Day: June 9, 2018

I’m pretty sure when my husband married me he didn’t think I’d be dragging him up to NH at 1 AM  to stand in a very dark field of lupines, waiting two hours for the Milky Way to come into the frame, all the while looking for the cellphone I dropped somewhere in the field because i thought there was an animal coming lol!   Also, I’m pretty sure he didn’t think we’d be sleeping in the car for an hour while we wait for the sun to rise up over the White Mountains so I could get a few more shots of the silly flowers!   He’s a keeper!!   Off for a nap!

New Book Now Available

Sandy Bay National Harbor of Refuge

and the Navy

Order today at www.thacherisland.org

$23.00+Free Shipping

Safe Harbor at Sandy Bay

In 1885, construction began on the second-largest deepwater harbor in the world—second only to Cherbourg, France—to be called the Sandy Bay National Harbor of Refuge. It would consist of a giant 9,000-foot granite breakwater that would offer safe harbor to over 5,000 vessels and enclose an area of 1,600 acres.

As it was being built, the US North Atlantic Fleet began making annual visits to Rockport with its newest and largest warships, including most of Teddy Roosevelt’s Great White Fleet. These visits were designed to facilitate the fleet’s training maneuvers in the waters of Cape Ann as well as demonstrate the need for a protected harbor for national defense and security.

Over a 30-year period, 21 annual visits occurred with more than 100 naval vessels, including battleships, cruisers, torpedo destroyers, submarines, dispatch yachts, and other support craft, anchoring in Sandy Bay Harbor.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Paul St. Germain, local Cape Ann author and historian, has been a Rockport resident for 20 years and has written three other books in the Images of

America series. With assistance from the Sandy Bay Historical Society archives, official US Navy files, and other private collections, he has developed a revealing record and interesting history of the building of the breakwater, the men, the ships, and the events surrounding the Navy visits that occurred from 1899 to 1919.

New car, new sticker!

Cheers, Sharon

When I first started family history research in the cemeteries of Gloucester, Seaside Cemetery confused me greatly. I’d been told in strict terms there was a Gloucester side (now I know this is Seaside Cemetery) and the Rockport side (Locust Grove). Although two separate cemeteries, they are both technically located in the City of Gloucester and seem to share a border.

A Guide to Cemeteries in Essex County Massachusetts by the Essex Society of Genealogists (1991) describes Seaside as “flat with many oak trees, granite wall”. Locust Grove is noted to include Folly Cove Cemeter and is “well kept and hilly”.  I agree on these points.  My recent observations are that most of both of these appears to be fairly modern. Most of what I see are modern style granite markers, although, as always there is an older section.

Perhaps due to the time of year, but it also seems there is a great deal of vegetation. It seems to me that there’s more here than in most cemeteries. This is part of what makes each cemetery have its own personality. It’s very pretty and soothing.

The veteran section of Locust Grove was dedicated in 1938 by the American Legion and it was looking spiffy all done up for Memorial Day.

I noticed many many red and yellow flags marking graves. These noted Rockport firefighters. These men and women are well taken care of and I think it’s timely to note this since the Gloucester Firefighters Memorial will be held this weekend.

My uncle was recently buried at Locust Grove and I am happy he’s in such a beautiful, well cared for resting place.