Lee Historical Society
Newsletter
Vol. 10, No. 10
October 2013
Our unique history and blend of people defines the foundation of our town.
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 along with a huge turnout of people enjoyed the weather, good food, entertainment and parade that this year’s Founder’s Day Weekend provided. The members who helped out at the booth met new people interested with the history of Lee and with old friends whom we see every year. Our booth, near Memorial Hall did a brisk business right up until the rain shut us down on Saturday afternoon. All in all, it was a delightful weekend.
We wish to thank all of our members that participated in the weekend events and also wish to thank the Dowd family, who travels to Lee every year from Florida and Pennsylvania, for the donation of the WWI book and the picture and papers of their late father, Earl Walter Dowd. The elder Mr. Dowd was born in Lee on May 20, 1895 to Joseph Levi Dowd and Maria Masterson. He served in the United States Army in France and returned to Lee and married Jennie Sutton in 1923 and lived with her family at 55 Fuller Street until he built a house that still stands on the west side of the driveway into St. Mary’s School on Orchard Street. He was the superintendent of the Eaton-Dikeman Paper Company on Railroad Street until it burned in 1932. The following year the family relocated to Mt. Holly, PA. Mr. Dowd died in 1964 and is buried in Fairmount Cemetery.
We also thank Christina Cannon (Class of 1957) Craighhead who was visiting town from Florida for a St. Mary’s School Reunion and dropped off some photos for us. We are going to test our readers with these photos in coming issues and see who can identify the people in them.
NEW MEMBERS TO WELCOME:
Berkshire Mountain Country Store, 151 Main Street, Lee, MA 01238
Pumpkin Patch Quilts, P. O. Box 430, 58 West Center Street, Lee, MA 01238
Dee Dee Fraser, 55 Devon Road, Lee, MA 01238
Charles Salinetti, 6205 Sommerset Lane, Williamsburg, VA 23188-1795
Richard and Susan Gore, 70 Fairview Street, Lee, MA 01238
Rosalind Haywood, 4 Hutchinson Lane, Lenox, MA 01240
Below is this month’s 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.
PUBLIC CEREMONY ON LIBRARY LAWN
It appears that this is the dedication of the monument on the corner of the lawn. The monument is inscribed “To the Men of Lee Who Gave All in the War for Worldwide Liberty.” Erected by Ausotunnoog Chapter DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution). The men whose names are inscribed on the monument are: John R. Carty, Harry P. Cross, James R. Bossidy, Thomas M. Creror, Harold M. Parker, Thomas J. Fanning, Russell R. Griffin, Charles T. Noonan, Milton D. Parker and Ivan A. Roberts.
The library received this photo in 1990 but we don’t have an exact date when this photo was taken, but we do know that flag and 60 ft. pole was also erected by the same chapter of the DAR to the memory of the Revolutionary soldiers from this town. This was reported in The Library Journal, January, 1917 (Vol. 42). This journal is digitalized and is very interesting reading. The issues the libraries faced in 1917 are not that different from the issues that the libraries face today.
LIBRARY NEWS:
CreativeLEE XIII, an exhibit of local art, will be on display in the J. Peter Scolforo Gallery for the month of October. Our opening reception will take place on Friday, October 4th, from 3 – 5 pm. Please join us and meet our local artists and see the amazing talent in our community.
The winner of the framed photo that was donated by Leo W. Mahoney and raffled away by the Lee Library on Founder’s Day Weekend was Dr. Thomas Consolati.
Does anyone have an idea of why the sidewalks on the east side of Main Street were built high? This question was asked to me this past week by Marilyn Kelly and I have to admit that I had not even really thought about it. What does everyone think? The answer will be in the November issue.
Recollections XIII
By U.S. Navy Retired Commander Vic Mottarella
A native of Lee
(Continued from September)
CANNES
Our final anchorage before being relieved at Gibraltar by another carrier was at Cannes, also called the Playground of France located in the heart of the French Riviera. Only a short distance from Cannes lie two other cities which are famous in their own right; Monte Carlo, home of one of the world's largest gambling casinos and Nice, another resort spot and a leading center of commerce in southern France. Monte Carlo borders on Nice and is located in the country of Monaco which encompasses an area of .76 square miles and has a population of about 38,000 making it the second smallest and the most densely populated country in the world. It is only about fifteen miles from the Italian border. The Cannes film festival which started in 1939 is held annually, usually in May. While there I took a tour to the city of Grasse, only a few miles from Cannes. Grasse is in the center of the French perfume industry and is also known as the world's perfume capital. I couldn't leave without buying a couple of vials for Betty of what would have been very expensive perfume in the United States.
The ship finally hoisted anchor and departed Cannes while I was still ashore at the local airport. From there I was assigned to make my first and only carrier landing in the SNJ. As I recall the plane had a crude arrangement for the tail hook. They used a clothes line type rope to drop the tail hook from the cockpit. You just yanked on the rope and the hook would drop. The ship had just been landing jets so there was about 45 knots of gusty wind over the deck. Since there was a lot of wind the ship still had to maintain at least ten knots through the water just to maintain steerage which added to flight deck wind.
I had not made a carrier landing since 1949, a time span of over three years and here I was landing a plane in which I had never made a carrier landing. I started my left turn from my down-wind position (the opposite direction from the ship’s heading) abeam the island of the ship as I had always done in the Bearcat but with so much wind over the deck and because this plane was so much slower I ended up in a long straight-in approach which resulted in a wave-off. (A wave-off is the term used when you have flown an unsatisfactory or dangerous pattern as you approached the ship). It's a decision made by the Landing Signal Officer. In this case he waves two paddles over his head. In fact, the Landing Signal Officer's radio call sign is "PADDLES". I rarely got a wave-off while flying Hellcats and Bearcats and when that occurred it was usually because of a foul deck. A foul deck could be caused by a number of cases. While the most prevalent cause would be by a pilot flying an unsafe pattern it could also be caused by a crash, a broken arresting cable or an elevator problem.
On the next approach I started my left turn abeam a position quite far ahead of the ship's bow and this ended up being a proper approach for this slow airplane. I don't remember what the exact speed of the plane was relative to the ship's speed but what I do remember about the landing was, due to all that wind over the deck, I really didn't need a tail hook at all because it seemed that the plane was not much faster than the ship.
GIBRALTAR
While proceeding west towards Gibraltar we conducted routine air operations including air to air intercepts. We arrived at Gibraltar two days later and were relieved by another carrier (Don't remember the name but it was another Essex type). The next day we proceeded west towards our home port of Norfolk. It was the roughest crossing that I had ever seen before or since. Occasionally, waves would break over the flight deck. The escorting destroyers that were only a few hundred yards away were out of sight most of the time because of the rough seas. Due to the weather no flight operations were conducted during the crossing. We finally made it to Norfolk where I rented a real nice brick house close to Virginia Beach. I then drove back to Lee to pick up Betty and our son.
The cow that put a town in the hospital
Boston, Massachusetts – 07/31/1928 – Pansy, the cow whose milk caused the death of a score of people and made over 100 seriously ill in the Town of Lee, Massachusetts. She is shown here in Boston where she was sentenced to death, but afterwards reprieved to be studied by scientists.
On the back page of this month’s newsletter is a copy of our 2013 “November Raffle Ticket”. There are many great prizes and also some bonus prizes that are not listed. If anyone would like to support the society by purchasing a ticket, please fill out the bottom part of the ticket and send us a $10.00 check (no cash) to the LEE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, P. O. BOX 170, LEE, MA 01238. We will then assign you a ticket number and return a copy of your stub to you. Good luck to all and remember that you can’t win one of these great prizes if you don’t purchase a ticket. They make great gifts!!!!
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 Company
Ben’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
413-243-0242413-637-1634Lee Audio ‘N Security, Inc.Quality Plus CustodialLocker Room Sports Pub
Quality Plus CustodialLocker Room Sports Pub 65 Fairview Street260 Chesnut Street232 Main Street
260 Chesnut Street232 Main StreetLee, MA 01238Lee, MA 01238Lee, MA 01238
Lee, MA 01238Lee, MA 01238800-369-3905413-243-2197413-243-2662
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 HomeLee Hardware Store, Inc.Berkshire Mt. Country Store
Lee Hardware Store, Inc.Berkshire Mt. Country Store3 Main Street221 Main Street151 Main Street
221 Main Street151 Main StreetLee, MA 01238Lee, MA 01238Lee, MA 01238
Lee, MA 01238Lee, MA 01238413-243-0204413-243-0786413-243-2144
413-243-0786413-243-2144A. F. Viale Insurance AgencyGreylock Federal Credit UnionPumpkin Patch Quilts
Greylock Federal Credit UnionPumpkin Patch Quilts75 Main Street47 Main Street58 West Center Street
47 Main Street58 West Center StreetLee, MA 01238Lee, MA 01238Lee, MA 01238
Lee, MA 01238Lee, MA 01238413-243-0347413-243-2121413-243-1635
413-243-2121413-243-1635Check 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) - $10.00Family Membership (all members of one family living at home) - $15.00
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Lee Historical Society,City/Town:_________________________State:_____________Zip:________P. O. Box 170,
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