NOVEMBER
Moon when Deer Drop Their Horns (Winnebago)
Welcome to the November QR pages! The theme for November is Cranberries and the Ronchen Inn
Q: Cranberries are native, and they grow all over Massachusetts, including Plymouth. Did the Pilgrims eat cranberry sauce at the first Thanksgiving dinner?
Old recipes from the early 1900’s:
Harriet Strout cut out many recipes and remedies from the newspaper just like we did before computers! The text size you see is the actual size in a 1900’s newspaper. Eyeglasses anyone?
CRANBERRY JELL: Wash one quart of cranberries, place them over the fire with one pound of sugar and cold water enough to cover.
.Boil one -half hour, run through a fine sieve and cool in a jelly mould
CRANBERRY PIE:
One cupful of chopped cranberries, one cupful of chopped and seeded raisins, one cupful of sugar, one-half Cupful of hot water, l teaspoonful of vanilla, one-fourth cupful of butter and three tablespoons of flour. Bake with two crusts
The Ronchen Inn: 1774-1949 Rte 119, West Townsend; Tel 287*
The Inn, originally built as a tavern in 1774, was one of the principal stagecoach stops serving the passengers on the route from Boston to Keene NH, (Now route 119). It was also the center of community life for miles around with its spring dance floor and large dining room. The old guest registers contain the names of some distinguished guests: Brigham Young; General U.S. Grant; Stonewall Jackson; Henry Ward Beecher and many others. Over time the Inn’ facilities expanded. There was a 100-seat dining room where Ron Harry played popular tunes on the organ*. There was another dining area, seating 50 guests, which was especially suited for fine dining. The Inn closed in 1957. The beautiful Elm trees that graced the front of the building, as seen in many postcards, are long gone due to Dutch Elm disease. Today, townspeople know the building as the Hobart House. What stories and intriguing tales could be spun from this amazing landmark, if only the walls could talk!
*Does anyone remember just using three digits to make a call? *Does anyone remember dining and listening to the organ music in the large dining room? You can leave your recollections on the comment page.
Post Roads, Taverns & stage coaches: Stagecoaches Through Acton
Stage coach routes through Townsend: Great information on site Townsend Route
Battles of the Revolutionary War: Battle of Fort Cumberland: Battle of Fort Cumberland in Canada!
Battle of Fort Washington Battle of Fort Lee
Grievances:He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.