Letters

LETTER: The More Things Change — Fiscal Anxiety and Growth in Watertown 100 Years Ago

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This week we enter 2026. But what was Watertown like in 1926? The year 1926 found Watertown at a critical juncture, grappling with the growing pains of a rapidly modernizing suburb. As the town transitioned from its industrial roots toward a more residential future, the municipal government faced the daunting task of balancing fiscal conservatism with the urgent need for infrastructure expansion. The following history, drawn from the 1926 Watertown Annual Town Report, reveals a community navigating the complexities of the early motor age, educational demands, and the eternal debate over the “tax burden.”

Around Town

Watertown Historian Backs Bill Exonerating People Accused of Witchcraft Prior to Salem Trials

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Marilynne Roach, center-right, and State Rep. Steve Owens, center-left, at the State House on the day that Roach spoke during a hearing about exonerating the victims of witch trials before the ones in Salem. (Photo by Caroline Enos / The Salem News)

Watertown historian and author Marilynne Roach who has researched the Salem Witch Trials recently testified at the State House for a bill that would exonerate the eight people, including two with ties to Watertown, found guilty of being alleged witches before the Salem 1692 panic.