Another Highbridge story. In 1956 a friend of mine was spending the summer in Montreal. He knew that I lived in a village called Highbridge. He addressed the letter: William Niemi, Highbridge, USA.
David Roger and W S Thayer worked on road maintenance in 1936 for 40 cents/hr and they were selectmen! They also served on many committees.
On the question about which side of the bridge we're looking at, I think the camera is downstream. Access to the stream was difficult on the other side but easy from behind Duval's store.
That Highbridge view is the view I had from my bedroom window as a boy. Our house was perched precariously on the steep slope next to Duval's store. I could throw a stone from my bedroom window into the Souhegan. Building a house there must have been a challenge.
The answer to the trivia question I posed yesterday is W D Ashley. I'm amazed at the amount of effort some of the old timers went through to make New Ipswich a successful town to be proud of. Ashley was the town clerk in addition to many other roles. When he was sexton he actually mowed the grass around the graves. As J of P married people in town and many from out of town. Once a yr I bought my fishing & hunting licenses from him. He was involved with the town from 1920-1970 (approximately). He went to Maine in the early 70s to be closer to family, died in Bangor but is buried in Central Cemetery.
There were others in the early 1900s like him. F W Jones MD was another example. He was not only a town physician and selectman, he served on many committees and is even listed in annual reports as participating in road building in addition to teaching. W. E. Preston is another person who served in many capacities. It seems all levels in New Ipswich,, the well-to-do as well as recent immigrants participated. I wasn't surprised to see my grandfather and his two sons listed for road work at 40 cents/hr, but seeing the Mansfield brothers, the Wheeler brothers, the Chandlers, the Thayers, etc , all participating in road work (1910 Annual Report) made me think that New Ipswich was a pretty good place to be from. The country seemed less divided then. You'd never know it listening to our news today.
Another Highbridge story. In 1956 a friend of mine was spending the summer in Montreal. He knew that I lived in a village called Highbridge. He addressed the letter: William Niemi, Highbridge, USA.
I got the letter!
David Roger and W S Thayer worked on road maintenance in 1936 for 40 cents/hr and they were selectmen! They also served on many committees.
On the question about which side of the bridge we're looking at, I think the camera is downstream. Access to the stream was difficult on the other side but easy from behind Duval's store.
That Highbridge view is the view I had from my bedroom window as a boy. Our house was perched precariously on the steep slope next to Duval's store. I could throw a stone from my bedroom window into the Souhegan. Building a house there must have been a challenge.
The answer to the trivia question I posed yesterday is W D Ashley. I'm amazed at the amount of effort some of the old timers went through to make New Ipswich a successful town to be proud of. Ashley was the town clerk in addition to many other roles. When he was sexton he actually mowed the grass around the graves. As J of P married people in town and many from out of town. Once a yr I bought my fishing & hunting licenses from him. He was involved with the town from 1920-1970 (approximately). He went to Maine in the early 70s to be closer to family, died in Bangor but is buried in Central Cemetery.
There were others in the early 1900s like him. F W Jones MD was another example. He was not only a town physician and selectman, he served on many committees and is even listed in annual reports as participating in road building in addition to teaching. W. E. Preston is another person who served in many capacities. It seems all levels in New Ipswich,, the well-to-do as well as recent immigrants participated. I wasn't surprised to see my grandfather and his two sons listed for road work at 40 cents/hr, but seeing the Mansfield brothers, the Wheeler brothers, the Chandlers, the Thayers, etc , all participating in road work (1910 Annual Report) made me think that New Ipswich was a pretty good place to be from. The country seemed less divided then. You'd never know it listening to our news today.