People of Essex: Remembering Those Who Built the Foundation of Essex, NY

Where to begin… I found a small paperbound book of my mother’s that was written by Margaret Calkins Harwick in 1986. Her writing is a treasure trove of Essex memories: Essex families, organizations, and history.

I hope this series will evolve into a working record of the “People of Essex”.

Margaret lived in Essex, and in the preface to her book she mentioned that she babysat the B.F. Morse daughters, R.R. Williams’ children, and Rolland Mason’s sons. Mrs. Rose Townsend did her best to teach her to knit, and Mrs. Webster taught her to play the piano. She paddled in the lake, went sledding in the snow, and served ice cream at Alexander’s Newsroom. Margaret’s great grandfather once owned the Old Dock and wharf, and her grandmother attended the “pretty Gazebo” school in North Essex. Words and music to “Essex-on-Champlain” immediately follow the preface. (Learn more about “Essex-on-Champlain” by George O. Webster here.)

People of Essex

I hope this series will evolve into a working record of the “People of Essex” and that you will help provide names and background of former Essex residents you would like to see featured here. Also I invite corrections and/or additions to the memories of those published. Please email me at kate95@hughes.net with your input.

Thank you in advance for helping to grow our collection of the people of Essex.

About Olive Alexander

Although I grew up in Essex on my grandparents’ farm and developed strong ties to farming, I wanted to see more of the world and experience the differences in cultures and people. I spent nearly fifty years in England, New Hampshire, Texas and New Jersey with trips to almost all of the fifty states and Singapore, an incomparable learning experience. I now live on property that has been in our family for three generations and still love the fields, the farms and the animals.

Comments

Gretel says

July 29, 2016 at 9:08 pm

Thank you Olive! I look forward to reading more.

Barbara Irish Smith says

July 30, 2016 at 10:04 am

Olive alexander…….would that be the Albee Farms and Kirkby…….I am Barbara Irish ….Smith now……???

Barbara Irish Smith says

July 31, 2016 at 10:11 am

My childhood was at the farm on the hill overlooking the bay…….Lake Champlain and all the wonderful people there………..Beatty , Spiers Morch, Couchy, Albees,Hurlburts,Williams, Palmers,Slakins,Cross,LaBarge,Tart,Bayless,Patnode,Sayward,Hills,Kobels,Walkers,Morse,etc,etc