Then And Now: Ski Lynnfield?

You don't normally think of Lynnfield and skiing in the same sentence, but there was apparently a time when locals would break out their winter gear and head over to Gove's Hill. A note on this photo in the historical society's files says that it was taken around 1917 and that Gove's Hill is on the opposite end of Munroe Street. This appears to refer either to a spot right near Ledge Road, or some of the land heading over toward the junction of Routes 1 and 128.

Also - further inspection of the photo finds that somebody's great-grandmother was going down this little hill with what appears to be no ski poles and with pretty much no ski gear whatsoever except for a sturdy winter coat and what was probably a fur hat. For all we know, those aren't even real skis but pieces from the side of a barrel, not unlike something we'd see in some long-ago Warner Brothers' cartoon.

To put it another way, this is how people passed the time in that semi-mythical Era Before The Gadgets Came (mumbles something about being reminded of that Wall-E movie).

Like with many vintage photos, it's also tough to tell just how old these people on the hill are. There must be a good over the hill joke in there somewhere. Seriously, I saw a local high school yearbook from 1936 or so. All the supposedly 18 year old graduates looked like Chet Huntley, Edward R. Murrow and Donna Reed.

Each week, these photos are provided by the Lynnfield Historical Society. Are you interested in joining them? Just send a $15 check to Bob Gillon, Lynnfield Historical Society Treasurer, 300 Main Street, Lynnfield, MA 01940. Include your mailing address, email address and phone number.