HomeMy WebLinkAboutCARL A THOMAS PLAYGROUND AND LITTLE LEAGUE FIELD THE CARL A. THOMAS PLAYGROUND AND
LITTLE LEAGUE FIELD
The Carl A. Thomas Playground and Little League Ftekfls home to the North Andover
Booster{flub and all of the teams in the North Andover Little League. it is located at the coater
of Beverly and Dana Streets, and is bordered by Massachusetts Avenue. it Covers 4.7 aCF*
The Carl Thomas Playground used to be called Waverly Playground because it is
located in,the Waverley Road section of town. It was built in 1950 by the Public Works
Department. There was a sandbank where the playground is now located. in the summer kids
played there, and in the winter they used the sandbank as a ski jump. In 1950,the two Little
League and farm team fields were built on the lower level,and a slide,swings and other
playground equipment on the upper level near Marblehead Street.
During this time in North Andover, a man named Carl Thomas was the first Chairman of
the Recreational Council which was formed in 1948. Carl had been in the Air Force during World
War Ii. He received several medals when he left the Air Force. When he came back to North
Andover, he became the custodian for the Thomson School. Everyone at the school liked him.
He loved working at the school and in the town because he loved children and helping them. He
helped with church, veteran and school events in the town. After years of service to the torn, he
died in 1961. He was only 52 years old when he died.To honor Cad, Mr. Bili McEvoy,president
of the Booster Club suggested that the town rename Waverley Playgroud as The Carl A.Thomas
Playground. On May 28, 1961,the dedication took place.A bronze tablet mounted in a stone
was placed at the playground.
Irk 1994 the town kicked off the Little League season on April 24th with a parade,
followed by a ribbon cutting ceremony to christen the new field added to the Cad Thomas. it was
North Andover's first regulation sired Little League field, meaning it 200 feet from home plate
to any part of the outfield fence.That day an article in the North Andover Citizen congratulated
the Boosters and the volunteers that helped.Gladys Thomas, the widow of Cart Thomas,cut the
ribbon above home plate to mark the opening of the field.The Booster Club's At Perry also
thanked construction contractor Tim Pybus for his work. Every year, parents and kids help clean
up the fields to keep them looking good.
by Daniel Murphy
I
' ... IIII. IIII IIII 1'111111 `l,IIIIIu III I� i IN IN 1',11 U Ir^ �' IIII 1„Ir4' II I II
IMNII lyl 4
��1hl� N��II ��1�; II�I � � hlI tll �1I
�; h0
I VIIrlif
'I, f tl I Ir
111111�''N vI III N N; I�I111117 IIII jN i�1Il I1�1i1I� 11 f1II IIII Ii 11i1J1111111I IIII III11'i 111 1 I '1111
1111111
I 11111 IIIIi II IV 111
"1
111'4 I11
u �
1 rl1
n I N� rl II
Y
Iv "�'� III 111 V61 V� fill
111 II INII IIII { I 11 11111.1111 1111!IN'111IIIIII 1; I11I�11111rI11VV11V1 u11x1II IIII...VII ull 1
h� iI III 1 N IIIII IIII 1 I11111Vj1111u11V 111111111111 VIII Li
11I�II I'ry IIII II
i'PrN�N d�11� i1 INI I'I;;
II III IIII III IIII����N�NII,�I�Vi�II�V�Yi�ll ll.;1111111 11'111111111YY"I$Il err^
IIiI % 1V111I IIII
1
y �11114111 I I I!I I I I1'111 Ip1 i�Pl1 II Ili I I III ;III I
if
II;' 1111;''. 11 p1 III'Ir
1'1 II111 111111111 111 11111µY..:11 Cp "111111;111 111'lit III 11' III III 1111111111111 VIIII f^I
111 111 1111 I n1111 1111 iIII II IIII' I I I'1 1111111'11 11 1 I I IIII I;III NII� II III !
1111 I;i 111c 111111 11 1 11111^ 111 11111!1111 11111
VIII 1 I I q 1 r p 1 1' l 1 L,f 11 P
.11 1111 ] •`RI 111;111 Illlil�ul �I 'l:r,111 II IIII (IIII I I`�6 1 I 1111'V 1:;II 11 ' I.r YI I 1111 Ii 11
ryI.I�II �I CNr,IA " h �I IUI I"��IV NNY �Pi N; r�N;,4 NIn VN 111.:1'41 hry N'�II^I!��'�NpI I II N YNPII rvH,� pfll I.` NN V; IIV 1Nfli UII I tl VII
Clllr VY%� �^�I'' I I'; 1 1, x1111 Il lr�u' � IN I I,,I 1 I N,Y MIND N '11 I IN IN'IIN IIS 11;1^1! Cy �I„r IV II INN II Ii1�11 I II uQIC
1 N III hi �I � il� ".': III N, y 1111 IIx VIII $' GG il' 1 Y
' 11
1 111,11 'IIII.III` �111 1 I 1 h �L I IXf k:1 II d I u l 1 ii 11 �,11
'NI,1 1 111'.'1 IIII Ih11^ lu{' '1` 11 1111 1111' 1 ' IIII III 1111.,1�" 111111 � III 1 N Ila
1111 Ir li 1x11 1111 IIII 1 'Itl 1 1 I4 1 I;111;x.°III IL.III. I II 11:11 yp f: ��I{�,p� N1
1 1111111;u1; ;.;,11 III I I;I�I'!1: 11 I,II 11 I�IIVI;.:II IIII, '1�1'1 'I+11111�I� �,'ryI�... I IIII I
f11'u; 'I; 1 1''.11 Illi :1!1X1 1 1 1 11 1x1 11 1 '. 1111111:x1.:N11 'I"I ��1 la I 11 111111111 1 1 11 1°1 1 11V11 IIII 'YI�I1Y X1 1111 1 PIIIY,L1II11'IN1 I �,p Ii 11
II Ihl�Nualipll.
V III 111111111 ;IIII 11:11111 I;f� Il "IIII^IIII i1;11
' 1 ;111 I Ii.J INI, iV VIII.1111 �Ih '.
i ji 111 11
JI, 1, lil i 1 t1 1 111111' ,. � 1�y 11:.1 t 7 1 1 . 1 I„�N ' 0111 IN1 II 111111 1 1;.
1 11ry INI � X I xll ll.� ^ �_1 � Iljl NII 1 I y'IIX., rl
CII 1 ;,:111 old!it''1p1 1 11 1111111.1 ' 1111r .1;111 '1 :III I'� 11 II r: 1
IIII ry 1` :II 111
IV I�. IIII 11 IIII I ' 111111 111:.. I I �1 111111;1 1 ' 1 V 1 !11'111111 111:r1 1 '1
II 11111 111;IVI IP ';��111 I I I 111'111111-.'. lu ;11'1 aP.' C.• IyI1 j I j II il1; 11Ip 111 1p 1 1.11 i11u pIu
IIII '' III 111`I III' Y b 4� ' ' II 111�III I 111 I'!.y ' L'11, 111111 I ,.
11111 III IIII Ill 11111 1 111 II IIII li N11 1 V I,yg qq ,1 ii1'. 1
I i GAN 1 IIY Ili 's 111111 1b lr bN 111 11 1111 I.ul' II IIIIh 1
! I ° 11111 IIII 11111111111^i1,gl.IikkI II '1 IIII 1111 1;'IY, 1;1111 Ih611114 111 1111111 VI1
!I 111 III''1 �I 111111 111'1141 1111 V1 p 1i�I IIII 11 �I111':1 lFl I IN I I �1 1�CL.'1111 111 111 I 'I II
1 111
Ih4 1 r 1 V 1 �I1x1 �. r,x
I; ; I
1ihNN l N 111. fir;,h h
,i 1 N 111 1 1111 IIIV II� 11 I' ' VII ul
IIII ,.!:i III � 11 I� 1 1 1 1, II 111 Ill 1
Att .I
,11111 m,1 ..N+ I ,:: 1:':^ ':.11 I I {= 1 ' .�•I
,x11. 1
11j IN Y III 1 1 '1j 1 hl III III 11 11111111 11 111
11111 1 1 III 1 111 111''.11111 111 1 1
1 1 G 1111 1111 111 III.111;1'I 1'1II V II X111 1'1'110111
III IIII 1N III N III III 1 V III X11 '.1 1 Il�li�' 1vIHI 11
yl an
if
�I U.. I� I II; U IIII h 11 V.,4 Ihl1.II
1��11 N"11�17II; IIII I 1 C IIry �N"1X111 I'I 11 I�'1�'�:'I 1 111111 I IIII Ill,I I I'1
1119 n1 ''';9 I;I 1 ;111 Ili:1111 1 xu 1111x1
9 1 1 it I II IIII II
11IIII I1,1;a1 1 111111 I'111 r:11.11y1110^I 1 11 V. V 1 INI I1 1
1 IIII 11.1 IIID IIIIIII °h�1 III III
9 I
Ali
1111
III v u 11
µ I
11 1 I 1
x
1 11 11.1 1 1
1' 1 ,'ll 11 IIIi4., 111 I'
11 1 1.1'11 I Iv. 1 uu14WXh11111' flu ' it 111'1111111 i'1 ly ll Ili I
' 1% 1111111;1 oV 1 I I III 111111 I I II
1 I �� IY 91Nryr1f.11111'1'11111111 M1r�I ,111 III 111 1Ili III ,1111'11'x1111 11:161111 ill wilu1V III
'�� � � � V!i 111 Y I1 .'IIV 111 It1I1I1 ' 1 1111111111 I 1 I
i���,� ��I .1 1. 1.�J1 !Ill �Yp Ii r�1;I;I; III 11�I1,1111 111111 111 Ii Ii if 1 —
j 11 I 1 � ,��1�� N�I��.�4 1h4rIVhI�1�y1N111%Nu�nN�u11d Ih 1h x11 11 ° 1 __
1 li.r� i1;PI�'114I I '[I 1�4111��1111 I I�1111111 111111�N I M 1q l l"'111 p�1i11 1111�r11"IIII I'll1 'VIII '
1
'1's. •. III 0 I:1�1 I II 11� 1.4 I 1 I . �.
I y IIX 1 p �1 I� 111 I 1 I ry1 111 III 1111 �u
�I,,1 t 1.1 4'y i Ili 1�i Ip1 11�1I�1�°�Ili VIII 1 111 1 I'1 "I 1111 41'"1,1111 11y 1 I I 1 : ��a Yfl ��"'"I��J.I,
II Iu11
C � p r 1 Iq 1v III^i 111111 III 11111 11 1 11111 I I 1 11 II 1 1 a IYI,1
a1� 1
u, V I I II i1 G 11 III II1u'I 1I IIII 1 11 11 1,111,%IIY� l�
`I�I I�I1 N'1 I1 Ill hi III Ip 1 N 111111111 lµ11111 111111 611�,,,{1'11 1 1111 i1 11 1 11 1.
Y ll, , YI� �, "^� I ��.......II:6 IIII N n l h I1':'
C 0 P Y
kl k"+;
C .NOR„1'Gg OFFICE OF
TOWN CLERK
«: pvrtLL71+ 4, NORTH ANDOVER
.: :
1855 . MASSACHUSETTS
►�`�ACH%3g
••••••V August 25s 1958
JOHN J.LYONS.TOWN OLWX
Honorable Board of Selectmen
Town Building
No. Andover, Mass.
Gentlemen%
In reference to your request which accompanied the
letter from Freedom, Ino., I am pleased to submit to you the
following recommendation.
CARL A. THORAS of 4 Ashland Street richly merits the
nomination for the Freedom Inc., Hood Citizenship Citation.
He is the son of Berman Immigrants, was born in
Lawrence, Mass., and has lived for the past twenty-eight years
in North Andover. During the years prior to Ttcrld War II, he
was active in the Lawrence Unit of the Massachusetts National
Guard. Called to active service, he went with the U.3. Air .
Force and participated in numerous bombings and missions over
Germany.
On his return to civilian life he became a custodian
of the Thomson School, a post he has filled perfectly since it j
brought him into close contact with the youth of the "Town who
for years have been his chief interest. He has served with
innumerable civic, fraternal and veterans organizations in Town.
His enthusiastic action along these lines are widely known to
all and to none more than to the members of the various boards
of Selectmen over the last fifteen years who called on him
repeatedly and never found him laggard in heeding the call to
any community service.
His example of unselfish devotion to the best traditions
of community service has been an inspiration to all the citizens
of this Town and especially to the young men and women of North
Andover. I could cite countless examples of his work for young
people, but I know that Carl A. Thomas would be embarrased were
I to do so.
His children, both of whom he and his wife are educating
at great sacrifice, are a perfect example of the Biblical Truth
that "By Their Fruits Ye Shall Know Them". They are the fine
product of a fine home and furnish living proof of the type of
man I have the honor to recommend to your board.
Thank you for the pleasure of serving you.
Sincerely,
JOHN J LYON 3
CITA ION
F O R G O O D C I T I Z E N S H I P
IS AWARDED TO
in grateful recognition of outstanding and dedicated service to the
Community and to the ideals of Constitutional Government By your
success and unselfish service in this land of freedom you have set an
example for people in all nations of the world of what can be accomplished
by men who are free.
FREEDOM INCORPORATED AWARDS YOU THIS CITATION
on Constitution Day, September 17, 1958, in the Hall of Flags, State House, Boston.
fi
FOSTER FUR , GOVHRNOR HN P. McMORROW RICHARD GOBLIN,M.D., PR SIDENT
Commonwealth of Massachusetts 1938 Chairman Freedom Incorporated