REPOST Miscellany Mondays: Skating on Baker's Meadow Pond, "...here was the gathering place of dozens of children and adults every weekend enjoying at least 10 acres of open ice to explore and play."
REPOST Miscellany Mondays: Skating on Baker's Meadow Pond, "...here was the gathering place of dozens of children and adults every weekend enjoying at least 10 acres of open ice to explore and play."
Great story, Jim!!! I remember skating on Haggitts Pond as a kid.
I also remember shoveling off the ice and then some 'big kids' came and played hockey on our carefully shoveled area. No room left for the young hard-working kids to skate.
What a great story Marilyn! I know the places you mentioned in your comment. I too have skated on Haggett's Pond, only twice with church youth groups but never on a river. I am thinking it may have been a brook that flowed down to Haggetts from the farm.
As far as I know it is and now very accessible, as it is part of the Barker's Meadow Reservation owned by AVIS. The west side of the pond is the Sakowich Reservation of AVIS and the former part that belonged to my grandfather's farm. A walk in from their former driveway and left down the old wagon path is the route we took to get to the meadow.
Thank you Clinton. I have never thought of myself as "one of the big boys" but I guess I was at some point. LOL. Someday I hope to get back out on Baker's Meadow for a skate but will have to go buy a new pair of skates.
What a wonderful story! It reminds me of something my great-aunt Edith wrote about her parents and how ice-skating in Andover was part of their courtship. Edith's mother, Mary Miller, had emigrated from Scotland to Andover around 1884, along with her parents and siblings. Edith's father, Rufus McDonald, was orphaned at age 12 and went to live with his uncles, George and Augustus Upton, at their farm in Ballardvale (on Osgood Street, later known as the Grant Farm). At age 14 he went to work for the Andrews family in Andover as a stable boy, caring for the horses and carriages. Edith says that Rufus loved to ice-skate. When he was courting Mary Miller, he would skate down the river and Haggett's Pond to his best girl's backyard, which was on the pond.
I lived near Bakers Meadow. I would skate after school walk home and go to hockey practice. Many a fun day skating. Jim was one of the big boys I remember in the neighborhood.
Such great stories. I walked out onto the ice at Onway lake once. Was kind of nervous even though the locals were driving on it. Have yet to try skating. Thanks, Jim
You don't really appreciate how lucky you were at the time, to be able to walk to any frozen pond or rink and enjoy the moment free of charge. We also visited another small pond which is now a water hazard in the Indian Ridge Country Club golf course. This was before it was built and still part of the Ruggerio farm on Argilla Rd. It too had its own magic as it was surrounded on two sides by Hemlock and Pine trees. Most of the kids on Strawberry Hill Rd and Rennie Dr. skated there.
I love it. What a great memory for you, Jim. I grew up in Brighton, and the City of Boston would flood areas of the public parks. The skating was dependent on the weather, but there were winters when the ice lasted for weeks. The memories are still vivid.
Thank you for re-posting. I can certainly imagine Jim's experiences and it's nice to know this side of him! I only knew him as a teacher at Andover High in addition to the work he did with the ACHC.
Great story, Jim!!! I remember skating on Haggitts Pond as a kid.
I also remember shoveling off the ice and then some 'big kids' came and played hockey on our carefully shoveled area. No room left for the young hard-working kids to skate.
What a great story Marilyn! I know the places you mentioned in your comment. I too have skated on Haggett's Pond, only twice with church youth groups but never on a river. I am thinking it may have been a brook that flowed down to Haggetts from the farm.
As far as I know it is and now very accessible, as it is part of the Barker's Meadow Reservation owned by AVIS. The west side of the pond is the Sakowich Reservation of AVIS and the former part that belonged to my grandfather's farm. A walk in from their former driveway and left down the old wagon path is the route we took to get to the meadow.
Thank you Clinton. I have never thought of myself as "one of the big boys" but I guess I was at some point. LOL. Someday I hope to get back out on Baker's Meadow for a skate but will have to go buy a new pair of skates.
What a wonderful story! It reminds me of something my great-aunt Edith wrote about her parents and how ice-skating in Andover was part of their courtship. Edith's mother, Mary Miller, had emigrated from Scotland to Andover around 1884, along with her parents and siblings. Edith's father, Rufus McDonald, was orphaned at age 12 and went to live with his uncles, George and Augustus Upton, at their farm in Ballardvale (on Osgood Street, later known as the Grant Farm). At age 14 he went to work for the Andrews family in Andover as a stable boy, caring for the horses and carriages. Edith says that Rufus loved to ice-skate. When he was courting Mary Miller, he would skate down the river and Haggett's Pond to his best girl's backyard, which was on the pond.
Poignant childhood memories of winters in the town, recorded for all to enjoy. Is ice skating still happening here, like this?
I lived near Bakers Meadow. I would skate after school walk home and go to hockey practice. Many a fun day skating. Jim was one of the big boys I remember in the neighborhood.
Jim I enjoy your writings. Thank you
Such great stories. I walked out onto the ice at Onway lake once. Was kind of nervous even though the locals were driving on it. Have yet to try skating. Thanks, Jim
You don't really appreciate how lucky you were at the time, to be able to walk to any frozen pond or rink and enjoy the moment free of charge. We also visited another small pond which is now a water hazard in the Indian Ridge Country Club golf course. This was before it was built and still part of the Ruggerio farm on Argilla Rd. It too had its own magic as it was surrounded on two sides by Hemlock and Pine trees. Most of the kids on Strawberry Hill Rd and Rennie Dr. skated there.
I love it. What a great memory for you, Jim. I grew up in Brighton, and the City of Boston would flood areas of the public parks. The skating was dependent on the weather, but there were winters when the ice lasted for weeks. The memories are still vivid.
Thank you for re-posting. I can certainly imagine Jim's experiences and it's nice to know this side of him! I only knew him as a teacher at Andover High in addition to the work he did with the ACHC.