Meredith Bissell

Meredith was born in western Massachusetts in 1932 and came to Groton at age 5 with his large family. They lived on Kemp Street quite fittingly because they were related to the Kemps and another Groton family, the Boutelles.

His family owned the general store in West Groton village called the Red & White where he worked as a high school student.

A graduate of UMass Amherst, he later earned a Master’s Degree at Fitchburg State. Meredith first worked in insurance, with carpentry always his second job and hobby. He eventually became a teacher and guidance counselor at Lunenburg High School.

A resident of West Groton for nearly ninety years, Meredith had a deep knowledge of the area and related detailed stories of its general store, post office, library, railroad station, Leatherboard Factory, Thompson’s Mill, Squannacook Hall, the fire station, and Christian Union Church.

The Nashua and Squannacook Rivers are described along with sports and civic events and local people such as Police Chief Elliott B. Clark, George Webber, Winthrop Sherwin, and the Shepley brothers.

His description of the downed trees and resulting lumber harvesting after the Hurricane of 1938 is detailed.

He was married to Jean Forbes for 67 years. An intelligent and affable man, he enjoyed the nature and bird songs around his home. Meredith died on February 9, 2022.  

Additional info: His longtime home was 31 Kemp Street. His family also had lived in a house near St. James Church.