Around Town

LETTER: What the Delta Saw: A (slightly) Irreverent and Rambling History of Watertown Square (Part 10)

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Watertown Square

Part 10: Change is Inevitable. Growth is Optional. (John Maxwell)

By Linda ScottWatertown Resident

Soapbox Alert:

There are different definitions for the word “Growth.” In its simplest terms, it means getting bigger. But there are other, less quantitive and more qualitative definitions, more subtle meanings to the word. For instance, if you’re talking about growth in a human being, it’s more than the measure of their height or weight.

Around Town

LETTER: What the Delta Saw: A (slightly) Irreverent and Rambling History of Watertown Square (Part 9)

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The Old Bridge, Galen Street Bridge 1906 before its demolition (Photo courtesy of the Watertown Free Public Library)

By Linda ScottWatertown Resident

Part 9: There’s a New Bridge in Town

According to Maud Hodges, in Crossroads on the Charles: “The new bridge was designed by Wilbur Learned, the Town engineer, and it combined strength, utility and beauty. The new structure was a broad, wide arch of concrete with a ninety-foot span …. The bridge was faced with granite blocks cut in Deer Isle, Maine. The road bed was 80 feet wide, spreading out at both ends to provide access for vehicles. Mt.

Around Town

LETTER: What the Delta Saw: A (slightly) Irreverent and Rambling History of Watertown Square (Part 7 & 8)

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Watertown Baptist Church Members over the age of 50 (Photo courtesy of the Watertown Free Public Library)

Part 7: What We’ve Got Here is a Failure to Communicate! More of the 1800’s

The 1800’s were more than just an industrial revolution in Watertown. Many national and localissues were being played out locally to great drama and effect. For instance, the Temperance Movement was in full bloom. In a few words, women had had enough of family beatings and earnings all going to the local tavern and not to feed their children.

Around Town

LETTER: What the Delta Saw: A (slightly) Irreverent and Rambling History of Watertown Square (Part 5 & 6)

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Coolidge Tavern (Photo courtesy of Watertown Free Public Library)

By Linda ScottWatertown Resident

Part 5: The Roaring 1700’s

By the 1700’s, Watertown was hopping. There were stage coach lines coming through town and a lively lumber business floating up and down the Charles. Besides the mills, there were hotels, stables, blacksmiths, and horse boarding establishments. (Burke)

Situated right in the middle of Watertown Square, Galen Street was proving to be kind of a problem. At this point in time, which was surprising, because Watertown was still mostly a farming community, this square was a lively place, and not always in a good way.

Around Town

LETTER: What the Delta Saw: A (slightly) Irreverent and Rambling History of Watertown Square Parts 3 & 4

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Map of the Original Allotments of of Land and the Ancient Topography of Watertown, By Henry Bond, MD (Photo courtesy of the Watertown Free Public Library)

By Linda ScottWatertown Resident

Part 3: Grist for the Mill

So, the Watertown colonists have lots of fish to eat [See Part 2 to read about the fish weir]. What else does any decent English town in the 1600’s need? A grist mill, of course! (If you’d like to see a still functioning grist mill, take a ride out to the Wayside Inn in Sudbury). In 1634, two years after the weir was installed, a mill dam and millrace were constructed.

Government

City Manager: Team Working on Watertown Square Study is Creative & Collaborative

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City of Watertown

Work on solving one of the biggest riddles facing Watertown, how to fix Watertown Square, will soon begin, City Manager George Proakis said this week, and the process will include some new approaches with plenty of public participation. Proakis spent a significant chunk of time talking about the Watertown Square study during Wednesday’s State of the City event. “One of the key goals that came out of the Comprehensive Plan is that we need to look at Watertown Square in a holistic manner,” Proakis said. The study will not just look at how the main intersection operates for motor vehicles, but also buses, pedestrians, and bicyclists, Proakis said. The study will not just look at how to get through and around the Square, but also being able to “enjoy the space.”

Government

While the State of the City Looks Good, Manager Also Address Challenges Facing Watertown

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City Manager George Proakis, left, and City Council President Mark Sideris spoke during the first annual State of the City on Wednesday night. Behind them is a photo of a juggler at the Faire on the Square. (Courtesy of the City of Watertown)

The State of the City of Watertown is strong and the future is bright, City Manager George Proakis said during the first annual State of the City on Wednesday night, but there are still many challenges to deal with. The event where the City Manager and the City Council President talk about how the City of Watertown is doing is now required to be held annually, following the changes to Watertown’s City Charter adopted in 2021. At the end of his presentation, Proakis included a photo of a performer at the Faire on the Square.

Around Town

GoFundMe Effort Raising Money for Artist Who Created New Watertown Square Mural

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The artists behind the Watertown Square mural Amir Tabatabaei, left, and Niloufar Keyhani, right, with resident Elodia Thomas. (Courtesy of Elodia Thomas)

The wall on the side of CVS in Watertown Square has gotten a new look thanks to two local artists, but they have had to cover most of the cost of the project. A GoFundMe campaign has been created to help reimburse the husband and wife team from Watertown for their time and expenses. The artists are Amir Tabatabaei and Niloufar Keyhani, who moved to the United States several years ago from Iran. Accomplished artists who worked on public art projects in their homeland, they got the opportunity to create a piece in their new home.