when lilacs last in the door yard bloomed

May 2002
Vol. 17 No. 2
We must hear and listen to all of Quabbin’s many Voices; Voices of the Past, as well as Voices of the Present
and of the Future; Voices of the Trees, the Sky, the Rain that falls, and all the Wild Things;
Voices of the People who depend on this valuable resource for their daily needs of clean water, and
Voices of those who draw upon it for deeper needs of the Soul.
“WHEN LILACS LAST IN THE DOOR YARD BLOOMED*”
MEMORIAL DAY REMINISCENCES OF FORMER VALLEY RESIDENTS
by Lois Barnes
One of my fondest memories of spring
in Prescott is the scent of lilacs
wafting from almost every door yard
as you passed. I, like many former
residents of the valley, associate the
scent of lilacs with Memorial Day. I
recall my mother’s worry each year in
early May about whether her lilacs
would be in bloom in time for this
important day. In his memoirs about
Prescott, Ray Whitaker says: “One of
the principle uses of the lilac after the
Civil War was the decorating of
soldiers’ and sailors’ graves and the
Memorial Day tradition continues to
this day.” He goes on to trace the
origins of Memorial Day to the
General Order XI issued by the
Commander in Chief of the Grand
Army of the Republic, James Logan,
in 1868: “The thirtieth day of May,
1868, is designated for the purpose of
strewing flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died
in defense of their country during the
late rebellion, and whose bodies now
lie in almost every city, village and
hamlet churchyard in the land. In this
observance no form or ceremony is
prescribed, but posts and comrades
will in their own way arrange such
fitting services and testimonials of
respect as circumstances permit. Let
us, then, at the time appointed, gather
around their sacred remains and
Below: Memorial Day Parade, Enfield 1902, Howe collection. Memorial
Day Services 2002 will be held May 26, 11:00 a.m., at Quabbin Park
Cemetery
May 2002
Quabbin Voices
garland the passionless mounds above
them with the choice flowers of spring
time; let us raise above them the dear
old flag they saved from dishonor; let
us in this solemn prescience renew our
pledges to aid and assist those whom
they have left upon us, a sacred charge
upon the Nation’s gratitude - the
soldiers and sailors, widows and
orphans.”
Another important tradition in the
valley was the participation of community organizations in whatever
celebrations were planned for the
occasion. One of the most important
of these was, of course, the town band.
Leslie Haskins, in his autobiography,
continued on page 2
CONTENTS
Memorial Day
Lois Barnes..............................1
President’s Message
Bob Clark.................................2
School Programs
Dale Monette...........................3
Annual Meeting Report................3
SRVHS Calendar of Events..........4
Interpretive Services Report
Clif Read..................................5
Asa King Obituary........................6
Farewell Ball Photo Montage.......6
Welcome New Members...............6
Octogenarian’s Memoirs, pt. 2
Elizabeth Howe Lincoln...........7
Vespers for North Dana
Church....................................7
Board of Directors........................8
Page
QUABBIN VOICES
is the periodic newsletter of the
Friends of Quabbin, Inc.
Edited by Lois Barnes
Design & production by Lisa Yeisley
The views and opinions expressed in this
newsletter do not necessarily reflect the
views of Friends of Quabbin, Inc.
“When Lilacs...” continued
recalls his experiences with the North
Dana Mount L Band: “One Memorial
Day (Veterans Day) we marched with
topcoats to keep warm, but one band
member couldn’t prevent the valves of
his coronet from sticking because of
the severe cold. On another occasion,
in order to meet the bus drawn by a
pair of horses on its way to Deerfield,
I had to ride ten miles on my bicycle,
with my baritone strapped on my
back. After decorating several cemeteries, playing a concert at Sugar
Loaf Mountain, and eating a baked
bean supper, we started for home.
About midnight we stopped at
Shutesbury Hill, and learned that a
dance was going on in the Town Hall.
For relaxation we joined in the fun for
an hour or so, then proceeded along
toward home. Arriving at the point
where I had parked my bike, I left our
group and started my lonely peddling
home. My boss (at this time) was just
opening the North Dana Post Office
for the day when I reached town; so I
went right to work.....”
Leslie Haskins grew up in North
Dana and after his marriage there in
1908 to the principal of the North
Dana Grammar School, Sarah A.
Douglas, he became interested in local
politics. Elected a representative to the
state legislature in 1925, he was the
only one from a valley town to
participate in the crucial debates that
were to decide the fate of the valley
people. He was not reelected the
following year.
Thanks to the local Veterans
associations of Belchertown and Ware,
the Friends of Quabbin, SRVHS and
MDC staff, former valley residents
and their families have continued to be
able to honor their veterans on Memorial Day. Many families come early to
place flowers on graves of loved ones
May 2002
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
It
by
is that time of year when we formally remember and honor those who
fought and gave their lives to preserve
those values and freedoms we hold dear
and, all too frequently, take for granted.
The Civil War statue from Enfield now
stands at Quabbin Park Cemetery. It may
very well have been made at the plant
in Connecticut where so many Civil War
statues standing in communities across
New England and beyond were made.
Some communities chose other memorials for those who fought in the Civil
War. The Petersham Memorial Library
is Petersham’s memorial. However, this
displaced statue from Enfield is not only
a reminder of the seventy-two who
joined the Union forces from that town*
but of the sacrifices made by those who
remained at home. Eighty-eight served
from Dana, more than sixty volunteers
from Greenwich, and forty-six from
Prescott*. The effect on the small New
England villages such as the Swift River
Valley towns was great. The shortage of
horses all through the North certainly
impacted these small agricultural communities. Women often had to carry on
the farm work for their husbands and
sons. This meant considerable additional
work beyond their regular farm chores,
gardening, caring for children, and caring for farm animals. There were cattle
to be milked, fences to be mended, crops
to be planted, and farm products sold in
order to survive. The incredible loss of
life and sacrifice sustained during the
Civil War like no other conflict shaped
the nation we are today and, in particular, the values, rights and dignity for all
people which we are still striving to
achieve.
Much of the following is based on
Petersham Sketches by J. B. Howe:
John Green Mudge, Jr. was raised by his
uncle, Walter Field of Northfield.
Shortly after his marriage, his father-inand have coffee and doughnuts with
neighbors and friends. Large numbers
attend the parade and services. It has
now become a tradition for families to
make this a day for remembrance of
life in the valley, often revisiting their
home sites (if above water) or
Quabbin Voices
Bob Clark
law, Samson Wetherel, persuaded him
to come to live in Petersham in 1849
where he went into business with
Samson Wetherel (Wetherel & Mudge
store where the Petersham Country
Store is now located). He represented
the towns of Petersham, Phillipston, and
Dana in the Massachusetts Legislature
for three years and was a State Senator
for the same district for two years. In
1862, he met with Pliny Babbit of Barre
and raised a company of 100 men (44
from Petersham) who chose him Captain. His company was part of the attack on Port Hudson on June 14, 1863.
He went into battle with 33 men. All but
three were killed, wounded, or missing.
Capt. Mudge was fortunate not to have
been killed as a bullet took off part of
his left ear. His devotion to his soldiers
led to his collaboration with Francis Lee
to build the Petersham Memorial Library as a suitable memorial to their service**. Capt. Mudge was also a Director of the Millers River National Bank
and a Trustee of the Athol Savings Bank,
positions that undoubtedly helped in his
advocacy and support for the AtholEnfield Railroad Company. Although
not a Valley resident, his support for the
railroad that shaped the valley until the
closing of the towns demonstrated the
interconnectedness of communities and
business interests throughout the region.
I hope you will join us at the Memorial Observance at Quabbin Park
Cemetery on Sunday, May 26th.
* from Quabbin The Lost Valley by
Donald Howe
** from the History of Petersham by
Mabel Cook Coolidge
picnicing on the shore of the reservoir
near the area where their homes lie
under the Quabbin’s waters. In the
afternoon they may attend a program
at the Quabbin Visitor Center.
* Walt Whitman
Page 2
SCHOOL EDUCATION PROGRAMS AT QUABBIN
By Dale Monette
Program Coordinator
Quabbin Visitor Services
D
espite the current cutbacks in the
State budget, losing 2 longtime
employees and being closed from October through December 2001, the
area school educational programs run
by the Quabbin Interpretive Services
are still going strong. In the summer
of 1999, Jim Lafley, long-time
Quabbin educator, left the staff of the
Quabbin Visitor Center to take another MDC position at Wachusett
Reservoir in West Boylston. Then in
the winter of 2000, Terry Campbell
retired from the Center, leaving me
and Visitor Services Director Clif
Read to carry on. In the school year of
2000-2001 we talked to a total of
2,924 children both in local schools
and to classes that have visited the
Quabbin Visitor Center on field trips.
When the Visitor Center was
opened and the staff was hired in
1988, a policy was adopted to visit
only schools and groups of “user”
communities (communities that use
Quabbin water) and communities that
are contiguous to the Quabbin Reservoir. However, schools and groups
that do not fall into either category are
welcome to visit the Center and we
gladly provide shows for them here at
the Visitor Center. Shows that are offered include a historical look at the
Quabbin and life in the Valley before
it was flooded, the construction, and
what it is today. This slide presentation is sometimes shown preceding a
walk into Dana Common. Also there
is a slide show on the rise of the Bald
Eagle population at Quabbin with a
section on the reintroduction program
done here in the mid-1980’s. Numerous wildlife shows are also available
to classes as well as watershed programs and water conservation programs. In some cases we will work
with the teachers to “customize” a
slide show to fit into what they have
been teaching the children in their
schools.
During the closing of the Quabbin
Park last fall due to the security concerns, the school programs were still
presented, only they were done at the
schools. Each school district surrounding Quabbin incorporates some
kind of Quabbin exercise into their
curriculum and many schools use a
different aspect of Quabbin for each
grade. By the time the children have
reached the sixth grade, they have
knowledge of the Quabbin history, its
construction, the eagles and its wildlife and many other issues surrounding Quabbin and its management.
Most of this knowledge they have
gained because of the great working
relationships their schools and staff
(both past and present) and Quabbin
Visitor Center have had since its inception in 1988.r
2002 FOQ ANNUAL MEETING WELL ATTENDED
T
he 2002 FOQ Annual Meeting,
held at the Greenwich Foundation
Memorial Room in the United Church
in Ware, was well attended by members and friends. Board members were
elected during the brief business
meeting. President Bob Clark greeted
members and friends and reviewed
accomplishments of FOQ during the
past year. Clif Read brought us up to
date on doings at the Visitor Center and
security measures at Quabbin after the
events of September 11th. Special
recognition was given to our volunteers
crew headed by Ruth Jazab. Special
mention was made of the many hours
spent at the Visitor Center by Ida
Adams, Mary Boronski, and Julie Pluta
who have been members and loyal
workers since the Visitor Center
opened in 1985. Celia Slozak, a more
recent volunteer, has also become a
devoted member of our crew. Michael
Tougias, well-known columnist and
author, gave us a preview of his soonto-be-published book about historic
sites and activities in the Quabbin
Region. During an interesting slide
show he quoted amusing anecdotes and
stories that former residents had shared
with him. A question period was folMay 2002
lowed by refreshments and socializing.
FOQ is very pleased to be able to
use the church’s community room,
which was built with funds donated by
the former Greenwich Plains Church
when it was sold to the MDC in the
1930’s. The trust stipulates that the
room be made available for groups that
represent former residents of the
Quabbin area. It still supplies some
monies for upkeep and maintenance of
the room, in addition to supplying
scholarships for summer camps and
programs for local young people.
At its April meeting.the new FOQ
board reelected the current slate of
officers for another year. A great deal
of concern was expressed about state
budget cuts that have significantly
reduced the number of staff members,
especially the halving from four to two
of the Visitor Center staff, jeopardizing
the very important local school liason
and outreach program. Early retirement
of maintenance workers and lack of
overtime funds also threaten the
continuation of some of the programs
FOQ considers crucial, like the Gull
Harassment Program detailed in the
last issue of VOICES. r
Volunteer Recognition at the FOQ Annual Meeting (L to R) Ida Adams,
Julie Pluta, Mary Boronski, Celia Slozak, and Ruth Jazab.
Quabbin Voices
Page 3
SRVHS To Open Early This Year
May 26, Sunday
Memorial Day Services at Quabbin
Park Cemetery, off Rt. 9 in Ware. 11
a.m. Arrive early for coffee and stay
for sociability and an afternoon MDC
program. This is one of the most
moving and memorable Memorial
Day observances you will ever attend.
June 1, Saturday
Official Opening Day for SRVHS
(This is a change from previous
years.) Program at 1 p.m. by Elizabeth
Emde, button collector. Following the
program (approx. 45 minutes) all
buildings will be open for tours until 5
p.m. Coffee will be available.
Beginning June 2 and continuing thru Oct.13, the Museum will
be open from 1-4 each Wednesday and
Sunday. During Sept., it will be open
Sunday only, 1-4, until closing on Oct.
13.
June 8, Sunday
Famous Baked Bean Supper at
Prescott Church Museum, 6 p.m.
Reservations made and paid by June 1,
$8 per adult, $2 per child. Call Helen
Towne at 413-323-6630, send checks
to her at 129 Sargent St., Belchertown,
MA 01007. Bring friends!
June 22, Saturday
Quilt Documentation Day , 9-4.
SRVHS quilt collection to be recorded
by MassQuilts, an affiliate of the
Lowell Quilt Museum.
June 23, Sunday
Bus Pilgrimage to Prescott Peninsula.
Meet in field beside gate 17 off Rte.
202 at 10:30 a.m., bus leaves promptly
at 11 a.m. Reservations $6.00, must be
made and paid by June 16. Call
Elizabeth Peirce at 978-544-6207,
send checks to her at 76 South Shore
Drive., Orange, MA 01364.
July 20, Saturday
A special tour of SRVHS for the
Pelham Historical Society, 1-4 p.m.
July 21, Sunday
Visitors will be treated to birthday
cake and lemonade in honor of Mrs.
Clary’s 164th birthday. She was a
long-time resident of of the WhitakerClary House, which bears her name.
July 28, Sunday
Dana Sunday. Honoring and remembering former Dana folks as well as
regular visitors. The Museum will be
open as usual, and former residents of
Dana and their families are especially
May 2002
invited. Picnicking and reunions are
encouraged.
August 4, Sunday
Enfield Sunday. Honoring and
remembering former Enfield folks as
well as regular visitors. The Museum
will be open as usual, and former
residents of Enfield and their families
are especially invited. Picnicking and
reunions are encouraged.
August 11, Sunday
Greenwich Sunday. Honoring and
remembering former Greenwich folks
as well as regular visitors. The
Museum will be open as usual, and
former residents of Greenwich and
their families are especially invited.
Picnicking and reunions encouraged.
August 18, Sunday
Prescott Sunday. Honoring and
remembering former Prescott folks as
well as regular visitors. The Museum
will be open as usual, and former
residents of Prescott and their families are especially invited. Picnicking
and reunions are encouraged.
September 7, Saturday
Chicken Pie Supper, 6 p.m., at
Prescott Church Museum. Reservations must be made and paid by Sept.
1, $8.00 per adult, $2 per child. Call
Elizabeth Peirce at 978-544-6207,
send checks to her at 76 South Shore
Drive., Orange, MA 01364. Bring
friends!
September 21, Saturday
Annual Meeting, 1:00 p.m., with
election of officers, annual reports,
and voting on bylaw changes. Program to follow. Building will be open
for tours following the program and
remain open until 5 p.m. Coffee avail.
September 22, Sunday
Bus Pilgrimage through parts of New
Salem, Dana, North Dana and Greenwich. Meet at SRVHS 10:30 a.m., bus
leaves promptly at 11 a.m. Reservations $6.00 must be made and paid by
Sept. 15. Call Elizabeth Peirce at 978544-6207, send checks to her at 76
South Shore Drive., Orange, MA
01364.
October 5, Sunday
Walk. Meet on New Salem Common
at 10:30 a.m. to caravan to point of
entry for this gentle sloping walk into
Gate 20.
October 12, Saturday
Final Walk of the Season, Gate 43 to
Quabbin Voices
Greenwich Village. Meet on
Hardwick Common at 10:30 a.m. to
caravan to parking area outside Gate
43. Easy walk.
October 13, Sunday
Closing Day. Special Cider Day
Observance, featuring the newlydisplayed cider stone and appropriate
refreshments. All buildings open 1-4
for the final day of the season.
October 26 or 27
Possible Bonus Hike to Puppyville.
Keep tuned for an update.
About The SRVHS
The Swift River Valley Historical
Society was formed in 1936, the
outgrowth of the New Salem Historical
Society. The aim of the Society is to
preserve the historical and genealogical
material and the memorabilia of the
lost towns, and to make this information available to educational groups,
historians, and interested individuals.
Membership is open to anyone
interested in its objectives. Today,
SRVHS has 800 members.
The Museum complex consists of
three buildings housing the collections
of the Swift River Valley Historical
Society. the Whitaker-Clary House, the
Prescott Church Museum, and the
Carriage House. The Prescott Church
Museum features the luxury of central
air conditioning. This church setting is
available for non-denominational
weddings or other events year-round.
SRVHS has no paid staff. It is selfsupporting and maintained and
operated by volunteers. Interested
people and donations are always
welcome!
Directions:
Route 2 from the east: Take exit 16
onto Route 202 south, toward
Amherst-Belchertown, 2.2 miles. Elm
Sheet turnoff is on the right just past
the yellow blinker for 122 south.
SRVHS is approximately .3 mile from
202.
Route 2 from the west: Take exit
14. Follow signs toward Lake
Mattawa. SRVHS is approximately 1.7
miles past the lake, on the left.
Route 202 from the south: 2.5
miles past New Salem center, watch
for a left turn onto Elm Street, marked
by a large SRVHS sign.
From Route 91, either direction:
exit onto Route 2 headed east and
follow the directions given above.
Page 4
INTERPRETIVE SERVICES REPORT
by
Clif Read
E
ffective May 6th, the remaining
portions of the Quabbin Reservation that were closed as a result of
events on September 11th, have reopened to public access consistent
with the MDC Quabbin Public Access
Plan. National Guard troops stationed
at the Reservation since early October
were withdrawn in early May, clearing
the way for removal of restrictions on
MDC land in Hardwick, Ware and
Belchertown. This includes the area
from Gate 43A to Gate 50, and the
land south of the Administration Road
between the West and Middle entrances to Quabbin Park.
Flyfishermen rejoiced in the news
as they gained access to the Swift
River Catch and Release Area below
Winsor Dam, some of the prime trout
stream habitat in the state. A number
of flyfishing enthusiasts were lined up
at the perimeter of the restricted zone
early on the 6th, anxiously awaiting the
7:00 AM opening of the area.
Hikers shared this excitement as
they explored sections of the Reservation closed for more than seven
months. Although the Winsor Dam has
remained a popular pedestrian walkway for the public, there was intense
interest in relaxing the restrictions so
folks could enjoy the area below the
dam for walking, sunbathing or games
of frisbee.
In addition to the permanent restrictions of vehicle traffic on the
Winsor Dam and Goodnough Dike,
there will still be security perimeters
maintained around the Shaft 12 building in Hardwick and the Power Station
at Winsor Dam. The Shaft 12 perimeter will include all of the area within
a quarter mile radius around the building, which encompasses the Gate 43/
44 access road immediately west of
the road leading to the baffle dams.
Visitors may not proceed beyond this
point, but pedestrian access north to
the Baffle Dam is permitted from June
to November. The Winsor Dam Power
Station perimeter is a smaller area approximately 100 yards from the building. Both areas are a strict No Trespassing Zone and will be identified
with fencing and signage. Maps indicating the current restrictions are
available on the MDC webpage at
www.state.ma.us/mdc.
Biodiversity Days are coming!
For the past four years the Executive
Office of Environmental Affairs has
sponsored programs across the state
which challenge citizens to discover
and identify the wealth of animal and
plant species which live in our communities. Participants find, inventory
and learn about the flora and fauna in
their hometowns and the results are
posted on the Biodiversity website.
This year Biodiversity Days will be
held on May 30th and 31st, and June 1st
and 2nd. You don’t need expertise in a
particular area to participate, just an
interest in exploring your surroundings. The Quabbin Visitor Center, in
conjunction with the Connecticut
River Watershed Council, is sponsoring several walks which are open to
the public. On Saturday, June 1st from
7:00 – 10:00 AM, I will be leading a
bird watching trip beginning at the
Quabbin Visitor Center. The group
will focus on the Quabbin Park area,
carpooling to a number of different
habitats to identify and record as many
bird species as possible. No expertise
is necessary; just bring an interest in
birds and a pair of binoculars. Of
course we will stop to look at other
biota along the way.
On Sunday, June 2nd from 1:00 to
4:00 PM MDC Forester Steve Ward is
scheduled to lead a forestry walk in
the Gate 5 area of Belchertown. Anyone who has spent time in the woods
with Steve has appreciated his extensive knowledge of forestry and wildflowers, which will be the main focus
of this outing. Meet at Gate 5 at the
end of Old Enfield Road and wear
comfortable, but sturdy, foot gear.
To learn about Biodiversity Days,
visit the web site at www.state.ma.us/
envir/Biodiversity.htm or call the Visitor Center for more information on
BD activities. r
Memorial Day
Services at
Quabbin Park
Cemetery
Sunday, May 26
(L to R) Mike Tougias (featured speaker), Norman “Pete” Tandy
(FOQ member and former resident) and Larry Lowenthal
(FOQ Board member) at the Annual Meeting.
May 2002
Quabbin Voices
10:00 a.m. refreshments available
11:00 a.m. parade begins
2:00 p.m. Program at the Visitor
Center: Walter King Memorial
Video
Page 5
Asa King, Former
Greenwich Village
Resident, Dies at 93
Asa King, left, with lifelong
friend Chet King at Memorial
Day Services 2000
Asa O. King, 93, of 3873 South
Athol Road, died March 30, 2002 at
the Athol Memorial Hospital.
He was born in Greenwich Village,
Mass., December 21, 1908, the son of
Oscar A. and Edna (Oliver) King. He
attended schools in Greenwich Village
and graduated from Springfield
Technical School in 1927. After the
creation of the Quabbin Reservoir, he
moved one of the village houses to
South Athol, where he lived the rest of
his life.
He worked at the L.S. Starrett Co.
for 32 years, retiring in 1972.
He was a member of the Orange
Lodge of Masons A.F. & A.M., was a
32nd degree mason of the Consistory of
Springfield, Scottish Rite Bodies of the
Valley of Greenfield, Scottish Rite
Bodies of the Valley of Springfield,
Malha Shrine in Springfield, Friends of
Quabbin in Belchertown and the Swift
River Valley Historical Society in New
Salem.
He enjoyed playing cards, golfing
and gardening. Asa also enjoyed going
regularly to Tuesday Tea at Quabbin
Visitor Center.
His wife of many years, Lena
(Durant) King died in 1987.
He is survived by a son, Robert F.
Rathburn Sr. of Athol, four grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren,
several cousins and his life-long friend
Chester King of Athol.
May 2002
The 65th Anniversay of the Farewell Ball in Enfield, which marked
the Official Disincorporation of the Valley Towns,
will occur April 27, 2003. Photo: Les Campbell.
Welcome New & Renewing FOQ Members
Sarah Terfehr, Belchertown, Interest: History
Robert W. Landry & John Bovat Chicopee,
Interests: History, Photography
Elwyn Doubleday, North Amherst
former resident of Prescott
Robert P. Creed & Catherine Hilton, Shutesbury, Interest: History
Joseph T. Leverich and family, Boston
Renee A. Marino, Mendon
Quabbin Voices
Page 6
PART 2 of ELIZABETH HOWE LINCOLN’S
OCTOGENARIAN’S MEMOIRS
Artist and writer
Elizabeth Howe Lincoln
O
ur little friends from town
preferred to read our comic books,
not the lurid ones in stores, but my
Orphan Annie scrap books and Don's
complete collection of “Buck Rogers
in the 25th century”! We saved the
“funnies” from the paper every day
and stuck them in school notebooks.
We also had autographed copies of
Burgess Bird Book for Children and
The Flower Book - when the great
naturalist came to the Enfield Town
Hall one year and we were thrilled to
have him write in our newly purchased Peter Rabbit books!
Books or a book were always my
favorite gift at birthdays or Christmas
- The Five Little Peppers and How
They Grew was a whole series of
rags-to-riches adventures of a
closeknit family of kids. Horatio
Alger rags-to-riches stories inspired
the boys, and my little girl chums all
followed the Bobsey Twins. Ernest
Thompson Seaton was all about
camping out and tracking animals
and Indian lore. When we all read the
Twin Series, especially the Scottish
Twins, we too formed a Rob Roy
Clan. We knew the woods all up back
of Anderson’s Farm. To initiate a new
friend into the clan we’d lead him (or
her) way up to the “balancing rock”
then quickly slip away, leaving the
initiate to find his own way home.
All he had to do was go downhill and
he’d run into Rt. 32, Gilbertville
Road, and there we’d be to pin a pine
sprig onto him, the official badge of
RRC.
Grandma Howe gave us a subscription to Child Life with similar
stories and ads for Postum-madewith-milk which turned skinny little
kids like us into sturdy well filled out
healthy boys and girls. I’ve been a
Postum addict ever since I sent for
my Orphan Annie mug with “3 labels
from the jars”.
As I recall, junk foods were nonexistent. Just about everyone went
home for lunch from school. Only
farm kids brought lunch pails. Meat,
potatoes, baked or boiled and veggies
in season from our back yard gardens
were staples. Everyone canned
veggies and fruits in a huge copper
boiler. The glass Ball jars were put
into the boiling water process to boil
away any bacteria. r
Elizabeth Howe Lincoln
as a child
Vespers Keep Memory of North Dana
Church Alive
D
uring the 1930’s four towns
were inundated by the waters of
the Swift River to form Quabbin
Reservoir and supply metropolitan
Boston with water. Of the many
churches that were active then, only
the First Universalist Parish of North
Dana has maintained services. This
Parish established a trust fund, with
the income to be used for vesper
services in memory of North Dana
and their church there. This musical
organization, born from the thought
that the North Dana Church should
May 2002
not be forgotten and that it should
continue to live through the ministry
of religious music, has brought high
inspiration to many churches
throughout Massachusetts since its
inception in 1929. These services are
given to any church desiring a
musical service of high quality at the
vesper hour. No offering is received
during the service, for the musicians
receive their remuneration from the
trust fund. The soloists and instrumentalists are well known in area
churches.
Quabbin Voices
North Dana Universalist Church
Razed in December 1937, Built in
1899. Photo Courtesy J. R. Greene.
Contact: John Tandy
150 Fountain Street
Orange, MA 01364
Tel: 544-7348
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