Wood Chopping Contest (Part 1)
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.
“She’ll do it”
One year when Frank and I were cutting wood down near the ice pond I was trimming out a tree we'd cut down and I heard somebody say in back of me "Good, that's just what we hoped we'd find you doing". I turned around and here stood 3 men. One of them was Robert Tuttle from Wilton; I don't remember the other 2. He said, "We want you to enter a chopping contest. We've got 2 other women who will come in if you will". I said, "I guess not. I'm not going to make a public fool of myself". He said, "Now stop and think what a job we have trying to get interesting things for the public in these winter Carnivals. We've got men woodchoppers, now we'd like to have some women woodchoppers". Frank spoke right up. said, "Oh, she'll do it, she'll do it".
Photo Archives
James Roger diary entry
23rd January 1913
Frost; wind southing; cloudy; growing colder. A shower of snow about noon; about an inch or so fell and then turned to rain. Mother swept Hall in the morning, and Leon Willard helped me in with the settees. I filled the lamps and Hall for installation tonight. Also lit the Coal stove in dining room of Church and in little room upstairs for the Sewing Circle and went to mail; got no letters. E. Wheeler and Ida with Mary Balch and Ethel Knowlton set the tables for the supper in the Grange. David expected home tonight by the Coach. Gave Corbett the account for coal for the Church, which David got from Bernier. Roads getting very slushy. David came about 9, highly pleased with what he saw. Grange closed after 1 a.m.
Why are we being tortured with the prospect of a women’s wood-chopping contest? Let’s get on with it and find out what happened! And while we’re at it, let’s have a photo of Marion in lumberjack mode.
I knew 2 Robert Tuttles. There were 3 generations of Robert Tuttles. The oldest,, aWWII vet, was husband to my mother's close friend, Vickie, whose son Robert was closer to my age. I'm pretty sure it was the elder Robert that Marion encountered.