{"id":428,"date":"2017-04-24T11:36:54","date_gmt":"2017-04-24T15:36:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/taylorpond.org\/?p=428"},"modified":"2020-08-23T17:34:26","modified_gmt":"2020-08-23T21:34:26","slug":"memories-of-taylor-pond-july-2016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/taylorpond.org\/?p=428","title":{"rendered":"Memories of Taylor Pond July 2016"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Joan Macri July 2016<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Life on Taylor Pond has been a treasured experience for generations. Efforts have been made in the past to chronicle this history, most notably in the book <\/span><\/i>\u201c<\/span><\/i>Now and Then at Taylor Pond<\/span><\/i>\u201d <\/span><\/i>by Helen Andrews in 1986. That was 40 years ago and much has changed<\/span><\/i>\u2014<\/span><\/i>but much has remained the same. While many more homes are year-round, they remain family-focused and more often than not, multi-generational. The Taylor Pond Association is interested in collecting stories and memories from people who have spent many years on the pond in order to hold on to that history. If you have some memories to share, please contact Joan Macri at <\/span><\/i>joanmacri48@gmail.com<\/span><\/i><\/a>. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Nancy Weber has been spending her summers on Taylor Pond since 1949. In the 1930<\/span>\u2019<\/span>s her grandmother, Bertha Rattigan, and her four siblings each bought camps next to one another on what is now Taywood Road. Descendants still occupy 4 of the original homes. <\/span><\/p>\n

Nancy recalls that her grandmother<\/span>\u2019<\/span>s passion was to be at Taylor Pond as early in the spring and as late in the fall as possible. Bertha was a determined woman so she made it happen despite working as a weaver at the Bates Mill and walking to and from the mill each day. That is approximately 12 miles round trip and this was before the buses made pick-ups at the intersection of Park Avenue and Lake Street. No wonder she lived to be 91! <\/span><\/p>\n

Nancy remembers her grandmother<\/span>\u2019<\/span>s cottage well. No heat, no electricity, no running water, no fireplace. A wood stove to cook on, heat water and make <\/span>\u201c<\/span>the best toast ever<\/span>\u201d <\/span>by just placing the bread on top of the stove. Everyone washed up in the pond using little wire cages with bits of soap in them to create a lather, brushing your teeth and spitting from the steps. Ivory soap was the preferred choice because it floated.<\/span><\/p>\n

With no running water, rain barrels were used to capture water for washing dishes and the entire family would drive to the Spring Road in Auburn with gallon jugs to fill from the natural spring so they would have drinking water for the week. <\/span><\/p>\n

There was no garbage service so people burned what little trash they created or buried it. Years later, Nancy was working in her garden and discovered lots of buried glass bottles.<\/span><\/p>\n

People had outhouses back then. Rather than awful, Nancy thought her grandmother\u2019s was \u201cinspirational.\u201d It was papered with old calendars\u2019 scenic sites across the country, such as the Grand Canyon and Pike\u2019s Peak. And yes, it was a one-holer.<\/span><\/p>\n

Favorite summer memories include:<\/span><\/p>\n