FRAMINGHAM -- One of the oldest pieces of the town's history, a nearly
250-year-old granite postal mile marker, was reported missing yesterday,
leaving only nine others in the MetroWest.
The mile marker, located in front of 40 Cochituate Road, has been part of
the landscape since 1768, Town Historian Stephen Herring said. Inscribed on
the marker is "22 miles Boston 1768."
There is a lot of history in the marker, one of five that remain in town,
according to Historical Commission Chairwoman Laurie Evans-Daly.
"These are some of the oldest artifacts in Framingham that still exist,"
said Evans-Daly. "Ben Franklin ordered them erected in 1768. They charged
for mail delivery by the mile, and these marked all of the miles. He was the
postmaster general of the colonies at the time.
"It's actually amazing that these lasted this long, and we would sure hate
to lose any," she said.
Franklin was actually the deputy postmaster, said Herring, author of
"Framingham: An American Town." Franklin devised the system that used the
mile markers for setting postal rates.
The missing 22-mile marker is one of the 10 surviving milestones on the
former Boston Post Road system that stretched from Wayland, through
Framingham and into Southborough.
Police Lt. Wayne McCarthy said it is unknown when the large granite stone
was taken.
"There is a hole in the ground and there are leaves in it, so we know it's
gone," said McCarthy. "It is something you could see from the street, but
it's not something you could pick up and take."
The stone is 18 inches wide by 25 inches tall and six inches thick. It is
estimated to weigh several hundred pounds, Evans-Daly said.
"It would probably take at least two strong men to lift it," she said. "It
was reported missing to me (Sunday) but we don't know how long it was
missing. We don't know if it was a Halloween prank or someone wanted it for
their garden."
Herring said he noticed the marker missing on Saturday. He said the marker
was stolen once before, in 1991, but it was recovered after an anonymous
tip.
"It is the smallest of the five markers in Framingham, but it is still a
very heavy piece of stone," said Herring. "The last time, it was carried
across the street to a wooded area. Several people must have been involved
to manage that."
The other nine markers are all in MetroWest. Along with the four remaining
in Framingham, there are three in Wayland and two in Southborough, Herring
said.
The other four in Framingham are the 20-mile marker at the intersection of
Old Connecticut Path and Hamilton Street, the 21-mile marker at Old
Connecticut Path and Newbury Street, the 23-mile marker at Buckminster
Square and the 24-mile marker on Pleasant Street and Mill Street, Herring
said.
Originally, Herring said there were probably seven in Framingham. The other
two would have been located at Pleasant Street at Belknap Street and on the
Southborough line.
Evans-Daly said the Historical Commission would be willing to have the stone
returned anonymously, without police intervention. She said people can call
her at 508-877-0059.
"We're mainly interested in getting it returned," said Evans-Daley. "I'm
working on new benches in Framingham, and on them it says five of the
markers exist. I don't want to have to cross it off and put four."
Post Road landmark disappears: Framingham artifact dates back to 1768 and
Benjamin Franklin
By Norman Miller
Tuesday, November 5, 2002
