Historic Nantucket, October 1966, Vol. 14 No. 2

Historic Nantucket

Sleek Visitors from Farawav Places.

OCTOBER, 1966

Published Quarterly by NANTUCKET HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION NANTUCKET, MASSACHUSETTS

NANTUCKET HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION OFFICERS President, George W. Jones.

Vice Presidents. Miss Grace Brown Gardner, W. Ripley Nelson, Albert F. Egan Jr., Mrs. William L. Mather, Alcon Chadwick. Henry B. Coleman.

Treasurer, Norman P. Giffln.

Secretary, Mrs. Isabel W. Duffy.

Councillors, George W. Jones, Chairman; Miss Helen Powell, Albert G. Brock, term expires 1967; Mrs. Ernest H. Menges, Walter Beinecke, Jr., term expires 1968; Leroy H. True, Herbert I. Terry, term expires 1969; Mrs. James C. Andrews, Richard P. Swain, term expires 1970.

Advertising and Publications, W. Ripley Nelson and H. Errol Coffin.

Honorary Curator, Mrs. Nancy S. Adams.

Curator, Mrs. William L. Mather.

Executive Committee, George W. Jones, Chairman; Alcon Chadwick, Henry B. Coleman, Albert F. Egan, Jr., W. Ripley Nelson.

Editor, Historic Nantucket, A. Morris Crosby: Assistant Editors, Mrs. Mar­ garet Fawcett Barnes, Mrs. R. A. Orleans.

Chairmen of Exhibits, Historical Museum. Mrs. William L. Mather: Whaling Museum, W. Ripley Nelson; Hadwen House — Satler Memorial, Albert F. Egan, Jr.; Old Mill, Henry B. Coleman: Old Jail, Albert G. Brock; 1800 House, Miss Ethel Clark: Fire Hose Cart House, Irving T. Bartlett; Oldest House, Mrs. J. Clinton Andrews; Folger-Franklin Seat and Memorial Boulder, Herbert I. Terry.

STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT AND CIRCULATION filed with Postmaster. Nantucket, Massachusetts, according to Act of October 23, 1962: section 4369, title 39, United States Code. DATE OF FILING: September 26, 1966. TITLE OF PUBLICATION: HISTORIC NANTUCKET. FREQUENCY OF ISSUE: Quarterly.

LOCATION OF KNOWN OFFICE OF PUBLICATION: Nantucket Historical Association, Fair Street. Nantucket, County of Nantucket, Massachusetts, 02554.

LOCATION OF THE HEADQUARTERS OR GENERAL BUSINESS OFFICES OF THE PUBLISHERS: Fair Street, Nantucket, Massachusetts.

NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF PUBLISHER, EDITOR AND MANAGING EDITOR: PUBLISHER: Nantucket Historical Association, Fair Street, Nantucket, Massachusetts. EDITOR ; A. Morris Crosby, 6 Step Lane, Nantucket, Massachusetts. MANAGING-EDITOR: None.

OWNER: Nantucket Historical Association, Fair Street, Nantucket, Massachusetts.

OFFICERS: President, George W. Jones, Nantucket, Massachusetts; Vice-Presidents, Miss Grace Brown Gardner, W. Ripley Nelson, Albert F. Egan Jr., Mrs. William L. Mather, Alcon Chadwick, Henry B. Coleman, all of Nantucket, Massachusetts. TREAS­ URER, Norman P. Giffin. SECRETARY, Mrs. Isabel W. Duffy, both of Nantucket Massachusetts. KNOWN BONDHOLDERS, MORTGAGEES, AND OTHER SECURITY HOLDERS OWNING OR HOLDING 1 PERCENT OR MORE OF TOTAL AMOUNT OF BONDS, MORTGAGES OR OTHER SECURITIES: None (Non-Profit Corporation).

I certify that the statements made by me above are correct and complete, (signed) A. Morris Crosby, Editor.

HISTORIC NANTUCKET Published quarterly and devoted to the preservation of Nantucket's antiquity, its famed heritage and its illustrious past as a whaling port.

VOLUME 14

October, 1966

No. 2

CONTENTS

Nantucket Historical Association Officers President's Annual Report

5

Report of Annual Meeting

9

Phebe Folger's Watercolors, By Katherine Seeler

13

Recent Events

19

Diary of William C. Folger, Edited by Nancy S. Adams

24

Legacies and Bequests

27

Historic Nantucket is published quarterly at Nantucket, Massachusetts, by the Nantucket Historical Association. It is sent to Association Members. Extra copies $.50 each.

Membership Dues are — Annual-Active $3.00 ; Sustaining $10.00 ; Life—one payment $50.0.0 Second-class postage paid at Nantucket, Massachusetts.

Copyright, 1966 Nantucket Historical Association.

Communications pertaining to the Publication should be addressed to the Editor, Historic Nantucket, Nantucket Historical Association, Nantucket, Massachusetts, 02554.

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5

President's Annual Report IT IS CUSTOMARY for the President to make a report to the members covering the activities of the association over the preceding twelve months.

This has generally been done in detail for each exhibit, but as there seem to be no serious problems in connection with these now nine exhibits, and the chairmen and committees for them are caring for the small problems, I will treat them as a whole.

I take this opportunity to express thanks and appreciation to all the active workers who make up the necessary components of this organi­ zation's machinery.

One could scarcely ask for more sincere cooperative work from the officers, council members, chairmen of exhibits and all the attendants and workers. All are due our thanks for it is through their efforts that we continue a going concern.

A number of things have been accomplished by the several exhibit chairmen and their committees to improve and make more appealing these properties. Such additions and changes have been noted in their respective reports appearing in the HISTORIC NANTUCKET'S present issue and I will not attempt to enumerate them here.

I will mention with regret the loss of one of our former attendants at the Whaling Museum, Mr. John Kittila, who died during the late spring after a long illness.

The attendance was up to a new high last season as more and more people become interested in the local history and former activities of this locality. I believe we are performing a service for Nantucket not duplicated by any other organization and which should be enlarged and strengthened as time passes.

We have a growing need for a new museum building to be located next west of the Whaling Museum on property which we now own. The building should be commensurate in appearance with the appearance of that building and with the new Town and County Building which it will face.

As our real estate has increased and we have acquired more structures our responsibilities for upkeep have become a greater financial burden. As none of these exhibits are endowed, monies must be found each year to care for this maintenance work.

When emergencies have occurred in the past good friends have supplied the finances to care for them, but it is evident that surer and more systematic financing is necessary.

Our financial report printed in the July issue of HISTORIC NANTUCKET indicates that we are solvent and have some invested capital the returns from which plus the receipts from attendance plus the membership monies allow us to continue operating and publishing our quarterly magazine which I might add is highly regarded by other historical organizations.

6

HISTORIC NANTUCKET

These sums however fall short of what is needed for improvements or additions.

It is probable that before too long an addition to the Whaling Museum will be necessary and the Hadwen House-Satler Memorial Building, while one of our outstanding exhibits, is an expensive structure to keep in repair and attractive in appearance.

I could enumerate things needed in all our nine historic locations and it is this problem which has engaged the thoughts of your Council and for which a solution is being formulated.

The Treasurer's Report shows capital investment in land, buildings, and exhibits totaling nearly one-half million dollars and I believe this to be a conservative figure.

To properly protect and care for this investment, pay the salaries of eighteen seasonal employees and three regularly employed officers, and publish our quarterly magazine, we show our total annual earned income and membership dues to be approximately $35,000, not counting life mem­ bership dues which go into our restricted funds. We spent approximately $37,000. This indicates an operating deficit of approximately $2,000 which came from unrestricted funds.

It takes no certified public accountant to realize that we are having difficulty keeping our head above water.

We have in free funds about $40,000 which can be and portions of which from time to time have been used to make both ends meet; but it seems poor business to use capital funds in this manner. The loss of interest therefrom further aggravates our problem.

It was with these thoughts in mind that the Council by resolution formed an Executive Committee from its members to wrestle with this matter.

Our product is such that we cannot increase our volume of sales appreciably. Our dues have been recently raised by 50% and further increase here, it is felt, would lose some members and defeat our purpose.

Therefore our only recourse seems to be an increase of the endowment to insure an adequate income to perpetuate the services we are endeavoring to perform for this community.

It is along these lines we hope to find wihich confront us.

a solution to the difficulties

This means raising appreciably substantial funds by contribution in one form or another.

Fund raising is only as successful as the worthiness of the cause to be financed is realized and appreciated by those who may become contrib­ utors.

We believe we have an important functioning organization of real value to Nantucket and hope all who agree with us may enthusiastically back this project.

I realize that the request for monies by one organization or another is a constant one, but many important activities could be carried on only through the generosity of people interested in maintaining worthy humane and cultural endeavors.

PRESIDENT'S ANNUAL REPORT

7

I feel that an annual meeting is the proper place and time to acquaint our members with the needs and conditions which exist. For that reason I have thought it fitting to bring this matter to your attention.

We have again this year awarded a certificate to the winner of the annual essay contest at the Nantucket High School. The award was made to Brian Holdgate for his entry entitled "Nantucket's Railroads," and honorable mention went to runner-up Penny Holdgate with an essay under the name of "The Boy from 'Sconset."

The annual gam was held on March 3rd at the Library of the Maria Mitchell Association. Through the generosity of this organization we have been enabled to hold these yearly get-togethers in a heated and attractive situation. We appreciate their generosity in offering this accommodation.

Something over sixty persons were in attendance and as there was no assigned subject many things pertaining to former days were discussed.

It was an enjoyable evening for all who were present.

Our building at No. 1 North Water Street, which has been used for some of the Town offices during the construction of the new Town and County Building, was relinquished when the offices were moved into the new building.

Almost immediately it was loaned to the Nantucket Conservation Commission to house a group from the University of Massachusetts and other institutions of learning who were conducting a resources survey of the Island. Use was granted to this group to the end of August. It is planned to raze this building before another summer as it is in poor repair and of no use to the Association.

Each year we lose valuable members on the Council as their term runs out and in accordance with the by-laws they are unable to succeed themselves.

As a result this year we lose Mrs. Nancy Adams, one of our past presidents and an officer who through years of experience has always been a source of strength to this organization, and Mr. A. Morris Crosby, who has done and continues to do fine work as editor of our quarterly magazine. We hope that this change will not in any way impair their interest in our activities.

Another officer who by her request is retiring this year is our secretary, Miss Ethel Anderson, a person who has labored far beyond the dnties of her office to help in many ways. We will miss her conscientious efforts as our secretary and an interested member of the Council.

Mr. William Garnett, who has been doing an exceptionally fine job at the Old Jail, was physically incapacitated shortly after this exhibit was opened in June and is still on the sick list. Our best wishes go to him and the position is still open for him as soon as he is able to assume it.

We were fortunate in having as our guests on June 18th and 19th over eighty members of the Bay State Historical League. Representatives came from fifty organizations throughout Massachusetts. After arriving on the early afternoon boat and completing registration at the Jared Coffin House, they were taken for a bus tour of the Island. Their annual meeting was held in the dining room of the Jared Coffin House following a dinner of very satisfying proportions. A short historic talk by your

8

HISTORIC NANTUCKET

president and an account of the history Of the Jared Coffin House by past president Edouard A. Stackpole closed the evening's activities.

The following morning Mr. Stackpole conducted the League members through parts of the town on a ramble to acquaint them with a bit of the history connected with each of many of the houses.

Nearly seventy members went along and had an enjoyable time.

1 believe this was the third time they had been guests of this Association since their formation in 1903, the last time being in 1954. That their experiences here were pleasant was indicated by letters subsequently received from some of those present, and the warm feeling they held for Nantucket was renewed and strengthened.

We have in our possession some fine Nantucket recordings presented to us by our late member and friend, Mr. Henry C. Carlisle, and 1 am giving consideration to having one or two playings of these for the general public sometime next month to learn how well they will be received. .

In closing may I assure all the members that their Council is striving and I think successfully to increase our service to the public and to continue the Nantucket Historical Association as an important and valuable organization.

Thank you for your courteous attention and your active interest which will help us to accomplish this goal.

Respectfully submitted, July 19, 1966 George W. Jones, President

9

Report of the Annual Meeting July 19, 1966 THE 72nd ANNUAL MEETING of the Nantucket Historical Associa­ tion, held on Tuesday, July 19, 1966, at the Friends Meeting House on Fair Street, was called to order at 2:35 p.m. by the president, Mr. George W. Jones.

In his opening remarks of welcome to the members and friends of the as­ sociation, the president commented on the gratifying number present, noting that it was a good size group considering the competition from the beautiful summer weather outside. The benches of the old meeting house were well filled.

The secretary's report of the 1965 annual meeting was approved as read.

Inasmuch as all committee reports are printed in the July issue of HIS­ TORIC NANTUCKET which was already in the hands of the members, the president asked for a motion to waive the reading of those reports. The mo­ tion was made, seconded and carried.

As no questions were raised concerning the reports, the president pre­ sented his annual report of the year's activities and plans.

He expressed his thanks to all the officers and the workers who have given so many hours of tireless work and loyal support to the association, especially to those who make the nine exhibits such worthwhile and interest­ ing projects. He noted that the past year reached a new high in attendance at all the exhibits. The growth of the association, the president said, makes the need for a new museum building an imperative one, the proposed site being the land next to the Whaling Museum. It is proposed, he said, to raze, in the near future, the building at 1 North Water Street now on that site.

In speaking of the association's financial status, President Jones said that, while the association is solvent, it does not have sufficient funds for necessary improvements. Since none of the exhibits are endowed, there is urgent need for financing, as they are expensive to maintain and they are not self-supporting. To solve this problem, there recently has been appointed an executive committee to plan and carry out a fund-raising project to in­ crease the association's endowment funds.

The annual winter gam, the president reported, was held in February in the Maria Mitchell Library. Sixty persons were present.

President Jones expressed regret at the loss of three tireless workers, two of whom are now retiring from active duty on the Council: Mrs. Nancy Adams and Mr. A. Morris Crosby. Mr. Crosby, however, will continue as editor of HISTORIC NANTUCKET. The third. Mr. Garnett, is at present on leave from duty at the Old Jail because of illness. It is hoped that he will be able to resume his duties in the near future.

An interesting activity this past spring was the visit to Nantucket of 80 members of the Bay State Historical League. Arrangements for the visit were made by the Nantucket Historical Association for special rates and for

10

HISTORIC NANTUCKET

overnight accommodations at the Jared Coffin House. As guests of the Nantucket Historical Association the visitors were taken on a personally conducted tour of the Island by Edouard A. Stackpole, former president of the Nantucket Historical Association. At the League's business meeting Mr. Jones was made a director of the League.

Recent acquisitions to the association's treasured possessions are sev­ eral recordings of Nantucket sounds, recorded by the late Mr. Henry Carlisle.

It is planned to have them played at some future meeting of the association.

At the conclusion of the President's report, Mr. Nelson asked for the floor to present three resolutions as follows: Resolved: That the members of this Association honor with regret.

Miss Ethel Anderson's voluntary decision to retire from the official position of Secretary of the Association effective on the date of the 1966 Annual Meeting.

Further Resolved: That the members of the Association hereby express grateful and sincere appreciation and thanks to Miss Anderson for her years of service and conscientious work as Secretary of the Association, as an interested member of the Council and as a person who has labored in many ways far beyond the duties of her office.

Further Resolved: That these resolutions be inscribed in the minutes of this Annual Meeting and that a copy thereof, certified by the President of the Association be presented to Miss Anderson with the thanks and best wishes of the Association.

The resolutions were accepted with a standing unanimous vote.

The nominating committee presented the following report: July 19, 1966 To the members of the Nantucket Historical Association; we, the Nomi­ nating Committee, submit our report: President: George W. Jones; Vice Presi­ dents: Miss Grace Brown Gardner, W. Ripley Nelson, Albert F. Egan, Jr., Mrs. William L. Mather, Alcon Chadwick, Henry B. Coleman; Treasurer: Norman P. Giffin; Secretary: Mrs. James Duffy; Councillors: Mrs. James C. Andrews, Richard P. Swain (terms expire 1970).

Respectfully submitted, Albert G. Brock, Chairman; Helen Congdon, Herbert I. Terry.

Mr. Jones then relinquished the chair to Vice-President Alcon Chad­ wick for election of the president.

Motion was made, seconded, and carried that the nominations be closed, and that the secretary be instructed to cast one ballot for election of Mr. George W. Jones as president. That action was taken and Mr. Jones, having been duly elected president, then proceeded with the election of the rest of the slate as presented by the nominating committee.

Motion was made, seconded, and carried that the nominations be closed, and that the secretary be instructed to cast one ballot for the slate as read by the president. That being done, Mr. Jones adjourned the business meeting, and introduced the speaker, Professor Irwin H. Zube of the University of Massachusetts, a member of a team of scientists studying, this summer, the Island's biological, social, economic, ecological, and natural resources.

REPORT OF ANNUAL MEETING

11

Professor Zube gave a most interesting and informative talk, stressing the fact that the team's purpose is to study the interrelationship between the Island's resources and its people. Professor Zube pointed out that, in order to make the best use of the land's resources, not only on Nantucket, but every­ where, it should be not man or nature, but man and nature.

The study is a 3-way collaboration among the Nantucket Conservation Commission, the Massachusetts Department of Natural Resources, and the College of Agriculture of the University of Massachusetts, involving 14 Sci­ entists, carrying on about 16 separate studies of the Island's natural resources, a unique project, probably the only one of its kind ever to be carried on.

Professor Zube offered serious thought-provoking material for his listen­ ers, as thoughtful Nantucketers today are aware of the present dangers to the Island's resources: namely, destruction of vegetation by man, destruction of protective dunes by machines (mainly jeeps), decrease of farmlands by the increase of dwellings. The speaker offered a challenge to thoughtful people to find a way to bring together man and land in harmony, not for destruction.

With the conclusion of Professor Zube's talk, the meeting was adjourned at 3:40 p.m.

Isabel W. Duffy, Secretary

12

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13

Phebe Folger's Water colors An Account of Two Watercolor Drawings of Nantucket Made About 1797.

BY KATHERINE SEELER

[Mrs. Edgar V. Seeler, with her husband, a summer resident of Nantucket for many years, has for some time been interested in old-time Nantucket personalities. She will be remembered as the author of the article on the founding of Kendal, now Massillon, Ohio, in the April 1964 number of "Historic Nantucket." She has also obliged with notes of two of the Friends summer Meetings in the Fair Street Meeting House. The original watercolors from which the accompanying photocopies were made were lent to her by the owner.—Ed.]

H

OW MANY TIMES we all have wished it were possible to see Nan­ tucket as it was in the past. Two watercolors painted by Phebe Folger with incredible detail in about the year 1797 give us a glimpse of how a corner of the town once looked. These pages from the past appear in her copybook, dated 1797, which is now in the hands of a private collector who wishes to remain anonymous.

The scenes are painted from the East window and the North window of the home of Walter Folger, which is still standing at number 8 Pleasant Street.

The artist was Walter Folger's sister Phebe.

Phebe Folger was born in Nantucket on November 10, 1771, a younger sister of the brilliant and eccentric Walter who built the famous clock. Their parents were Walter Folger and Elizabeth Starbuck. They lived in a house on Eiberty Street, but after Walter married in 1785 he moved to the house on Pleasant Street, where Phebe was inspired to paint her pictures. Phebe was very close to Walter and he considered her bright enough to share in studying mathematics and French with him. In 1798, when she was twentyseven years old, she married Samuel Coleman and they had five girls. The first four were born in Nantucket but the fifth was born in Ghent, N. Y., where Samuel Coleman's parents lived and where Phebe and her husband moved, probably about 1808. This fifth daughter was named Matilda. She married John Chilton Howland of New Bedford and it is their descendant, Laura Dudley Saunderson, who inherited this book. It is also Mrs. Saunderson who gave Phebe Folger's Quaker cap, bonnet, and fichu to the Nantucket Historical Society.

Now let us look at this book which speaks to us of the interests of a young Nantucket woman of twenty-six in the late 1700's. Since very few people owned printed books it was the custom then to copy anything that had a special appeal. This book consists of 155 pages, 12.75 inches by 8 inches in size, and bound in old suede.

Plate 1 is the title page and the book is called "Un Recueil," which can be translated as meaning a collection, selection, or miscellany. "Painting, Penmanship, Algebra, and Pieces selected from various Authors in Prose and Verse, with a few pieces in French and with their translations" she writes.

This is followed by a very elaborate calligraphic signature "Phebe Folger of

14

HISTORIC NANTUCKET

Nantucket." The flowery poem below may be her own concoction, and under that in Roman numerals is the date 1797.

On the first pages of this book Phebe has copied in ink some engrav­ ings of famous people; famous at that time but how few of them are known today. John Fothergill was a well known Quaker, and we know Benjamin Franklin and Capt. James Cook. But who were John Dunning, Esq. and John Hamilton Moore? The copies of these engravings are made with great care and skill.

The next page contains two watercolors of still life. One is of lovely rose colored radishes and cucumbers of soft green, three small brown onions and yellow flowers and green leaves. The other still life is equally charming and depicts two slices of cut red onion with three cucumbers in a blue dish. They appear to be copies of English prints, as are some pages of exotic flowers and baskets of strawberries.

Next there is a painting of four very funny naked cherubs, one hugging a dog, in a large inflated basket covered with roses. There are the likenesses of the Duchess of Cumberland and the Duchess of Gloucester. With what pleasure a Quaker girl with simple brown and gray clothes must have copied the elaborate and worldly clothing of English nobility. There is a very sen­ timental series called "The Happy Pair," which shows a man with blue stock­ ings, tan knee britches, dark coat, and ruffled shirt; his hair is long and braided and he wears a large, folded hat. The heroine wears a rose-red dress with a long train and a lace fichu and her long elegant curls are covered by a very splendid hat.

The Five Lessons of Love, although they have a high moral tone, are a little surprising to find in such a book, for we do perhaps look for sterner and more intellectual stuff. The first of these lessons shows two girls watching two lavender doves while a man is eavesdropping at a window. These, too, must be copies of old prints. The poem is oozing with sentiment.

"Coelia, behold yon pretty doves How sweet they bill and coo; Were I and Lubin wedded loves Should we not do so too.

The youth unseen o'er heard the maid, Strange raptures fired his breast.

To avow his flame no more afraid Nanette he soon addressed."

There are several other such scenes and poems. Shepherdesses and lambs, engravings of birds and flowers with appropriate poems, and a prayer for Prince Eugene, are mixed in with odes to Franklin, Rittenhouse, Godfrey, American painters, and a sketch of a small boy formally dressed and iceskating with old fashioned, curled-up skates.

There are twenty-six pages of calligraphy and penmanship, which in­ clude examples of "German Text Capitals, Roman and Italian Capitals, Round Secretary and Sharp Secretary."

The list is long but interesting in its implications; a paragraph in French; an anecdote of Voltaire; "On the Philanthropy of John Harvard

by Edmund Burke"; twenty-one pages of Mathematics; an account of a Ger­ man prodigy; a comparison between the ancient and modern manner; a poem on the late Commencement Day at Cambridge by Joseph Allen, A.B.;

PHEBE FOLGER'S WATERCOLORS

15

a poem on the noted Quaker Mary Drummond by a young lady (not Phebe) which begins, "Hail Happy Virgin of Celestial race"; Song of the Sirens from Homer's Odyssey; Haasam or the Camel Driver by Collins; and many more short quotations of what appealed to a young Quaker woman of Nantucket whose brother was the brilliant Walter Folger.

But for us who know Nantucket today, of course the most interesting items in this book are the two plates of Nantucket about 1797, obviously done with great observation and care. In fact with an ordinary reading glass every small detail is visible.

Plate 2 is labelled "A Perspective View of part of the town of Nan­ tucket taken from a north window in the house of Walter Folger." This scene is in color and it is fascinating to note that the general tone of the town is red. Of the eight houses shown, six are red and only two are gray.

One of the red houses has a cream colored front. The window frames are all painted white; the framing of one house is gray, the chimneys are all red.

Details in the windows of the houses are equally careful. There are twenty-four panes in the windows of all the houses except for the house in the right foreground which has eighteen panes in all but one window. In this house the basement is painted gray and looks like cement and there is a basement window. Narrow windows appear over the front doors, and, of course, this can be seen in a few houses today. There are four panes over each front door, and the doors themselves appear to be unpanelled; two are white, the rest are gray. Perhaps these are storm doors still on from winter. There is one roofwalk. Only one house shows a scuttle on the roof.

In the distance is one of the old windmills, now gone, and a glimpse of open land beyond. There is an old pump. The fences, too, are interesting.

Fences with four bars crisscross the green fields on the left and a gray highboard fence appears across the front of the row of houses.

In the foreground a woman in brown Quaker dress with cap and kerchief of white is bending to the ground to pick up wooden sticks. In the yard be­ hind stands a very plump lady in a white dress with brown and pink spots.

She wears a white shirred cap, and so clear are the details under an ordinary magnifier that we can see her fingers.

On the other side of the board fence is a woman in a very elegant dress with green bodice and brown pleated skirt with a brown shawl: the figure is less than an inch in height but the details are very clear.

The small boy near her wears blue trousers and has his hair long and drawn back by a black ribbon. There is a barn in the foreground with the usual manure pile, and a small patch of plants, probably cabbages, is on the left. There are only two small trees in the entire landscape. The general scene has an air of being early spring. The original watercolor, with the har­ monious greens of fields and yards and the soft reds of the houses, is a most pleasing version of the beautiful view from Walter Folger's house just before the turn of the century.

Since Number 8 Pleasant Street is still standing, it was interesting indeed to take this picture to the spot where it was painted and try to find something to relate the greatly changed scene of today to that of one hundred and seventy years ago.

In the picture the board fence in the distance and the houses ranged be­ hind it were on Main Street. Perhaps the large house above the barn roof is

17

Plate 3:

Another Phebe Folger Watercolor — A part of old Charter Street.

18

HISTORIC NANTUCKET

the Macy house as it once looked. The pump is still standing in the front yard of the house now on the corner of Summer and Pleasant. Probably the one house we can identify today is that of the late Miss Little, Number 7, on the north side of Summer Street. Although it has a cream-colored front in Phebe's picture, it is now a weather beaten gray.

Because of the addition made to Number 8 Pleasant Street, it is diffi­ cult to get really the same view that Phebe painted.

How different Nantucket was one hundred and seventy years ago! The lack of trees, the uniformity in the style of houses, the uniform shape of the chimneys, the red color all unite to give us an entirely different community.

But to go back to Phebe Folger's second watercolor, Plate 3. In this four red houses are shown in excellent detail. One house is a little lighter red; perhaps it has faded more. The side of one house is gray. The houses are directly on the street. In two houses the narrow window frames are red, and in two they are white. The same type of plants appear in the foreground, but this time they might be strawberries. The empty lot in which they grow is surrounded by a highboard fence with horizontal boards painted gray.

There is one roofwalk, and at the peak of another roof a very simple wind indicator. Again there are twenty-four panes in most of the windows and four panes over the front door. One house is a leanto, but the one next to it has two front doors and two chimneys.

But of greatest interest to students of Nantucket architecture is the shape of the five chimneys. They all flare outward at the top with a white band at the base of the flair. There were three chimneys in Nantucket of this shape only about fifteen years ago, and Phebe's accuracy is such that we can­ not doubt the authenticity of her drawing.

In both of these plates the most noticeable feature is that the general effect of the town is RED. The Little Gray Lady was, in fact, the Little Red Lady in those early days. That many houses were red is general knowl­ edge, and there are some houses where traces of the original red on the shingles may be seen: in fact red prevails on much of Water Folger's house today. To see these pictures with the red houses so close together brings home very vividly how colorful Nantucket must have been.

Identifying Plate 3 on the spot with the existing landscape at first pre­ sented even greater difficulties than Plate 2, as trees have grown up to the east of Number 8 Pleasant Street. However, it became clear at last that this lovely watercolor represents an invaluable record of what Charter Street looked like in about 1797. Only one house remains to guide us and that is the large house on the left of Plate 3. This is still standing and is number 3 Charter Street.The three central windows are still there, although others have been added. The roof walk is gone. All the old houses on the righthand side have been torn down and replaced by smaller houses, but they, too, are directly on the street as the old ones are in the picture. Although there is a house on the northeast corner of Pine and Charter Streets, where once the strawberries grew, it is possible to see the exact angle of the corner as Phebe saw it from her brother's East window.

So here we have two pages from Nantucket's past: two watercolors of such great charm and accuracy that we can only thank Phebe Folger (and, of course, the present owner) and wish that she had left us more views of the Little RED Lady as she was about one hundred and seventy years ago.

19

Recent Events LAST SEASON will go down as one of the most, perhaps the most, successful in the history of Nantucket's summer business. Despite the fact that M. V. "Martha's Vineyard", involved in litigation with the Steamship Authority, was barred by a court order from making its usual run to the Island from Hyannis, more people came here, it is said, than ever before. This held true throughout the vacation months and, while the Labor Day week-end was washed out by a cold and rainy spell, the loss was more than balanced by a whopping 20,000 visitors reported over the Fourth of July period. Moreover, the Island received a welcome influx of visitors attracted by the fine spell of weather following Labor Day. Most of them, coming without reservations, presented a logistic problem; but the Town absorbed them one way or another. It was for the most part a bicycling crowd that seemed to revel in the seasonally less congested streets and byways.

The normal vacation routine of Nantucket moved as usual, with the museums, art shows and gallery exhibitions; the musicals; the arrival of the New York Fleet; many yachts and cabin cruisers that crowded the harbor anchorage and the docks. On the Historical Association side our exhibits did very well, the Whaling Museum breaking ail records. Two affairs open to the public were given by the Association at the Friends Meeting House, one a presentation of the late Henry C. Carlisle's taped record of three Nantucket "Conversations"; the other, the showing of some more of the slides of Old Nantucket made by the late Harry B. Turner, a long time owner and editor of the Inquirer & Mirror, and presented to the Association by his heirs.

In the early part of the summer the first phase of the waterfront development by the Sherburne Associates was completed. The old structures were moved to their permanent sites at the head of Straight Wharf and converted to serve as a laundry, an art store, headquarters for the Needleworkers, studios, and a few apartments. A bandstand was built to which the Sunday night concerts were transferred from Main Street.

The new building for Robinson's "Five and Ten" was completed together with the ultra modern quarters for The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company, a really sumptuous emporium beautifully appointed and decorated.

Between these two buildings spreads the new parking area cobbled and surfaced, with tthe fine old plane tree that used to spread its long branches behind the Island Service Company office still standing in place, conde­ scendingly surveying the host of small shrubs and trees that have sprung up in the landscaping plan for the area. *

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The two notable events foretold in the April number of HISTORIC NANTUCKET came off on schedule without a hitch, and the weather for both could not have been better. President Jones in his Annual Report,

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HISTORIC NANTUCKET

published herein, has described the June meeting of The Bay State Historical League. One item, however, Mr. Jones has omitted: at the Annual Meeting of the League on June 18th, Mr. Jones was elected a Director.

The other event, also of historical significance, was the visit to Nantucket of seventy members of the Organ Historical Society, which was holding its annual convention on Cape Cod. Composed of organists and choir directors, this society is devoted to the research and discovery of old tracker-type organs. The trip to Nantucket was squeezed into a very tight schedule of recitals on the many old church organs on the Cape. The members left Hyannis on the ten o'clock boat reaching Nantucket at twelve.

The first recital was at the Methodist Church on the Appleton organ, then over to the Goodrich organ in the Unitarian church, and back to Hyannis at three-thirty. Most of the visiting organists were young men and women and their interest and attitude were proof that ihe musical culture of this country is in good hands. Incidentally, thirty-eight copies of HISTORIC NANTUCKET for April 1963 were sold to members of the Society. This is the number containing the article about the two Nantucket organs written by Miss Barbara Owen, an officer of the society who was actively present.

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Among all these pleasant happenings, however, by far the most im­ portant event of the past season, in our opinion, was the vote of the Special Town Meeting on June 28th appropriating $41,000 to extend a runway at the Municipal Airport for the accommodation of the large jet-engined airplanes which Northeast proposes to operate to and from Nantucket in 1968. By that time Northeast will have switched entirely to this type of power, according to present plans, and will need the longer landing and takeoff space. The balance of the cost involved in the extension will be borne by the Federal and State governments. The meeting had been called by the Finance Committee (all nine members being in favor of the plan) at the request of Northeast Airlines. In spite of the fact that word had gone round that "everybody" was in favor of the plan, fears had been expressed by the proponents that there might not be a quorum at the meeting. A bare quorum of 168 voters did turn up, and it was obvious from the start that Northeast had done a good recruiting job. Only two members argued against the proposal. A number of non-resident property owners were present as interested observers; but when they started to applaud the opposition they were politely reminded by the Moderator that as "guests" they must refrain from demonstrations. When the vote was taken, the result was 148 to 3 in favor, 20 members not voting.

The principal objection to the proposal was the fear that the noise from the contemplated jet planes would destroy or seriously impair the proverbial peace and quiet charm of the Island, which it is hardly necessary to say is what brings the summer people here. It is the very basis of Nantucket's economy, indeed of its survival as a going concern. Nantucket has no indigenous source of wealth sufficient for its support. Since the end of whaling various enterprises have been started in the hope of restoring Nantucket's former prosperity. They have run the gamut from the silk

RECENT EVENTS

21

worm and mulberry tree boom of the early 19th Century through the various land promotions, all of which, save for the development at the "Cliff", were dismal failures. Thus, as the summer business goes, so goes Nantucket. That this could be seriously if not fatally hurt by the intro­ duction of jet planes cannot be denied. The noise from this type of aircraft is of growing concern to public authorities, and a bill is pending in Congress seeking means to control it. At the National Airport in Washington jet flights have already been curtailed, in part because within seven miles of the airport they constitute a nuisance to the preponderantly residential area. In Massachusetts a legislative committee has been empowered to investigate the effect of jet plane noise on children in schools near the Logan International Airport in East Boston. During the recent strike against five major airlines, a Brookline resident wrote to The Boston Herald, "Those of us in Brookline directly in line with flights to and from Logan Airport are enjoying the quiet. The noise in our area has increased day by day .... It is not only so noisy that one can't speak above the noise, it is also frightening in view of the increased number of jets which are barely off the ground at this point. We hope there will be a change in flight plans when the strike is over."

Now, Brookline is farther from Logan than the town of Nantucket is from the airport here; and if jets follow the flight pattern which seems to be indicated by the proposed runway extension, they will fly low over or close to the town with what effect can best be left to the imagination.

Moreover, if the noise of jet planes is intolerable in an area seven miles in diameter from the Washington airport, where does that leave Nantucket?

Hardly a spot would be unaffected. On the mainland people can move far enough away from an airport to escape the noise; but here that would mean moving off the island.

Construction of the runway extension is expected to begin early next year, and 1968 is still some way off. Much can happen. Northeast Airlines may find jet planes unprofitable. It has not been operating at full capacity; indeed, not so long ago Northeast announced its intention to discontinue the Nantucket run altogether with others of its less profitable short operations.

The fact is that the importance of air travel has been greatly exaggerated.

Secretary of Labor Wirtz, appearing before a Congressional Sub-Committee to argue that the strike against the five airlines did not create a national emergency, produced figures to show that only between six and seven per cent of all travel in this country is by air, whereas eighty-nine per cent is by automobile, and the rest by rail and other assorted means. The question, which only time can answer, would seem to be whether or not Nantucket needs or can afford this small per cent.

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North side of new Waterfront park.

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South side of new Waterfront park. The A & P. building at the right.

24

Diary of William C. Folger EDITED BY NANCY S. ADAMS

(Continued from the July, 1966 issue of "Historic Nantucket") WILLIAM C. FOLGER was a direct descendant from Peter the 1st. He was born in Nantucket lune 8, 1806. After gaining his education, he taught school here and, later, on the Cape and in Ohio. He also was a land surveyor for 50 years. He commenced the work of genealogical research about 1842 and pursued it until his death on November 10, 1891.

He gathered his material first from his relative Benjamin Franklin Fol­ ger and from the public records, from family history and old family bibles, and by correspondents everywhere. He was quite an aid to Mr. Savage in compiling his Genealogical Dictionary. It was entirely a labor of love and he left a worthy monument which has been carefully preserved. No one knew more about Nantucket land-holdings than did William C. Folger and, during the rest of his life after returning to the Island, he was frequently called on to settle boundary disputes too vague and uncertain for any court to handle.

His diary starts in the year 1835.

1841 April 13—A severe snow storm began yesterday afternoon and continued all night and this day. Streets almost impassable on account of snow and water (slushy). Had but three scholars in forenoon, let them go soon after ten and did not keep in afternoon. I hot of lohn F. Macy a box of Sherman's cough lozenges and of his camphor pills for the head-ache — 62Vi cts.

April 15—I was at the house of Nabby Bailey this evening and was sur­ prised to find how much Eliza had failed in her health since I saw her last.

She was sensible but I noticed how frequently she seemed to be in a spasm or momentary insensibility.

April 18—I heard to-day at the Sabbath School at the Meetinghouse of the death of Eliza Bailey this morning. She was 32 years old a talented, amiable and worthy young woman, after about thirteen years sickness with Epilepsy.

Thus has departed one of my dearest friends from a world of anxiety and trouble to I believe a fairer and better world befitting her gentle spirit.

April 19—I went to funeral of the deceased this afternoon at four o'clock.

In the evening I attended a meeting of the B.Soc. at the house of George M. Swain. Received this day $3.00 being the amount of Roland Christian's school bill and $1.50 for Roland Gardner's bill.

April 20—I paid George Parker $1.50 for 6 mos. tax for Atheneum from Ian. to luly 1841.

April 25—I saw baptized at Brant Point this morning, lames M. Coffin, Crocker Backus and wife, Sarah P. Gruber and Mrs. Martha Williams.

Baptized by Rev. D. Round, Jr. Received of Stephen Easton $22.75 being amount of Alex. Swain, 3rd., note to Bap. Soc. also $19.16 being the amt. of C. I. Ames note to same Soc. Handed Mr. Round $4.50 to pay for Note books for Gallery. Paid Stephen Easton his salary as sexton to the Bap. Soc. $5.00.

DIARY OF WILLIAM C. FOLGER

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April 26—I received from Charles Barnard's wife the sum of $2.50 being for William H. Barnards schooling up to the 17th when he quitted school to learn a trade.

April 29—I quitted school about 11 a.m. expecting to go to Barnstable Co. but the wind not being very favorable I kept a little while in the afternoon.

Arnold Morse carted for me to Capt. Goodspeed's vessel some Barley and potatoes I got of him. I exchanged my 2 vols, of Penny Magazine & 2 vols, of Saturday Magazine with a Book Auctioneer for 6 vols, of the Cyclopadia, I gave him to boot Haywards Gazetteer of New England and 75 cts cash. 1 also bot of him a work on Navigation for $3.00.

April 30—Stormy. I bot a pair of blacking brushes 42 cts. & blacking 10 cts.

Bot half lb. figs for 8 cts.

May 1—I left Nantucket at 5 a.m. in Steamboat Telegraph for Woods Hole, had for company on board of boat Mr. Round and cousins John L. Paine & Cyrus W. Allen. Arrived at W.H. quarter after ten, paid passage $1.50 breakfast 37Vi cts. I left Woods Hole immediately and walked to father's in Hyannis, a distance of 26 miles, got there about 7 in the evening. I found father smart, Abby with a bad cough.

May 2—Attended the Baptist Church in Hyannis.

May 3—I visited with L. D. Bassett on business for the Baptist Society in Nantucket, to try to hire one thousand dollars for them but he did not have it to spare. Recommended my trying the Barnstable Savings Bank. Father pre­ sented me with Morse's Geography, 2 large Octavo vols, printed in 1819.

May 4—I went to Harwich this afternoon with father's horse, paid 8 cts for crossing Bass River bridge. I called to see Capts. Baker and Job Chase, but did not find them at home. Saw Mary Chase and conversed with her a few minutes. 1 found Capt. Chase and Capt. Baker at the old Meeting House which had been taken down and was selling at auction. Talked with them about money matters but could not hire the sum wanted by the Nant. Baptist Soc. nor even get the balance paid on the shares they had taken, they being short of money. I dined at Obed Smith's. I saw Samuel Smith and others of a Society called the "Comers Out" at work on a building they had been erecting.

S. Smith wore a long white beard having a singular appearance. I paid 8 cts. again to cross the bridge.

May 5—Went down to Hyannis Port and I bought at Frederick Scudders a cake of shaving soap 6 cts. & Quills — 20 cts. Father and I went over to Barnstable after dinner. I went to the book store, and also bot several articles of toilet supplies. Also bot a hoe at Eben Bacons for 621/2 cts. 1 went to the Supreme Court House. Met Rev. Mr. Feland of Osterville, found that George Fovell had gone to Boston to-day. Saw S. D. Bassett and he went with me to Deacon Monroes shop and introduced me to him, he is the Treasurer of the Savings Bank, he stated my business in a recommendatory manner -—the Treasurer said there was 800 dollars on hand, but he thought perhaps it was all spoken for but he thought perhaps one that had spoken for $500 would be willing to relinquish it and he would find out and let me know to-morrow.

May 6—I went over to Barnstable to-day although it rained, I called on Deacon Monroe and found that the man that engaged the money would not give it up and that the Treasurer could not promise it to us at any stated

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HISTORIC NANTUCKET

time now as it is not the season when deposits are often made. He expressed a perfect willingness and desire to let us have it if they had it.

May 7—Father had his hog killed to-day. I went in the afternoon to Cotuit Port with the horse and wagon and brot home to father's the two bushels of potatoes and the bushel of barley. I got of Arnold Morse and the beans and pease I had bought for father a few days ago. I went with father to a meeting at the Baptist Meeting House this evening. Abby had given me a thin vest and I presented father with a five dollar bill this evening to buy a hog. I took leave of father about eleven o'clock at night and started off for Woods Hole to be ready for the boat next day. It began to rain whilst I was on my journey. I took a road that led me off the right track in Mashpee or East Falmouth & on perceiving it I retraced my steps in part and took at last a proper road, it still raining. Arrived in Falmouth village & stopped at a shoemakers shop kept by a relative of Deacon Edwards and rested, went on to Woods Hole stopped in that place about 3 hours most of the time in Websters Reading room. About 12 noon the boat arrived & I took passage for Nantucket, found Mr. Round on board — had a rough passage and felt very much fatigued when I got there, I went to bed directly after supper.

May 9—I had the pleasure of shaking hands with Capt. Thomas Potter whom I feared was lost from report I had heard in Harwich.

May 10—Commenced my school again and went to making out bills for the Baptist Soc. I had received for the Soc. $27.00 being for pew rents & installments on shares in the Meeting House which I now handed to Thomas Potter as treasurer & took his receipt.

May 17—At a meeting of the Bap. Soc. I made a report of my voyage to the Cape and endeavors to raise money which was accepted and the Soc. voted to pay my travelling expenses. We read over the items of debts & cred­ its on Capt. Potter's and my books. Paid Mr. Easton $3.75 being my quar­ terly tax on my pew for the quarter commencing Jan. 30 & ending April 30th. and took receipt.

May 19—At a meeting of the Bap. Soc. I paid my annual tax as member of the Soc. of $1.00. I gave Capt. Potter a note on demand for $50 being the amount of one third of my pew, said amount I owed for it to Nan. Bap. Soc. having paid the first third.

May 22—Sarah G. Crowell took up her note which I held, it was dated Sept.

23, 1839, for twenty-five dollars — int. for one year & 8 months was $2.621/2 cts. making $27.62 from which deducting 4 rolls of paper & int. coming to 70 cts. made 26.92 which she paid me & I took the note. Paid David Joy on acct. of oil I had some time ago, now the sum of $25.00 on acct. and took his receipt.

May 24—Meeting of the building Comm. of the Nan. Bap. Soc. Present Messrs. Easton, Long and Folger — met in the Comm. room of the Meeting House.

May 25—I was at Capt. Thomas Potter's at the marriage of Benjamin F. Ray to Ann L. Potter, they were married by Rev. Daniel Round. I neglected to mention that I got J. Fletcher, Phrenologist to give me a chart of my head last 6th day the 21st inst, I think it was, paid him 75 cts. I also paid him 50 cts. for examining & giving chart of Uncle Walter's head and paid 12V4 cts. at a lecture.

(To Be Continued)

Legacies and Bequests Membership in our Association proves that you are interested in its program for the preservation of Nantucket's famed heritage and its illustrious past, which so profoundly affected the development of our country. You can perpetuate that interest by giving to the Association a legacy under your will, which will help to insure the Association's carrying on. Counsel advises that legacies to the Nantucket Historical Association are allowable deductions under the Federal Estate Tax law.

Legacies will be used for general or specific purposes as directed bv the donor. A sample form may read as follows: "I give, devise, and bequeath to the Nantucket Historical Association, a corporation duly or­ ganized under the laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and located in the Town of Nantucket, in said Commonwealth, the sum of Dollars."

Legacies may be made also in real estate, bonds, stocks, books, paint­ ings, or any objects having historical value, in which event a brief descrip­ tion of the same should be inserted instead of a sum of money.

Please send all communications to Mrs. Isabel W. Duffy, Secretary, Box 1016, Nantucket Massachusetts 02554. Office, Fair Street Museum.

"Good-bye — We'll come again!"