Sheep
New Ipswich Historical Society
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.
50 Head of Sheep
We bought about 50 head of sheep. I don't remember just where we got those, but we went into beef cattle and sheep then. We even named some of those cattle when we got then home. One we named Florence for my sister and Alice for my other sister. We kept that group of sheep for about 2 years, then we had a chance to sell them to somebody up in Marlborough. But the first year we had Minister Cutler from Jaffrey come over to sheer them. He sheered. by hand, and oh, was that a job. It was hard work. The year we sold those sheep it was in the spring; there was about 8" of snow on the ground, and we had to deliver them to Marlborough. We hitched old Dixie to the carry and we had to wallow in that snow--it was sloshy then because it was beginning to thaw--it must have been around the first of April. What a mess we were. It would get on our boots and slop up onto us. The sheep didn't enjoy it much either. We met these men just the Jaffrey side of Marlborough; they paid us for the sheep, and we started back home, but we stopped at Cullen Thrasher's on the way back and boy, did she have a feed on the table for us. We had seen him on the way over and he had told us to be sure and stop for supper.
Photo Archives
Love Always ‘Mabe’
James Roger diary entry & pullet count (8)
28th December 1912
Frosty, fair with northwest wind, threatening snow. David choring round getting out sleds and putting wheeled teams in sheds. I swept Hall and filled lamps for Finn Dance tonight. Got letters from Alice and Hamish, who was still with the Express Co. Pullets 8.
Would love to have known what the menu was at Thrasher’s when Marion and the sheep-moving party stopped by.
And Mabe the babe looks to have been in her prime during the flapper era. What a sport!
And there’s something comforting about seeing Roger’s faithful counting and pullet report.
Life was not easy in New Ipswich at that time. Transporting sheep from NI to Marlborough in the winter with horses for a small profit, is mind boggling. Naming sheep and selling them has got to be hard. My grandmother named her cows. Her favorite was 'Marion'. She cried when Marion was sold.