158th Children's Fair (Retrospective)

New Ipswich Historical Society

A Look Back at the 158th Children’s Fair

August 17, 2019

158th Children's Fair

NOTE that the 162nd Children’s Fair will take place on Aug 19, 2023 at 10 AM on Church Grounds at 150 Main Street, New Ipswich, NH

Newspaper Clipping

Aug 29,1936 - FATHER AND SON DROWNED AT NEW IPSWICH LAST FRIDAY

Jean Dennett, 41 years old, 260 Waverly Street, Watertown, Mass., was drowned last Friday in Waterloom Pond, New Ipswich, when he plunged into the water in a futile attempt to rescue his 13-year-old son, David, who had been seized with cramps while bathing.

Mrs. Dennett, who was a witness of the double tragedy, followed her husband into the water and screamed for aid.  The father disappeared from sight almost as soon as he entered the water. He was not able to swim and the pond at this point of entry goes off steeply into about water. 50 feet of water.

The screams of Mrs. Dennett were heard by neighbors and in a few minutes William, Henry, Robert and Edward Howard, four brothers who are expert swimmers, were diving for the father and son.

After about 15 minutes Robert Howard brought the body of the son, David, to the surface but the father's body was not recovered for an hour. In the meantime other neighbors had telephoned to Fitchburg for aid.

Arthur R. Dyer and A. J. Hunt of the Fitchburg Gas & Electric Company answered the call for an inhalator and made a record run to New Ipswich, 14 miles away in about 30 minutes. The Fitchburg men worked nearly four hours over the bodies but their efforts were of no avail.

The Dennett family had been motoring in the afternoon and when passing the pond about 3 o'clock David asked to go bathing.  He was able to swim and his father offered no objections. It is believed that the boy was taken with cramps as soon as he plunged into the water. 

The bodies were taken to Greenville and then were taken to Watertown Saturday morning.

James Roger diary entries

17th August 1912

Cool and cloudy; wind west. David painting at No. 1 Schoolhouse. Alice and I put in settees in Hall. I swept Church in forenoon and finished after picking five broilers after dinner. Got letter from Hamish.