THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, AUGUST 15, 2025 Page 7 A Battleground in Saugus The time when a masquerade dance prevailed at Town Hall over a Saugus soldier killed in World War i By Janice K. Jarosz C hâteau-Thierry, Vaux and Bouresches were not the only battlegrounds during World War I. A delayed battle was being waged in our town of Saugus, Massachusetts, in the spring of 1922 despite the fact that the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919. Protests and pickets were held in Saugus, and the confl ict pitted brother against brother, patriot against partygoer, and one person’s values against another’s. No blood was shed and no prisoners taken but the incident stirred up the passions of all Saugonians on both sides of the conflict, leaving scars that lasted for generations. Before I reveal this, up to now, little known battle in Saugus, I must disclose that one of the main characters was my great uncle, Henry A. Parker. Uncle Henry was not only the Town Clerk and Tax Collector at the time, but also the President of the then famous, and maybe sometimes infamous, Saugus Tennis and Canoe Club – THE club to belong to in town; you were someone special in Saugus if you held a membership card. It was April 1922 and for the past 16 years the Saugus Tennis and Canoe Club had Henry A. Parker, the town clerk and tax collector who also served as president of Saugus Town Hall (Courtesy Photo to The Saugus Advocate) held a masquerade dance at the Saugus Town Hall on Saturday night just after Easter. Invitations had been sent out, costumes ordered, refreshments and decorations agreed upon. Actually, it was just like any other yearly dance. Plans were all made with Mr. Parker and his dance committee and all arrangements were agreed upon and fi nalized. On the other front across the pond, Private Winslow Hodgdon, an adopted son of Mrs. Olive M. Batson, 384 Central Street, Saugus, was wounded in France, according to a report on May 16, 1918, near the end of the war. He must have lingered for a while, never recovering from his wounds, as death Another reason to save. NEW CD RATE 4.25% APY* 9-Month Term *Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is accurate of the date posted and is subject to change without notice. APY assumes the interest remains on deposit until maturity. A penalty may be imposed for early withdrawal. Offer may be withdrawn at any time. A minimum of $500 is required to open a Certificate of Deposit and earn the advertised APY. Member FDIC | Member DIF The body of Private Winslow Hodgdon, the fi rst Saugonian killed in action during World War I, lay in state at Saugus Town Hall. (Courtesy Photo to The Saugus Advocate) records indicate he died in 1921 while still in France, and his body was fi nally being returned to Saugus for burial. Private Hodgdon was the fi rst lad from Saugus to be killed in action in World War I. And, according to military customs, the body must lie in state for at least 24 hours prior to interment, or in this instance, from Saturday, 12 noon to Sunday at 2 p.m. It was Mrs. Batson’s wish that the funeral be held the Sunday after Easter, and she decided that the Town Hall was the only proper and fi tting place to hold the services, as the First Parish Universalist Church was not large enough to accommodate the anxious family, citizens and soldiers to pay tribute to the fallen hero. As soon as Past Commander Benjamin Q. Belonga of the Saugus Post 210, who headed the committee of funeral arrangements, learned of the Tennis and Canoe Club’s planned annual masquerade dance, the cooperation of those in charge was sought, and Mr. Belonga was confi - dent that, under the circumstances, the Club would gladly postpone the aff air. Sunday evening, and just six days before the gala event, Mr. Belonga called at Henry Parker’s residence and spoke with his daughter, Marion Parker, who, by the way, was a longtime member of the Dance Committee. Mr. Belonga suggested that a postponement of the dance was in order so that Private Hodgdon’s body might lie in state. Miss ParkBATTLEGROUND | SEE PAGE 18
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