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The Indianapolis 500 race 80 years ago, no I don’t remember it, but it’s Pace Car made it to Marshfield sometime later.
A pace car is that special car that leads the pack around the track at the beginning of  race. Always a production car, except in 1941 !

In the late 30’s Walter P. Chrysler Sr. wanted something special for the Chrysler Automobile Co’s show off car. Walter contracted the design company  of LeBaron Automotive designs, to design and build a concept car, a dream car,  for the Chrysler Company. The first Newport Phaeton prototype  was delivered in an unbelievable  90 days !            Walter liked it and ordered 5 more.

This was Walter P. Chrysler’s Car, (Ser.# C7807503), and passed on to his son, Walter Jr.
Walters affair with his Dual Cowl Newport Phaeton was brief.
Walter died in Aug. 1940.
The car was passed on his son Walter P. Chrysler Jr. along with the continuation of the Newports on order.  Walter Jr. used the first car as a personal driver, and was seen in the Provincetown, Cape Cod, area summers when Walter was visiting their summer residence.
Walter Jr.  arranged  to have the car be featured as the official  Pace Car of the 1941 Indy 500 race.

Correct text— wrong car photo— Walters car had exposed headlights !

This was very unusual for this event,  because it was not a production car as the event  previously required.
And the only non-production car ever used  in the 500 to this day.

Well now, how, when, where, who  & why would this famous car arrive in Marshfield?

Why? Well,  it was a promotional product of Chrysler’s.
When? Sometime between 1941 & the early 1950’s.
How? while visiting  in Massachusetts, it was circulated around to dealers to keep Chrysler products up front and to draw customers into the showrooms.
Where?  Thaxter Anderson’s Plymouth / Chrysler’s dealership on Main St, Marshfield Hills, Rte. 3A.
Who? In the drivers seat is Webster Clark of Clarks Store, Humarock, and a friend of Thaxter Anderson’s.

Webbie Clark, is shown here at the Hill’s Garage.

Walters personal car repainted.

The car shown here is the #1 Newport built and owned/driven by Walter P. Chrysler, & Walter P. Chrysler Jr.
How to tell? The headlights, the first & only to have exposed, rigid, rimmed headlights the other cars had hidden headlights.

Just imagine, this legendary automobile, plying  main roads, as well as back roads of our little town of Marshfield, and few knew or even saw  it !

Lana Turners  Newport, note her vanity plate.

This car was given to Lana Turner by her Millionaire, Playboy husband, Henry J. “Bob” Topping Jr. in 1948. After their divorce in 1952, Bob regained possession.

Five of these Newports are accountable today with Walter’s car selling for $ 1,017,500, in 2011.

 

W. Ray Freden.   Formally, Seaview, Marshfield Ma.  Currently, Down East Me.

 

 

It was noon-time on a fall afternoon….I think it was 1963.  I was working in my shop when I heard sirens howling and a lot of commotion at the Seaview Garage on Summer St.!   Well, my curiosity got to me.  I was meandering through Charlie Langille’s orchard when a blast of gasoline fumes nearly knocked me over!  As I  rounded the corner of the garage, I saw a gasoline tanker in a jack-knife position with gas spurting from the lower side of the tank!  Gasoline was running out onto Summer St., and running down toward Seaview Ave.  One fire truck was on scene, another was very close, and more were coming on Church St.  I was very uncomfortable!  There were  two employees standing in the wide doorway smoking cigarettes!!   And then the Fire Chief shows up with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth!!  I decided then that the Seaview Garage was doomed !  I went back to my truck for my camera.

Looking north on Summer St. Warren Ave. on the right.

 My return to Summer St. was two-plus houses away from this gonna-be-disaster!  The gasoline had reached Seaview Ave., and was being contained as best as they could do.  There was no foam available.
The fumes were overwhelming!  A truck-load of sand showed up and the workers did a good job of keeping the flow from running further down Summer St.

THAT’S GASOLINE !
Summer St. and Seaview on the right looking north.

I got three shots and ran out of film with no back up! I watched in amazement,  realizing that with all the action a spark from anywhere would have been a disaster for the Garage as well as the abutting homes!
This happened because the tanker truck was not the usual large tanker with eight wheels under the tank.  It only had one axle and four wheels with no fuel company logo on it.   It was a gypsy delivery company and new to the area. The regulars would come from the northerly direction on Summer St., turn onto Station St. southerly to the end, and make a turn northerly on Summer St. They would then stop and unload, heading north to leave without any turning. The gypsy made a tight turn to head back northbound, and as he did an angle iron support holding the mud flaps pierced the tank. Nothing could be moved because ripping it back out could have created a spark and KA-BOOM !

Looking south on Summer St., Seaview Ave. on the left

I kept my distance!  The Fire Department stayed well into the night keeping vigil, and the sand truck crews continued unloading much sand on Summer St.   The gasoline did evaporate and the sand was swept up and removed without incident.

The Fire Department unbolted the angle iron support and removed it from the near-empty tank, under a full stream of water preventing any spark……an extremely dangerous operation!   KUDOS to the Fire Department !  BOO-DOS to the smokers !

W. Ray Freden,      The Village of Seaview.  1934 – 2005.

 

 

                                       West Pembroke, Maine, 2005-  ?

 

 

The following story is from the memories of Walter Crossley Of Damond’s Point. His writings were published in The Marshfield Mariner during the 70’s.

This story was published July 5, 1973.

The Ponds of Marshfield
PONDS  A-PLENTY
“—– and last the largest on the stream, Dick Magoun’s pond. This had a saw mill cutting local pine into what was known in that era as box boards.
My introduction to the scene must have been about 1908-10. At that time a small summer place had been built on the upper end of the pond, I have no idea who owned this. My uncle, Henry Joyce, quite possibly furnished the labor to build it. At least once, sometimes twice during the summer, Uncle Henry and Aunt Viola would hold a picnic there.”

BRIDGE OVER BUSY WATERS
“Someone, probably Dick Magoun, had cleared a path completely around the shores, a couple of rustic bridges over two entering streams were fascinating places to me.  Standing on them one could see small fish going about their business. A frog or two always sat on lily pads motionless until some careless insect came too close and then the motions o fast as to be almost unseen, but the insect always vanished. We could find fresh water clams in some places.”

“Another point of interest was the old cemetery. A walled in basin with steps leading into the water served as a baptismal spot for the early church.  The vicinity of the cemetery was supposed to be a famous spot for snakes but I searched diligently they refused to be found.”

THE MINIATURE MILL.
“The real center of attraction, however, was the miniature mill and pond. This was built on a small spring fed brook, possibly the one where the Rod and Gun club is today. Accurate in every detail. The dam built of miniature logs. The spillway and the over shot water wheel provided the power to operate the old type up and down saw. The mill was shingled with tiny wooden shingles. Posts, beams and braces held in place with wooden pegs. The mill yard was full of logs, I sat by the hour, fascinated by the small pond and steady sound of the machinery in motion.”

I am fortunate to have compilation of his written memories.

UPDATE 1/4/22

Betty Magoun Bates, co-author of “Marshfield” . “A town of Villages, 1640-1990”  Her Grandfather was Isaac Winslow Magoun, The owner of the box mill that once operated on Magoun’s Pond, along with the mini sawmill and park he named “Dreamland”, off Union St., now known as  Eagle Nest, a development on Mill Pond Lane, once a cart path to the sawmills.   Isaac was also a Deacon of the First Baptist Church on School St. He was a superb finish carpenter and built many homes in Ocean Bluff and Brant Rock. This very fine gentleman was a mortician, as well as a dedicated naturalist. He married Eliza Harris in 1879.  They were the parents of Arthur V., Charles D., Elliot F. and Tracy H. Magoun.  Betty Bates is the youngest daughter of Elliot F. Magoun and is a lifelong resident of Marshfield.  The Magoun’s are direct descendants of John Magoun that settled in Marshfield’s  Two Mile section,  between 1660 & 1666. Alan E. Bates, Betty’s son continues to live in Two Mile on family property.
At the ripe old age of 90, Betty Magoun Bates and Cynthia Hagar Krusell, continue to work on preserving the History of Marshfield, and maintain the highly respected official position of ” Town Historians”.

Compliments of Betty Bates Magoun 1/2022

“Looking at the old pictures and wishing you could go back to that moment.”
-Unknown.

W. Ray Freden,
Seaview Village/Marshfield
70 years.