Featured Program
The Waltham Watch Company was a new company that developed along the Charles River starting in the 1820s. Weston residents and others who worked at the watch factory are included in Joe Hunter's documentary film “THE CHARLES RIVER: Headwaters of Invention”.
Featured Object
An Ogilvies root beer bottle
Featured Program
“THE CHARLES RIVER: Headwaters of Invention”
Our featured program, Thursday, October 29, 7 pm, 2009, at Weston Public Library, will be the Weston
Historical Society annual meeting and showing of the documentary film “THE CHARLES RIVER: Headwaters of Invention”.
The Charles River spawned the Industrial Revolution and helped create an American culture of innovation. Joe Hunter,
filmmaker and VP of External Relations at Olin College, examines the industrial history of the Charles, focusing on
innovative businesses and individuals during the water and steam eras, such as the Cabot Mill in Waltham, “Birthplace of
the American Industrial Revolution”, the Stanley Steamer Works in Watertown, and the mills of Newton Lower Falls and Needham.
The Waltham Watch Company, pictured to the left, was one of the companies that developed along the Charles River
beginning in the 1820s.
Joe gave the popular Norumbega Park lecture at the library in 2008. He will present the film and answer questions.
The October 29 meeting is free and open to all. Refreshments!
Featured Object
The featured object from the WHS collection is a newly-acquired root beer bottle advertising
B. L Ogilvie & Sons Inc. The family-owned hardware store was founded by Nova Scotia immigrant Beriah Ogilvie
90 years ago, in 1919.
We have chosen the Ogilvies root beer bottle as a featured object to point out that the historical society collects items
from the present as well as the past. After all, someday this bottle will be 100 years old. Ogilvies sells the root beer
as part of its marketing program.
Featured Exhibit
Check out our new exhibit “B.L. Ogilvie & Sons, Celebrating 90 years” in the display
case at the Weston Public Library through October 15, 2009 and from October 16- November 30, 2009 at Weston Town Hall.
The case is packed with photographs and advertising memorabilia, including Ogilvies pens, pencils, rulers, matchbooks,
thermometers, calendars, and other give-aways, in celebration of Ogilvie's 90th Anniversary.
Our thanks to the historically-minded
Ogilvies management for preserving and loaning these objects.
1939 photograph of Raymond Ogilvie standing behind the register, with John Loring (center) and Harold Ogilvie (right). (Photo courtesy of B. L. Ogilvie & Sons)