My friend Ted Spaulding has joined his ancestors. Ted was born Nov. 18, 1933. I first got to know Ted about 15 years ago. As time went by, we discovered we shared many interests.
Ted had an excellent memory. In his earliest days, Ted lived in Weston. One road trip we made was to Weston. Ted knew Weston history well. I drove as Ted told stories about different places, or the 1938 hurricane and the damage done. My great-grandfather Frank Patch was a Weston native. Frank is the origin of my interest in Weston history. Ted shared my interest.
Ted brought his 1869 Beers Atlas. We went looking for the Patch place. Ted was the navigator. I brought a photo of the Patch place with me. We traveled several back roads, eventually coming to the Patch place. It hasn’t changed all that much. Ted and I really enjoyed that day. We followed up with lunch at Bryant House. We both had macaroni and cheese. Ted told me about going to Mrs. Bryant’s trick-or-treating.
Ted and I used to meet in his kitchen. Nonie always had a glass of water out for me. I paid many visits, always preceded with a phone call. We would agree on a date and time for me to visit. Nonie told me Ted would say after we hung up, “Ron’s coming in the morning.” Nonie said Ted would awake that morning anxious for my visit. It humbles me to think I meant so much to a man I looked up to.
The photo with this article is Ted at his kitchen table. Before him are two scrapbooks of newspaper clippings. Ted was a “saver.” He came by it honestly. His father Ed also saved much of Chester’s history.
Ted and I sat at the kitchen table reading and talking about different newspaper clippings or photos in the scrapbooks. Ted, being 18 years older, had the advantage of remembering things that happened before I was born. Occasionally I knew something Ted didn’t.
I remember one trip we took to Popple Dungeon. We went to the Popple Dungeon cemetery, where the Marshall side of Ted’s family are buried. As we drove around, I showed Ted a few places he didn’t know in Popple Dungeon. Ted didn’t know about the pest cemetery in the Dungeon. I took him there that day.
Ted’s wife Nonie just gave me the Spaulding family photo album of the 1938 hurricane in Weston. Well, she didn’t give it to me, but asked me to donate it to the Weston Historical Society, which I will. It’s a great album.
The town farm
Many Vermont towns had a town farm, or poor farm. Chester’s town farm was on Route 10, in East Gassetts. Ted’s parents Ed and Lu ran Chester’s town farm for years. Ted told me the town owned the farm, but contracted with someone to run it. Ted told how the town put it up for bid. The lowest bid was accepted.
Ted’s parents began running the town farm in the late 1930s. The inmates, as they were called, did whatever chores they could to help earn their keep. Women worked in the house cooking, cleaning, etc. Men worked the farm tending cows, haying, and other farm duties. Milk was sold, and male calves sold for veal to a local cattle dealer.
By 1949, the Town of Chester decided to sell the town farm. Upstairs at the town hall is the auction poster for this sale. The contents were sold, including household furnishings and farm equipment. Ed bought the refrigerator and a few other items. Finally, the town farm came up for auction. Ed and Lu wanted it, but it went over Ed’s high bid of $8,000. Ed started walking away knowing he would have to move. It was then that Ed heard it sell for $8,500. Gordie Hart hollered to Ed, “Ed you have some papers to sign.” Gordie knew how badly the Spauldings wanted the property, and placed the winning bid for Ed and Lu. Ed went back and paid his bill.
The town farm was now owned and managed by the Spaulding family. Ed and Lu ran it until 1965, when they retired.
Celebration of Life
Saturday, June 14, from 2-4 p.m., upstairs at the Chester Town Hall, will be a Celebration of Life for Ted.