The New England Magazine Volume 1, No. 3, March, 1886: Bay State Monthly Volume 4, No. 3, March, 1886Various
History
The New England Magazine Volume 1, No. 3, March, 1886: Bay State Monthly Volume 4, No. 3, March, 1886
Various
New England -- Periodicals
Later they passed the Manchester poorhouse, with its good ocean-view,
and caught a glimpse of Baker's island. When they came to a small pond
by the roadside, separated from the salt water by only a narrow strip of
land, Mrs. Gordon recalled how, when it was owned by the town (it now
belonged to the Jefferson Coolidge estate), she and her brother used to
gather its pond-lilies with the pink-tinted leaves. They were thought to
be extra fine. Just before they reached the Crescent beach in Magnolia,
they saw among the trees on the right the summer home of James Freeman
Clarke. After pausing for a good look at Magnolia with its Hesperus, its
Sea-View hotels, and its pretty cottages in the distance, and passing
the boundary stone between Manchester and Gloucester, they found
themselves in the Gloucester woods. They drove leisurely along to enjoy
their fragrance. They passed the swamp where the magnolia plant grows,
away from its Virginia home. Bessie, the day before, had seen for the
first time in her life, in a garden in the village, its white fragrant
blossoms on a plant which had successfully thrived, after having been
transplanted from this swamp. Others had thrived as well, much to the
delight of their owners.
Upon nearing Gloucester, the rocks became more apparent. The beautiful
Hovey place on the right gave particular satisfaction to Mr. Gordon for
its combination of woods, ocean-view, and look of solid comfort.
Soon Gloucester harbor, with Eastern Point lighthouse in the distance,
came before them. Then they crossed the little narrow bridge under which
the Massachusetts and Ipswich Bays meet. Tom had curiosity enough to
notice that the Ipswich was then running into the Massachusetts.
After passing the Pavilion Hotel, and driving through Gloucester's main
street with its busy outlook, they came to the Rockport road, with its
quaint houses, resembling those of Marblehead. While on this road they
saw, off on the right, Bass Rock, where was the summer home of Elizabeth
Stuart Phelps.
Just before entering Rockport the rocks were so many and connected that,
if they had chosen, they could have walked to the highway on Ipswich Bay
on them alone. No wonder that such a place was called Rockport.
While in the town they went to the Cove to see something of the
extensive fish business carried on there. They walked on to the Point,
to see the old fort which, in the time of the revolutionary war,
contained enough plucky men to seize a barge with men and a cannon,
which a passing British man of War sent to besiege them. The men were
taken to Gloucester, but the cannon was left there where it remained
until it found a better place in the town-hall yard. There, all
renovated, it now stands as a precious relic of American pluck.
Mr. Gordon was interested to see where the breakwater was to be, for
which government had been petitioned. This he considered a necessity
sure to come.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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