Preston Street cemetery

I visited the old cemetery on Preston Street on a lovely fall afternoon last month (October 13, 2023).  In the photo above you can see the cemetery entrance and beyond it, to the east, some of the condominium buildings that now stand where our old family "Pine Knoll" homestead stood for over 100 years (1861-1975).

I was a bit surprised that the old misshapen tree near the hilltop was still standing, looking much as it had in 2017, my previous visit.

The rhododendron bush by that tree has grown larger, now covering some family gravestones. I parted the leaves and leaned in to take the photo below: 

This gravestone is for Clara Louise Ballou (1869-1916), the first wife of Joshua Ward Nichols (1868-1928), whose gravestone is beside hers, only partly covered by rhododendron foliage: 

To the left of his stone is the gravestone for his second wife, Maud Kimball (1868-1945).

Joshua Ward Nichols was a brother of my grandfather (William Stanley Nichols).  A larger monument nearby lists them both, and all their siblings, and their parents and grandparents, with notes indicating other cemetery locations where some were buried.

[Click on photo to enlarge]

The 8 children listed above were all born (1862 to 1878) in the Nichols family home at Pine Knoll. That home had been built in 1861 by Andrew for his Salem bride "Lizzie". 

On the back of that large monument are the names of another generation, the children of the Andrew born in 1862:

[Click on photo to enlarge]

Ferncroft Pond

 

I re-visited Ferncroft Pond in Danvers this month. It looks very much the way I remember it from years ago.

So many memories!  My family liked to come here to skate in winter. This pond was larger than the little pond by our house, and easier skating than the Meadows (where my parents sometimes played ice hockey with their friends). 

I'm glad to see that the old Ice House foundation is still in place. We used to sit there as we put on our ice skates.

I'm delighted that this pond and the surrounding land is now protected as a conservation area, with trails. Here's a photo of the large Trail Map posted near the entrance.  

On a previous trip I had enjoyed walking those trails. This time my visit was brief, but a welcome respite after long days in a windowless Exhibit Hall at the MA Councils on Aging  Fall Conference (October 11-13, 2023) held at the big hotel at 50 Ferncroft Road, Danvers.

Historic note: I learned to skate BACKWARDS at this pond. When I wrote about that memory in 2007, my written piece unexpectedly launched two new projects: writing a monthly column for the Danvers Herald and learning to create this blog in support of that column. See my original piece:

  Skating Backwards

https://rememberingdanvers.blogspot.com/2007/03/skating-backwards.html

Brewster cousins!

 

Photo by Dave Brewster

I enjoyed a special luncheon gathering in May 2027 with my second cousin Stuart Brewster (left in photo above) and many of his Brewster relatives, including his niece Louise and his daughter Andrea (at right). 

Stuart had come east from his home in California and spent a week in Danvers, revisiting old places and reconnecting with family. Much of his childhood had been spent in Danvers, living at "Pine Knoll," the Nichols family home built in 1861 by our great-grandfather Andrew Nichols (1837-1921). 

From childhood I have many memories of Stuart and his older brothers, David and Dudley. They shared many interests and activities (e.g., skiing, sailing, square dancing) with my father, who – being a bit older – often referred to them as "the Brewster boys." 

Ah, how the years have passed!  At the May gathering I mingled with two younger generations of Brewsters, all descended from those three brothers. Some of the youngest had no idea who I was, since I'm not at Brewster descendant, but a cousin on another branch of the Nichols family tree.

My grandfather was the youngest son of that original Pine Knoll family, whereas Stuart's grandfather was the oldest son, a naturalist named Andrew. Annie Nichols, daughter of that Andrew, married a Brewster, and had three sons: David, Dudley and Stuart. I remember Annie very well. I had piano lessons with her for many years on an old upright piano at Pine Knoll.

I'm so glad that Stuart invited me to this family reunion. Here are a few of my photos taken May 27, 2023:  

I enjoyed the story-telling, especially when Stuart stood up to speak about the 1939 World's Fair. His great uncle John drove him there from Danvers to NYC. Two of the great aunts, May and Margaret, also came on that trip. I asked if they had used Aunt May's 1932 Ford (which she later gave to my parents, so I grew up with it in the 1940's and 50's -- even learning to drive on it in the 1960's). No, Uncle John drove his own car.  As Stuart spoke, many of the dozen or so younger relatives in the room lifted cell phones to record his stories. Memorable!  

Montpelier floods

 

July 12, 2023

News of the current flooding in Montpelier triggers memories – memories of my father... and memories of a recent Montpelier visit. 

My father, Nathan "Nick" Nichols, had told us many stories of his youthful years in Montpelier, including a huge flood that ruined his mother's garden and swept away barns. 

This spring on a roadtrip in VT, I had stopped briefly in Montpelier to buy gas, and happened to notice a "High Water Mark" sign on the wall of the gas station.  As I stood beneath it, I tried to reach up, but could not touch it, even on my tiptoes.  I would have been completely UNDER WATER if there in 1927.

That fact startled me, and made me reflect on Daddy's stories. No wonder barns were moved and gardens ruined. The most amazing story I recall was of a barn that seemed to have survived in place, yet a fancy car stored inside that barn had disappeared! Daddy said that a strong cable from the house to the barn had held the barn, allowing it to float upwards while its contents were washed downstream. When the flood waters receded, that barn rested back on the ground, as if it had never moved. Close examination, however, revealed that it wasn't exactly on its original foundation. 

The date on High Water Mark sign enabled me to connect my father's stories to real history. Montpelier was his home base from age 6 in 1918 to 1934, the year he graduated from college. He was born in January 2012, so would have been 15 in 1927. 

His father, Rev. William S. Nichols, was then minister of the Unitarian Church of Montpelier, 130 Main Street. In April 2023 I took these photos of that same church, which is, according to a plaque on the wall, "listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Architect Thomas Silloway, 1865."

Note how close the river is to the rear of the church building (right) 

My thoughts go to that church, which must have been damaged in 1927 and again this week. Here's an update on the church's website, written by the current minister: 

7/15/2023 6:45am. A lot has been accomplished since Tuesday night! Thank you to ALL the volunteers who have mopped floors, hauled buckets of mud, moved ruined items, and dropped off food and water.

We have a couple of teams lined up to help today with removing damaged sheetrock and power washing the basement. ... 

With our cleanup moving along, I encourage you to help out in other places if you can. There’s a great opportunity to do so tomorrow (Sunday), July 16 starting at 9am across the street at Trinity Methodist Church and the Montpelier Food Pantry.  

See also the minister's earlier message reporting on the flooding:

             https://ucmvt.org/2023/07/12/historic-flooding-july-12-2023/ 

May 5

 

Ah, the beauty of lilacs in spring! Today, as I leaned into this lilac bush to inhale the fragrance of the flowers, memories of my grandmother's lilacs flashed in my mind. I recall a large hedge of lilacs in the yard beside my grandparents' home next door to our home. 

Tomorrow is the anniversary of my mother's birth (May 5, 1912). I have wonderful memories of her and the springtime flowers she loved: lilies of the valley, daffodils, and especially the flowering dogwood trees. 

This week my husband and I have been considering what type of tree to plant in our front yard to replace an old spruce that had died. I think a white dogwood would be a good choice. Here's a lovely one we noticed this week in our neighborhood.

I recall the white dogwoods my mother had planted on the south side of our little house in Danvers. I understand that she had transplanted them from her childhood home in Westport, Connecticut. She loved to take us to Westport in May to see the flowering dogwoods there. Some streets were lined with huge dogwoods arching over the roadway – an impressive canopy of flowers, pink ones alternating with white.

Andrew's Genealogy

My great-grandfather, Andrew Nichols, had a strong interest in genealogy. He was known to help other people with their searches for information about ancestors. When I saw his detailed genealogy of our Nichols family ancestors, I was not surprised. Taped inside the front of an old book, I found a well-worn printed copy, marked up by subsequent family members.  (See photos of it, below.)

That copy lacks a date. The pages were not torn or cut from a publication, but issued separately as a reprint, it seems. I spent some time searching among old issues of the Essex Institute Historical Collections (dusty ones in boxes in my storage room, and digitized ones online), hoping to find the original on which this reprint was based.

I thank Richard Trask, Town Archivist, Danvers Archival Center, for answering my questions. He wrote, 

The  "Genealogy of the Nichols Family," by Andrew Nichols was originally published in volume 3 of the Historical Collections of the Essex Institute (1861) on pages 29-32.  

Wow!  1861 is a significant date in Andrew's life.  Later that year he would be marrying his beloved "Lizzie" (Elizabeth Perkins Stanley) of Salem and bringing her to live in Danvers, in the cottage he had designed and was in the process of building.  

April 15, 1861, was the date of the foundation of the new house.  Also on that date, President Lincoln called up state militias (the start of the Civil War).   

Coincidently here I am on April 15, 2023, thinking about this history and sharing a bit of my great-grandfather's research.

[Click on each image to enlarge]

Now I will share images of the context in which I found this reprint.  I thank cousin Betty Nichols in Modesto, CA, for passing to me several meaningful family items that had belonged to her late husband Bill Nichols (William Stanley Nichols, II), including a copy of the Holyoke Diaries (1911). 

Note that Andrew had given this copy in 1911
 to his son William Stanley Nichols (my grandfather)

I've had that book for several years now, but it was only THIS WEEK as I was handling it to take these pictures that a folded piece of paper slipped from between some back pages.  Oh!  

An Addendum to Andrew's Genealogy of the Nichols Family.

(103) Andrew Nichols C.E. the scribe married the 5th Sept 1861 to Elizabeth Perkins Stanley the dau. of John Stanley born in Liverpool England and his wife Elizabeth Hunt of Salem Mass, ...

Note: This Addendum page is based on a manuscript that I’ve never seen. I’m guessing that my uncle Edward Holyoke Nichols typed this during the years when he was assisting his daughter, Janet Nichols Derouin, as they sorted old letters from the Pine Knoll home (where Andrew raised his family). Edward, retired and living in Florida, transcribed many, many handwritten letters, mailing packages of them to Janet. (I have those packages and the resulting files that Janet gave to me. There are lots of letters from the 1890’s, which Janet says will be very interesting to read... if I ever get that far. I spent several years reviewing her earlier files, as I edited a draft of her book and created a separate website  for The Pine Knoll Story. Her draft ends at 1880.)  

P.S. Here's a relevant quote from my cousin Janet's Pine Knoll Story. She had compiled charts to show the family lineages in that story. On page 16 of her charts, I see this:

"Andrew Nichols wrote the following on the subject of ancestors."

From my examination during the past 62 years I have not been able to find a single ancestor (of those not born here) who came to this country after 1700, which is a fact that very few can say that have traced as many as I have. In three cases cousins married reducing the number to be accounted for. My children cannot say it as my wife's father was born in Liverpool.

1852 Elements of History

 

Here are photographs of a history textbook published in 1852 and owned by my great-grandfather Andrew Nichols in Danvers.

Elements of History, Ancient and Modern was written by Joseph B. Worcester. This new edition includes statements that it was adopted in the Grammar Schools of many cities (Salem, Worcester, Cambridge, Boston...), and also "required in the examination of candidates for admission into the Freshman Class at Harvard College."

Online, you can now find digitized copies of many other editions (e.g., 1831, 1835, 1866), but I have not yet found this exact one. I've photographed selected pages of this book to share here. Perhaps someone will want to compare these samples to other editions?  

See my prior post re "Peabody High School"

[Click on any image to ENLARGE it, for legibility.]

Much of the book is devoted to the history of Greece (pages 15-52) and Rome (58-110). Then, after brief chapters on Crusades and Chivalry, the Modern History section starts on page 131. Of the European countries, France and England get the emphasis. The history of America starts on page 251.  

Many Tables and Charts are included; here are some examples, densely packed with information:

Note this "Sources of History" on page 8, reminding us of alternatives to written documents:

This old book of course reveals perspectives and prejudices of the era (19th century). It gives us an idea of what was taught in Danvers schools (and elsewhere) at that time. 

I did appreciate reading some frank comments by the author where he acknowledged great harms done by European colonizers.  Here's an exceptionally revealing section (from pages 257-8):

30. It was the practice of Europeans to take possession of the parts of America which they visited, by the pretended right of discovery. The original inhabitants were treated as if they had no rights, and were no more owners of the soil than the beasts of the forest. This example was set by Columbus himself. He landed upon St. Salvador, the first island discovered, in a gorgeous dress, with a drawn sword in his hand, and the royal standard displayed, and took possession of the island for the crown of Castile and Leon ; and in conformity to this practice, it was inscribed on his tomb, that to this crown he "had given a new world."

31. The pope, in accordance with principles that were acted upon in an age of ignorance and superstition, granted to the sovereign of Spain the countries discovered by their subjects in the new world. The propagation of Christianity was held out as the chief reason for taking possession of America; and the promotion of a religion which breathes "peace on earth and good-will towards men," was made the pretext for every species of injustice, cruelty, bloodshed, and slavery, which the defenseless inhabitants of America were destined to experience from Cortes, Pizarro, and other unprincipled invaders.

32. The Spaniards who first came to America were stimulated by the desire and expectation of finding the precious metals, gold and silver. So powerful was this passion for gold, that the first adventurers encountered every possible hardship and danger in search of it, and sacrificed millions of the wretched natives, whom they compelled to work in the mines. The unfortunate Indians were distributed, like cattle, into lots of so many hundred heads each, and sold to the colonists. The Indians, who were naturally of a weak constitution, were rapidly wasted away by the hard service to which they were subjected. So great was the mortality among them, that out of 60,000 Indians who were in the island of St. Domingo, in 1508, only 14,000 are said to have remained in 1516 ; and it was not many years before the race became nearly extinct in most of the islands.

33. This cruelty to the Indians was strongly condemned by Las Casas, and other benevolent persons, and the colonists soon began to look to Africa for a supply of laborers in their mines and on their plantations. It was found that one able-bodied negro could do as much work as four Indians.

34. The first importation of negroes from Africa to the West Indies was made, in 1503, by the Portuguese and a larger one was made by order of Ferdinand of Spain, in 1511 ; since that time, the inhuman traffic in African slaves has been carried on by most of the European nations ; nor has it yet been abandoned by Spain and Portugal, the two European countries which were the first to begin this barbarous traffic and which seem disposed to be last to relinquish it.

I do know that my great-grandfather, the student owner of this textbook, became an abolitionist. 

Peabody High School

My great-grandfather Andrew Nichols attended "Peabody High School, Danvers" -- according to his handwriting, dated April 1853, in the front pages of an history textbook printed in 1852.

I've had that old leather-bound book in my bookcase for decades, along with many other dusty old books inherited from my father and his Danvers ancestors. Not until last night did I begin to READ that book and think about the school in which it was used.

Peabody High School? In Danvers?  

I don't recall ever hearing of such a school in my hometown. I've known, of course, that a southern portion of Danvers had eventually separated and become Peabody. And I'm aware that my great-grandfather's earliest years, before his father died, were spent in south Danvers.

My curiosity about this is heightened right now. I plan to come to Danvers on April 21, and to attend Salem Ancestry Days April 22-23.    

I've just looked up the history of Peabody, to review when Peabody became separate. The website of the Peabody Historical Society and Museum has a very helpful "Timeline for the Evolution of Peabody." That includes formation of the Middle Precinct of Salem (1710); founding of the District of Danvers (1752) with the Middle Precinct becoming known as South Parish of Danvers; Town of Danvers incorporation (1757); official separation from Danvers, to become Town of South Danvers (1855), with later name change to Peabody (1868) and incorporation in 1916 as the City of Peabody.

Thus, young Andrew Nichols lived and attended high school in Danvers (the South Parish of Danvers). That school was already named "Peabody" – no doubt in honor of the famous George Peabody, born in South Danvers in 1795.

According to the Peabody Historical Society and Museum,

Peabody had to leave school at the age of 11 to work and help support his family. Because of his lack of schooling, Peabody’s desire to provide access to education became the foundation of his philanthropic philosophy. Following the war of 1812, Peabody started a wholesale dry goods company based in Baltimore, Maryland, then a major hub for trade and commerce. By the 1830s, he had transformed the company into a mercantile banking empire based in London. Peabody’s vast earnings enabled him to donate more than $7 million to museums and educational institutions in England and America.

Now the words "Peabody High School, Danvers" written in 1853 by young Andrew Nichols make sense to me.

See next post for photos of his history book, and information about its content.