Winter at the Lodge
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.
The Weather Report
It was just about 8 years that I didn't stay at the Lodge through the wintertime but at the farm and during this time we used to have parties we'd go and open up the Lodge for because they would come through the woods over the trail. I remember the first time they came thru we even took mattresses and put then on the floor of the dining room because we thought it was warmer. We had to depend on the furnace and fireplace to heat up the house quick. I even had to thaw out snow for water sometimes because the well would be frozen over. That's when we didn't have the pump working too well.
During this time I was reporting in to the Appalachian Mountain Club the weather report, snow conditions and so forth. Every Thursday morning by 7 o'clock I would send this telegram to them: depth of snow, snow conditions, temperature; we did that for quite a number of years. Finally Mr. Beebe over on Temple Mt. at the ski trail over there took over this, but there was a spell there during the war when we weren't allowed to report in on account of too much information getting out to the enemy.
Photo Archives
This photo is from the dedication of the Marion Davis Trail in 1985. Man speaking is Jon Thunberg, President of the Friends of the Wapack. Left to right seated: Joanne Buck, Marion Davis, Connie Hall. These are Marion's nieces.
James Roger diary entry - Pullets 28
20th January 1913
White frost; fine day; wind southeast; cloudy. David cutting brush round pasture wall. I riddled ashes in cellar and took ashes to hen houses; also went to mail and got Christmas papers, etc. from Roslin; also letter from Hamish. Mr. Lord came home this forenoon. A meeting of the people interested in school affairs was held at the Academy this afternoon. Pullets 28.
I think I’ve been in the Lodge. My parents knew a family who rented it in the 60s for a while. It was rustic but charming and very atmospheric, even to an ignorant teenager. Probably not well insulated though.
Why would one take ashes to hen houses? Does the alkalinity of ashes help pullets somehow?