I took this picture back in August when I traveled down New Point way to take pictures of the lighthouse. This was in the vicinity of the dreaded fiddler-crab attack, where the crabs actually came up out of their natural habitat into the road to get me.
Speaking of New Point, I have a little bit of trivia to share about the lighthouse.
Our local paper, published once a week, is the Gazette Journal. One of my favorite columns, Glimpses into the Past, contains tidbits and snippets of newspaper articles from the past, sometimes as far back as 100 years.
For example, in the "80 years ago" section, you might read about a certain Mr. John Doe who was quite upset when his cows broke through a section of fence and wandered all over the place. Or in the "40 years ago" section, you might see where Murphy's Mart was setting up shop in Gloucester.
In this week's column, the following caught my eye:
30 YEARS AGO
Thursday, October 26, 1978
"...Five hundred and twenty-eight bushels of oyster shells were spread to and around New Point Comfort Lighthouse on Saturday to provide safe footing on the rocky island. A barge lent by Jerry I. of Grimstead was loaded with oyster shells and towed from Davis Creek by Morris S.
Warner W., Anthony W., Robert S., J.C.J., and Anthony B., all students at Mathews High School, provided the manpower for moving the shells."
The reason this caught my eye is because:
1. I went to school with most or all of the people listed;
2. I did not know they participated in this event;
3. I didn't even know about the event; and
4. Chesapeake Bay Woman is old enough that she recognizes names in the Glimpses from the Past section of the paper.
5. Chesapeake Bay Woman will now begin scouting out nursing homes for herself.
6. Right after she makes the appointment with the hairdresser to cover her gray hairs.
12 comments:
You are not as old as I am....I am sad...
Maybe those guys kept the oyster shell fiasco a secret...you know, because you would want to join in if they told you. That's how boys were back then.
Don't go checking into the nursing home until after you submit an entry in my "name the bear" thing. After all it was your idea.
And actually, you could probably just check in here at the compound...life is glorious here.
I love reading my hometown weekly newspaper - right until I notice the names of my high school classmates' children on the honor roll of the HIGH SCHOOL. SRSLY. Talk about OLD!
At least the 50 years ago section is still unfamiliar territory....
I wouldn't be too concerned about "30 years ago."
That was like yesterday to me.
Bear((( )))
I stopped reading the "Tidewater Review" for that very reason. No sense in rubbing salt into the wound.
Should we take a road trip to scout out The Compound? Grandma J highly recommends it:)
Our paper in Perkasie used to have that too! I was SO excited when I was able to remember things from the 5 years ago section. When I could remember things from the 10 years ago section I realized I was RIDICOULOUSLY old : ).
I remember that CapN (nobody from Mathews ever says the "T" in captain)John Handy asked several of the boys if we would help shovel oyster shells the following Saturday to make a walk at the lighthouse. We left the dock around 7 a.m. the next Saturday, pulling a barge of shells behind us. I remember my dad driving me to the dock, and my mom helped me pack a huge lunch. It was cold, but not terribly so.
I have been to the lookout point many times since, and I have lots of NPC lighthouse stuff.However, that has been my only trip out to the lighthouse. The lighthouse will forever be the symbol of Mathews (and it needs to be taken care of-too many years of neglect-I know people are trying, but they need to hurry!)
P.S. You may or may not know, CBW, that Cap'n John Handy was the father of our English teacher, Virginia McDaniel.
Well, there you go, all sorts of interesting things..just be very thankful that your paper doesn't have a column that says...
"there was an accident at the corner of James St and Smith St yesterday...no-one was injured" !!!
As I see all the time when I visit an un-named town close by to visit the grandchildren.
You have to wonder and worry when they need to do that sort of reporting!
;-)
Annie
Thanks for making me feel better, y'all.
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Native D. - Yes, just about every male around here is called "Cap'n" or as I like to say, "Capm" at one point or another. Actually I didn't know that about Mrs. McDaniel - I had no idea she had any family ties to Mathews. Also, thank you for the additional info on the New Point project - that's precisely why I put this particular excerpt up today because I knew you'd have good insight into it.
*****
Next two days are paying job for me (meaning not much if any internet time) plus soccer, soccer, more soccer and then soccer again.
I'll fall into a heap of exhaustion at the end of the week. No worries, the pile of dirty laundry and cat hair will cushion my fall.
Hope everyone has a great evening.
Jill and I were at the lighthouse (via her boyfriend's boat)this August. We were just exploring around and we kept seeing this really big buoy and Jill said it was a lighthouse and I rolled my eyes and said it was a really big buoy for a really big ship...as per usual, she was right. We ended up in the middle of about 35 dolphin, too! I love your photos and your commets, CBW!!!
Who was in charge of COUNTING the bushels of oyster shells? It sounds like a Very Important Job, though I can't imagine why.
And you're not old, CBW -- not unless you need one of those "I've fallen and I can't get Up"s after you hit the cat hair floor.
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