Past Times - Little Compton Historical Society

Past Times
Published by The Little Compton Historical Society ~ Spring 2011
It’s Storytime!
Oral Histories Help Preserve the Story of Sakonnet Point
buildings. The Society’s 2007 Terra Nova Vida Nova
exhibition relied heavily on oral histories many of which
can still be seen in the Portuguese Room at the Wilbor
House. We are also discovering more
and more that many local families
have an unofficial historian who has
taken the time to record older relatives
in order to preserve a family history.
First Histories
For centuries before the written word, oral histories were
mankind’s only way to preserve its history. Elders shared
stories with their childr en and
grandchildren in the hope that the
younger generation would remember
accurately and take their turn in passing
on the story. Written languages and the
greater and greater availability of
documents changed the way that
history was shared forever. Letters,
pamphlets, diaries and books became
almost universally the preferred primary
sources. Today, aided by digital
r ecor der s and other technology,
historians are rediscovering the value of
the spoken word as a historical source.
Oral histories are enjoying a re-birth
and are helping to preserve personal
historical perspectives that might easily
Summer on Lloyd’s Beach:
have been lost.
Joan Buhrendorf shared an oral
history remembering her childhood
summers at her family’s (Winslow)
Little Compton is no stranger to oral Sakonnet Point vacation home. The
histories. In 1993 Lucy O’Connor Winslow house was a safe haven for
compiled a fascinating collection of neighbors during the 1954 hurricane.
Past Projects
oral histories in her book Jonnycakes and
Cream. Carlton Brownell’s memories have been recorded
for years by the Historical Society and have helped
document not only local history but also the
preservation of the Wilbor House and other historic
Save the Dates
This summer’s Sakonn et Po in t
Perspectives project will also have a very
strong or al history component.
Volunteers from the Historical Society,
T he Sak on ne t P r e se r v a ti o n
Association and The Friends of the
Sakonnet Lighthouse have worked
together to collect over 30 oral histories
from local men and women with
Sakonnet stories to tell. Several
excerpts from these histories appear on
pages 5 and 6.
The Process
Though oral history specialists bring
a high degree of skill and even
art to collecting oral histories,
newcomers should not be put off from
collecting their own. The process can be as simple as
a conversation.
Continued on page 4
In This Issue
Sakonnet Point Perspectives
Special Events
Fri., July 1
Sat., July 2
Wed., August 10
Sakonnet Point Perspectives
Exhibit Preview Party
Annual Family Day Celebration
Annual Meeting
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Traveling Exhibit
Stone Walls
On-Line Collection
Sakonnet Stories
E-Store
Amazon.com
Executive Director
Carlton Brow nell
President
Robert Wolter
Vice President
Shelley Bowen
Secretary
Diane MacGregor
Treasurer
Jack Angell
Directors
Claudia Cooley Bell
Fred Bridge
Randy Byers
Piper Hawes
Richard W. Lisle
Richard Menoche
J. William Middendorf, II
Dora Atwater Millikin
Carolyn J. Montgomery
Christopher Rawson
William Richmond
Paul Suttell
Managing Director
Marjory O’Toole
Administrator
Nancy Carignan
Newsletter Designer
Shelley Bowen
Little Compton
Historical Society
PO Box 577
Little Compton, RI 02837
(401) 635-4035
lchistory@littlecompton.org
www.littlecompton.org
Wilbor House Museum
548 West Main Road
Little Compton, RI 02837
(401) 635-4035
Wanted
as gifts or loans!
Exhibit Wish List
Sakonnet Point Images, Documents,
Objects, Written Memories
Antique or Vintage Items
To be sold in our Antique Sale to benefit
the Historical Society.
Antique Items with
Little Compton Histories
For possible inclusion in our permanent
collection. The Collections Committee
will review each item.
Volunteer to Conduct Genealogical
or Historical Research to Answer
Inquiries from the Public
Obituaries, Funeral and Memorial
Service Programs, Copies of Eulogies
Help us document the lives of our 20th
century residents by sharing information
about your loved ones with us.
Corporate Members
Local businesses p lay an important role in the
preservation and presentation of Little Compton’s
history. Additional Corporate Members are
always welcome. Please call 635-4035 or
complete the membership form on page 8.
E VEN T SP ON SORS
Gray’s Ice Cream
Katharine H. Leary, CPA
Lees Supermarket
Madden Electric Company
Manchester Tree & Land scaping, Inc.
Sakonnet Vineyards
SCHOOL PROGRAM SPONSORS
Goulart Petroleum, Inc.
Lapointe Insurance Services, Inc.
Phil’s Propane
Spinnaker Real Estators
CORPORATE MEMBERS
Able Engineering, Inc.
American Classic Real Est ate
Arkins Construction, Inc.
Cantin Photography
Earle’s S ervice Station
Franlart Nurseries, Inc.
Homestead Construction Co.
Interstate In surance and Finance Co.
Lamplighter, Inc.
Law Office of Richard S. Humphrey
Little Compton Real E state, LLC
Mataronas Lobster Co., Inc
Roger King Fine Arts
Sakonnet Lobster Co.
Sisson Lawn & Garden
Sparks Company. Inc.
Stone House
Walker’s Road side Stand
Waring-Sullivan Funeral Home
Wilbur’s General Store, Inc.
Wishing Stone Farm
New Traveling Exhibition
Visits the Brownell Library
SPRING HOURS
Wilbor House Tours
Educational Programs
Research
by appointment
Office Hours
Tuesday ~ Friday
9 AM ~ 3 PM
Page 2
Last season’s First Light: Sakonnet special exhibition has
transitioned into a traveling exhibit featuring 16 text panels
and 16 reproductions of the artwork displayed last summer.
The exhibit traces the history of Little Compton from the
time of the Sakonnet Indians, through King Philip’s War,
the American Revolution and the Great Gale of 1815.
The exhibit will appear first at the Brownell Library and is
available to other non-profit organizations at no cost. Please
call 401-635-4035 if your organization would like to display it.
Peaked To p School by Clair e Bowen
Painting a Picture with Walls
Story and Photos by Roger Guillemette
“I’ve often pondered the similarity between a wellmade drystone wall and a well-lived life. Both depend
on a solid foundation.”
This reflection, so fitting Little Compton and
Sakonnet, was written by William Hubbell in his
wonderful 2006 book Good Fences – A Pictorial History of
New England's Stone Walls (which features photos of
several Little Compton walls).
In an era of prefabrication and disposables, Little
Compton’s walls are revered, both as a bond to our
past and a source of pride and continuity in our
present. Stone walls are inextricably linked to the
region’s history, silent sentries to the character and determination of the earliest settlers.
In his 1803 “Notes on Compton”, Rev. William
Emerson writes of Little Compton’s stone walls. “From
the settlement of the place it has been distinguished in
this respect. The Indians, who were formerly numerous
in the town, and who were remarkable for the
excellence of their stone wall, were much employed in
this kind of labour.”
Thomas Church, representing the town in the
Massachusetts General Court, informed his colleagues
sometime before 1747 that “...there was stone wall
enough in Compton
to reach thence in a
straight line to Boston.”
After returning home
and recalculating,
Mr. Church returned
to the General Court
and, according to Rev.
Emerson, admitted
that “he had indeed
committed an errour
concerning the stone
wall; for he found
there was enough to
reach to Boston on
both sides of the
way” (his emphasis).
Stone walls have been part of the New England
landscape for so long that they have become one with
the environment, a man-made extension of the natural
ecosystem. Chipmunks and field mice, woodchucks and
rabbits, small birds, toads and snakes have adopted
stone walls as their native habitat, a far greater variety of
wildlife than would ever survive and thrive if the walls
were never built. Larger animals and birds then feast on
the wall-dwellers, benefactors of the microclimates
created and sustained by our stone walls.
Instead of dismantling and destroying, the craft of
stone wall building remains alive and well in Sakonnet,
as revitalized walls are regularly rebuilt upon the
foundations of their ancient ancestors and new walls
constructed with the same native materials and
techniques used in colonial times.
Dee Osborne’s home on West Main Road serves
as a fine example of modern Little Compton wall
construction, her family’s 8.5 acre parcel is again
surrounded by magnificent drystone walls crafted by
local artisan John Brousseau.
“I loved the openness of the land,” explained Mrs.
Osborne. “My back parcel was overgrown when I
purchased it. Until I cleared the brush, I didn’t even
know there were walls back there. The walls were being
eaten up by the soil.”
Captivated with Little Compton’s beauty since a
visit to her school roommate Elinor Peckham Gavin
during a “couple of blissful days in the summer of 1944,”
Mrs. Osborne was determined to recreate the walls that
partitioned her land since the earliest settlers. She inspected many ‘modern’ stone walls to see how they
were constructed and was particularly impressed by the
walls at “Gatherem” on Warren’s Point, another John
Brousseau work, and asked if he would tackle her project.
Continued on page 7
Page 3
It’s Storytime — Continued from page 1
To help project volunteers prepare, Lucy O’Connor shared
her experience and expertise with them during an informal
workshop last fall. The Historical Society prepared a list of
sample questions and organized a lending collection of simple
digital recorders. Volunteer interviewers arranged to meet with
their subjects at their homes or at the Wilbor House and
recorded their Sakonnet Point conversations with audio, video or
both. Subject matters varied widely from devastating hurricanes
to swordfishing to fritter fights at the Fo’c’s’le but all revolved
around Sakonnet Point. Several students from Brown University
are now busy at work transcribing the oral histories—no easy
task. It can take as many as five hours to transcribe a one-hour
interview. As often happens, many of the Sakonnet Point
Perspective oral histories resulted in the sharing of wonderful
photographs, paintings and objects. Historical Society volunteers
are now scanning the images for later use.
Each of the oral histories will be permanently archived at the
Historical Society as both a recording and a transcription. Excerpts
will be used in this summer’s exhibition and publication. Several
examples appear on the facing page. Because of publication
deadlines, the collection of oral histories for this project came to
a close in February but oral or written histories are always
welcome additions to the Historical Society archives. Please
contact Managing Director Marjory O’Toole if you would like
to donate an oral or written history on any Little Compton
subject to the Society or if you would like to borrow a digital
recorder to collect your own oral histories.
Nate Atwater and Tony Philippi share swordfishing stories.
Fisherman Lewis Waite at Sakonnet Point.
Photo by Nunnie Byers.
Sakonnet Point Perspectives has been generously funded by
Explore the Collection
On-Line
Images and information on over 13,000 Little Compton items are
available at your fingertips, 24 hours a day.
Visit
littlecompton.org
Select OnOn-Line
Collection
You may browse or conduct a keyword search.
Suggested Keywords:
Postcard, sampler, sword, Civil War, Burleigh, lens, doll
Page 4
The lens from
the Sakonnet
Light House is
just one of the
13,000 objects
in our collection that may
be viewed on
line.
Sakonnet Stories
Coming back from the beach we would run and get dressed
and would be the first one to get up in the back yard and get
the hot water in the hose. That was our quick shower. And
then go over to the farm and watch Dick Davol milk the
cows, and that was our entertainment for the afternoon,
unless we saw this fishing boat, the sword fishing. These
sports fishing boats that Cang Lloyd, Gus Bounakes —
a bunch of them had, and if they were flying their yellow flag, that meant they had a swordfish. And we would
get dressed and run down to The Point because they would weigh the fish and clean it right there on the docks and
people would take bets on how much it weighed. — Joan Winslow Buhrendorf
Mother’s parents spent summers here from about, oh, 1900.
And it was strictly a summer thing. They used to travel from
Paterson, New Jersey by crossing the Hudson on the ferry
to New York. And then they would get on the Priscilla and
go from New York up to Fall River and from Fall River they
would get onto the Awashonks which came down to
Sakonnet Point and they were met there by, I don’t know
whom, but then driven to Warren’s Point on horse and
buggy. — Randy Byers
Eddy came in on a sailboat, catboat, and came over and asked me to dance. That was in ’38. When I came back in
’39, then it was kind of a date, if he came in by boat. If the battery wasn’t dead or something like that because that
was the way it was then. Either the motor ran and the battery wasn’t dead, but he didn’t have a car. — Inger Ormston
When I was a youngster we went out with the fishermen all the time.
It was just a drop-of-the-hat thing. If you were free at 6:00 or 6:30 in the
morning you got down to the dock and said hello to Holder Wilcox and
he said, “Sure. Come on board.” This was in the days where we didn’t
worry so much about liability and people getting hurt or things like
that. There were rules obviously. Stay out of the way. You could be up
in the bow. If you are going to get seasick and you might not like it out
here — he would certainly tell you. — Hilary Woodhouse
This was the wartime in 1943 and there was a big coast artillery emplacement down across the pond where the
Haffenreffer complex now is. Every so often a six-inch cannon would be wheeled out of the concrete bunkers.
Occasionally they would have firing artillery drills, about which we were well warned
beforehand, so we could get all the glass objects off the window ledges so that they
wouldn’t be shaken down by the report of the cannon. — Caleb Woodhouse
The biggest factor that made the business die out was air-conditioning. In a heat wave
we had weeknights that the Fo’c’s’le would be full. And they would take a ride down
there and you get that breeze and it wasn’t only that but that was a big factor. Then they
got the malls and they were air-conditioned. So you could go to the mall. Why drive
down here? — Dick Rogers
Continued on page 6
Page 5
Mother’s Day &
Father’s Day
are right around
the corner.
Visit our
E-store
For the Perfect Gift!
Archival quality reproductions of over
200 treasured Little Compton artworks
and artifacts are just a click away.
Go to littlecompton.org
and click on E-Store
All purchases benefit the Historical Society.
Stories — Continued from page 5
The lighthouse went out of service in ’54.
That’s what finished it off. Those guys that
went out in the Coast Guard, they took a
few beatings on it there that I don’t know
how the hell they made it, but they got off
it all right. I guess there is a crack in the
side of it. They damaged the little life boats. They were washed away. Because we were in the second story of the
house. You could see basically everything, the harbor, you could see the boats going right out of the harbor. Everything was covered with salt. It was hard to see, but I could see big, huge waves breaking over the top of the lighthouse
and flying up in the air over the top of the thing. My father was saying, “Well, I don’t know when she is going to go,
but I guess she is going to go.” But she didn’t. — James Bounakes
Well, I enjoyed it. A lot. Used to fish every morning. Then come home. Open the store. Tend to the garden. Tend to
the chickens. Yeah. Boy what you can do when you’re young. I enjoyed the fishing. I enjoyed the whole works.
Come home sometimes in a fog — thick, thick fog. But I knew the compass reading. Although one time I missed it,
and I wound up near the golf club. The second tee, and I said, “This doesn’t look familiar.” And then I said, “Oh,
that’s right,” so I backed up and went in to the harbor. Yeah, I missed that once. — John Goulart
Page 6
Find our Books on Amazon.com
All of the Historical Society’s publications are now available on Amazon.com
Search for them today!
Or stop by the Wilbor House Museum Shop
Tuesday—
Tuesday —Friday from 9 to 3.
The History of Little Compton
First Light: Sakonnet
1660-1820
By Janet Lisle
L is for Little Compton
By Piper Hawes
Little Compton Families
By B.F. Wilbour
Terra Nova Vida Nova
The Portuguese in Little Compton
Edited by Juanita Goulart
Time to Play
Edited by Juanita Goulart
The Life and Art of Sydney Burleigh
By Janet Lisle
Portraits in Time
Edited by Piper Hawes
Walls — Continued from page 3
Drystone walls are created without the use of
mortar, gravity holding the stones in place and permitting
the wall to ‘move’ during the annual freezes and thaws.
Most talented drystone wall builders share certain
creative traits, such as the ability to ‘remember a hole’
and then possessing a keen eye for finding stones that
will fit into the remembered spot.
Over a span of three years, Brousseau painstakingly
reconstructed the Osborne walls upon their original
foundations, reusing the existing stones and other native
rocks ‘harvested’ from the property. Unused boulders
were collected in a ‘rock garden’ that is now planted
with wildflowers.
“John (Brousseau) was painting a picture with
walls, he’s an artist” explained Mrs. Osborne. “The
stones were all different colors and types. He takes a
shape and then puts them all together, somewhat like a
jigsaw puzzle. He doesn’t alter the basic stone very
much. He just lets the stones speak…and I know they
speak to me.”
“The stone walls of New England stand guard
against a future that seems to be coming too quickly,”
observed author Robert Thorson in his book Stone By
Stone. “They urge us to slow down and recall the past.”
Page 7
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July 1
—Exhibit Preview Party
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July 2
—Family Day
2—
Save the Dates
Sakonnet Point Perspectives
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