52 Ancestors Week 28: Leisure Time

 Week 28:

The theme for Week 28 is “Leisure Time.” Sure, our ancestors were hardworking people, but they also would enjoy themselves from time to time. What is a leisure activity that an ancestor did? Have any of those been passed down to you?

Farming or fishing. Let's let fate decide.

    As we all know our ancestors worked hard for their money. So hard for their money. As a result they've had to set aside some time to relax and take their minds off of everything. Here in the Merrimack valley you have a wide variety of options to choose from. You could either fish in the river/open ocean, golf, mess around in a garden or take part in any other activity your heart desired. There is literally nothing you can't do around here! This message has been brought to you by the greater Merrimack Valley Tourism Board. Where's my check?

    In all seriousness, there is one constant among everyone in my family tree who has lived in the Merrimack valley. You know it. I know it. I've written about it loads of times. Virtually everyone at one time or another has either gardened in their time off, went out on the ocean or hit the beach. What else can you do when the sun is blazing overhead? It does get warm here in the summer and the cool sea breeze does wonders to sooth the nerves. Aye, there's noting quite like the siren's call of the open ocean. Or is that just somebody telling someone else to turn down the music? It's honestly hard to say.

    This picture of my 2nd great-grandparents Joseph Laplante and Georgianna Ross is quite possibly one of the earliest pictures I have of an ancestor at the beach. It was taken during the mid 1920s and as you can see they all looked pretty stylish in their '20s era beachwear. Believe it or not this picture is exactly one hundred years old. I wonder if it was taken one hundred years ago this week!  It's very possible! I know the date because my grandfather or my grandmother labeled the picture themselves. I just cut off where they wrote notes. They did that a lot with old photos. Relax. I have a copy of original with the notes. I just cropped it out for easy viewing!

    I wish I knew what beach they were hanging out at on was. The Laplantes lived in Newburyport and there were three beaches you could cool off at during the summer.. Salisbury Beach, Plum Island and Cranes Beach were all a quick drive from the city. The safest bet is that this is Salisbury beach. Back in the day the town center was hopping with activity and people came from all over to have fun at the local arcade. Yes, they had arcades back then. Just no Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat. Oh, wow. Can you imagine?!

    Many people even had beach houses on Plum Island that are still standing today. In fact, whenever we visited my mother would point out her grandparents' Austin and Henrietta's beach house. My mother visited them there quite frequently and Austin would teach her and her siblings how to fish. The funny thing is that he never told the grandkids about the time their skiff hit a Coast Guard cutter in the mid 1930s The boat capsized and the sailors had to fish three people out of a very polluted river. Obviously they survived. It would have made for a great story. When I found the article in the Newburyport archives, I had to show my aunts and uncles what happened. To say everyone laughed is a bit of an understatement. They never heard the story and I guess they never expected their descendants would find out about their adventure.

    Naturally, the Italians also went to the beaches.  I'm pretty sure there are Carrabs sisters in this picture. My father and I spent a considerable amount of time trying to figure out who was who. I swear the lady in the back in the sort of bikini is my great-aunt Louise. I'm not sure who the rest are, My grandmother cold be sitting on the ground front and center for all I know!

    Yeah, I know. I'm a bad grandson for not being able to pick out my grandmother in a lineup. Cut me some slack! I've never known her with dark hair. For as long as I could remember her hair was blond (dyed, of course). I didn't know she and her sisters had black hair until most of them passed away. Do you honestly think five little old Italian ladies would tell me that their hair color wasn't natural?!  No. I rest my case! One day I'll figure out who all those people are. And the guy in the middle with a ton of swagger, too.

    Judging by the two pictures here it's clear that life has always been a beach for ancestors of mine who made their home in the Merrimack valley. People from both Haverhill and Newburyport flocked to the sandy beaches when the weather got hot. Generations later my parents did the same thing. We'd go to Salisbury beach, Cranes and Plum Island many times. We even went to where ye olde arcades used to be and play all kinds of games. The area is still abuzz with activity and every time I visit I get a little nostalgic about days gone by. As for my ancestors? Well, I'm sure they felt the same way. When you live near a beach, the experiences you have there can last a lifetime.

Just don't swim in the Merrimack. Trust me, bro.

See ya next time!