Elizabeth and Oscar, March 18-19, 1957 (34-45 of 56)

"...so much to see that it was impossible to remember it all."

Monday, March 18, 1957 Cont'd – We left the Johnsons on the train from CT to RI where they are to meet the Uibles in Providence.


The diary continues....
The Uibles were waiting on the platform for us and we were soon on our way again.  We drove through Providence looking at points of interest and were soon on our way to Plymouth, Mass.  It was a lovely ride but there was so much to see that it was impossible to remember it all.

We started our tour of Plymouth by having lunch at Woolworth's.  Harold bought a pound of fig bars which we enjoyed very much as we did the tour.  We enjoyed looking down on Plymouth rock and up at the National Monument to the forefathers.

We drove through the Plymouth twine works. [Check this twine link for an interesting article about the role of twine in North American agriculture.  "...in the 1940s, ’50s and into the ’60s, much of the U.S. baler twine was supplied by Plymouth Cordage of Plymouth, Mass. Cheap labor in the Yucatan and elsewhere finally led to their demise."]  I never dreamed all these years I fed plymouth twine through wheat and corn binders that one day I would stand outside the great factory where it was made.  [The Plymouth car was named after the twine because of its popularity with farmers.]

We drove on to Boston, on the way we passed several cranberry bogs.  We arrived in Boston just as the Great St. Patrick's Day Parade ended.  I never saw so many people.  Harold gave us a brief view of the town before we headed for Cambridge where we were to spend the night.  [In a postcard to her Mother she says Boston "is an awful town."]

We went to the Hotel Commander [now Sheraton Commander] where we had room 137, a very nice room with TV.  We went out at once to get a good look at the town before dark.  Since we were right at the fire escape we went out that way instead of going through the lobby.

We spent a half hour walking around Cambridge, then we went to the Windowshop* where we ate supper.  It was a very unique shop, featuring imports from many countries which were for sale.  We were very interested in the display of Swedish glass and stainless steel.  After supper we walked around town spending a lot of time walking the Harvard Univ. grounds.

*The Window Shop was "an organisation to aid refugees by giving them a central place through which to market their goods and by training them in various skills in order that they may go out into the community to support themselves....We believe that idealism can be combined with efficiency. We believe that this project for refugees is a perfect place through which to show the community at large that Jews and non-Jews can work harmoniously together," founded in 1939 and disbanded in 1979. Restaurant closed in 1972. 

On Tuesday they have breakfast at a Waldorf Cafeteria and then see the Christian Science globe, site of the Boston Tea Party, Old North Church, Paul Revere's home, Faneuil Hall, lunch at Durgin Park, old State House, Boston Commons, tour of the U.S. Frigate Constitution "Old Ironsides" and Bunker Hill; then drove up the coast through Lynn, Marblehead and Salem to Concord where they stayed and had supper at the Colonial Inn.

letter to "Mom & all" Tues. March 19, 1957 transcribed below

Concord, Mass. Tues. night (March 19, 1957)

Dear Mom & all,
We really saw Boston to-day.  It is an awful city.  But we really saw everything and to-night we are in Historic Concord.  It has been quite cold here to-day.  We have been eating in some very famous places and living in some fancy hotels.

We hope to head for home Friday, getting in sometime Friday night.

I am ready to get home.  I don't thing [sic] we have missed seeing anything in the entire east now.  I am getting plenty tired tho.

Harold has to go back to New York City Thursday so I guess we will miss seeing the Falls [Niagara] this trip and I don't care.  I have seen so much now I can't remember half of it.

Well I am sleepy so will close.  Love, Eliz.

To be continued....

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For other posts in this series see:
March 9, 1957 (1-2 of 56) New Vienna to Philadelphia
March 9-10, 1957 (2-14 of 56) Philadelphia
March 10-11, 1957 (15-18 of 56) Philadelphia to NYC
March 11, 1957 (18-19 of 56)  NYC
March 11-12, 1957 (20-27 of 56) NYC
March 12-13, 1957 (28-31 of 56) NYC
March 13-18, 1957 (31-34 of 56) NYC - CT - RI
March 18-19, 1957 (34-45 of 56) RI - MA
March 20, 1957 (46-49 of 56) MA - NYC
March 20-21, 1957 (49-51 of 56) NYC - Hershey
March 22, 1957 (52-56 of 56) Hershey PA to New Vienna