The Cashmans and the Clarks

                             Enhanced photo of James Clark, Mary Cashman, Julia Cashman and Tom Keneavy (1895)

                 I couldn’t believe I overlooked a useful tool that was right at my fingertips. E.A.B.

Several years ago, my mother presented me with a wonderful collection of old photos which were among my grandmother’s possessions when she passed in 1993. Some of the photos dated to the 1870’s and were most likely a compilation of both my grandparent’s and my great-grandparents collections. Through the kindness of cousins, I have been able to identify the subjects of most of the photos.

While I have some pristine pictures, I have spent countless hours gazing at damaged, time worn photos of distant indistinct forms through the lens of a magnifying glass, only to come away frustrated. My only recourse I thought was to find an expert and have the photos restored, if possible. However, life happens. There are always nuisances, distractions and responsibilities that take precedence over pet projects and so the photos sat in a box out of sight and mind for years.

Admittedly, I am a person who often overlooks the obvious and so it was not until I attended a presentation of rarely seen old photos that I realized that there was a resolution to the problem of faded, damaged and indistinct prints, right at my fingertips.

 The presentation was a slideshow of photos of the lost Quabbin towns that had been stored for years in one of the local archives until they were rediscovered by a young intern, who approached the DCR staff with a proposal to scan and enhance the pictures. The results were dramatic. Distant shots that were digitally edited and enlarged revealed obscure details not detected in the original print. I was both amazed and excited by what I was seeing and I could not wait to get home give it a try with my own vintage photos.

 Windows Live Photo Gallery is installed on my computer. After a few minutes of experimenting with the program's options, I decided to give it a try. I scanned a portrait of three of the Cashman siblings and proceeded to crop, enhance and enlarge the photo. Below are the results.

The photos that I have tinkered with thus far have produced some amazing details when enhanced and enlarged. I was stunned when a photo of an ancestor once enhanced, revealed that she was wearing a piece of jewelry which is part of a collection my grandmother gave me a number of years ago. Apparently, it belonged to an aunt, who lived with my great-grandmother in Bay State Village.

I am certain I have just scratched the surface in terms of applications for photo enhancement tools and while I am short on time these days, enhancing my vintage photos is on my long list of future projects.

Keep diggin' for those gems!

Elizabeth

Elizabeth Banas is a professional genealogist. She is a member of the National Genealogical Society, Association for Professional Genealogists and the New England Association of Professional Genealogists. You can send your research requests to fh_research@hotmail.com or go to eabanasgenealogyservices.com.

Dad said: "The handwriting was on the mirror. It told the tale." I know the writer.

                                                                           Happy birthday Dad!                                                         

                                                                   March 1, 1931-January 16, 2010

PALMER, MA - Albert "Bucky" Goodhind , 78, of Wilbraham St. died on January 16, 2010 surrounded by his family. Born March 1, 1931 in Canaan, NY, Bucky was the son of Murray M. Goodhind and Henrietta M. (Hawver). For 30 years, Bucky and his wife Anne, owned and operated the Town House Restaurant in Palmer. He will be missed by his wife of 60 years, Anne M. (Cleary) along with his children Elizabeth Banas and husband George of Southbridge, Daniel Goodhind and wife Deborah of Palmer, Debra Woods and husband Robert of Windsor, CT, Anne Marie Sampson and husband Phillip of Palmer, Amy Lucia and husband Richard of Palmer along with 9 grandchildren, Robin Banas-Swain, Matthew Banas, Daniel Goodhind, Jr., Michael Goodhind, Kevin Goodhind, Robert Woods, Jr. Amber Woods, Brian and his wife Lynn Sampson, Jesse and his wife Sunny Sampson, 3 great grandchildren, Brian Sampson, Jr., Lauren Sampson, Annika Sampson. Bucky was the youngest of 13, surviving are a brother, Arthur Goodhind of Shutesbury, and sister, Virginia Facto of Northampton. Visitation will be held on Thursday from 5:00-7:00 p.m. with a service of remembrance to begin at 7:00 p.m. at Beers & Story Palmer Funeral Home. For those wishing donations may be made in his memory to either assist in the Haiti relief fund or Quaboag Valley VNA & Hospice, 42B Wright St., Palmer, MA 01069.

The handwriting was on the mirror, it told the tale....I know that you know the "writer."

Daily Hampshire Gazette (Northampton, MA). 2010. Genealogybank. Digital images. http://www.genealogybank.com  :  2013.

  Photo courtesy of DCR Visitors Center

THE LOST TOWNS 

Dana, Enfield, Greenwich and Prescott were razed to make room for the Quabbin Reservoir, the largest manmade source of drinking water in the United States. Fortunately, the records are extant. E.B.

Lost but never forgotten: Dana, Enfield, Greenwich and Prescott

The passage of the Swift River Act on April 26^th, 1927 sealed the fate of four communities in the Swift River Valley. The "Act" enabled the state to take the land that comprised Swift River Valley by eminent domain, for the purpose of constructing the Quabbin Reservoir. The goal of the project was to create an adequate water supply for Greater Boston. The end result was one of the largest manmade sources of water in the United States.

The Residents of Dana, Enfield, Prescott and Greenwich were given eviction notices to vacate their properties via registered mail from the state of Massachusetts in January 1938. They were paid little for their homes and nothing for their trouble. The houses and buildings that comprised the communities were either razed or moved. On April 28, 1938 the towns were officially disincorporated.

The evening prior to the official disincorporation, former residents of the towns gathered at the Enfield Town Hall for a Farewell Ball and Reunion. It was the final social event to be held before the towns ceased to exist on the following day at 12:01 AM. The hall was decorated with black and white streamers, black trimmings on the windows and an abundance of American flags.

It was reported that the event drew nearly 3000 people.  The crowd was far too large for the hall to accommodate and many were left to stand outside. At midnight the band played Auld Lange Syne and the four towns of the Swift River Valley known as Enfield, Dana, Prescott and Greenwich disappeared from the maps.

The construction of the reservoir when completed cost 53 million dollars, well under the estimated amount. However, the true cost of this project had less to do with money and more to do with the lives of the people, who were uprooted.

Today the Quabbin Reservoir is a place of nature and natural beauty and while the reservoir is a masterful achievement, the compelling story of the four disincorporated towns that lie beneath the water continue to be discussed and studied. Fortunately, town records, written accounts, taped interviews with former townspeople and countless stories have been preserved for future generations.

Resources for genealogists and family historians

Though the towns of the Swift River Valley have vanished, records pertaining to the people who were displaced are extant. Resources for genealogists researching the families of the lost towns are plentiful. The Quabbin Visitor’s Center in Belchertown, Massachusetts holds an index file and microfiche of the vital records of the residents of the "Valley" towns. The original record books are also held at the Belchertown facility. All but the very old fragile books can be viewed upon request.

When the Swift River Valley people were displaced, the departed, who rested in the local cemeteries were disinterred and moved. Approximately, 7400 graves were relocated prior to the destruction of the towns, most to Quabbin Park Cemetery on Route 9 in Ware. The Quabbin Park DCR (Department of Conservation and Recreation) has a record of each internment, which notes a lot number. For those who wish to locate the grave of an ancestor, a map is available which specifies each section and lot number. Additionally, the DCR has records of graves that were moved to other sites. They can advise researchers which towns to contact for the records.

Some of the resources held by the DCR, including vital records are available online through Ancestry.com, as well.

While vital records are central to genealogical research, a remarkable resource available to researchers is the vast collection of house photos which have been scanned and digitized. Every house and building in the four towns that was razed or moved was photographed with a board, labeled with the owner’s name, a sketch of the location of the house and the number assigned to the house or building. The prints are indexed in a book. The name of the owner is all that is required to retrieve a scanned copy of a house photo.

*The DCR in Belchertown has launched a project to photograph homes that were moved from the communities of Enfield, Prescott, Dana and New Salem. If you are an owner of one of the houses that were moved, please contact Dale Monette at the visitor’s center (413-323-7221 ext.0)

 The DCR Visitors Center also offers lectures related to the history and wildlife of the Quabbin. A presentation featuring rarely viewed old photos of the lost towns is scheduled for March 10th at 2:00 PM. This program comes with my personal recommendation. Check with the Visitors Center for a schedule of upcoming events. (413-323-7221 ext.0)

If you are in the local area during the summer or early fall, you may want to dedicate some time to a short jaunt down the road to the Swift River Valley Historical Museum located at 40 Elm Street in nearby New Salem. The museum which is devoted to preserving the memory of the lost towns, consists of three building which house the historical societies collection of artifacts and memorabilia. The museum is open June-September.  Be sure to call ahead for hours (978) 544-6882.

 Keep diggin' for those gems!

Elizabeth

             Elizabeth Banas

Elizabeth is a professional genealogist. She is a member of the National Genealogical Society, Association for Professional Genealogists and the New England Association of Professional Genealogists. You can send your research requests to fh_research@hotmail.com

Please use the link at the bottom of the page to leave your comments.

Sources:

Alamed, Mark T. “”Quabbin History: Enfield’s Last Town Meeting, April 8, 1938.” Exploring Western Massachusetts. Through the Past,   Into the Future, 30 Mar 2008. http://explorewmass.blogspot.com/2008/03/quabbin-history-april-8-1938.html  :  2013.

Cosgrove, Ben.“DROWNED TOWNS: PRESERVING THE LOST COMMUNITIES OF THE SWIFT RIVER VALLEY.”The Harvard Advocate (Winter 2009). Online Archives, The Harvard   Advocate.  http://www.theharvardadvocate.com  :  2013.

Haunting the Quabbin, “Haunting the Quabbin: Inside Out,” Inside Out, http://insideout.wbur.org  :   2013.

Peirce, Elizabeth. Quabbin Valley: People and Places. Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, Arcadia Publishing, 2006. Digital images. Google Books.  http://www.google.com/books: 2013

Pletcher, Larry B. and Daniella Spinella. It Happened in Massachusetts. Guilford, Connecticut, Globe  Pequo Press, 2008. Digital      images. Google Books.  http://www.google.com/books: 2013.

Quabbin Facts and Figures, “Costs,” Friends of Quabbin.  http://www.foquabbin.org/faxfigs.html : 2013

The Springfield Weekly Republican. 1938. GenealogyBank. Digital images. http://www.genealogybank.com   :  2013.

Wikipedia. http://www.wikipedia.org : 2013

There have been numerous searches for this post, so I am publishing it, again. Enjoy! Elizabeth 

                                            Jimmy Clark seated right with member of the W.A. Bailey Team 

Before there were rock stars, television and million dollar contracts, there were the Hose Racers. E.A.B.

Since childhood I have heard family discussions about James Clark’s athletic career. He was an energetic, charismatic personality I am told, who died prematurely. He was not a wealthy man.  His legacy was the races he ran and the competitions in which he participated. That said, his claim to fame was his association with the W.A. Bailey hose running team.

Jimmy’s life was never easy. He and his twin sister Mary were born in the Cheapside section of Deerfield, Massachusetts on June 23, 1868 to John Clark and Hannah (Madigan) Connors.[1]  Cheapside was a poor, crowded and unhealthy environment to raise a family. The headstones at Old Calvary Cemetery in Greenfield, where countless Irish immigrants are interred, are a testament to the harsh conditions in Cheapside. At the time of his birth, Jimmy’s father was a grinder at John Russell Cutlery. However, not long after, John Russell relocated to Turners Falls and the Clark’s moved to Buckland, where his father found employment at the Lamson & Goodnow cutlery.[2]  In 1883 the family relocated to Northampton, where they settled into a home in Bay State Village on the corner of Main (now Riverside Drive) and Norwood Street, a stone’s throw from the infamous Clement Manufactory, which employed Jimmy’s father.[3]  On February 26, 1895, Jimmy married Mary Ann Cashman. The marriage did not dampen his athletic endeavors. [4] Mary Ann was perhaps, one of his strongest advocates.

In the early part of the 20^th century, Jimmy was also employed by Clement Manufacturing, where he worked alongside his father. However, when he was not grinding knives, he was a volunteer fireman at the local station, which was located in the bend in the road at the end of Riverside Drive. Undoubtedly, it was through this association that he was introduced to the W.E. Bailey team.

I must admit that until I began researching Jimmy’s career as a runner, I did not have a clue about hose racers and I was hard pressed to find a satisfactory explanation of the sport. However, a 1913 retrospective, which appeared in the Springfield Daily News, named Jimmy as a team leader and provided a brief explanation of the sport: “In hose racing, they use 15 men on a team. They have to draw a reel that weighs 700 pounds or more, including 250 feet of hose. The men run 100 feet, lay 200 feet of hose, break the coupling and put it on the nozzle.”[5]

“Steve Farrell and James Clark were the leaders of the team. They were the only men that wore harness on the team because they would lead the pace and others would follow. The others did not wear a harness because after running 200 yards they would be all in and drop out.”[6]

The venue for hose running and other firemen’s competition were musters. The musters were carnival like festivities, which often included a parade with fireman decked out in full regalia, food and other forms of entertainment.

Increasingly through the 1890’s, musters were a major entertainment venue and firemen who competed were the equivalent of rock stars. Their performances were widely reported by the media, analyzed at the local watering holes and discussed on street corners.

The events were held all over New England and across the United States.  Interestingly, fireman contests were the first organized athletic competitions in the United States. The contests were so popular the “Paris organizers invited volunteer and professional fireman’s teams to compete at the loosely structured 1900 International Exposition and Olympic games. The Kansas City, Missouri, firehouse won the world’s professional fireman’s championship cup.”[7]

Though I have been told that Jimmy participated in the Olympics in Paris, I have no evidence to support that report.

However, there is evidence that Jimmy Clark was a well-known and well-respected athlete in his own time.  Apart from the many newspapers reports which mention him, a piece that appeared in a local newspaper in 1927, shortly after his death tells the story of Jimmy Clark and W.E. Bailey Hose Runners:

       A friend and admirer of the late James Clark told us the following: “One of the greatest all-round athletes that wore a spiked shoe in Northampton passed on with the death of James Clark of Bay State last week.”

     Two decades ago his fame as an athlete was known wherever field sports were held, not only in Northampton, but all over New England and other states where he went and competed.

     Jimmy Clark, as he was called by his hundreds of friends, was, according to our informant, one of these real sportsmen who were absolutely on the level, his heart was always in his work and he was most loyal to his friends.

    An idea of how good an athlete, he was, may be had from his mark of 6 feet three inches, which he made in the high jump in Philadelphia, winning the event in a national meet in which were intended the best men in the country. He was equally good in the broad jump, hop step and jump and the so-called hitch and kick.

     His fame here in all these sports was great, but it was as a runner that he captured the popular fancy, and it was as leader of the great bunch that composed the never-to-be-forgotten W.A. Bailey’s world’s champion hose running team that he will be best remembered.

     For five years this Northampton running team swept all before them at firemen’s musters wherever they were held. And leading them always was the slender, but sinewy Jimmy Clark. And well he might lead, for he was close to ten seconds for the century everytime he speeded over the 100 yard distance. According to Maurice Landry, who was a close second in all-around sports to Clark, and who also was one of the sprinters on the Bailey team, Clark many times ran the century in 10 seconds. The Bailey running team is holder of the world’s record for 800 feet, which they made at Ware, Mass., and their mark has never been beaten.

     It came to pass at field meets, at least in this section, that when Clark and Landry entered the other athletes withdrew to the sidelines and watched the pair from Bay State do their stuff.

    The break-up of the Bailey running team was almost tragic when, at a cattle show, the team with such runners as Fred Britten of Fairview, one of the star sprinters of the day, teamed with Clark, and with the then holder of the mile record, Tom Carrol, of Boston, as well as, Maurice Landry, Charlie O’Neil, Tom Keneavy, Billy Chatel, Joe Tichy, and other fine runners, they swept down the course away ahead, in time , of any of the others, one of whom was Bailey’s greatest rival, the John H. Ashe team of Chicopee Falls. But disaster that they had evaded come to them, for before over 15,000 people, the late J.A. Boudway, the fastest man who ever broke a coupling, failed for the first time in the team’s history, to make the hitch and the team that for five long years never met defeat, felt its sting for the first time. How much their heart was in their work was attested when many of them broke down and sobbed.

     The team never raced again for various reasons, but to thousands memory will bring back the sinewy boy who so often led them to victory.[8]

 James Clark died on August 22, 1927 of double lobar pneumonia.

Two weeks ago I wrote about Cutler's Lung. I wondered if Jimmy suffered from that condition. While, it appears that the team broke up, I will always wonder if his employment at Clement Manufacturing contributed to his death. I have  in my possession a copy of the Western Union Telegram addressed to Mary Ann from Robert T. Lee, owner of the plant. It states: "Deepest sympathy to you in the loss of Jim whose friendship I will always cherish." Somehow I think it was just another day for Robert Lee. Elizabeth Banas (great-granddaughter)

[1]     Franklin County, Massachusetts, birth certificate no.45 (1868), James Clark; Town Clerk’s Office, Deerfield. Franklin County, Massachusetts, birth certificate no.46 (1868), Mary Clark; Town Clerk’s Office, Deerfield.

I suspect that I am not the only one dealing with memories of happier times and loved ones, who have passed.  There are sights and sounds all around that conjure up images of holidays past; of good times and bad.

It is a fact of life that as the years fly by, family is separated by miles, life events and death. The roar of laughter declines to soft chuckles, as does the number of settings on the holiday table. Shopping for gifts is less the task that it was years ago and more about the joy of  spending time together.

There is nothing new under the sun, I think to myself. There are generations of my family long gone, who like me, dreaded this time of year and still managed to transcend. They too, dreamed about the departed and struggled with the meaning of what life is really about, amid images of  Santa Claus, flashing lights and the blare of Christmas music.

However I may feel at this moment, my inner being tells me there are gifts to give and memories to share.  Giving a gift of family history is a gift from the past to the future.  A new Mercedes may be a thrill today, but a family narrative, a copy of a family tree chart or a collection of  copies of old photos will be appreciated and enjoyed by generations to come. What could be better gift?

Just between family:

Dad once said: “The handwriting is on the mirror. It tells the tale.” Do you remember the writer?

Today would have been my grandfather's 119th birthday.  He was born in Bennington, New Hampshire on October 27th, 1893 to Andrew and Margaret (Cashion) Cleary. He lived in Norfolk, Virginia with relatives for eight years, but most of his life was spent in Florence, Massachusetts where he was employed by the International Silver Company. He married my grandmother Mary Hannah Clark in April 1917. They lived in Bay State Village for a while and then moved to Middle Street.

I remember him as a laid back man, who told some fine stories about his childhood in New Hampshire. His most famous tale was about a  very large rabbit he hunted down on a winter day. According to the yarn, this rabbit was so big that when he slung it over his shoulder to walk home, the rabbit's paws were dragging on the ground. (Yikes!)

Grampa smoked a pipe. He liked to read newspapers and talk about politics. He also liked Teaberry gum and a cup of tea after dinner. He wrote a poem about a fallen soldier that was published in Readers Digest. His aspiration was to write song lyrics.  He had a beautiful flower garden at his last home in Palmer, Massachusetts. On October 27th, 1964, after doing some yard work, he went into the house for lunch and a nap. He died in his bed that afternoon. It was his  71st birthday. He left the world on the same date, he came into the world.

I will always remember him telling me to dance a this funeral. I didn't. It would have caused a rift, but I have tried to make it up to him by dancing on each of  his birthdays. Time for some Bon Jovi and U2. Happy birthday Grampa!




    

For years, I have heard rumors and discussions regarding an alienated line of my family. No one in my line knew what or who caused the feud. However, the animosity between family members was so deep and painful, it seeped into subsequent generations.

Recently I stumbled upon an old deed which revealed a great deal about the relationships within the family of my great-great grandparents, John and Hannah Clark. The deed, which conveyed the family home to Jane, the youngest Clark sibling for one dollar was executed in May of 1895, less than two weeks after the death of Hannah.  It stated in part: “I, John Clark in consideration of one dollar and other valuable consideration, paid by Jane E. Clark, my daughter, of said Northampton, who has lived with and assisted in supporting us…”[1.]

I have a good working knowledge of this family. I know that both Thomas and William Connors, Hannah’s sons by her first marriage, received very little education. Both were working in cutleries at an early age. Thomas was still residing at the family home at the time of her death. It would appear that they contributed to the household for many years. Twins, James and Mary from her marriage to John Clark, also went to work at an early age, ostensibly to contribute to the household. The Connor brothers never attained home ownership. James and Mary were able to buy homes, but much later in life, when their children were nearly grown.

I wondered what forces were at work that led my great-great grandfather to transfer title of his house to his youngest daughter, while forsaking  the other children, who contributed to the economic stability of the family for so many years. Was there bickering and strife between father and sons? Was he duped by his daughter or infirm? Or was he resolute in the sentiment he expressed in the deed?  I was certain that this was the event that caused the legendary feud, but where was the proof?

I will never be privy to John Clark’s private thoughts or his conversations with his youngest daughter. I will never hear the other Clark siblings tell their side of the story. Though, I strongly believe this singular act may have been the undoing of the Clark’s as a family unit, I will not state my opinion regarding this matter in the narrative I am preparing to write. Personal opinions have no place in sound genealogical research and reporting. At the end of the day, there is no evidence that the transfer of the family home to Jane caused the rift. 

It is human to form opinions and analyze the behavior of others through the prism of our personal experiences. I reread the document several times before I concluded that it was a personal life experience which led me to a premature opinion of what occurred within this family.

My father, who passed away two years ago on January 16^th, made an observation regarding our family history.  He said that it seemed that history was repeating itself; that it was “all happening again.” Considering recent events, he may have been looking into the future when he made that statement. 

I seldom quote scripture, however this verse from Ecclesiastes holds special meaning for me. “What is has already been, and what will be has been before; and God will call the past into account.”  ( Holy Bible, New International Version, Ecclesiastes 3:15).  Dad knew it and I know it, too.

1.     "Hampshire District Recorded/Registered Land,"digital images, Masslandrecords.com (http://www.masslandrecords.com : accessed  28 Dec 2011), Clark to Clark, deed, 16 May 1895, citing Hampshire County, Massachusetts, Deed Book 475:177.

When you find that obscure record on microfilm that would have required spending a ton
of your hard earned cash and a trip or two to East Timbuktu to retrieve, you will smile and say: “Microfilm rocks!”

The internet has made census records, vital records, military records and so much more available at the click of a mouse. For that reason, it may be hard for those of you beginning your genealogical journey to believe that there are many resources not available online. If you haven’t looked beyond your subscriptions to Ancestry.com and Fold3, you are missing out.

One of the most underutilized resources, in my opinion, is the Family History Catalog and the microfilm rental program. Images of church records, naturalization records, early land grants and wills, as well as privately published genealogies are just a few of the items found in the catalog and while most items require rental of microfilm, some items can now be downloaded on-line and do not require a visit to the local family history center.

Microfilm rental is a process and gratification is not instant. However, if you are willing to venture into the unknown, here are some simple instructions on how to locate, rent and view microfilm from the Familysearch Library Catalog:

The catalog can be accessed by way of both the new Familysearch site and the Family History Library Catalog main page (http://www.familysearch.org/eng/libr/ ) The format of the sites is slightly different. For the purpose of this tutorial, the following instructions will apply to the new Familysearch site located at http://familysearch.org.

Once on the main page, click the catalog tab. A drop down menu and search box will appear. The drop down menu offers several ways to search for an item (place-name search, surname search, keyword search, etc.). Once you have made a determination of which search criterion you wish to use, highlight your choice and fill in the search box with your query item. You will then be redirected to a page which contains a list of resources from which you can choose. Click on a title to go to a page that contains a description of the resource. Some of the items have been digitized and are accessible online. Not what you’re looking for? Go back and review the resource list or repeat the entire process with a different search criterion. I often perform multiple searches with different search criteria. As an example, if I am looking for a naturalization record, I may opt perform an initial search using the subject and another using the place-name. If you are searching by place-name be sure to enter the state first, county and then town or city (e.g. Massachusetts,Franklin, and Greenfield). If an item requires microfilm rental, read the film notes which give a brief description of the subject matter contained on the film. When you’ve found what you’re looking for, print out the page or make a note of the film number (e.g. FHL US/CAN Film 706648).

Now it’s time to find a local family history center. You can do that on Familysearch, as well. Find the tab labeled Familysearch Centers. This tab will take you to a search box where you will be asked to fill in information regarding your location. Once done, hit the search button and you will be redirected to a page that contains a bulleted map and a list of metropolitan areas. Choose the metropolitan area closest to your location and click. It’s magic! A box appears over the map with all of the pertinent information you need to locate and communicate with your local family history center. You may be surprised by the number of Family History Centers that are close by.

The rest is easy. Call your local Family History Center and request a film rental. Staff will give you instructions as how to make the request and where to send your payment. Normally, a check is made out to the local stake and often the check sent to someone in the organization, rather than to the church address. It will take approximately two weeks for the Family History Center to receive the film order. My experience has been that the staff is very responsible about calling when the film has arrived. The cost of rentals has recently increased. You can expect to pay between $5.75 and $7.00 per film. When you arrive at the Family History Center you will find microfilm readers and a copier. I have always found the staff at the centers to be very caring, helpful and patient. Even when I could not get the gist of loading the film into the microfilm reader, one gentleman on the staff, patiently loaded and reloaded film for me all morning and never complained.

Okay, so there is no instant gratification in ordering microfilm. Yes, it’s slow and maybe even archaic. It takes a little
time. Okay, it takes a total of a half month. However, when you find that obscure record on microfilm that would have required spending a ton of your hard earned cash and a trip or two to East Timbuktu to retrieve, you will smile
and say: “Microfilm rocks!”

Source

"Family History Library Catalog.” Database. Familysearch.org. http://www. familysearch.org/eng/libr/ : 2012. 

When I thought about it, their acrimonious behavior was a gift and while we may have been victims of  neighbor’s intent on making life difficult, I came away feeling I had a much better understanding of my ancestor’s struggles. E.A.B.

We recently moved from our home of thirty-two years to a condo community. A friend, who visited us shortly after we relocated, quipped that we had moved to 'Wisteria Lane,' a reference to the fictional street depicted on the hit show Desperate Housewives.  He was not entirely wrong. He may have honed in on aspects of our little community that I failed to detect.

We were not living here very long, when it became clear that there were old issues which should have been tackled years ago. My husband and I have decades of real estate and small business experience. Geo knew how to fix the problems. The consensus of the residents was that he was best person for the job. He was elected president by a unanimous vote.

Several months have passed since he has taken on the challenge of making the necessary improvements. He has spent long hours with contractors, attorneys and repair people. He has managed to put the community back on track.

The numbers in the check book and capital fund are slowly increasing. Everyone is pleased that he has managed to resolve so much in such a short period of time. Not so fast, I feel a chilly breeze gusting down the street in the direction of our unit.

This community was once a small, intimate little street, a place where everyone knew their neighbor. However, things are quickly changing. The past two years have seen the construction of two new buildings. Four units have changed hands and two new units have been sold. The community is growing and changing. It is not the same place that many residents bought into, eight years ago and apparently there has been growing unrest among those who have resided here the longest.

It is sort of discord that is concealed beneath a quick smile and friendly wave and is revealed in small stinging provocations, ludicrous demands and baseless complaints  Even though,  I have a fairly extensive vocabulary, I do not think there is any one word to encompass this sort of behavior. However, for want of a better description, I will refer to “it” in this post, as “acrimony.” 

What is acrimony?

Acrimony is the elderly neighbor, who told the handyman hired to clean the vinyl siding not to touch the building.

Acrimony is the woman, who appeared at the last association meeting with a bitter attitude and laughed loudly at Geo, when he requested that anyone who had an issue with him to please speak to him about it.  When I pointed out that he was not trying to be funny, her response was ireful and sarcastic.  “Ooooooooooh, is someone picking on you?” She whined.

Acrimony is the neighbor, who campaigned for a position on the board and seldom attends a meeting. When she does attend, she is late or she must be rousted to attend. She often forgets there is a meeting or so she says. A month’s notice does not guarantee her attendance.

Her appearance at our door last week and her announcement that she would not attend the meeting the following evening was expected. The curt message written on a sticky note attached to the envelope containing her reports was the bomb. It stated: In the future if you want me to attend meetings, you will have to call me with a proposed date.”

Acrimony is the lovely lady, dressed to perfection, who entertains endlessly, vacations on a whim and often pays her fees with a rubber check. She is in arrears for months on end. Despite the patient pleadings of Geo, she continues on the same path, promising to pay next week or next month, while he delays the impending process that will eventually lead to the placement of a lien on her property.  Letters of notice from the attorney sit at the post office unclaimed. Predictably, the check for the arrears arrives at the eleventh hour, when the inevitable lien is in process. “A day late and a dollar short,” Geo always quips. “Why does she do this to me?”

Acrimony is the woman at the end of the street who gushes over Geo when he is alone and turns her head to avoid speaking to me when we meet on the street.

These behaviors are not in your face aggression, however we are beginning to realize that we need to keep up our guard and tread carefully among those who appear to be bent on making life more difficult and more unpleasant, than it needs to be.

Last week we engaged in a long conversation about our cranky neighbors. I had been thinking about the motivation behind their seemingly irrational antics and I took note of the fact that those who acted out the most, lived in the community the longest.  “When they moved here, it was uncomplicated,” I told Geo. “It was small group. They were their own bosses. Now you’ve come along and are telling them, this complex has to be run like a business and the rules must be obeyed.  I think they feel that they’re being walked all over by a Johnny-come-lately."

“Naaaaah,” he said.

I retreated to my desk and tried to get back to work. I am currently working on a narrative history of my Clark line and a novel based on the life of my great-grandfather Jimmy Clark. I could not concentrate. My conversation with Geo kept creeping into my thoughts and as I struggled to put down a few words, I started to think about my Irish ancestors, who were met by acrimony at every turn. Their experience was not entirely unlike our experience in our little community, I thought. The fuel that drove the animosity and prejudice manifested by the earlier established settlers toward Irish immigrants was based on a perceived threat of losing their way of life and their identity as a people. From my perspective, the cranky neighbors have been feeling much like the earlier settlers when they saw changes looming in the future.

Geo may not agree with me, but I think I am closing in on the truth.

I may never get to the bottom of my neighbors acrimony, but their annoying behavior has given me a stronger sense of empathy for my Irish ancestors and the struggles they faced in their daily walk. I have learned that even in a small dose, acrimony stings.

It is a valuable lesson, I never would have learned had I not moved to this little community that Geo and have come to call Hysteria Lane.