street | Lura A White, Miss Hood, Miss Carson, Miss Ross, Miss O’Meara, Frank Westover, Mr. Lincoln | History of the school building |
| 2/5/2013 | The War Memorial Building | Church Street | Lucien Gionet | War Memorial Building was part of the WPA during the Great Depression |
| 2/12/2015 | Lake Shirley Was Once Called Shirley Reservoir | Lake Shirley Dam off Catacunemaug Road | A dam used to power mills and factories, and there was a reservoir there | |
| 2/19/2013 | The Old Dam | Shoddy Mill off Catacunemaug Road | A dam in the early 1800s ran the Shoddy Mill, which reclaimed wool | |
| 2/26/2013 | Old Lady Pickles | Corner of Catacunemaug and Leominster roads | Swiryda family | Swiryda’s Store was the only one in west part of Shirley |
| 3/5/2013 | Tom Seaman’s House | Catacunemaug Road | Seaman family, Charlie, Tom, Annette | Condominiums replaced the house |
| 3/5/2013 | Johnny Jock’s Gas Station and Store | North Shirley on Rt 2A | Johnny Bjorklund, Mr. Farrar | Gas station accident where Mr. Farrar was burned |
| 3/5/2013 | A Little Blarney | St. Patrick’s Day card passed around. Basketball Game Ku Klux Klan vs. Knights of Columbus for benefit of Jewish Relief Fund | ||
| 3/19/2013 | The Hyman Perlstein Home | Corner of Clark and Ayer | Perlstein family, Lou, Zeus, Anna; Dr Lilly; Eric Shapiro | Mr. Perlstein collected metals and had a farm |
| 3/26/2013 | Whiteley Park | Whiteley Park, Corner of Front and Phoenix | Mr. Whiteley, Shakers | History of the park |
| 4/2/2013 | Farrar’s Blacksmith Shop | Great Road | Mr. Little, Farrar Brothers | 1844 the brothers moved and built the blacksmith shop |
| 4/9/2013 | The Old Hazen Bridge | Old Hazen Bridge | Police Chief Moss, Sergeant Beachy, Max Gionet | The bridge was once part of Route 2 |
| 4/16/2013 | The Townsend Pool | Townsend Road near 2A | There was a sandy area that was good for swimming and/or bathing | |
| 4/23/2013 | Shirley Fire Station #2 | Corner of Leominster and Lancaster roads | Dave Holden | History of the building |
| 4/30/2013 | Farnsworth Saw Mill | Great Road | Lou Farnsworth, Bill, Waldo, Skip, Kenneth | 1930s or so the author went to the mill to cut some logs into boards |
| 5/7/2013 | Governor Bradford Visits Shirley | Lancaster Road | Governor Robert Bradford, Selectman Gordon T Banks, Stanley Gallagher, Beulah Wamboldt, Nelson Wamboldt, Robert Lambert, Jim Thibault | 1940s the governor visited Shirley |
| 5/14/2013 | Can You Name Anyone? | Church Street School | Lura White, Mr. Lincoln, Miss Hood, Marian Carson, Sara Ross, Pearl O’Meara, Frank Westover, Beatrice Peneseau, Joe DeVarney, John Hebert, Ed Riley, Gladys Leary, Allen Bradford, Walter Lambert, Lyle Wheeler, Bertha Reed, Alice Pauley, Harriet Blair, Beatrice Peneseau, Jackie Colburn, Mary Nowokunski, Marion Dailey, Kristine Kubiak, Herbie Riley, Robert Artus, Lawrence Credit, Richard Evans, Vern Hillman, John Bobbin, Kathryn Young, Marie Sideleau, Ruth E Chesbrough, Ruth A Chesbrough, Ruth Keating, Beverly Keffel, Jackie Sampson, George Sanderson, Freddie Quinty, Robert McCollister, Wade Longley, Homer Stahl | Class photo from 1931 |
| 5/21/2013 | The House Stops Here | Benjamin Road | Mr. Nowokowski, Gus Potenius, Paul Farrar | 1975, author moved a house he bought across the street |
| 5/28/2016 | Memorial Day in Shirley Center | Shirley Center | William Jubb | Memorial Day Celebration |
| 6/4/2013 | The Davis Orchard | Lancaster Road | Davis Family, John McIntire, Donald Chase | Two orchards that are both gone now |
| 6/11/2013 | The Desmond Farm | Lancaster Road | Pratt family, Edward “Bill”, Burt, Charlie, Fannie; Dr J Walter Desmond, children Patricia, Jack, Phylis, Barbara; Henry Sampson, children Doris and Jack; Noyes Family | Ownership of the farm |
| 6/18/2013 | The Beulah Womboldt Home | Southwest corner of Chapel and Mill streets | Beulah Womboldt, Nelson; Sherman Mudget; Reed Chesbrough, wife and daughter Ruth E, Lester Holden, Sybil, Jackie | Ownership of the house |
| 6/25/2013 | The Chapel on Chapel Street | Chapel Street | Richard Pontbriand, Judy Lamoreaux | Ownership of the chapel |
| 7/2/2013 | Last House on Chapel | Chapel Street | Ray Farrar | History of the house |
| 7/16/2013 | Pop Tracey’s Ice Cream Stand | Ayer Road near Tremblay’s Garage | Pop Tracey,Emma Hanson, Wallace Hanson, Bertha, Sally | Ice Cream stand in the 1940s |
| 7/23/2013 | The George DeVarney House | Corner of Chapel and Porter Streets | George DeVarney, Bob Lambert, Ann Lambert | DeVarney ran an auto repair shop |
| 8/6/2013 | The Davis House | Corner of Davis Street and Center Road | Davis Family, McGrath family | Davis Family were farmers who branched out into real estate |
| 8/13/2013 | Umbagog on the Catacunemaug | Catacunemaug Brook just east of George Frost/President’s Building | Mr. Pauley, Chet Pauley, Vernon Ballou | Factory building in Shirley Village, once held turbines that powered President’s building |
| 8/20/2013 | Stanley Gallagher | Parker Road | Stanley Gallagher, Beulah Wamboldt | Mr. Gallagher was an Irish salesman who drove a 1928 Model A Ford |
| 8/27/2013 | The Barnard House | Center, Parker, Brown roads intersection in Shirley Center | Barnard Family | The house changed hands many times and was put to many uses due to its location |
| 9/3/2013 | White Oaks off Ayer Road | off Ayer Road | Moody Parker | Town purchased land and used it for a baseball field. It was later a mill – Bemis now owns it |
| 9/10/2013 | Shaker Road | Shaker Road | Photo from 75 years prior, when Shaker Road was a dirt road | |
| 9/17/2013 | Trinity Chapel | Shirley Center | Brief history of the chapel | |
| 9/24/2013 | The Hole in the Hill | Center Road near power lines | Morton E Lawrence | Mort refused to move his house for power lines, and every day moved dirt from across the road to his house to fill in the hill |
| 10/1/2013 | The Lester Berry House | Hazen Road, near Warren Road | Lester Berry, Arthur Holden, Kay, Phil, Arthur Jr. Holden | History of the location – current house is not historical |
| 10/8/2013 | The John Hebert House | Hazen Road | John Hebert, Alice Hebert, George Holden, Lester Holden, Alice Pauley, John Jr. Jay, Jack Hebert | |
| 10/15/2013 | The John Coleman House | Clark Road, just past Bruce Street | John Coleman, Annie, Hilda; Gordon Hatch, Juanita | Brief background on Coleman family |
| 10/22/2013 | The Doctor Steicher’s office | Front Street | Dr. Steicher, “Hack” Noyes | Brief background on Dr. Steicher |
| 10/29/2013 | The End of an Era | Main Street | Joe Tremblay, Robert Tremblay | History of the Main Street Garage |
| 11/5/2013 | Camp Devens, 1918 | Ayer Train Station | Men heading to Ayer train station to go to Devens | |
| 11/12/2013 | Ye Old Cock and Bottle | Great Road | Benjamin and George Farrar, Lester Berry, Guercios | Building is now the Shirley Package Store, and it was where the Farrar brothers lived |
| 11/19/2013 | The Edmond Januskiewiecz House | Center Road | Pepe Lambert, Wilfred Gionet, Edmond Januskiewiecz, Phyllis Januskiewiecz, Peter, Paul, John and David, Mary and Susan | Families that lived at the house |
| 11/26/2013 | Thanksgiving Day 1918 | Townsend Road | John H Farrar, Parents Henry and Clara | The town meetinghouse was burnt in the 1930s. Was the home of John Farrar |
| 12/3/2013 | Amos Farrar’s Indian Motorcycle | Town Meeting Road | Amos Farrar | His first new bike he owned – stop driving it after he nearly broke his leg |
| 12/10/2013 | 1903-2013 | Center Townhall | Susan Baxter | Grange Christmas Party in 1930s |
| 12/17/2013 | A Wedding Photograph | n/a | Amos W Farrar, Mary Harris, Daughter Eva Farrar | Ray’s grandparents wedding picture from mid 1800s |
| 1/7/2014 | The Old Shaker Laundry | MCI Shirley | Lynch Family | Industrial School for Boys – it is now MCI Shirley |
| 1/14/2014 | Welcome Home Day Parade, 1946 | Lura A White School to Phoenix Street. | Edward and Edith Farnsworths – Children Eleanor, Alston, and Roy. Alphee Levesque, Jimmy Richardson, Ernie Michaud | Parade to welcome soldiers home |
| 1/21/2014 | Shirley Center Common | Shirley Center Common | History of Shirley Center Common | |
| 1/28/2014 | Shirley 1915 | Shirley | Overview of Shirley Winter 1915 | |
| 2/4/2014 | Raising Money for Cerebral Palsy | Fire House | John “Beansy” Conway, Joe Lemire, Paul Bliss, Milton Westover, Harvey Westover, Charlie Hartman, Albert Chevrette, Dick Hatch, Ray Farrar, John Welton, Gerald Fitzgerald, Skip Farnsworth, George Sanderson, Everett Barnard | Fire Department and Police Department Fundraiser |
| 2/11/2014 | Lower Main Street to Bridge | Old Main Street | ||
| 2/18/2014 | A Storm in 1920 | Shirley | Pull rollers used during winter storm | |
| 2/25/2014 | Civil War Monument | Shirley Common | Restoration of monument after being decapitated | |
| 3/4/2014 | Share Volunteer Jenny Westover | Shirley Fire Department | Jenny Westover, Barbara Eubanks | Jenny Westover volunteered for Shared program |
| 3/18/2014 | Welcome Home Day | Lura A. White School | Alice Gilbert | Alice Gilbert was Lady Liberty on float during Welcome Home Day Parade in 1946 |
| 3/25/2014 | The Flowering Crab | Benjamin Road | Heather Steele, Carol and James Steele, Ray Farrar | |
| 4/1/2014 | Spring Rains and Melting Snow | Walker Road Dam | Sometimes the roads would flood in the spring when the snow melted | |
| 4/8/2014 | The Brookside | Brookside | Dr. Steicher, Lucien Gionet | History of Building |
| 4/15/2014 | Parade in Shirley | Front Street | James Steele, Ben Farrar, Heather Steele | |
| 4/22/2014 | The Lambert Farm | Ayer Road (then known as Main Street) | Merlin Lambert, Raymond Lambert, William Lambert, Oscar Sidleau, Henry Gendron, Bruce Family, Ray Farrar | History of the Farm |
| 4/29/2014 | The Shop Building | MCI Medium | Joe Landry, Mr. Wells | The shop building housed shops for boys at the school |
| 5/6/2014 | The Old Shirley Depot | Benjamin Road | Ray Farrar, Cracker Jack, Ernie Michaud, Wilfred Michaud | History of Old Shirley Depot |
| 5/13/2014 | Ray Farrar’s First Car | Shirley | Ray Farrar, Wally Hansen, Carl Loomer | Details of the new car Ray bought |
| 5/20/2014 | Waiting for the Trolley | Shirley Depot | Where Phoenix Bar and Grill is today | |
| 7/1/2014 | The First Shirley Fire Station | Chapel Street | The first Fire Station was built by volunteers | |
| 7/15/2014 | Shirley Drum and Bugle Corps | Main Street | Donna Farrar | There are no more Shirley Drum and Bugle Corps |
| 7/22/2014 | Fourth of July Celebration on Town Meeting Road | Town Meeting Road | Farrar Family, Thompson Family, Minnie Farrar, Joe Thompson | |
| 7/29/2014 | Dental Inspection at Camp Devens | Camp Devens | Dental Inspections were part of new recruiting process | |
| 8/5/2014 | Corn Field | Farrar Farm on Ayer Road | Description of the Farrar Farm | |
| 8/12/2014 | Church Street School | Church Street School | Bob Hartwell, Mr. Hartman, Roy Hatch, Fred Hebert, “Popeye” Colson, Edward Riley, Landry, Beatrice Keffel, Rockwell Craig, Francis Colsen, Alan Bradford | Class Photo from 1932 |
| 8/19/2014 | The Old Lubritorium is Gone | Joe Tremblay, Viola (Ray’s aunt) | Was once Tremblay’s Garage – new owners are Absolute Auto Repair Center | |
| 9/30/2014 | Priscilla Jubb | Lived on Holden Road | Priscilla Jubb, Barbara (Priscilla’s Daughter), Grandfather William Jubb, Bob Brockelman – Children Curt, Barbara, and Bruce | Biography of Priscilla Jubb |
| 10/14/2014 | Plowing Land on Town Meeting Road | Town Meeting Road | Amos Parkhurst Farrar, Alice Gould | 1920 |
| 11/18/2014 | Tidd’s Drug Store | Tidd’s Drug Store | Mrs. Jurga, Sylvester Tidd, John Farrar, Young Family – Anna, Edwin, Bernard, Mary, Kathleen (children from Young family), Mr. and Mrs. Tidd – son named Jackie, Gladys Leary | |
| 12/2/2014 | Moody Parker | Moody Parker, Israel, John Bresnahan, Horace Legacy, Paul Farrar | Biography of Moody Parker | |
| 2/10/2015 | Remembering the Blizzard of ’78 | Farrar Farm | Flooded the barn at Farrar Farm | |
| 3/31/2015 | Do You Remember the Green Committee? | Started near Benjamin Road Crossing and went to Depot Square | Rhonda Caissie, Jackie Esielionis, Ray Farrar, John Farrar, Amelia Gionet, John Guthrie, Stanley Jurga, Melissa Lynch, Lisa Marino, Pat Walsh, Doris Wheeler, Robert Adam | To replace glass enclosure for the Depot Station |
| 4/14/2015 | The Coal Station | Where the Train Depot now stands | Charie Shepherd | |
| 7/14/2015 | David Gray from Center Road | Center Road | David Gray, Fran (wife) | High-wheeler bicycle ridden by David Gray – Photos around 1960 |