Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
The Old Landing______________________
PRESIDENT’S LETTER
The Sippican Historical Society has once again had an exciting year. Due largely to
the efforts of our dedicated treasurer Judy Rosbe, we are in good financial shape,
but we still need your support. We have contracted with Norman Holt to paint the
post office and the museum buildings and with Lee Gunschel to do repair work to
the gutters and trim boards. I feel it is very important to keep our properties in
excellent condition. The boiler for the furnace that heats the post office cracked
this winter and we had to purchase a new heating system. It was almost 15 years
old. We also had the hardwood floors in the post office refinished and they look
great once again.
Ann Zeigler has done a tremendous job caring for our Memorial Garden with the
help of Dallas Washington. It seems like only yesterday when that was a muddy
parking lot. It has become a beautiful spot to come and sit and to remember our
deceased loved ones and friends, who have contributed to the Sippican Historical
Society over the past 25 years. Our classic film series remains a popular night out
under the direction of our vice president David Pierce, with the help of Peter
Duquette.
We have added two new members to our board of directors this year. Charles
Larkin, a summer resident, who has a great passion for history, and Jon Delli
Priscoli, owner of Edaville Railroad. Jon is extremely knowledgeable about the
restoration of historic buildings and has just purchased and renovated a home on
Water Street.
The newsletter of the Sippican Historical Society July 2017
The most exciting thing to happen this year was that we received the largest
donation ever to the Sippican Historical Society. Our curator Pete Smith worked
with Marion resident William Claflin Jr. to bring this incredible donation to fruition.
Bill Claflin’s father was an enthusiastic collector of scrimshaw related to the 19th
century whaling era. In the 1940’s and
1950’s he traveled around New England to
antique stores and auctions buying
scrimshaw. William Claflin Sr. had a very
good eye and he bought over 100 rare and
important pieces. Bill Claflin Jr. contacted
Pete Smith and suggested donating the
collection to the Sippican Historical
Society, if it could be kept intact and
displayed in his antique corner cabinet.
Some of the more important items are
numerous large engraved sperm whales’
teeth: one depicts Liberty holding a shield
and a flag, another has an image of an
Indian princess and one shows whalesmen cutting blubber. There are a large
number of interesting whalebone fids, coconut dippers, engraved busks, and a
powder horn with an engraved image of King
Phillip. This exceptional collection is now on
view in our special exhibition gallery. Also on
display in this gallery are artifacts and photos
donated to us by the Veterans when the VFW
closed.
During one of my visits to the New Bedford
Whaling Museum, it was suggested to me by
the President and Executive Director James
Russell to put on a special exhibit in the
Braitmayer Gallery on the Golden Age of
Marion. Judy Rosbe and I were chosen to be
co-curators, and with the help of the incredible
staff at the Whaling Museum (including
THE SHS ONLINE DATABASE
By Jeffrey Miller
One of our greatest resources here at the SHS is our online database. This is a full searchable
catalog of documents, objects, and photos in our collection. Many entries have scans, photos, or
additional information as well. The catalog has been expanding ever since the historical society was
founded, thanks to the efforts of our staff and volunteers. Currently, the entries total 12,250.
The database is a great resource for anyone interested in doing historical or genealogical research,
or just learning more about Marion. Here is how to access it:
1. Go to our website (http://sippicanhistoricalsociety.org/).
2. Scroll down and click on the button that says “Visit Our Online
Collections Database”.
3. This will bring you to the database page. From here you can click on the buttons on the left to
do a simple keyword search, an advanced search, or browse one of the catalog categories
(Archives, Photos, Libraries, or Objects).
4. A simple keyword search is probably the best option in most cases. Just type in the term or
terms you are looking for and hit search!
Christina Connett, Michael Dyer, Sara Mitchell and Jordan Berson), we were able to
set up this beautiful exhibit which includes several of our paintings by Cecil Clark
Davis, a portrait of Betty Weinberg as a young girl also by Cecil Clark Davis, the
ship’s figurehead from the Admiral Blake, a sign from the Marion Depot train
station, photos and objects related to Charles Dana Gibson and Joseph Jefferson,
and a wonderful portrait of Grover Cleveland by Charles Raleigh loaned by the
Wareham Historical Society. The exhibit opened in early May with a lecture given
by Judy. Several hundred people were in attendance for the opening.
We plan this year to continue to promote the history of Marion and to preserve its
historical character. In addition, we want to offer programs to encourage younger
people to join us and to become involved, so that the future of the Sippican
Historical Society will be guaranteed for generations to come.
Sincerely,
Frank H. McNamee
WRITTEN IN STONE
By Helen Hills
If you have an interest in genealogy you’ve
probably wandered around cemeteries, searching
for the names and dates of your ancestors. The
Town of Marion maintains six cemeteries: Little
Neck Cemetery on Hermitage Road, North Marion
and Happy Alley Cemeteries on County Road,
Evergreen Cemetery on Route 6 and Converse
Road, the Old Landing Cemetery on Route 6 and
Ryder’s Lane, and the little Blankinship Cemetery
and associated Point Road Memorial Forest in East
Marion.
If you’re looking for your great-grandfather’s gravestone and you’re sure he’s buried in Marion, you
can wander around the cemeteries, which is actually a pleasant experience. They are lovely, quiet
places for reflection. If you can’t find the grave, try going to the Department of Public Works on
Benson Brook Road. The cemetery records are
kept on file there.
In some cases, the town records are on computers,
and some are on index cards. In an effort to draw
all these together, I have been working on
photographing and identifying the graves, the
markers, and trying to figure out who the people
are and how they’re related to each other, and why
someone from St. Louis would want to be buried in
Marion.
Still no luck? Try the Find-a-Grave website (https://www.findagrave.com) and/or BillionGraves
(https://billiongraves.com). These websites have photographs posted by volunteers, often with
genealogical information. In addition, if you make a request, a volunteer who lives near a cemetery
you’re interested in but can’t get to yourself will often go take a photo of a specific gravesite for
you.
Helen is currently assembling a record of all the graves in the six cemeteries for the Town of Marion.
SPEAKERS’ SERIES
By Judith Rosbe
The Sippican Historical Society promotes free programs on
historical subjects for our community. In 2016, we had Rev.
Bob Macfarlane (General Joshua Chamberlain), Chris Black and
B. Jay Cooper (Mac Baldrige), David Pierce (Sippican Hotel),
James Russell (Yankee Whaling) and Charles Stockbridge
(Hamilton). In 2017, our speakers included Deborah Swiss
(Australia’s Convict Women), Nancy Dyer Mitton (A Romantic
Art Colony in Marion), Liisa Budge-Johnson (Plymouth County
Corrections Then and Now), J.D. Hale (The History of Yankee
Magazine), Kirk Nelson (The History of New Bedford Art Glass)
and Michael Dyer (Art of the Yankee Whale Hunt). We value
your feedback and suggestions for future programs.
CLASSIC FILM SERIES
The Classic Film Series was again popular this year. In
conjunction with the Marion Council on Aging, we showed 8
great movies:
In the Heat of the Night
Jaws
Paper Chase
Shane
The Third Man
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre
The Shawshank Redemption
OUR LATEST DONATION
We were recently given a beautiful
watercolor of the Old Stone Studio,
painted by Helen Hodges Piersol (née
Delano) in 1895. The painting was the
generous gift of the artist’s
granddaughter Barbara Skidmore.
THE WILLIAM WALKER CLAFLIN SCRIMSHAW COLLECTION
By Pete Smith
The Sippican Historical Society has recently been given a wonderful and extensive collection of
sailor-made scrimshaw. The collection was assembled by William W. Claflin during his tour in the
Coast Guard’s 1st District as commander of the Port of New Bedford and as a Lt. assigned to the
Portland Head Lighthouse during WWII.
Most of the pieces are from New England
and were acquired through barter, purchase,
trade, and other legal means. They are in
excellent original condition. There are
examples of many typical scrimshaw items,
such as inscribed whales’ teeth (some in
color), jagging wheels, letter openers,
knitting needles, corset stays, rulers, pipes,
fids, and ditty boxes, as well as some more unusual items like a sewing kit, rigging
blocks, and a gavel. The collection also includes an antique cherry corner display
cabinet, which the SHS has enhanced with new lighting and an alarm system.
The collection was given by Bill Claflin Jr.,
who has recently passed away. We will
always remember Bill’s kindness and
generosity in donating this collection for all
local residents to enjoy and appreciate.
CHECK OUT THE SIPPICAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY ON FACEBOOK!
Here you can keep up to date on the latest historical
society activities and events and see interesting photos
and background on Marion’s history from the SHS
archives.
It’s easy to find: just go to Facebook and type in
‘Sippican Historical Society’ or click here.
THE MEMORIAL GARDEN
By Ann Ziegler
The Memorial Garden, a quiet space tucked behind the Sippican
Historical Society, was created in 1997 and designed by Patty
Wylde. Lining the pathways are brass Memorial Plaques placed
in remembrance of friends, family, or a special loved one.
Over the years, the design has evolved, trees have matured, garden furniture replaced. The floral
pots have been rotated, with the preferred palette of white for the flowers creating a peaceful
feeling within the shaded courtyard. The Memorial Garden and plantings in front of the Post Office
(an SHS property) are maintained by myself, with assistance from Dallas Washington.
The historical society invites member and visitors to explore
the garden, to walk the pathways, to sit on a bench, and to
reflect and enjoy the peaceful space. Should you wish to
commission a brass plaque to the Memorial Garden, please
contact us for more information.
ORAL HISTORIES
We also maintain a collection of oral history recordings that are available to view online thanks to
ORCTV. Here is a listing of the interviews:
Katy Babbitt
Charlie Bradley
Edward C. (Ted) Brainard
Jack Braitmayer
Cynthia Babbitt Bryden
Anne Converse
Peter Dean
Betsy Dunn
Jennifer Briggs Francis
Peggs Francis
Gordon Goodwin
Lee Gunschel
Jonathan Henry
Fred and Nonnie Hood
Jonathan Howland & Mary Howland Smoyer
Joanne Mahoney
Christopher Makepeace & Joanna Makepeace Bennett
Bill Mac Dougall
Peter Mc Donald
Nancy Putnam
Julie Race
Peggy Repass
Bill Saltonstall
Andrew Santos
Carol Sanz
Connie Shepherd
Sippican Corporation with Larry Hall & Bill Walsh
Pete Smith
Sue Tifft
Suzy Titus
Anne Webb
MANY THANKS TO OUR GENEROUS SUPPORTERS
Thanks to your generous support, we are able to pursue our mission of celebrating and preserving
the historic village of Marion, its artifacts, and archives. The following list reflects contributions for
our 2017 campaign. We hope that this list is accurate. Please let us know of any changes or correc-
tions at [email protected].
Curator
Charles & Christina Bascom
David & Victoria Croll
William & Deborah Elfers
Island Foundation
Marion VFW
Robert & Judith Rosbe
Ladd & Sigrid Thorne
William & Heather Vrattos
Weinberg Foundation
Hans & Ann Ziegler
Sponsor
Robert & Joanna Bennett
Jack & Nancy Braitmayer
Rid Bullerjahn
Riaz & Cecily Cassum
William W. Claflin, Jr.
Robert & Phyllis Eklund
Mark & Lynne Farrell
Peter & Jennifer Francis
Jack & Doris Ludes
Sally Madison
Jim & Caroline Rubenstein
Galen & Anne Stone
Margot Stone
David Sullivan
Walter & Lenkie Trumbull
Collector
Michael & Margie Baldwin
Charles & Nancy Boit
John & Tess Cederholm
Mimi Coolidge
Douglas & Cindy Crocker
Peg Crowley-Nowick
Robert & Susan Darnton
George & Susan Domolky
Jim & Kathy Feeney
Reg & Barbie Foster
Stephen & Cindy Gormley
Ann Harris
Bill & Lissa Holmes
George & Laurie Host
John & Nancy Kendall
Peter & Fair Alice McCormick
Sandria Parsons
Peggy Repass
Wick & Sloan Simmons
Diana Worley
Restorer
Robert & Meg Ackerman
Dana Anderson
Talbot Baker, Jr.
David & Laurie Barrett
Belmiro & Juanita Barros Jr.
Ted & Liz Brainard
Earl & Mimi Briggs
Clint & Judy Brown
Burr Brothers Boats, Inc.
Gertrude Burr
Toby & Barbara Burr
Cynthia Casner
Louis & Danielle Coffin
Converse Company Realtors
John & Merry Conway
David & Nancy Corkery
Michael & Irene Davis
Peter & Patricia Dean
Emily DiMaggio
Jeff & Beth Doubrava
Susan Drake
Cynthia Dyer
Eastern Bank
Eden Florist & Garden Shop
Caroline Elkins
Russell & Laurie Fearing
Terry & Helena Freiberg
Vera Gibbons
Nelson Gifford
Gordon & Linda Goodwin
Cecily Grable
Dorothea Harris
Jeanne Hickey
Norman & Helen Hills
Edward & Pam Hoffer
Steve & Jane Howe
Marian B. Howell
Nan Johnson & Alan Minard
Janet Keeler
Hank & Andrea Keene
Trudy Kingery
Kinlin Grover Real Estate
Rosemary Kotkowski
Robert & Linda Lane
Jeff & Craig Lawrence
Bill & Kathy Lewis
Prof. & Mrs. Lewis Lipsitt
Dick & Anne Lucas
Christopher Makepeace
Michael & Debra Gayle Malone
Marion Brotherhood Police
Bambi Markel
Janet Markel
Anthony & Christina Mason
Joe & Holly McDonough
Gil & Barbara McManus
Frank & Diane McNamee
Colin & Anne McNay
Lincoln & Patricia Miller
John & Nancy Mills
Nancy Dyer Mitton
Nancy Moore
Dick & Faith Morningstar
Peter & Robin Muise
Doug Munro & Nancy Moore
Ted & Linda North
Henry & Pam Norweb
Dave & Connie Pierce
Pilgrim Bank
William & Judy Redway
Charles & Meghan Rider
Ted & Kim Redfield Romanow
Norm & Maryellen Shachoy
Alan & Linda Solomon
Matt & Steph Sperry
Stickles Insurance Agency
Gregg & Lisa Stone
Timothy & Tina Stone
Edwin & Joan Tiffany
Philip Tifft
George & Dagmar Unhoch
Peter & Asha Wallace
John & Mallory Waterman
Jean Webb
Lane Young
Richard & Doris Young
Family
Veronique & Chris Bale
Robert & Virginia Becher
Melanie Bikis
Bill & Mary Jean Blasdale
Paul & Caroline Bolick
Herb & Jorie Borden
Charles & Priscilla Bradley
Warren Briggs
Charles & Carol Brown
Edward Byrnes
Kevin & Karen Cadell
Sheila Powers Converse
Henry Cosman
Rick & Catherine Crocker
John & Jennifer Delli Priscoli
Joan DeRugeris
Jerry & Beth Devlin
Elizabeth Dunn
Hugh & Kathy Dyer
Timothy Dyer
Don & Barbara Easterday
John & Pamela Evans
Jeff & Cheryl Faria
Sam & Gerry Gray
Larry & Alane Hall
Ron & Diana Heagney
Ron & Mimi Henderson
Sam & Genya Hopkins
Don & Rosemary Hudson
Christian & Harriet Ingerslev
Gregory & Nancy Johnson
Brian & Beth Keane
Bill & Priscilla Kennedy
Steve & Suzanne Kokkins
Bob & Nancy Kostyla
Paul & Brooke Lipsitt
Jane MacDonald
Mark & Lisa MacKenzie
Judith Mazurkiawicz
Kirt & Susan Mead
Hanna Milhench
Bill & Chip Notman
Robert & Phyllis Partridge
Jay & Mindy Pasco-Anderson
Robert C. Pina
Goeffrey & Leslie Piper
James & Karen Prieur
Carl & Leslye Ribeiro
Thomas & Pamela Riffin
Nancy Ross
Jay & Meredith Ryder
Bob & Barbara Sanderson
John & Marguerite Sarson
Edward Sefranka & George Tinkham
Barry & Susan Smith
Mary Howland Smoyer
Richard & Aracelis Spaulding
Barry & Meg Steinberg
Alan & Jocelyn Stickles
Jennifer Stone
Eivind & Sylvia Strand
Tom & Allyn Streeter
Shirlee Thomas
Doug & Joanne Watson
Davis & Jennfer Webb
Jack & Priscilla Wheatley
Elwin & Nathaline Williamson
Robert & Joan Wilson
Senior/Student
Kathleen Ackerman
Karilon Babbitt-Grainger
Larry & Wendy Bidstrup
Catherine Browne
Marcia Browne & Jeffrey Clark
Betsey Converse
Evelyn Crocker
Richard & Virginia Cutler
Earl Dalrymple
Elizabeth Dartt
Paula DeMarco
Ben & Wendy Rolfe Dunham
Bill & June Farnham
Geoffrey & Karilon Grainger
Joan Hartnett-Barry
Dorothy Heath
John & Joan Jepson
Robert Jones
Audrey Knapp
Joyce Kohout
Joyce LeBlanc
Patricia Lemire
Betty Linzee
Michael & Linette Lizotte
Joanne Mahoney
Denny & Tippy Makepeace
Peter & Linda McManmon
Mary McNamee
Bryan McSweeney
Joseph Napoli
Thomas O'Shaughnessy
Gerald Rosen
Sheila Rubdi
Bill & Tinker Saltonstall
Will & Kerry Saltonstall
Fred & Ann Severance
Pete Smith
Catherine Stone
Suzanne Tifft
Jane Tougas
Peter & Donna Lee Tufts
William & Beverly Wareham
Ann Washburn
Bunny Weicker
Robert & Joan Wilson
In Kind Donations
Peter Duquette
Lee Gunschel
Bob Sanderson
Truman Terrell
Bill Tilden
If you are an online shopper, you can
now support the Sippican Historical
Society through your purchases on
Amazon.com, by using Amazon
Smile: Amazon Smile for SHS.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS & STAFF
President
Frank McNamee
Vice President
David Pierce
Treasurer
Judith Rosbe
Clerk
Helen Hills
Curator
Pete Smith
Directors
Robert Darnton
Jon Delli Priscoli
Steve Gonsalves
Charles Larkin
Douglas Munro
Deborah Stinson
Ann Ziegler
Executive Director
Jeffrey Miller
139 Front Street, P.O. Box 541, Marion, MA 02738
