My family's connection to Fenway Park

[xiphias]

So, my wife has heard frequently that my father's father's father Hedley Osmond was a superintendent at Fenway Park, and she was rolling her eyes about that -- why did my family go on and on about that? What was so cool about that?

What she realized when we were talking at Easter is that she was mishearing it: Hedly Osmond wasn't a superintendent at Fenway Park -- he was the superintendent of Fenway Park. Hedley Osmond was in overall charge of the physical plant of Fenway Park from construction until he retired sometime in the Sixties.

He's the reason the Green Monster is green. You know why Fenway Park is painted green? Because my great-grandfather got a deal on a whole bunch of green paint cheap.

Comments

[bill_sheehan.livejournal.com]

The same Yankee parsimony that went with the green paint also informs our current soggy nostalgia. It's really a dreadful old place, but now it's the Greatest Ol' Park In Baseball, Sacred To The Memory Of Ted Williams and Tony Conigliaro. So we don't have to pay for a new one any time soon.

[rebmommy.livejournal.com]

Your great-grandfather was the first person to put lights up at Fenway Park, so now there are night games.

[(Anonymous)]

And he climbed up those towers to inspect them every year until he retired at 75.

[rymrytr.livejournal.com]

Only in America, and as it should be! :o)

[patgreene.livejournal.com]

That's so cool.

[mabfan.livejournal.com]

You should write an article.

[rebmommy.livejournal.com]

yes, I agree - it would be great to have this story told, especially this year when Fenway Park is 100 years old - there are some good stories that shouldn't be lost - if anyone is interested in writing the article, I have some addresses where they could be sent