Category: Marshfield MA history

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Roadside Stands

There were many roadside stands throughout Marshfield, and Seaview had its share. Most were vegetable or strawberry stands.

Before World War II, there was a stand on Summer Street across from the north end of Station Street. It was owned by Ollie & Anna Nourse. In the spring, many kinds of flowers were for sale, followed by early cherries and peaches. Then vegetables of all kinds. All grown on their property. You also could get a dozen eggs.

If that stand existed today, you would be taking your life in your hands stopping there! There was no off-street parking on their side, however you could park in a small space on the north end of the Seaview Garage and walk across Summer Street.

Further up Summer Street, about as far as Seaview extended, was Bob & Agnes Dow’s stand. This was mostly a vegetable stand. Agnes did make some baked goods.

The most unforgettable stand was Agnes & Bill Bonney’s, at the south end of Station Street at Summer Street. It was a 2×4 structure with lift-up front and sides. From the earliest flower to the latest, bunches would adorn the shelves as well as around the stand. Most were 15 cents; glads were 25 cents. The Bonneys had the most beautiful arrangements.

Glads were one of Mrs. Bonney’s favorites.

However flowers were not the big draw. It was Mrs. Bonney’s baking. She filled the shelves with pies, cakes, cookies, and other sorts of pastries. Cakes were her best seller, specially decorated for any occasion. Mrs. Bonney would put a little extra decoration on a cake for her favorite customers — the ones known to leave a tip.

On a Friday or Saturday afternoon during the summer, there was hardly a spot to park. Locals were arriving home after work, and summer people for the weekend. They would want her wonderful goods, rather than bake or cook. Mrs. Bonney’s cooking was probably better than theirs anyway. On a Saturday, the pastries were gone by 1 p.m. Late Saturday afternoon, a line would form at the side porch door awaiting the baked beans, frankfurts and brown bread, along with any pastry left. Mrs. Bonney would have a new batch of goods for Sunday morning.

Notice the cuts in the frankfurt, the old fashion way.

Summer Street was once the main route to Humarock from the Boston area, however those that came in from Route 3 would also find Bonney’s wonderful goods.

We would never visit with Mrs. Bonney during her busy summer months, but an off-season visit was a treat. Brownies and a glass of milk were always on my priority list. Most families in the neighborhood were as poor as church mice, but were always generous with a cup of tea or coffee, and a home cooked treat.

W. Ray Freden, Marshfield, 70 years.

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Prohibition & Rum Running in Sea View & Humarock

10′ Toppan boat. Mfg in Boston Ma. 125 dollars. 225 with engine.

For nearly 14 years, 1919 to 1933, our country was dry!  It really wasn’t,  but selling alcohol was illegal. It didn’t take long for the “swamp Yankees” to turn to “rum running.”

Illegal contraband liquor was a profitable enterprise for the water people. Boat motors were quickly converted over to more powerful and faster ones, and the insides of vessels were gutted for more space. A schoolmate, Alfred A., told me that his stepfather’s lobster boat was a “rum runner.” It had a big motor in it, and was quite narrow & very fast.

Safe unloading areas were located. Bays, harbors, rivers, creeks, and other landing spots were found. Humarock was one of these safe places — or at least more safe than other harbors. Federal funding was weak and the revenuers had to spread themselves thin.

Looking N.E. from Ferry Hill with Fourth Cliff in the background.

 

This boat house on Little’s Creek, was the perfect ”Drop” location.

 

The North River mouth was the water highway out to the mother ships that were waiting three miles out to unload their contraband into smaller boats and dories. A very reliable source told me that most of the dories came from Hatch’s Boat Yard and gunning stand. Others came from the North River. Most of the dories were powered by two rowers.

On a good night, a row out to the “Mother Ship” and back, took most of the darkened hours, depending on the weather. On occasion, unfavorable weather would delay the boat-men’s return. Daylight would give them away, so they would row up into a remote creek, cover their dory with marsh grass, and hunker down for the day with nothing to eat or drink ! Up to 20 cases could be safely stacked in the dories, however greed and poor judgment sent many boats floundering and losing their contraband. Some of this contraband would find its way to shore, where scavengers would find liquid gold!

  A mishap?

Lookouts were needed to warn the boatmen of any danger that may come about. Lookout posts were stationed from the Sea Street Bridge to Fourth Cliff.

The lookout on the bridge was a well known local that had a non-drinking reputation, and liked to fish. His gear was a tin bucket, bait, a sharp knife, a hand line, a flashlight and cigarettes. Time on was 9 or 10 pm; off was daylight, rain or not. If the boats were out, you were on. Over would go the line, baited or not. Sometimes this lookout was joined by a friend — his line would go over with a bottle of hooch tied on the end. This was to be retrieved periodically.

The hooch was unloaded at various locations. The cases were picked up by Chevy 6-cylinder panel trucks. Chevys were quieter than the Ford Model A’s. Canvas snap-on signs were attached to each side with a local milk company logo.

I was told, by the same reliable source, that only once, during this guard’s time on the bridge, did he have to call off a landing.

One night, just before midnight, a big black Packard with four men inside, strangers, stopped on the bridge and asked where so-and-so’s cottage was. The fisherman gave them directions, and off they went. The fisherman/guard flashed a signal to the lookout on the point down river, and the signal was passed on to the cliff.

Packard  Autos were one of the finest cars.

That night’s truck was turned around and disappeared .   No one else ever reported seeing the car or the men. No one saw them leave; no one reported using so-and-so’s cottage. However, this was a subject not discussed, and questions were unthinkable.

My late friend Phil, a Seaview native, told me the following. It seems that Charlie, Phil’s father, took a walk to Pine Island. While coming back, just off the walkway, he saw a newly tracked path in the marsh grass. Off he went to investigate. He found something that was covered over with marsh grass. A case of 11 bottles of hooch!

”Hooch”

A bottle of Hennessy’s cocnac, found in the river,
Given to Webster Clark during the prohibition.
 Photo compliments of Fred Freitas

Even though Charlie was a teetotaler, he was not going to leave this find. He covered it back up and waited until dark. Charlie made his way back through the cedar grove to the edge of the marsh, found the case of hooch, then made it home without being seen, he hoped! He stashed the case in the cellar, where his wife would not find it, as she was death against alcohol.

Within a few days, word reached Charlie, that Wally, a heavy drinker, was on a killing rage. It seems that someone stole his property from the Island. He was telling everyone in Seaview that if he found out who stole his property, he was going to kill them!

You see, the property was never Wally’s. He probably found it stashed in one of the creeks by a boatman. Charlie never uttered a word. Some of Charlie’s friends enjoyed a holiday gift!

This Chevrolet panel truck is much like the ones used to deliver illegal liquor ”Hooch” to the speakeasies.

 

 

 

”Prohibition makes you want to cry into your beer and denies you the beer to cry into.”

Don Marquis

Ray Freden, Seaview resident, 60 years.

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A Seaview Kid Goes Shopping

In the 40s, Marshfield did not offer much but basic shopping. The A&P, First National, Wherrity’s drug store and soda fountain, Feinberg’s clothing store, and a general store here and there.

Feinberg’s Clothing Store on Ocean St.

There were traveling vendors — Hathaway’s Bakery Bread, a black and white Chevy panel truck, Smitty was the breadman. There were drawers that would roll out to get the donuts and pastries.

Smitty’s Bread truck. c. ’40’s

         The White Brothers milk truck would stop at our house. Herby delivered the milk bottles with the bulb in the top where the cream would settle, a cardboard disc pressed into the top.

There was a meat vendor and a fish vendor but I can’t remember them by name.

A short drive to Scituate gave my folks much more to choose from. A much larger A&P, an Italian delicatessen. My Mom would buy a wedge of parmesan cheese that would be shredded on our pasta dinner. A 5&10 that I couldn’t get enough of. Welch’s Hardware Store, where my Dad always had to get something.

The Welch Co. Front St. Scituate.          A 1893 George Welch ad.

 

My Dad & I would get our hair cut at Larry’s Barber Shop. We would stop at the Quincy Gas Station at the beginning of Front Street to get a dollar’s worth of gas — I think gas was under 15 cents a gallon — that would take the old Chevy and Dad to the Greenbush Train Station all week.

Other shopping trips would be to Rockland, Brockton or Quincy. The Rockland trips were to the Thom McAn shoe store and to Woolworth’s 5&10 cent store.

When in season,  baby chickens. Yes, chickens, — the baby chicks would be in a long high box on the counter with light bulbs hanging down to keep the chicks warm.

Dad would have to lift me up to pick out the most lively ones. I remember some were dyed pink. There was no way to tell which were hens or roosters. Dad always wanted 6 to 8 hens and 4 roosters. The roosters were  slaughtered   for the holidays. Many times we got more roosters than hens, so therefore, we just had more holidays.

Brockton was a favorite city for my folks to shop. Both parents were born and brought up there. Sears and Roebuck was the first stop. To park in the rear, you would drive through an opening between two buildings with a large structure above, a rather unusual entrance that intrigued me. This store always had plenty of bikes for me to drool over.

After my folks finished shopping, there was always a stop at the Swedish Bakery on the corner. I will never forget the smell of the freshly baked goods. My Mom would have to buy two loaves of Swedish rye, one for the ride home and one for home. Also a package of knackebrod, a Swedish crisp bread. It came in a paper package sealed up on the bottom, so we always opened it from the bottom. Out came a thin, round, greyish brown, cracker-like bread with a hole in the center. It could be broken into pieces easily. I have not seen this round version for years.

Dad said the hole in the middle was to hang it on a pole in the old bakeries. You could buy as many pieces as you wished and the baker would wrap it with brown paper off a large roll, then he would tie it with string. The last Swedish bakery I remember was in Hanover. I do miss that smell then tearing that round loaf of rye open, and eating it dry-raw.

by Ray Freden
Marshfield resident 70 years, Seaview resident 60 years.