W. Ray Freden

November 1, 2021

The North River, Part 3

If you remember my part 1 and 2 of the North River over 100 years ago was of “The Story Teller” Walter Crossley’s stories published in the Marshfield Mariner in the early ’70’s.

My writings are verbatim.

He was traveling east, down river, and in Part 2 , we left off at the Two Mile Creek. (once known as Full Mill Creek). This Creek/Stream once operated four mills in the Two Mile area ( once part of Scituate, ) . This Stream flows under Union St between #’s 385 & #415. It then becomes a man- made- pond that supplied a head of water to power the Hatch Mills.

Now lets get back to the river along with Walter Crossley’s observations.

ON THE RIVER

The remains of a seine.

“Colonel Oakman’s seine house was along here and somewhere around here was a spot known as the whirlpools. I remember them as a series of strong eddies and swirling currents. They made for a disturbed stretch of water for perhaps 100 yards. The whirlpool condition occurred only at the ebb tide and with the row boats and small-powered motor boats of the time, it presented a hazard. I believe this phenomenon ceased some years ago, probably because of erosion. My cousin,Charles Crossley of Water St. took striped bass regularly every spring for many years.”
OSPREY NEST
“The last, in fact, the only Osprey nest I ever saw on the river marshes was on a large dead Pine on the Norwell side of the river. The nest was used for many years, and it was added to and grew every spring. It was destroyed when the pine fell during a winter storm”

Osprey nest.

“Ed Cliff’s wood lot and a girl scout camp ( Wy-Sibo) the last time I went by.”

My painting of Wy-Sibo Camp, as I remember, in the early 50’s.

There were also a couple of islands in the marsh which were then known as Onion and potato Islands. These were favorite picnic and blueberry stops. Onion was the larger and usually had cattle pastured on it. I remember one picnic lunch that was interrupted by a bull, naturally, everyone ran for the boat, but upon looking back my father was on all fours bellowing at the intruder. This was a new experience to the animal and after a spirited exchange of pawing the ground and roaring he backed down and grumbled off on his way.”

“Further down the river was Cornhill Lane, then known as the Gravely Beach farm house, on the Marshfield side”.

“Chittenden Creek flowed from the Norwell side.”

The Helen M. Foster readying for launch, 1871. The Last ship to be built here.

“I should have mentioned the shrine and pavilion of the Stetson kindred a short distance upstream from here.”

The Stetson Farm, Norwell, overlooking the North River.

“Now we are at a stretch known as Rocky Reach and since this area requires a fairly detailed description, it created a nuisance at best, a hazard at worst. I understood that the shipbuilders upstream had serious difficulties in getting new ships through. These ships were neither rigged or ballasted. Towed down river by small boats, oxen or by plain manpower, they were dragged over the rocks and sometimes several high tides were required to get them through.”

A RAPIDS?
” I am not a geologist, but it seems to me that at some prehistoric time there must have existed a rapids at this point, possibly a small falls as well where a ledge extends across the bed of the present river, I can visualize a long narrow river and a shallow salt water bay in the area now occupied by salt marsh. What are now islands or simply high spots in the marsh could well have been gravelly islands in a lake or bay. In the course of thousands of years, sediment filled in the bays and the hills eroded, the rapids or falls faded away. ”
“As for the reach itself, it presented an ugly appearance at half tide. Rocks-some flat, others sharp and others rounded-were visible above the water line. swirls and ripples pointed the way to many more just below the surface. Some of these rocks were too close together for a boat to pass. And at the lower level of the reach ( in the so-called narrows) there was a noticeable difference in the water level , at least a foot on a strong tide. This point seems to have been, and still is the dividing line between salt and fresh water. above this point were vegetation, sediments and debris indicating fresh water. Below here was a typical salt marsh.”
“Due to the tidal difference in time, we almost invariably reached the danger zone at the full strength of the tide. Incoming was not so bad. But to see an ebb tide with rocks showing and the water a collar of foam swirls was not a reassuring sight. With our boats those day you had to go through once you committed yourself , there was no stopping, no turning back. If the engine wheezed and slowed, steerage was lost . Many of propeller was bent here, many of rudder un-hung and, sometimes a hull was damaged. A lot of trips ended at Rock reach resulting in a long tedious wait for the turn of the tide or for a tow home.”
Just below the reach, at the narrows on the Norwell side, was a spring which served as a place to fill water jugs, I believe this was called Henderson’s.
I think in about 1910 or 1912, some of the river towns cooperated in a rock removal project. A floating crane was brought in and a diver (hard hat, air pump variety) would go down and place chains around the rocks and wait until they were hauled up and swung onto the banks by the crane. Obstructions were removed in several places, principally along Rocky reach as far upstream as the old Hanover bridge.”
“There was no dredging , just rock removal.”
“I remember being taken aboard the crane by my father and watching the process with a great deal of interest. I can also remember the difficulties of getting our boats under or around the cables that were used to secure the apparatus in place. All these things looked immense to me then. ”
“There was a sudden drop at the end of the reach and the removal of the rocks from here removed most of the danger to the boats. Now, except at low tide, there is little danger. But there are a few rocks in the area , I know, i speak from experience!”
UNION ST. BRIDGE

Looking at Marshfield ‘s Union St. from Norwell’s Bridge St.

Next, Part 4, will cover more of the boats of Walter’s time plying this part of the North River.

I will continue to bring you Walter Crossley’s ( The Story Teller) remembrances as my time permits. With winter not far away, they will be published more often.

W. Ray Freden, Marshfield 70 years.

September 27, 2021

THE NORTH RIVER over 100 years ago. Part 2

If you remember my part one of the North River over 100 years ago was of “The Story Teller” Walter Crossley’s stories published in the Marshfield Mariner in the early ’70’s. My writings are verbatim.

ON THE RIVER

He was traveling east, down river, and we left off somewhere east of the Pembroke Herring Run stream’s mouth.

Part 2:
“The boats we used in that part of the river were simply square boxes eight to 10 feet long and 30 to 36 inches wide. Built of any boards we could find, innocent of paint and water soaked, they were heavy as lead. We used homemade paddles and poles for power.”

Punts were usually home-built and similar to this.

“There was still no trace of salt, but there was a rise and fall in the water as the tide started backing up. The current did not reverse itself, as it does lower down, but it did come almost to a standstill at high tide.
Not too far now, as we paddled and pushed, we came to Reed’s Landing.
The high ground came to the river here and, nearby was a small stony beach. I have heard that this area was used as a loading point for the hay gundalow’s and for the boats bringing supplies up river. At one time there were a few houses in this area as well, although I have only seen cellar foundations and a few water wells. The Indians were here too, I have found artifacts.”

“The river now becomes a respectable stream. Progress is easy and all you need is an occasional stroke to keep away from the banks.
There were red-wing black birds in the clouds as many other species. At sunset the swallows almost hid the sky. The mosquito’s filled any spaces left.”

MEN OF THE RIVER

“My choice of the old river man falls on Nathaniel Magoun better known as Nat. If someone addressed him as Mr. Magoun, he would have looked about in surprised to see who was being spoken to. He lived in a small house, inherited from his parents. This was located squarely in the middle of the present 139 route at the Water St. intersection.” ( Note, this makes his experience was before Rte 139 was built from Pembroke’s Rte 3, to Marshfield)
A LEISURELY GENT
“Nat ( I still think of him by that name) was a leisurely moving, rather stout man. I have heard my mother say that when Nat went to the one room school with her, he spent most of his time asleep. If called on by the teacher, however, the proper answer was immediately given. I imagine his formal schooling ended early. For Nat’s way of life, anything beyond the three R’s was wasted.”

“He was pretty much self sufficient. He acquired the few dollars of cash he needed by trapping in the winter and on occasion he did odd jobs. If he had an unlucky winter he worked for a few weeks on the town highways.
Nat could make a split oak basket strong enough to stand on or he could shape an axe handle, if need be. When he needed a boat he built one. His dory may have been a bit rough by present standards, but it served him forty years.”

In those days you could leave your boat in the creek near home.

“On a nice day with a fair tide, Nat could be found down on the river, sometimes with Mr. Simeon Phipps, but more often alone. His trips on the river were leisurely voyages. He started from what is the now Pembroke Mariner on Route 139 and rowed just enough to keep off the bank. A couple of bucket of clams and a goodly catch of flounder were his reward. There was peace and quiet on thoes trips and pleanty of time to observe nature. There was never any hurry. This was Nat’s way of life. It was what he wanted and it sufficed him for many years”
BACK TO THE RIVER
“Let us continue our journey down river. The next landmark was on the Pembroke side, a short distance from what is now the expressway bridge. It was the landing on the Ware property. This location had at least four names: Ephraim Landing,Jobs Landing, Anson Hatch Landing, and of course, Ware’s. I understand this was the terminal for the packet boats that furnished transportation of passengers and goods to and from Boston. The remains of the old wharf were still there I remember. Heavy logs were pinned together and filled with stones and I believe with gravel used to make an inlet that was four or five feet deep at high tide. I once found an old English two cent piece, dated, I believe, in the early 1700’s. ” ( this location is where Water St and West Streets meet at the Pembroke/ Marshfield line, now obscured by the expressway)

“Continuing down the river, we pass under the expressway bridge ( non-existent then) to Full Mill Creek on the Marshfield side, not a large stream, I assume it took it’s name from the mills located on it.”

Often referred to as the Two Mile Stream

“I believe there were four mills not far apart from one another. The Hatch Mill was one and sawed logs for me many times.”

The Hatch Mill .

F.Decker Hatch Mill and pond from Union St. Photo by Ray Freden

Walter has made his way to the part of the North river in the “Two Mile ” area of Marshfield , today known as North Marshfield.

I will continue with Walter’s “story telling” In Part 3.

W. Ray Freden Marshfield , Seaview, 70 years.

May 20, 2021

The Hatch mill

I have not written anything about the Hatch mill on Union St., due to the vast amount of history already written by authors much more informed than I. Blogs of Decker Hatch & his Son I have written.
I have just been informed of this interesting little do-dad.

This refrigerator magnet showed up in the early 70’s. The now holder inherited it from her Dad, a Marshfield long time resident. She has no knowledge as to it’s history.
I assume it was made by a member of “Save The Hatch Mill” restoration committee.
Is there anyone out there that has any information?
Please leave a comment or e-mail me < ray@wrayfreden.com>

Thank you.
Ray.