Introduction

The latter half of the 20th Century represented a transition of Walpole from an active industrial center to a suburban bedroom community for the thriving economic expansion that took hold in the Greater Boston metropolitan area.  Like much of the country, the town experienced explosive growth in the 30 years following the end of War War 2 as a wave of Baby Boomers swept the nation, and locally left an enduring footprint on the town.  This growth was followed by a period of stabilization and reconfiguration into the 1980s, and a subsequent resurgence toward the end of the century as the Baby Boomers began to have families of their own.  Many of the marks that defined this era continue to impact the town as it again adapts to the new demands of the 21st Century.