Clyde II
By Ophelia W. Ravenia
Clyde II, August 2024. Photograph by Ophelia W. Ravenia.
If you’ve driven through north-central Massachusetts, you may have come across Clyde II. Clyde II sits at the top of a small, sloping park looking down at the small town of Winchendon.
Like many New England communities, Winchendon was once a mill community. Unlike the sawmills to the north and textile mills to the south and east, the main industry that sprung up in Winchendon was toy making. From the 1880’s through the 1930’s, the Converse Toy & Woodenware Company manufactured an array of wooden toys- blocks, rocking horses, wagons, and more; at one point, it was the world’s largest toymaker. The dominance of the toy making industry in Winchendon led to the nickname “Toy Town”, which the town embraced.
Flowers with Clyde II in the Background, August 2024. Photograph by Ophelia W. Ravenia.
In 1914, Clyde, an oversized replica of Converse’s “No. 12” rocking horse was made as part of a parade float, celebrating the town’s 150th anniversary. The horse was meticulously crafted over the span of five months. After the parade, Clyde spent the next twenty years welcoming travelers at Winchendon’s railroad station, before being moved tothe nearby Toy Town Tavern. Clyde remained on display at the tavern until the mid-1960’s. Following this, he made a handful of parade appearances– notably for Winchendon’s bicentennial celebration and the USA’s bicentennial– before falling into disrepair.
Historic Postcard of Clyde at the Toy Town Tavern, ca. 1930’s.
In the 1980’s, the town’s historical society, chamber of commerce, along with many locals, worked to build a new Clyde. In 1988, Clyde II was completed, after 18 months of work by Maine-based craftsman Sherman Labarge. He now stands proudly, under a custom-built gazebo, greeting travelers at one of the town’s main crossroads.
Clyde II, August 2024. Photograph by Ophelia W. Ravenia.
Clyde II can be found at the junction of School Street and Front Street in Winchendon, Massachusetts. Street parking is available on Front Street. Clyde can be viewed from the street, or from a paved path running through the small park where he resides. You can get up close to Clyde II in the pavilion– it involves going through an unpaved, grassy (but mowed & well-maintained), slightly sloped area.
More information on Clyde’s story can be found here:
https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=151882
A video talking a bit about Winchendon’s history and the role of toy manufacturing can be found here:
https://www.wcvb.com/article/mystery-towns-classic-and-quaint/8065322