By Evan Walsh
Contributing Writer
SHREWSBURY – A local historian is sharing stories about Shrewsbury legend Anthony “Spag” Borgatti.
In his new 84-page book, “Spag – His Life and Legacy,” lifelong Shrewsbury resident and Town Historian Michael Perna Jr. recounts Spag’s life with anecdotes, recollections from community members who knew him and stories about his famous superstore that gave countless people reason to visit the town.
“I started a couple years ago when one of [Borgatti’s] daughters passed away. The other daughter had me come over to her house. It was full of Spag’s photos and plaques and stuff like that. She said that anything I wanted to take a copy of, take a photo of – feel free… That kind of planted the seed. The more people I talked to, there’s so much more to know,” Perna said.
“Spag – His Life and Legacy” marks Perna’s seventh book on Shrewsbury’s history.
A 1968 graduate of Shrewsbury High School, Perna is involved with the Shrewsbury Historical Society and has published over 1,000 articles in the Shrewsbury Chronicle, Community Advocate and Fifty Plus Advocate. His writings include “Shrewsbury in the Civil War” (1986), “Remembering Lake Quinsigamond – From Steamboats to White City” (1998), “Shrewsbury” (2001) and “Shrewsbury Through Time” (2014).
“Even as a kid, I’ve always liked history. It started with military history, Civil War history, and then I thought, ‘What was Shrewsbury’s role in the Civil War?’ So that kind of morphed into Shrewsbury history,” said Perna.
Perna spoke to several people who knew or worked for Spag and combed through archives to research the book. Despite living in Shrewsbury for his entire life, Perna frequently came across new stories about Spag’s generosity and kindness, especially when people needed it the most.
In one instance, Perna writes that Spag and his wife, Olive Borgatti, who helped him run the business, opened the store to three young children who had just lost their father who was a firefighter in an accident. The kids were allowed to grab whatever they wanted off the shelves, and they left with a trunk full of toys.
“They were amazing people. So caring, with such dedication to employees,” said former Spag’s employee and Perna’s wife, Sandra.
Perna said that by sharing stories about perhaps Shrewsbury’s most influential resident, his memory will be kept alive.
“My thought is that anybody in their forties and older, they remember going to Spag’s. The younger generation does not. This will preserve that for them: the memories and experiences,” Perna said as he walked to a portrait of Spag at Shrewsbury Public Library.
“I enjoy doing [research]. I keep finding more and more things. People seem to enjoy it.”
The book is available at Papa’s Hardware on Route 9 in Shrewsbury, at Tatnuck Booksellers, Barnes & Noble, the Paper Store and Amazon.
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