On July 10, 1964, the Norwood Police Department was actively engaged in an investigation to determine the ownership of a submerged 1957 Corvette discovered in Ellis Pond.

Crane lifting an old car out of a wooded pond with workers watching

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The vehicle was initially located on the previous afternoon by two 16-year-old swimmers, David Bamber and John Foley.

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Fire Chief Irving C. Dobson and his team of skindivers were dispatched to recover the vehicle from the water. While Chief Dobson initially estimated the car had been submerged for approximately one day, the presence of rust marks on the vehicle led some observers to theorize that the car may have been in the pond for a longer period. The car lacked registration plates, which prompted Sergeant William Travers to initiate efforts to trace the owner through the engine number.

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In separate reports from the same day, police also documented two other local accidents. In Dedham, a 39-year-old Westwood resident, Mrs. Jean Plunkett of 113 Mayfair Drive, was treated for minor injuries at Norwood Hospital after her car skidded on wet pavement on East Vincent Street and struck a utility pole around 7:00 p.m.. Additionally, in Norwood, 13-year-old Marjorie Watson of 57 Edgehill Road was treated for multiple injuries after being struck by a car on Nahatan Street shortly before 5:00 p.m.. The driver involved in that incident was identified as 17-year-old Jeanne Sawyer of 7 Plain Street, Walpole. Marjorie Watson was reported to be in improved condition at Norwood Hospital by the following day.

The recovery of the car from Ellis Pond remains a distinct piece of local folklore, illustrating the collaborative efforts of Norwood’s emergency services during the mid-1960s. These incidents underscore the historical role of local departments in managing both the routine and the unusual challenges of civic life.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger

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    On July 10, 1964, the Norwood Police Department was actively engaged in an investigation to determine the ownership of a submerged 1957 Corvette discovered in Ellis Pond. ⠀ The vehicle was initially located on the previous afternoon by two 16-year-old swimmers, David Bamber and John Foley. ⠀ Fire Chief Irving C. Dobson and his team…

    Crane lifting an old car out of a wooded pond with workers watching

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