Historical Images
Historic Images of the Town of Wakefield
A random sampling of photos and other historic images of the Town
of Wakefield, Massachusetts.
Wakefield Postcards
A collection of postcards of Wakefield, Massachusetts, from the collections of Mr. William Walsh.
More Postcards from Wakefield’s Past
Postcards that depict classic as well as not-so-familiar Wakefield scenes from various eras.
Wakefield Churches
Wakefield is home to houses of worship reflecting a variety of
religious faiths. These photographs depict Wakefield’s churches,
past and present.
Wakefield’s Rattan/Wicker Furniture Industry
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Wakefield was home to a burgeoning rattan/wicker furniture industry, led by the Heywood-Wakefield Companies, founded by Cyrus Wakefield, for whom the
town is named.
Postcards from Pleasure Island
From 1959 to 1969, the town of Wakefield was host to the
legendary theme/amusement park, “Pleasure Island.” These
postcards offer a flavor of the park that was called “The
Disneyland of the East.”
Images from the Payro Collection
Joseph Payro was a local photographer, artist and photo
collector whose images of the community spanned decades. 
Camp Curtis Guild
Camp Curtis Guild, located on the Wakefield-Reading line, has been part of the military history of the region since the early 20th
century. It is still used by the Massachusetts National Guard.
Contemporary Wakefield
Current and recent images of the town of Wakefield,
Massachusetts.
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John A. Volpe
John A. Volpe, a native of Wakefield, Massachusetts, was born
on December 8, 1908 in the Water Street home of his Italian immigrant parents. A Republican, Volpe was elected Governor of Massachusetts in 1960, 1964 and 1966. In 1968 he accepted the position of Secretary of Transportation in the administration of President Richard Nixon. In 1972, he became the first Italian-American to hold the position of US Ambassador to Italy. He served until 1977.
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Elizabeth V. Upham
Born in Wakefield, Massachusetts on November 8, 1912, Elizabeth
V. Upham graduated from Wakefield High School in 1930. She graduated
from Tufts University in 1934 and received her Masters Degree in Education two years later. In a career that began in 1936 and spanned more than 40 years at WHS, she was a beloved teacher, administrator and Dean of Girls. Dr. Upham was also a major benefactor of the Lucius Beebe Memorial Library in Wakefield, Massachusetts, leaving a substantial portion of her estate in a trust “to be used for the purchase of books and materials, particularly in history, literature and the social sciences.”
For more information on Wakefield History
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