Name the Appleton Alums

New Ipswich Historical Society

Name the Alumnus

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 original cassettes are in the possession of Marion's niece, Walter's daughter, Constance Hall, of Fitchburg, MA.

The Friends of Wapack have made these available to the Historical Society. Marion was born on February 8, 1894 in Fitchburg, MA. In this section she describes her chores on the farm. I assume this was the Robbins farm.

The Farm

The farm is where I had spent my 2 weeks vacation at the time I had been working for Dr. Greenwood and so that's why I wanted to go up there, and I did. And I stayed there pretty much the rest of my days When I went there to live they had the rest of the house all built on--a nice big dining room and living room which opened into each other; a big bathroom downstairs and a front hall There were 3 more bedrooms in the new part of the house and a beautiful stairway, Such an easy stairway to go up. Mable was papering and trying to finish up the rooms and I helped her some with that. Frank, was changing over the style of the barn and was building a :cow lean to"/ The big 4 x 6 timbers had to be planed. I got out there one day and started out helping out a little bit on that, and he was surprised that I could do anything of that sort. I had cows to milk, carrying milk up to the depot-- 5 miles to West Rindge depot from the farm. I just enjoyed driving the horse carrying that milk up. I also learned to milk--there was kind of a bet put up that I couldn't milk the cow dry the first time. Course it was a cow they wanted to dry up because she wasn't giving much anyway, but of course I won.

James Roger diary entry

29th November1912 (Friday)

Frosty and fair wind southwest. David putting on storm windows and doors in forenoon and Dan and him took the arms of the Spofford windmill in afternoon. I swept hall in forenoon and put the cabbage in among the leaves in afternoon. Got letter from Sandy who is better and David had one from Gordon about painting his house. Got paper from Roslin with notice of George Bryce’s death aged 86.

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