~ CONTEMPORARY HISTORY ~ 1902
City Hall burns
1911 S. Herbet Howe, City's first Mayor died
1912
New Post Office opens on Mechanic St.; President Taft stops in City
1913 Earthquake tremors hit City
1914
Sylvester Bucklin, Father of the Marlborough Fire Department dies
1914 Marlborough Theater built on Main St.
1915 Rices Orchard opens for business; Washington St. School (Freeman) erected
1917
First motorized fire apparatus purchased
1917 first motorized Police Patrol Wagon put into service
1917
St. Jeans Block corner of Lincoln and Broad St. dedicated
1919 Company F back from World War I
1919
Fairmont Park Pavilion destroyed by fire
1921 Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford visit City
1922
Lyonhurst Ballroom opens
1922 First Police motorcycle put into service
1923 City Home on Bolton St. built; Rudolph Valentino visit City;
1923
Unsolved "Ice House" murder happens
1924
Ward Park built.
1924 First Air Mail service in City
1925 Pleasant St. School (Mitchell) built; bus service starts in City; earthquake hits City
1926 High School addition built; first Police Cruiser put into service
1927 Hill Side School opens
1928
Trolley service terminated
1928 first talking movie shows at theater; Marlborough High School football team goes undefeated
1929 Airport opens
1931
Original Hildreth School demolished
1931 Wading pool at the new Hildreth School built.
1931Bigelow School on Orchard St. Built
1932 Morse & Bigelow Shoe closes after 110 years in business
1935
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad depot on Main St. demolished
1936 President Franklin Roosevelt visits City
1938 Hurricane of "38" hits City, three church steeples toppled
1939 Ward Six Playground, Kelleher Field, dedicated; Ghilhoni Family donates land so field can be built
1940
Mayor Louis Ingalls commits suicide in Fort Meadow
1946 Actress Bette Davis visited Aunt and Uncle on Farm Rd..
1946 Barracks on Prospect Hill built for 32 World War II Vets
1947 B & W bus terminal on Main St. erected, kindergarten opens in Marlborough for the first time
1948 Ted Williams visits City; Ezra Cutting dies leaves Trust for Marlborough Youth
1951 Dorothy Lamour, Alfred Hitchcock and Debra Paget visit City
1953 City buys Savages Beach property and dedicates "Memorial Beach"; Charles W. Curtis last shoe manufacturer dies; John Cotting Tavern demolished
1954 Hurricanes Carol and Edna visit City
1955 Hurricane Diane visits City
1957 Earthquake tremors hit City
1958 Senator John F. Kennedy visits City; Marlborough High School become State Champs
1960 Allen's Department Store closes after 102 years in business
1962 New High School opens on Bolton and Union Streets
1963
Holy Trinity Church on Main St. demolished
1963
Lyonhurst Ballroom destroyed by fire
1964 Hosmer St. School, Jaworek, opens; Harry Belafonte water skis at Fort Meadow
1965 Marlborough Historical Society founded
1966 New Post Office built on Florence St.; West Elementary School, Richer, opens; B & W Bus Terminal demolished
1967
O'Connel Shoe Factory on Howe St. demolished
1968 "O'Grady Block" corner of Ames and Main St. demolished.
1968 Bridge St. bridge removed
1969 Farm Road School, Kane, opens; Morse's Drug Store on Main St. closes after 79 years in business
1970 New Court House on Williams St. opens; Marlborough Theater building demolished; Diamond Shoe closes
1971 B. A. Corbin shoe factory closes
1972
St. Ann's Academy closes
1973 Assabet Valley Regional Vocational High School opens
1974 New Fire Station of Route 20 built
1975 Gov. James carter visits the City while on campaign for president; Bond Block demolished
1977 New High School on Bolton St. opens
1978 Blizzard of "78" dumps 30" of snow on City
1980
GAR building on Main St. demolished
1981 Freeman and Mitchell Schools close.
1981
City announces "Heritage Park" to be built using Historic railroad depot as corner stone
1982 Mitchell School sold to Boys Club; John Frye Shoe ceases operation
1984 City shelves "Heritage Park" plan after much resistance; last shoe maker moves out of City
1987 Railroad Depot on corner of Lincoln and Mechanic demolished by owners Mr. & Mrs. Fossile; First National Bank fails
1989 Gotham Ink explosion kills two; Maple Lanes Bowling Alley demolished by fire
1990 City Home demolished to make way for new Police Station
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