The trails ambled along through northwest Framingham and beyond - through the Millwood Flats at the 100 year old dam on Millwood Street, toward Hansen’s and Eastleigh Farms, and behind Winch Street where the 1730 Amos Gates house and 1750 Joseph Winch house bear silent witness. The trails ambled along beside Edmands, Belknap, and Wayside Inn Roads, through fields lined with the strong stone walls of our ancestors. Along tall pine groves and across the Sudbury River, up hills and down dales, the trails wound - not unlike Frederick Law Olmsted’s emerald necklace of parks that wind through Boston. Today the stone walls remain and some of this land is accessible at Callahan State Park. On Grove Street, a sign "caution &emdash; horses crossing" looms as my car travels around a corner where seven horses graze behind a fence next to the road, or try to, in a field of February grass. Framingham’s few remaining horses hint of history gone before…

One hundred thirty three years ago, in 1866, when Framingham’s horse population approached one thousand, Ebenezer Francis Bowditch started the Millwood Hunt Club at his farm at the corner of Millwood and Winch Streets. With Millwood Hounds imported from England and a group of eager equestrians, the Millwood Hunt Club thrived for over a century &emdash; the oldest hunt club in New England and the third oldest in the nation. Its trails wound through northwest Framingham’s farms and private land for decades until a rising population and newly discharged war veterans created an acute need for housing in the late forties and fifties. Acre by acre, Framingham’s new neighborhoods arose. Acre by acre, lands around Waveney Farm, Apple D’or Farm and along Pleasant, Belknap, Grove Streets were sold off. Raised ranches, split levels, and cape cods adorned the previously open land and trails, birthing a new era. By the time the Millwood Hunt Club disbanded at a 1969 meeting chaired by President Dr Trum at its’ Edmands Road clubhouse, only about 90 acres were left. A colorful assortment of memories, however, remain.

By 1922, the Millwood Hunt Club’s horse show had moved to Reginald Bird’s Waveney Farm to accommodate the large crowds. Over 300 horses competed in over fifty classes over two days, attracting horse lovers from all over New England. By 1929, over twenty hunt teams gathered to compete, wearing Millwood Hunt colors known far and wide. Also in the twenties, steeplechase racing and Eastern Horse Club events attracting up to 20,000 people were held at Raceland, John Macomber’s estate on Salem End Road. E. F. Bowditch ancestors active in Framingham include former Selectman John P. Bowditch, Mrs. Reginald Bird and Mrs. Robert Perkins and their families.

George Marlowe, former President of the Framingham Historical Society, wrote in the forties about Millwood Farm, and described himself as the "ultimate trespasser." He regularly walked the trails and paths of the Millwood estate and explains, "Whenever I have looked across its fields towards the high pastures and rolling hills, I have been reminded of the English countryside of Warwickshire or Dorset, which to me will always be the most beautiful in the world."

Former Master of the Fox Hounds at Millwood Hunt Club, Mrs. Edith Hall Overly who seceded her mother, Mrs. Henry Hall, will speak on Sunday, March 14, at 2 PM at the Old Edgell Library at the corner of Oak and Edgell Road. She will share her memories of the Millwood Hunt Club. Framingham Historical Society members are admitted FREE and non-members for $5. Arrangements can be made for handicapped access by calling the Framingham Historical Society at 872-3780.

The Framingham Historical Society’s "We Are History" oral history project is now looking for people who remember the !940’s and 1950’s in Framingham. We would love to interview you! Do you remember the housing boom? Do you remember when Shopper’s World was brand new? Do you remember shows at the Chateau de Ville, the Carousel, or the Maridor? Do you remember when the Mass Pike was built? Call me as soon as possible at 620-6440 or call the Framingham Historical Society and leave a message at 872-3780.

Framingham Historical Society Museum is in the Old Academy at the corner of Vernon and Grove Streets. Hours are Wednesday, Thursday 10am to 4pm, and Saturday 10am to 1pm. Admission $2, under 12 FREE.

For questions or information about becoming a member, call 872-3780.