Christmas Day 1912

New Ipswich Historical Society

James Roger diary entry for Christmas

25th December 1912

Beautiful, clear Christmas day; wind west; snow on the ground; looks so seasonable. David busy cleaning up Church and helping Cushings in the forenoon to milk cows, etc. as Fred is sick. Their hired man Tom came in the afternoon. Dave went to Express Office in forenoon for two packages—one from Oakdale containing a jacket for mother, two boxes of cigars, and photos of Jean and Mary, and one from Ayer with bed cover for mother, some Lipton tea, lunch cheese, cake, and grapes. Cigars and a picture from Tyke to Dave. We got cards from Bayshore, Millerton, and the Peacocks and Mrs. Obear; one also from John Preston last night. The Christmas tree party in Church broke up after 10 p.m. Mother got a box of candies from Mrs. Lowe today, and David and I got a box of cigars from Mr. Lowe. David got candies from Mrs. Parker last night. Got letter from Hamish today.

Marion Davis Audio-Tape Transcriptions

Sometime before her death in 1986, Marion Davis recorded her memories at the encouragement of her brother, Walter Buck. The recordings were transcribed by a secretary.

The Friends of Wapack have made these available to the Historical Society. Marion was born on February 8, 1894 in Fitchburg, MA.

Roundup Time at Timbertop

We had to get cattle by truck and of course there were never so many. I can remember how sometimes they'd get out of the pasture.You never could drive them back by road. They were afraid of the road; I suppose on account of being trucked over it. So we'd have quite some time thru brush and so forth. I know there was one time when 8 head got over to Timbertop--that was over to the old Cheshire place, known as Timbertop now--and Mr. Wilder, who owned the place at that time was quite provoked. He was afraid they'd get in with his cattle Of course they had been thru the test and were alright but he worried about it so we had to call up the man that we had got the cattle to come up to help round them up. He came up with other men, and I can remember my having to drive the car over to Timbertop with them. We had quite a job getting those cattle out of his yard and starting them back toward the farm. I kept up with them pretty well and when we got them to the farm those cattle went right on by the farm. The man that owned them was pretty well beat out so he stayed at the farm and Frank and the other 3 men kept after those cattle. I followed up Shaw Hill and down into Squantum and we took the old back road from across the pond. They followed them thru the brush, and they crossed what is called Black Brook. Boy, what a muddy old place. They got out onto the old turnpike out toward the Sawyer pasture. I Figured that's where they were and when I got out on the turnpike there they were. They said they had had about all they could take. Frank was the only one that stayed with those cattle; the other 3 piled into the car. We got up to Wilder Village; then the cattle eventually ended wound up back in the pasture.

Photo Archives

Frances Nash and Caroline Lowe

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