Local lore : Newsletter of the Topsfield Historical Society

2015·1.4 MB·English

by  Topsfield Historical Society

Topsfield Historical Society
Local Lore Newsletter
Collection
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Local Lore
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January 2015, Issue 114
The Topsfield Historical Society Newsletter
WEBAddress Email;[email protected]
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The Town Tavern Thanksgiving & Christmas Upcoming Events
A public house or “ordinary” 140 visitors Golden Age of Silent Movies
was an important part of any braved the January 11th, 3 PM
snow to warm
town, especially in Topsfield
because ofits location along up with hot The Intrepid Captain Mugford
the routes to Boston and Sa- cider, see February 8th, 3 PM
lem. In the town tavern travel- John Burgess
ers could overnight and local demonstrate Kid’s Comer
men could meet to transact the cider By Hannah Barrett
business. In order to regulate press, and experience the magic of
the sale of intoxicating liquors an old fashioned Thanksgiving.
Seasonally
and insure orderly conduct,
decorated
the courts issued licenses to Nearly 80 revelers attended the
ones,
innholders. Christmas party where they feast- striped
ed on an expansive buffet while ones, fancy
The first tavern on record may enjoying the talents ofVince Guer- white ones, and polka dot ones
have been located about where ra on keyboard and a guest perfor- which all come in convenient little
packages for you and your guests to
/•^e entrance to the downtown mance by Ed Jelinek (pictured) on
use, enjoy, and then simply throw
plaza is today. In 1660 his accordion. Special thanks to away, no wash required. Paper nap-
“Danyell Cleark was licensed Audrey larocci and Carole Hoover kins; Pm sure you have seen a lot of
to keep a house of public en- and their team for organizing this them over the holidays whether
tertainment.” Four genera- they were embellished with snow-
event!
tions of Clarks kept up the men or a simple “HAPPY NEW
YEAR!” Where did these marvelous
tradition, with every genera-
festive little pieces ofpaper come
tion incurring occasional court
from?
-ordered lapses due to infrac-
tions such as “Selling halfa A man in England named John
pint ofliquor to the Indians,” Dickinson of Dickinson Mill Compa-
“Provoking speeches,” and ny is said to have first introduced
“Prophane cursing and swear- the paper napkin at a party in
ing and for breach ofye peace 1887. Dickinson’s napkins were
in striking Jesse Dorman.” the first in Europe. He had special
paper cutting machines, and some
ofhis napkins were decorative. The
When the Turnpike was built Scott Paper Company, which had
in the beginning of the 19th It’s Never Too Late! developed other paper goods such
century, the Topsfield Hotel at as towels, tissue, and toilet tissue,
the corner of the Turnpike and Send in your donation now to began printing paper napkins in the
High Street was said to be the the Annual Appeal for much 1930s. These new paper napkins
needed maintenance on the were very convenient compared to
best tavern on the Eastern
Gould Barn and Capen House! their previous cloth ancestors, and
i^kge route. ensured that guests would have
From HistoryofTopsfield, Dow Editor: Anne H. Barrett nice clean napkins.
Contributors; Norm Isler, HannahBarrett
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Local Lore
February 2015, Issue 115
The Topsfield Historical Society Newsletter
WEBAddress Email:[email protected]
( I
Salem Gazette, Aug. 7, 1846 UPCOMING EVENTS
For The Gazette
The Intrepid Captain Mugford
—
Mr. Editor, I perceive by accounts in your and other papers, that February 8th, 3 PM
the potato crop, in this and other countries, is affected
with disease, so prevalent last year. From three years experience Annual Meeting & Supper
upon the different methods ofraising this valuable root, I am con- March 8th, 3 PM
vinced, that unless we cast offthe new mode ofits cultivation, the Kid’s Corner
potato will become entirely extinct. 1 find that where the old mode of ByHannahBarrett
cultivation has been continued, there has been no trouble with the
rot. I refer to the mode ofearthing up the land. Where this is done, There’s nothing
and has been continued for years, there is no trouble with better than having
the disease; but where the mode is adopted ofkeeping the ground a nice warm, soft
level and not earthing it up at all, and where this mode has been flannel in a fash-
ionable plaid print
continued for three or four years, the disease is prevalent.
to throw on. Flan-
Ifgood seed be planted one year, and cultivated by keeping the nels have long been used as work
^
ground level, the next fall the crop, will not be so good as the seed shirts and have come in and out of ;
planted in the previous spring, for the disease has slightly injured fashion over the years; nowadays v:
it. The second year ifthe produce ofthe first be planted, you see people ofall ages wearing -
the disease will plainly show itself. The third year the crop will be them in every season. Where did J
7very much affected. The disease is not produced entirely in one this classic article ofclothing come Y
from?
year, but continues to grow upon the crop as time increases, with
the modem mode ofcultivating the land level, and with but very lit- Hamilton Carhartt is credited with
tle earth upon the potato to protect it from the severe rays ofthe inventing the flannel shirt, which ;
sun. started out as a popularwork shirt
or pajamas/warm underwear.
The earth is a pre- Flannel was first woven in Wales
server ofthe potato, and Southwest England; itwas
ifrightly managed, cheap and warm and very quickly |
and the sun's rays became popular. It became well ^
are a sure poison, as known in America with the inven- 1
anyone will perceive - tion ofthe union suit in NewYork
by exposing a potato in 1869 and was stand^d men’s
to the influence of underwear for cold weather.
the sun for a day of During World War I flannel was
two. For the protec- used to make uniforms and band-
tion ofthe potato it ages for battlefield medical posts. In
is necessary to have it well covered up with the earth. The severe the Great Depression men wore
hot rays ofthe sun and water that must stand on the land after a flannel shirts to whateverjobs they
rain, where the ground is kept perfectly level, are sure to effect the could get because they were inex-
potato, and then commences the disease. (Continued on nextpage) pensive. This is how the flannel
shirt got its lumbeijack image;
many laborers wore them. Flannel
If one ofyour New Year’s resolutions shirts are now worn by grunge rock
:s to support the THS maintenance bands and are a fashion icon popu--
campaign, send in your donation today! Norm Isler, HannahBarrett lar with all age groups.
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Parking for the Gould Barn
As some ofyou may know, The
Commons event venue has an
agreement with the Congrega-
tional Church to use the Emer-
son Center parking lot during
their functions. When there is
to be an event at The Commons,
Popular speaker and former attendees at Gould Bam func-
tions may not park in the Emer-
Masconomet jbistory teacher Donald son parking lot, but rather they
should park along the Topsfleld
Doliber tells the story of this Revolu- Common. Even ifthe parking
tionary War Hero, about whom lot is empty when you arrive.
please do not park there
.
George Washington aide Gen. Artemis
In the announcement for each
upcoming Society event, we will
indicate whether or not you may
"America owes
its park in the Emerson lot. Please
independence to adhere to the parking instmc-
tions for each event so as to
Come
Mugford." avoid conflict with The Com-
mons guests. On days when
hear about his
parking is not permitted in the
brave and daring Emerson lot, a reminder sign
will be posted by the Gould
deeds! Bam walkway and you have
if
parked in that lot, you will be
asked to move your car. Car-
pooling is encouraged.
*y ••••V a- * For The Intrepid Captain Mug-
ford you MAY park in the Emer-
son lot.
(Continuedfromfrontpage)
After considerable enquiry, I have found that those farmers in this vicinity who have never adopted the
manner ofkeeping their land level, but who have always earthed up their potatoes, and have planted the
potatoes so raised, have never had any trouble with their crop. Water should never stand for any length
oftime upon the potato, and in earthing up the hill it necessarily causes small dippers in the rows ofpo-
tatoes, which hold the water and cause it to soak into the ground under the potato. Ifthe water lay upon
the potato, and it is but slightly covered with the earth, the extreme heat ofthe sun, with the water that
must stand up on the potato, produce this disease which will destroy the crop in a few years, where the
Kiew mode ofcultivation is continued.
Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2017 with funding from
Boston Public Library
https://archive.org/details/locallorenewslet2015tops
Local Lore
March 2015, Issue 116
The Topsfield Historical Society Newsletter
,,,
WEBAddress(http://www.toDsfieldhistorv.orQ)Email:[email protected]
SPAM, Wonderful SPAM! WHILE stained glass windows in UPCOMING EVENTS
Europe’s cathedrals date back
No one hundreds ofyears, stained glass
Annual Meeting & Soup Supper
knows in America boasts a history of
less than 200 years. Early Amer- March 8th, 3 PM
what the
ican churches were simply de-
name of signed and had either plain glass The Lincoln Assassination
Hormel windows, or in some cases, no
PM
glass at all, but rather shutters April 24th, 7:30
Food's
which could be opened when
SPAM® weather permitted. Kid’s Comer
stands for. Some people say it By Hannah Barrett
means "shoulders ofpork and TwhiendfoirwstmfalgduerailnstthaeinUenditgleadss Some say that the
ham." Others say it stands for States is the "Adoration ofthe feeding ofwild birds in
"spiced ham." Magi" window, made for Christ America originated in
Church, Pelham, New York, de- 1845 when Henry
signed by William Bolton in David Thoreau fed
1843. birds at Walden Pond.
During World War 11, over 150 The first commercially
million pounds of SPAM were According to the Historical Manu- made birdfeeder was
/^nt to the U.S. and allied ar- al ofthe Congregational Church of put on the market in 1926 and was
Topsfield published in 1907, “In designed for hummingbirds.
mies on the war fronts. The
ubiquitous meat was such an w1a8s91retphaeirinetderainodr oafdtohrenecdhuartcahn The first tube feeder was not invent-
ed until 1969 by Peter Kilham. Be-
important part ofthe Russian expense ofover $1,200, and me- fore this, people put out birdhouses
morial windows placed to pre-
soldier's rations that Nikita serve the name ofbeloved wor- fniellwedfweietdherssekede,ptbuotuttuhensweanspteecdiavlisi-
Khrushchev said "Without shippers.”
tors such as squirrels. The inven-
SPAM, we wouldn't have been tion ofthe tube feeder made bird
Among those memorialized was
able to feed our army." Anson McLoud, pastor there from watching one ofthe most popular
pastimes in the U.S. and millions
1841 to 1869. In addition to his
were quickly sold. This simple but
pastoral duties, he served on the
amaizing invention brought wildlife
The U.S. Government used so school committee, the committee to the kitchen window for many
much SPAM because it was in- to investigate the feasibility of families. Today, more than 50 mil-
expensive, had a long shelflife, essetnatbeldisThoipnsgfiaelldibirnartyh,eaSntdatreepLreeg-- lpioounnAdmseroifcbainrsdspeuetd opuetr yaeabirl.lion
was nutritious, and could be islature.
transported easily. A Topsfield FUN FACTS
resident remembered having A typical backyard
SPAM for Easter one year during bird weighs less
than two nickels.
the great war, as there was no
ham Birds consume 15%
available.
oftheir body weight overnightjust
keeping warm enough to survive.
^^ditor: Anne H. Barrett
Contributors:
Norm Isler, Hannah Barrett
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