Free Associations

“The method of free association has no linear or preplanned agenda, but works by intuitive leaps and linkages which may lead to new personal insights and meanings.” Wikipedia


“The first thing we would do when we got to our Harthaven house was get our bathing suits on, run down our driveway in bare feet, across the Youngs’ land and into the Sound. Delicious! Harthaven was the best darned place to grow up!” Howdy Eddy


“My earliest memories are of driving to New Bedford and smelling the salt air as we approached Fall River. And my child’s mind wondered at how flat the water was: we could see all the way to Cape Pogue as we neared the Vineyard.” Howdy Eddy

 

“Walter Hart's evening cocktail cruises for his brothers, wives and friends, on his big old cat boat (30's).


“Speed boat rides with Jim Hart to edgartown for ice cream - he would round up we harbor rats and give us a great ride.


“Dances at the East Chop Tennis Club in the 40's and the Tivoli - servicemen would come from the navy base.


“Flying Horses (and we always got impetigo!)


“Sunday nite band concerts in Oak bluffs, Ocean park. Artcliff diner - a late nite gathering place 40's.


“Gas from Williston, down by OB harbor, where gas coupons weren't usually required.


“Crabbing for blue claws in the "Crab Pond” at Young’s before and after the bridge went up.


“East Chop Beach Club and dances at the E.C Tennis Club with a full band (Al and Mike Pease can tell you about those!) 


“Edgartown and Nantucket regattas (where the Kennedy boys really knew how to party).”

all above by Joanne Shepard


“Beyond the back west porch (of the White House) were mosses of different colors and textures, all soft to touch.  Some looked like miniature trees.  Gay and I pretended these were fairy gardens and we spent a lot of time making up stories about them.” Martha Moore


“The big (South Shore) waves were unmanageable, wild and thrilling, and we ran away from them as they washed ashore.  Our fat black pug, Minnie, liked to chase gulls but always looked as if she were running in place, as hard as she could, never gaining on a bird.” Martha Moore

 

I can remember taking the clarks little night heron boat through the culvert to the Crab pond.  

The steamers and quahogs were terrific too.” Lyn Stevens-Bugbee


1957 my first Clambake-Luau, put on by Sandy Low. Meeting scads of people for the first time and Bill reassuring me, “don’t try to remember all their names – they’re all related!” Lyn Hart


Staying at Bideau and Frank Abbot’s home across the street. Fishing and sailing out of Harthaven harbor. Dinners and great conversations with Mom and Pop Hart. Catching eels in Harthaven harbor and cooking them to a French recipe. No one would join me in eating them.

Lyn Hart


Sitting in Bill and Lucy Hart’s livingroom, and meeting Sam Low who was celebrating his first writing job with The Vineyard Gazette. He was so pleased - and just a teenager! Lyn Hart

“In 1984 flew out of the grass airport in a Cherokee Warrior to begin honeymoon after a great wedding reception at Gram's house (now Clark's house) on the pond the day before


“Getting a concussion from falling off a hammock when I was around 6 or 7 in the woods across the road from the Hanson’s house. Then getting very sick in the bathroom at Gram's little house.


“Jumping off the  old little wooden bridge that used to cross over to get to the beach by Young's old house (Now Mickey’s house). Also digging the best steamers in that little water way.”Polly Pease, Penny Pease’s daughter


“The Blue House (aka Patty Martha's house) where I learned to drive in cardboard appliance boxes with Huck and Chan, circa 1965, Billie Burke

“Bettlebung sailboat races led by Ed Abbe with the a roll of Lifesavers for the grand prize. Gram and Grandad also had three matching rowboats in small, medium and large. I learned to row on the pond in the smallest one. We still have just that one boat under the Banana Stand in Chilmark. C. 1960. Doug Pease


“My siblings and I set up multi-colored wooden bowling pins at the end of the dock and had a blast scooping the pins and balls out of the pond with a crab net. Doug Pease

“The thing about Harthaven I remember most was the amount of freedom we enjoyed. Nothing was really organized. Mary Lee Everett Gifford.


“My grandmother loved fruit and always kept a large bowl of it on the sideboard in our dining room. When the gang came over, they would clean out the bowl in short order. Bung Young


“Harthaven is the only place I ever considered home. It’s where, as a little boy, I learned to ride a bike, first wobbling down the White House lawn. Later that day, while navigating the circle around the house, I finally ended up crashing into the huckleberry bushes after failing to step the brake. Ally Moore


“There weren’t many kids in Harthaven but what there were ended up playing in the harbor, swimming or rowing around. I therefore spent a good bit of time in Oak Bluffs. When I was eleven and twelve, I often worked at one of the two bowling alleys and became very competent setting pins, rising from a pay of ten cents per string to 25 plus tips. John Moore

“I remember building prams for sailing lessons and races on Farm Pond as well as endless swimming in the ‘Crab Pond.’ The Hydes, Stevens, Clarks built the prams." Jonathan Stevens.


"I have my dad's Harthaven Harbormaster hat. Fits great, even if it is misshapen." Jonathan Stevens.


“There was a time we could canoe north past the Youngs’, through the culvert under Beach Road (by lying down in the canoe) and into Farm Pond. And there were lots of crabs near the culvert.” Mary Lee Everett Gifford


“At the start of the Great Depression my weekly allowance was 25 cents. But as finances worsened, it finally dropped to only a nickel. A couple of us would go around to other houses in Harthaven holding tin cans. We were always welcome so we’d go right in jiggling our little cans, chanting loudly, “Money, Money!”  Bung Young


“Days were spent running foot races, jumping off the docks, biking around, snorkeling, netting blue claw crabs, drawing murals inspired by The Yellow Submarine movie, and skinny-dipping at night off Buoy Beach while pretending to be mauled and dragged underwater by Jaws.” Ally Moore


“My grandparents guest house on the edge of Farm Pond, Summer 1954. I was a newborn, so its not a memory, but hurricane Carol swept in one day. The waves rushed over the sea wall, around the house and rushed into the kitchen through the front door. Mom and Dad scooped me up and ran up to the big house.”Doug Pease

Please send your memories to Sam Low at samfilm@aol.com

all photos by Sam Low, painting by Ed Abbe

webdesign: Sam Low