Saugus historical board chair looks to reclaim signs

SAUGUS – Driving down Walnut Street off of Route 1, you’d be hard-pressed to find the history lesson tucked away on the median between Hannaford’s and Sleepy’s.It’s a worn, 200-pound cast iron sign commemorating Adam Hawkes, the first white settler of Saugus, who built his home at the now busy intersection way back in the 1630s.The sign, and eight others like it around Saugus, were part of the Massachusetts Bay Tercentenary Commission’s 300-year anniversary celebration in 1930.But now, more than 80 years later, just two of those signs still stand, the Hawkes placard and the Appleton’s Pulpit marker on Appleton Street.So Stephen Carlson, Chairman of the Saugus Historical Commission, is seeking help in tracking them down.”There are stories around town that they may have ended up on someone’s patio,” said Carlson. “But who knows the validity of that. Some may have fallen down. On Route 1 they may have been torn down when the state has made road improvements over time.”The missing signs used to stand at various historic sites around Saugus, including the site of the old Tide Mill on Lincoln Avenue, the Boardman House on Howard Street and two stockades near the Lynnhurst School.There were also two signs marking the town of Saugus, one on Route 1 on the Lynnfield town line and another on the Melrose line.The Saugus Iron Works houses several historic placards, including one for the Boardman House.However, Gregg Bailey, a Park Ranger at the Saugus Iron Works, said they aren’t part of the original eight signs and anyone who may have one is keeping an important part of Saugus history to themselves.”They’re a link to past history,” said Bailey. “If someone has one in their backyard that no one else ever gets to see, that probably isn’t the right way to have such a marker. It should be shared and not selfishly kept by someone.”For Carlson, these signs are an important facet of Saugus’ identity.”I think these markers help reiterate to residents the history of the town and that we’re more than just Route 1 shopping centers and housing developments,” said Carlson.One culprit may be scrappers, people looking to make a few dollars by turning in the old signs to local scrap metal yards.But Steve Solomon, owner of Solomon Metals in Lynn, said cast iron has minimal value.Whether they’ve been sold for scrap, or have been turned into a decorative garden sculpture, the missing placards are an important piece of Saugus history.And with Massachusetts’ 400th anniversary a mere 18 years away, remembering these historic sites will only become harder.”I think it’s important because those who forget history are condemned to repeat it,” said Bailey.For more information about the markers, or to turn in a sign, contact the Saugus Historical Commission at 617-242-5680.