The Old Oaken Bucket, Westford, Mass.

Growing up in Arlington, Mass., during the 60s, 70s and 80s, I was country before country was cool.

I loved watching The Andy Griffith Show and thought Goober was one of the best characters in the series. My impressions of Hee Haw was that it was a brilliant show, realizing better than anyone east of Route 495 the genius of Roy Clark and Buck Owens. I listed to WCOP-AM 1150 radio for country music and often thought of Merle Haggard as the Shakespeare of twang. What's more, I had no Boston accent, thus making some wonder if I lived in Podunk and commuted 1,000 miles daily to attend Arlington High School.

So, it came of no surprise to anyone that I loved The Old Oaken Bucket in Westford, Mass. The rustic country style atmosphere and food felt close to my suburban Boston rural heart and so far removed from the confines of the densely-populated community I called home.

I read that The Old Oaken Bucket went through a few fires in the 1970s and 1980s, but, fortunately, rebounded quite well. In the latter years, The Old Oaken Bucket's menu became a bit more refined with higher quality offerings

The 99, a local chain restaurant, took over The Old Oaken Bucket in 2002. Nothing against The 99, but what a shame that The Old Oaken Bucket's great run starting in the 1930s had to come to an end. To me, the closing was equal to the saddest country songs of all time.

You can see some of The Old Oaken Bucket menus at The Westford Historical Society Society and Museum on Wednesdays in 2019.