On August 23, 1917, the Malden Evening News ran a small ad inviting all military and naval men of Malden to have their photograph taken, without expense, by local photographer Mr. Carroll of Pleasant Street. Through these photographs, we remember and honor the Malden men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice during World War 1. Photographs from the Malden Historical Society Collection.
On August 23, 1917, the Malden Evening News ran a small ad inviting all military and naval men of Malden to have their photograph taken, without expense, by local photographer Mr. Carroll of Pleasant Street. The photographs were said “to become part of the city’s records of the War.” Soldiers were invited to “go at once to his studio. You will not want to be absent from this historic group.” This small ad resulted in an unusual photo collection held by the Malden Historical Society, a photographic remembrance of 66 men who gave the ultimate sacrifice during World War I. This collection contains only one woman’s photograph and the simple note, “Miss L. Florence Eastman, Army Nurse, died October 14, 1918.”
Born in 1894, Florence was the only daughter of Russell and Ada Eastman. At age 17 she enrolled at Morton Hospital in Taunton to train as a nurse, and completed advanced courses at Massachusetts General Hospital. Later, she became a nurse at Malden Hospital.
When the war came, Florence entered the Red Cross, and then in December 1917 enlisted as an Army nurse assigned to Camp Upton in New York. Florence became the Head Army Nurse of the Isolation Hospital at Camp Mills on Long Island, with 20 nurses and over 100 orderlies under her supervision. According to the history of American Legion, Florence Eastman Post 280 (based in Mattapoisett), “her devotion to duty, her sympathy for the sick soldiers and her own consistent, cheerful disposition won the respect and esteem of all with whom she was associated.” In 1918, she received her international passport and would soon begin nursing soldiers on the battlefields of France.
But Florence never made it overseas. With the advent of cold weather, epidemics were raging in the military camps with scarlet fever, diphtheria, meningitis, measles, bronchitis, and a new pneumonia spreading quickly. The Camp Mills hospital tents, with about 900 beds, were soon filled to overflowing with sick and highly contagious cases. The army sought to transfer patients to civilian hospitals, but even that was difficult. The local railroads refused to transport the contagious soldiers. Instead, the soldiers had to be transported in ambulances obtained by the Red Cross and the Women’s Motor Corps of America on a frigid 35 mile journey to New York through deep snow in almost zero-degree weather.
After months spent nursing soldiers with the Spanish flu, Florence herself caught the disease, and died in active service on October 14, 1918. She was laid to rest with full military honors, and is buried in Mattapoisett’s Pine Island Cemetery (her father was the keeper of the Neds Point Lighthouse). Due to a small ad in the Malden Evening News, Florence will always be part of Malden’s record of the Great War.
Thank you Mayor Gary Christenson for joining us for a very special Mayor’s Virtual Story Time, recorded on May 14, 2020. If you missed it, check it out on the link below:
Join Mayor Gary Christenson and Library Director Dora St. Martin for a very special Mayor’s Story Time Online. The virtual story time will be held on Thursday, May 14, at 10 AM. The Mayor will read fun picture books to young children; and will be available to answer any questions the children might have about what a mayor does. You can join the Library’s Story Room by clicking on the program title “Mayors Story Time” on the MPL website’s front page (under upcoming events): https://maldenpubliclibrary.org/ The instructions and password to enter the zoom story room will appear 10 minutes before the program begins. If you have issues connecting, please call the Library Information number at 781-333-0640. The program is free and no registration or special software is required.
I am Renata Convida.
I have lived a hundred stolen lives.
Now I live my own.
Set in a lushly drawn world inspired by Inquisition Spain, Zoraida Córdova’s hotly anticipated new fantasy is an epic tale of love and revenge perfect for fans of Sabaa Tahir and Sarah J. Maas. Check out Incendiary, Hollow Crown book #1, – one of many new fantasy titles on RBdigital! https://maldenma.rbdigital.com/
Don’t have a library card yet? Click HERE, fill out the form and please include Name, Address, Email Address, Phone Number, and cell phone provider and we will email you back your library card information.
Avoid a spring slide! To help younger readers maintain their reading skills, we’ve created a list of popular books (all downloadable) that are especially appropriate for grades 2 and 3. If you don’t have a library card, please click on the link in the comment section below and complete the form to receive a card number. Any questions or problems? Please let us know.
Proven boredom busters! Here’s a list of carefully-selected graphic novels for young fans of the genre as well as reluctant readers. Nearly all of these titles are currently available for download! (No waiting–unlike Dog Man or Smile.) And remember, if you don’t have a library card, please click on the link in the comment section below and complete the form to receive a card number. Easy peasy!
Keep your child engaged in reading while staying at home! If you are seeking downloadable titles that are readily available, please check out this recommended list that is recommended for grades 4-6. (More lists to come!)
If you need to get a library card to access these materials, please click here.
Are you staying put thanks to the COVID-19 emergency? Take the opportunity to check out these global cookbooks and travel the world one dish at a time. OverDrive is a free service offered by the Malden Public Library that lets you borrow digital content (like ebooks and audiobooks) anytime, anywhere.
Don’t have a library card yet? Click HERE, fill out the form and please include Name, Address, Email Address, Phone Number, and cell phone provider and we will email you back your library card information. We will be here to serve you as best we can. For information and assistance, contact us at https://maldenpubliclibrary.org/contact-us/ or by phone at (781) 333-0640.
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