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PotpourrEMAIL
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Vol. 1, No. 9, 1 March 2000. Circulation: 80 and growing!
(C) 1999 Boylston Historical Society and Museum
7 Central St., PO Box 459, Boylston, MA 01505
boyhisoc@ma.ultranet.com
508-869-2720
Editors: Betty L. Thomas and Judith Haynes
Boylston Historical Society and Museum Web Page:
http://www.ultranet.com/~boyhisoc/index.shtml
To subscribe or unsubscribe to the PotpourrEmail, or
to submit information to be included in the PotpourrEmail,
e-mail info to: boyhisoc@ma.ultranet.com
CONTENTS. Welcome; What's in a name?; TORY CAVE REVISITED;
Photo Care Basics; Oral History; Book of the Month;
BHS NEWS; On The Web; Humor
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Welcome to our email newsletter! For those of you who are not
members of BHS and don't receive the snailmail newsletter, it is called
The Potpourri. Sooooo, we thought the appropriate name for this version
would be PotpourrEMAIL. This email version is not meant to repeat or
copy the snailmail version, but to complement it, with the addition of
topics of interest to those with computer and web capabilities. If you
have a story to tell, information to impart, a good genealogy joke,
computer
or web genealogy info, a Boylston genealogy Query, or anything that would
be of interest to our readers--please email us at:
boyhisoc@ma.ultranet.com
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What's in a name ?
From "Names of Places" by G.L. Wright -
Boylston Historical Series Vol. I
Two Springs
It is said that the church on Peru Hill in Berkshire County is so situated
that the rain falling on one side of its roof finds its way into the
Westfield River, and the rain falling on the other side of the roof finds
its way into the Housatonic River. While we have no such church similarly
situated in Boylston, it is never-the-less a curious fact that situated on
Stiles Hill near the John E. Smith place within a few rods of each other
are two springs of water. One of these forms the source of the French
Brook, which flowing across the Northborough Road below William H. Hastings
house, and through Fred Stark's and Charles E. Cutler's farms, crosses
the Berlin Road below Samuel C. Butterfield's, then across the road leading
to Henry L. Reed's on through Joslin Swamp, accross the Clinton and old
Sawyer' Mills roads, and finally ino the Nashua River. The southerly
spring forms the source of another brook, which, flowing southerly across
the Shrewsbury Road, at the foot of the hill near Miss Jennie L. Flagg's
house, and then flowing on, reached Wewall Pond, and finally through Lake
Quinsigamond into the waters of the Blackston River. This brook is called
"Spring Garden Brook" in the Proprietors' Records of Shrewsbury. French
Brook was once called Mill Brook, because of the several saw and grist
mills on it. One of these mills was located on Fred C. Stark's place,
another at the place now owned by Mr. Ropp, and the third one was the mill
of Capt. Robert Andrews. How the brook obtained the name of "French Brook"
I do not know, unless it was from the fact that the farm where it flowed
into the Nashua River was once owend, and probably occupied by a man named
French, who sold it to Capt. Andrews in 1746.
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TORY CAVE REVISITED
by Fred Brown, President
They seek it here, they seek it there, they seek it everywhere. Is it to
the north, is it to the south? That d----d elusive Tory Cave.
The Boylston Tory, Solomon Houghton, lived on a farm located to the east
of the intersection of Linden Street and Mile Hill Road. Being a Tory at
this time in Boylston could be more hazardous to his health than smoking.
So he hid in the East Woods section of Boylston until he could make his way
to Nova Scotia via Boston. It is said he stayed in a cave for "some time",
with his wife and children bringing him sustenance
We don't have caves as we think of them in Boylston. The caves we think of
(such as the Carlsbad Caverns, among others) have been carved by water over
vast periods of geological time, while the "caves" in Boylston are made of
high ledges. Either through weathering or earthquake the face of these
ledges break free and tumble in a hodgepodge around the base. When these
large boulders land against each other they often have large open areas
underneath them. These open areas are large enough to accommodate me
comfortably (and those who know me know I am anything but small).
Where in Boylston can such ledges be found? We have the Morningdale Ledges
to the left of Paul Tivnen Drive, the Scar Hill Ledges on the Nashua
(before the Reservoir was flooded), and a third, on the shores of Rocky
Pond.
Any of these could be the location. Let's think about this for a moment.
A person hiding for a length of time would want to be near water and near
his home if his family were to provide him with the necessities of life.
This lets out the Morningdale Ledges - no water. Further consideration
eliminates the Scar Hill Ledges, they would have been too far from
Houghton's home. This leaves Rocky Pond.
There is strong circumstantial evidence that Rocky Pond Ledges are the
location of Tory Cave. The above horse sense thinking, led me to wonder
about the Linden Street location. I came across a drawing by George L.
Wright titled "Tory Cave." It shows a high ledge well above the trees at
the base. Also trees on the top. Using this view as a guide led me to
the conclusion that it is from the water of Rocky Pond. This view can only
be had from the far shore or from a boat. I then came across a manuscript
titled "Tory Cave in East Woods and the Tories of Boylston" by George L.
Wright. Wright goes on to describe the political bounds of the East Woods.
He says that "--- includes the well known Rocky Pond, there is a long
ragged ledge underneath which is a cave entered through an opening in the
rocks on the easterly side of the ledge. This cave is known as The Bear's
Den or the Tory's Cave, and the entrance is almost entirely concealed by
the thick growth of trees and underbrush."
George L. Wright goes on to write "This cave is nearly on the original line
which separated Shrewsbury North Precinct from Lancaster." Wright goes
further and talks about a house (the Oliver Barnes place) to the west.
This would be on Warren Street.
On an old photo of the Houghton place it says Tory Cave is located to "the
south." I took a compass reading where the Houghton place used to be and
found Rocky Pond to be due south. The present marker on Linden Street
would have been almost southwest.
The evidence while circumstantial in that the X that marks the exact spot
is missing, is never the less overwhelmingly in favor of the Rocky Pond
Ledge site.
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Photo Care Basics
by Betty Thomas
Where do YOU store your photos ?? Are they in a shoe box, magnetic album,
an old scrapbook, glued on to any old paper page ???? Magnetic albums
contain caustic glue and acidic cardboard. Shoeboxes and scrapbooks are
also very acidic environments for photos. Glued photos may never revive!!
Other plastic page albums could contain polyvinyl chloride [PVC], which
emits gases that can cause yellowing and other detrimental effects.
[hint- PVC's have a strong "plastic" odor]
Now is the time to start safeguarding your photos, Here are some
guidelines:
1. When choosing albums, look for the words "archival" or "museum" quality.
They are expensive, but well worth it.
2. Any page protectors used should be made of Melenex, polyester,
polystyrene, polyethylene or Mylar, NOT PVC.
3. When using any paper products near photos use archival quality or
permanent paper. Acid-free paper isn't
necessarily archival or permanent.
4. Instead of glue, use archival mounting corners to affix photos to paper
pages.
5. Store albums upright to photos aren't under pressure.
6. A good environment is moderate temperature and humidity, good air
circulation, and good housekeeping. If you are comfortable, your
photos will be too!
More Hints and tips next month.
Stop by the Historical Society to read any of our technical leaflets on
photo care.
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Oral History by Judy Haynes
The Printed Oral History -
As I previously indicated, if you have your narrative printed, you can
share copies with family members or incorporate it in a local history
library. It adds considerably to its usefulness. Double spacing is
preferred between the Q. and A. Use Q. for the interviewer and A. for the
responses. Here is an example of a typical page one:
Tape One, Side One
Q: First, let's put down your date of birth, place of birth, and names of
your parents.
A: I was born October 3, 1900, in Detroit, Michigan--the daughter of John
J. Smith and Ethel Stantion Smith.
I am not sure why my parents were in Michigan, but I believe my father
had a job there at the time.
Create a Cover Page with the narrator's name and perhaps a photo, a Preface
that captures enough about the oral history to encourage one to read it.
In the preface you will, of course, give the name of both the narrator and
the person doing the questioning. You may also introduce the present day
setting. A Table of Contents is helpful and an Index if your manuscript is
lengthy and your narrator recalls many names and places.
This ends the Oral History column. This and the previous issues have given
a generalized overview of oral history, which I hope has been helpful and
enjoyable. If you have specific questions, please e-mail us and I will do
my best to answer them.
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Book of the Month -
"The Man From Hillside" The life of John B. Gough written especially for
young people.
by William O. Dupuis
This book is HOT off the presses!!!! This book is SO NEW, it hasn't been
added to the web site as yet. The book centers on John Gough's early life
and his life at Hillside. It was written from the viewpoint of John as a
young man and also from the voice of John's niece retelling of their life
at Hillside. A delightful bed-time book! There are also a number of
etchings included from several books written by Mr. Gough in the mid
1800's.
An Old Pot Publication $8 + shipping/handling
For more info go here:
http://www.ultranet.com/~boyhisoc/gift.htm
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BHS NEWS -
Program - Friday, March 17, 2000 at 7:30 pm
"Genealogy Research"
Boylston Historical Society Staff members Bill Dupuis and Betty Thomas
Where do you go and what do you look for?? This program will help give
your research a direction whether you are at the library or on the
Internet.
Materials packet: $4
Hope to see YOU there. Come early for a good seat!!
Reservations suggested!!
All Programs are open to the public and held at the Society (unless
otherwise noted). Donations at the door are gratefully accepted!
--------------------------------------------
WE now have several volunteers to work on the many computer projects. We
can always use a few more! There are many non-computer projects that need
doing also!!! JOIN the TEAM!! Drop in any Tues. or Thurs.- 9 am to noon.
--------------------------------------------
Available at the gift shop
http://www.ultranet.com/~boyhisoc/gift.htm
1.Boylston - A pictorial history
The book is crammed full of never before seen photos of Boylston people
and places from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Available NOW!!! $18.99
+ $3 shipping.
2.Yankee Magazine subscription - $20 subscription. Look for subscription
cards at various places around town-- library, town hall, center store,
Baystate Auto, and the Historical Society!
Or visit the Yankee Partners Page:
http://www.newengland.com/cgi-bin/ymcp/print_partner.pl?number=183
or the subscription page
(under Benefit: don't forget to SELECT Boylston Historical Society):
http://www.newengland.com/YMCP/subscribe.html
3. Historical Society Calendar for 2000 - Photos of Boylston Entertainment
- 19th and 20th century style! ONLY $5 (at the gift shop and the
Boylston Library) LAST CALL- VERY LIMITED!!!!!
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On The Web--
Order FREE catalogs from any of the Archival Suppliers
Archival Supplies and Preservation tips
Gaylord Bros.
http://www.gaylord.com/
Box #4901, Syracuse, NY 13221-4901
800-448-6160 phone • 800-272-3412 fax
Archival Supplies
Light Impressions
http://www.lightimpressionsdirect.com/lightimpressions/index.icl
PO Box 940, Rochester, NY 14603-0940
Phone 800-828-6216
Fax 800-828-5539
e-mail - LiWebsite@limpressions.com
Archival Supplies
University Products
http://www.universityproducts.com/
University Products, Inc., P.O. Box 101, 517 Main St., Holyoke, MA 01041
Phone: 800-628-1912 · Fax: 800-532-9281
Outside U.S. and Canada, Phone: 413-532-3372 · Fax: 413-532-9281
Email:info@universityproducts.com
taking great pictures
http://www.kodak.com/US/en/nav/takingPics.shtml
Preserving Family Albums
http://www.kodak.com/US/en/corp/albums/archiving/archivingMain.shtml
CARING FOR YOUR PHOTOGRAPHS
http://aic.stanford.edu/treasure/photos.html
THE CARE AND PRESERVATION OF Photographic Prints
http://www.hfmgv.org/histories/cis/photo.html
Tips on Preserving Photographs:
Helpful tips for preserving your precious documents & memorabilia
http://www.uni.edu/petersog/icpctip5.html
Conservation/Preservation Information for the General Public
Info on caring for all sorts of objects! Links to many places!
http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/bytopic/genpub/
Northeast Document Conservation Center
http://www.nedcc.org/
100 Brickstone Square
Andover, MA 01810-1494
Telephone: (978) 470-1010
Fax: (978) 475-6021
ADDITIONAL NEDCC TECHNICAL LEAFLETS
http://www.nedcc.org/leaf.htm
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Humor -
Three sons left home, went out on their own and prospered. Getting back
together, they discussed the gifts they were able to give their elderly
mother.
The first said, "I built a big house for our mother." The second said, "I
sent her a Mercedes with a driver." The third smiled and said, "I've got
you both beat. You remember how mom enjoyed reading the Bible? And you
know she can't see very well. So I sent her a remarkable parrot that
recites the entire Bible. It took elders in the church 12 years to teach
him. He's one of a kind. Mama just has to name the chapter and verse, and
the parrot recites it."
Soon thereafter, mom sent out her letters of thanks:
"Milton," she wrote one son, "The house you built is so huge. I live in
only one room, but I have to clean the whole house."
"Gerald," she wrote to another, "I am too old to travel. I stay most of
the time at home, so I rarely use the Mercedes. And the driver is so
rude!"
"Dearest Donald," she wrote to her third son, "You have the good sense to
know what your mother likes. The chicken was delicious."
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PERMISSION TO REPRINT articles from PotpourrEMAIL is granted
unless specifically stated otherwise, PROVIDED: (1) the reprint
is used for non-commercial, educational purposes; and (2) the
following notice appears at the end of the article:
Written by
Previously published by PotpourrEMAIL,
PotpourrEmail, Vol. 1, No. 9, 1 March 2000. Please visit
Boylston Historical Society and Museum's main Web page at
http://www.ultranet.com/~boyhisoc/index.shtml
This newsletter is distributed monthly, on the first day of the month,
to all Boylston Historical Society members (who have email!), genealogists
and friends who have a special interest in the history of the town of
Boylston.
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