Chelmsford Historical Society
321 Acton Road - Kate's Corner
  • 1786-1788 - Lt. John Bateman, who served as a Minuteman during the Revolution, and his wife Hanna arrived from Concord and built the farm at 4 Proctor Road for their growing family
  • Feb 1818 - Ezekiel Byam married the Bateman's daughter Charlotte
  • Jan 1824 - John Bateman and Ezekiel Byam purchased land and buildings from multiple heirs of Peter Proctor in South Chelmsford. Ezekiel was an entrepreneur and operated a store at the corner of Acton and Maple roads. He also manufactured blacking used to color shoes and stoves, a pain-relieving liniment called "Opodeldoc" and later the first practical (but dangerous to manufacture) matches in the United States
  • Dec 1828 - John Bateman died, and his 4 Proctor Road farm and 321 Acton Road store passed to Ezekiel and Charlotte
Ezekiel Byam's Opodeldoc liniment bottle (loaned by Greg Bair)
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May 1846, Byam Matches promotional card (loaned by Richard Byam)
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  • Mar 1855 - Ezekiel and Charlotte Byam sold the property, consisting of 1428 square feet with the store and a shed and now designated as 321 Acton Road, to Benjamin Dudley
  • Sep 1857 - Benjamin Dudley sold the store to Elias Sweetser
  • Jul 1868 - Elias Sweetser died
  • Oct 1870 - Eldad Bean on behalf of the Sweetser estate sold the store to Thomas Gerish
  • Sep 1889 - Thomas Gerish died
  • Apr 1890 - Thomas's daughter Josephine Green sold the store to Henry Emerson who lived at 330 Acton Road and already ran the Emerson and Co. store at 320 Acton Road owned by Daniel Bickford
Circa 1890, Emerson & Company store looking up Maple Road (Historical Society photo bbh352)
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Circa 1900, Emerson &Co. store with Moxie and Quaker Oats signs (Historical Society photo)
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  • Dec 1890 - Henry Emerson was appointed South Chelmsford postmaster
Circa 1910, Postmaster Henry H. Emerson beside his home at 330 Acton Road The yellow barn behind the church at left was likely built by Thomas Gerish (Historical Society glass negative 2013.2.5040, colorized by FM)
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  • Mar 1919 - Henry Emerson was removoed as postmaster and replaced by his son John with the official reason being "Removed-insane"
  • Aug 1921 - Henry Emerson died
  • Jan 1922 - Henry's son John and wife Louisa Emerson sold the store to Emile Paignon
Circa 1922, Early Emile Paignon store ownership (Historical Society photo)
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  • Dec 1923 - Emile Paignon's daughter Mabel was appointed South Chelmsford postmaster
1924, Newly appointed Postmaster Mabel Paignon. Lyman Byam's Trio store at 1 Common Street is at left and Liberty Hall at right (Historical Society photo 1989.25.32)
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  • Feb 1925 - Emile Paignon sold the store to Axel Lindbloom
  • Dec 1926 - Axel defaulted on his mortgage obligations, and Central Savings Bank sold the store back to Emile Paignon
  • Apr 1937 - Emile Paignon sold the store to Charles and Doris Simpson who operated as Simpson's Market
Circa 1940, Simpson's Market with Mobilgas service next to Acton Road (Historical Society Postcard 1972.42.1028)
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  • Oct 1950 - Charles and Doris Simpson sold the store to Howard and Miriam Lawson who operated as Lawson's Market
  • Feb 1954 - Howard and Miriam Lawson sold the store to George Jr. and Lilian Marchand operating as Marchand's Market and continuing to provide Mobil gasoline service
Circa 1955, Marchand's Market with bread delivery truck in front (Historical Society photo)
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  • Jan 1961 - George Jr. and Lilian Marchand sold the store to Lionel and Josephine Marchand
  • Dec 1961 - Lionel and Josephine Marchand sold the store to Elmer and Dorothy Burns. Philip and Marjorie McCormack rented from Elmer, lived upstairs in the store, and ran the store as Phil 's Village Market
  • Mar 1965 - The South Chelmsford post office in the store was downgraded to a Rural Station, and then officially discontinued as a post office in April. Postmaster Mabel Paignon retired the next year
December 1973, Phil's Village Market and South Chelmsford Unofficial Post Office (Historical Commission photo by George Parkhurst)
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  • Dec 1975 - Elmer and Dorothy Burns sold the store to tenants Philip and Marjorie McCormack
  • Jan 1976 - Philip and Marjorie McCormack sold the store to carpenter Ronald and Patricia Wetmore who operated as Ron's Village Market
  • 1983- William Keohane, who became a firefighter in 1984, leased the store from the Wetmores and operated as Convenience Plus
  • 1993 - Kathleen Connors took over the lease from William Keohane and operated as Kate's Corner
  • Dec 1998 - Ronald and Patricia Wetmore sold the store to tenant Kathleen Connors who continues to operate Kate's Corner in 2022
August 7, 2004, Kate's Corner with outside pay phone (photo by FM)
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November 2021, Kate's Corner (posted on Facebook by Larry Richardson)
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This feature was created by Fred Merriam (FM) for the Town of Chelmsford in cooperation with the Chelmsford Historical Society. To comment: e-mail webmaster