Category: Seaview history

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WWII Air Raid Patrols & Military Convoys

There was an air raid horn mounted atop the Seaview Garage roof. It was tested every week at night. My Dad was a warden. The horn would sound and scare the —- out of me! Dad would don his air raid outfit, a helmet, an armband, a flashlight, dark clothing, a nightstick, a whistle and a notebook.

He patrolled from the Seaview Garage to the O’Donnells’ at 90 Summer Street.

The wardens were to be responsible for all lights out and no driving of cars. One time a car came down Summer Street during the test and my Dad stopped the driver. He said, “Harry you can’t drive. Pull over to the side and wait for the all clear.” Harry responded, “Bill, go to Hell,” and drove off. Dad never reported him as he should have. Harry apologized later.

When my Dad was on his air raid patrol beat, he would pass our house (189 Summer Street) and give a little flash of his light to the special window, where I’d be sitting, watching and waiting, on the second floor landing. This window had a clear center with different color stained glass around the border. I could see clearly to Central Ave, near the bottom of 4th Cliff during the day.

During the war years, military convoys would come down Summer Street past the Seaview Garage and past my house, sometimes during the day. That’s when I would wait until they passed, then run into the house, up the stairs to my window, and watch them moving slowly up Central Ave. in Humarock. They were going to the Air Force Base on 4th Cliff. At night, it was a different story. When a convoy came through at night, one could barely hear or see them, with no lights on or very small slits on their headlights. After they passed, I would take my Dad’s binoculars, go to my window, and try to see them approaching the Cliff — usually with no luck. I always thought enemy subs or ships were off 4th Cliff, and so reinforcements were sent to the base. It was pretty scary for an 8 or 9 year old!

Convoy stopped on Summer St. for a break, c.1944.

 

by Ray Freden
Originally published in the Marshfield Mariner, January 21, 2009

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The Seaview Garage

The Seaview Garage was built in the early 1900s by Edgar Willey. Mr Willey sold Graham Paige and Jewett automobiles. Mr. Willey opened the garage summers only. Edgar Willey married Susan Tilden Carver of the Barstow Carver family. In c.1820, Barstow built the Cape Cod style home at 110 Elm Street. In later years, Edgar & Susan would live there summers. This home was never out of the Carver family until my wife & I purchased it May 28, 1971.

In 1919, Edgar Willey sold the garage to Charles Langille of 207 Summer Street. Charlie ran it as a gas station and repair shop. Charlie did not work there: he was the owner/manager. Charlie was in the insurance business and very active in town affairs. He was a selectman and an officer in the Marshfield Fair.

The Jewett was a less expensive auto than the Graham Paige.

In the 1940s, the only employee I remember was James Lambert of 35 Station Street. Across the street from where I lived (189 Summer Street) Jim would walk to work in the morning, back home for lunch, then back to the garage. I was too young to go to the garage alone, but my Mom would sometimes escort me to buy a candy bar — that is, when we had an extra 5 cents!

I’m not sure when Charlie acquired a Ford dealership. I remember he always had a new car. I was becoming a car nut, trucks too. Now that I was 6 years old, I could go to the Seaview Garage alone, but had to walk on Station Street, not Summer Street. Summer Street was a state road and very busy. It makes me laugh today — busy was maybe 20 cars a day.

 

The original Seaview Garage, Summer St. with a 1920 Dodge/Paige wrecker. The Langille residence in the background.
Seaview Ma. Charles Langille.

 

 

 

Front line, 1933 or 4 Fords.
                             Rr, 1931 ”A”

The Seaview Garage was my hangout after school and weekends. Remember, there were no kids in Seaview my age. There were other reasons for hanging out — the candy counter, the Coke machine, the warm pot-bellied stove in the winter, the cars, and Eula. Eula was Charlie’s daughter, 12 years older than I and she always treated me nice. I remember not having a nickel for a candy bar but I always seemed to end up with 2or 3 pieces of a Skybar or the green Necco wafers.

The office was to the left of the huge metal overhead door that was operated with a chain — what a clatter it made opening and closing. The office had a large window in the front corner were Pansy Hayes sat at a large desk. Pansy was the book-keeper and lived on South River Street. My Mom would buy fresh eggs at the Hayes farm. I was always allowed behind the counter to sit on the swivel chair and spin around.

Charles C. Langille standing beside a 1923 Jewett auto. Credits: Ad and photo, courtesy of the Langille family.

by Ray Freden
Originally published in the Marshfield Mariner, January 7, 2009

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More on Tea Rooms Addition of the Willow Tea Room.

 

Another Tea Room I remember was the “Lindens” in Centre Marshfield next to Fred Oxner’s, Centre Marshfield Garage.

This ad was found in a  ALA  volume 1 , booklet published in 1920.
Submitted by Robin Mitchell, researcher & author.

My Mom would go shopping at the A&P store down in Marshfield, run by the Houghtons (I remember the floor was always covered with sand and I could never understand why –and I had to be cautious walking through it, there would hell to pay if I tracked sand into our house!) upon returning home,

Marshfield Co. Store. c. 1910

Mom would stop into  The Lindens Tearoom. It was just a small room next to the kitchen. Mom would get a cup of tea and a piece of pie, and I would have milk and a cookie. I think the total cost was 30 cents! I would sneak out back of Oxner’s Garage and look at the junk cars. Mom and owner, Isabel Banner were friends for a long time.

 

The best tearoom I remember was the “Peacock” on Pleasant Street. On occasion, Dad, Mom and I would take a ride in his old Chevy just to gawk around . This was before the war. When we came back through the Hills, Dad would stop at the “Peacock.” Mom and I would go in to get ice creams — they were the best ever, however , I don’t remember any bad ice cream!

Not until I was older, a young teen, when I could ride my bike to places outside of Seaview, did I realize how special the “Peacock” was. A few of us kids would gather after school, and there were only a few kids in Seaview. We would have to push our bikes up the Pleasant Street hill, hoping Peggy was at the Peacock. Upon arrival we would dump our bikes along a stone wall that held a garden full of flowers, run up the walkway and knock on the back door. The door would swing open and to my delight, there was Peggy. With her big smile, she would quietly say “Come on in children!”

I always had a dream of this kind of ice cream cone!

If anyone could make it, Peggy could.

We would wait in line, girls first. When it was my turn, Peggy would ask, “Raymond, what flavor are you having today, coffee or chocolate?” Chocolate usually won out, with jimmies. Peggy’s idea of an ice cream cone was to fill the cone, then ask,”5 cents or 10 cents?” If 5, she put one scoop on top, if 10, 2 or sometimes 3 scoops on top. It sure was plenty for one small person.  Years later, my friend Aldo reminded me that two 5 cent cone had more ice cream than 1–10 cent cone. I never figured that one out! But then why should I have? Usually, I only had 1 nickel!

The war years passed and  the Peacock slowed down eventually reverting to a residence.  My friend, Aldo told me he attended Peggy’s 100th birthday party. Our lives in Seaview were simple, fun, and a nickle brought a lot of joy!

The Peacock Tearoom.

Courtesy of the Ventress Library. c. 1940

 

The Willow Tea House c. 1910.

7/31/2019 addition.


The Willow Tea House was located on Ocean St & the corner of Willow St.    vv


Added 1/30/2021.
Another Tea Room was the Golden Pheasant On Ocean St.,run by Sandy Sherman and his wife Ada. From 1932 into the ’40’s. The corner store to the right became Russ Chandler’s Marshfield  Radio & T.V.

11/28/2021. Addition.

This excerpt has been taken from “Marshfield” ” A Town of Villages 1640-1990″ By Cynthia Hagar Krusell & Betty Magoun Bates.

Martha E. Sherman (Mrs. Ashton Sherman) ran a tea room and gift shop called “Ye Shuttle Craft Shop” in the 1920’s at 915 Union St . She served tea and toast and trifles, Priscilla Sears sweets, waffles and coffee. She also advertised a “20th Century Lending Library”  Her two daughters , Elizabeth and Grace, married neighbors Tracy Hatch and John (Jack) Little.   This farm & Tea room & Gift shop became the Little’s Jersey Farm  at (915 Union St. )

by Ray Freden
Originally published in the Marshfield Mariner, June 18, 2008