The June 22 Rochester Historical Society Fun Fair with A Flair was so much more than fun and games; it was a living history tour through a time when thoughts of revolution hung heavy in the air.

            Oh yes, there were games that originated in the early Colonial days, delighting modern-day youngsters. There were period costumes worn by Malcom Phinney and his wife Kathy, along with Claire Smith and her husband Howard “Howie.” But it was the oral histories shared by Phinney and Smith that we find most intriguing.

            Phinney, a retired educator, relayed the story of Privateer John Kendrick. A privateer was a seaman who partnered with the ruling party of a country to capture ships carrying merchandise. Call it legal piracy. Phinney noted that Kendrick had connections in the southeast area.

            Kendrick was also an explorer. In 1788 he embarked on an exploration of the Pacific Northwest. He made trips that would eventually find him in Japan, a country loathe to engage in any connect with the outside world. Kendrick is credited as being the first to fly the American flag in Japan.

            But even commissioned Naval officers can find themselves on the wrong side of history. Kendrick’s fate was to be accidentally killed by his own sailors during what was meant to be a celebratory 13-gun salute. Although his life of adventure on the high seas came to an untimely end, he is still remembered as an important figure during those revolutionary years.

            Smith talked to us about what a colonial soldier would carry into the fields of battle. On display was a musket. Smith pointed out various parts of the antique weapon. Slowly, he wove the information with bits of “what it must have been like” stories. As he pointed out how the firearm works, he pointed to the “lock, stock and barrel,” critical elements one had to have to operate the firing mechanism and, for us modern-day folks, a phrase meaning all necessary items needed to complete a task.

            But Smith wasn’t finished. He also told us “keep your powder dry” and “flash in the pan” were phrases from those bygone days that spoke to the importance of keeping one’s firing bits and pieces in good working order but which we have co-opted into modern terms, more or less meaning to stay calm and to be briefly in the limelight.

            The 1857 East Rochester Church, owned by the Rochester Historical Society, stands as a reminder that we are here today because others established cultural systems that held society together during feast and famine. Our ancestors’ fortitude lives within us still.

            The church where they once worshiped is now a museum lovingly brought to life with its latest exhibition of early games and other forms of entertainment. The Mattapoisett Museum has loaned some items to its Rochester neighbors. Inside you’ll find examples of games such as riddle-winks or marbles, or Punch and Judy puppets. The museum is open in the Fall on Sunday afternoons 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. Meetings are held on Wednesdays at 7:00 pm.

Rochester Historical Society

By Marilou Newell

            The gorgeous parcel with the seawall and ocean view where the Mattapoisett Land Trust will be celebrating 50 years with a Sunday brunch on June 30 is thanks to a woman named Ruth Munro.

            Among the many things Munro accomplished before she died in 1988 at age 91, she ensured a proper future for the land adjacent to Mattapoisett Wharf on the opposite side from Shipyard Park.

            “It would have been a parking lot,” said Mattapoisett Land Trust member Don Cuddy, a former full-time journalist whose dive into Munro’s history appears in the MLT’s newsletter under the headline “The 1809 House.”

            The reference is to the one-time summer home of Martha H. Munro, which still stands right across the street at the bend where Main Street becomes Water Street in the village. What would eventually become known as Munro Preserve was the home’s front yard.

            In addition to the town looking to expand its shipping area, local boat haulers were also interested in acquiring the property, according to Cuddy’s research. In 1756, the shipyard was opened at the site.

            It was through generations of the passing of the property in various family connections that Munro, born Ruth Bowditch, came to care for it after marrying Willis Munro, a Boston lawyer. For both, it was a second marriage.

            A person of means, Munro did not waste away soaking in the pleasure of her wealth. Cuddy learned that Munro spent time in Labrador teaching people how to farm. She was active in her life in Boston, authoring papers for the Saturday Morning Club (a women’s social club) and made the newspapers when she went on an African safari.

            In 1976, Munro donated the property to the Mattapoisett Land Trust, only three years old at the time, to ensure safekeeping.

            On January 20, 1988, The Presto Press published the following eulogy for “Mrs. Willis Munro (Ruth),” composed by Editor Donald Jason:

            “We will miss this lady who summered here so many years and kept on coming back to her home on the curve above the wharf to enjoy the sweeping view from the porch and the spirited games of croquet in the spacious yard. We certainly will miss the lady herself; however, one thing that we will continue to enjoy is her kindness and foresight.

            “The lot from her house to the harbor full of blooming wild roses and preserving one of the town’s finest views of the harbor and wharf, Mrs. Munro gave to the Mattapoisett Land Trust. In so doing, she preserved that marvelous view of the harbor for every passerby to take in. Progress will not destroy it or corrupt it. It will remain, hopefully, in the wild and natural state that is haphazardly beautiful; framing the blue harbor beyond in green and flowering pink.

            “In most of our nearby scenic places, it is no longer possible to get near to the water just to drink it in with the eye. In Mattapoisett, we have so many opportunities to enjoy this pleasure. Thanks to Mrs. Munro we won’t have to regret the loss of an opportunity at the curve above the wharf. She has left us something beyond price.”

            In the years since Munro passing, the Mattapoisett Land Trust has put significant money into the seawall and beautified the area. Those who visit the Munro Preserve this weekend will find a newly installed sign paying tribute to her donation and offering a glimpse into the land’s history.

Mattapoisett Land Trust 50^th Anniversary

By Mick Colageo