RE: Camps To follow up on Betty's comments, many folks in New England bought "camps." ie a summer cottage (unwinterized, weatherized) near the lakes or mountains or ocean, and in those days the $$ were small. My GF bought two plots of land on the coast of Maine for ~ $600, and built a "camp" one room at a time. They first built a room, which was intended to be the garage, but ended up being their bedroom, then expanded to a (wonderful!) pantry and kitchen, then two bedrooms out front, and finally a livingroom w/fireplace. My father and his brothers all helped bring stones up from the ocean to build the fireplace, which was the last ever built by this man (I'd have to find his name). As an aside, I looked for homes for > 1 year in the DC area, and walked into this place, and just gasped, because it had a 2-story stone fireplace, and reminded me so much of "Maine." Signed a contract w/in an hour. I only wish grandma and grandpa ARNOLD -- Willard Clark ARNOLD and Julia DAVIES of Reading, Mdsx, MA, could have seen it. But, every day I think of them. I am so very blessed. I was brought up in Gorham, ME and most folks there had "camps" on the local lakes, or a few on the coastal islands/areas. And, yes, they cost very little in that time period. There were also folks "from away" (ie MA, NY). They (the houses) were idle during the winter months. Do try the local land/tax records to get more info on your folks. Some info will be at the town level; some at the county. Best wishes, Marilyn ----- Original Message ----- From: "Betty" <bbffrrpp@comcast.net> To: <mamiddle@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, October 05, 2009 7:27 AM Subject: Re: [MAMiddle] odd question . . . > Hi Kathy, > > It is not an odd question, but a question that is not asked on the Lists > very much. > > I can offer a few comments. As I lived in Billerica for a long time, I > know how many "summer camp" neighborhoods exist (and still exist) in that > town. And they started around 1950 when people living "in the cities" > wanted a place "in the country." I can only guess that "summer camp" > could be bought for very little money in Billerica (and Wilmington and > Tewksbury, etc.) And it wouldn't have been too much trouble to > winterize > it. And, even a person bought a very small house, he or she might not > have needed a whole lot of money to buy it. > > My husband had 2 sets of uncles and aunts who lived in the city, but they > soon bought a small house in Wilmington near the shore of Silver Lake. > Later they sold that and bought small houses in Hull. I doubt very much > they had much money, but perhaps the aunts' husbands had good-paying jobs. > > Also, one husband had been seriously injured while fighting in WW II, and > he probably received some money each month from the Army or Navy ! > Don't > forget that many couples were reuniting after the "War events." > > I have 3 sets of grandparents growing up; that was because one set > divorced > in 1935 and both remarried shortly after. Two sets always lived in > apartments in cities and had very little money. Both grandfathers were > truck drivers - for small delivery trucks. But, my grandfather, who I > didn't know very well, as he lived in other parts of the State, supposedly > went to college and became an Engineer, and had many important jobs in MA > as > an adult. He was living in the Springfield area with his 3rd wife > when > he died suddenly. Come to think of it, I have never thought to try to > find out if he left a "will." (1961) He might have had money to > leave in a will, and I, his oldest grandchild, would have had no way to > find out. (I was still in high school when I lost both grandfathers > within a year of each other.) > > For my parents, and my husband's parents, I can say that in the 1950's, > they were able to buy a large house for $5000 and $8000 (a duplex) near > Boston. (And, in the 1960's, my EX and I bought a relative new house > for $20,000.) MUCH different nowadays ! > > Also, in the 1950's, most adults had survived (or not survived) "The > Great Depression," and they had to "count pennies" and "waste not, want > not," etc. And they would have continued with those ways of doing > things > for a long time. And, the "cookie jar" in the cabinet could have > contained - a little savings ! > > Betty (near Lowell, MA) > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Kathy Montgomery" <kathym@uvic.ca> > To: <mamiddle@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Sunday, October 04, 2009 12:56 PM > Subject: [MAMiddle] odd question . . . > > >> Hi all - I have done a fair bit of genealogy, and learned interesting >> stories and such about all sorts of ancestors and relatives. I have >> learned >> tons about my mom's family, and much less about my dad's. (And wouldn't >> you >> know it, my dad was curious about it all; my mom - "not so much.") >> >> However, my mom's sense of family mystery is less genealogy, and more >> financial. She is 80, and the only question she ever asks me about >> family >> history is in one area I see very little about. My mom's maternal >> grandparents (my maternal great grandparents)appear to have modest income >> partnered with very comfortable lifestyle. She has tried to think how >> they >> did that. It is the only family history mystery that keeps her in the >> conversation. >> >> Her grandparents lived in a rented Cambridge apartment, owned a house in >> Billerica, and a summer cabin at Point Judith RI. They had nice clothes, >> china, sterling cutlery, etc. They ate well during the depression. I >> found >> a newspaper article that said she bought shore front land in Scituate. >> But >> in contrast, he worked behing the meat counter in a small grocery shop; >> he >> did not own it. She did not work. My mom's question - where'd the money >> come from? Neither of them came from families where they would have >> inherited much. >> >> Her grandmother did not want her mother to marry - ever. So she eloped >> to >> NH at age 17. She would never accept money or anything of particular >> value >> from her parents, even while trying to raise 6 kids through the >> depression. >> Thus my mom sort of worries that maybe they did something bad; but there >> is >> no known evidence of that. If anything, they were pretty strict from the >> sound of it; much a part of the Victorian era. (As a 6 or 8 year old >> budding family historian, I made the mistake of asking my grandmother how >> old she was, and where she was born. trust me, I never did that again . . >> . >> I digress) >> >> My mom is the oldest of her generation still living; there is no one else >> to >> ask. >> >> so, my question - what clues are there to finances? Ideas I have had: >> >> 1) man from the above couple died in 1959 (before I was old enough to do >> something so naughty as to ask how old he was!). But there doesn't seem >> to >> have been a will; or not that my mom ever heard. >> >> 2) I don't have any experience in using land records. maybe that would >> help - any suggestions on land ownership in Cambridge and Billerica say >> 1900 - 1960 as a timeframe? >> >> any suggestions? >> >> oh, and I can't resist adding - I do remember this great grand dad; he is >> among my earliest memories. I was quite young, maybe just 4. We were >> visiting him at the Cambridge apartment. They had a huge dining room >> table >> with one of those crocheted tablecloths. On it was a small bowl with the >> most incredible looking apples I had ever seen; and I knew my apples let >> me >> tell you; my favorites for sure. So I asked him if I could eat one. He >> said no, they were wax. I said that was okay, I liked all kinds. He >> said >> no, you can't eat it, it is wax. Well wax was fine with me if that was >> apples . . . I couldn't understand, I had never met an adult that would >> not >> let me eat an apple. We had to be rescued from the conversation by the >> intervening generations! what a way to be remembered - all the things he >> did in his life - and the only thing I remember about him is that he >> would >> not let me have an apple! >> >> >> >> > > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > MAMIDDLE-request@rootsweb.com with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject > and the body of the email with no additional text. > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > MAMIDDLE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.420 / Virus Database: 270.14.3/2415 - Release Date: 10/05/09 06:19:00
My aunt and Mother bought a cottage at the beach. probably mid-late 1930s. They only kept it a couple years because everyone wanted to visit and wanted them to feed them , jut like now LOL. I have pictures with their cars and all these guys that I have no idea who they are. No picture of the cottage tho. She had just told me about it. And they were only waitresses in Boston so it was somewhere around there. She never told me where. And they bought it on their salaries from waitressing. I wouldn't sweat whether the preacher relative had his hand in the till. Nothing you can do about it now so I wouldn't worry. Cindy On Mon, Oct 5, 2009 at 12:00 PM, New Englander / Marilyn Arnold < New.Englander@verizon.net> wrote: > RE: Camps > > To follow up on Betty's comments, many folks in New England bought "camps." > ie a summer cottage (unwinterized, weatherized) near the lakes or mountains > or ocean, and in those days the $$ were small. My GF bought two plots of > land on the coast of Maine for ~ $600, and built a "camp" one room at a > time. They first built a room, which was intended to be the garage, but > ended up being their bedroom, then expanded to a (wonderful!) pantry and > kitchen, then two bedrooms out front, and finally a livingroom w/fireplace. > My father and his brothers all helped bring stones up from the ocean to > build the fireplace, which was the last ever built by this man (I'd have to > find his name). > > As an aside, I looked for homes for > 1 year in the DC area, and walked > into > this place, and just gasped, because it had a 2-story stone fireplace, and > reminded me so much of "Maine." Signed a contract w/in an hour. I only > wish grandma and grandpa ARNOLD -- Willard Clark ARNOLD and Julia DAVIES of > Reading, Mdsx, MA, could have seen it. But, every day I think of them. I > am so very blessed. > > I was brought up in Gorham, ME and most folks there had "camps" on the > local > lakes, or a few on the coastal islands/areas. And, yes, they cost very > little in that time period. There were also folks "from away" (ie MA, > NY). > They (the houses) were idle during the winter months. > > Do try the local land/tax records to get more info on your folks. Some > info > will be at the town level; some at the county. > > Best wishes, > > Marilyn > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Betty" <bbffrrpp@comcast.net> > To: <mamiddle@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Monday, October 05, 2009 7:27 AM > Subject: Re: [MAMiddle] odd question . . . > > > > Hi Kathy, > > > > It is not an odd question, but a question that is not asked on the Lists > > very much. > > > > I can offer a few comments. As I lived in Billerica for a long time, > I > > know how many "summer camp" neighborhoods exist (and still exist) in > that > > town. And they started around 1950 when people living "in the cities" > > wanted a place "in the country." I can only guess that "summer camp" > > could be bought for very little money in Billerica (and Wilmington and > > Tewksbury, etc.) And it wouldn't have been too much trouble to > > winterize > > it. And, even a person bought a very small house, he or she might not > > have needed a whole lot of money to buy it. > > > > My husband had 2 sets of uncles and aunts who lived in the city, but > they > > soon bought a small house in Wilmington near the shore of Silver Lake. > > Later they sold that and bought small houses in Hull. I doubt very > much > > they had much money, but perhaps the aunts' husbands had good-paying > jobs. > > > > Also, one husband had been seriously injured while fighting in WW II, > and > > he probably received some money each month from the Army or Navy ! > > Don't > > forget that many couples were reuniting after the "War events." > > > > I have 3 sets of grandparents growing up; that was because one set > > divorced > > in 1935 and both remarried shortly after. Two sets always lived in > > apartments in cities and had very little money. Both grandfathers were > > truck drivers - for small delivery trucks. But, my grandfather, who I > > didn't know very well, as he lived in other parts of the State, > supposedly > > went to college and became an Engineer, and had many important jobs in MA > > as > > an adult. He was living in the Springfield area with his 3rd wife > > when > > he died suddenly. Come to think of it, I have never thought to try to > > find out if he left a "will." (1961) He might have had money to > > leave in a will, and I, his oldest grandchild, would have had no way > to > > find out. (I was still in high school when I lost both grandfathers > > within a year of each other.) > > > > For my parents, and my husband's parents, I can say that in the 1950's, > > they were able to buy a large house for $5000 and $8000 (a duplex) near > > Boston. (And, in the 1960's, my EX and I bought a relative new > house > > for $20,000.) MUCH different nowadays ! > > > > Also, in the 1950's, most adults had survived (or not survived) "The > > Great Depression," and they had to "count pennies" and "waste not, > want > > not," etc. And they would have continued with those ways of doing > > things > > for a long time. And, the "cookie jar" in the cabinet could have > > contained - a little savings ! > > > > Betty (near Lowell, MA) > > > > > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Kathy Montgomery" <kathym@uvic.ca> > > To: <mamiddle@rootsweb.com> > > Sent: Sunday, October 04, 2009 12:56 PM > > Subject: [MAMiddle] odd question . . . > > > > > >> Hi all - I have done a fair bit of genealogy, and learned interesting > >> stories and such about all sorts of ancestors and relatives. I have > >> learned > >> tons about my mom's family, and much less about my dad's. (And wouldn't > >> you > >> know it, my dad was curious about it all; my mom - "not so much.") > >> > >> However, my mom's sense of family mystery is less genealogy, and more > >> financial. She is 80, and the only question she ever asks me about > >> family > >> history is in one area I see very little about. My mom's maternal > >> grandparents (my maternal great grandparents)appear to have modest > income > >> partnered with very comfortable lifestyle. She has tried to think how > >> they > >> did that. It is the only family history mystery that keeps her in the > >> conversation. > >> > >> Her grandparents lived in a rented Cambridge apartment, owned a house in > >> Billerica, and a summer cabin at Point Judith RI. They had nice > clothes, > >> china, sterling cutlery, etc. They ate well during the depression. I > >> found > >> a newspaper article that said she bought shore front land in Scituate. > >> But > >> in contrast, he worked behing the meat counter in a small grocery shop; > >> he > >> did not own it. She did not work. My mom's question - where'd the > money > >> come from? Neither of them came from families where they would have > >> inherited much. > >> > >> Her grandmother did not want her mother to marry - ever. So she eloped > >> to > >> NH at age 17. She would never accept money or anything of particular > >> value > >> from her parents, even while trying to raise 6 kids through the > >> depression. > >> Thus my mom sort of worries that maybe they did something bad; but there > >> is > >> no known evidence of that. If anything, they were pretty strict from > the > >> sound of it; much a part of the Victorian era. (As a 6 or 8 year old > >> budding family historian, I made the mistake of asking my grandmother > how > >> old she was, and where she was born. trust me, I never did that again . > . > >> . > >> I digress) > >> > >> My mom is the oldest of her generation still living; there is no one > else > >> to > >> ask. > >> > >> so, my question - what clues are there to finances? Ideas I have had: > >> > >> 1) man from the above couple died in 1959 (before I was old enough to > do > >> something so naughty as to ask how old he was!). But there doesn't seem > >> to > >> have been a will; or not that my mom ever heard. > >> > >> 2) I don't have any experience in using land records. maybe that would > >> help - any suggestions on land ownership in Cambridge and Billerica say > >> 1900 - 1960 as a timeframe? > >> > >> any suggestions? > >> > >> oh, and I can't resist adding - I do remember this great grand dad; he > is > >> among my earliest memories. I was quite young, maybe just 4. We were > >> visiting him at the Cambridge apartment. They had a huge dining room > >> table > >> with one of those crocheted tablecloths. On it was a small bowl with > the > >> most incredible looking apples I had ever seen; and I knew my apples let > >> me > >> tell you; my favorites for sure. So I asked him if I could eat one. He > >> said no, they were wax. I said that was okay, I liked all kinds. He > >> said > >> no, you can't eat it, it is wax. Well wax was fine with me if that was > >> apples . . . I couldn't understand, I had never met an adult that would > >> not > >> let me eat an apple. We had to be rescued from the conversation by the > >> intervening generations! what a way to be remembered - all the things > he > >> did in his life - and the only thing I remember about him is that he > >> would > >> not let me have an apple! > >> > >> > >> > >> > > > > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > > MAMIDDLE-request@rootsweb.com with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject > > and the body of the email with no additional text. > > ------------------------------- > > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > > MAMIDDLE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 8.5.420 / Virus Database: 270.14.3/2415 - Release Date: 10/05/09 > 06:19:00 > > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > MAMIDDLE-request@rootsweb.com with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject > and the body of the email with no additional text. > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > MAMIDDLE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > -- Cindyp Lose inches with It Works! body wraps http://LoseWeightin72.com http://grammiesbears.com http://teambeachbody.com/cindylu http://OurGV.com/cynthiaphillips
The tiny town I grew up in has two nice clean lakes and in the 1950's we made many new friends who had little cottages at the lakes-people from Boston, Everett, Jamaica Plain, Somerville, Waltham and those areas and we had two families from New York city. Two of these families eventually made year round homes on the land by the lake and moved there as permanent residents. The cabins (as we called them) were small, dark and smelled very musty-but they were so close to the lake and beach--the city kids loved country life!!! Great memories! Helen