>>>> NOW TED DATE AFTER HIS VISIT TO A TOWN THAT GREW ITS NAME FROM ONE WORD TO FOUR.
>> IN THE LAST CENTURY ONLY ONE MASSACHUSETTS TOWN HAS GONE TO THE TROUBLE OF ACTUALLY CHANGING ITS NAME.
MANCHESTER BY THE SEA.
AND THAT IS WHEN THE REAL TROUBLE UP HERE BEGAN.
WHAT WAS YOUR FEELING ON IT?
>> I WAS AGAINST IT.
I STILL AM.
>> GRETCHEN WOOD, FORMER MANCHESTER TOWN CLERK, TELLS US THE NAME CHANGE PASSED BY LATE TWO VOTES AT A TOWN MEETING IN 1989.
MANY STILL REFUSED TO UTTER THE NEW NAME.
>> MAINLY BECAUSE I THINK IT SOUNDS A LITTLE SNOBBY.
>> THE NAME SEEMS PARTICULARLY TROUBLING TO OTHER NORTH SHORE RESIDENTS, LIKE PAUL GILLIGAN OF IPSWICH.
>> I DO NOT KNOW WHERE THEY CAME UP WITH THE NAME MANCHESTER BY THE SEA.
I TELL PEOPLE I LIVE IN IPSWICH BY THE TIPS.
>> WE DECIDE IT IS TIME TO CHECK IN AT THE LOCAL PAPER OF RECORD.
NOW HERE AT THE CRICKET, NOT THE MANCHESTER BY THE SEA CRICKET?
>> IT IS NOT THE MANCHESTER BY THE SEA CRICKET.
IT IS STILL THE MANCHESTER CRICKET.
>> THE CRICKET OPPOSED THE NAME CHANGE WHEN IT FIRST CAME UP, BUT PAT SLADE HAS SLOWLY COME AROUND.
>> I THINK THAT MOST PEOPLE NOW ARE GETTING USED TO IT.
>> BUT SLADE SAYS THERE IS CONFUSION OVER HOW TO’S WELL -- HOW TO SPELL THE DARN THING.
>> PEOPLE LEAVE OUT THE HYPHENS AND CAPITALIZE A COUPLE LETTERS.
>> CHAOS.
>> IT IS CHAOS.
>> EVEN TOWN SIGNS ARE MIXED UP.
COME FROM BEVERLY, AND THERE ARE HYPHENS.
FROM WORCESTER, THERE ARE NONE.
HOLLYWOOD CERTAINLY HAS IT HELPED THINGS ANY.
EVEN THE LOCAL POST OFFICE HAS IT ALL WRONG.
>> THERE SHOULD BE HYPHENS BETWEEN EACH WORD.
BY AND THE SHOULD NOT BE CAPITALIZED.
>> IT IS ENOUGH TO MAKE LOCAL-AT -- LOCAL HYPHENATORS HYPERVENTILATE.
MANY FIND ALLEVIATION IN ABBREVIATION, MAKING SHORT WORD OF THIS LONGEST TOWN NAME IN THE STATE.
>> IT IS LABORIOUS, SO THEY HAVE STARTED JUST USING THE FIRST LETTER OF EACH OF THE WORDS.
MUCH EASIER.
>> TRAVEL WITH US NOW TO THE HAPPY VALLEY AND THE TWIN TOWNS OF HADLEY AND HATFIELD COME OVER THE OPERATIVE QUESTION HAS ALWAYS BEEN, WHICH IS WHICH?
>> WE GET A LOT OF THAT.
WE ARE THE TWO SMALLEST DISTRICT IN THE MASSACHUSETTS SCHOOL SYSTEM.
RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER, AND THEY SOUND THE SAME.
>> JERRY DIVINE IN HADLEY SAYS EACH DEFENDS ITS TURF.
>> YOU HERE, I’M NOT FROM HATFIELD, I AM FROM HADLEY.
I’M NOT FROM HADLEY, I AM FROM HATFIELD.
>> BUT ONLY ONE OF THESE TOWNS HAS OBTAINED ICONIC STATURE IN THE WORLD OF ANTIQUES.
>> THE BEST OF THEM CAN BE VERY EXPENSIVE.
>> HADLEY CHESTS AMONG THE MOST DESIRED AMERICAN COLLECTIBLES.
WE VISIT HISTORIC DEERFIELD VILLAGE FOR A GOOD EXAMPLE OF A HADLEY CHEST, ABOUT 300 YEARS OLD.
>> THERE OFTEN INITIALED, IN THIS CASE HD IS NOT FOR HISTORIC DEAL FIELD, BUT IT WAS AFTER A NAME.
>> THE PRESIDENT OF HISTORIC DEERFIELD SHOWS US A SIMULATION OF WHAT THIS HAND-PAINTED HADLEY CHEST MIGHT HAVE LOOKED LIKE WHEN FIRST MADE.
>> SO WHEN THIS WAS BRAND-NEW, IT LOOKED LIKE A MIDDLE LINEBACKER FROM THE DENVER BRONCOS.
>> IN ADDITION TO THE BRIGHT COLORS, HADLEY CHESTS FEATURE DECORATION THAT BORDERS ON THE PSYCHEDELIC.
>> PEOPLE 300 YEARS AGO ROCKED, TOO.
>> JUST ONE THING ABOUT THIS HADLEY CHEST -- >> THAT PERSON WAS FROM HATFIELD.
>> SO EVEN LEARNED SCHOLARS CAN BE CONFUSED BY THE HADLEY/HATFIELD CONUNDRUM?
>> I AM ALWAYS CONFUSED.
>> PERHAPS OUR STATE OF CONFUSION IS NOTHING TO BE ASHAMED ABOUT AFTER ALL.
MAYBE THERE IS A JOY TO BE HAD IN EMBRACING OUR GEOGRAPHICAL BAFFLEMENTS.
DAVID OF WILLIAMSBURG, NOT WILLIAMSTOWN, GENERAL STORE THINKS GREAT ADVENTURES AWAIT THOSE WILLING TO LOSE THEMSELVES IN THIS STATE OF CONFUSION.
>> GREAT FUN WHEN PEOPLE GET pLOST IN THE RIGHT PLACE.
>> BACK TO THOSE HADLEY CHESTS, THEY WERE QUITE COMMON BACK IN THE DAY, BUT THEY DO NOT COME ON THE MARKET VERY OFTEN NOW.
AN EXAMPLE, ONE WENT TO AUCTION IN NEW YORK AND COMMANDED CLOSE TO $1 MILLION.
NO WORD ON WHETHER IT ACTUALLY CAME FROM HATFIELD.
THAT IS OPEN SHOW -- THAT IS "CHRONICLE" FOR TONIGHT THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
HAVE A GOOD EVENING HOPE TO SEE