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Volume 1 Issue 6 January, 1997

The January Meeting of the Scituate Historical Society will be held at 6:30 I’.M. on Saturday, January 25, 1997. This will be a dinner meeting at the Harbor Methodist Church. The cost for the dinner will be $9.00. ¢ We have to give the church a count of people attending the dinner and we don't have too much time. Send a check made out to the Scituate llistorical Society with your reservation to Laidlaw Historical Center, P.O. Box 276, Scituate, MA 02066. Additional parking will be available at the St. Mary's parking lot, corner of First Parish Road and Front Street, with Monsignor's blessing and our appreciation. We have a most interesting program coming up at this meeting. Our speakers will be Tom Mulloy and Bill Carter. These two men are avid and highly experienced skin divers. They will discuss shipwrecks that have occurred along Scituate's coast and artifact and treasure recovery. lf you think treasures are only found in waters in faraway places, you're wrong! In early August Tom Mulloy notified us that he had discovered a cannon off the North Scituate coast. The cannon was very old and is potentially very significant to Scituate's maritime history. Tom has donated the cannon to the Maritime/Irish Mossing museum, and while the it is undergoing preservation treatment to remove chlorides, research will continue on it. Another wreck discovery by Tom has the potential to re-write the early history of Scituate's mossing industry. So for a fascinating look at Scituate shipwrecks, treasure, and artifacts never seen before by the public join us on January 25. Tom Mulloy is a lieutenant in the Quincy Fire department and has been with them since 1975. He also holds a U.S. Coast Guard captain license and is an Emergency Medical Technician. Tom has resided in Scituate for 23 years. He has been a certified diver since 1967, now making more then 80 dives per year. For the past 15 years he has specialized in wreck diving and underwater photography along the coast. He has also dived in Canada, the Caribbean, , and the Mediterranean. Bill Carter is a resident of Marshfield. He has been wreck diving for 28 years and presently uses his boat named the Wreck-Hunter. He is a researcher and has catalogued hundreds of wrecks along the New England coast. Bill assisted Evening Magazine in their first underwater wreck program and ,like Tom, will be assisting Our Society in further underwater archaeological discoveries. * I I AA I \ aulu Ln \ uu'\ A 3 A u| \ Scituate Historical Society p. 1 January - RESERVE EARLY Only the rst 200 reservations accompanied by payment will be accepted. Mail the form below to: Laidlaw Historical Center P.O. Box 276 Scituate, MA 02066

Enclosed is my check made payable to the Scituate Historical Society for the dinner meeting on Saturday, January 25, 1997.

NMENumber of reservations ______i______Amount of check $

Archives Corner

This book, entitled “General Lawes and Liberties of New Plymouth”, I658-1691, poorly bound, marked Vol. I., Town Records, was in 1891, kept in the house of the Town Clerk of Scituate. unprotected from lire. At the annual town meeting in Scituate, March 4, 1901, the following vote was passed:

"That the town authorize the Selectmen to deposit in the State Archives, a volume of the Laws of the General Court made in 1658 and continued until 1691 as requested by Robert T. Swan, Commissioner of Public Record.” It was temporarily placed in the custody of the Commissioner of Public Records, and proved to be a copy of the “LAWS OF PLYMOUTH COUNTY”, and is the only one ever found by him in his examinations.

The introduction to Vol. Xl., of the Plymouth Colony Records says “A manuscript volume of the Laws belonging to the Town of Scituate has been of great service in supplying some deficiencies and illegible portions; all of which addittions, whether in text or margin, are prined in brackets l], and in some cases with the letter S appended.”

This volume was re-bound in its present form by the Commissioner and deposited in the State Archives.

In the Annual Report of the Town of Scituate, for the year ending December 31, 1909, Article 26 states: “Voted, That the town rescind its vote of March 4, 1901, whereby it was voted to authorize the Selectmen to deposit in the State Archives, a volume of the laws of the General Court, made in 1658 and continued until 1691, as requested by Robert T. Swan, Commissioner of Public Records, and instruct the Town Clerk to consult the Secretary of the Commonwealth in regard to its retum to the town. On the 27th day of May l9()9, pursuant to the above vote of the town, it was delivered into the hands of the Town Clerk, Jetson Wade, Esq. and signed by Wm. M. Olin, Secretary of the Commonwealth.

In next month’s issue of “Archives Comer”, I will detail some of the contents of this one and only book of its kind in , and our most highly protected and most valuable book in our Town Archives. Dorothy Clapp Langley Scituate Historical Society p. 2 January — -i

15th. Went over to James and got (torn) ee of Walnut. In the afternoon we Carted Wood out of (torn) swamp. I went down to Cohasset. (torn) of Snuff, 2 pounds 5 shillings Od. old ten. 16th. I wrought in Clockwork. Daniel and John Elmes Extream Sick. But little hope of their lives. 17th. In the forenoon I helped git re wood. In the aernoon I wrought in Clock work. Daniel Seems Better. Doctor there. £ 18th. I wrought in the Clockmaking business. Daniel Very Sick. 19th. Lot and I ground Scythes in order to mow in the Salt Meadow. James Could not help us for he was obliged to assist (torn) at Pratts for Mr. John Departed this Life this (torn) Morning at aboute two oClock. (torn) Daniel Very Sick Indeed. The Doctor has almost given (torn) him over. I went down to Cohasset this day and bought Some Brandy and Logwood for him. Father killed a lamb and boild his head and kidneys & c. August the 20th. I went to meeting. The Revr. (torn) Grosvenor preach'd. There was a good many folks put notes being Sick with the Bloody flux; Daniel sent one. I-Ie seems no better. John Ellmes No better. The Text this Day was in Proverbs the 27th C. lst. Verse; the words are Boast not thy Self of tomorrow for thou knowest not What a Day may bring forth. There has been Several folks in the parrish Died the Last Week of the Bloody ux. To wit the Wife of Mr. Eli Curtis Buried Last week, Capt. James Turners Wife w(torn) Now lays unburied, a Child of Joshua Otiss Jun buried this afternoon, one of them a boy named Insign, the other a girl named Charlotte. 2 lst. James, my Self, Lot and Francies mowd in the I-Iubbe meaddow. Daniel Seems to be Very Low and Weak. 22nd. James, my Self, Lot, Francis, and Daniel Cerlow Mowd on the Hubbe Meadow. The Weather Very hot. Daniel Very Sick. 23rd. James I and Lot mowd on the I-Iubbe Meadow. We nished it. Daniel Seems a little better. John Elmes is Very Sick. 24th. Lot and I mowd the Strip by the beach. Father and Franc. Raked on the I-Iubbe Meadow. 25th. James and I made Cyder for him. This is the Second. Father and the Boys Raked on the I-Iubbe meadow. We are in hopes that Daniel is growing Better. John Elmes they Don't Call any better. There is little hopes of his Ever going abroad again. Johns Wife is Sick with the Same Disorder tho not Extream bad. Daniels Wife and Youngest Child Namely Azotus are poorely; with the Same Disorder to wit the bloody ux. Capt. Noah Otis Lost a Child. It died with the Above Sd Disorder this Week.” (End of Diary). This is only a small part of the diary. Everywhere in the diary there is manual work nearly every day, Sunday excepted. of course. Earlier in the diary, Israel. his father, his brother Daniel, and many of his friends and neighbors spend weeks cutting the new hay with scythes, raking it in the elds day after day to cure it. and then hauling it to the barns for storage until winter. Just before the haying season began, Israel and his friend Amos joumeyed on horseback to see Israel's homesick sister who had recently married and moved west to Chestereld, Mass. in the west-central part of the state. That journey to Chestereld took them from May 24th to June 7th when they were back in Scituate again. Today he probably would have done it in a day. As for what Israel called the “bloody ux”, it really was an aggravated form of what we know as diarrhea, or stomach u. Having no ways to really ght the bloody ux, other than rest and home-made concoctions, many people su"ered excessive discharges of uids from their bowels, became dehydrated, and often died as a result. Often having drinking water contaminated. using drinking utensils someone carrying the germ had used, and practicing sanitary procedures in the washing of dishes, hands, and other procedures which would put us modern folk to horror, various sicknesses were passed around with regularity. The same situation is true in many Third World nations today, with the same result. It almost killed Israel's brother Daniel. but he went on to live a long and illustrious life. It did kill his best friend, John Elmes. There aren't many hayelds le in the West End these days. Charlie Bartlett, who, like Israel Litcheld long before him, had been mowing hay during summers since a boy. mowed those that were left with modern equipment. The death of Charlie Bartlett last December means the job must now be done by his sons, who, like Israel Litcheld of long ago, watch the brown of winter turn to the magic green of spring and summer, and plan the hay harvest that helps feed their horses. Getting in the hay, won'ying about the bloody ux, keeping in touch with friends Scituate Historical Society p. 3 . January and family, attending church and reecting on His power and majesty, to say nothing of concerns about the British, those were the major concerns of July and August in Scituate, Mass. in 1775. How far we have come. How fortunate we are. How much have we really changed as human beings, though? Aren‘t work, family, religion, politics, worry about sickness, and trying to enjoy life a bit what we humans are all about? Nothing like a glimpse into the past to make us think about it. Jed Fitzgerald (article written April 16, 1994)

O , O O O in. ~, 0 0 1 ll! 0 on’-1 lt may come as a surprise to some readers that the idyllic mountain retreat described in the advertisement and photographs from last month’s issue stood only a stone’s throw to the left of what is now the entrance to Scituate’s landll, immediately across the Driftway from the Scituate Historical Society’s new Maritime and Mossing Museum. The back half of the hill continues even today to yield up its sand and gravel to mammoth earthmoving equipment, and soon will be no more.

But back, for a moment, to Mr. Eaton’s hotel. A newspaper article dated August 11, 1877 reported on what it described as “Summer Festivities and Musings by the Shore”: Scituate ‘tripped on the‘ light fantastic toe’ last Saturday night to gay music, and merry laughter sounded and fair faces itted through the halls of Colman Heights Cottage. Some young gentlemen from out of town were enterprising enough to start a ‘hop,’and it was a success if one may judge from the opinions of all present. ...The order of dances were neatly printed on lavender paper. with red and white ribbons for the button-hole, and the last dance was nished by the witching hour of twelve, so that even the most illiberal old croaker could not nd fault with the merrymakers on the score of the Fourth Commandment.

The dining room was used for dancing. ...The oor was highly waxed and looked dangerously slippery to one unaccustomed to dancing... Scituate may certainly wll boast of its pretty girls, and of their good taste, for although I was not near enough to judge of the material of all the dresses, they were pretty and exceedingly stylish. ...Two very pretty young ladies were dressed, one in white muslim over light blue silk, and the other in dark blue silk, with silver trimming. ...Taken as a whole, the affair was a great success, and the committee are to be congratulated.”

The initial popularity of his hotel venture soon encourage Mr. Eaton to dream of even greater triumphs. Having laid out plans for a sprawling Colman Heights residential development on the rolling terrain immediately below and behind his hotel, he invited the people of to come out to Scituate on specially chartered trains one ne summer’s day in 1871 for a free bowl of chowder and a rst-hand look at “the most magnicent river and ocean view in the world.” Upon arrival, each visitor was given a prospectus showing a map of “seaside cottage lots,” each fronting on a system of roads and at least one broad avenue, all within sight of what was expected to become the oommunity’s scenic centerpiece: a man-made body of water to be named Lake Hatherly. Each lot was offered at a price of $400.

Unfortunately, there seem to have been few takers. The project came to naught, and even the main hotel, perched as it was on the top of a rather inaccessible hill, eventually came to be known as “Eaton’s Folly.” Later, the hostelry was taken over by a Mr. A.M. Clement, and, nally, by the Boston Sand and Gravel Company. It had been largely abandoned for several years before vandals put it to the torch early in the evening of June 25th, 1918. Margaret Cole Bonney recalls the night Scituate Hhtorlcal Society p. 4 January of the re in her book “My Scituate.”

But time marches on. What lies ahead for the area once known as “The Colman Hills” -- a place where Wampanoags camped, lovers walked, and a Boston developer dreamed of building a world- class seaside resort community‘? Soon, Sunday duffers will be striving mightily to lift their golf balls out of sand traps in an area which, following the depredations of the Boston Sand & Gravel Company, came to be known for many years simply as “the pits.” In due course, a municipal clubhouse and activities center is likely to rise near the site of the mill where the Boston Sand & Gravel Company sorted and processed its products and sent them coursing down chutes to barges waiting on the opposite side of the Driftway. The unlikely crest upon which William Eaton chose to build his hotel will probably continue to be whittled away until it nally disappears both from sight and memory. And, if the Metropolitan Boston Transit Authority has its way, the landll -- an area Eaton dreamed of lling with tree-lined streets and quaint country cottages -- will soon be capped and replaced by a busy railroad station, ovemight train storage yard and a commuter parking lot. One can only wonder what Joseph Colman, the shoemaker who lent his name to this lovely neighborhood back in 1638, would have thought about all of this, and Mr. Eaton as well. In this imperfect world, “progress” does not always come as an unmixed blessing. imt%Jarvis M. Freymann (article written November 2, 1996)

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|!.,, Ngggs lln Sunday, llecemher 8, I996, members of the Chief Justice Cushlng Chapter of the llllll attended the lllth Ilnnluersarg of the Colonel Lothrop Chapter held at the Lighthouse Keeper's llouse In Cohasset. lllso In attendance were the Massachusetts State Regent and other offlcers, State llepresentatlue Mary J. Scltuate Historical Society p. 5 January 3% 7 5__€i_i__ _ -»- — 77

Murray, and other Massachusetts Chapters. Citations were presented and read by the State Representative from Governor llield, and the Massachusetts State Regent, Mrs. Betty lliaiie. Ii brief history of the Chapter was given by the Cohasset liegent, and David llladsivorth gave a brief history of the Lothrop family.

Dn Thursday, December l2th the Chief Justice Cushing Chapter held their Christmas meeting at the home of Mrs. Duncan Dates Todd. Ih' 1- -- m’ ~-.-8 n By 1750 the west end of Scituate grew from a few scattered farms in 1700 to a growing community of farmers and craftsmen. Deeds from the mid-18th century give us an imaginative picture of planting fields, pasture for livestock, and all important woodlots for lumber and fuel. As the second generation of early west enders came of age, marriage often brought generous land grants that ensured that growth was in the future. In 1750 Henry Merritt purchased land on present day Grove Street and built a cape style home that still stands today. The Merritt family would continue to grow and prosper especially along the upper half of present day Clapp Road. Family notables such as Captain Consider Merritt, who served in the Revolution and was also a master mariner, as well as Deacon Seth Merritt, who was a minister in the Old Sloop Church, called the west end their home. In 1768 Daniel Damon, who married ]udith Litchfield in 1741, built a cape style home on present day Clapp Road near Deacon Seth Merritt. Daniel was by trade a housewright and built many homes during his lifetime. He was described by his fellow townspeople as a man of distinction who was involved in all aspects of town affairs. Aside from building homes Daniel also enjoyed the political arena. Together with his son Joshua, Daniel embraced the patriot cause of the 1760's and served as a private during the Revolution. In 1780 he was appointed a member of the Massachusetts legislature. In the same year he served as a special delegate to the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention. In 1790 Alexander Clapp married Bethiah Litchfield, daughter of Capt. Daniel Litchfield. The newlyweds were given land by the bride's father on the west corner of present day Summer Street and Clapp Road. Alexander Clapp built a half-style dwelling and along side a blacksmith shop where for many years he ran a successful business. The house and shop subsequently passed to Alexander's son loseph, who later distinquished himself as a master mariner and shipbuilder. The house no longer stands. Until ten years ago the cellar hole, lined with cut granite and fieldstone could be found well hidden among sumac trees. Alexander Clapp's house and shop defined the four corners that make up Clapp Road and Summer Street, hence the name Clapp's Corner. In 1793 Elijah Litchfield purchased from his father-in-law lames Litchfield six acres of land for the purpose of building a house. One year earlier Elijah had married his cousin Elizabeth. The following year Elijah finished a half-cape dwelling on the northeast corner of present day Summer and Clapp Road. Over the Scltuate Historical Society p. 6 January years the half-cape would become a full cape. The house would be passed down from generation to generation with Ray and Lillian Litchfield living under it's hand hewn beams today. In 1796 Samuel I-Iyland moved his family of five from what is today Fourth Cliff to present day Cedar Street. Samuel purchased a house that had been built eight years earlier by Caleb Newell, who had purchased the lot from Capt. Daniel Litchfield. Debt had forced Newell to sell his west end property. Despite being a newcomer to the west end, Samuel's family name was far from new in Scituate. Freeman Thomas Hyland arrived in Scituate from Tenterden, Kent, England in 1638. Settling first along present day Kent Street, Thomas soon settled in the section where he maintained a farm. Samuel Hyland, who had married Hannah Studley in 1781, settled in their newly purchased home in 1796 busying themselves in farming and shoemaking. Hyland descendants would continue to live on present day Cedar Street until 1991. As the 19th century approached, a new generation of west enders were preparing to establish themselves. Armed with a strong work ethic, they would soon encounter changes within their town, as well as, events concerning the new nation. David Corbin

THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROUS SUPPORT

~'°"N NELSON BOB BURVVICK 545-5550 NORDIC SONS y,,,'q,,¢ gmom _1¢w¢1,y Raymond's Paint and Wallpaper, Inc. Q _" ' Kitchens ‘N’ Counters Too 1 17 DRIFTWAY scnuxrs. MA 02040 HINGHAM LUMBER COMPANY, INC. //I-. .. .,.t,; _=< i _“_____,_ Quality 0 4 BROOK - STREET - BOX 528 “,';mc Makes The BUILDING unrsnms FOR sveav ueso SCITUATE HARBOR, MA 02066 |1\|\ Dmrence (617) “$6778 AZIICAUIFIMIII 190 SUMMER ST. ' HINGHMAMA 02043

(517) 545-4599 (900) 550-4599 FAX (517) 545-1123 Field & SonI Inc. CABINET SOURCE Solid Waste Systems AND LITTLE EFFORT SHOP scimZt2e’Fl$l):t553?; “We want every customer to feel like our only customer. ' Tel: 617-545-0016 545-1 000 TOM DUNHAM 132 FRONT STREET FAX; 6] 7_545_5g|() Kathleen M. Field 21 Garden Road Owner SCITUATE, MA 02066 Treasurer Scituate, MA 02065

BZ’l?A1'1Z2°8"° cm. 5‘5'"55 — _ i1z_<>¥Z>sb}/ __— LWE25267 ,7*\/\“’/ Cottage Farm Studio YOUR AD COULD i 5,} .5'7 >9 Paintings 8: Antique~ Frames | BE HERE! Scituate, MA 02066 Industrial

Fax: (511) 545-4950 Commercial 1 317-545-0159 Members please support the businesses that support us l!!! Thank you to all who_sent in responses to our last month's mystery photo. We had several correct answers, but the rst correct response drawn was trom Ava Vitall. She correctly identied the photo as Lighthouse Road facing toward the liithouse. Congratulationsll

Scitmte l-llstorlcal Society p. 7 January

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guide ' February.&m;mzsecond month of the year. The name was derived from Archives Comer the Latin word februa. signifying the festivals of purication Mnmme/Moumg celebrated in ancient Rome during this month. It was not App,“ originally included in the Roman calendar. which began with March. According to legend, King Numa Pompilius (ourished 99""? °' "'= 715-672 bc) added the month of January at the beginning of the year and February at its end. The latter was placed in second Who Wu John position in the Roman calendar in 452 bc. February was 1"-"'°°ml>‘? originally 29 days long. but one day was later transferred to the “non common month of August. It is now 28 days long in ordinary years. a 29th day being added in leap years. Notable holidays win: wu Scituate celebrated in February include the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln "1" 1°° Ye-1' W on the 12m and George Washington on the 22¢ which are now p,.,,me,,t-, “Inn celebrated together as Presidents’ Day on the third Monday of the Volunteer or the month. m°'m' Saint Valentine's Day, February 14. a holiday honoring lovers. gndlotg 111013! The holiday probably derives from the ancient Roman feast of Lupercalis (February 15). The festival gradually became Scituate Historical Society p. 1 February associated with the feast day (February 14) of two Roman martyrs. both named St. Valentine. who lived in the 3d century. St. Valentine has traditionally been regarded as the patron saint of lovers.(This information came from Encarta 94 - Microsoft) HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Archives Comer Excerpt from “Land Grants - 1633” “The first Book of Records ye first part

A grante of Landes by the ffreemen of Scituat in order as ffolloweth 12th of April 1633. to Mr. William Gillson upon the second Clif " 5 ackeres of upland & marsh more or lese, the Marsh Answeringe to the line of the upland; extendinge at the easte end to the uttennost parte of the Clife at the west end to the Chanell; Anthony Anabels Land Joyninge to his North side & Edward ffosteres to his south. second of August 1633: to. William Gillson: the second Lot on the south side of stoney brooke beeinge ffower Ackers more or lese bownded with the Easte Line upon the heywvay continueinge fowre score Rod from thense into the wood on the North side bownded with Edward ffosteres lot & on the sowth with I-lenrey Rowlees Lot

To William Gillson ffowe score Ackeres of upland besides the Marsh Land (which is given to him allso) all & every white of it adioyninge to the upland upon the easte side; and sidinge with the River on the south. beginninge at a great Rocke & extending to the end of Eight score peaches [‘?] for his lengt; his bredth from the foresayd Rock North ward onto a swampe or Clumpe of peynes by the swampe seyd towardes Mr. I-latherleys Boundes answerable to which Wiedth is the other end allso” ##8##!**##*#*##*#*#**####¥**#**####*#********#*##*#*###*#**#*###****#*####8##!!!***# This material, in the original handwriting, was taken from Vol. I of four volumes being published by the next N.E.I~I.G., and we expect this first volume to be available by March. More of this land grant material month. Dorothy Clapp Langley

. Scituate Town Archivist

I100 1.1“. E 1 It is nice to know that the James I-louse opening is progressing very well. We have been meeting regularly and working very hard to envision what each of the rooms will be like and what we want them to contain. As you may be aware, the whole downstairs area will be devoted to mossing and maritime history. Many of the objects to be displayed are already owned by the Society, but from time to time we may make an appeal for special items.

Scituate Historical Society p.2 February For instance, the Captain’s Room at Home, (upstairs) on which Glen Fields and I are working, already has some beautiful furniture ready to put in place. Among others, we will be featuring a secretary/desk from the home of Captain Ichabod Cook, and an oil portrait of Captain Ezra Vinal. However, we have need for a rug or rugs for the floor, andirons for the replace, and (dreamer!) a clock (either mantle or wall) to complete the room. The time period is late 1700 early l8()0 for pieces which would be appropriate. If anyone would like to donate or loan any of the above, we would be most appreciative. Many of you may have items (furniture, letters, photos, other kinds of artifacts) in attics, barns, or garages. Of course, monetary donations that would go toward the purchase of an item or to set up a display would be

wonderful as well! A

We are particularly looking for photos of old Scituate. Especially those that show shipbuilding, shipwrecks, or mossing, because the focus of the museum will be in those areas. Pictures tell stories and would be perfect to put on video tape, thereby preserving the originals for the owner to retain. Please speak to Dave Ball or Fred Freitas about “loans” for changing exhibits.

Carol Miles and Glen Fields

Mr. and Mrs. Horatio G. Reed and family moved from Marshfield to Scituate in 1851. They lived in a house on Meeting House Lane near the Union Cemetery. Mr. Reed was a surveyor who had an office in Boston. He took the stagecoach from Scituate to Cohasset to get the train to Boston. He did a lot of surveying for the railroads that were being built around Boston.

I was privileged to read Mrs. Reed's diaries which she kept from 1865 to 1881. She notes, “ Nov. 15, 1869. Husband went to Town Meeting about the Railroad." ”May 28, 1870. Mr. J. Adams was here for dinner. He and Husband were walking over the road for Railroad." They were laying out the route the Railroad would take when it was extended from Cohasset to Duxbury. During the hot summer months June, of July and into August of 1870, Mr. C.O. Stearns and Mr. Reed surveyed the route for the Railroad. Mr. Steams boarded with the Reeds frequently. Then on November 19, 1870, Mrs. Reed writes: “Husband gone to Boston. They gave him the contract to build the Railroad today." Now Scituate, Marshfield and Duxbury would become part of the South Shore Line which ran from Braintree to Duxbury.

Right away the wooden stations were built and the tracks laid. There would be one more station in Cohasset - the Beechwood; four stations in Scituate - North Scituate, Egypt, Scituate, and Greenbush; and four stations in Marshfield - Marshfield Hills, Sea View, Centre Marshfield, and Webster Place on the Duxbury line. The line was completed in 1871-72. Mr. Reed was right on the ball. The largest station was Sea View. It was a two—story building with living quarters for the station master on the second floor. All other stations were of similar design. North Scituate had a new enlarged stucco station built in 1909.

The greatest feat was the building of the Railroad bridge over the North River. It is said that through some miscalculation, the first pilings sunk and disappeared in the mud but the correction was quickly made and work progressed. Scituate Historical Society p.3 re.|.....,, lt is interesting to note that the man who brought the Railroad to Scituate in 1871 lived among us. Mr. Reed passed away here in 1880. Margaret Cole Bonney 1997 §.n§sLl£‘h.Q;i§ Special thanks to Phil Weeks for all his hard work in updating the Historical Society's brochure. For months Phil worked on adding new sites and information and taking up-to-date pictures to make the brochure the work of art it is. Stop by the Laidlaw Center and pick up a copy today.

Thanks to Glen Fields for the linen wall hanging of Smuggler’s Map of Kent & Sussex . England, that she picked up at a yard sale.

To George Downton thank you for that beautiful model he made of the Steamship Portland. It will be placed on display at the Maritime/Mossing museum when it opens, but for now it's in a display case at the Laidlaw Center. Stop by and take a look!

Thank you to Lorraine Quinn for the use of her Lucien Rousseau era photos of Irish Mossing.

That there is only one known example of a grain chest to survive from the seventeenth-century America! Once they were extremely common in grist mills everywhere, but they have succumbed to moisture from millraces. rotting grain, and rodents and insects. Where is it you ask? Smithsonian or Boston's Museum of Fine Arts? No. it's right here in Scituate in the Laidlaw Center. It has suered from all the above hazards and is substantially intact. “It descended in the Stedman. Russell. Stockbridge, and Clapp farmlies of Scituate, successive owners of a tidal grist mill. which. though many times rebuilt. still stands on the Herring Brook Pond in

Scituate.” -

According to Worlidge’s Dictionarium Rusticum (London, 1668), two terms may have been aplied to a heavy storage chest of this type: “binn.” defined as “a place made of Boards to put Com in”. or “garner.” dened as “a granary to put Corn in”. Come in and take a lookll 1991222529 $100 was voted to grade the East Grammar School Yard and Common; the many cart paths across it were to be discontinued. and only the two roads were to be used.

$250 was voted to concrete the cellar at the Hatherly School.

“Katzenjammer Kids.” rst American comic strip. begun by Rudolph Dirks

William McKinley inaugurated as President of the United States. Scituate Historical Society p.4 February 1 i — ~ i l I'— 7 hg was Jghg B, ggggml (This is a continuation of the story of John B. Newcomb by David Corbin see Deoember’s newsletter. ed.)

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. _...;>;,=,.I@$.<' .. - ~:- ?.;:; " V. ",--.,;.-,_:<__?j-" ;;_».§> j;_§Y7- §.;_Y.__-,.- E‘ .- in 1827 still stands on Mann bot Rd, next to the Baptist -1- church 5;. ':.~~=r' parking lot.

John did not follow the sea as his father had done. As shipbuilding began to decline on the North River, many young men in the mid-19th century began to find work in the shops and factories that produced shoes and boots. In 1861 John and two North Scituate friends, Charles and Asahel Nott found work as bootmakers in a shop in Taunton, MA.

On April 12, 1861, South Carolina artillery batteries began bombarding the federal military installation out in Charlestown Harbor known as Fort Sumter. Following the surrender of the fort President Lincoln issued a call for 75,000 volunteers to assist in suppressing those southern states in open rebellion against the federal govemment. The Commonwealth ol Massachusetts, thanks to the foresight and efforts of Gov. John A. Andrew, was well-prepared to meet the call. As early as 1859 Andrew had believed that civil war was a growing reality. He rallied state politicians to revive county militia units and by I860 Boston’s own Columbia Guards were drilling on the Boston Common. When war came in the spring of I861, Massachusetts was prepared.

On June I5, 1801, John Newcomb and Charles, Asahel, and Hosea Nott along with twenty-two other “""" Scitmte boys enlisted in the 7th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Co. K. in Taunton. John’s older brother George had already left Scituate for Washington D.C. where he volunteered in the medical corps to assist in the field hospitals.

Pvt. Newcomb and the rest of the Scituate volunteers received their basic training at Camp Old Colony in Taunton. One month laterfound the 7th Massachusetts in Washington encamped at Kalorama Heights, Georgetown, as part of regimental founder Darius N. Couch’s brigade.

The spring and early summer of 1862 found the 7th Mass. participating in Gen. George B. McClellan’s Pemnsular Campaign..Pvt. Newcomb missed most of this as he was recovering from sickness at a hospital in Young’s Mill, Va. He rejoined his regiment on June 27th and was present when his regiment was held inreserve at South Mountain and in September at Antietam. On December 13, 1862, his unit was again held in reserve at Fredencksburg, , where they watched as brigade after brigade of Union troops slaughtered as they tned to take Marye’s Heights above the old colonial town. Rebel troops with muskets and cannons and protected by a low stone wall mowed down column after column of Union soldiers. Fredericksburg was a horribly, bloody loss for the Union. Little did the 7th realize that in five short months they would be selected to lead the final assault on the same field where so many brave men had fallen.

In the spring of I863 President Lincoln appointed Massachusetts own Gen. Joseph Hooker as commander of the Aimy_of the Potomac. In his push toward Richmond Hooker was stopped at a crossroads called Chancellorsville where confederate generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson routed his army.

As part of Hooker’s 6th Corps, the 7th Mass. was ordered to lead the attack on the same heights above Fredericksburg where so many Union soldiers killed. While regimental and national colors snapped in the wind, fife & drum with bugle mixed in called for the advance. Line officers shouted “forward” as the 7th

¢ Scituate Historical Society p.5 February Mass led the attack up the hill toward the waiting Rebel guns behind the stone wall. Within minutes the 7th Mass. with 25 boys from Scituate advanced at fixed bayonets into a hailstorm of musket and artillery fire. ln less than 20 minutes the 7th Mass. sustained 40% casualties. A second assault proved successful as the survivors of the 7th Mass. together with the Sth Wisconsin and the 6th Maine Volunteers carried the Rebel works.

Among the casualties of the day was Pvt. Newcomb. He suffered a shell wound to his thigh and was carried from the eld. He was taken to the regimental hospital at Potomac Creek, Virginia, and cared for along with the others who had fallen. Four days later on May 7th Pvt. John Newcomb died of his wound. He was not quite 23 years of age.

His father arranged to his son’s remains retumed to Scituate. Pvt. Jolm Briggs Newcomb was laid to rest in the family plot in what was then known as North Scituate Cemetery.

One hundred and thirty three years later he and the 39 other Scituate residents were remembered in a Veteran's Day ceremony. David Corbin

(Follow the exploits of other Scituate men in the Civil War as next month David writes about Israel Damon. ed.)

Many newcomers to the town erroneously call this common the “town common.” It is not. The town common is locateduwhere Common Street and Stockbridge Road meet. At the Special Town Meeting (a committee had been established to solicit subscriptions for a park the previous year) that met on December 13. 1916. it was voted that the town raise $10,000 for the building of a Soldiers and Sailors monument on land that had been called “Old Meeting House Lot or Church Common.” After about 2 and 1/2 years of discussion (sometimes heated) and work Mr. Thomas Lawson had the honor of presenting the Memorial Park to the town on July 4. 1919. Under Mr. Lawson's direction landscaping work continued during 1920. In 1921 the Town voted to name the park “Lawson Park”. (For a complete history of the park see in Margaret Cole Bonney's book “My Scituate”. ed.) Besides£gkthe famous Lawson elephants and pool (another story in itself) there are six war memorials in Lawson Park. A diagram is presented below:(many thanks to Larry Langley for this diagram. ed.)

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Vlélmlvllbr I1 % What was Scituate like IQQ Years Agg? People often wonder what Scituate was like 100 years ago? Life moves on, but it is also true that if we wish to understand life now, it is useful to look back to an earlier time to perhaps get the present day focus a bit clearer.

Were things as expensive then? How did people survive who lost jobs or couldn't ever seem to hold one? Was Scituate just a farm town? What happened when the snow piled up in the winter? Did people just stay put? Did modern problems like pollution exist then? Were schools always a big budget item at town meeting each year? Were causes of death back then any different than now? These and many other questions can be answered, wholly or in part, by looking at the Annual Report of the Town Officers of Scituate in 1893. Copies of this are available at the Scituate Archives and the Scituate Historical Society.

Relatively speaking, things were just as expensive to people back then as they are to us now. The tax rate per $1000 of assessed value was $14, not far off today's rate. Article 28 on the warrant for 1883 was: “Will the Town pay $1.75 for a day of nine hours’ work on the highway, or act thereon?” Just a rough gauge to measure how much people were paid for manual work back then. Things cost less because people were paid less.

Expenditure of any locally collected tax monies was a big issue then, just as it is now. Support of the poor, what we now call welfare, was handled by each individual city and town from their own resources. There was no unemployment compensation, no Social Security, no governemtn programs for worker's compensation in case of injury, and no programs for poor and needy women, infants, and children. Aside from the school budget, which cost $6,158 in 1893, support of the poor was the next highest expenditure, costing the town $4,712.71. The Town Report of 1893 lists six full pages of expenditures which wholly or partially assisted needy persons in town. The Report lists the name of the person(s) and spells out what the payment is for, i.e. board, clothing, supplies, medical attention, burial, assignment to a mental institution (called lunatic hospitals or asylums in the Report), medicine, wood, coal, and rent.

Iudgine from the Annual Report of 1893, Scituate, apart from the commercial boating activity in the Harbor, was still very rural, with a population under 2,500, and composed mainly of farms. The Town Assessor of 1893 listed 446 horses, 333 cows, 143 sheep, 50 swine, and 7,908 fowl (chickens, ducks, and geese) in his report. Many Scituate folk raised their own chicken, had a cow they milked, owned a horse or two to pull their buggies or wagons, and some would raise their own pork or beef animal.

A century ago, snow removal and management of the roads during snowy winters was a challenge without all the high-powered equipment we now use. The town of Scituate paid $711 for snow removal in 1893. $288 in the snow removal budget was unexpended so, of course, the voters fixed the 1894 Snow Removal budget at $800. Most of the snow removal was shovelling the snow by hand into wagons at North Scituate and the Harbor. Then it was hauled outside of the villages and dumped. Road rollers, huge wooden rollers pulled by a team of horses, were engaged by the town immediately after snow storms to roll and atten the newly fallen snow. This enabled people on foot, people on horseback, or horse-drawn wagons to traverse the town's main roads fairly easily during the winter months. Article 30 on Scituate Historical Society p.7 j Fellnnry ._ iii _ v

rollers. The voters the 1893 warrant requested that the town appropriate money for road refused the request. T’ enough Environmentalists and others should note that apparently pollution was a big Warrant: "To see problem 100 years ago that the following article appeared on the 1894 Town from the towns of if the Town will appoint a committee to co-operate with the committees River." Added to Pembroke, Hanover, Norwell, and Marshfield to stop polluting the North a different sort this was the y and rodent problem associated with so many livestock in town, action was of pollution than we see today. Just what was polluting the North River, or what ever taken, the records do not show. the Town Report. Schools then, just as schools now, consumed the largest single tax item in entire Scituate The report of the Superintendent of Schools in 1893 shows 400 students in the item in the town school system. $5200 was paid for the support of the schools, the biggest $7 a week, budget. The School Committee reported in 1893 that it paid its Primary teachers The Committee thus much less than neighboring towns, and that it wished to increase this. requested an additional $300 for teacher salaries for the year 1894. now? Many Did people basically die from the same causes one hundred years ago as they do Paralysis of the of the causes of death recorded then are obscure or unfamiliar to us today. are some brain, marasmus, phthisis, general debility, asthenia, apoplexy, and Bright's disease have not caused of the more tmfamiliar causes. Diptheria and cholera, cited numerous times, There are now. death in Scituate for years. There were no vaccinations for these diseases then. failure was Out of total of 72 deaths recorded in Scituate in 1893, heart disease or heart the tongue. mentioned six times. The only mention of cancer was death by cancer to alcohol, medical Differences in diet, exercise, cultural habits such as smoking or drinking the cause of death, now advances, and differences in terminology used by doctors describing the differences which and one hundred years ago most likely account for the vast majority of to this the fact that exist between then and now in explaining what causes people to die. Add of reasons, then, automobiles, not in existence then, cause many deaths now. For a variety infectious diseases than people of Scituate 100 years ago, by and large, died much more from are the reason many people now do. Vaccinations and improved health standards in general Scituate now. of the causes of one hundred years ago are rarely, if ever, seen in don't tell the Old Town Reports offer us an interesting window on the past to peek into. They a century ago helps whole story, but you can learn much. Knowing something about Scituate long, way. us appreciate just how far the town has come. It has come a long, (written October 1996) . Jared Fitzgerald

March dinner meeting will be held on March 22 at the Congregational Church. The speaker will be Richard Cleverly, president of Hull Historical Society. His talk will be on Steamships, trains 8: Paragon Park. February Scituate Historical Society p.8 Longtime Senior Residents needed to Id photos

The Society needs the knowledge retained by Scituate Seniors to help us identify the hundreds of photos in our possession. These photos include people, buildings, scenes, etc. We are asking for volunteers to go through these photos for identication purposes. To be able to have a written record of who, what, when, where or why these pictures were taken and then to catalog them would be of enormous importance to the Society. Anyone interested in this project, please leave your name at the Laidlaw Center - 545-1083. Tell the volunteer you’re interested in working on the Photos Project. We are looking to begin this project around the beginning of April.

Midyear Newsletter .2 Evaluation } Our new monthly newsletter has just passed the half year - mark, so a brief evaluation of its effectiveness is needed. it wee my intent te make the New at the Laidlaw Center newsletter self-supporting with advertisements from leeal The Totebags finally arrived just before Christmas and bU$il16$S6$- At this P0iI1’t W6 they are beautiful! Both bags celebrate the artwork of e are not self-sufficient. The cost Carolyn Bearce. One bag has the lighthouse on one side for printing the newsletter is and Lawson Tower on the other. Both images are done $175 per mgnth with an in black and white and the cost is $15.00. The other bag additional Cast of $60 fer is of Scituate Lighthouse done in 4 colors. its cost is postage Does any member $16.50. We have a limited supply, so if yowre know of a business that would interested stop iii the Laidlaw Center any day.

gistlgtrgfee at ag o;atri:1:ur Also newly arrived are note cards. These notecards are g ' of ten early sailing boats built at or near Scituate. $100 per year or $60 for 3 half Engravings of drawings were done by Russ Humphrey. Year! If Ye" d°~ Please leave 3 These note cards, along with Carolyn Bearce’s message if°1' me at the Laldlaw notecards, are priced at $7.50 and would make Celltel beautiful gifts.

I would appreciate any Finally, remember the Society carries for sale a number E Qqmmentg 01- sugggsgng the of books, cup plates, tapes, prints, etc. about Scituate’s members}-up has regal-ding the ‘history. Sale of these all these items benefits the Society newelettel-_ De you like the - so please the next time you need a gift for someone . format? Is there a particular column you're interested in? 5‘, ea," e’ ah ia M M mud, in hub,’ e sud ‘Md M Something we're missing? phi"-up Mud “Ha” Please let us know. Editor- a Pa“ Fred Freitas - -7C - 51 - belie

Scituate Historical Society p.9 February £r_;§1s!s:.1_t.’.§_

The speakers for the program were Bill Carter and Tom Mulloy. These men have spent years researching and diving on South Shore shipwrecks. Because of their diving skills and artifacts found. they have been featured in several publications. On display at the meeting were many unusual artifacts from Scituate wrecks including a ship's whistle. hardware. pottery and a 73 lb. silver ingot. Both men will be assisting the Society as we prepare exhibits at the maritime and mossing museum.

We have set a target date of June 1 to open the museum. Committees have met regularly to plan the displays. We are also grateful to Pam Martell for her assistance. Pam comes to us with an impressive background. She planned the exhibits at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge. Ma. among other museum work she has done in Connecticut. so obviously her advice is highly valued. Stafford Short and and his aunt Andrea Hunt recently donated letters. documents. and an octant owned by Captain Ichabod Cook. These are important additions for the Captain's room in the maritime/mossing museum.

The Society has in its possession many photographs that lack any kind of identication. Many of these photos date back to the beginning of the century. We encourage residents to give us a call if they would be willing to help us in identication.

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Willard L. Thomes, alias Will, was born in Dexter. Maine. and came to the Roslindale section of Boston in 1924. Will attended Boston Public Schools graduating from Mechanic Arts High in 1939. He was employed by Boston Edison for 1941-1951 as a Meter Inspector. Will and his dad built a summer home on Fourth Cliff in 1941 after purchasing a lot of land from the Silver Sands Land Company. This would be Will's summer home until 1947 when they winterized it. From this point on it would become the Thomes’s family permanent home to the present day. Will worked 23 years for Precision Electronics of Marsheld until 1986 when he retired. This same year he became a life member of the Scituate Historical Society. Becoming deeply wrapped up in genealog. Will found that he was a direct descendant of Anthony Annable. one of the founders of Scituate, and also descended from John Stockbridge. of Stockbridge Mill. So Will has come full circle - from Scituate to Maine to Scituate again. Will volunteers Saturdays from l-4 and occasionally will sub for others.His major interests include history, genealogy and archaeology. Scituate Historical Society p. 10 February 1Qml21 THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROUS SUPPORT

Members please support the businesses that support us !!!! It looks as if we stumped you last month, for we didn't receive any correct guesses to our Mystery Photo. The picture was of the rst Egypt station on IL the rst run of the train around 1871. Better luck this month!!!!

$500 was voted for electric lights at the street corners along Main Street and Central Street between North Scituate and Scituate Harbor. (That's enlightening!)

A request was made for a fence at I-Iatherly School to separate the boys’ and girls’ playground areas: the school committee preferred “an imaginary line.” (An interesting solution)

A telephone was installed in the high school. (A teenager has been standing there ever since)

Mr. Edward Wilson, architect, offered to make plans for a new high school free of charge. (Are you listening High School Renovation Committee?)

TI-IE FIRST GIRL SCOUT TROOP WAS FOUNDED BY JULIET LOW IN GEORGlA.( George Downton. a man ahead of his times. tests the judicial waters by attempting to join.)

F.W. Woolworth Company founded. (Is that store in Cohasset that old!)

Scituate Historical Society p. 1 1 February Non-Prot Org. U.S. Postage P A I D SC!l‘UA'l‘B.MA.

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March Dinner Meeting

The March Meeting of the Scituate Historical Society will be held at 6:30 P.M. on Saturday, March 22, 1997. This will be a dinner meeting at the First Trinitarian Congregational Church 381 Country Way. The cost for the dinner will be $9.00.

We haw t° gm w <=h\1Y¢h 8 ¢<>\111¢ Of P=<>Pl¢ attending the dinner and we don't have too much time. Send a check made out to the Scituate Historical Society with your reservation to Laidlaw Historical Center, P.O. Box 276, Scituate, MA

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We have a most interesting program coming up at this meeting. Our speaker will be Richard Cleverly. Richard Cleverly is a historian and past president of the Hull Historical Society. His family roots in Hull go back to the 1700's. Mr. Cleverly has been a member of the Hull Fire Department for the past 28 years. He is a highly regarded and sought aiter speaker. He provides Town HistorylScience programs for every 5th and 6th grade student in Hull. ‘

His talk for our March 22nd meeting is titled: (HULL A GRAND TIME!) We'll learn about fascinating aspects of that town's past, including the Grand Hotels that lined the beaches, Paragon Park, and the trains and steamboats -that carried the customers to the town. One little fact we’ll tell you now. In -the 1890's, over l million people visited Hull each year. RESERVE EARLY Only the rst 175 reservations accompanied by payment will be accepted. Mail the form below to: Laidlaw Historical Center P.0. Box 276 Scituate, MA 02066

Scituate Historical Society p. 1 March issue

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“iv” QlEBM Encloaed ia my check ‘made payable to the Scltuate Historical Society for the dinner meeting on Saturday, January 25, 1997. NAME Number of reservations Amount of check $ Azchmsiam Exerpt continued from “Land Grants - 1633, . The First Book of Records”

The 12th of April 1633 (Anthony Amiable) To Anthony Annable upon the second Clife; of upland & Marsh Eight ackeres more or les the Marsh acordinge to the Line of the upland. bownded with the seea or utermoste parte of the Cliff one the Easte: continige to the Chanell in the Marsh on the North bownded towardes the First Clife one the sowth Joyinge on William Gillsones grant

second of August 1633 to: Anthony Annable; the sixth lot from the sowth side of the stony broocke contayninge fowre ackers more or les. one the Easte: bownded with the heyway extendinge fowre score Rod to the west in to the woodes: on the sowth bowndinge on the Meeting howse Comon: on the North on Henrey Cobe’s Lands [marginal note:] To this Lott is also added by the freemen some inlargement both in length and bredth answerable to the other lotts in length on this side north side of the meeting house lane May the 30, 1643.

20th of ffebrewary 1634 To Anthony Annable. twenty two Ackeres of upland Leyinge at the first Heninge Brooke bowndinge on the NOrth side with a Carte way on the sowth with Walter woodworths lot buttinge one end upon the Brooke soe named towards the weste & southerly; & the other end Limited with the Carte way.

[More next month] Dorthy Langley, Scituate Town Archivist.

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Qzapedullg ]an.7(alldt x Mani .9hcaad' (fwdia Jutlelifthgemnltcndgnulnghaxlull X This letter was given to Merle Brown in December 1996 as a historical spoof, to remind him that the 60 acres on the east side of Bound Brook at the inner harbor l of Cohasset was originally a part of Scituate. The Board of Selectmen were at the time discussing what to do with items and the land of Govemment Island, so called, [which really is a peninsular] for the benefit of Cohasset citizenry. The long story regarding this 60 acre “hot spot” may be found in the “History of Cohasset” under the Chapter “6O Acre I-lot Spot”. This exercise is pointing up some of the upcoming political clouds that are on and will be soon to arrive in the Colonies as they become more independent and strive for their own welfare.

Some differences are political, religious, territorial, and personal rights that are alluded too.

John Hallet was not a man to do a lot of writing, so liberty was taken to have his son-in-law, Richard Curtis write it for him. Hallet, owned marshland near the boundary line between the two colonies and would have been concerned that the Court would take some of it over - hence the outburst. Cohasset was at the time only a parish of Hingham, not a town as was Scituate. The feeling between the two colonies was barely tolerable and would have been violent had it not been for men as William Bradford. etc.

The Curtis family, being Separatists by nature, would be religiously tolerant to the Quakers as they were neighbors to the Chittendens over on the North River [Thomas Chambers and brother to Richard Curtis - William Curtis], who gave moral and nancial support to them.

The hint of a separation from the mother country by the colonies, when one reads about the growth of the colonies, can be seen on the horizon as omen of things to come. One needs to be aware that these people left their homes because of turmoil Q in England [ the Cromwell takeover, soldiers being housed in citizens’ homes without choice. extra taxes to support a peacetime Navy, and the religious massacres on going in England as well as Europe. on The fth year of King Charles II would be 1665 ve years before I-lallet's death.

. 0 0 l Bates Regional Reunion Saturday, April 12, there will be a regional meeting of the Bates Association to be held at the Little Red School House. lt is tentatively scheduled for all day beginning around 10 am. Anyone interested in the Association and this gathering please contact: Lauren DeLaney, membership chairman, Buzzards Bay - i 508-291-6032 or Duncan Bates Todd at 617-545-5736. Scituate Historical Society p.8 llarch issue

.___.__4--HQ-.._<-a--_._ — Special Thank you House. To Dick Curry for doing the plumbing and painting at the James Fields, and Dave Ball for painting at the James House. To Dave Corbin, Doug Reed. Totman Sr.. Russell Totman Jr.. Annie O’Donnell. Kelly To Russell the James House Brendan Murphy, Dave Ball and Fred Freitas for cleaning out cellar. all around man Finally to George Downton, supervisor, painter and general Friday at the James House. the Scituate Historical Society Ways to support our Historical Society is hoping to build its endowment to ensure The Scituate which payment is future. Gifts to the Society are tax deductible during the period in made. These gifts can be structured in a variety of ways. 0 Renew your annual membership <> Gift appreciated securities/stocks <> One time gifts of cash- special projects <> Planned gifts Gifts of land and real estate Life-income gifts Charitable IIUSIS Designated in wills

You may want to consult with your tax-advisor. In the meantime, if you have The Scituate Historical Society is developing a brochure on this subject. any questions, please telephone Charles Stockbridge at (617) 545-6187. Financial Committee Thank you. James House Update the Maritime/ Irish mossing museum is progressing and curators for The construction and painting at you diligently working on getting their rooms ready for a June opening. Thank each of the rooms are for the rooms. In people who have already come forth with loans or donations of artifacts to the many of North River, Scituate Harbor the shipbuilding room we have need for shipbuilding tools, pictures and any half-hull or regular models of schooners, whaling vessels or any vessels or captains, articts River with on the river. We are also planning to have a diorama of the North of the ships built in this area. If you yards and packet ships, but we need people who have an expertise shipbuilding of the shipbuilding room. can aid us, please call the Laidlaw Center and leave your name in care of $100 e for the James House we are asking for window sponsors. For a donation To help raise funds is dedicated to anc‘ plaque will be mounted on a window. It will have who the window small brass help us if you are able name of the person making the donation. There are 28 windows. Please the whom you wish the window tc Make your check payable to the Scituate Historical Society - note to

be dedicated. .

our appeal. Our society has man] We want you to know what a wonderful response we have had to mpeople, and we are grateful for all their support. vitally interested money to buy curtain: So far we have acquired the brass andlrons we were looking for, I must als< for the windows, and three oriental rugs (two smaller ones and one runner). donation of : mention the beautiful candle stand and two painted side chairs. The is an original pai vaseline Snanwich glass whale oil lamp is also greatly appreciated as andirons. Important personal letters from 1842, an octant, and : of Marching Soldier All thes Genealogy chart plus some photographs are now in the collection. Cook history. Than] artifacts will add greatly to the story we are trying to tell of our maritime March inn Scituate Historical Society p.4 you one and all ll

We would like very much to have the Captain Ezra Vinal portrait cleaned and refurbished before it hangs in the Captain's Room. An estimate about that will be forthcoming soon. Anyone who would care to donate toward restoration of any of our artifacts (books, clothing, photographs, letters, furniture and the like), can send their checks made out to the Scituate Historical Society to Glen Fields or Carol Miles. Please note that it is for restoration.

Thank you for your support. You will be very proud ofyour Maritime and Mossing Museum. Glen Fields and Carol Miles A Soldier's Letter Home The following letter was written by Israel Davis Damon who served in the Civil War as a private in the 43rd Massachusetts Volunteer Inntry Co. F. Davis, as he was always addressed by his middle name, was born in Scituate on May 9, 1844. He was the son of Israel and Susan (Farrington) Damon. The family lived on present day Old Oaken Bucket Road near Sherman's Corner.

In the summer of 1862, the 43rd Massachusetts was formed to ll the expected quota of nine month militia troops. On August 2, 1862, Davis Damon and forty six other young men from Scituate enlisted in Co. F. On August 23rd the odd assembly of farm boys, shermen, shoemakers, blacksmiths, store clerks, masons, house painters, caulkers, and professional students reported to Camp Meigs, Readville to begin training in the greatest volunteer army in American history.

After brief training, the 43rd shipped out of Boston on the steamer Merrimac bound for Beaufort, , which had recently fallen to Union forces under Gen. Ambrose Burnside. Upon arrival they marched to Newbern and set up camp two miles from the newly occupied city along the Trent River. The regiment became part of the lst Brigade, lst Division under the command of Mexican War veteran Maj Gen J.G. Foster. Co. F was under the command of Captain Charles W. Soule, who before the war worked as a trader in Scituate.

Pvt Damon and the rest of Co. F experienced their baptism of re at the Battle of Kinston on December 14th followed by engagements at Whitehall on Dec. 16th and Goldboro the following day. Through the ordeals the 43rd su'ered slight losses. Aer the Battle of Goldsboro which successfully pushed rebel forces back into the mountains of North Carolina, the 43rd marched 180 miles in rain, snow, and sleet back to camp at Newbem.

Since the regimenfs departure from Boston in November, Davis Damon wrote letters home to his family in Scituate. Luckily for the Scituate Historical Society the eighteen year old Damon wrote well and often gave vivid accounts of daily life in Mr. Lincoln's Army. Damon also experienced cultural shock as he attempted to accustom himself to the southern climate, people, and their peculiar institution - slavery. One thing is clear in his letters home and that was his conviction of why he was hundreds of miles from home ghting a war against his own countrymen. Though he missed his family and hometown, he believed what he was doing was right. On this new year of 1997 we read about a new year of long ago, 1863. A pivotal year in American History. Campagaa./Vau6aa.M.€. .MmchI7,I863

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The remainder of the spring of 1863 would nd the 43rd on an expedition to Trenton, N.C. In the spring they assisted in the relief of the town of Little Washington, which had been under attack by Conferate forces. In June Pvt Damon and 202 oicers and men volunteered to serve temporarily with the Army of the Potomac and were stationed at Sandy Hook, Maryland, during Gen. Robert E. Lee's invasion of southern Pennsylvania which climaxed with the Battle of Gettysburg. On July 30. 1863, Pvt Israel Davis Damon was mustered out of the service and returned to Scituate where he continued his occupation of farming. He later married Ruth (Turner) and had two children.

Mr. Damon was a lifelong member of the George W. Perry Post #31 Grand Army of the Republic in Scituate. He was present at the dedication of the Grand Army Monument at Lawson Park in 1917 and is present in many of the photographs recently discovered by the Historical Society and mentioned in last month's newsletter. Mr. Damon died at the age of 79 in 1923 in Scituate.

His wartime letters were graciously donated by Edith A. Damon of Scituate in 1985. They are presently being copied on computer disk by member David Corbin for preservation and research purposes. Thanks to the generous gift of a family member the Society has a fascinating look into one of the most turbulent periods of our history.

David Corbin

]o-an ./Kelaun

For thirteenyears Joan has been the Chairman of Membership assuming this role when the late Jim Duy retired. Realizing the need and importance of a strong membership, she worked diligently Scituate Historical Society p.6 March issue maintaining records, mailing out renewal notices, and writing an occasional late reminder to the Society's 700 + members.

Joan and her mily have lived in Scituate since 1978, and her service to the Society began aer she visited the historic sites on a spring tour in 1979. I-Ier love for the town and its history is reected in her work not only for the Society but in all her volunteer work.

In recent years Joan has kept a very busy schedule. A seasonal job as box omce managerl treasurer with the South Shore Music Circus, bookkeeper for her husband John's business, and election poll worker are proof of her strong work ethic. This in itself would be plenty, but Joan's contributions didn't stop here. She was treasurer for the local chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society and was involved with several activities at the Harbor Methodist Church, including role of Finanicial Secretary for many years. (She also chaired the famous Turkey Dinners for the Society's January Meeting!) Among the things she enjoys doing in her leisure time are Reading, crocheting, cooking, baking and traveling. One particular travel spot where she can get away from it all is Myrtle Beach.

Regretfully Joan has given up her job as membership chairman for the Society and her other responsibilities as well because of continuing health problems. But her contributions to the Society, her church and the town of Scituate will long be remembered. Joan says it was a pleasure to serve the Society and thanks everyone for the support and iendship given to her.

Joan thanks for a job well donel! King Philip 9 s War King Philip's War (1675-76) was the most destructive Indian War in New England's history. It was named for Philip (Metacom), the son of Massasoit and sachem (chie of the Wampanoag tribe of Plymouth Colony from 1662. Philip deeply resented white intrusion and domination. After maintaining peace with the colonists for many years, he nally became a leader in open resistance. Fighting rst broke out at the frontier settlement of Swansea in June 1675, aer which the conict between Indians and whites spread rapidly across southem New England, involving the colonies of Plymouth, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and, to' a limited extent, Rhode Island. Some tribes, including the Narragansetts and Nipmucks, became active on Philip's side; others gave valuable assistance to the whites. Indian raiding parties burned many New England towns (including Scituate) and killed or captured hundreds of colonists. Eventually, colonial forces imposed even greater destruction on the Indians, until nally all resistance was crushed. Philip himself was trapped and killed in August 1676. (This short history of King Philip's War by Douglas Leach might be helpful before reading the next article by Charlie Sparrell. ed.) Captain Michael Peirce of Scituate Most Americans with an interest in history are familiar with the Battle of the Little Big I-lorn in I876 but few have ever heard of the Battle of the Blackstone River exactly 200 years earlier. However, the coincidences between the two battles are striking. General George Custer and Captain Michael Peirce each rashly advanced onto unfamiliar ground under the mistaken belief that a small detachment of white troops was more than a match for any Indians they might encounter. Narragansett War Chief Canonchet and Sioux War Chief Sitting Bull were both able and experienced battle leaders operating within their native territories. In each instance White soldiers were ambushed by Indian forces outnumbering them by more then three to one and consequence was a massacre.

By the fall of I675, it was clear that a confederation of New England tribes was bent on destroying the English colonists who had been gradually pushing them out of their ancestral lands. The war that developed became known as “king Philip's War” although Philip, a Wampanoag Sachem, was only one of a number of loosely allied Indian tribal leaders. Philip had indeed renounced his Christian name and demanded to be known as Metacomet.

In January of I676, Captain Peirce made his will and settled his aifairs at his farm at the present corner of Country Way and Captain Peirce Road. In February, he le: for Plymouth under orders from the Plymouth Colony General Court to assume command of an infantry company. The company was composed of levies om each of the towns then chartered in Plymouth Colony. Scituate Historical Society p.7 March issue By March, the Narragansetts had begun systematically destroying farms and villages in Rhode Island and were threatening the adjacent Plymouth towns. Captain Peirce was ordered to the border and arrived in Seekonk on March 25th with 65 soldiers and dozen loyal Wampanoags from Cape Cod. Hostile Narragansetts had been reported to the west and Peirce set off in search of them at dawn on the 26th of March 1676.

As Peirce moved into the forest, he sighted a few Indians who repeatedly showed themselves and then disappeared luring his troops further to the westward. The soldiers had crossed the Blackstone River when they were ambushed by Canochet's war party. Realizing that they were heavily outnumbered. Peirce pulled his men back to the river bank to prevent being surrounded. A number of warriors then crossed the river upstream and cut o' any hope of escape. Captain Peirce, 14 other Scituate men and eight Marsheld men were among those killed that day.

Before leaving Seekonk, Peirce had sent a messenger to Providence requesting the Providence Militia Company to meet them at the falls of the Blackstone (just above the modern I-95 bridge in Pawtucket. R.I.). Since it was Sunday morning the captain of the militia company was in church and delivery of the message requesting assistance was delayed until aer the end of the service. However. it appears probable the battle was over before there was any chance of relief.

In April a force of Connecticut troops guided by Mohican scouts captured Canochet in the northwest corner of Rhode Island. Canonchet was taken to Stonington, Conn. where he was tried by a court martial and condemned to death.

Charles Sparrell

Sea Tragedy 1 861 During a storm in March. 1861, a vessel came ashore at Shore Acres and only the captain was saved. A schooner. the “Rialto”. with a load of lumber from Maine also came ashore between Third and Fourth Cliffs, and again only the captain was saved; his three young sons were lost. A week later, the “Harvest Queen” carrying wood from Buenos Ayres came ashore at Fourth Cliff. In the fall of that same year the “Nathaniel Cogswell” with a load of lemons and raisins from Malaga. Spain. was wrecked at Third Cliff.

President’s Column I know everyone associated with the Society joins me in wishing Kathleen Laidlaw a speedy recovery from her recent fall. She is recovering at South Shore Hospital. Get well cards can be sent either to the hospital or her home at 121 Maple Street. Scituate.

We are very fortunateto have Richard Cleverly as our speaker for the March dinner meeting. He is well known in Hull for his very interesting talks on aspects of that town's few know anything about. Fascinating stories about early Paragon Park, trains, and steamboats will provide for a very enlightening evening. Please reserve your tickets early. We had to turn down many people who waited to long for the January meeting.

How do you get a 350 pound freezer out of a basement? Get some kids to help! One of our goals is to involve young people in the Society. On February 16 Kelly Reed. Annie O'Donnell. Brendan Murphy. and Russell Totman Junior help us remove debris (including the freezer) from the Maritime Museum basement. Russell's father Scituate Historical Society p.8 larch issue help us clean as well as provided a dump truck to remove all the junk. They made short of work of lling three dump truck loads.

Elsewhere in the newsletter you will read about the tireless efforts of George Downton. Doug Fields. and Dick Curry. However. I want to take this opportunity to personally acknowledge their work. They have painted. plumbed. and run for supplies. Many thanks!

On May 15 our Society and the Norwell Historical Society will hold a joint collector's night. More details will follow in the April newsletter. Also coming up on April 17 will be a slide and talk program on Easter Island Archaeolog by Bob Furlong. Look for more details in April's newsletter.

We're looking for new ideas for fund-raising projects, use your imagination and come forward with a proposal. Dave Ball Barbara Clark was the winner of the quilt. It was presented to her by Kathleen Laidiaw and Maurine Upton.

THANK EmYOU FOR YOUR GENEROUS SUPPORT

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NC. Pilgrims: not icons but real people When we discuss anything having to do with Pilgrims, we usually have an unreal view of them. but they were human with all the same strengths and weaknesses that afflict us 300 years their senior. In a very interesting book “Plymouth Colony” by Eugene Aubry Stratton. he attempts to combine history and genealogl in telling the story of Plymouth. This book makes real these rst settlers of New England. Below I've excerpted a section that deals with Scituate people. “Whipping at a cart‘s tail while the cart was drawn through town was considered a more severe punishment than whipping at the post, and was used for aggravated oenses. . . . In Scituate on 3 September 1639 Christopher Winter was sentenced to be whipped at the post at the governor's discretion for committing uncleaness with Jane Cooper, whom he later married. For her part, Jane was sentenced to be whipped at a cart's tail, but Jane was apparently a woman with a past. In 1638 Winter had been ned ten shillings for engaging to marry Jane Cooper ‘contrary to order & custome of this govment.‘ He was also excommunicated from Mr. Lothrop’s church ‘for marrying of one Mrs. Cooper a woman of scandalous carriage, beeing vaine. light, proud, much given to scofng.’ He had been warned not to marry her and part of his crime was to have broken his promise that he would not do so. Interestingly. William Vassall and Timothy Hatherly, known for their liberal sentiments, and Goodman Raylings (probably Thomas Rawlings, but possibly Henry Rowley). disagreed with the decision to excommunicate.

Very strangely, on 4 October 1648 Christopher Winter ‘and his wife haveing been presented. the 8th of June, 1648, for haveing knowlidg each of other before publicke manage,’ paid a ne to the treasurer. Captain Standish. and were cleared. To be punished again ten years later for the same offence for which he had previously paid the penalty by being whipped. seems highly unusual. Could Jane have died, and Christopher have married another woman? “ Who knows. but what we see here is a picture not unlike the picture of modern society today where morals and family values are questioned.

“Bigamy, too, was found in Plymouth Colony. Nicholas Wade of Scituate in

I680 complained his daughter , Elizabeth had married Thomas Stevens not knowing of his earlier marriages. It appeared that at the time Stevens married her. he already had a wife at Boston. a wife and children in England. and another wife in Barbadoes. The court agreed that this was sufcient reason to dismiss Elizabeth from the aforesaid marriage bond. and it dissolved the covenant of marriage between them. Elizabeth was granted the liberty of marrying again. while Stevens was sentenced to be severely whipped at the post.” How come only he received the post and Jane the moving cart? Some things don't change with passage of time.

Scituate Historical Society p.10 larch issue Scituate Geography Mann Hill The following article was taken from the South Shore Herald. Vol. I no.3 August 27. 1880.

Among the very interesting places on the coast of Scituate is one long known as Mann Hill. It is a sort of promontory of considerable elevation, bounded by the sea. which in storms expends its fury upon the rocks on the edge of the shore. There is. also. a capital beach for bathing purposes. The elevated portion of the hill contains much good land for agricultural use. and here Dr. Josiah G. Graves. of Nashua. N.H. . has a considerable farm. well stocked with sheep and other animals required to carry it on. Here Richard Mann. the original planter. had his farm.

On the hill, Dr. Graves. some years ago. built an elegant villa facing the sea and commanding an extensive view of Massachusetts Bay and of towns at a distance on its North Shore. The Doctor. who passes the winter at the South. is one of the directors of the Seven-thirty Consolidated Mining Company. and President of the Texas Trunk Railway. He has named one of the stopping places on that road “Scituate Station”. thus affording a better opportunity to make the name of the old tovm known at a distance than it appeared to be. to members of Congress, when the claim for improvement of its harbor was presented. last winter. to the Committee on Commerce. There are several other handsome summer residences on the hill. erected a few years since, one by Dr. Ely of Iowa. one by Mr. henry Wood. formerly of Chicago. and another. scarcely surpassed anywhere. that of Mr. W. J. Mcpherson of Boston. The drive to the hill is charming through well-wooded roads. and one admirable one. but lately built. for the special accommodation of the above named residents and others. leading from Egypt depot to their several mansions. and we presume. in part. if not altogether at their expense. In a word. Mann Hill is a delightful spot. fortunately in the hands of those who can always be free of a crowd.

Rev. Samuel Deane. in his history of Scituate. published in 1831. says:

“Richard Mann (planter) was a youth in Elder Brewster's family. and came to Plymouth in the Mayower. 1620. He was one of the Conihassett partners in Scituate in 1646. His farm was at Man Hill ( a well known place to this day). south of great Musquashcut pond and north of John Hoar's farm. There is no record of his marriage here. His children: Nathaniel. born 1646: Thomas. 1650: Richard. 1652: Josiah 1654. Nathaniel lived in Scituate but left no family. In 1680 he made over v his estate to his brothers. Richard and Thomas and took a bond for support. This was on account of infirm health. Josiah deceased early or removed. Thomas had T children: Josiah. bom 1676: Thomas. 1681: Sarah. 1684: Mary. 1688: Elizabeth. 1692: Joseph. 1694: Benjamin. 1697. Thomas had lands in Rehoboth. and probably deceased there. He was in the Rehoboth battle with Capt. Pierce. 1676. and was ~ severely wounded. Richard had children: John. 1684: Rebecca. 1686: Hannah. 1689: Nathaniel. 1693; Richard. 1694: Elizabeth. 1696: Abigail. 1698.”

February Myltery Photo: Joan Handy correctly identified it aa Weat Grammar School congratulations! -

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HQDD.Y_.EQ§li£! The trustees and oicers of the Society would like to take this opportunity to wish all members and their families a happy Easter. We would also like to thank all the volunteers for all their efforts this year. Without all of your hard work. suggestions and support we would not be able to provide all the services that we do. So thank

you again and have a great Easter. -

James House Donations Thanks to the following people for helping us raise money for the Maritime and Mossing museum by “buying” windows. They are: Bob Corbin, Fred Freitas (2). Kathleen Stocketh, Bernard Mackenzie. Fredi- Dave- David- Elizabeth Carroll, Dana Richards (3), John Thomas, Lester Gammon, Joe Cardi, Carol Vollmer, Pat Mann, Glen Field, Barbara Lauer and the Eire Society of Boston. We also want to thank Nancy Kenney for her donation of $125 for the shipbuilding room in memory of her husband Jack. All regular-sized windows have been sold. We have one large window mullion (4 sections) that we would like to have sponsored for a donation of $400. We are also asking f6r $100 sponsors for each of the nine doors in the museum. A brass plaque will be mounted on the door indicating who the door is dedicated to and the name of the person making the donation. We again thank you for your support. Scituate Historical Society p.1 April

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f,\’\’\’ '\’\’\/ Archives Corner I would like to inform readers this month, in case you missed reading about it, of a genealogical research tool at the Carver Public Library. Their genealogical research computer lets residents nd their ancestors’ names with a few keystrokes. Using a series of computer disks called “Family Search”, just about anyone can nd their family's ancestral history, said librarian Joyce Upham.

“Just type in the name of the person you're looking for and it can give you your family's lineage.” she said.

“The program yields data on grand-parents, mothers and fathers, their children, dates and places of birth, christenings, deaths, burials and places of interment,” she said.

Upham recommends that residents call 866-3415 to set up an appointment and reserve time on the computer. There is no charge.

The set of 50 CD-ROMs includes ancestral records and a military index. Users can also search by country of origin.

The data is all veried information compiled by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints Upham said.

“It is a fully researched genealogical information,” Upham said.

(Article taken 'om The Patriot Ledger, Thursday May 4, 1995)

Next month: More of “Scituate Land Grants - 1633”.

Dorothy Langley. Scituate Town Archivist Notice Dick Curry. Scituate Historical Society volunteer and genealogist will offer an orientation/training course on the Genealogy Library at the Laidlaw Center. This is particularly for our volunteers but if you are interested, please call the Center at 545- 1083.

Ezra Vinal Portrait The portrait of Ezra Vinal is nearly two-hundred years old and over the generations efforts have been made to protect the painting from the ravages of time. At some point the canvas separated from the wood frame it was stretched on, and the painting was mounted on a new strainer. We’ re fortunate however to have the original gold frame which will be restored at no cost to the Historical Society.

After being given a preliminary cleaning the painting will be mounted on aluminum on a vacuum table. This process assures an even distribution of heat and pressure. The painting will then be cleaned again and inpainting will be done. (Unfortunately several attempts were made to wash Ezra's face and in some areas only the underpainting remains.) The portrait will then be given several coats of Soluvar, which is a non-yellowing vamish which can be removed with mineral spirits should the painting need cleaning again in the future. The portrait will then be remounted on its stretcher. The bulk of the work will be done by Elise Brink, who graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design and studied chemistry at M.I.T.. After graduation she apprenticed in the restoration department of the Childs Gallery in Boston. Liz Crosby will work with her on some phases of the restoration and will do the frame

restoration in its entirety. .

i Captain Elisha Merritt This April marks the birth of one of Scituate's great master mariners and shipbuilders. Captain Elisha Merritt was born 217 years ago this month in 1780. His maritime career spanned over fty years that saw the age of sail give way to the age of steam. Capt Merritt's descendants include the late Earl “Whit” Merritt who served the town of Scituate as Wiring Inspector for many years as well as being a longtime Scituate Historical Society p.2 April I.

member of the Scituate Historical Society. (Dave Corbin)

“Shipmapmlauwa¢lumaub¢tnudaqaw|duaudlaldhad¢IMm&n{anq.” E. Victor Bigelow

Elisha Merritt was born in Scituate on April 22, 1789. He was one of eleven children born to Captain Consider and Sarah (Beals) Merritt. Consider and Sarah were married but two months in the spring of 1775 when British Regulars red on the Minutemen on Lexington Green. Among the many Scituate men to answer the call, twenty-four year old Consider enlisted in Capt Samuel Stockbridge's company of minutemen.

When his term of enlistment expired, Consider Merritt returned to the trade he pursued before his enlistment, shipbuilding. In 1788 he built and became master of the 64 ton schooner “Favorite”. Built at Scituate Harbor, the vessel was involved in coastal trading under agreement with merchant Bryant I Stevenson. An excellent description of the Favorite can be found in the Merritt Genealogy at the Laidlaw Center. In 1800 Consider became part owner and master of the 60 "ton schooner “I-larriott”. At the turn of the century the new nation experienced a boom in shipbuilding especially in New England. On the local I scene shipyards at Cohasset Cove, Scituate Harbor, and all along the North River and other coastal towns were busy turning out vessels of various tonnage. It was during this building boom that Consider’s son Elisha entered the maritime trade.

Elisha may have began his maritime career working under his father’s guidance on the Harriott. It may well have been during this time that young Elisha established himself as a master mariner. In 1801 Elisha married Sabera Litcheld, daughter of James and Elizabeth Litcheld. James Litcheld built in 1783 a cape-style home on Clapp Road that in recent years belonged to Hal and Barbara Crosby.

In 1805 with a growing family Elisha purchased property along Clapp Road where he built a cape-style dwelling that still stands today. In 1808 at Cohasset Cove young Merritt, under agreement with Elisha Doane of Cohasset built the 23 ton shing schooner “Dolphin”. The summer of 1814 proved to be a dangerous one for New England mariners as the young nation challenged the might of Great Britain and her powerful navy in the War of 1812. New England commercial vessels were preyed upon by British I warships that cruised the waters off Scituate. On one occasion British marines were sent into Scituate Harbor where they set re to several shing vessels. That year Elisha became master of the 43 ton | k schooner “Zylph” built by Bela Bates and owned by Abraham Tower of Cohasset.

As master of the Zylph Elisha managed to elude the British warships as he made for the shing grounds off Newfoundland. The risks were great. If caught by the British Navy, it could mean conscation of the catch as well as the vessel. Also the entire crew, including the ship's master, might be imprisoned or

impressed into his majesty’s service. ~

I The end of Anglo-American hostilities on Christmas Eve 1814 brought hope that the new year would bring prosperity to maritime trade in New England. The various shipyards along the North River were soon busy lling commissions for schooners, brigs, barks, brigantines, ketches, and other vessels of various tonnage. Local shing eets revived and many of the whaling lords of and New Bedford looked to the North River shipyards to build new eets. I their

In 1816 Elisha went into partnership with his brothers Benjamin and Consider, the latter being known throughout the town as a skilled ironworker and blacksmith. Together with Freeman Litcheld, Samuel Hyland, Silvester Clapp, and Caleb Bailey the partnership built the 48-ton schooner “Union” . In 1819 Elisha joined the shipbuilding rm of Copeland, Ford, and Pratt. Their shipyard was located along the North River in South Scituate at Fox Hill, also known as Sunset Hill. In that same year Capt Merritt became master of the 55 ton schooner “Little Martha”, making many trips out to the Newfoundland banks. In I824 the shipbuilding partnership of Copeland, Ford and Pratt dissolved with William Copeland forming his own company. In 1825 Capt Merritt became master of the 73-ton schooner “Lagrange” under agreement with owners Lemuel Webb, Jesse Dunbar Sr., Jesse Dunbar Jr.. John Beal, Peleg Jenkins, and Simeon Bates Jr.. He remained master of the Lagrange until 1829 when he appears to have decided to retire from the sea to concentrate on shipbuilding.

In 1829 he built the 58-ton schooner “Elizabeth” for James Collier at Cohasset Cove with Capt Luther Jenkins, master. In 1831 Elisha built the 61-ton schooner “Ellen” at the North River. In 1837 he built the 40-ton shing schooner “Mozart” for his brother Francis. Throughout the 1840's Capt Merritt remained active in the shipbuilding business. He was a common sight in the shipyards along the North River and Scituate Historical Society p.3 April

t Cohasset Harbor, well respected for his advice on shipbuilding and his knowledge of the sea.

In 1850 at the age of seventy Capt Merritt was listed in the U.S. Census as Elisha Merritt- Shipwright. Whether he was retired or not is not clear. He was listed as living at home with his wife Sabera and his two youngest sons James and Joseph. In I849 Merritt sold to his sons “eleven acres of eld and pasture” along present day Clapp Rd. James and Joseph built two shops across from their father's house where they labored in the blacksmith and carriage making business. In 1854 James Merritt built a two-story farmhouse across from present day Bates Lane. Capt Merritt continued to live under the same roof he had built in 1805. His wife Sabera died in 1859. His last years found him in the care of his son Joseph.

On December 21,1863 with the nation in the throes of the Civil War, Captain Elisha Merritt passed away at the age of eighty-three. He was survived by six children. In 1995 while doing the research for this article I set out in search for Capt Merritt’s nal resting place. The rst logical cemetery I looked was Mount Hope Cemetery on Clapp Rd. My rst search proved iruitless. I then investigated Groveland Cemetery on Mann Lot Rd, again no luck. Doubtful that his family would have laid him to rest too far from his home on Clapp Rd and knowing that many of this descendants were buried at Mount Hope including his two sons, I decided to try Mount Hope one more time. Ironically, I was looking for another mariner when I stumbled upon his gravesite. Located in the older rear section of the cemetery, he was buried among the many he had known in life- Captain Daniel Litcheld, Josiah Litcheld, Samuel Hyland, as well as several members of the Whitcomb family. All in good company. A simple white marble stone marks his grave. The fading inscription gives no detail of what this man experienced and accomplished as one of Scituate's nest in it's long roll call of master mariners and shipbuilders.

David Corbin Mark Your Calendar NORWELL 81 SCITUATE COLLECTOR'S NIGHT: WHEN: MAY 15 WHERE: NORWELL TOWN HALL. 345 MAIN ST. NORWELL TIME: 7 P.M.

Collectors note the date and time! This is your chance to show your collection, see other collections and exchange anecdotes.

The Norwell Historical Society held a similar and very successful collectors‘ night last year. Now they want us to join them. Last year's collections included: books, toys, baskets, coins, postcards, clocks, etc.

Items will not be sold, but this night provides good contacts for future sales. If you are planning on showing a collection, please call Yvonne Twomey at 545-5578 no later than by May 1.

SOUTH SHORE ARCHEOLOGICAL SOCIETY MEETING AT THE LITTLE RED SCHOOLHOUSE

Ifyou are interested in the stone carvings on Easter Island. this meeting is for you!

On April 17 Bob Furlong will speak on the archeology of Easter Island. The program will begin at 7:30 p.m. There is no admission charge. 5

The South Shore Archeological Society has been meeting at the schoolhouse every other month since last fall.

a President’s Column The March 22 dinner meeting was a tremendous success. I want to thank the First Trinitarian Congregational Church for the use of their hall and the delicious meal that they prepared.

Our speaker at the meeting was Richard Cleverly, historian of the Hull Historical Society. He presented Lliislin: A Grand Time”. His talk gave the audience a fascinating look back in time at that town's colorful ory.

We are on target for a June opening of the maritime museum. I am indebted to all the volunteers who have worked so hard to keep the project moving forward. A tenant will be moving into the museum apartment on April 1.

Scituate Historical Society p.4 April To help defray some of the costs of this project, the Society is offering to you a unique way to become permanent part of the museum a or remember a loved one. Buy a chimney, window, door, brick, or a foot of outdoor deck. (Chimney (6)-$500, l large mullion window-$400, 1 square foot of the deck-$25 or a brick from the walkway at $15) Elsewhere in the newsletter you will nd an announcement of the joint collectors‘ night being by our Society and planned the Norwell Historical Society. This is a unique opportunity to meet society members across the South Shore.

Over the next few months I will include a short column that will deal storm with an important maritime or event. The rst such article is titled '°Minot’s Light Destroyed” --hope you enjoy.

A Dave Ball Minot’s Light Destroyed One of the most disastrous storms ever to strike this coastline occurred this month. 146 years ago Like many calamitous storms, it became known ever after as the Minot's Light Gale, since the storm toppled the rst Minot's light. It was not Blizzard until the Great of 1978 that a storm would produce a higher tide along the coast. The story of the destruction of the rst light starts with the construction design of the light. When it was determined a light was needed off the coast engineers of North Scituate, decided the most economical design would be a tower on began iron legs. Work in 1847 and the 80 foot tower was officially placed in operation on 1850. January l, Almost a once the keepers noticed the structure vibrated during storms. They to look at the only had design to know why. The leg supports were placed to close together and the keepers’ quarters made the light top heavy.

A Mr. Gordon visited the light on December 28, 1850. Gordon later said of his conversation with Keeper Bennett: “I was cooly told that it was very doubtful if it stood through this winter, as one of the supports had split the rock, and when a sea struck the house, it shook so as to take a man off his feet, and only a week before, one of the assistants was thrown from his berth by the shock of the sea, and a barrel of water was emptied of two-thirds of its contents by the oscillation.”

Another storm struck on Sunday morning March » 22, 1851. For 4 days the keepers struggled to keep the light burning. Because of the constant swaying of the tower they found it impossible to eat or sleep. The Odd Fellow newspaper published ' the following as a result of that storm:

“The Government can easily provide additional security to this now frail structure; and if it is desireable to have a light on Minot's Ledge, it is of vital importance, not only to the mariner, but to those who have bravery and courage to live in and keep it, that immediate steps be taken to aiford protection to both.” Scituate Historical Society p.5 April Three weeks later the horror of living on the light played out once more. John Bennett. the head keeper, had gone to Boston to purchase a new boat. The assistant keepers. Joseph Wilson and Joseph Antoine, were at the light to carry out the duties. On April 16 a storm of unequaled strength hit the coast. The keepers managed to keep the light burning until shortly before high tide at midnight. By then Wilson and Antoine knew they were doomed. Somehow one of them managed to write a short note, stuff it in a bottle and throw it into the ocean. Soon a wave higher than all the others smashed into the tower and quickly it fell into the sea. Wilson somehow managed to swim ashore, but later died from exposure. Antoine’s body was found a short time later.

A copy of the actual note will be on display at the new maritime museum. “5eligM6uu¢wuu’tatandauatanigM-aleaba§¢a2(edeaewaquau¢.”]‘lll¢K]a Dave Ball Mystery Photo Bill Eaton and Kathryn Hendrickson correctly identied last month's photo as Morris Pond. In January of 1960 Sally Bailey Brown wrote the following article about Morris’ Pond And there are some people who have never heard of Morris’s Pond! Spring, summer, fall and winter its changing loveliness made it one of Scituate°s most beautiful spots. water for a mill, he built Three htmdred years ago if a man didn’t have a colony of beavers and wanted a pond to supply no he wasn’t old then of a dam across a brook himself, helped out by a pair of oxen. In the 1600's old Mordecai Lincoln, was the middle one. course, built three dams across Bound Brook and made three beautiful ponds and Morris’s Pond Booth as you Some years ago the dam gave way and the pond is only a memory now and a meadow just below Ilill under Henry Tumer look west. The little brook meanders through it, nms back of the houses on Booth Hill Road, crosses over the darn, joins the Bailey Road and the railroad tracks and Counuy Way, merges with the waters of the third pond, goes “Crick” and so on to Cohasset and the sea. red maples reflected in Spring at Morris's Pond! The rst pussy willows, alder catkins, the brown elm blossoms and the fed by waters of the its blue waters, anemones, violets, cowslips, jack-in-the-pulpits and dog tooth violets down in the glen wasteways, and always the rst birds! Early in March, the robins, and the red winged blackbirds. the nests of the Canoeing across the pond, up into the head waters among the alder bushes you could nd, and look into red-wings. the Indian corneld Summer! If you were brave you could walk the eight inch plank on top of the dam and go over into comeld now with modem where wild strawberries and blackberries grew. Whortlebeny Lane runs through the middle of the to look, had a nest in a hollow houses on either side. And more birds! Nature’s masterpiece, the wood duck, if you knew where black-crowned [night] herons, tree. Mallards swam down stream with a line of little babies behind them, every evening a pair of to bed. On the farther with their raucous cry of “squawk” “squawk” flew in from somewhere for a last snack of sh before going edge of the pond a bittem bathed his feet and stood in solemn contemplation of the scene. The only near fatality in its three hundred years occurred aged 9 fell off the plank. Ilis little . . Bailey, - when David and >- the ice house for help I cousin Margaret aged 8, ran to ‘._ ‘.1 7 dz Scar-faced Charlie with a thrust of his long ice pick brought little David to the surface and Mrs. Israel Barnes Sr., who said “she didn't raise ve children on the edge of that pond without finding out what to do if they got drowned,” knew what to do and rolled him on a barrel and brought him to. Autumn! What color! Crimson and gold and orange reflected in the blue, blue waters of the pond, remembered only now who revelled in its 1 by the grey-headed men and women beauty and by the paintings of the late Walter Sargent who ‘ ' loved and painted each changing phase of it. Scituate Historical Society p.6 April Winter! Since Mordecai’s day there has always been a saw mill on the edge of the pond, and although you mustn’t get too near, Mr. Jo Morris didn’t mind you looked if and listened to the screams of the great logs as the saw bit into them and made them into boards. The water helped do it in some mysterious way. When folks got “tonic” and wanted ice, Mr. Morris built an enormous ice house near the mill. There were just two drawbacks to our wonderful skating. In February Mr. Morris cut the ice. It was fascinating to watch from a safe vantage point. Libie Litcheld xed something, not skates, to the horse's shoes and with a man guiding the saw the horse traveled up and down and across and cut the big blocks of ice-no, he couldn’t have gone across he would have fallen in. There was a long slide which the blocks were somehow made to go up and into the ice house, and then for the sawdust, showing that everything has its day even sawdust. Every cake of ice was covered with it, maybe to keep the ice from melting into one big htmk during the summer. The other drawback was that there was always a lot of nasty big boys who played what they called hockey all over the best part of the ice instead of skating with us girls. Sometimes you could nd a boy or two that would skate with you a while, sometimes you could go way up to the Falls, long before 3A cut across the brook. And sometimes if you were allowed to go skating on a beautiful winter night you had a wonderful view of Vega and Orion the hunter with his two dogs Procyon and Senms, the Pleiades, Aldebarm and the Sickle and the big Dipper, from a big rock at the head of the pond. Surely skating has its educational aspects. May Seaverns Dalby has just had her eightieth birthday, maybe you don't know that she was once our Sonja Heini and could play hockey with the best of the boys. We watched in admiration when occasionally some ‘old people’ skated. Mr. George Lincoln was remarkable and he must have been all of forty! Mrs. James Edwin Otis Sr. was wonderful. too when her three boys could persuade her to go skatin! She was probably pushing thirty-eight then. We could skate twelve months in the year now if we wanted to on manufactured ice, but where would be the thrills, the far away sound of steel on ice in the crisp air as the last skaters come down from the Falls- the gorgeous winter sun sitting in all its glory behind the Reed Farm, the whistle of the “quarter of ve” train coming down the grade telling us that the mail would be in when we got to the “Corners”, and we must hurry, mother would be waiting supper. Hurry, handsome brown lad eyed from Bulrush Farm, unbuckle my skates and take my hand and lets go. Sally Bailey Brown

THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROUS SUPPORT rows NELSON BOB BURWICK 545-5660 NORDIC SONS Unique Custorn Jewelry Raymond's Pelnt and Wallpaper, Inc. Kitchens ‘N’ Counters Too /1%!-),' SC,K,£§gmQ§m HINGHAM e...... ,,1‘ _‘~‘ LUMBER COMPANY, INC. '

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|i’;ZTA‘i"1§§°§a'd ‘.6663/256 Q 1 9 I-iii ¢;08by I in 6 L|c.#E26267 _ " namuciier B/».sI~iEr;/N)? Cottage Farm Studio - U Retail-Lzsbont-5upplicl up ~ I O 5 | I I ‘ / ,6 0°-‘ Paintings Bobbuzbave Hall & 5 Antique Frames 111 ' P.O. Box 756 Clappiieul , °TR\° Residential Cleaned Scituate, MA 02066 Industrial 8: Restored 5cituat¢,M48- Fax: (617) 545-4360 Commercial 617 5450159 (610545-5603 ... . Q TOTMAN Scituate Historical Society ENTERPRISES INC a(:¢o6t7-5456604 (M617-sasesss ' P-7 APYH

SCHOOL TRANSPORTATTON EXCAVATION Mardh S. Totman Rmeel B. Totman P.O. Box 22 P.O. Box 355 N. Marsheld. Ma. 02059 Scituate, Me. 02066 _ — *— é _ —‘u_ 1 "“7 " ' ‘ " 7 " ii‘ l

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Thank you to all those generous people who have bought windows, doors and replaces at the museum. All the money raised will be used for displays in the museum. We have 3 panels ( approx. 4 feet by 7 feet) located in the shipwreck and life-saving rooms that we are offering at $100 a piece. If the speed at which people have bought the windows, doors and replaces is any indicator. then these are going to go quickly. We have also divided the deck into one square foot sections selling at $25 a square foot. The bricks in the walkway are also being sold at $15 a brick. For your donation for a brick or a square foot section of the deck, you will receive a certicate indicating the brick or square foot you have sponsored. On the deck we will place a diagram (protected from the weather) showing the deck and walkway layouts and where a persons brick or square foot is located. If you are interested. please call the Laidlaw Center with your donation.

I think it's very important to realize how much work has gone into the planning of each room. A dedicated group of individuals has expended much time and effort in the physical preparation of the rooms by painting. cleaning, moving fumiture, raising money. etc. and in planning and laying out storylines and displays for each room. Under the tutelage of Pam Martell of Martell Designers-Craftsman Inc., who has offered her museum planning expertise at no charge to the Society, weekly meetings have been held since December. To try to list all these individuals would be too lengthy, but two individuals need to pointed out - George Downton and Dick Curry. George has been supervisor of the work at the museum. chief painter. who in some cases has painted the same wall two or three different times because we changed the color. and all round handy man. If something needed to be moved. George was there. Dick Curry, in addition to helping with the painting, did the nish plumbing work at the museum at no charge to the Society! To these two and all who are donating their time - Thank You!

Also to all the people who have donated or loaned artifacts. pictures, models. time and money. the Society thanks you. The support and interest in the community at large has been truly gratifying.

We are working diligently for an end of June opening. To be realistic. this end of the month opening may not nd all the rooms completely ready. but we feel it necessary to have a target date so that members of the Society can see the progress. We are also planning a fund-raising concert on the grounds at the MaritimelIrish Mossing museum in June. Scituate Historical Society p.l May Refreshments will be offered as well as a tour of the museum exhibits that have been completed. Skip Twomey and Bill Hayes will sing songs of the sea. Irish melodies. and more. We will also rale donated goods during the evening. More information will follow in the June newsletter.

One nal Maritime museum note - when the museum opens. we are going to need volunteers to work the gift shop and supervise displays throughout the museum. So if you would like to volunteer, please leave your name and phone number at the Laidlaw Center in care of Volunteer Program James House. Thank you. Scituate Public Library Historical Room Collection I wish to thank Nancy Kenney for the following basic information on the historical collection at the public library. She wrote that it contains: l. Legal documents (Acts and Resolves) 2. Vital Records of Many Massachusetts Towns - to 1850 3. Genealogies - Cabot, Collamore. Fuller. Gannett. Field. Hyde. Joy. Kent. Litchfield. Peirce. Otis, Pratt, Seamans, Stetson. Swift. White. Whitin 4. Records of Mass. 1661-1674 5. Local Scituate Paper (Mariner. Mirror. Herald) on microfilm dating back to 1940 (with

a few issues missing) ' 6. Many books on local and National history 7. Scituate High School yearbooks 8. Scituate Town Reports: 1847 9. Also two copies of : The Book > The Letters of Captain Moses Colman - Master Mariner 1807- 1872. 10. Also two small boxes of microlm labeled “Misc. History: - newspapers 8: letters”. Nancy did not examine this lm.

Nancy concluded by giving the hours of the Scituate library: Sunday - 1:30 -5: Monday through Wednesday - 9 to 9: Thursday - l-9: Closed Friday: Saturday - 9-5. Thank you. Nancy. Archives Comer The 12th of Aprill 1633 (Anthony Annable) To Anthony Annable upon the second Clife: of upland & Marsh Eight ackeres more or les the Marsh acordinge to the Line of the upland. bownded with the seea or utermoste parte of the Cliff one the Easte: continige to the Chanell in the Marsh on the North bownded towardes the rst Clife one the sowth Joyninge on William Gillsones grant second of August 1633 to: Anthony Annable: the sixth lot from the sowth/ ' side of the stony brooke contayninge fowre ackers more or les. one the Easte: bownded with the heyway extendinge fowre score Rod to the west in to the woodes: on the sowth bowndinge on the Meeting howse Comon: on the North on Henrey Cobe’s Lands [marginal note:] To this Lott is also added by the freemen some inlargement both in length and bredth answerable to the other lotts in length on this side north side of the meeting house lane may the 30. 1643.

20th of ffebrewary 1636 To Anthony Annable twenty two Ackeres of upland Leyinge at the first Herringe Brooke bowndinge on the North side with a Carte way on the sowth with Walter woodworths lot buttinge one end upon the Brooke soe named towards the weste & southerly: & the other Scituate Historical Society p.2 May end Limited with the Carte way.

7th of tfebrewary 1636 To Anthony Annable a portion of Marsh Land beinge the Halfe of the hole tract of Marshland that Leyeth betwen the Marsh of John Handmer: & Henrey Cobb his portion beinge the Moste sotherly & westerley end towardes Henery Cobbes Marsh. the hole beinge Limited by the River on the one side & the upland grownd on the other;

Next month we will nish the grants to Anthony Annable and continue on to Edward Foster's.

Dorothy Langley. Scituate Town Archivist

DAR News .

q On Thursday, March 13th. the Chief Justice

“ Cushing Chapter of the DAR met at the “Little Red School House” to honor the 1996- 1997 Good Citizen's Awards. High School students Bonnie McDermott, Scituate: Timothy Howe, Norwell: and Kirsten Sangster, Hanover were each presented with the Good Citizen Pin and will receive a Scholarship Award in June. Parents and school representatives helped to celebrate this special occasion.

On April 10th the Chapter met at the home of Dorothy Keyes. The theme of the program was Conservation. Tapes on the “Widow’s Walk” and the Wetlands was shown with special guest Mr. Allan Mayberry Greenberg, member

of the Conservation Commission speaking

J and ending the program with a question and

so answer period.

B°""i°' Timmy‘ am Kirsm" A H The Chapter is sponsoring a 1990 Good Citizen Alison Norris from Norwell for her Graduate Work at Columbia University. The Chapter voted to purchase a window for the Maritime and Mossing Museum in Dorothy Brown Wood's memory.

Memorial Day 1 997 Remembering Lawrence Litchfield In the October 1996 newsletter I attempted to share with our readers that unique and special part of Scituate known as the west end. The west end with its hay and comelds, old woodlots enclosed by ancient stonewalls that once divided pastures of long ago and childhood memories of excursions thru damp, mysterious swamps are recollections that last a lifetime. Alongside those memories of the landscape are the people whose families worked the land over the generations. Memorable folks as well as outright characters were in abundance here. They were as colorful as an October maple and as much a part of the neighborhood as the elds and swamps that dene the landscape.

One such west-ender was Lawrence Litcheld. Born in the west end in 1889, Lawrence was the son and only child of William L. and Cora (Neil) Litcheld. He was a direct descendant of the original Lawrence Litcheld, Scituate Historical Society p.3 May who according to family tradition arrived from England with John Allen on board the Abigail in l635.Lawrence's father William was the youngest son of Samuel and Cordelia (Studley) Litcheld. I-Ie was born in 1857 at the top of present day Cedar Street in the house that Samuel had built in 1837. In the early 1900's Lawrence worked as a farmer with his father in Scituate as well as on farms in Newton. In 1906 Cora Litcheld died leaving her husband and son to manage the household. In the spring of I914 twenty-four year old Lawrence enlisted in the Massachusetts National Guard at the recruiting oi'ce in I-Iingham. I-Ie became a private in Co. K of the old 5th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry that had distinquished itself fty years earlier during the Civil War.

In August of 1914 the Great War began. Men with 19th century notions of grandeur and honor on the battleeld would collide with the real horrors of early 20th century military technologl. The end result in four years of stalemate in Europe would be 30 million lost lives. From the summer of 1914 to the end of 1916 the United States watched with nervous anticipation as Great Britain and France were locked in murderous trench warfare with Germany and her Austrian allies in the mud of France. America resolved to stay out of this European contest. As 1917 approached, however. American economic interests. as well as a desire to have a say in post-war global politics, replaced espoused neutrality. By April of 1917 with Germany's use of unrestricted submarine warfare and other reasons enumerated above President Wilson asked Congress for a declaration of war.

t OVER TI-IERE With the United States at war with Germany, New England began to mobilize. The old 5th Massachusetts became part of the new 101st Inhntry, which in turn became part of the famed Yankee Division. Aer training at Framingham, Massachusetts, Cpl. Litcheld and the rest of the l0lst le Masschusetts for New Jersey to take transports for France and became the rst national guard regiment to arrive there. As autumn gave way to winter, the 101st went into training quarters at a place called Neufchateau. Suffering for lack of equipment and the severe cold, the 101st experienced shortages that recalled Valley Forge from the American Revolution. In early February Cpl. Litcheld and the rest of the 101st were called up to the front at Chemin des Dames north of the Aisne River. Uner direction of battle-hardened French omcers the 101st experienced a taste of the 'ont. Standing in water-lled trenches and battling lice, rats and what the boys dubbed the cooties. The lOlst waited in frozen misery to face their German adversaries. They would be the rst to face what was known as the dreaded I-Iun. They didn't have long to wait.

In late February the lOlst staged several raids on the German lines which resulted in the capture of prisoners. In March the Germans launched a 24-hour artillery barrage against the 101st lines including the horror of poisonous gas shells. In late March they were ordered to St. Mihiel Salient at a place called I-Iazelle Wood. At 2:00 a.m. the Germans launched an assault against the l0lst thinking they were attacking untried American troops. Cpl. Litcheld and the men of the 101st pushed them back. The summer of 1918 found them ordered to the defenses near Chateau-Thierry at a place called Vaux. On July 15th the German offensive was unleashed and it nearly broke the American line, but the erce counterattack by the 101st, including hand to hand ghting. pushed the enemy back. During the battle Cpl. Litcheld was severely wounded and required weeks in of recovery in a military hospital.

August 29th the 101st was on the move for the "drive on the St. Mihiel salient. Cpl. Litcheld had rejoined his unit and would see action at several dierent places. At Ormont Wood on October 18, 1918, Pvt Fred I-Iyland of North Scituate was killed in action only weeks before the Armistice. Today a memorial marker stands in North Scituate Village on the corner where he lived. The last weeks of the war saw severe ghting as the lOlst was engaged at Belieu Wood with a stubbom German resistance. but the l0lst was victorious. With the armistice signed on November ll, 1918. the guns were silent. By the spring of 1919 Cpl. Lawrence Litcheld was back home in Scituate.

In the years following the war Lawrence worked in the Tree and Parks Dept for the Town of Scituate. I-Iis father having passed away in 1916, Lawrence continued to live in the house his grandfather had built almost a century earlier. In later years Lawrence was a familiar gure, mowing the high grass around his house with a scythe or walking down Clapp Road on his way to North Scituate village. To a generation of children he was well known for his simple kindness and generosity. Despite his own spartan living conditions he always seemed to have an ample supple of candy for those who knocked on his back door to pay a visit. Local organizations such as the Boy and Girl Scouts also benetted from his unfailing generosity. Living the simple life. Lawrence spent his nal years in a house with no modern heating or plumbing and whose one source of light was one light xture. Lawrence managed to maintain his pride and independence. He was perhaps the last icker of an earlier America. Born in the last century his lifestyle may have represented what later historians would describe as the rugged individual.

Scituate Historical Society p.4 May *r In December of 1969 at the age of 80 Lawrence Litcheld passed away. In June of 1972 the square across the street from his home was forever ‘ dedicated in his honor for recognition, not only for his service in . but as a cherished part of west end. Family and friends came out to remember his kindness and generosity. An image that reminds me of Lawrence is a work done by Norman Rockwell entitled “The Patriot‘, which depicts an elderly veteran. Despite his advanced years this veteran is sitting for the protrait with his shoulders back. In addition to his broad toothless smile the old vet is wearing his faded doughboy tunic that still ts. Tvventy- ve years aer the dedication of Lawrence Litcheld Square we recall a native son of Scituate. One of many who are part of the fabric of our town's history. This Memorial Day we remember Lawrence Litcheld and the many from our town who have served and sacriced for our country.

David Corbin

r West End historian Willard Litchfield at the dedication of Lawrence N. Litchfield Square - June I972 Riding to School All of us. at one time or another, have ridden in the back of a bus and either been clowning around ourselves or seen our classmates and friends doing some mischief or another. Parents. teachers. principals, and of course the drivers, down through the years. have had to deal with this situation at one time or another. What to do with the unruly student being transported at town expense who really acts up and is really hurting others or affecting them or others in some negative way? Browsing back through some old town reports gives us a small window through which to glimpse the past. reect upon ourselves. and have a chuckle or two. In the early part of this century, before motorized transport for students students became available. were transported to school in barges, large four wheeled wagons. drawn by two three horses. or There is an excellent picture of Charlie Mitchell's North Scituate “Sea Breeze” barge on p. 186 of Jarvis Freyman‘s book, Scituate’s Educational egtge (available the Scituate from Historical Society). They usually had a roof over them, were open on the sides. and had bench seats which faced each other across the barge. The students, “scholars” as they were called in those days. entered the barge from the back. Rolled canvas could or cloth be let down on the sides of the barge to shield the scholars from the wind. cold. rain, when and necessary. The driver. or drivers, sat forward of the scholars much as the old stagecoach drivers did, raised up on their own seat which faced forward. » The School Committee contracted out to local people in the various transport sections of town to the scholars. The Scituate School Committee. in a letter to W.I. Lincoln of North Scituate, dated October 13, 1916, told him that it was Board policy that all transportation contracts cover only students residing more than a mile and half from their that the school, but Board encouraged the contractors to be a bit lenient in insisting on the distance clause. Copies of the same letter were sent to John Fabello, I-larold Merritt. Scannell. Lester Martin I-Iobson. and William I-Iartz. The pay was low, often $10 to $12 a week, the conditions were horrible during the snow and mud seasons. and the scholars behavior of the often bothered the drivers enough that they ended up writing to the Scituate School Committee about it and often resigned. The School Committee. looking out for the interests of all scholars. had instructed all the Scituate Historical Society p.5 May severe cold you do whatever is drivers in March I916 “. . . that during periods of barge hay or straw in the barges possible to offset the unusual conditions. It suggested that a liberal supply of blankets. would do much to keep the children's feet warm. and that the door. would alleviate the situation to a large extent.” A week particularly for those near wrote an one of the contractors who ran a livery stable at the I-Iarbor. later. Henry T. Cole. dated March 23. letter to the Scituate School Committee in response. In his letter angry as comfortable as possible . . have tried to carry the school children I916 he said that “. we on. which they throw into the bottom of the pung (barge) and trample and furnished robes further on the subject It is impossible to make them use them.” I-le must have thought in his letter read: “Would say. in regard to I-latherly and High because the next paragraph to continue that route. it has been a losing proposition for me and I do not care School you time to get someone route any longer. It being March vacation next week. it will give else to take that route.” Committee had informed A year earlier. in a letter dated May 27 . I915. the Scituate School the Committee “. . . that seven of the contractorslbarge drivers. that reports had reached while riding in the school barges was not only extremely the conduct of the children letter went but in certain cases unseemly. and at time positively indecent.” The disorderly. must necessarily be very on to say that while “we appreciate fully that the drivers‘ attention team and the road, it is very essential that he manage also to give largely absorbed by his Charles what is going on behind his back.” That letter was addressed to Mr. some heed to drivers. The School l-larris in North Scituate with copies sent to the other six contractorsl reply from Mr. Harris or any of the others to these allegations. Committee records show no Scituate following year do show. though. that Arthur Sylvester of North Records from the l-larris for the hefty the Pincin I-Iill - Hatherly School route formerly driven by Mr. took over higher‘? What "as of $20 a week. did the unruly students on this route force the rate sum of vx t disorderly behavior back then? Does anyone have a good idea considered while riding to school in “unseemly” behavior would have been? One can only imagine, were ever found in the records barge. what indecent behavior would have been. No specifics on that one. the snowiest. windiest day of the winter of your imagination. Picture Imagine the coldest. any protection scholars huddled together for warmth. Picture the drivers without young Some of the roads were from the elements. Maybe it wasn't that bad. It was rough though. muddy in the late fall and early Spring. Picture Milton Litcheld often badly rutted and School on from the Beechwood line in the West End to the old I-Iatherly driving his barge of that route was not Country Way for $13.50 a week for the entire school year. Much paved until the 1930's! the transporting students became mechanized. The behavior of As the years wore on. bus drivers has stayed about the same. In my generation of the fties. students, though. drove the Egypt Damon. who drove the West End route. and Lisa Berg. who like Prescott Students usually never route. offered contrasting ways of dealing with unruly students. at least not anything they'd see. If they did. they found tried to pull anything with them. a seasoned drivers who had handled every sort of behavior themselves face to face with got the the case of dealing with Prescott Damon. the student student could exhibit. In In dealing of dealing with a drill instructor at Parris Island Boot Camp. rough equivalent rm approach offered a with Lisa Berg. her deep religious convictions and no-nonsense different method in which the student never won. seventy Scituate these days is probably. in many ways. just like it was Riding to school in how much will or eighty years ago, or even thirty years ago. Except for the mechanization. to school really ever change? riding Jared FitzGerald October 1996 May Scituate I-Iistorical Society p.6 Vesta & Ellsworth Kent Vesta grew up in Rhode Island and graduated from Lasell College. Prior to marriage she worked at Horton Noyes Advertising Firm in Providence Rhode Island. Before moving to Scituate, Vesta and Ellsworth lived in Miami, , and Boston.Vesta served on the refreshment committee and especially remembers those pleasant summer aftemoons hostessing at the houses and sites where she learned much about Scituate’s history . Vesta’s association with members of the society has been very rewarding with many new friendships resulting from this association. Two people that Vesta mentioned specifically were Caroline Tilden, who was a great help to her, and Dorothy Wood, whose leadership in preparing the bulletins for mailing took a lot of effort as those who worked on it can recall.

Ellsworth was bom and reared in East Providence, Rhode Island. He was educated at Champlain Jr. College in Plattsburgh, New York, and Rhode Island School of Design in Providence. His military service was in the . Ellsworth has worked as an architect in Miami, Florida, Providence, Rhode Island, and Boston, Mass. After coming to Scituate in 1963, Ellsworth would serve as a trustee for the Society from 1965- 1995. He volunteered at all the historic sites, was chairman of Survey of historic houses done during the 1970’ s, and he provided the architectural plans for the carriage shed at the Mann House, the reconstruction of the passage at the light house, renovations at maritime museum and handicapped facilities at the Laidlaw Center. His other civic responsibilities included trustee of Mass. Osteopathic Hospital, Beautication Commission - Scituate, and Historic District Study for Scituate. Ellsworth’s other interests are gardening traveling. and

Ellsworth and Vesta son Christopher lives in Chelmsford with his wife and three children.

THANK YOU gmFOR YOUR GENEROUS SUPPORT JOHN NELSON BOB BURWICK 545-5660 NORDIC SONS Uniqug Cugp! Jgwglyy Raymond's Paint and Wallpaper, Inc. Kitchens ‘N’ Counters Too ’%__ ,c,;{,,°,'.‘,;f’I,‘,,"¢,§,,, nmenm LUMBER coumuv, mc. _ “ " 0 1 4 BROOK STREET - nox sza Mak‘:"}'.,, SCITUATE n/tnno MA ozosa euu.omc MATERIALS FOR evsnv seen (M7) ‘ Mug», p,”,,.-We mm 190 , - ' - summer: st. nine:-mA,uA 0204: (617) 545-4599 (800) 660-4599 FAX (617) 545-1123 9% RUSSELL D. CABINET SOURCE Field & SonI Inc. AND LITTLE Solid Waste Systems EFFORT SHOP scimzti PS2‘ “M want every customer to lee! like our only customer. " Tel: 61,1-545-0016 gal“ DUNHAM 5454 00° " S132 FRONT STREET FAX; 6|7-§45.58|Q HGT Kathleen M. Field 21 Garden Road MA Treasurer Squats’

Dana J. Richard 545-1256 Lic.#A1 1929 r-— *‘_+' *—*. L1" 91'°=b¥ _Ng\NTLlC1{E1_1BA5E1'5 Lic.#E26267 Cottage .5 Farm ~ Studio R,¢ail' -1,e-Mons.Supplau' ., .!. Bclvblebave Hall Paintings 8: Antique Frames P.O. Box 756 Residential 111 CllppRoad iv Scituate, MA ozoss Industrial clumd 5 R°'t°'°d I 5cituat¢,Mas. Fax: (617) 545-4360 Commercial 61-7'545'o159 ‘ (610545-56¢!

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Concert to Benet Maritime/Irish Mossin Museum

Bill Hayes and Skip Twomey, two Scituate teachers and well-known performers, will be giving a concert to benefit the Maritime/Irish Mossing musuem on June 21 from 6:oo p.m. until about 8:30 p.m. on the museum grounds. Tickets are $10.00 with all proceeds going to help defray the cost of the museum’s displays. Light refreshments will be served and guided tours of the museum given during the evening. -(Because of re laws we are only able to have 50 people at one time in the museum.) Raffle tickets for many prizes will be sold during the evening with the drawings to be held at 'evening’s end. We will also have a special 50/50 raffle, which will be the last event of the evening. So for an evening of great music with many songs of the sea and a chance to win some fantastic prizes, please join us as we raise money for our maritime/mossing museum.

Parking will be available at three sites. The Life Care parking lot, the Driftway Medical Center parking lot and Raymond’s parking lot. Shuttle service will be available for the Driftway Medical Center and Raymonds. Please do not park or walk on the Driftway!

We have limited the number of tickets to 200, so please reserve your ticket early. The same reservation policy that _we use for our dinner meetings will be used for this evening. Fill out the enclosed form (see p. 1()) and mail or drop oil your check or cash to Laidlaw Center as soon as possible.

PLEASE PRAY FOR GOOD WEATHER FOR WE HAVE NO ALTERNATE PLANS IF THE WEATHER IS BAD!!!!!!

Scituate Historical Society p.l June

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'~.»~"’ii EQIIIIQE QE AEQQAL MEETINQ

The Scituate Historical Society will hold its Annual Meeting on Saturday. June 21, during the Open House and Reception at the James House between 6:30 and 8:00 p.m. The business portion of the Annual Meeting will consist of annual reports from the Secretary, Treasurer, and President, as well as action on the following report of the Nominating Committee: 1. Selection of Trustees (for three-year terms): Nominees Expiration of term Douglas W. Fields 2000 Yvonne G. Twomey 2000 Phillips N. Weeks 1998 * (* to complete an unexpired temi)

Other trustees now serving: ' Frederick C. Freitas 1999 Duncan B. Todd I999 John I. Nelson I998

2. Election of Officers (for two-year terms e\piring in 1999):

Vice-President - Preservation Paul R. Miles Treasurer - Adelisa Barbosa

Other officers now serving (for two year terms expiring in 1998): President- David Ball Vice-President - Administration David T. Dixon Secretary- Ruth A. Do\\ nton

3. Other business that may come before the Meeting.

Please make every effort to attend the Meeting. If you are unable to attend, please fill out the proxy below and return it to the Society before June 21 in the enclosed addressed envelope.

Respectfully. Ruth A. Downton Secretary Please cut on dotted line

Proxy for June 21 Annual Meeting

I am a member in good standing of the Scituate Historical Society and hereby vote

D For '

|:| Against

the election of the Trustees and Officers shown in the Report of the Nominating Committee.

Date Name of Member

Scituate Historical Society p.2 June The Scituate Mossing Indusgy A Historical Treasure

When the harbor tide is ebbing, and the water's running low, When blaek rocks uncovered, glisten in the sun, Then I see the Scituate mossers going down to get their boats. And I know for them the day's work has begun. Mowry S. Kingsbury Scituate Moss p.13 Cambridge, Univ. Press, 1927

For nearly a century and a half, dating from the l85O’s until several years ago, Scituate, Mass. was one of the constant suppliers to the world of a species of red seaweed known as Chrondrus Crispus, Irish moss. From this moss the extract known as carageenan is produced. Carageenan is widely used for stabilizing and gelling foods, cosmetics, and industrial products. Irish moss is harvested today mainly along the coast of the North Atlantic, more specically Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia.

Irish moss is not, however, the only source for carageenan. The Euehema species of red seaweed, a spiny, bushy plant about 5() cm. in height, is cultivated and harvested from coral reefs in East Asia, the results of a pioneering venture by FMC Corporation of Rockland, Maine.

A third species, Gigartina, grows worldwide in cold coastal waters and yields more carageenan for the world market than any other species. It is broad-leafed red seaweed ranging up to five meters in height.

The history of Scituate’s mossing industry is traced in Barbara Murphy’s book, Irish Mossers and Scituate @bor Village (1980), on sale through the Scituate Historical Society and the Town Archives. The history of the early Irish settlers to Scituate is told, and their dependence upon mossing as a livelihood is traced. There is no mistaking the fact that for many years, mossing was economically important to a segment of the population in both Scituate, Cohasset, and further down the coast in Kingston and North Plymouth.

Lucien Rousseau, the last of the big Scituate moss - buyers, hired hundreds of Scituate men and youth down through the years, during the summer months of June, July, and perhaps a week or two in August, to rake the moss off the coastal rocks and ledges of Cohasset and Scituate. Lucien would wait at the Cole Parkway ramp for the mossers to retum, about 2 hours after low tide, and pick up their moss. When the moss gave out on the ledges off Scituate, the mossers would work the ledges off Minot and the Glades, mooring their boats in Cohasset harbor. In Cohasset, he would wait for the retuming mossers next to the old Hagerty’s Cohasset Colonials parking lot. He would weigh it, truck it to his property behind South Shore Auto Parts off the Driftway, dry the moss on cement platfonns, then bale it with an old farm hay baler he had specially rigged, and ship it to Rockland, Maine for further processing. Lucien Rousseau - Photo courtesy of Patriot Ledger

Lucien was a tough, but understanding man. He was always very patient with teenagers who wanted to do the mossing for the first time. Once you agreed to work for him and he felt you were “seaworthy”, his deal was that he would supply you the dory, moss rake, net with which to line your boat and put the moss in, and he would even loan you a small British Seagull 3 H.P. outboard motor to get you out to the rocks and back, provided there wasn’t much wind. If you wanted oars for your boat, you had to buy these yourself. Lucien always had a few pair ready for sale. All you had to do was rake the moss and sell it to him. No one Scituate Historical Society p.3 June could ever remember anyone else who’d said they buy it, so it was sort of a closed deal.

Rookies new to mossing had to guess where the moss grew best. That information was top secret stuff because if there were too many mossers working the best spots the moss would quickly get raked off. It wouldn’t grow enough again that season. Most of the mossers had 25 I-l.P. outboards and could get out to the moss covered ledges along the shore fairly quickly. On the retum trip, with up to a ton of wet moss filled with sculpins, starfish, and green crabs to boot, that 25 H.P. outboard was sorely needed for hauling the load back to Cole Parkway or the landing at I-Iagerty’s inCohasset Harbor. Lucien would be waiting with his salvage WWII all-wheel drive truck. I-Ie had built this truck from salvage parts of old WWII trucks he’d bought. A boom would swing around from the truck and drop a heavy line and hook to your boat. You would attach the hook and line from his boom to the gathered comers of the net in your boat and the boom would lift the sopping haul in the air, to be drained for five minutes or so and then weighed on his scale before being dumped in his truck. Infrequently, enterprising lads trying to make a few extra dollars would place a few five or ten pound rocks in the middle of their boatful of moss to raise the poundage base upon which they’d be paid, five cents per pound once your netful" was weighed. Lucien swore he’d ‘take care’ of anyone caught trying to raise their poundage that way. Top notch mossers of the 80’s like Bill Stetson and John Salvadore could easily rake 2,000 lbs. of moss in one four hour tide, two hours before low tide and two hours after low tide. During a good summer there might be up to ten or more days when mossing on two tides a day was possible, depending on the weather and how much moss was left on the ledges.

It is the processing part of the mossing story which has brought this Scituate industry face to face with its competition world-wide. FMC Corporation, Food Ingredients Division, located on the waterfront in Rockland, Maine, is the major processor of Irish moss in North America. It has been since about I935. All moss harvested from South Shore waters since that period has been processed in Rockland, Maine.

According to Gordon Guist, Quality Control Supervisor at the Rockland, Me. facility, mossing in the U.S. today just doesn’t pay a competitive wage. In years past, fishermen would often moss in the summer to supplement their pay. Fishermen couldn’t afford to do that now. Mossing now is driven by intemational economics. Few people want to harvest moss for five cents a pound, the approximate price per pound a mosser got for their wet moss right off the boat a few years ago. Consequently, FMC Corporation has begun moss farming with automated harvesting in Asia and is obtaining moss from other parts of the world where wages are cheap and people will work for less than the United States. To illustrate the point, he cited that FMC Corporation, the leader in production of carageenan, has processing facilities located in Cork, Ireland, Copenhagen, Denmark, Sebu City, Philippines, and in Rockland, Maine. With the \/anTanGoli family in Kingston as the only buyer of Irish moss in Massachusetts, the local mossing industry has been drastically reduced. Mossers from such distant places as Morocco, Ireland, Chile. Indonesia. Korea, France, Denmark, and the Philippines, now produce red seaweed for the FMC processing centers to make into carageenan. '

These changes which have come to Scituate are not noticeable to most people not connected with mossing. The continuity with the past is still there but it is fragile. The world-wide competition and commercial mossing farms where the moss is raised in huge areas are reducing the once thriving summer industry to a shadow of its former self. The orange dories still ride their high tide moorings off the Cole Parkway ramp, there just aren’t as many of them.

: .4 ; :-:3;-;-;4.3.7:'. ' The history of all this will be preserved in the new Maritime Museum being opened this summer on the Driftway. The history of mossing in Scituate is not, was not, myth. It was and still is very real. If you visit the museum you will be able to see a mossing dory, a moss rake, the net which holds the moss, maps of the ledges where the moss was raked, samples of moss, pictures and stories of some of the great mossers, and experience the story behind the story of Scituate Historical Society p.4 June Scituate mossing. Scituate Historical Society President emeritus Kathleen Laidlaw, present President David Ball, Fred Freitas, and many others have dreamed and labored to preserve this rich part of our town’s history. All of this isn’t to downplay the maritime exhibits being housed there. But this story is about the mossing industry of Scituate, Mass. Members of the Scituate Historical Society hope you visit the maritime museum to learn more about coastal Scituate. And if pcrchance you go by Cole Parkway two or three hours after dead low on a good summer day, take in the scene of the mossers returning from their work. That way you can write your own ending to Mowry Kingsbury’s poem at the beginning of this story.

Jed FitzGerald May 20, 1997

This month marks my first year as your President. lt has been a challenging and action packed year-- sometimes frustrating, but the Society has made good progress on several fronts. I want to take this opportunity to especially thank Yvonne Twomey, Chairwoman of the Board of Trustees for her encouragement and support, George Downton who has overseen building operations, and Fred Freitas for his hard work putting together the monthly newsletter. Without their help my job would have been

impossible. Thank you! .

Last month the Scituate Selectmen transferred ownership of the GAR Hall to the Society. This has been in the works for the past several months. As many of you know this is the oldest public building in the town.

The building was constructed by the Baptist Society in 1825. In 1868 the building was sold to Joshua Jenkins. From 1868 to 1883 the building was used by various town organizations. In 1883 the local post of the Grand Army of the Republic purchased the building. Ownership reverted back to the town in 1954 and since then several town organizations have used the hall.

As we stated in the November, 1996 newsletter the Society put on a new roof last October to stop the severe leaking. However, much more work needs to be done to get the building back to a usable condition. This will take time and money. The other major undertaking is to determine what the ultimate use of the hall will be

The GAR Hall project is an opportunity for the membership to become involved. I am seeking your ideas to solve two problems. First, how should the building be used? Although one component will probably be Civil War/military, what other uses should be considered? Second, we need ideas how to raise the funds to do this project. All ideas and help are solicited. It is very important that those who remember functions held here in the past to come forward. Please let us hear from you!

Dave Ball

North Scituate Beach Improvement Association Needs Your Help!

The North Scituate Beach Improvement Association is celebrating their centennial year. As such they have undertaken a major task of writing a history of the Association and the North Scituate Beach area. They have assembled a group of researchers for the task,. but they are seeking people that can provide pictures and anecdotes for their book to be published later this fall. Their efforts will provide the town with another

1 fascinating publication. If you can assist them in any way, please call Charles Stockbridge at 545-6187.

Recent Qifts to the Society

Information on the life of John Curran lifesaver at North Scituate Life-saving Station 1896-1926 including some Station bogs. Donated by his granddaughter Mary Butts of Quincy. <> Joumeyman’s tool chest crafted by Thomas Barstow (1850-1917), Building contractor from Norwell as well as Chairman of the Board of Selectmen, 1890- 1896. Donated by Doug McCutcheon. Replica of Scituate Lighthouse donated by Ken Sargent. Scituate Historical Society p.5 June

L <> Replica of a fisherman’s shack donated by Paul and Joan Drummond. Thank you! Agghivgs Qomgr 7th of ffebrewary 1636 To Anthony Anable ffowre score Ackeres of upland more or lese buttinge one end upon the North River towards the south extendinge to the end of Eight score pearches [?] for the length, bondinge on the weste side to a greate oacke Marcked for that purpose adjoyninge to the lot of Edward ffoster, & on the este side with a nother greate tree marked neare to a Raniet of watter called Stoney Cove. it beinge agreed upon that All the Marsh ffrom that Raniet off watter caled Stoney Cove unto the utenmoste extent wwestward so ffar as any Lotes are given for the time being on the north side of the River is to be equally & proportionablely [divided?] unto the greate Lotes thear leyinge; & no other & the medow to bee proportioned acordinge to the lotes of upland; the proportion being this that he that has a hundred Ackeres is to have as much medow as two that have ftey Ackeres a pease & so the one proportions hold whether the Lotes bee small or greate, so that Anthony Anable is to have his portion of medow aoordlingl to the former pl'OpOl'llOll.

[folio 2 verse is blank]

(3) The 12th of Aprill 1633 To Edward ffoster upon the second Clife of upland & Marsh six ackers more or lese the Marsh bownding with the Lines of the upland; / extending to the seea or outmoste pan of Clife & ffrom thense to the Chanell in the Marsh towardes the west boundin on the North upon William Gillsones lot & on the south upon I-lenrey Rowlees Land. second of August 1633 sto Edward ffoster the ffirst lot on the sowth/side of the stoney broock beinge fowre ackers more or less the easte end butinge againste the hey way & ffrom thense extending it sef(‘?) fowre score Rodes to wardes the weste in the wood the North side bowndinge upon the Comon adjoyninge to the broocke & the sowth upon William Gillsons Land [marginal note] To this lott is added by the selectmen also some inlargement both in length and bredth given to the said Edward ffoster and the bredth was added before but that of the length was added on the 30 day of may An dom. 1645.

20th of febbrewary 1634 To Edward ffoster sixteeane Ackeres of upland more or lese Leyinge on the south side of the first Heringe Brooke beinge the hole poynte of Lande adioyninge to the Marsh wheare it Leyeth bownded with the Marsh on the easte & with the lot of Isacke Stedman on the weste beinge bownded with the Marsh on the south & on the North bownded with the Marsh & the River;

7th ffebrewary 1636 To Edward ffoster of Marsh Land tenn Ackeres more or lese adioynin[g] to the poynte of upland before mentioned immediately, bownded on the southside with a Cinke (cricke, creek,?) & Runlet of water in Closed Rownd towards the east with that Cinke & the hering River bendinge about Northerly so meeatinge with the Marsh of I-lenrey Cobb theare dividinge by a sartayne stampe of a tree [later marginal note not known] standinge upon the uplands, sum [?]‘ (peeter[?] from the poynte Runinge from the tree upon a straight Line to the Nearest plase of the River bownded upon the weste end with the Marsh theare unloted.

To Edward ffoster three score Ackeres of upland more or lese butinge with the southermoste end upon the North River extendinge it selfe Eight score peaiches in length Notherly bounded on the easterly side with the Lot of Anthony Anable; & one the weste with the Lot of Humphrey Turner [?] beinge panted with a greate Marked oke;

To Edward ffoster a proportionable quantey of Medow acordinge to the quantitey of his Lot of upland & the agreement spesified more fully at the greate Lot of Anthony Anable.

Scituate Historical Society p.6 June (Above excerpts from “Land Grants, I633” in Scituate Town Records)

Dorothy Langley Scituate Town Archivist Qollamore’s Ledge Peter Collamore settled at Wills Island in the marshes on the Scituate side of the North River before 1643. In 1650 he purchased a farm on the adjacent mainland (The Collamore fann site consisted of 20 acres of upland roughly bounded by the present Route 3A on the west, the K of C hall to the north and the North River marshes to the east and south together with I2 acres of adjoining marsh.). Being childless, Peter wrote to his brother in Northam, Devon, with a request that one of his nephews come to New England to be his heir. In 1665, Anthony Collamore accepted the invitation and came to live with his uncle. Peter died in 1684 and left his estate including the sloop Mayower and the farm to Anthony, as promised.

>- In 1666 Anthony Collamore married Sarah Chittenden and over the following 13 years, they had one son and four daughters. Anthony was active in the Scituate militia company, rising through the ranks to D Lieutenant in I686 and Captain in I692.

On December 15, 1693, Anthony Collamore loaded his sloop at Hobart’s Landing with a cargo of rewood for the Boston market. He sailed down the North River as soon as the tide started to ebb in order to take advantage of the current and to cross the bar at the old mouth without grounding. He then put in to Scituate harbor and anchored for the night. The following moming five passengers for Boston boarded the sloop - two men, a woman and two “lads”. The day was overcast with a raw wind from the north-northeast. However, the weather did not seem unduly threatening and several vessels, including Collamore’s sloop, put to sea as the tide started to ebb.

Collamore’s vessel was noted by several observers as it sailed north along the Scituate coast over the next hour. During that time, a storm was rapidly developing and Collamore’s sloop nally disappeared from view in a blizzard of wind-driven snow. Before dark of that same day, billets of cordwood and wreckage from a vessel began coming ashore on North Scituate beach. On the following day, the body of Ephraim Tumer, aged 26, came ashore on the beach. Fourteen days later, the body of Anthony Collamore came ashore so badly battered that identification could only be made from his clothing. Collamore’s body was escorted to the old church on Meetinghouse Lane by the militia company under arms, and he was buried beside the church. No other bodies were ever recovered.

From the pattem of the wreckage and cargo on North Scituate beach and the time at with which it came ashore, it was apparent that the sloop had been driven on a particular ledge. That ledge has been identified on marine charts ever since as “Collamore’s Ledge”.

' Charles Sparrell - 5/21/9'7

Finance Qommittee Report

Because of our ever increasing nancial responsibilities, the Trustees voted at their April 5 meeting to consolidate the 65 and over membership and the Single membership into one Single membership for $10 per year. The family membership will remain at $20 per year. Life membership has been eliminated as of April. This will not effect anyone who has a life membership now - all present life members remain life members! We regret having to take this step, and will try to explain why this has become necessary.

At present, we own the following properties: Cudworth Bam, Little Red School House, James House, Old Oaken Bucket House, Stockbridge Mill, and now the GAR Hall, which needs considerable work before it can be utilized. We are responsible for the costs of maintaining these properties. For example, we had to put a new fumace in the Old Oaken Bucket House this year and a new roof on the GAR Hall. Besides normal everyday expenses, we also have continuing expenses at the James House as the museum is established. Scituate Historical Society p.7 June The Town owns the Cudworth House, Mann House, Lighthouse, Lawson Tower and Lawson Gates. The Town allocated $6000 this year for us to repair and maintain these properties.

In addition we are now publishing a monthly newsletter, which costs around $300 per issue. We have some the ads in the newsletter which help reduce this cost, but the newsletter is operating in the red. Because of positive feedback from people conoeming the newsletter, we felt that changing the membership pricing structure was better than reducing the number of newsletters.

Finally our annual memberships barely outnumber our life memberships so this is also a very limited source of income to the society.

We would appreciate if life members would consider making a yearly contribution to assist us in carrying on the work of the Society. If you have any other suggestions or ideas that would help, please feel free to contact us. Thank you. - The Finance Committee

Membership Renewal Form Membership is the foundation on which any society is built. The interest and work of the members is what allows the Society to continue. Therefore, your membership is very important to us. We ask you to take a few minutes, complete the renewal form. and return it promptly. If you have any thoughts. suggestions. or questions about the Society. please let us know by phone. by visit. or by letter.

Scituate Historical Society c/0 Membership P.O. Box 276 Scituate, MA 02066

Mernber-shipStatement:.?leaaenmaumaaanwmdauIt¢Sdhmu5GamuieaZSuddg.&rdaaediamgcxkm couaman6aaip(a)lia¢edldaw.

If you have had a change of address. please check here [ ] PLEASE PRINT

NAME PHONE

ADDRESS APT. #

CITY STATE ZIP TYPE OF MEMBERSHIP [ ] Single / Over 65 Membership ' $10.00

[ ] Family Membership $20.00

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TOTALENCLOSED: ,_ _ ,, __, ‘ ,DA'IE:_ THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROUS SUPPORT Scituate Historical Society p.8 June i Adopt a Planter Anyone? Mystery phqtq

we nave twe Planters at the I apologize for neglecting to put the I Martume/ Irish messing museum results of April's mystery photo in the May leeated en the ueek- Right new the)’ newsletter. (editor) Again we had many i are emPtY- We are teekmg fer correct answers - North Scituate across i semeene Whe Would like te ad°Pt from present day Wilder Brothers. Renny ene er heth er them- BY ad°Pttn8 MacKay of New York whose correct answer them a Persen er Pe°P1e Weuld was drawn. Congratulations! agree to put plants in them and take eare er them during the As of yet no one has identified May’s summer growing seas°n- It Yeu are mystery photo, we'll give you until July's interested. please call Dave Ball or issue to try and get the eon-eet answel-_ leave your name at the Laidlaw Center.

PLAQUE FOR OOLUMBIA LOST IN 1898 The Society is thinking of putting a bronze plaque on the seawall at the site of the wreck of the pilot boat Columbia which was lost during the Portland Gale of 1898. A donation container will be left at the Laidlaw Center for gn ain raising funds for this purpose. Please leave your nickels. Si P ter? dimes. and quarters etc and help us raise the money for The M3fit1IH€/Il'lSh IIlOSSll'lg this plaque. It will be. signed from the residents of museum's Sign needs t() [)3 Scituate. Massachusetts. repainted. We haV€ H price Cf Like spectral hounds across the sky te have this d°ne- Is tnere any The white clouds scud before the storm, member who is an experienced r And naked in the hewnng night painter who could help us? We feel The 1-ed_eyed nghtheuse line its germ that $ iS muCh t()Q 6Xp€nSiv€. The waves ngers Yen ean ne|P us» Please eentaet The massivetower, and climb and fall, Dave Ball And, muttering, growl with baled rage Their curses on the sturdy wall. Up in the lonely tower he sits, The keeper of the crimson light - Silent and awestruck does he hear F l The imprecations of the night . The white spray beats against the panes Like some wet ghost that down the air Is hunted by a troop of ends, And seeks a shelter any where. Fitz James O'Brien From “Minot’s Ledge” Harper's New Monthly Magazine, April 1861 Scituate Historical Society p.9 June

~w>—_"I———A L . - 1- \. ' Li . .L Wt. .ui{--u. ti nu. Only the first 200 reservations accompanied by payment will be accepted. Mail the form below to: Laidlaw Historical Center P.O. Box 276 Scituate,BEEHMA 02066 Enclosed is my check made payable to the Scituate Historical Society for the concert at the Maritime/Irish mossing museum on Saturday. June 21, 1997. NAME Number of reservations Amount of check 8

Ag Interesting Letter

The following letter appeared in Old Scituate published by the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Mrs. Marcy Otis. Scituate To the Beautiful Mrs. Marcy Otis Plymouth. august 26. I803

Honoured Mother. I am under the diagreeable necessity to inform you that my dear and only son Barney was prest on Board of a British Frigate called L’Immotality the 29th of last May in the English Channel for the want of a protection - the Brig he was in from Malaga to St. Petersburg in Russia. The above disagreeable news I received By Last Tuesday's mail By a letter from Captin of the Brigg to Mr. Hedge his owner. Dear Mother, this is harder than Death to his parents for the Almighty has a right to take his creation out of the World when he pleases. But to have our dear child taken from us By an arbitary stretch of power ofman it is attended with such aggravations too hard for human mortals to Bair. I must leave the disagreeable subject you Better irnrnagin my feelings that I can Discribe them, although you never felt them or what I now feel. the principal men in Plymouth are all interested in this Disagreeable event everything is done towards obtaining his release. their are such Certificates with pressing letters Gone on to London to the American Ambassador that will obtain his release when he can be found. Likewise Certicates to the Secerity of State that are sufficient to prove him to be an American & the Secerity it is his duty as an ofcer to demand him from that power that detains him. I can write no more But must Conclude By subscribing myself your affectionate Son Barnabus Otis. N.B. as there ware two young men belonging to Scituate you may inform their parents that they were not prest‘. N.B. the letter Mr. Hedge received was dated at Copenhagen.

* impressment - During the 18th and 19th centuries Great Britain followed a policy of forcibly seizing men to serve in the British Navy. Those taken included their own seamen, who were taken off British merchant shipa and forced into the navy. During England's war with Napoleon (1803-I815) Great Britain also impressed into her naval service seamen taken from American ships. Some of these men were British deserters but others were American citizens. This indiscriminate impressment policy was one of the factors that led to the War of 1812. Scituate Historical Society p. 10 June hnA1m THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROUS SUPPORT Mr. Security Sag Protect Yourself from Armed Robbery!!! Guard Against Assault!!!

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Members please support the businesses that support

JOHN NELSON BOB BURWICK 545-5660 NORDIC SONS Unique Custorn Jewelry Raymond's Palnt and Wallpaper, Inc.

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(517) 5454599 (500) 5504599 FAX (517) 545-1125 awrRUSSELL D. Field & Son, Inc. CABINET SOURCE 72 From Sum Solid Waste Systems mo urruz EFFORT suoe , “We went every customer to feel like our only customer. " S t t , MA 02066 Tel:°'617-545-0016 54510' TOM DUNHAM 132 FRONT STREET FAX; 6|7.545-5g|() Kil|'\|00l'I M. F|0|d 21 (337080 R030 Owner SCITUATE, MA 02066 Treasurer Scntuate,' MA 02066

Dana J. Richard . 545-1255 . Liz crush t:g::2;‘1‘g§g \%f9/\ Cottage Farm gtudio ,H,E,,,T‘fASHE~r5Supplies ‘O ., . 19 --*'Iif T‘//‘ Bolvbilibave Hall ‘

‘i x Paintings 8: i ¢ 5°’ Antique Frames iii.¢‘4PP Road P.O. Box 755 <‘°TR\° Residential Cleaned 85 Restored 5cttuet¢,Mas. - Scituate. MA 02066 Industrial E Fax: (617) 545-4360 Commercial 511-5:15-0159 i 1510545-seas 0

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Scituate Historical Society §,,°,:§f’§ I.',§’,f,':,fP°“T‘T'°" RusseE"’§_’$"°"otman June p.11 P.O. Box 22 P.O. Box 355 N. Marsheld, MA 02059 Scituate, MA 02066

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The officers and trustees wish to thank all who contributed to the success of the concert held at the James House on June 20. Your continued dedication and hardwork is truly inspiring. TotPat Mann and her committee: Elizabeth Spaulding; Dot Gammon. Nita McMath. Betty Miessner, Carol Vollmer, Duncan _k Bates Todd, Yvonne Twomey and Peggy Broderick a very special thank you. These ¥ ‘* ladies were responsible for the wonderful refreshments. They met several times in May ‘k and June to plan the evening. They also *

To Pam Martell for all the hours spent in planning and hanging the murals and other displays this week. as well as her leadership. direction and vision over all these past zlnaany months for a rst class MaritimelIrish mossing museum - the Society is in your e t.

To Skip Twomey and Bill Hayes for donating their time and musical talents - To Dom D'Arcangelo for offerring his time and expertise in trafc control. and to Erica and Lauren Babineau. Megan Gianano and Francesca D’Arcangelo for being Scituate Historical Society p.l Juiy beautiful. friendly and efficient workers - the Society thanks you. To Bobby Corbin. who regularly cuts the grass at the museum. and who came over Saturday during the heat of the afternoon to make sure the lawn looked great - thanks. To Carol Miles who vacuumed the whole James House Saturday morning - To Dave Ball and his neighbor George Simmons for moving the chairs from the Laidlaw Center to the James House - Thank you. To David Corbin, Dave Ball. David Marshall. Brendan Murphy and Fred Freitas for spreading loam and raking out the property's grounds -the Society appreciates your effort. To the 37 businesses and member Neal Gray (Lighthouse framed photo) who provided the gifts for the rafe the Society

applauds your generosity. Finally to all who attended the concert thank you for your support. Look to the end of July for our grand opening!

“The Boston Post Cane” “In many small towns and villages the general store was a place where many men gathered to talk and swap stories. One of the most conspicious gures in the group was the “oldest man”. So quoted Edwin Grozier, owner of the Boston Post newspaper in Boston. “Age,” Grozier said. “is a subject of universal interest, whether in the city or the country. a man who has managed to cheat death is always an interesting gure.”

Grozier arranged for a business rm to import a lot of the nest Gaboon ebony from Africa. He had the ebony made up into canes at a cost of a few thousand dollars. It was on August 2. 1909, that Edwin Grozier launched the Boston Post Cane. He wrote a letter to the Chairman of the Board of Selectmen of 700 towns in Maine, Massachusetts. New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. It is unclear why he excluded Connecticut and Vermont. The Post was delivered to both of these states in the “old couple” contest. Two weeks later. on Wednesday. August I8, 1909. the following article appeared in the Boston Post. Included in the Post article was the following: a copy of the letter sent to each board of selectmen: a description of the cane and how it was made: a copy of the inscription on the top of each cane; a copy of the form to be completed by the recipient of the cane and returned to the Post with a photograph.

THE BOSTON POST GOLD HEAD CANES PRESENTED TO THE OLDEST CITIZEN OF SEVEN HUNDRED NEW ENGLAND TOWNS THROUGH THE SELECTMEN Description of the cane: The cane is a splendid specimen of such manufacture. It is made by J.E. Fradley 81 Co., of New York, who are widely recognized as the leading manufacturers of ne canes. The materials used in the Boston Post Canes are the best obtainable. The sticks are of Gaboon ebony from the Congo, Africa. They are shipped to this country in logs about seven feet long, and then cut into stick lengths. They are allowed to dry for six months, to thoroughly season. After this they are carefully examined, and all cracked. warped, or otherwise imperfect sticks are discarded. The perfect ones, are then tumed to the desired sizes on a lathe. and allowed about three months for further drying. They are given a coat of shellac and rubbed down with pumice, coated with the nest quality of French varnish and then polished by hand with very ne pumice and oil. It takes about a year from the time the ebony logs are cut to produce a perfect stick. The gold in the heads of the Post cane is of 14-karat ne-ness. It is rolled into sheets, cut to the desired size and soldered in a conical tube. Scituate Historical Society p.2 July then placed in a sectional steel chuck or form, which admits of its being drawn into the exact shape of the nished head. The tops are rst cut into discs. and then soldered to the cane after it has been shaped. They are then lled with a‘ hard composition and “chased” or ornamented by hand. after which this composition lling is removed and they are sent to the polishing room for nal nishing. The Boston Post Cane is not merely an ornamental cane. It is designed for every day usage and will last for many years. On the top of the gold head of each cane was engraved the following inscription: Presented By the Boston Post to the Oldest Citizen of

(Taken from “The Bay State's Boston Post CAnes - The History of a New England

Tradition” by Barbara Staples) This book is in our Archives. "

A Dorothy Langley - Scituate Town Archivist

“The homes of Beechwood in particular furnished a very large force of sherman; and so completely was that community bereft of men and boys during the shing season that not a dozen able-bodied men could be gathered by an emergency like a house re.” E. Victor Bigelow “Narrative Hbtory of Cohasset" The story of the tragic loss of the shing schooner Maine in the summer of 1846 is a M tribute to all those past and present who /\ choose to earn a living from the sea. There is probably no more dangerous a calling than one in which men battle the elements of a vast and furious sea. This account is dedicated to those men of the Maine and those who continue to follow this calling today. In the summer of 1846 the schooner Maine was described in praise as a “crack shing schooner out of Cohasset“. Her master was thirty-two year old Captain Joshua Litcheld. Born in the west-end of Scituate in 1814. he was the son of Shadrach and Mary (Bates) Litcheld. Shadrach Litcheld. himself a mariner, experienced the give and take nature of the sea when he lost his friend and neighbor Bardin Hyland. Hyland was lost at sea off the Carolinas in a winter storm in 1816 leaving a wife and four children.

At a young age Joshua Litcheld went to sea. At twenty he became master of a shing vessel in the growing mackerel industry. In 1835, the year of his marriage to Mary Ellms. he purchased his rst home that had been built for the late Bardin Hyland in Scituate Historical Society p.3 July 1806. The house still stands today on the corner of Summer and Cedar Streets in the West End of Scituate.

By the summer of 1846 Litcheld had sold his house and moved to Beechwood. By now his family had grown to four. By rnid-August he was busy preparing for a voyage out to the banks aboard the 23-ton schooner Maine. He would be accompanied by a crew of ten. which included his sixty-eight year old uncle Meshech Litcheld. twin brother of his father Shadrach. The remaining members of the crew were Benjamin Litcheld. Luther Litcheld, Martin Wheelwright. Isaiah Lincoln, Francis Lincoln, Ale Wood, Joseph Bowker. and cabin boys Henry Richardson and Ezeckiel Lincoln. On August 16th with the tide and full of provisions, the Maine sailed out of Cohasset Harbor and soon cleared the dangerous ledges heading for the open sea. That evening the Maine was off Provincetown at the entrance of Massachusetts Bay. The wind had shifted causing large swells which caused the schooner to pitch and roll in the coming darkness. The wind blew hard from the southwest causing what was later described as a “murky air and with it a heavy burden of vaporfrom the land, which was condensed into a blackfog by the cool water.“ By nine o'clock that evening Capt. Litcheld gave the order to hove to for the night. The watch was set with the remaining crew going below to rest and perhaps enjoy a light meal while waiting out the thick fog. But their lives would be changed very shortly. Continued next month with ‘Collision’. David Corbin

Open House dates for the Society for this year are: July 13. August 2 & 3, and September 7. ta Qm&& Situated at the top of a gentle knoll that rises northward from the tidal ats of the historic North River. lies the Captain Benjamin James House. It is located along one of the earliest surviving roadways and settlement areas in Scituate. It was built in 1739 by Benjamin James of Scituate whose occupation was that of a shoemaker as well as company captain in the Scituate militia.'l‘his house is a classic example of early English vernacular design with its rectangular plan, massive center chimney, and exposed post and beam construction. Originally the house boasted seven rooms including an earlier ell that served as a summer kitchen. Eight replaces, two of which are located in the rear summer kitchen. provided light and warmth during the long New England winters. Originally the property was once part of a fty acre parcel that included salt marshes, which were important for they provided forage for livestock and insulation for dwellings. In 1788 at the time of Captain Benjamin's death the property contained eighty acres in addition to the original twenty-five acre house lot. Situated on the property were a large bam. com house, and smaller outbuildings. Part of what was once a large apple orchard can still be seen today at the rear of the house.

In 1791 the town of Scituate experienced an epidemic of smallpox that did not subside untill 793. At the time of the outbreak the James house was vacant and because of its remote location it was selected to be used as a hospital or pest house to treat those suffering from the disease. At least two victims of the epidemic are buried near the James property at the James-Clapp-Ford Cemetery on the Driftway.

Scituate Historical Society p.4 July In the 19th century ownership the house and property passed to the Scituate Savings Bank. In 1880 the house and seventeen acres were taken over by the Gillis family and would remain under their ownership until well into the present century. In 1995 the Captain Benjamin James House was purchased by the Scituate Historical Society through the generosity of the late Dorothy Wood whose bequest made the purchase possible. The James House's future as a MaritimelIrish Mossing Museum is a tting tribute to Scituate's maritime history as well as the preservation of an early American home. David Corbin

§_‘i:2m_i;11s-L&2s.1s1s.et The 81st Annual Meeting of the Society was a big success. Much credit goes to all those who helped plan and coordinate the program. Elsewhere in this newsletter you will read the lengthy list of all those who volunteered their time and expertise. Dreryone was very impressed by the musical talents shown by Skip Twomey and Bill Hayes. They are teachers in the Scituate School System.

We recently received notication from the Massachusetts Historical Commission that our grant request for the GAR Hall will not be funded. While the application scored very well. the building is not on the State Register of Historic Places and thereibre could not be considered.

It is imperative for the Society to begin the process of placing this building as well as all others under the Society's jurisdiction on the state register. It is important that local fund raising for the GAR building begin soon so that those repairs that are absolutely necessary can get Thank you to BC‘ Ammd O‘ underway within the next year Anyone interested in B|Sil'SVl||6_, Ge°rQia f9r the d°r_‘a°n oi helping with issues relating to the GAR Hall should shipbuilding tools from Captain contact our headquarters. Ammiel Colman. They have been |aCed in the Sm buildin room at the -I have been in contact with neighbors near the Lawson p p 9 Gat Th t in rio eed f w new Maritime/Irish Mossing museum. h..,§‘.ii..f..g.a..i°°..»‘;.’,°. ¢.."$i.‘I.’.i"§....‘.i’%..‘1-ti.i.°..’.'§‘.‘i.“T"1ia...§ details will be given in August newsletter. Dave Ball

CHIEF JUSTICE CUSHING CHAPTER, DAR NEWS The chiei Justice Cushing Chapter, DAR has received tor the second year the State First Place Award Credrtilictate tor Community Service. Thanks to our members Dorothy Langley, Barbara Merrick, Duncm Bates Todd a oi ers. A Quote from the New hampshire DAR news: "Thanks to the caring and generosity oi Jean Migre, a Massachusetts Daughter, and Regent oi her Chapter, and the winner ol the Junior Doll, Miss Sarah sponsored by NH Juniors at the 105th Continental Congress, Miss Sarah has been returned to NH and will reside at the Richards Libray in Newport, NH ....Regent Laura Kessler oi Reprisal Chaper and NH State Chairirian oi Junior Membership. arranged lor a reception on Saturday. May 24th, and several NH daughters, Library dignitaries and friends were

present at this very special homecoming to express their gratitude to Mrs. Migre.” I Sarah Hale was a well-known author in the 1850's and particularly well remembered tor her “Mary had a Little Lamb”. The doll, a trunk and many period clothers for the doll were pat of the collection. A value oi $3,000 was placed on this collection. Our Regent was the First Place Winner in a National Art Contest “American Heritage Field oi Art Contest”. Her photo was on display at Constitutional hall during the 106th Continental Congress in April 1997.

Scituate Historical Society p.5 July Mystery Photos Scituate in Springtime careful one is used for Can you correctly match each.picture its correct location? Be two pictures. Garden D. James Town Common B. Lawson Park C. Mann House Wildower A. House H. Lawson Tower House E. Mann House F. Old Mill Area G. Cudworth

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July Scituate Historical Society p.6 X2ur_As!..2m THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROUS SUPPORT Mr. Security §a1§ Protect Yourself from Armed Robbery!!! Guard Against Assault!!!

Mr. Security offers 15 reports on how to guard against crime. For just $3.00 a report, you can leam how to protect yourself and the ones you love. Order all 15 reports for just $22.50.

ORDER NOW! - Send check or money order to: Mr. Security PO Box 2730 Center Framingham, Ma. 01103

‘Money Back Guarantee if not completely Satised.

Members please support the businesses that support

JOHN NELSON BOB BURWICK 545-5660 NORDIC SONS Unique Custorn Jewelry Raymond's Paint and Wallpaper, Inc. .-'1_ 7 Kitchens ‘N’ Counters Too 451, SC,;[,§$;F{}§g§O40 HINGHAM LUMBER COMPANY, mc. I-1'-ml _=—‘ '

' , I , ,,_, Oual/ry 0 4 BROOK smear - BOX sza “M-;,-czx Makes The au|u:>me mnreams FOR svenv ween SC|TU-ATE HARBOR» MA 02056 |'\|\ |‘§ D,;;Q,€,,,ce 190 SUMMER ST. ' HINGHMAJIA 02043 (517) 545-57'/s 0 -=~=¢4-m4-=E- _

(517) 545-4599 (500) 5504599 FAX (517) 545-1123 @a>£%RUSSELL o. Fléld & Son, Inc. | CABINET SOURCE AND urns EFFORT SHOP SCITUATE 72 F’°“‘ 5"“! "We Willi .v3y°¢'ig5:.‘:?:,t:.%f:§?:,§, customer.“ S cnluaie.' MA 02066 FEDERAL SAVINGS - Tel 617 545 0016 545 1000 TOM DUNHAM 132 FRONT STREET FAX; 617.545-5319 Kathleen M. Field 21 Garden Road Owner SCITUATE, MA 02066 . Treasurer 3¢gruate_ MA Q2Q56

0555.1. Richard 5454255 " ~ C‘/’ O .3 Lic.#A11929 ®¢,v\An;:/ Liz C1'°sby i_ NANTUC}{E1'BA5liE1'S ‘:5 Lac #525257 546$“ Cottage Farm Studlo g,¢,;1-;¢,,,,,,._5um.1;¢, 4 O ‘ O /\ iii _ ~ !_I~ , ' Bobln.cDav¢ Hall 5! /’ 0°. <5‘ ‘ Paintings 85 Antique Frames ! 1u¢l4vv3i¢a=1 Q Q‘ . . Z-£u;‘;" $502066 R":<'jdu‘*s':::: Cleaned 85 Restored 5ci.tuatc,Mas. It

Fax: (51?) 545-4350 Commercial 617-545-0159 ‘1 O “"”5:5€Zf°‘i_/Q.

TOTMAN ENTERPRISES INC. (tel) 617-545-6604 (fax) 617-545-6588

SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION EXCAVATION Scituate Historical Society Martha S. Totman Russell B. Totman P.O. Box 22 P.0. Box 355 p.7 July N. Marsheld, MA 02059 Scituate, MA 02066

E Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage M1: Qcitaat: kisturical sump wmf; R0206, PERMIT NO. 23 NEWSLETTER

Membership Renewal Form Scituate Historical Society c/o Membership P.O. Box 276 Scituate, MA 02066

Membership Statement: .?leaaeumaumaaamm:5aa{teSdhwte5GaMakalSaddq.£:wluudiamgcmkm muamanlaMip(a)lia¢ed6duw.

If you have had a change of address, please check here [ ] PLEASE PRINT

NAME PHONE

ADDRESS APT. #

CITY ESTATE ZIP______

TYPE OF MEMBERSHIP

[ ] Single / Over 65 Membership $10.00

[ 1 Family Membership $20.00

DONATION: (IN MEMORY OF)

TOTALENCLOSED:______DATE:_i______

THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROUS SUPPORT Scituate Historical Society p.8 July étituate Zlaisturital éutietp jetnsletter $.0..$aa276 Sa'¢uat¢,.Ma.02066 (617-545-I083)

. .- ~~t,M - ,-é-'~'¢<_¢ .1" = “J. " "-<*v- )"#45§'9¢-;.2. ' ~ V. .7 -’"“~~'¢’e"><.- "‘ ~- - .- 'f""'f". < A v_.._,___;':_:_._Q\ '_.-Q‘ _- ~. . g: .. ix, ;'1_.: .,_t_:A’ .{. ,_ .. - . __ .~* Volume 2 Issue 1 August, 1997 mmmm Museumgmus The new Maritime/Irish Mossing museum will be open during Heritage Days from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.. We are asking for a donation instead of an admission for all the displays are not yet completed. Stop in and visit us and learn about Scituate’s maritime past. .1___r,

V iIl.J§L1_l.$§ Our special thanks to Barbara ‘tar:-" fl‘ Colman Arnold, now living in Georgia .. but originally a native of Scituate.

» Barbara is a descendant of several generations of sea captains, and has long been a member of The IIISHIB Scituate Historical Society. When she read in the newsletter about the new Maritime Museum, and in particular about the Wreck of the Maine Part ll “Captain's Room" , being a part of the Museum, she wrote to Glen Fields (an old friend) and offered to donate a number of f}r<=h"¢S ¢<>m¢1' items which had been handed down in her family. There are Boston Post Canes a photo of a Part ll several beautifully framed pictures, one of which is large oil painting, “The Barque Laroy”, captained in the mid Where the Society 19th century by Ammiel Cohnan; also, pictures of the Capt. and Today Stands his wife. Capt. Colman had gone to sea with Capt.s Vinal and Fourth Cliff Life_saving Manson. before becoming a Capt. himself. Station at Work Barbara has most recently sent us some 19th Cent. shipbuilding tools: a caulking iron, and two wooden “ds”, one of which is Photos (May Julyrly very large, and one very small. These were tools used in untying knots in very heavy ropes. She has also sent a ne picture of her Mystery Photograph father. “Cap” Colman. and the two wooden sailing vessels which Scituate Historical Society p.l August

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Thanks also to Virginia Heffernan. who has loaned to us for the Captain's room a very ne mahogany barometer and a large antique print of the famous clipper ship, “Flying Cloud”. Both items have been in her family for many years and will be handed down to other family members, but in the meantime we can all enjoy seeing them in the context of the Captain's Room. Thanks from Carol Miles and Glen Fields The Wreck of the Maine Part II “That They Go Down To Sea In Ships” Gloucester Fisherman's Memorial That evening only hours before, the Cunard ocean packet Hibernia departed Boston bound for Liverpool. The Hibernia was a large vessel powered by both sail and steam that propelled a large side-wheel. Both wind and steam ensured that the Hibernia moved swiftly through the gale and thick fog. Little could it be imagined that the large steamship was on a collision course with a small shing schooner. Some time after nine o'clock that evening as the Maine pitched and heaved in the darkness the Hibernia bore down on the schooner. Suddenly there was a loud crash and a heavy thud as the Hibernia slammed into the bow of the Maine. As the crew of the Maine scrambled down below deck in the darkness, seawater poured in as the paddle wheel of the Hibernia tore through the masts and frame of the doomed schooner. Amid the wreckage all was confusion. Killed instantly or drowned were Uncle Meshech Litcheld, Benjamin Litcheld. Martin Wheelwright. Henry Richardson. and Ezekiel Lincoln. Survivors Isaiah Lincoln. Francis Lincoln, Alfred Wood, Joseph Bowker, and Luther Litcheld thrashed about in the black water reaching for any wreckage to cling to. Calling out to each other they soon grouped together to nd Capt Litcheld horribly injured clinging to some planking. Despite encouragement from his surviving crew members Capt Litcheld released his grip and disappeared beneath the waves. All had happened in a matter of seconds. At the sound of the crash the captain of the Hibernia and his ofcers rushed to the rail. Ordering the engine stopped the captain and officers anxiously peered into the wild darkness but nothing could be seen. All that could be heard was the shrieking of the gale through the rigging. The captain then ordered the sailors to go aloft and take in sail. As the gale increased the sailors worked fast as the black coal smoke from the Hibernia’s stack blew in their faces. While searching for signs of survivors. the captain of the Hibernia recounted how once while crossing the English Channel in a fog a similar collision had occurred with no survivors ever recovered. Believing the same results about to unfold, the captain ruled against lowering a lifeboat to search for any possible survivors. Luckily the mate and many crew members disagreed with the captain and volunteered to lower a boat and search the area. Soon the engines were reversed and Hibernia slowly rolled backwards to the approximate collision site. Floating in the cold. dark water the ve survivors offered words of encouragement to each other though being careful not to get too close to one another in fear that a drowning man might pull another down with him. All ve shouted together hoping that in the lull of the wind they might be heard by a rescue crew. A half-hour passed by as the survivors shouted hard and prayed silently. Meanwhile. the brave English seamen pulled hard at their oars. Careful not to stray too far from their own vessel. The rescuers called out into the wild darkness as the lifeboat pitched and rolled. Soon it was decided that they should row silently and listen for calls for help. As the wind howled around them the Englishmen listened. Far off in the blackness they heard a faint calling. They began to row hard in the direction of the cries. The survivors had given up all hope when they heard amid the wind human voices calling out. Soon the lost shermen were being pulled aboard the lifeboat. The English seamen pulled Scituate Historical Society p.2 August off their own jackets and placed them around their half-drowned cargo. Searching for more survivors and the wrecked schooner proved fruitless. The lifeboat crew then pulled hard for the Hibernia. Once all were aboard the captain ordered full sail and steam for Halifax. Nova Scotia. Upon arrival in Halifax the survivors of the Maine were turned over to the American consul who secured passage for them after a few days rest and delay. A few days later a Provincetown shing boat discovered a body oating some distance from the wreck site. Once the vessel reached Provincetown the body was placed on the town wharf for identication. By coincidence a mariner from Beechwood happened to be there and identied the remains as Capt Joshua Litcheld. The following week the published the following news item:

Aug 27th. 1846 “We learnfmm our attentive correspondent at Provincetown that the body of Capt. Lltcheld. late of the Schr Maine of Cohasset which vessel was recently sunk by the steamer Hibernia. on her outward passage was discovered on Wednesday last. about 30 miles E.N.Efrom Highland Light and brought into Provincetown. where a coroner's inquest was held and the abovefacts elicated. The body was conveyed to Cohasset on Thursdayfor burial.” On the day of Capt. Litcheld’s funeral at Cohasset, the ve survivors arrived from Boston much to the shock and surprise of those who had given them up for dead. With the fortunate five came the story and details of the tragedy. Later the Rev. Joseph Osgood and his parish petitioned the Cunard Co.. owners of the Hibernia, and through their efforts secured a $600.00 settlement for the Capt. Litcheld's widow. Mrs. Richardson whose son Henry was lost that night was awarded $100.00. All ve of the survivors went on to live long and full lives. Luther Litcheld returned to sea as a sherman shortly after the Maine tragedy. He married and had four sons. Later he retired from the sea and took up farming. He lived out his years in the west-end of Scituate at his house on Clapp’s Comer. Joseph Bowker, who lived in South Scituate. returned to the sea. In the l850’s he sailed under Capt. Nichols Tower as a member of Tower's expedition to recover the sunken treasure of the Don Pedro on the Spanish Main. In 1861 with the outbreak of the Civil War, Bowker enlisted at the age of thirty-six in Co.G of the 18th Reg Massachusetts Volunteer lnfantry.In August of that year Bowker was promoted to Sergeant for his conduct at the battle of Second Manassas. As a result of his bravery at the Battle of Fredericksburg in December of 1862. he was promoted to lst sergeant.In the 1863 campaigns Bowker fought at Chancellorsville in May and at Gettysburg in July. While in winter quarters in Virginia Bowker reenlisted for three more years. In 1864 he was wounded and after a transfer to another company was discharged from the service in November. By Christmas 1864 he was home in South Scituate. After the war he returned to the sea. Later when one of his three daughters married and moved out west to the Dakota Territory, Bowker went for a visit that would lasted twenty-nine years. He traveled throughout the Dakotas and Wisconsin and returned to Norwell in 1906 where he lived out his life. Isiah Lincoln returned to the sea in the salvage business. He was part of an expedition that used the old-fashioned diving-bell to recover 18 cannons from a colonial era French warship in Louisbourg Harbor, Nova Scotia. Lincoln later married and had eight children. Later in life he worked as an instructor of shoe and boot making at Dedham House of Correction. Bowker lived out his life in Hingham. Francis Lincoln returned to sea as a sherman. He married and had three children. After leaving the sea Lincoln worked as a shoemaker. He and his family lived at Cohasset. Alfred Wood also retumed to the sea as a sherman and later went into shoemaking. He married and had two children. He and his family lived in Scituate. In 1906 the ve survivors of the Maine tragedy met together for the rst time in sixty years in Scituate. They recounted that fateful night of August 1846, each sharing his experiences and crediting their youthful fortune in having survived that wild night at sea. Ari old newspaper clipping of the reunion with a photograph of the fortunate ve is in the Scituate Historical Society's Archives. Scituate Historical Society p.3 August Years after the tragedy, Captain Joshua Litchfield’s oldest son Anson became superintendent of the train depot at Cohasset. Today in 1997. 151 years after the crew of the Maine sailed out of Cohasset Harbor and into maritime history we remember those who braved the sea and those that continue the tradition. David Corbin Archives Comer (Continuance of last month's article of the BOSTON POST CANES.)

SCITUATE gives out its original BOSTON POST CANE. It is presently in the Selectmen’s safel They have not presented the cane since the recent holder's death in July 1994. After one cane had been presented to a recipient who was 97 years old, a 100-year-old woman discovered she had been overlooked. After some debate of who should receive the cane. the 100-year-old remarked. “let the youngster have it”.

The First Recipient: CAPT. ALEXANDER ANDERSON, 92. Captain Anderson was born July 6. 1817 in Scituate. where he has always lived. except for a short time when he was in the West. Captain Anderson acquired his title as a master mariner sailing his ship 30 years. Later he had charge of the Summer Street railroad bridge in Boston. For twenty years he served as superintendent of the Scituate Cemetery. He was a lifelong Republican. A teetotaler in regard to liquor, Mr. Anderson had never used tobacco. He believed his longevity due to temperate habits and an outdoor life and a strong constitution. (Boston Post. 9/ 12/1909)

Mr. Anderson was the son of George and Jane Anderson. He died June 16. 1911 in Scituate. Dorothy Clapp Langley Former Scituate Town Archivist What Period does my dues cover?

To answer some questions we are receiving, the dues you are now paying cover the membership year mid 1997 to mid 1998. A slight change in our By- laws will set the same dates for the Society's scal year and membership year -

- July 1 to June 30 annually. ‘ We are planning to have a dinner meeting in October. Included on the agenda will be an opportunity for members to vote on several amendments to the Society's By-laws. Proxies and information will be contained in the

- September newsletter.

' Board of trustees

1802 - Scituate A road to Farm Neck is planned. Jesse Dunbar rebuilt the North Wharf or Will James Wharf at the rear of today's Welch Company. Those who shoveled and trod down snow were to be allowed $.50 per day per man and $.50 per day for a yoke of oxen to be applied to their highway taxes. Scituate Historical Society p.4 August ~._e _____. _i.__ T g

Where the Society Stands Today

The Treasurer's Report given to members attending the June 21 Annual Meeting gave a summary of the Society's income and expenses for the scal year ended May 31 and commented on the Society's nancial situation. The Trustees would like all members to know where we stand today. There are four factors that have a bearing on the short term picture facing the society: 1. The number of historical properties that the Society now owns (six) or has accepted responsibility from the Town for maintaining (ve) is the largest F number in our history. ' 2. The nature of the maintenance projects now confronting the Society. F 3. The Society's source of revenue. 4. The administrative organization and the number of volunteers accepting responsibilities for balancing the sources of revenue with the projects that have to be done. For several decades the sources of revenue. the number of historical properties and the focusing on the outward maintenance needs of the properties were pretty much in balance. During this period the Society grew under the leadership of its President, Kathleen Laidlaw. to its present status as one of the largest community Historical Societies in New England. Now the situation calls for changes in the approach to solutions to our problems. The Society's current form of administration went into effect at the June 1996 Annual Meeting. The table of organization now consists of six trustees, six principal officers (President, three Vice Presidents. Secretary and Treasurer) and 14 other officers and committee chairpersons. The Society is organizationally stronger today than at any time in its history. As an example, under this new organizational arrangement the Society now has a Finance Committee for the first time. This committee has been meeting regularly since September. 1996. reviewing matters of a nancial nature and submitting recommendations to the Board of Trustees regarding budget. expense controls. as well as short and long range financial plans and goals. Acting on the recommendation of the Finance Committee. the Society in November of 1996 secured a mortgage to provide funds for work that needed to be done on several properties and could not be deferred. Prompt repayment is an item of primary concern to the

Trustees and Officers. . One of the most important areas under review currently is the picture regarding the Society's various sources of revenues. With expenditures increasing, new sources of revenue must be found to supplement what the Society has depended on for so many years such as dues, sales of books and historical items. and rents from tenants in the Society's properties. It is vitally important that a fund-raising committee be established to come up with new sources of revenue. Two new revenue sources come to mind: filing requests for grants and the sale of some non-productive real estate. Regarding the rst source we have submitted several grant requests -- some have been turned down and some we are waiting to hear about. Addressing the second point we have placed on the market the 1.5 acre plot across the street from the Old Oaken Bucket House. At no time would any land be sold if in so doing the integrity of any historical property or land near the acres proposed for sale be jeopardized or impaired. The Society's objective of preserving and maintaining historical sites and buildings important to Scituate’s history is the same today as it has been for the past 80 years. However, what it takes to do this in the 1990's increased over the years. We have more people working on a volunteer basis than ever before -- and we can use more. We also welcome ideas on ways to raise funds that will enable us to carry on the work of the Society in preserving our heritage for the benefit of the people who live here today and for future generations. Please. we need your help and ideas. Board of Trustees In 1800 the rst Post Office in Scituate was established.

Scituate Historical Society p.5 August 7 7 My ___. , _

Answers to Mystery Photos Mystery photos were, the If you were wondering where the answers to the May and lune the Iuly newsletter and I had answer is very simple. I didn't have room to put them in I found the answer. It was misplaced the May answer. First, let’s start with May seeing house on the left was owned by Blossom Street 1906. Today it is Mordecai Lincoln Road. The The house at the right was Lester D. Hobson from 1908-1911, and was built by Iohn Bain. were no correct answers. Alonzo A. Pratt's. The Hyland residence is in the distance. There standing at lenkins School The ]une photo was correctly identified by Bob Corbin. You are were: (starting at looking toward Satuit Brook and Brook Street. The ]uly newsletter answers bottom (3) - H. D. F. top (3) starting at left - B. A. C. ; center (3) - B. G. (top) E. (bottom);

Final gembershig Renewal Notige by have not paid this year's dues (July 1, 1997 through June 30, 1998) If you Society and the September 1 , then your name will be dropped from the newsletter will no longer be sent to you. If you are not sure if you have paid, please call the Laidlaw Center and the volunteer can tell you.

Fourth Cliff Life-saving Station at Work

October 7th, 1886

Direction and force of wind and state of weather and surf at sunrise: Northeast Fresh Clear Moderate Barometer (at noon): 30.35 Thermometer: 62 Patrol. Midnight to 4 a.m. - M. S. Barber (South) & Joseph Flynn (North) Sunset to 8 p.m. - G.H. Brown (South) :& lames Doherty (North) 8 p.m. to Midnight - Ioseph Flynn (South) & M. S. Barber (North)

At midnight Surfman Iames Doherty reported a small schooner ashore in the entrance to the North River on the Marshfield side. There was no wind or sea on and it would not be high water till 7:45 a.m.. I instructed Surfman Barber to get as near as he could and see if they wanted any help. He found there was only one man on board and as it began to breeze up from the Northeast he would want assistance. We left the station at _?_ went aboard the her schooner at _?_ run out his anchor, threw out - 2 ton of ballast - and at 7:30 a.m. hauled off and brought her up to Scituate Harbor where she was bound and left her safely- returned to the Station at 12:30 p.m.

Visited the Southerly Key Post.

Frederick Stanley - Keeper

Scituate Historical Society p.6 August mL&m THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROUS SUPPORT Mr. Security Sag Protect Yourself from Armed Robbery!!! Guard Against Assault!!!

Mr. Security o'ers 15 reports on how to guard against crime. For just $3.00 a report. you can learn how to protect yourself and the ones you love. Order all 15 reports for just $22.50.

ORDER NOW! - Send check or money order to: Mr. Security PO Box 2730 Center Fremingham, Me. 01703

‘Money Back Guarantee if not completely Satised.

Members please support the businesses that support

JOHN NELSON BOB BURVVICK 545-5560 NORDIC SONS Unique CuSt0n_t Jewelry Raymond's Paint and Wallpaper, lnc. . ’ Kitchens ‘N’ Counters Too . ' I P //2),), sC,;;§§g{;§g;M, nmenm LUMBER cormuv, mc. ‘._"'" ‘"0’ -:< '

. ' Quality 5 4 BROOK STREET ' BOX 528 Makes 7-he BUILDING MATERIALS FOR EVERY NEED SCITUATE HARBOR. MA 01066 D,,,,e,,¢, 190 SUMMER - mus:-mA,mA 0204: (617) 545,6-778 a|1xecAee1nm|1n sr.

(517) 545-4599 (aoo) 5504599 FAX (517) 545-1123 S59 t-lain»RUSSELL D. Field & Son, Inc. CABINET SOURCE 72 From S" ct Solid Waste Systems mo urns EFFORT SHOP c “We went every customer to Ieel lllre our only customer. ' Scituatc MA 02066 Tel: 61,1-545-0016 5454 00° TOM DUNHAM 132 FRONT STREET ‘ FAX; 617-545-5310 Kathleen M. Field 21 Garden Road Owner SCITUATE. MA 02066 Treasurer Scituate. MA 02066

Dana J.Richard 545_1 255 —_——H'_"—"_"'y'_" II - :_.___N - Lic#A11929 \¢,uAn0 Lil CF08‘)? 1‘ AN]-uc 51- 3A5 513 M2626’ -f[1“/ cottage Farm swam 7 1;.-.!r.r.-...... s..,.,-15. O ,// ~ ll -9- B0|rbl::Dav¢ Hall 6‘ Paintings 8: ll ia 0°" Antique Frames m Claw Read P.O. Box 756 ($97 R\° Residential Clean“! 8‘ Ra“o1.°d 5c'rtuat¢,M4u. » Scituate, MA 02066 Industrial ' Fax: (617) 545-4360 Commercial 61-7'545'°1-59 l____ (b7545'.56Ql

TOTMAN ENTERPRISES INC. (tel) 61 1-545-5504 (fax) 611-545-6589

SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION EXCAVATION Martha S. Totman Russell B. Totman P.O. Box 22 P.O. Box 35$ N. Marsheld, MA 02059 Scituate, MA 02066

Scituate Historical Society p.7 August

/NC. Non-Prot Org. U.S. Postage Ebccituatzbisturicalnciztp scmfgggmm PERMIT NO. 23 ‘~" NEWSLETTER

Mystery Photograph a piece of paper Can you identify this picture? If you can, put the answer on mystery with your name, address and phone number and drop it in the answer photograph box at the Laidlaw Historical Center. The rst correct selected wins a sheet of assorted postcards. Good Luck.

August Scituate Historical Society p.8 écituate Zéaisturical éncietp ilietnsletter aw. $04: 276 Sauuu, ma. 02066 (617-545-ross) ""‘ @de6uat|'ngu|ueigMgqaanan{aauniee¢a$a'tuat¢

T . . "J - i I ~ ' Volume 2 Issue 2 Splember, 1997

12-1- L 9 u‘ -1 -1.‘ ¢ $14-1 in ' 1 I 1 AL i > ire! ' kl- -5; -41. =.

Qmai_§1ass:.es§ The trustees would like to thank the many volunteers who made the opening of our new museum the success that it was. The many, many visitors to the museum were greatly impressed by what they saw. Comments were all positive as patrons passed from room to room thoroughly fascinated by the displays. None of this would have been possible without the hundreds of hours put in by volunteers over the past year. The Society is indebted to these volunteers. The displays are not completed so work will continue into the fall.

A new operating committee for the museum has been established with David Dixon as its head. This committee will be working on setting up the store, hours, volunteers. etc. Volunteers are still needed, so if you can help call the Laidlaw Center and leave your name and David will get back to you.

Late last February it was discovered that the Jacob-Hatch IIISIIIB Burying Groundmmlocated off the Judge Cushing road in Greenbush had been deeded Jacob Hatch Burying to the Scituate Historical Society Ground continues back in 1933!

~_f\f¢h"¢$ C<>m¢1' The raised granite stone family cemetery which overlooks a salt Fifi?“ P°°‘ C""°‘ marsh is the nal resting place of several members of the Hatch and Jacob family. The earliest stone is that of Benjamin Jacob MSW“ *0 Myst"! who was born in Scituate in 1709 and died in 1792. He was the P"°*°° son of Deacon David and Sarah (Cushing) Jacob. In 1737 Not,“ of Sp,,c,a| Benjamin married Mary Thomas of Pembroke. Meeting - (By-law ¢ha"8=8l Benjamin Jacob's grandson Samuel Hatch Jr. (b. 1772) Myst“), Photograph inherited the Jacob family farm at Greenbush in 1804. The old house had been destroyed by re so Samuel Jr rebuilt on the old foundation a beautiful colonial-style home that still stands Scituate Historical Society p.l September today on the corner of Country Way and Drlftway. married Eunice Jacobs. Their marriage produced one child. In 1808 Samuel Hatch as Peleg Ford in 1837. In the winter of 1811 Eunice Hatch died Mary who later married slate of childbirth complications. She was only 25 years old. A weathered a result with following epitaph: gravestone marks the nal resting place of mother and infant “Here, here they lie! Oh could I once more view those dear remains: take one morefond adieu. Of the work of God. their beauteious day while here In active life so lovely did appear.” of life in early America encouraged a surviving spouse to remarry soon The necessities Hatch married a traditional mourning period. In late autumn of 1812 Samuel after 1816, Adeline in 1821. Mercy (Turner). Together they had four children. Mercy in Samuel in 1824, and Benjamin in 1826. Scituate and other coastal towns were subject to an During the summer of 1814 shing threat by British naval forces including one incident when several increased militia companies vessels were burned in Scituate harbor. Scituate's ve existing of Lieutenant Colonel Caleb Turner were kept busy drilling on the under the command Captain and patroling the four cliffs. Samuel Hatch was a member of training elds duty from June Luther Tilden's Company. The ve companies were placed on active 20th till November 6th when the invasion threat subsided. O. Briggs and worked as a shipwright and in later years worked for Cushing Samuel of the 193 toon brig his sons Charles and William. ln 1840 he assisted in the building “Senator” that in later years was sold off in Rio de Janeiro. a lively place. By many accounts the Hatch homestead at Greenbush was quite wife Mercy entertained family and friends alike. ln the book Samuel and his second Hatch‘s p. 135 the following description of Hatch hospitality states. “Mr “Old Scituate” on all the hospitality was like that of old Virginia: res always burning brightly hearths and the tables bountifully set for all who might come.” is one written by Another fascinating look into the goings on at the Hatch homestead a character knovm by the Rev William P. Tilden in the mid 1800's. Tilden tells about Tom Tripp. During the heyday of the North River shipyards. men one and all as Uncle the New England as well as the local towns found employment along from all over Some were odd characters with little known backgrounds or family roots. river. Many was one such lived in shanties far back in the woods or pastures. Uncle Tom Tripp as Rev Tilden recounts: character known to the Hatch family living or nationality there is little or nothing known. He was uncle to everybody “Of his origin a small boy. the North River. Uncle Tom Tripp seemed an old man when I was on either bank of was very queer looking that he might have been mistaken for any age. He He was evidently so his middlem, a dwarf, and wore a slouch hat, long coat, and boots coming up to short, almost at. He lived on the together with his weather beaten face, made him a curiosity to look which, oated from one yard to river, a sort of human muskrat. If a pair of bilgeways were to be the man to do it. He would lash the long timbers or spars together, another, Uncle Tommy was long oat them, and then jump on with his water-proof boots, and, with a wait for the tide to or up with keep the water logged cra in the channel, and coax it leisurely down setting-pole. to a stake, and cut the tide, as the case might be. When the tide turned he would tie his charge was a great story teller across the elds to the nearest house for refreshment and lodging. He one. There was one place especially where he always found a cordial and a very harmless First Herring This was the hospital home of Mr Sam Hatch, who lived on the banks of welcome. a yet larger heart. Brook. Uncle Tommy could get here by water. Mr Hatch had a large farm and Scituate Historical Society p.2 September He was a good liver as they used to say, and there was always something in his well lled pantry for any poor waif who might happen along. It was his spacious kitchen, in front of his open hard-wood re that Uncle Tommy found an earthly paradise. Here he could eat, drink, smoke

and tell stories to his heart's content. How or when he nally shuled off this mortal coil, no 1 one appears to know. Perhaps like his prototype, he went into a hole in the river's bank, and there sleeps sweetly. Let the river, every reach he knew by heart, be his monument.” (EXCCi'pt quoted in Brigg’s “Shipbuilding on the North River” p. 58)

When Samuel Hatch passed away in 1844 and his wife in 1868, the homestead festivities were soon distant memories. Today Samuel rests between his rst and second wives along with his Grandmother and Grandfather Jacob, his Aunts, his own children and three grandchildren. Though surrounded by 20th century encroachment, the little cemetery still maintains a quiet dignity.

~ David Corbin

Archives Corner “Regarding the Boston Post Cane”

In 1909, Plymouth County had 26 towns and one city, Brockton. In these, the original Boston Post Cane has been given out to the oldest citizen, to retain until his or her death; it has been stored or put on permanent display; it is missing. According to our most recent documentation, we nd the following statistics: Abington - Stored Bridgewater - Original Brockton (Campello section of Brockton), only city in Mass. to have received an original cane. It is now missing. Carver - Original Duxbury - Stored East Bridgewater - Missing Halifax - Missing Hanover - Original Hanson - Missing Hingham - Missing Hull - Missing Kingston - Original Lakeville - Stored Marion - Original Marsheld - Missing Mattapoiset - Original Middleboro - Missing

Norwell - Stored ‘ Pembroke - Stored Plymouth - Missing Plympton - Original Rochester - Original Rockland - Missing Scituate - Original (Scituate's “Boston Post Cane” was awarded by Proclamation 8: Presentation at the Selectmen's meeting on March 28, 1995 at 7:15 P.M. to Mrs. Madeline Holmes Falvey of 69 Kenneth Road, Scituate, who lives there with her son. Charles Falvey, and she is presently 106 years of age. Wareham - Original Scituate Historical Society p.3 September ‘-

West Bridgewater - Missing Whitman - Has no knowledge of receiving a Boston Post Cane. This book, “The Bay State's Boston Post Canes” by Barbara Staples, is a most interesting booklet containing many photos of the rst recipients, including Civil War veterans; information by the recipients as to their beliefs about their longevity; statistics by counties. and more.

I have now transferred all of the “Scituate Friends of the Archives” genealogical material and equipment, purchased and acquired by the “Friends”, (not to be confused with Town Hall Department Records, which are still available in Town Hall), to my home at 106 Old Oaken Bucket Road, Scituate, MA., 02066. The “Friends” Archives will be open on Mondays and Wednesdays, by appointment (Tel: 1-617-545-2639). Please call after 6 P.M. Dorothy Clapp Langley Former Scituate Town Archivist

Fing Membership Renewal Notice - Extended till October We apologize for the abruptness of the membership renewal notice in last month's bulletin. A committee has been working diligently for almost one year trying to get the membership updated. Once this is accomplished then we will have the year your membership runs out on your mailing label. But for now you have any questions call the Laidlaw Center and leave a message for Ruth Mullen she'll get back to you. Thank you.

Last Month's Mystery Photo - Thank you for the many answers Last Open House Date for this that were sent in for last month's year is Septgmbef We h()pe Mystery Photo. There were - - - several correct answers, but the t0 See ygu at our h1St0nc Sues‘ first one drawn was Carol Vollmei’s. Carol's answer was From tht President the Grandview Hotel which was As many of you know the Maritime/Irish Mossing located at the intersection of :1“g9:“tmA;l;°"@:h 131 tlm;mf)‘::' Hemagi tng 1" 6??’ u s. ou ee sare no 0 compee Hatirly antd THU“: ea: rt (about 80%), we felt it important to let the citizens of a you 0 a W 0 0° pa ' Scituate see the tremendous progress we have made. The response was truly gratifying. For example, one woman from out of state said she has visited Maritime museums on both coasts, and ours was one of the best she has seen. To complete the exhibits will require some additional expenditures. We need to find ways to fund the remaining work and more volunteers are needed to staff the building. l look forward to your money raising ideas. if you can help with staffing, please call and leave your name at 545- 1083 (Laidlaw Center). Four of our members have been active recently regarding grants. Susan Phippen recently submitted a grant application to D.E.M. for improvements at Lighthouse Park and the bridge on Edward Foster Road. Joan Francis is spearheading a town grant’s committee and assisting her on behalf of the Society is Duncan Bates Todd and David Dixon. Hopefully this will lead to some badly needed funds for the Society. Dave Ball Scituate Historical Society p.4 September T P TI The Scituate Historical Society will hold a special meeting on Saturday, October 18,' 1997 at the Methodist Church. The Meeting will follow a dinner which will be served at 6:30 p.m. The business portion of the meeting will consist of action on the following amendments to the Society's By-laws. 1. By-law amendments [ ] indicates language to be deleted Underscore indicates new language to be inserted

ll. Members Purpose ofchange: to eliminate reference to the category Life Members . Membership in the Society shall be open to all, upon payment of [an] annual [or life] membership dues to be determined and published from time to time by the organization's trustees. Any life members on the Society's records as of October 18, 1997 may continue as such.

lll. Fiscal Year Purpose of change: to change the dates of the scal year. The Society's fiscal year shall begin on the first day of [June] jgly each year and end on the [thirty-first] Thirtieth day of [May] ]un_e in the year following.

IV. Dues Purpose of changes: to eliminate reference to Life Members as a category of new members; to change reference to the date when dues are to be paid; and eliminate reference to exemption from dues payment for an upcoming year when dues for a current year are made late in the year. Each member (other than Honorary) shall pay a prescribed annual [or life] membership dues upon joining the Society. Honorary land Life] members shall be free from all further dues obligations while enjoying the same rights and privileges as regular members. Regular members shall be required to pay their annual dues (at the currently prescribed rate) by the dates prescribed by the trustees. All dues payments shall be paid into the Society's treasury for the organization's general purposeslon the rst day of June in each subsequent year, provided that no person entering the Society on or after March lst shall be required to pay additional dues for the fiscal year commencing on the first day of June immediately following.].

V. Communications with members Purpose of change: to eliminate reference to the issuance ofacknowledgment of receipt ofdues. All members shall [receive prompt acknowledgment of dues paid, and] receive at least four issues of the Scituate Historical Bulletin or other newsletter each calendar year.

VI. Meetings - Purpose of change: to include reference to holding a ”Special Meeting in Lieu ofan Annual Meeting" at a date later than lune. The annual meeting of the Society shall be held in May or in June. Other meetings shall be held at such times and places as the Trustees appoint. A "Special Meeting in Lieu of an

Annual Meeting" may be called and held at a date later than lune.

Vlll. Officers Purpose ofchange: to specify the oicers to be elected by the Society's members and the ofcers to be named by the Trustees. The officers of the Society shall consist of Group A: a President, Vice President- Administration; Vice President-Education; Vice President-Preservation; Secretary; Treasurer; Finance Chair; Librarian; Genealogist; Volunteer Recruitment & Training Manager; Curator;IArchivist; Insurance Advisor; Community Resources Chair; and Facilities Maintenance Manager.

Each officer glggggg shall be elected at an Annual Meeting of the Society for a term of Scituate Historical Society p.5 September shall serve in one particular two (2) years. No ofcer in Group A (excluding the Treasurer) of three successive terms, office for more than three (3) consecutive terms; upon completion elected to that same post. [All at least one (1) must elapse before an officer may again be being elected to or terms shall be staggered, with no more than twelve officers normally leaving office in any one year.] Board of Trustees at the Each ofhcer in Group B shall be ngggnated and eleged by the : in Lieu ofan - the i - etin orSeci Mee' Trustees’ M - iv ' i - a e followi Annual Meeg_ng' _fgr two -year terms, shall, at the beginning of The Trustees, President, three Vice Presidents and other officers goals and to establish a each [calendar] sggl year, meet to review the Society's long-term organization during list of specific objectives to be achieved by the various segments of the the ensuing twelve month period.

X. Nominations and elections the Annual Meeting. Purpose of changes: to align dates with the schedule for dates of shall be appointed Nominating Committee consisting‘of three (3) members of the Society A Meeting each year to by the Trustees not later than [Mar 1st] ninety days before an Annual by vote of the full prepare and present a slate of candidates for positions to be filled its preliminary membership at the Annual Meeting. This Committee shall report before an Annual recommendations to the Trustees no later than [May lst] sixty days Meeting.

a full list of proposed A capy of the Nominating Committee's final report, together with publication of t e Society can ‘dates and proxy form, shall be sent by letter or notice in any days in advance of to all members whose addresses are known no less than fourteen (14) said meeting.

2. Other business attend, please fill out the Please make every effort to attend the Meeting. If you are unable to addressed envelop. proxy below and return it to the Society before October 18 in the enclosed Respectfully, Ruth A. Downton Secretary

Prggy for October 18, 1997 Sgial Meeting Society and hereby vote in regard I am a member in good standing of the Scituate Historical to the proposed amendments to the By-laws: FOR AGAINST BY-LAW II. MEMBERS [I] [:1 III E] III. FISCAL YEAR IV. DUES V. COMMUNICATIONS . . .MEMBERS VI. MEETINGS VIII. OFFICERS X. NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS

Date ______Name of Member ______Scituate Historical Society p.6 September

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Scituate Historical Society p.7 September

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Mystery Photograph Can you identify this picture’? If you can, put the answer on a piece of paper with your name, address and phone number and drop it in the mystery photograph box at the Laidlaw Historical Center. The rst correct answer selected wins a sheet of assorted postcards. Good Luck.

Scituate Historical Society p.8 September écituate Zlaisturital évnrietp ietnsletter 93.0. $um276 Sdtuatc, MG. 02066 (617-545-I083) :8

A" " e~.ti€~“' f-7“/~‘?*’-4' " - »- \\*.; '"“~‘{~ -*--"°’l"k..- A 1’¢N¢'\4‘:-Q, ./~-- "_. -J . ' " * " itl , Volume 2 I.ssue 3 October, 1997

October Dinner Meeting The tickets have been going fast to our October Dinner Meeting. The ladies of the Methodist Church have turned their culinary talents to Ham, Beans, Corn bread, cole slaw and their famous pies for our new Fall dinner meeting. Patrick Otten, the official historian of the USS Constitution will present a interesting and informative slide program on the Constitution's reconstruction. Mr. Otten will focus on how they did the research to bring her back to what she was like when constructed. For great food and an fascinating look at an American naval symbol join us on October 18 at 6:30 at the Methodist Church. “Christmas Past, Christmas Present” Dear Member. A group of volunteers who have been involved with the maritime and mossing museum are planning a Christmas fundraiser. At the moment we are asking for ideas. craftmakers. bakers. etc. to come forward and offer their talents.Let your ideas flow free. We hope to provide a glimpse of “Christmas Past and Christmas Present”. If you can be of help. please call us or ll in the blank below.

I N ' Jmnde ame

The Harbor at Address R Scituate -

Cgastefs and T61. Number. Day EVC Packets- all gone now! Suggestions: Archives Corner

Versatile Colonel C.W. Furlong PLEASE g§TuRN TO: Recognition Corner OR C L LAW CENTER 545-1083 OR JO NE RO INSO 45-6308 The Harbor at Scituate

Scituate Harbor, now one of the nest small harbors along our stretch of the northeastem coast, was not always pretty to look at nor nearly as useful as it is today. The growth and changes that have taken place around the Harbor mirror the growth and change that has taken place in this country as a whole. All the various histories that have chronicled the disasters o' Scit uate's eight miles of rugged coastline have used Scituate Harbor as a reference point. It was here, at this harbor, that a large part of the history of the town of Scituate was written. To Timothy Hatherly and the Conihasset partners, early owners of the harbor lands and surrounding areas back into the woods, the most valuable resource at that spot was the cold freshwater brook which owed from the interior, several miles back, into the harbor. It provided fresh water all year long. It became known as Satuit Brook. The harbor itself, as we now know it, is the result of many years of local, state, and federal efforts at dredging out what was essentially a salt marsh, into the beautiful harbor which exists today. Picture in your mind a salt creek, approximately the width of the North River as it goes under the bridge "at the Scituate- Marsheld line on Rte 3A, winding its way in to the present harbor town pier, continuing behind Front Street until it became impassable at Satuit Brook. All around were mud ats and salt marsh, most of whichy have been removed or dredged away in the ensuing years. Energetic merchants and local businessmen along the waterway at the harbor had dug out their own ship berths and made their own piers to accomodate the ever growing volume of trade as the town grew. A basic problem remained, however. Despite all efforts, there was usually never more than two feet of water anywhere along the waterway at low tide. Even at high tide on normal days there was usually only about ten feet of water, making navigation hazardous and necessitating long hours at sea or at anchor off the coast if one missed the high water optimum time for coming to or going from Scituate Harbor. it didn't matter whether one’s business at the harbor was bringing a load of coal, lumber for construction, or oating out a newly constructed ship from the ways of the Kent Boatyard, time nor tide waited for no person. Extra large vessels coming in and out of the harbor had to oen wait for the extra high tides which occur monthly or the extremely high (and low) tides which occur only several times a year. Everyone agreed. it was a nearly insurmountable problem. Shipbuilders at the harbor solved the problem by building the hulks of ships on the ways at the harbor and oating these out to the open water on optimum tides and having the nal tting done at Boston yards which had deeper and more accomodating berths. The rst appropriations for work on the harbor cost $180 in 1829. No further work was done until 1852. That cost $1000. No further work was begun until 1880. From that date, on which $7,500 was spent to deepen the channel, until 1899, nearly $100,000 more was spent on improving navigibility of the harbor. During the year 1916 a group of concerned Scituate townspeople formed themselves into a group called the Scituate Harbor Improvement Committee, in an effort to secure federal funding for the widening of the channel to the docks along Front Street. The President was Doctor A.D. George. Frederic T. Bailey was Vice- President, W. Marriot Welch was Secretary, and George F. Welch was Treasurer. They published a pamphlet entitled The Harbor at Scituate, Massachusetts. In it they proposed Scituate as a harbor of refuge and asked the assistance of the federal government for $200,000 in improvement funds. The justication in the pamphlet cited lack of any adequate anchorage basin, the fact that water-bome commerce was bypassing Scituate for other deeper water ports, the extension of the breakwater at the mouth of the harbor, the deepening of the channel from the ocean to the docks to a minimum of six feet. and widening the channel to 100 feet wide for the same distance. The pamphlet also cited commercial gures in tons of coal, brick, lime, lumber, and other commodities to bolster their case. Eventually they won their case and the federal government came forth with assistance to modernize the port. It has continued to do so many times since. It has been an uphill ght all through the years, however, as intense pressure is put on local, state, and federal authorities to enlarge the harbor even further, primarily for pleasure boaters. Today, as in years past,“ the question remains, who will pay? The present-day answer again seems to be that it will be the federal government with its supply of money for harbor improvements. Over the past few years the harbor at Scituate has been silting-in badly. At low tide on some days the harbor begins to resemble something like what it might have looked like years ago- a fairly narrow inlet of water which gets narrower, shallower, and more silted-in with each passing year. The issue of how a person gets a mooring in Scituate Harbor complicates the present dredging proposal. The buying and selling of moorings privately has forced the Army Corps of Engineers to stipulate that the Town of Scituate must publicly and openly handle the distribution of moorings through Town management or the Corps of Engineers will not carry forth with its plans to dredge Scituate Harbor with Federal money. What has been oen a rather private person to person transaction, with mooring transfers selling at up to nearly $20,000 each, supposedly has been terminated. Time and tide add to the narrowing of the harbor. Thus it has always been. Time for the Federal Government to help again with the dredging. Jared Fitzgerald, Scituate. 1997 Maritime Museum - Hours The Maritime/ Irish Mossing museum will be open Saturdays from l to 4 through Columbus Day weekend (October 4th and llth). November and December it will be open the rst Saturday of the month (November lst and December 6th).

Coasters 82 Packets - They're All Gone Now! Once upon a time people would eagerly await the sight of tall spars rising above the trees and hurry down to the docks as a coasting schooner tied up to wharf. Their holds redolent with wonderfully exotic smells of distant places. Town people would anxiously await the goods and tales that were sure to follow. There was a time when spars and rigging made a commonplace pattem against the Scituate sky. If one examined the log of the Life-saving station at either Fourth Cli' or Minot, the record of vessels passing Scituate during a typical day would surely be a surprise (the Minot log for March 4, 1889 records 18 schooners and 6 steamers passing by the station) . During the year I876 the keeper of Owl's Head Light, Maine, counted over 16,000 schooners alone passing by his perch. [Many of the same vessels were counted over and over again, so the accuracy may be questioned, but not the volume of maritime traic.] The coasters and packet boats were present into this century, but today there seem to be few who remember the time that the coast and harbors swarmed with these vessels. Until the development of good roads, most towns outside major cities had to depend upon the coasters for their contact with the world. Even with good roads, and remember most of these roads were dirt, part of the year they were nearly impassable. Communication with the rest of the state or world was established with the arrival of these vessels. Today the only schooners we see are those that operate as “dude cruisers”. Their smells are that of perfume and shaving cream le by teachers, clerks, and secretaries who make up their paying crews. The daily packet boat running from Scituate Harbor to Boston and back again was a common sight. Imagine living in Scituate during the 1830's and going down to Will James wharf to watch the packet boat arrive from Boston. Could you abrd that beautifully carved ivory sewing kit from China? Can you feel the excitement as you wait for your brother to walk down the gangway fresh from his rst voyage to India as a cabin boy aboard a clipper ship. Your friend Israel, who couldn't get to the harbor this morning for he had chores to do on the farm, will have to wait until the packet stops at Hobart's Landing near his father's farm in Greenbush. In his book William Baker discussed the packet boat Mayower and what it meant to Scituate and the other communities along the North River. He had discovered a half model of this vessel at the site of the Brick Kiln shipyard on the North River. He determined that this was the sloop Mayflower of I823. She had fourteen owners, which may seem like alot, but such multiple ownerships was common practice at this time. These packets would serve to connect the North River communities with Boston and other points along the coast much the same as trucks do today. Asa Sherman, Mayflower's master, skippered North River packets for many years; the Nancy, a 94-ton schooner built at Scituate Harbor in 1803, was one of his earlier packets. His son, Asa, Jr. commanded packets for thirty-seven years from 1827 to 1864. These packets would bring goods produced in the valley to Boston. The cargoes would include cord wood, charcoal, and farm produce. In 1733 the full cargo of the sloop Ranger from North River to Plymouth was three barrels of cider. On return trips the packets would carry goods for stores, sawn lumber, and various supplies for the shipyards. They stopped at regular landings along the river, some of which can be easily accessed today. There were eight regular landings. They were: White's Ferry (near the present day Bridgwaye Inn), Little's Bridge, formerly Doggett’s ferry, Hobart’s Landing, Union Bridge, formerly Oakman's Ferry, Foster's Landing, Job's Landing, Brick Kiln and nally Hanover Town Landing at North River Bridge. The Mayflower served the North River until July of I828 when she was sold to the Watson family of Plymouth. Asa Sherman purchased a slightly larger packet the Magnolia and continued plying his trade on the river. A model of the packet boat Mayower built by Charlie Sparrel using William Baker's plans can be seen in the shipbuilding room at the Maritime/Irish Mossing museum. This along with Peter Whitman's beautiful mural of the North River may help you imagine life in Scituate Harbor and along the North River 150 plus years

ago. - One last note, shortly before she died Hilda Stenbeck sent me a copy of steamboat ticket from the Scituate Steamboat Company. Captain Charles Waterman's ship the Gurnet carried Scituate residents to and from Boston. Tickets were purchased at Town Pier and passengers boarded the Gurnet on a gang plank running from the pier to the ship. As you can see, the ticket had to be used by September 15, 1915. Packets and steamships coming and going from the harbor, ships being built and launched, shing boats coming and going, and shipwrecks along Scituate's eight miles of coast - who needed television! I Fred Freitas

Archives Corner “Plymouth County. 1685” by Cynthia Hagar Krusell. ( I read this interesting chapter in the above-named book, by the above named author, and it being very

s

E g concise and well adapted for new researchers of Scituate, I quote it verbatum: Dorothy Langley)

SCITUATE By 1685, Scituate had become a dynamic community, with varied occupations, economic conditions and religious beliefs. Like Plymouth, it had a commercial center at the harborside. Like Duxbury and Marsheld, it had a number of out-lying villages interspersed with scattered, isolated farms that lay along the North River as far inland as present Hanover. Grants made along the river valley ranged from sixty to eighty acres, making

them generally larger than the Duxbury grants, but smaller than the grants of Marsheld. - Outlying neighborhoods had grown in the area of the present towns of Norwell and Hanover, especially at Barstow’s Bridge (Old Washington Street) at the North River. This had been the site of the rst bridging of the river, in 1656. The court ordered a new bridge built in 1685. The towns of Marsheld, Scituate and Duxbury shared equally in the building costs. On the northerly edge of Scituate was a small settlement known as Briggs Harbor (the Glades). This site was named for Walter Briggs, who had purchased a 300 acre parcel there from Timothy Hatherly before 1650. In 1685, the Briggs family was still farming this tract. Ships were built at Scituate Harbor, where William James had begun shipbuilding as early as I650 and was busily engaged in the industry by 1673. Shipyards also operated at a number of sites up the North River, including Hobart’s Landing (near present Neal Gate Street) where Israel Hobart built ships, “Industry, John and Abigail, and Joseph and Benjamin, between 1682 and 1684. Other yards were operated by Edward Wanton. Nathaniel Church and John Palmer, Jr., further up river. The great stands of white oak in the North River region provided the raw material for this important industry. In his book SHIPBUILDING ON TI-IE NORTH RIVER, L. Vernon Briggs states that there was more white oak to be found here than in any other part of the English world at that time. Workers with teams of oxen hauled the timber for the shipyards out of the nearby woodlots. Carpenters worked at the shipyards the year around. The unusually abundant supply of timber for shipbuilding encouraged the independence of Massachusetts merchants, who came to wield political, social and economic power in the early colonies. (To be continued next month). Dorothy Langley Former Town Archivist "The Versatile Colonel"

This October will mark the 30th anniversary of the passing of Col. C.W. Furlong. No doubt many of our readers can recall this energetic man who even in his 80's stood up at Scituate Town Meeting and railed against the rushing tide of development and warned those listening that the natural beauty and resources of Scituate must be protected. All during his 93 years the Colonel was a person directed by personal accomplishment. His life story almost suggests the work of ction as many of his critics then and today would suggest. His life's work included that of explorer, writer, soldier, ethnologist and renown lecturer. His legacy to the town of Scituate remains with us today. Charles Wellington Furlong was born in Cambridge Ma on Dec 13, 1874. He was one of four boys bom to Atherton and Carletta (Wellington) Furlong. Atherton Furlong was an accomplished tenor soloist who had received a music and art education in America as well as Europe. As a singer he traveled throughout Europe where, in his crowning achievement he performed at Buckingham Palace for Queen Victoria in 1887. In promoting his career Atherton Furlong and his wife spent many months abroad in Europe. A demanding summer schedule resulted in the Furlong boys being sent to live with their maternal grandparents in Scituate. By his ovm account C.W. Furlong described his brothers and himself as somewhat undisciplined.Used to the genteel life in Cambridge with indulgent parents, life in old Scituate would prove very different. At the beginning of the summer of 1881, young Charles and his brothers discovered that they were to have new hosts in Scituate. The Wellingtons had made arrangements that their grandsons would spend the summer with Benjamin and Charlotte Merritt who lived down along the harbor. Benjamin Merritt was an old mariner who in his younger days made countless trips out to the Newfoundland Banks in search of the cod. What a stark contrast it must have been between the old salt and his wife and four young city boys just out of private school Young Charles soon discovered that old Mr Merritt was not the type to be challenged. On one occasion when Charles was caught "talking back" at Mrs Merritt he found himself Iied o his feet and out to the barn where he "caught a good hiding" from the strap. In his own recollection many years later C.W. mused that this encounter was his rst taste of "good proper discipline". As the summer progressed relations between the boys and their hosts improved. Young Charles began to develop what would become a lifelong love a'air for the people and natural beauty that denes Scituate. For the next several summers Charles and his brothers explored the elds and meadows, canoed up the far reaches of the North River, visited the old farms, mills, and tanneries. "Uncle" Benjamin taught all four boys the basics of seamanship by taking them out o' the four cliffs in his small ski'. Uncle Benjamin's stories of life on the high seas would sow the seeds of adventure in young Charles life as he longed to travel to exotic ports living life to the fullest. In 1891 Charles entered the Massachusetts Normal Arts School. Returning to Scituate during summer break, he worked at the Henry Norwell Farm. Long days spent working in the hot elds only increased Charles love for the outdoors. Evenings were spent over at Charlie Chubbuck's store listening over and over again to old Charlie's account of when he survived a grizzly bear attack while out west as a young man. His scarred face, proof of that duel ofyears past. It was during Charles college days that he became friends with Henry Turner Bailey and Charles Wesley Cushman. Both men greatly inuenced young Charles in developing his appreciation of Scituate's natural resources and wildlife. Of Cushman he later wrote ” I never left his house without having learned something". Aer graduating from Mass Normal Arts in 1895 Charles attended Cornell University and Harvard. In 1899 Charles joined the faculty at Cornell where he taught in the anthropolog dept. In I904 he left Cornell to join in an expedition to North Africa where after weeks of searching the team discovered the wreck of the U. S. frigate Philadelphia that had been sunk in Tripoli Harbor during the Barbary Pirate War in 1804. In 1907 Charles again le his studies to take part in an expedition in South America. He became the rst American to cross through the heart of Tierra Del Fuego and Patagonia located at the tip of the continent. He lived among the natives during the expedition, recording their language and customs. His drawings of the Pantagonian Indians who are now extinct are the only known record existing today. Retuming home in 1908 Charles traveled out west to Montana where he lived among the Blackfoot and Crow Indians. It was while living in Montana that he won the world bull-riding championship in 1914. In I915, with the lessons of seamanship that Uncle Benjamin Merritt had taught him years earlier. Charles became a member of a West African Island expedition that crossed the Atlantic in a 22-ton schooner. Working as a war correspondent at the time he was the rst Westerner to bring out the rst reports of Morocco's declaration of war against Germany. With the U.S. at war in the spring of 1917 Charles enlisted in the Massachusetts Cavalry. Recognizing his overseas experience, the War Department sent him over to Rome, the Balkans, and the Near East with the rank of Major in the Intelligence Department. In 1919 he sent the rst dispatches to the Allies of the formation of the Turkish National Govt. Later that year he was sent as a military observer to Emir Fiesal in Syria. Later as an explorer he was given the honorary title of "Prince of Mecca” by Emit Nasir of Medina. During the Peace Conference at Versailles in 1919. Major C.W. Furlong served as President Woodrow Wilson's Document Secretary, a witness to one of histories most ill fated attempts at a new world order. At wars end Major Furlong returned to his anthropology studies as an explorer. In the 1920's he ventured into what then was known as "Darkest Africa". It has been said that he was the rst recorded white man to live among the Pygmies in the Ituri Forest in the Congo. It was during this expedition that he successfully located the last survivor of the famous Livingstone Expedition. A native guide named Chengwembi. In his khaki outt and pithe helmet Major Furlong sent a photo home of the historic meeting. In 1929, newly promoted to full Colonel, C.W. Furlong returned home to the place of his boyhood,Old Scituate. For a home he purchased the old Israel Sherman house situated on the corner that bears the builders name. Col. Furlong christened the old house "Eight Gables" and with his second wife Edith began to furnish the house with artifacts and exotic pieces from all his past travels. His study and trophy room boasted framed military medals and citations from foreign heads of state, elephant legged tables, leopard and zebra skins, mounted heads of hunting trophies as well as an extensive gun collection. A gem collection shared the same wall as stu'ed birds and buttery display. Those who visited Eight Gables at Sherman's Corner all agreed that the house was a virtual museum‘ Settling into life in Scituate, Col Furlong continued to lecture on world cultures and natural history. He joined the Scituate Historical Society and began to lecture on the history of Scituate and many of it's past personalities. He warmly recounted his summers spent as a boy in the old town as well as the people who helped shape his life. He began to travel about town armed with a camera, taking pictures of natural settings such as the North River and the many early homes. Many of his pictures were later used in the book "Old Scituate". Concerns for the protection and preservation of Scituate's natural beauty and resources led Col Furlong to be a squeaky hinge at many a town meeting. His military manner and love for the spotlight delighted many and irked others but on such issues as the incorporation of Town Forests and the proposal of a "Green' Belt"” along present-day 3-A. The squeaky hinge indeed received the oil. Though threatened today our Green Belt survives today thanks to the foresight of Col. Furlong. When a newly arrived resident to the town asked neighbor Furlong how she could get involved in preserving Scituate's past, he suggested joining the Historical Society. The newcomer was Kathleen Laidlaw. After years of pushing for a commission to oversee the protection of the town's vital natural resources, Col Furlong was present when Town Meeting 1961 passed Article 81 calling for the formation of a Conservation Commission . To this day our Conservation Commission continues to watch over our natural resources. Col Furlong served on the Conservation Commission until 1963 when at the age of 89 he accepted a position at Dartmouth College to oversee work on his collection of data on the Indians of Tierra Del Fuego and Patagonia. Forever on the go, the Colonel and his wife sold their beloved Eight Gables and auctioned o" many of the house furnishings including many of his trophies and artifacts. He set aside parts of his collection to be donated to the Pierce and Allen town libraries. A small ink drawing of the Ward Litcheld farm complete with memory map of Egpt Beach and Shore Acres done by the Colonel in 1949 was donated to the Historical Society where it remains today. Perhaps by selling his Scituate possessions the Colonel knew he would never return again to the many scenes of a boy's life. Four years later on October 9, I967 Colonel Charles Wellington Furlong passed away at the age of 93 in Hanover. N.H. His life story comparable to the colors of that month. Much of the natural surroundings that we take for granted in our town today can be attributed to the efforts of Col Furlong and those that shared and continue to share his belief in the preservation of our town's history and natural beauty. May we all follow the example of this versatile man. David Corbin Recognition Corner

At various times we like to recognize and thank special people who contribute their time and talents to the Scituate Historical Society. One special personwho, so far, has escaped recognition is Glen Fields. She has been a moving force behind the furnishing of the Captain's Room at the new Maritime and Mossing Museum. Not only has she diligently scoured many antique shops, ea markets, and yard sales for appropriate artifacts and furnishings, but single handedly raised the necessary funds to restore the Captain Ezra Vinal painting. The latter was no small task as more than $1200 was needed for professional restoration. An acknowledgement to the many people who contributed to this e'ort is on a framed plaque by the replace in the Captain's Room. From the remarks we have heard, visitors and members alike are very pleased and impressed with the quality of the displays throughout the Museum and appreciate the e'ort and hard work that has gone into making them so interesting. Therefore, for these particular e'orts and her many more continuing ones. we, in this small way, recognize and thank Glen Fields. Oicers and trustees of the Historical Society Leiden American Pilgrim Museum to open Thanksgiving Dr. Jeremy Bangs, Director of the new Leiden American Pilgrim Museum, wrote recently to Emilie Green that the Leiden American Pilgrim Museum will open officially on November 27, 1997. It is located on Beschuitsteeg 9, Leiden, The Netherlands. Dr. Bangs is a member of our Society and was instrumental in translating and typing our early town records, which will be published later this year. The two pictures below are o' the new

Y

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The exterior I

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I The interior I

museum. Good luck to Dr. Bangs. South Shore Archeological Society Meeting Open to Society Members The rst fall meeting of the South Shore Archeological Society will be held at the Laidlaw Center on October l6, 1997 at 7:30 p.m.. Mr. Bob Furlong, Chaimian of EKBLAW (subcommittee of Mass Archaeological Society. will speak about discoveries of the Moche people, a Pre Columbian culture. The discovery of advanced gold and silver work in royal tombs two years ago was featured in National Geographic. was The lecture/slide presentation is free to our members. (Please join us. editor). Winter Lecture Series The Society is planning a winter lecture series. There will be three lectures: the rst in November. another in February and the nal one in April. The lectures will be held on Wednesday evenings at 7 p.m.. The dates will be November 12. February ll, and April 18. The November speaker will be Bob Corbin and the subject he will speak on is Scittntez A Look Back, Down and Ahead. Admission will be 85.00 for non-members and $2.00 for members. The subjects of the February and April lectures are tentatively: Scituate’: Fishing Industry and ‘Ike 1851 Gale that toppled Minot’: THANK YOU.1q'mFOR YOUR GENEROUS SUPPORT Mr. Security Sag Protect Yourself from Armed Robbery!!! Guard Against Assault!!! Mr. Security o'ers 15 reports on how to guard against crime. For just $3.00 a report. you can learn how to protect yourself and the ones you love. Order all 15 reports for just $22.50.

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Mystery Photograph Can you identify this picture? If you can, put the answer on a piece of paper with your name, address and phone number and drop it in the mystery photograph box at the Laidlaw Historical Center. The rst correct answer selected wins a sheet of assorted postcards. Good Luck. Last Month's winner was Tucker Patterson, he correctly identied it as inside Thomas Lawson's Riding Academy. Mrs. Von Iderstein added by writing that the bark on the oor was 12" deep. 7 "" vii k

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~,~._. .. - _"_ . -. , .49 ‘.,"-9/_,¢.~;,e4.,._,_ ,'v"_4."‘y_:._" W 'r- \.\‘. __ 1 . _,,‘,.._:_i\'§‘,:__ '..: _ _A ,. 5 ~ » V \,..~<,, -or-<‘,~,Qm,..§,.‘(,~ ' ' ,-p Volume 2 Issue 4 November, 1997 Your Society At Work Thank you for voting in the changes to the By-laws. This will help the Society function much more efficiently. Thanks especially to Phil Weeks who went through the By-laws word by word, recognized the areas that needed to be changed, then streamlined the text and made it understandable to all.

A special thank you to Bobby Corbin who cut the grass at the new Maritime and lrish Mossing museum the whole summer. Almost every week Bobby was there cutting the grass and making the museum grounds present a professional air to this historic site. Thanks also to Susan Anthony for making the planters on the museum's deck beautiful. All summer long visitors commented on the attractive and colorful arrangement of plants. To these two individuals a special thank you.

The Society has had volunteers at all sites during this past summer, but because of the new museum's opening, many more volunteers were needed. ln the fine tradition that is Scituate's our tried and true experienced guides took on more work and additional people stepped forward to help out. Special thanks to Pat Mami who coordinated the volunteers at the new museum. The Society is indebted to all these volunteers at all our sites. Thank you.

The Society also has many committees that are working on many projects. The Finance Committee under Doug Fields has been diligently working for over a year now getting a handle on the finances of the Society. With all the fiscal responsibilities of opening a new museum, providing funds for operating 8 sites, and trying to establish the Society's first working budget, this group has had its hands filled. Doug says he's working harder now then he was when he had a full time job! ls this the wonderful world of retirement! For committed people it is. What is the old saying - if you want something done then ask a busy person to do it‘ and it will get done. Thanks to our busy finance committee.

Another committee has just been established to look into the GAR Hall. Under David Corbin's leadership this committee also has met several times already and will present a report to the trustees on rehabing this the oldest public building in Scituate. ( See Grand Army Hall Update article by David Corbin later in the newsletter.) Thank you.

Paul Miles's committee has been working on doing building assessments on all the properties under the Society's care. Paul, George Downton, and Craig Evans have been visiting the historic sites and doing a total assessment of each property as to its needs. To give you an idea on the magnitude of this job, Paul, George and Craig have visited and done assessments of the town owned properties that we have responsibility for. lt has taken them since July to assess Lawson Tower, the Lighthouse, the Cudworth House and the Mann House. They've examined the structural components of each place, the exteriors and interiors and come up with a list of short term and long term needs for each structure. The professional report submitted to the trustees by them is a credit to them and all their hard work.

David Dixon's committee is working on the new Maritime and Irish Mossing Museum. They are trying to set up the gift shop, establish hours, and a host of other things that will benefit the Society by ensuring that we have a smooth- rumiing, professional museum . We are grateful for your work.

Grey Curtis's committee has been working on genealogy. They have been working on establishing the genealogies of the Men of Kent for three generations. They also presented a very professional report on the genealogical needs for our Scituate Historical Society p.l November Society. Thank you and keep up the good work.

Virginia Heffeman has been working to present a plan for the reorganization of the reference materials at the Laidlaw Center. Nancy Kenney has completely reorganized the vertical file and is organizing photos and other materials at the Laidlaw Center. Thank you.

Thanks to Maurine Upton for another successful year selling quilt tickets, cup plates, etc. Politics strike Scituate Special thanks to Esther Pratt Nowell, a member of the Society, for the following article written by Henry A. Seaverns. Mr. Seaverns who kept a general store at North Scituate was Esther’s grandfather. He lost his postmastership after Grover Cleveland, a Democrat, was elected President. Thanks also to Charlie Sparrell who took the information down and forwarded it to me. editor.

“TO THE PATRONS OF THE POST OFFICE

“NO MAIL Tls MORNING,"

BUT A FEW w'oT2Ds INSTEAD. During the time I have been postmaster I have received many expressions of appreciation and encouragement in my efforts to give you as good mail facilities as it was possible to obtain, and I am grateful for those expressions, and for the kind forbearance to me personally in my disability, and to my assistants in their endeavors to serve you. While I have been able to attend to the reports and business of the office, the more immediate attention and care of the mail has been faithfully, and I believe satisfactorily, attended to by my assistants. And 1 desire to express my thanks to them all, (especially to Miss Litchfield,) for their promptness and courteous attentions to all the patrons of the office - man or child, rich or poor, near by or far off, friendly or unfriendly, - all have had our best service, not always without mistake, perhaps, but our best endeavor. Considerable money has been expended to give good facilities to the public, and few offices of the same income have better accomodations for its patrons or safer provision for its business. Special attention, and at some personal expense, has been given to the serving of Summer patrons at the Beach, and elsewhere, knowing that prompt and obliging mail service is a large factor in determining where to spend the summer. . . . In the recent examination of post offices throughout the country, about one in sixteen were rated as Excellent. The Department commended these post offices “for their efforts to better the service locally and generally," and reported

them to the President for honorable mention. My office was so reported and published in the Official Postal Guide . I have tried to attend to the duties of my office faithfully, and it is a source of great pleasure to me that some of my true and discerning friends refused to sign a petition for my removal, although such voracious haste and importunity was displayed even before the election. They preferred to leave such work to opposing politicians. I am a Republican, but no one can accuse me of being an offensive partisan, or of conducting the affairs of the post office to the prejudice of any party, sect, or individual. It is not a matter of investigation to discover I am a Republican, a Democrat, a Butlerite, a St. Iolmite, a Greenbacker, or a What’ll-he-be-next. Suring the last administration three of the post offices in town were held by Democrats and two by Republicans; behold the present zeal for civil service reform !!! If that is the kind you like, it is your privilege to indorse it with

your vote or signature. ~ I do not know who my successor will be, but I trust the same kindly feeling will be shown him that l have received

during the past four years. . Remember that his salary is computed from the stamps he cancels, so if a person receives mail by this office but sends none to it, the Postmaster does that man's work without pay, and generally without thanks. Do not wrong him out of what rightfully is his due by thoughtlessly sending your mail to other offices, or to the postal car. Your Postmaster will earn all the Department allows him, and when in the near future a petition for "Fair Pay for Good Service" may be presented in behalf of Fourth Class Postmasters, do not hesitate to sign it. Under the able management and persistent watch care of the late Postmaster General Wanamaker, mail facilities throughout the country have reached their highest developement. May they be maintained and improved.

. HENRY A. SEAVERNS NORTH SCITUATE, MASS." Scituate Historical Society p.2 November (The story continues on this page. You will find out about Mr. Seavems's disability. EDITOR )

The following biographical sketch of Henry A. Seaverns appeared in the “Biographical Review" Volume XVIII |Containing Life Sketches of Leading Citizens of Plymouth County Massachusetts]. It was published in Boston in 1897. Lieutenant Henry A. Seavems, late a prominent member of the Grand Army, and the senior partner of the firm of Seavems & Spear, one of the leading mercantile houses of Scituate, Mass., was for years actively identified with the business and social life of this town. He was born in Dorchester, Mass., April 21, 1842, a son of Charles H. and Sarah L. (Smith) Seavems. His parents also were natives of the old Bay State. He was educated in the public schools of Dorchester, and after leaving school learned the machinist's trade, at which he worked for a short time. He was one of the youthful soldiers who answered President Lincoln's call for volunteers in May, 1861, enlisting on the tenth of the month, having just entered his twentieth year. He was first enrolled as a private in the Eleventh Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry and was mustered into the service at Fort Warren, Boston Harbor, June 13, 1861. He was discharged August 26, 1861, at Washington D.C. by reason of sickness. He re-enlisted August 7, 1862, as Sergeant in Company H, Thirty-ninth Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, in which he served also as Commissary- sergeant. He was discharged April 18, 1864, by order of Major-General Warren in order that he might accept a commission as a second lieutenant. This commission was dated March 30, 1864. He was present with his regiment and participated in the following engagements: Bristol Station, Oct. 14, 1863; Rappahannock Station, Nov. 1, 1863; Mine Run, Nov. 27, 1863; Wildemess, May 3 to 7, 1864; Spottsylvania, May 8 to 19, 1864; Jericho Mills, May 23, 1864; North Anna, May 23 to 30, 1864; Magnolia Swamp, lune 1, 1864; Bethesda Church, lune 1 to 3, 1864; Norfolk Railroad, June 18, 1864; Petersburg, lune 30, 1864; Weldon Railroad, Aug. 18, 1864. In the last-named engagement he was severely wounded, a minie ball splitting on his sword; both pieces entered his thigh, piercing to the bone, one deflecting to the front, the other to the back, just glancing over the sciatic nerve. He was carried to the field hospital, where one piece of the bullet was removed. August 19 he was transferred to the division hospital, and on August 26 to the McClellan Hospital at Philadelpia. On September 7 he was transferred to the Officers’ Hospital. On Sept. 15 he was commissioned First Lieutenant; and on January 7, 1865, he was discharged from the service on account of his wound. He then retumed home, but found himself unable to resume work at his trade. In 1867 he bought out the firm of H.W. Bailey & Co., dealers in dry goods and notions at North Scituate. This business was established in 1823, and the

..,.I’...... '8 . _ 7 store was well known to the people of Scituate and the adjoining towns. The store was enlarged, and

1 the business was greatly increased by Mr. Seavems. He managed the business for twenty years, from 1867 to 1887, under the name of H. A. Seavems & Co.; and then S. T. Spear, of Chelsea, Mass., becoming a partner, the style was changed to its present form, Seaverns & Spear. Shortly after this Mr. Seaverns visited Florida, hoping that his health would be benefitted by the change of climate. There he contacted typhoid malaria, and his old wound broke out afresh, taking the form of serious inflammation of the knee joint. A

~ an ever six I A 4 ' ;j§ I " J and he was invalid for H9 away 5£'Ptember

A Passed ' I I Years. 26, 1894, as a result of hemorrhage from wounds received in service. Mr. Seavems was a very successful business man, and had the confidence and esteem of the community. He was Postmaster at North Scituate for a number of years, and served for some time on the School Board. A popular member of society, he belonged to the Masonic fraternity and to George W. Perry Post, Grand Army of the Republic, of Scituate. He was a member of the First Baptist Church, having united with the Neponset church by baptism in May, 1860, and was for nineteen years actively identified with its work, teaching also in the Sabbath school. The Grand Army escorted his remains to Groveland Cemetery, where they were interred. The monument which marks his grave bears this inscription in obedience to his dying request: “A soldier of the Cross and of the Flag." Scituate Historical Society p.3 November Mr. Seavems was married May 16, 1867, to Mercy G. Litchfield, a native of Scituate. Mrs. Seavems, who is a very capable woman and now represents her husband in the mercantile business, is highly esteemed. Grand Army Hall Update September proved to be a very busy month as preparations are underway for the preservation of Scituate's oldest public building (1825). September saw the removal of all remaining trash and debris from the hall. To date the building has been cleaned out and secured for the coming winter. During the cleanup some exciting discoveries were made. In an upstairs desk were found numerous tickets from a minstrel show that performed at the hall on April 18, 1907, a program from the 66th National Encampment of the Grand Army of the Republic held at Springfield, Illinois, in 1932, several programs from an American Legion National Convention in 1923 and the biggest find by far was a flag from the George W. Perry Post #31 in excellent condition! On September 30th the first meeting of the GAR Hall study Committee was held at the Laidlaw Center at 7:00 p.m. . Committee members are: Carol Miles, Ellsworth Spear, Tim Fitzgerald, Bobby Corbin, and David Corbin. Mr. Dean Sargeant of Rockland, who has been instrumental in the preservation of the Rockland Grand Army Hall, was the invited guest for the evening. His advice on applying for National Historic Register status for our hall was interesting and very helpful. The meeting was a complete success. Committee members are unanimous in their determination in saving and preserving this important part of Scituate's past. The Committee adjourned in unanimous agreement over the following issues:

1. That through careful planning and research - Undertake the restorationl renovation of the Scituate GAR hall, making this historic building once again a viable asset to the Scituate community. 2. In keeping with its historic tradition, the GAR Hall will continue to serve as a meeting place for local organizations, exhibits, receptions, etc. for our community. 3. That a fund be set up to begin the task of raising money for needed repairs and improvements to the building and grounds. ‘

The GAR Hall study committee would like to stress the importance for the success of this project that it will not only ensure the preservation of Scituate's oldest standing public building, but it also gives today's residents a unique opportunity to have and enjoy at hand a historic hall that can be used again for generations to come.

History of Grand Army Hall In the year 1825 Massachusetts son John Quincy Adams won the United States presidency in what one historian described as the “murkiest campaign" in our nation's history. In Hoboken, N.J. John Stevens invented the steam locomotive. In what is now Colorado, fur traders Kit Carson and Jim Bridger explored the interior and set up trading posts. In Tennessee the colony of Nashoba was set up by freed slaves. Closer to home in Sandwich, MA, Deming Jarves began large scale production of mechanically pressed glass. ln our town of Scituate the Baptist Society contracted Zeba Cushing to build a meeting house on land purchased by the Society from Nehemiah Curtis. What is today regarded as Scituate Center, was in 1820's known as “Christian Hill" because of the close proximity of the Baptist meeting house and the nearby Congregational Church. By 1866 the forty-one year old structure could no longer accommodate the Society's growing ock. As plans were underway to build a new church at North Scituate, the Society sold the earlier building to Joshua Jenkins of Scituate for 300 dollars. Jenkins converted the former meeting house into a hall, enlarging the building and constructing a stage for meetings and entertainments. Jenkins rented the hall out to various social and benevolent groups. In 1875 local veterans who had served in the Civil War formed the George W. Perry Post #31 Grand Army of the Republic. With 120 members the Post began meeting at Jenkins Hall. In 1883, with the death of Mr. Jenkins two years earlier, the Post purchased the hall from the Jenkins family for 300 dollars. The veterans promptly renamed the hall Grand Army Hall. Throughout the late 19th and into the first quarter of the 20th century our Grand Army Hall was the scene for many town gatherings. Patriotic speeches echoed from its walls on Memorial Day, July 4th, and later on Veteran's Day. Many an old soldier, who had shouldered a musket in Mr. Lincoln's Army, recounted stories of the mud of old Virginia as a young man within these walls. The Women's Relief Corp organized fund raising events to raise money for disabled veterans and their families. The Charles E. Bates Camp. Sons of Union Veterans raised money for the care of veteran's graves. In addition the hall witnessed high school recitals and dances, minstral shows, lectures, debates, liberty loan drives, holiday pageants, auctions, whist parties, suppers and numerous other events. With the passing of Scituate's last Civil War Veteran, Francis M. Litchfield, in 1936, the hall continued to be managed by the Women's Relief Corp and the Sons of Union Veterans. In 1953 the hall was purchased by the town of Scituate for 1.00 dollar. Until the last few years the hall had been used regularly by various organizations. Unfortunately the ravages of time and neglect began to take a toll on the aging structure. In 1995, in response to the threat of demolition, the Scituate Historical Society petitioned the town to turn the building and property over to our care. In October of 1996 the Society had a new roof put on the Hall to stop water damage to the interior from continuing. In the summer of this year the town officially Scituate Historical Society p.4 November 1 Ml

tumed this request by selling the Grand Army Hall for 1.00 dollar with the agreement that the Historical Society restore and maintain the structure. With a proud tradition of saving and preserving our town's past and a determined committee to see this project through to completion the work goes on. With the town's support our Grand Army Hall will once again reverberate with applause from events yet to come.

Donations are gratefully accepted for the preservation of the GAR Hall. Please send your contribution to: The Scituate Historical Society Perry Post Preservation Fund Scituate Federal Savings Bank 72 Front Street Scituate, MA 02066

On behalf of the Scituate Historical and the G.A.R. Hall Study Committee thank you for your support. . David Corbin From the President As you read on page one, there are many committees and individuals hard at work tackling the issues that currently require our attention. l want to add my thanks to all those individuals that are giving their time and expertise to these groups.

There was a sell-out crowd for our Fall dinner meeting at the Harbor Methodist church on October 18th. This was the first time, that aware I'm of, that a fall dinner meeting has been held. Because of the success of this program , it is likely we will add a fall dinner in the future.

We took our speaker, Patrick Otten, U.S.S. Constitution historian, on a tour of our maritime museum just before the program. It was difficult to pull him away! He was greatly impressed with the museum. When he was told there was not a single exhibit in place last spring, he thought we were kidding! Others visiting from other museums, some of national stature, have expressed the same sentiment.

Finding ways to fund the work of the Society is an ongoing concern of the officers and trustees. l am thankful the Finance Committee is working diligently in this regard. You can help us by considering a year—end tax deduction to the Society or purchasing some of the many items we have available for sale at the Laidlaw Center. In the December newsletter there will be a list of items you might consider purchasing for holiday gifts.

Thanks to all of you for your continuing support to the Society. ' Dave Ball

Winter A Lecture Series The first of three lectures will be held at the Laidlaw Center on Wednesday, November 12th at 7 p. m . . Bob Corbin will be speaking on Scituate a look forward, backwards and a look down. The charge of two dollars for members and five dollars for non-members is meant to cover the cost of heat and electricity for the building. Please join us for an interesting evening of tales of Scituate. Mark your calendars for the other two lectures: February llth and April 8th. More

information will follow. ‘ .

Archives Corner This month I would like to continue last month's article entitled ”Plymouth County, 1685" by Cynthia Krusell, and l quote verbatum: The bark, "Adventure", owned by a group of Scituate and Marshfield people, sailed from the North River to trade with the West Indies in 1681. Packet ships plied their way to Boston with farm produce and timber from the river valley. Such shipping became an important link in the coastal trade. Many small craftsmen worked in Scituate. There were weavers, coopers, blacksmiths, tanners, shoemakers, rope makers, and carpenters. Other Scituate people were involved in stock and produce farming, shipbuilding, trading, smuggling, fishing, milling and innkeeping. Regardless of their primary occupations, Scituate residents all maintained farms for their subsistence.

Scituate Historical Society p.5 November Many grist and saw mills stood on all three of the Herring Brooks, which flowed into the North River from Scituate. The heir of Charles Stockbridge owned, or part-owned, several of these North River valley mills as well as the grist and sawmill on Town Brook at Plymouth and parts of saw mills at Hingham and Mattakeesett (Pembroke), as listed in the 1683 inventory of his estate. Stockbridge was one of the wealthiest men in the colony with an estate worth over 972 pounds at the time of his death. Captain John Williams maintained an extensive 300-acre cattle and horse farm at the edge of Scituate Harbor near the present intersection of Hatherly and Jericho Roads. John Williams, who had never married, [Harvey Pratt disputes this fact in “Early Planters of Scituate", ed.] left this farm to his nephew, Captain William Barker of Marshfield . Williams left a nearby farm to his "ancient servant" and tenant farmer, John Bailey, the only known incidence in Plymouth County of a servant inheriting a significant piece of property. The inventory of John Williams listed two "Indian boys and sixteen servants." By 1690, the population of Scituate stood at about 865, making it the largest town in the colony, with nearly 100 more people than Plymouth. Families included the Briggses, Barstows, Bryants, Baileys, Chittendens, Collamores, Clapps, Cushings, Curtises, Cudworths, Churches, Colmans, Hatches, Jameses, Kings, Litchfields, Stetsons, Sylvesters, Magouns, Stockbridges, Palmers, Turners, Tildens, Mans, Vinals, Witherells, and Wades. The importance of Scituate in the activities of the colony is indicated by the predominance of Scituate names in the Plymouth Colony Records." We will finish this material in next month's newsletter. Dorothy Langley, Archivist

DAR News

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On Thursday, September 11th, members of the Chief Justice Cushing Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution visited the Maritime_Museum for a Flag Dedication ceremony in memory of Dorothy Brown Wood, a former Regent. Bob Corbin, Sr. gave a most interesting talk on the Museum.

A luncheon held at Isaac's Restaurant in Plymouth on Thursday, October 9th was followed by a tour of the Mayflower Society Museum. The Chapter members also met at the Pilgrim Mother Fountain located across the street from the Plymouth Rock. The monument was a gift from the DAR during me Tercentenial Celebration in 1928. As his Eagle Scout Project, William P. Finn, Life Scout, Troop 47, Plymouth, along with his fellow scouts, completely replanted and restored the herb garden and hedges. The Chief Justice Cushing Chapter is important to Plymouth and the DAR . Do You Know ? If you have a question about Scituate that you would like answered, send it in care of the newsletter. Maybe some member may have the answer. This will be a new section to our newsletter. Thanks to Kathy Rust for the idea. Editor. Scituate Historical Society p.6 November _n__ . 1. _ |iz— 2 *—*-is?’ W — ”"*'*"-"" ‘

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Mystery Photograph an you identify this picture? If you can, put the answer on a piece of paper with ; our name, address and phone number and drop it in the mystery photograph box t the Laidlaw Historical Center. The rst correct answer selected wins a sheet of - ssorted postcards. Good Luck. Last Month we didn't have any winners.The nswer was the bridge at the rear of Brook Street., Primary School in 1902. tanding on the bridge was Iesse Ellms & Marion Welch Alexander.

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' '\‘ ~' - ’\ , '- . ' - . .\ “ \ if ~ ~ ' ' - . 1-. ll‘ ' ‘J ¥"\\"’ "5"~{a>-3'! ' _ \ -, - . » ' it "‘~:zs*i" Volume 2 Issue 5 December, 1997

5 Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

It doesn't seem possible that another year has almost slipped away, and that the new millennia is rapidly approaching. The officers and trustees would like to thank the many volunteers who devoted their talents and their precious time to the Society this past year. To the volunteers and their families and all of the Society members the officers and trustees wish -

‘ Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!! January Dinner Meeting January 24th is the date for our annual January dinner meeting. It will be held at the Harbor United Methodist Church at 6:30 p.m. The menu will include roast turkey with all the fixings and pies home made by the ladies of the church. The program this year will be a two character interactive play produced by Plimoth Plantation. The play is titled "I Would Be No Persecutor". lt looks at the oppression of the Quakers in 1660s. What would it be like to lose your daughter to a religious sect you consider a Satanic cult? How would you feel if you lost your child because you accidentally exposed her to ways of thinking you consider dangerous? How would you save her?

These are the problems that faced James Cudworth. As one of the upstanding men of 1660 Scituate, Cudworth felt that ranting Quaker missionaries needed to be silenced. Though conforming in belief, Cudworth's methods in dealing with the Quakers were quite different from those of his Puritan neighbors. He preferred debate to mutilation, torture, and banishment. Cudworth invited the Quakers into his home, offering entertainment, as he sought the weaknesses in their thinking.

However, the tables were tumed upon the host. James Cudworth little suspected that his daughter Mary was succumbing to Quaker preaching as she served dinner at his table. l Would Be No Persecutor is an interactive drama that asks “How does a society deal with ideas that the majority identifies as too dangerous for debate?" Scituate Historical Society p. 1 December The play is set in Mary's jail cell only three days after her arrest for a marriage made without her father’s knowledge and in Quaker fashion. When James and Mary Cudworth find that their differences are too difficult to overcome themselves, they turn to you the audience for assistance. So join right in. The play is based on court records and the book, which was published in 1661. This book is an account of Quaker persecutions. Contained in the book is a letter written to friends in England by Iames Cudworth that gives insight into his character. A quote from this letter is “He that will not whip and lash, persecute and punish men that differ in matter of religion, must not sit on the bench nor sustain office in the Common-wealth. . . I signified to the court, I was not Quaker. . .[but] I would be no persecutor.” So for an evening of history and participation join us on lanuary 24th. The price is $11.00 per ticket. Only the first 200 dinner reservations accompanied by payment will be accepted. ,Mail the form in the insert to: Scituate Historical Society, P.O. Box 276, Scituate, MA 02066. From the President l am glad to report that the work on the Mann farm house on Greenfield Lane has started. As you may recall, the 1997 Annual Town Meeting appropriated $30,000 for repairs to the floor system. The home has | been closed to the public since last spring. Dana Green, who completed the maritime museum, is doing the repairs. We anticipate the work will be completed by early 1998. The Garden club has continued to do an excellent job maintaining the gardens throughout the last year.

The GAR fund raising committee, spearheaded by Dave Corbin, has been hard at work organizing ways to provide the necessary funds to start work on that important building. This will allow the public to observe the fund-raising progress and become involved in the progression of that project.

Maurine Upton deserves much credit for her efforts throughout the past months selling quilt tickets and other items the Society has to offer. She has been doing this for many years and her work has produced much needed revenue. She is the neice of Kathleen Laidlaw. On a related issue, Kathleen is at the Norwell Knoll Nursing Home, 329 Washington Street, Norwell. I'm sure she would appreciate a card, especially at this time of year.

Lastly, the Society now is a large operation, with substantial monetary requirements. As we approach the end of the year, this is a good time to consider an extra contribution to the Society. Not only is it tax deductible, but you will help us to continue our important work.

I-Iappy holidays to all!! I appreciate all your hard work and interest in the best historical society in this area!! Dave Ball Have You Checked Your List for That Special Gift Consider the many items for sale at the Laidlaw Center and the new Maritime museum as Christmas gifts. From tee shirts to totebags, from maps to notecards, from art on canvas and Scituate Historical Society p.2 December on wooden eggs to cup plates, we have something for

I everyone. We also have Dave Ball's new book, "Night of Terror at Buoy No. 4!" which tells the story of the Fairfax - Pinthis Disaster, this would make an excellent gift for that hard to buy for person. We also have many other titles for those people interested in books and local history. So drop in at either the Laidlaw Center Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. or the Maritime Museum open the first Saturday in December from 1p.m. to 4 p.m. for that special gift for that special person. Versed in Scituate

~ On a warm spring day in 1899, the steamboat from Boston slowly edged into Scituate harbor. The deck was lled with passengers from the city eager to disembark as that April day promised to be a beautiful one. Among the passengers at the deck railing was a bespectacled young man from Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts, named Mowry I

I I years that followed her death Kingsbury continued to arrive in Scituate in early sprincg and remain at the cottage until late autumn. Though his output of poetry slowed, Kingsbury manage to complete small works. Mowry Kingsbury died on April 17, 1930, almost 29 years to the day he rst arrived in Scituate. In 1927, Kingsbury had published a collection of his poems and sketches entitled "Scituate Moss”. Two [copies of tllle blook are in tge lilp1rai;yl€=itfthgllledlioolnousgs Thlpuglh thebiicituate of Kgnlgsburyéuclay 12$ on_g_ passe , e passion a e e or e "1 e vi age y e eep ue sea" 1S s power in s writing. As winter approaches and the daylight fades with afternoon, let us look into a winter of long ago. (See poem on the next page) David Corbin Scituate Historical Society p.3 December

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As Falls The Winter's Snow The lamps are being lighted in the seashore town, I can see them through the snow akes that are softly coming down; The beacon light is flashing its message o'er the sea iBut in my little cottage no lamp's buming bright for me, My hearth holds naught but ashes, the ticking clock is still, And little mounds of snow are banked upon my windowsill.

The lamps are being lighted, one by one I see them beam, Across the harbors restless waves I watch each friendly gleam; I know each cottage window as appears its speck of light, And I know the folks who live there, I can see them all tonight. But through my kitchen window-panes there comes no cheerful glow, My little house is dark and still, as softly falls the snow.

The lamps are being lighted, in the village I call home, I see them shine across the fields, and o'er the water's foam, I hear the stove lids clatter, hear the dampers quickly click, And see the smoke curl upward from the freshly buming stick. I can hear the kettles singing, see the folks flitting to and fro, But my little cot is silent in the softly falling snow.

But, though my doors are battened, and the windows shuttered fast, And snow drifts in the pathway lie, blown by the icy blast, In spirit I am always there, contented-like inside, And to my many friends the doors are always opened wide. The evening lamp is lit, the driftwood flames rare colors show, And those I love are with me there, as falls the winter's snow.

(Poem from Scituate Moss by Mowry Kingsbury) (editor's note: The Society will be reprinting Kingsbury’s book. Look for it next year. Also Kingsbury had all the windows on his house looking out on the harbor lowered so that he could see from his wheelchair. Present owners are john and Maureen O'Brien. They recently installed a new name board that reads Driftwood on the house. I

A REMINDER- SEE INSERT If you itemize expenses on your Federal tax return, you have until December 31st - the end of this month - to make a tax-deductible contribution to the Society. just make a check payable to the Scituate Historical Society, and send it to the Society, P.O. Box 276, Scituate, MA 02066 in the enclosed addressed envelope. (editor's note: This time I remembered to tell the group that puts together the newsletter about the enclosure. Sorry.)

Trustees, Officers, and Committees Trustees - elected by the Society members

Douglas Fields " Duncan Todd John Nelson Frederick Freitas Yvonne Twomey Phillips Weeks

Officers - elected by the Society members President - David Ball Vice-President - Administration- David Dixon Vice-President - Preservation - Paul Miles Secretary - Ruth Downton Treasurer - Adelisa Barbosa Officers - elected by the trustees Finance chair - Douglas Fields Legal counsel - William Leonard Scituate Historical Society p.4 December W

Corresponding secretary - Ruth Downton Auditor - John Pyne Membership chair - Ruth Mullen Editor - Frederick Freitas

Program Director - Yvonne Twomey - Librarian - Virginia I-leffernan Genealogist - W. Gray Curtis Curator - Carol Miles Insurance Advisor - Douglas Fields PR/ Publicity Manager - Charles Sparrell Facilities Maintenance - George Downton Community Resources air - Robert Belliveau

Committees Finance Committee Library Committee Douglas Fields, chairperson Virginia Heffernan, chairperson ,~ Adelisa Barbosa Nancy Kenney Donald Uppendahl Dorothy Shippee Phillips Weeks Carol Miles

Genealogy Committee Maritime Museum Q_pe_rat_i_on_s C_I_om. W. Gray Curtis, chairperson David Dixon, chairperson Dorothy Shippee Ann Nita McMath Elizabeth Whitaker Susan Anthony William Eaton Adelisa Barbosa Robert Belliveau Robert Sayrs

GAR Hall Committee Membership Committee David Corbin, chairperson Ruth Mullen, chairperson Todd Spear Yvonne Twomey Carol Miles Charles Sparrell Robert Corbin, Jr. Timothy Fitzgerald

Building Assessment Committee Paul Miles, chairperson George Downton Craig Evans Archives Corner ( The ending to last month's article, as to "Scituate", written by Cynthia Hagar Krusell.)

“Because of strong religious differences, Scituate had three meetinghouses by 1685. The first meetinghouse stood in its original location on the hill behind the Kent Street lots, overlooking the harbor, the cliffs and the North River. A faction of the First Church congregation had left to found its own church society in 1645 because of a controversy over the method of baptism. This group, who preferred baptism by sprinkling, rather than immersion, built their meetinghouse upriver near the present site of Union Bridge. This church was the first in Plymouth Colony to admit members of the Anglican faith.

F A society of Quakers built the third meetinghouse in 1678, at Belle House Neck, a peninsula in the North River . near the present Little's Bridge [Route 3A] . This Quaker Society later moved upriver to the Edward Wanton shipyard and homestead farm. Much later the society moved its meetinghouse to the present location in Pembroke. Edward Wanton, a shipbuilder who became Quaker, came to Scituate in 1661. He attracted many of this dissident group to the Scituate-Marshfield area. The Quakers became a controversial element in the region. They refused to take part in the town and colony govemments or to swear an oath of fidelity to the king, would not attend the Congregational churches, did not register their vital statistics and conducted their own marriages. Harsh laws conceming the treatment of Quakers were passed in both Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay Colonies in 1658. The Quakers were repeatedly fined, tortured, imprisoned and banished from the colonies for infringements of the social order. Scituate Historical Society p.5 December >______i_li? \

to a group of four men, Timothy Hatherly, A huge tract of land, known as the Hatherly Grant, was early granted portions of what are today the towns John Beauchamp, Richard Andrews, and James Shirley. This land included were still in controversy in the of Abington, Whitman, Rockland and Brockton. The bounds of the Hatherly Grant a of men to “run the line between the town of 1680’s. An action of the General Court, March 8, 1682, ordered group aside “for the use of the colony," but a Scituate and the Conahassett Land proprietors." Parts of the land were set of the lands caused repeated running controversy with the Massachusetts Bay Colony over the ownership Plymouth court actions to assure firm titles to the lands." Dorothy Langley, Archivist Special Thanks given to Bob Corbin for The first lecture in our winter series was a success. Special thanks is Downwards". More his lecture entitled “Scituate - A Look Forward, A Look Back, A Look information to follow on the February and March lectures in the January newsletter. Do You Know writes, “ I Our first inquiry comes from John H. Litchfield from Worthington, Ohio. John by Professor Pauline read in ‘American Scripture - Making the Declaration of Independence’ a month before Maier of M.l.T. that Scituate made its own “Declaration" on June 4, 1776 full in Philadelphia on the Declaration of Independence by the Second Continental Congress Series. Peter Force, Editor July 4, 1776. She cites as the source American Archives, 4th of the Scituate (Washington, D.C. 1833-1846). Does any one know if there is a copy lf anyone can "Declaration" in the records of the Historical Society or the Town of Scituate?" Thank you John. help, please send your response to the Society in care of the newsletter. New Pilgrim Museum Opens in Leiden an American Pilgrim Museum in Leiden, As reported in a previous newsletter, Dr. Jeremy Bangs has set up that the Society has loaned the new Netherlands. The museum opened on Thanksgiving. The tie to Scituate is will now be known in Leiden, museum several of our Native American artifacts. So Scituate Historical Society Netherlands. Costume Collection our costume collection. She brings a love l am pleased to announce that Phyllis Ketter has volunteered to oversee woman. Our collection is quite of fabric and the history of design to this project; plus, being a notable needle done with it. Not only cataloging, but remarkable and deserves the best of care, so there is much work to be displays would be the really cleaning, repairing, and boxing will be priorities. Giving a show with interesting needed. Interested people, please fun part and needs a lot of planning. You can see that many hands will be and telephone number. She will be contact Phyllis by leaving a message at the Laidlaw Center with your name Watch for her commentary! announcing tentative plans for the coming months in the January newsletter. Carol Miles, Curator c Grand Army Hall Update were fund-raising and publicity The Study committee met Oct. 30th at 7:00 p.m.. Topics discussed that evening raffle is in the works and that tickets ideas. The committee is excited to announce that a "Nantucket Weekend" season. The “Nantucket Weekend" raffle will for a drawing will be available for purchaseby the holiday heart of Nantucket's historic district. A fund include a two night stay at a bed and breakfast lnn which is in the of the Grand Army Hall. Resolved raising sign is also in the works and when complete will be mounted in front tradition, the Hall will serve not during the meeting is the committee's belief that in keeping with historical men and women of Scituate who served in only as a public function hall, but more importantly as a shrine to the donation to: The Scituate Historical our armed forces from the colonial period to the present. Please send your 72 Front St., Scituate, MA 02066. Thank Society, Perry Post Preservation Fund, Scituate Federal Savings Bank, you for your support. /A ~\,~» /1 ~, ( GAR Hall Stud Committee ‘fir Q3 ygfk 4."/\/‘ __/ \_ /

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Mystery Photograph

Can you identify this picture? If you can, put the answer on a piece of paper with your name, address and phone number and drop it in the mystery photograph box at the Laidlaw Historical center. The first correct answer selected wins a sheet of assorted postcards. Good Luck. Alden Mitchell correctly identified November’s picture as Gannett Road - North Scituate Village.

December 195:! Scituate Historical Society p.8

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