Lee Historical Society
Newsletter
Vol. 10, No. 1
January 2013
Crossway Tower
P. O. Box 170
Lee, MA 01238
Visit us: www.leehistoricsociety.homestead.com
Contact us: Lee.Historical@hotmail.com
The Lee Historical Society hopes that everyone had a wonderful holiday seasons and is enjoying the cold and snowy weather and is ready for a joyful and healthy 2013.
Our first meeting of 2013 will be held on Thursday, January 10th starting with a “Business Meeting” that will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Cafeteria of the Senior Center in Crossway Village. This meeting is for all Board Members, Officers, Committee Members and any interested members that may wish to attend. Starting at 7:00 p.m. a “Program Meeting” will start with Holly Chaffee, the President of Porchlight VNA (formally the Lee VNA) talking about the history of this organization, which has just celebrated their 100th Anniversary. Board Member, Mary Morrissey will then follow with some history of Minnie Lucinda Baird, who first founded the Lee Visiting Nurse Association in 1912. Mary wrote an article in the December Issue of our newsletter highlighting the life of Minnie Beard.
I added a little comment referring to Lena Beal and her 1957 Chevy convertible and was answered by member, Don Lucy, who says that the car was purchased in 1968 by the late Shawn Kelly and provided many happy memories to all who rode in it.
Peggy O’Neill Westergard, a former Lee resident (LHS Class of 58), who now lives in Lawrence, Kansas remembers Miss Beal as a big supporter of poetry in her English classes and having her students do a poetry anthology to secure a better grade to graduate. Peggy believes that this hooked her on poetry and several poems that she still relates to today.
Our membership drive has also started for 2013 and we are asking our present members to rejoin for 2013 and try to recruit new members. Our newsletter seems to be popular, so if you enjoy it and are not a present member, we encourage you to join the society. Our yearly member dues are a huge part of our budget. We also ask members to spare a few hours during the year to lend us a hand. We usually schedule people on one hour only shifts at our events, so if you could handle that, we would appreciate it.
We are always looking for donations of old Lee books, pictures, postcards, etc. If you have something lying around the house and want to donate it to a good cause, give us a call. How about writing an article about your past adventures in Lee or about an old Lee resident. Everyone loves to read a good story, especially if they can relate to it.
Below is the third picture sent to us from the Lee Library’s Historical Collection of Lee photographs. This collection has been digitalized for the Lee Library by the Boston Public Library. We thank the Lee Library for making this possible for our readers. If any of our readers would like to comment or add additional information, please contact Mary Philpott at maryphilpott@mindspring.com.
The photo was received from the Lee Library in 1990 and the maker was H. B. Yergason of Albion place, Mt. Auburn, Cincinnatti, Ohio
The photo was received by the Lee Library in 1990 and the maker was H. B. Yergason, of Albion Place, Mt. Auburn, Cincinnati, Ohio.
We are assuming that this picture was taken at the quarry now owned by the Garrity family on Marble Street. If anyone can supply more information, we would love to know.
Other news from the Lee Library:
Please check out the library website www.leelibrary.org for information about Freegal. With Freegal, you can download music that is yours to keep. We also have free family movies on the second Saturday of the month at 11 a.m. in the Gallery. Please join us!
Recollections XII
By U. S. Navy Retired Commander Vic Mottarella
A Native of Lee
(Continued from November – 12)
On an aircraft carrier the normal watch in peacetime consists of about five trained enlisted radar men and at least one officer. During combat situations as many as seven officers and ten enlisted men occupy the Combat Center. The Center contains numerous radar scopes and many illuminated display boards. The radars are short and long range air and surface search as well as one to indicate aircraft altitude. Many radio and intercom devices allow direct communications with the Captain, airborne aircraft, other ships and other important posts throughout the ship. The room is fairly small for the number of people and amount of equipment involved. The station is very dimly lit so that the display boards can better display data on the illuminated plastic boards, one of which is about eight feet square. Two enlisted men stand behind the large board and plot friendly and hostile aircraft. An unidentified aircraft was called a bogey while a hostile fighter, once identified was called a bandit. Smaller boards were used to display surface ships and other data. Approximately once each minute an X is placed with time in minutes at the relative position of a hostile plane while the friendly plane’s position would be indicated by a small circle followed by the time. Since the enlisted men stand behind the boards they must write all associated symbols, time and words backwards so that the watch officer, sitting at his console in front of the board, can readily interpret the overall combat situation. While at sea the Combat Center is manned at all times. The standard watch time for both officers and enlisted personnel is four hours. In peace time the most important function of CIC is to alert the Captain or Officer of the Day of a potential collision. The CIC Watch Offer must recognize a potential collision at a distance of several miles because a large ship does not turn on a dime especially when cruising at a high speed. During my period of instruction at Glenview Naval Air Station I flew each month. Again, I flew Bearcats and Hellcats when available. When not available I had to sacrifice with an Advanced Trainer. Flight time never exceeded much over four hours which was the minimum to qualify for flight pay.
Assignment to Aircraft Carrier USS Leyte
Sometime in late November 1951 I received orders from the Bureau of Naval Personnel stating the following:
“Upon completion of your course of instruction and when directed by your commanding officer, on or about 6 December 1951, you will regard yourself detached from duty involving flying under instruction at the Naval CIC Officers School, Naval Air Station, Glenview, Ill., and from such other duty as may have been assigned you; will proceed to the port in which the USS Leyte CV 32 may be, and upon arrival report to the commanding officer of the vessel for duty involving flying. You are hereby authorized to delay for a period of ten days in compliance with these orders, such delay to count as leave”.
RECOLLECTIONS XIII
USS LEYTE
It was a cold, cloudy and blustery day at the Boston Navy Yard on 26 December, 1951 when I reported aboard the USS Leyte. I had just completed a ten day leave and left Betty and our new born son with her parents in Lee, Massachusetts. The ship was laid down as Crown Point at the Newport News Shipbuilding Company on February 21, 1944 but later was changed to Leyte to commemorate the recent battle of Leyte Gulf, also called the second battle of the Philippine Sea. In accordance with Navy tradition I faced and saluted the Ensign (Navy term for the flag) and routinely requested permission to come aboard from the Officer of the Day. The Leyte was one of 24 Essex Class carriers that were commissioned during and immediately following World War II. I had previously flown Hellcats and Bearcats from two identical ships - the USS Kearsarge and the USS Randolph. Later in my career I flew from another identical ship, the USS Lexington. During the year 1951 the Leyte had returned from the Korean War where she had spent 92 days at sea and her squadrons flew 1933 sorties against the North Korean aggressors. Her pilots accumulated 11,000 hours in the air inflicting massive damage upon enemy positions. My first fighter squadron (VF-32) had participated in those missions. Jesse Brown, the first black Naval Aviator among others, was shot down and killed in a F4U Corsair and LT Junior Grade Tom Hudner of Concorde Mass was awarded the Congressional Medal by President Truman for a valiant but futile attempt to rescue him from the frigid mountains near the Chosin Reservoir. While circling the wreckage, Tom observed Jesse waving from his plane so he knew he was still alive. Tom then decided he was too badly injured since it was apparent that he made no effort to leave the plane. Seeing smoke and thinking the plane might burst into flames Tom decided to crash-land his plane and try to get him out. It turned out that Jesse’s feet were locked behind the rudder pedals of the F4U Corsair making it impossible for him to be extricated. Due to loss of blood and extremely low temperatures Jesse gradually faded into the sunset. This all occurred behind enemy lines and the enemy was closing in so time was of the essence. Finally a chopper was dispatched from the Leyte to pick Tom up. I remember the day Jesse reported to our squadron in 1948 as a fledgling Midshipman. He had recently been awarded his wings of gold but was still a Midshipman. For a period of about two years new aviators reported to squadrons as Midshipmen and commissioned as Ensigns 18 months later. We had just completed our nine month tour with the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean aboard the USS Kearsarge. At the time we were still flying Grumman Bearcats. The Bearcats were later replaced by Corsairs since this airplane could carry more ordnance and was better suited for close air support that was required in the Korean War. A new Navy Frigate of the Knox-class was named for Jesse L. Brown and commissioned on February 17, 1973. It was decommissioned on June 27, 1994 and later sold to Egypt
The Newsletter of the Lee Historical Society is published monthly by our non-profit organization; our society’s mission is to foster a greater knowledge and appreciation of the history of the Town of Lee through research, lectures, and exhibits, and of the acquisition and preservation of material and sites. The overall object and purpose of our society shall be exclusively educational and charitable consistent with 501 (C) (3).
Officers of the Lee Historical Society for the year
President – Stephen Cozzaglio – 413-243-3204 or scozzaglio@roadrunner.com
Vice- President – Gary W. Allen – 413-2543-2140 or garywallen@earthlink.net
Treasurer – Mal Eckert – 413-243-1797 or MalEckert@msn.com
Secretary – Bambi Johndrow – 413-243-2845 or disdeer62@netzero.net
Board of Directors of the Lee Historical Society
Mary MorrisseyEthel NoonanPeg BironDolores EckertMarion LeachJoAnn ZarnochBrenda Liebenow Adele HawleyArlene DuquetteSociety Historian – Charlotte Davis
Collection Chairman – Marion Leach
Newsletter Editor – Mal Eckert
Something Free:
Society member, Vic Mottarella, has given us three passes to the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks, CT to dispose of. If any society member would be interested in obtaining these passes, please let us know by January 8th and we will put all the names in a box and pick a lucky name. Thanks, Vic!
SOLDIERS OF LEE IN THE CIVIL WAR
Private Chester Bevins
Company A, Massachusetts 31st Volunteer Infantry Regiment
Name: Chester Bevins
Residence: South Lee, Massachusetts
Occupation: Farmer
Age at Enlistment: 18
Enlistment Date: 22 November 1861
Rank at Enlistment: Private
State Served: Massachusetts
Was Wounded?: Yes
Survived the War?: Yes
Service Record: Entered in Company A, Massachusetts 31st Infantry Regiment on 22 November 1861.
Mustered out on 09 September 1865 at Mobile, Alabama
Birth Date: About 1843
Sources: Massachusetts Soldiers, Sailors and Marines in the Civil War.
The 31st Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry was raised by General Butler and organized at Camp Seward in Pittsfield in fall and early winter of 1861 and was at first known as the Western Bay State Regiment.
The Regiment spent the entire war in the Louisiana area of the South. The 31st was lucky compared to many regiments as they only lost 3 officers dying of disease or accident, 52 enlisted men being killed or mortally wounded and 150 more enlisted men dying of disease or accident.
Chester Bevins is found in the 1860 U. S. Census as living with his parents, Anthony and Harriet Fuller Bevins and being one of eleven children. He was born in Salisbury, Connecticut in 1846, which means that he was only 15 when he enlisted .He was married to Mary Martin on August 12, 1872 at age 25. That would prove his enlistment age. Mr. Bevins is shown in the 1890 Census as a laborer living on Maple Street He died on March 20, 1910
Quotes:
Former United States President, Ronald Reagan once said, “The government is like a baby’s alimentary canal, with a happy appetite at one end and no responsibility at the other.”
Artist Ed Langley, said, “What this country needs are more unemployed politicians.”
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR “BUSINESS MEMBERS” THAT SUPPORT OUR SOCIETY
The following is a list of the area businesses that are currently “Business Members” of the Lee Historical Society for this year. If you would like your business or company listed here, please fill out the membership application below and send it to us with a check for $25.00
___________________________________________________________________________________
Bartini Roofing CompanyBen’s ShopCharles Flint Antiques
Ben’s ShopCharles Flint Antiques290 Pleasant Street68 Main Street52 Housatonic Street
68 Main Street52 Housatonic StreetLee, MA 01238Lee, MA 01238Lenox, MA 01240
Lee, MA 01238Lenox, MA 01240413-243-0570413-243-0242413-637-1634
413-243-0242413-637-1634Karen Keenan Gifts & HomeQuality Plus CustodialLocker Room Sports Pub
Quality Plus CustodialLocker Room Sports Pub 69 Main Street260 Chesnut Street232 Main Street
260 Chesnut Street232 Main StreetLee, MA 01238Lee, MA 01238Lee, MA 01238
Lee, MA 01238Lee, MA 01238413-243-2689413-243-2197413-243-2662
413-243-2197413-243-2662Frank Consolati Ins. AgencyPaperdilly, Inc.Dresser Hull Company
Paperdilly, Inc.Dresser Hull Company71 Main Street74 Main Street60 Railroad Street
74 Main Street60 Railroad StreetLee, MA 01238Lee, MA 01238Lee, MA 01238
Lee, MA 01238Lee, MA 01238413-243-0105413-243-1928413-243-4545
413-243-1928413-243-4545Robert M. Kelly, PaperhangingDeely & Deely, AttorneysJonathon Foote 1778 House
Deely & Deely, AttorneysJonathon Foote 1778 HouseSouth Prospect Street218 Main Street1 East Street
218 Main Street1 East StreetLee, MA 01238Lee, MA 01238Lee, MA 01238
Lee, MA 01238Lee, MA 01238Monk’s Professional Barber ShopLee BankDevonfield Inn
Lee BankDevonfield Inn91 Main Street75 Park Street85 Stockbridge Road
75 Park Street85 Stockbridge RoadLee, MA 01238Lee, MA 01238Lee, MA 01238
Lee, MA 01238Lee, MA 01238413-243-3341413-243-0117413-243-3298
413-243-0117413-243-3298Hunter & Graziano P. C.Terrace Hair StudioWilcox Plumbing & Heating
Terrace Hair StudioWilcox Plumbing & Heating10 Park Place135 Housatonic StreetP. O. Box 561
135 Housatonic StreetP. O. Box 561Lee, MA 01238Lee, MA 01238Lee, MA 01238
Lee, MA 01238Lee, MA 01238413-243-0789413-243-1799413-243-2494
413-243-1799413-243-2494Kelly Funeral HomeMatt Liebenow Jr., Trucking
Matt Liebenow Jr., Trucking3 Main StreetP. O. Box 72
P. O. Box 72Lee, MA 01238Lee, MA 01238
Lee, MA 01238413-243-0204413-347-7048
413-347-7048Check out TownOfLee.com for information about Lee; where to eat, places to stay, shopping, etc.
HOW ABOUT BECOMING A MEMBER OF THE LEE HISTORICAL SOCIETY? OR GIVING A GIFT MEMBERSHIP TO A FRIEND, OR RELATIVE. IT IS INEXPENSIVE, IT DOESN’T HURT AND IT MAKES PEOPLE HAPPY AND IT SUPPORTS OUR SOCIETY.
Student Membership - $5.00 Senior Membership (one person over the age of 65) - $5.00
Senior Membership (one person over the age of 65) - $5.00Business Membership - $25.00Individual Membership (one person under the age of 65) - $10.00
Individual Membership (one person under the age of 65) - $10.00 Family Membership (all members of one family living at home) - $15.00
Name:__________________________________________________________Mail to:
Mail to:Address:___________________________________________ Lee Historical Society
P.O.. Box 170City/Town:_________________________State:_____________Zip:________ Lee, MA 01238
Telephone:______________________Email:__________________
