MEMOIRS OF SCHOOL STREET VILLAGE

Thanks so much for the great response to this blog!
A special thank you to those who have passed it on to others. We are heading quickly to amazing page visits to this blog! Welcome to folks from all over the country and other countries as well, including Lisbon!!

The "Village", as it was called, is located in the northwest corner of the city of Taunton, Massachusetts U.S.A. It covers about 1 square mile with the center being School Street. A large portion of the Village population was Portuguese when I was growing up.

This blog covers a lot of the history of the Village, much to do with my years as a child there: 1940 through the late 1950's. I do have many wonderful photos and information prior to that that and will share those as well. Always looking for MORE PHOTOS AND MORE STORIES TO TELL.

If you would like to send photos or share a memory of growing up in the Village
e-mail me at spinoart@comcast.net
feel free to comment on the posts. Directions are on the right side of the blog posts. Jump in, the water is fine and it is easy!!!


I will be posting photographs but not identifying individuals unless I have permission or they are a matter of public record. It you wish to give me permission, please let me know.

I am looking for any and all photos of the Village...

Please note: the way blogs work is that the latest post is first. It you would like to start from the beginning of the blog, check out the post labels on the right of the blog and go from there. Thanks.


Monday, November 12, 2012

SOUNDS WE PLAYED BY.....

Memories spark more memories....that's how this post started out. My husband and I tried to remember the sounds of our youth. Sweet moments as each one came to mind filling us with the sound it evoked.  I am hoping that you can play this game, too, and share it with us.
 We could savor those sounds then
since it was before the cacophony of leaf blowers and the like.
 It seems now that it is hard to find a moment
 when there are not a whole lot of harsh sounds drowning out
the precious ones meant to be savored like the single notes of a bird.

I will be doing another blog just on this topic.

  Help me write the next one?
This is just a start.



The sound of a wooden screen door closing. 
              This is one of my favorites: if  I am watching an old movie and hear this sound:  
  whoosh it brings me right back!

The sound of clothes on the line snapping in the wind.
There was an art to hanging clothes, and a good line was a woman's pride.
They all loved a good warm wind that would dry the clothes beautifully.




The sound of roosters in the morning. 
Our next door neighbors had a chicken coop
for years and I still love hearing that boasting rooster sing his song.
 Remember the busy communal clucking 
of chickens?


The long sound of the rotary phone being dialed.
Each number had a good distance to go before you connected.



The clack of an old typewriter as each letter pounded into the keyboard. 
My sister and I had the job of typing
statements for my Dad's business so even
my fingertips remember this one, I recently saw
 an episode on the TV program Sunday Morning that
talked of young people rediscovering old typewriters and the
satisfaction of control and simplicity of that old style of writing.






Sounds coming from open windows.
No air conditioning meant that household noises could be shared
by neighbors and the street. Laughter, yelling, the clank of
pots and pans and meals being prepared...we heard it all. 


The sounds of music from radios or record players. 
Here  is a precious You Tube musical interlude to
put you in the mood.  We had this 78 record of Jan Pierce singing
The Bluebird of Happiness.  Would you believe I still have it?
As a child I loved it. It may be the first music I remember.

Click on the arrow, close your eyes and enjoy.




NOW IT IS YOUR TURN TO CHIME ON IN...
WE CAN DO ANOTHER POST WITH A LOT MORE!!!  RIGHT???
If you remember other songs I can get them from You Tube....














8 comments:

  1. Songs like Racing with the Moon by Vaughn Monroe and Frankie laine's Mule Train.
    Now hanging clothes is another important thing because when I was first married my mother-in -law took great pride in hanging a perfect wash. I had much to learn apparently so the neghbors wouldn't talk about me. When I got the electric dryer it was a terrible thing in her eyes. of course who wants frozen laundry but hey what did I know. But I find myself doing things like sweeping stairs and cleaning aidewalks because it is imbedded in our characters. Our neighbor hood was very clean and had a lot of pride in our homes.Better than urban renewal it has been said about our Portuguese neighborhoods.
    How about Johnnie Ray as well for a singer from our childhood.
    Another store to add was Morris' on the corner of Winter and Cherry across from the Ward 5.

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  2. I lived across the street from the Taunton Baking Co. In the summer when the windows were open,you could hear at night the banging of trays, the bakers yelling at each other,and the sounds of their equipment.However, all was forgiven especially on Sunday morning.The wonderful aroma of freshly baked bread and the sound of the Taunton City Band was heaven.

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  3. At nine o'clock in the evening, the sound of the siren from the Taunton Central Firestation would not only tell the people the time.It would remind teen age boys to head home.It was a curfew imposed by their mothers and they obeyed it.

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  4. Another sound I recall was from Mr. Wilbur,the ragman. He would call out,"Rags!Rags"as he came by in his horse and wagon.He always wore brown suit even during the hottest days.Sometimes his wife accompanied him.I would sit on the curb to wait for him to come by.Simple pleasures inthose days. I met his daughter a few years ago and relayed my fond memory of him.

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  5. Another sound was the firetruck coming up School Street,but even more interesting was was seeing the people chasing the firetruck to go to the fire.People actually chased firetrucks in those days.

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  6. Now hanging clothes is another matter. Where we now live, my husband,John,is the only one who still hangs out clothes.He is a self proclaimed expert on the subject.Why? My mother taught him. I won't bore you with the details, but it's a work of art.Whatever he hangs he'll guarentee you it won't have to be ironed. Recently he threw out three perfectly good shirts blaming the shirts. The poor guys only needed to be ironed. He wouldn't let me do it.

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  7. As for the sounds of music in that era, I always tell people that I'm stuck in the forties and can't get out! Many years ago I bought Time Life tapes of the 40s and 50s great hits. That is my music.My favorite records were Baby Face and I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover by Art Mooney. I would rush home from high school to put on our two radios when those songs were played.Little did I know how I would grow to hate loud music which I consider just noise.

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  8. Did not know the "Ragman's" name...now I do. I recall a white (grey) horse and the lazy slow way they worked through the Village. I kind of recall "rags and bottles"...may be
    another one or just a different memory...sweet one though.....

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