Belated no more: East Brookfield to celebrate 100th year after 2-year wait Sept. 17

EAST BROOKFIELD — While he’s the community’s most famous resident, Cornelius McGillicuddy was already 58 when his hometown of East Brookfield was incorporated.

Connie Mack, as he was known, was revered as “The Grand Old Man of Baseball” and spent his younger years on the baseball fields of the Brookfields before becoming a fixture in the Philadelphia Athletics’ dugout.

There, during his 50 years with the team, he assembled two separate dynasties, won a total of nine American League pennants and captured five World Series titles, according to the Baseball Hall of Fame website.

In reality, Mack was born in Brookfield, which encompassed East Brookfield in those days. He was among the first inductees into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937 and died at 93 in 1956 when his hometown was just 36.

Two years ago, the town marked the 100th anniversary of incorporation with an online toast and little fanfare as the world remained locked down during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A giant parade planned for 2020, along with a host of other events throughout the year, was canceled.

Plans for a 2021 celebration were scrapped in the interest of safety as the pandemic wore on.

The state’s baby town was missing its 100th birthday while miles away, residents in Plymouth, the state’s oldest community, incorporated in 1620, retooled and rescheduled their 400th anniversary celebration.

Two years later, East Brookfield is now set to celebrate with a grand parade along Route 9 that is expected to last at least 90 minutes.

The parade, at 9:30 a.m. Sept. 17, will feature the Mummers String Band, high school bands from around the area, the Massachusetts State Police mounted unit, antique cars and fire trucks, the WooSox Smiley Ball, Clydesdale horses and wagons, dogs from Second Chance Animal Shelter and VCA Animal Hospital and floats from dozens of local businesses and organizations.

The 100th Anniversary Committee chairman, Heather Gablaski, is excited.

Two years ago, dejected and defeated, she announced the cancellation of the celebrations. Now she and the committee are taking things in stride. One of the commemorative T-shirts for the event is printed with “East Brookfield’s 100th Birthday! 101st Birthday! 102nd Birthday.” The 100 and 101 are crossed out.

Old-time baseball game

“I’m most excited about the baseball game,” Gablaski said, describing a game that will be played on Connie Mack Field in the afternoon after the parade. The players will be clad in old-school uniforms and the game may look unfamiliar to some.

“They usually use old-time baseball rules,” Gablaski said. “And they’re playing North Brookfield.”

Gablaski said she’s also looking forward to the water ski show on Lake Lashaway which starts right after the parade.

“We have the Holland Aqua Riders,” she said, adding that the water ski team has performed on the lake before and puts on an exciting show.

Folks can spend the remainder of the day at Connie Mack Field where there will be tethered hot air balloon rides, games and food trucks, Gablaski said.

Podunk a claim to fame

The celebration is a time to reflect on the history of the town, as well, and while Plymouth has its famous rock, East Brookfield has something that might be better known: Podunk.

One of the commemorative T-shirts features the dictionary definition of Podunk: A small, isolated town where nothing of importance happens. It’s also described as a fictional place, but folks here know better.

A few years ago, when country singer Keith Anderson entertained at the Spencer Fair, he was surprised to learn he was just a short distance from what area residents will tell you is the original Podunk, a section of East Brookfield. That wasn’t what the Oklahoma native had in mind when he sang a song called Podunk about where he grew up.

Podunk is an Algonquian word that may have been used to describe a swampy place or could have been a tribal name. The Brookfields are rich in Native American history.

The Podunk section of town was home to another somewhat famous East Brookfield resident: John M. Treadwell II.

The late Treadwell was locally known as “Big John.” He was a well-known ox teamster and appeared in several movies including “The Way West.” For that film, he bought and handled 15 pair of oxen. The 1966 movie starred Robert Mitchum and Kirk Douglas.

Another resident of East Brookfield would be the one to thank if you enjoy roller skating. James L. Plimpton, according to the town’s website, revolutionized the design of roller skates and the sport of roller skating.

Route 9 detours

With the Sept. 17 events expected to have a heavy impact on traffic, Police Chief William Gregoire said people should be mindful of detours, especially around Route 9, which will be closed to all traffic from Route 49 to The Clam Box in Brookfield.

The parade will line up on Bay Path Road and area side streets and will travel onto Route 9 east, ending at the East Brookfield Elementary School.

Public parking with a shuttle bus will be available at Howe Lumber on the west side of town and Lamoureux Ford on the east side of town.

The rain date for the events is Sept. 18.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: East Brookfield to celebrate 100th year after 2-year wait Sept. 17