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Townie Trivia: How Much Do You Know About Newton?

It's among the largest cities in Massachusetts, and sits just a stone's throw away from Boston. But how much do you know about Newton?

1. William Jackson, whose home was a stop on the Underground Railroad, did NOT do which of the following.

A. Ran a soap and candle factory from the property
B. Founded Newton Savings Bank
C. Served In the US Congress
D. Founded Newton Wellesley Hospital

2. The winner of the inaugural Mt. Washington Hillclimb in 1904, was Newton resident and co-creator of the famous Stanley Steamer, F.E. Stanley.

A. True
B. False

3. "The Lake" is a common nickname for which of Newton's 13 villages?

A. Crystal Lake
B. Nonantum
C. Lower Falls
D. Auburndale

4. Named after the city of Newton, the first Fig Newton was first produced at a bakery in which city?

A. Newton, Massachusetts
B. Cambridge, Massachusetts
C. Somerville, Massachusetts
D. Hartford, Connecticut

5. In 1849, 600 acres of land was purchased from the City of Newton for $1,000 and was annexed by which neighboring town?

A. Brighton
B. Needham
C. Waltham
D. Watertown

6. Part of Boston's water supply came from the Chestnut Hill Reservoir as recently as 2010.

A. True
B. False

7. Which of the following about Newton-Wellesley Hospital is NOT true:

A. In 1887, duties of hospital nurses included milking cows, feeding chickens and tending to vegetable gardens.
B. In 1925, late Actor Jack Lemmon was born in a hospital elevator.
C. In 1961, the Hospital held a Valentine's Day Ball in order to fund its first electronic paging system.
D. In 1978, THE blizzard knocked out power to the hospital, forcing doctors to deliver a total of eight babies by candlelight.

8. Heartbreak hill is the last in a series of how many consecutive hills in Newton?

A. 2
B. 3
C. 4
D. 5

9. The now defunct women's liberal arts college, Newton College of the Sacred Heart, merged with what other school in 1974?

A. Sacred Heart University
B. Laselle College
C. Mount Ida College
D. Boston College

10. Crystal Lake was previously called Baptist Pond and was used for baptisms.

A. True
B. False

Answers on Page 2

1. William Jackson, whose home was a stop on the Underground Railroad, did NOT do which of the following.

A. Ran a soap and candle factory from the property
B. Founded Newton Savings Bank
C. Served In the US Congress
D. Founded Newton Wellesley Hospital

2. The winner of the inaugural Mt. Washington Hillclimb in 1904, was Newton resident and co-creator of the famous Stanley Steamer, F.E. Stanley.

A. True
B. False - The Stanley Steamer was responsible for the first motorized ascent of Mt. Washington in 1899. But five years later, F.E. Stanley was beaten by a Mercedes driven by a New Yorker.

3. "The Lake" is a common nickname for which of Newton's 13 villages?

A. Crystal Lake
B. Nonantum - Nonantum sits on the former Silver Lake (a.k.a. The Lake), which was filled in between the 1930s and 1950s.
C. Lower Falls
D. Auburndale

4. Named after the city of Newton, the first Fig Newton was first produced and sold at a bakery in which city?

A. Newton, Massachusetts
B. Cambridge, Massachusetts - Kennedy Biscuit Company bought the recipe off of a baker from Ohio and named it accordingly.
C. Somerville, Massachusetts
D. Hartford, Connecticut

5. In 1849, 600 acres of land was purchased from the City of Newton for $1,000 and was annexed by which neighboring town?

A. Brighton
B. Needham
C. Waltham - It went on to become Waltham's Chemistry District (The "Southside")
D. Watertown

6. Part of Boston's water supply came from the Chestnut Hill Reservoir as recently as 2010.

A. True - On May 1, 2010, a water main failure in Weston forced the state to temporarily bring the Chestnut Hill Reservoir back online. Tests showed that after the water was heavily treated, it was actually 'drinkable.'
B. False

7. Which of the following about Newton-Wellesley Hospital is NOT true:

A. In 1887, duties of hospital nurses included milking cows, feeding chickens and tending to vegetable gardens.
B. In 1925, late Actor Jack Lemmon was born in a hospital elevator.
C. In 1961, the Hospital held a Valentine's Day Ball in order to fund its first electronic paging system.
D. In 1978, THE blizzard knocked out power to the hospital, forcing doctors to deliver a total of eight babies by candlelight. -- In actuality, that area saw very few power outages. There is an account of a baby being born on the way to the hospital.

8. Heartbreak hill is the last in a series of how many consecutive hills in Newton?

A. 2
B. 3
C. 4
D. 5

9. The now defunct women's liberal arts college, Newton College of the Sacred Heart, merged with what other school in 1974?

A. Sacred Heart University
B. Laselle College
C. Mount Ida College
D. Boston College - The former campus is now home to BC Law School.

10. Crystal Lake was previously called Baptist Pond and was used for baptisms.

A. True - Newton Center Baptist Church used it for that purpose. It was later used by an ice company, which re-named it.
B. False

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