You could buy a loaf of bread for 62 cents, a new home for $12,560 or you could attend Harvard for a yearly tuition of $1,520.

Jon Bon Jovi was born on March 2^nd and Marilyn Monroe passes away at age 36. A scary world in 1962 as the U.S. places an embargo against Cuba.

Bob Dylan premiered his song “Blowin in the Wind” in N.Y. While the first Wal-Mart store opened in Rogers, Arkansas.

While the baby boom is generally thought of happening between 1945-1962, Holliston was undergoing its largest population increase ever between 1960-1970. 1960 census figures show 6,222 residents in town in 1960, and 12,069 in 1970. An increase of almost 94%!

In 1962, there were quite often multiple births in town on the same day. In January Craig Hoffman, Shawn Moore, and Margaret Parsons were born on the 30^th. March 25^th brought: Nancy Lynch, Bruce Hay, and Bryan Hay. On April 6^th: Thomas Norris, Wendy Austin, and Joseph McCarthy ere brought into the world. May 29^th added four more residents to town: Kirk Edwards, Thomas Morelli, Jeffrey Peacock and James Hamm. Also, July 30^th had: Patricia Hodges, Marshall Pierce, and Geraldine Craig join our community. And on November 27^th, Mark Armsrong, Dale Lambirth, and David Sangree became town residents. This list does not include the many days when (just) two new Hollistonian’s would share a birth date.

With more people in town, new homes were being built. Roy Ave, Donna Rd, Pearl St, and Fairview St were accepted as town roads. 228 building permits were issued in 1962 for an estimated value of 2,668,712.

The Police Department ran on a budget of $49,305, the care of the Town Dump had a budget of $1,800 and the Moth Control folks were voted a budget of $4,000.

Wally Watts, Town Clerk, received the most votes in the March 5, 1962, Town election. His yearly salary was $850.

Publishers’ Note: We tapped into Bobby’s personal experience. In 1962, embedded in Mrs. Baxter’s (Carol Paltrineri’s mother) 6th grade class, he shared this report – “Due to space constraints the 6th grade was not housed at Andrews School that year, but at the Town Hall – directly across from the Police Department.” We suspect it was a very quiet classroom.