By Linda Jennie, Marlborough Historical Society
Marlborough – The city of Marlborough tells the history of its families by the names of its streets, street corners and squares. Over the years Marlborough has honored its citizens by naming parts of the city after them.
It appears to have started with many of the shoe manufacturers. There is Frye Street, Bigelow Street, Howe Street, etc. These were some of the big shoe companies that affected Marlborough's industrial growth during the 19th and 20th centuries.
Some of the streets are named after local farmers in the area, such as Rice Street, named after the Rice Orchards. The community was once known for its beautiful apple orchards and farmlands.
There are squares and corners named after the city's veterans and community members such as Jack Lyons, a local firefighter. The names are not only tributes to the people who helped to build our community, but they also tell a story as the years go on.
New streets continue to have names of community leaders and veterans. One such street is Ferrecchia Drive, named after former Mayor Joseph Ferrecchia, also a veteran.
So when you are in the city of Marlborough, and see the names on the street signs, corners and squares remember these are the good people that contributed to the fine heritage of the community.