Neighbors

Neighbors change over the years, the decades. Since I grew up in the same house as my mother, I had a neighborhood source of history better than most. Also, remember that my parents were born in the century before last, (the 1800's). The area had been settled since Colonial times. In fact once digging in my sister's garden I found a continental penny. As I probably have mentioned, our farm at one time had previously had at least 3 houses on it plus a blacksmith shop. Anyway, the neighbors existant when my mother was growing up were, going west on Dart Hill Road, were Bert Dart and his wife, then further on, up the hill on the right was Fred Dart's place, where, as I mentioned, my dad had worked for a while.

Now going east on Dart Hill Road towards Ogden's Corner, on the left were the Simpkins, next to the Hocanum River. Now on Skinner road, a long ways up, on the right, were the Skinners. Most all these people reproduced, so that when I was growing up, Bert Dart was still there. He was a very old man and all his friends had died off. He wanted to be my friend. He had had a tough time in the famous Blizard of 1888, when it took 3 days to dig a tunnel through the drifts to reach the cows in the barn. Too late for the milk cows, they had to be destroyed.

Pardon my digression. Anyway, Bert Dart's daughter Eula married Henry Gunther. They lived upstairs and Bert lived downstairs. We took refuge upstairs there during the 1938 Hurricane because there was rumor that the Scnipsic Lake dam had let go, and we all would be innundated (it was false). But while we were up there, looking out the window at one of Gunther's sheds being blown down, Mother asked Mr. Dart, "Well, Mr. Dart, tell us of the worst storm you have seen in your long life." Bert Dart replied "This is it, right here!"

I knew of a young man by the name of George Dart with a Ford coupe. Everyone thought well of him. Maybe he was Fred Dart's son, I don't know.

The elder Skinner couple produced Raymond, Luther, Lewis, Ethel, and Ruth. Raymond Skinner married Olive, and they took over the original Skinner place. Lewis married Arlene Simpkins, and they made a farm on the west side of Skinner Road, south of the original Skinner farm. Luther Skinner married Edith Webster (a builder's daughter with money), and they built a modern house, and made a farm still further south of Lewis and Arlene's place. In fact, one summer I worked on tobacco for Luther Skinner.

Ethel Skinner married Ed Worcester, and they farmed the place at the southeast corner of Thrall Road and Dart Hill Road. Ruth Skinner never married. She had a little green coupe 2-door and we would see her once in a while driving up Skinner Road. She developed cancer of the kidney, I think, and one was removed. She seemed to make a good recovery, but eventually died. Mr Simpkins sold his place to Snellas', who I think were Polish, and maybe didn't speak much English, so we never got to know them. They later sold to Joe Kaladey, also Polish, though he did speak English.

At the far end of Dart Hill Road going west, there is an overlook called Howe's Hill, where you can look over and see Hartford. Philip Howe grew up there, and he was High School Principal when I was in High School. He had a clubbed foot, but he was a tough principal, but fair, I believe. Going left (south) at the Howe's Hill intesection, was where old Asa Brown had his cabin. Going along that road further, on the left, was a large area of wild blueberries, owned by nobody ever knew who, and we used to go there and pick oceans of blueberries when they were in season.

Just past Gunther's on the right, is a dead end road where old Dan Janes used to live. He was an old man when my mother was a little girl, and he used to come down the hill and tell stories from the old times. But when I was growing up, Newmarkers had that farm. Mrs. Newmarker was also a member of the women's "Neighborhood Club".

Gunthers had two daughters, Ruth and Alice. Ruth was in poor health and never married. Alice was quite pretty and married Frank Niederwerfer. The Gunther girls were the same age as my sister Barbara, and were all good friends together. Luther and Edith Skinner had two boys, Donald and Nelson. Donald was about my sister Barbara's age, and Nelson was a few years older than me. Lewis and Arlene Skinner had no children. Raymond and Edith Skinner had John, Raymond Jr., Faith, Robert, and Brewster. John had a 2-door coupe, and was a rather fast driver. Raymond Jr. was a bit on the simple side, and did odd jobs around the neighborhood. I think Faith became a Registered Nurse, and was the same age as my sister Barbara. At one time my sister Barbara was in the same 4-H clulb as Faith, Hope, and Charity. (Faith Skinner, Hope Lyman and Charity Egerton). Robert Skinner "Shiner" was a couple of years older than I was, and Brewster was the same age.

In the 1930's, though we didn't have running water, electricity, a radio or a paved highway, we did have a telephone. A party line, and our number was 6 3 ring 4. And there was a telephone operator on the other end who would manually do the rings. You could tell what kind of mood she was in by how she did the rings. The 6 3 line had rings of 2, 3, 4, and 1 2. To get 6 3 ring 1 2, you had to ask the operator for "six three ring one two", hang up for a moment so that she could ring it, and then pick up again. Arlene Skinner was 6 3 ring 3, and she was "always" on the phone. People did a lot of visiting on the phone then.

Got to go.