Historical Highlights of the Rustic Ridge Association

From Annual Meeting and Board Minutes 1905 – 1999

Prepared for the Rustic Ridge Centennial Celebration August 4 and 5,2001 by Margaret Conner assisted by Janet Abel, Julia and John Voorhies

1905 – 1920

• Rustic Ridge meets with the Northfield Seminary to see if the lowlands from the barns southward can be drained
• Shade trees are purchased by the Rustic Ridge to be planted by the Seminary on the “approach” to the Ridge
• Plans are made for a permanent organization of residents. The first social committee is organized for the purpose of the “increase of acquaintance among members”
• Initial garbage removal service is arranged for two times a week at $3 per week. Each family is asked to contribute’$1.00 per season
• Concern about high property taxes with no return! Also concern about “use of property” within the association; private use only, no businesses
• Communication is needed to households on the Ridge about sanitation “and other suggestions for the common good”.
• It is resolved “that the keeping of poultry on Rustic Ridge is hereby declared to be a public nuisance” .
• The first Executive Committee is appointed to design a budget for expenditures
• The first association auditor and road supervisors are elected
• Residents are reminded to separate garbage from tin cans and glass, and burn waist (sic) paper in your stove
• Owners are reminded to be sure that cottage numbers are visible from the street. Directories are available for 10 cents a carbon copy
• Association dues are figured as l/3 of 1% of the current tax valuation
• A Ridge rental agent is to be appointed but “not to interfere with the liberty of any cottage owner”
• “All residents of Rustic Ridge (are) requested to remove outside closets at their earliest convenience and to substitute for these inside closets with cesspools”
• Residents are concerned about too much noise on the Ridge
• Association limits budget for road repairs at $40 and general expenses at $27
• In 1910 residents seek relief from the skyrocketing price of ice
• Strong sentiment exists to raise the level of Wanamaker Lake by two feet
• Cottage owners seek assistance from the town fathers in help with road maintenance
• Residents seek “abatement of the nuisance due to the overflow of the Hillside Cottage cesspool”
• The local electric light company is given 15 minutes at the annual meeting in which to present information about lighting the cottages with electricity; further discussion is referred to the executive committee
• It is resolved to put an end to the barking of dogs and to discourage the presence of cats on the Ridge!
• It is decided that the annual meeting of the Ridge should be held on the afternoon of the day before the opening day of the conference.
• The Seminary is asked to widen North Lane and to build culverts by Kenjockety cottage
• The Ridge is assured by the Seminary that the water supply will be enlarged and sufficient for needs
• The milk committee is formed
• Many cottages order Pyrene fire extinguishers from the bookstore, “it being understood that when an alarm of fire is raised, they would carry them to the help of their neighbors in distress”
• The Boston and Maine Railroad and the Central Vermont Railroad are approached concerning the name of the station at South Vernon
• A note of thanks is sent to Mrs. W. R Moody, “the Rustic Ridge Association appreciates the very excellent program of the recent general conference and this deep conviction that much good was accomplished”.
• There is much discussion about the illumination of the Ridge and the thoughtfulness of those who place lights in the road is commended
• Mr. A.G. Moody presents the Association with a carefully prepared directory of the Ridge
• Rustic Ridge presidents:
  • Dr. Aylesworth
  • Mr. Brainard

1920’s

• The annual road budget is not to exceed $125
• In 1923, the Electric Light Co. reports the cost of the installation of electric power lines, and the amount being prohibitive, the matter is dropped. In 1925, they request a $10,000 deposit before undertaking to light the Ridge. In 1927, the Association agrees to erect four electric branch lines with the Association bearing half the cost and the users bearing half the cost. There is a $9 minimum charge per year in advance to be paid by the user. To avoid unequal distribution of expenses, all members will pay $10 into the treasury
• “It is resolved that all debris which cannot be placed in a receptacle the size of a garbage can must be hauled away at the expense of the occupant”
• In 1921, the assessed value of all the cottages is $36,000 with $1,000 tax per year; a special meeting is called to request the town to take over maintenance of the roads .
• There are earnest pleas for better quality milk
• There is a unanimous vote of thanks to Mr. Ambert Moody for the interest he has always shown in the affairs of the Ridge
• “It is resolved that the Rustic Ridge Association believes a large part of the charm of Northfield is in the observance of the Lord’s Day. We notice with regret that the Drug Store near the Auditorium is open on Sundays and we request the owner to close his place of business on the Lord’s Day”.
• “It is resolved that permission for trapping animals is available only through the agent of the Ridge”
• The Town of Northfield appropriates $300 to blast rock on North Lane
• Unleashed, noisy dogs continue to be a nuisance
• A letter is sent from the executive committee to all property owners and renters about keeping up the conditions of their property. Owners are requested to sell or rent their cottages to people who are in harmony with Northfield ideals
• Rustic Ridge Association presidents:
  • Mr. Aldrich
  • Mr. Lent
  • Dr. Peacock
  • Dr. Torrey

1930′s

• Ambert Moody is active in Ridge affairs; he offers use of his office and staff
• Tax rate for 1931-32 is 3/4 of 1% of Town assessment; noone should pay less than $2
• In 1932, the road budget is $156.23
• Cottage owners are urged to keep their properties clean and trees trimmed
• The milk committee checks the quality of the product from several farms which deliver to the Ridge
• Ponds are oiled for mosquito protection
• Plans are made to ask the town to “take over” the Ridge roads
• Individuals are urged to ask the Boston and Maine Railroad to request the stopping of a certain train at the East Northfield Train Station
• Mr. Arthur Berger is asked to confer with the seminary about widening “The Willows”
• President Woodruff makes a special trip to Northfield to attend the town meeting to request the widening of North Lane and a good swimming place for the children
• The annual meeting votes $50 to help fight the gypsy moth invasion
• The Ridge agent, who handles rentals, is paid $25 per year. He suggests lighting the roads and securing an incinerator for trash
• The roads are in very bad condition after the floods of ’36
• The future of the Ridge is bright, as attendance at the conferences has grown. In 1937, the General Conference is self-supporting
• There is great damage from the hurricane of September 21, 1938. Thankfully, there are no lives lost or cottages destroyed. Assessment of damage to each cottage will be sent to each “Ridger”
• Memories of the writer – Fond memories of the dark and delicious-smelling barns and the delightful activity of watching the cows cross the street everyday at 3:00 PM. The Tea Tent at the Conferences, the Bookstore and East Northfield Post Office, the 4th of July “exploding” bonfire, the beautiful birds and flowers, the family picnics outdoors, singing together on the porch and the wonderful smell of pine and a blazing fire.
• Rustic Ridge Association president for the decade – Dr. C.C. Woodruff
  

1940’s

• In 1940 a special meeting authorizes formation of a swim club under the auspices of the Northfield Hotel. Rustic Ridge member can swim for $l per week or $7 per season
• The Rustic Ridge Association is incorporated in 1940
• Upgrading of road is desired by all. The gravel that is being applied washes away in three hours. The Northfield Dept. of Roads suggests permanent upgrading in small sections yearly, $250 for 1/2 mile. A Road Fund is created and residents and tradespeople contribute $160.01
• In 1941 a motion is passed to deny use of secondary electric wires to those who have not paid Ridge tax for preceding year
• Water pressure on 7th Ridge is reported to be extremely low
• Annual meeting instructs renting agents to rent only to those with the “spirit of Northfield” as some rentals are turning out badly, namely causing fire hazards
• Some cottage renters are complaining about uncomfortable mattresses
• Effects of WW II limits rental of cottages. Few replies received despite thousands of advertisements sent to homes of those interested in Northfield and the conferences
• Tenney Farms welcomes visitors to see Ridge milk supplies
• Upon reflection, the 1938 Hurricane wrought havoc, but was a “blessing in disguise” as there are now better views and more light!
• Due to the war, the gasoline shortage is affecting where meetings are held and there is no oil available for use on ponds to abate mosquitoes. Oiling of ponds resumes in 1944. Requests are made to fight the gypsy moth invasion
• Plans for a Ridge pool are tabled indefinitely
• Limited progress is made on the roads despite wartime shortages of labor and materials. Residents are reminded that “every dollar invested in roads saves precious tires and shoes”
• Full rights to electric lines and poles are given to WMECO who will rewire the Ridge
• The Town of Northfield acquires Woodruff Way (Rd.)
• Ridge residents enjoy high caliber of the 1949 general conference.
• Owners are reminded of their obligations regarding cesspools
• There are 30 ice delivery customers on the Ridge in 1949
• Entrances to North Lane and Woodruff Road are beautified
• Rustic Ridge son, Dr. Wallace Chesbro is killed in the final months of World War II
• Rustic Ridge Association president for the decade: Dr. A.L. Berger
  

1950’s

• In 1950 it is voted that the Association recognize and acknowledge the receipt of the quitclaim deed giving the Association title to the roads
• In 1950 a thank-you note is sent to WMECO for their efficient work in erecting poles and wires on the Ridge to date and to suggest that they continue uninterrupted in order to complete the work.
• Baseball games are arranged between the married men and the single men. A ping-pong tournament is arranged for the young people
• The Rustic Ridge Association sends deep regrets that the General Conferences have been discontinued. Unanimous resolution adopted to urge the President and Trustees of the Northfield Schools to “see their way clear to resume the general conferences”.
• Cooperation is the theme of the decade – clear away brush, drive safely on Ridge roads, separate trash and pay your dues!
• Dr. J.L. Peacock and Dr. Arthur L. Berger are installed as honorary presidents of the association
• The road committee aspires to have every road on the Ridge permanently paved by the end of 1954.
• Mr. Hoehn is to contact the schools about the disagreeable odors emanating from the Seminary barns
• The old Virginia Camp is demolished and removed
• Trees are to be planted from Highland Avenue to Birnam Road to just below the First Ridge
• In l954, the matter of improving the view from Garnet Rock was tabled
• In 1955, a Social and Hospitality committee is appointed with representatives from each Ridge
• A street light is installed on the “Anderson Corner” on North Lane. The map directory is moved back and a parking space is created
• Mr. Kenneth Page is recognized for his many years of painting and placing road signs and directories throughout the Ridge roads
• In 1959, the Schell Pool is found to be an unworkable swimming solution; a number of families are using the new hotel pool – $50 for husband and wife and $5 for each additional member
• There is discussion about the construction of a new road between the 6th and 7th Ridge
• Rustic Ridge Association presidents:
• Dr. Arthur Berger
• Dr. William Bollman
• Mr.John Hann, Jr.
• Rev. Mark Ray
• Dr.Arthur Parker. Jr.

1960’s

• Mr. Hoehn resigns after 50 years of tireless service to the Association as clerk and agent
• Residents are urged to clear roads and frontage, drive slowly and sound horn at curves, check fire extinguishers and individual fire gongs
• A cordial meeting with Dr. Howard Jones. president of the Northfield schools results in immediate improvements to the Willows road
• A search for adequate swimming facilities continues. ln 1962 it is voted to constitute a swimming committee made up of Ridge and town residents to look into rehabilitating the Schell Pond and to survey the Janeway Pond
• It is suggested that the Association consider cutting back brush 3′ from the sides of road at $25 per road
• Ed Finch, manager of the Northfield Hotel, explains why the hotel pool will not be available to the general public in the future (N.B.- these reasons are not explicated in the notes!)
• Phone service is discontinued on the 3rd Ridge in 1963 due to low usage; the following year it is reconnected with a minimum usage charge assessed. The telephone company removes the phone at the end of East Lane; the association considers paying to have it reinstalled at $9 a month and later decides not to do so
• A rusty blight is affecting the pine trees. Though unsightly, it is not a serious concern, according to the local extension service. The loss of the “lively” green color and spotty brown needles is apparently caused by wooly aphids
• The Schell Pond is rehabilitated in 1962 for $600; it is dredged, dressing rooms and toilets are installed and a lifeguard is hired. The schools underwrite the deficit the first year. t4yo of the users are summer residents
• The Northfield Chateau, built in 1902, is demolished in 1963
• In 1964 all property tax valuations double. The value is based on market value, not the length of time the cottage is used. Owners 70 years and older are allowed a $4000 tax exemption
• On Halloween, 1965, “some boys took down our road signs, and after appearing in court, they replaced them under Ted’s (Powell) supervision”
• The East Northfield Water Co. agrees to provide water from May 1 – October l5 with the schools agreeing to make water available at other times if needed
• In 1968 the by-laws are changed – “taxes of the association shall be determined annually by the active members of the Association” (instead of as a % of property tax valuation)
• Western Mass Bus Lines requests a letter from the Ridge in support of service between East Northfield and Springfield
• A meeting of concerned Ridge parents was held and it is agreed that no bicycles shall be brought on the Ridge (for safety reasons)
• In 1969 there is interest in the new Northfield Mountain Hydroelectric project with slide shows and tours available to all
• Rustic Ridge Association presidents:
  • Walter Chapin
  • Hoyt Chapin
  • Earl Loomis
  • Harold McGrath
  • Arthur Parker

1970’s

• Mail delivery to individual cottages is investigated as the Post Office plans to move from Moody Street to Main Street.
• The young people on the Ridge want “more togetherness” and request a bike depot to be built on the lower Ridge roads.
• Summer recreational activities include a square dance at the Anderson cottage, continuous use of the tennis courts (Ridge tennis players are urged to make a contribution to the schools) and the town playground programs. Hymn sings on Round Top are organized. The Schell pool is dredged and a lifeguard is hired.
• Ridge members raise concerns about cigarette butts on the ground, cars parked on Ridge roads, motorbikes roaring along the roads, and unleashed dogs.
• Northfield selectmen grant requests that no permits are granted for home trailers on the Ridge.
• The “Quinnetucket” riverboat begins service on the Connecticut River from Northfield to Turners Falls in 1973.
• The Town of Northfield celebrates its tercentenary in 1973. Earl Loomis writes an article about the Rustic Ridge for the Rivertown Review, a town history compiled for the tercentenary celebration. Ridge Association Historical Committee meets with Northfield Tercentenary committee
• The Rustic Ridge celebrates our 75th anniversary in 1976 with a variety of social activities. “The Story of Rustic Ridge”, is completed after several years of dedicated, wonderful work by Earl Loomis and Esther Loos with the help of the Ridge historical committee, townspeople and others. $1600 was voted by the annual meeting to print 600 copies to be sold for $1.50 each. There are still copies available!
• Beatrice Cheek starts the Anniversary Rock Garden at the comer of North and West Lane in honor of the 75th anniversary of the Rustic Ridge.
• Pine Grove Addition cottage owners are given the opportunity to purchase the land they lease from NMH and many do so.
• Ridge residents mourn the loss of the Northfield Inn in 1977 but are thankful to still have the use of the pool and golf course
• The Trinitarian Congregational Church is destroyed by fire in 1971.
• The Omega Hardware and the New England Store on Main Street are also destroyed by fire in 1979.

1980’s

• Increasing concern about off-season access to the Ridge by snowmobilers
  and other “browsers” in remote areas of the Ridge. Many illegal parties and campfires are discovered on the 7th Ridge and vandalism of cottages increases during the off-season.
• Northfield Mount Hermon Schools make the Rustic Ridge “formally” out of bounds to NMH students (!)
• Severe gypsy moth infestation over two seasons causes defoliation of trees throughout the Ridge. The Association pays for a general spraying and cottage owners join together to spray their individual properties
• In 1983 the Northfield Inn Hotel Pool is saved from proposed demolition (due to the extensive renovations needed) through the leadership of Trish White and several other Ridge members
• Record heavy rains in June 1984 flood Ridge culverts and cause widespread road damage. Much of Winchester, NH is under water including Kulick’s Market and parking lot. The Connecticut River reaches record depths.
• New water pipes are installed on the Ridge by the schools
• Annual spraying for insects is formally discontinued in 1988 given concerns about the ecological hazards of spraying and its overall effectiveness
• The Town of Northfield increases property valuations. The passage of Proposition 2 1/2 has cut back state funding to towns. There is concern about town services including police surveillance of cottages during the off-season.
• The Wood cottage on Woodruff Way is gutted by fire and ultimately demolished.
• Vandalism continues to be problematic. A surveillance/notification plan is put in place involving the Northfield police, Ridge agents Ted Powell, Ed Finch and Bob Huber and cottage owners. Official no-trespassing signs are obtained. Cooperation among all parties involved helps to ameliorate the problem
• Rustic Ridge Association presidents:
  • David Berger
  • David England
  • John Hann Jr.
  • Nelson Harris
  • Carol Santos
  • Marilyn Williams

1990’s

• In 1990, Gertrude Lauber resigns after 45 years of dedicated service to the Rustic Ridge Association. She has served as assistant clerk, clerk and business manager and for the past 30 years as association clerk
• The 911 system is upgraded and all cottages are renumbered
• Sawhorses are placed at the end of the private roads to successfully prevent off-season traffic
• Linden Avenue is officially brought into the Rustic Ridge Association in 1991
• In 1992 the East Northfield Water Co. must construct a $300,000 containment vessel and residents will eventually need backflow valves.
• In 1992 the Northfield Solid Waste Recovery NSWR) sewage sludge composting plant is proposed (200 tons per day increasing to 1000 tons per day)
• In 1993 Esther Moody Loos died at age 97. She lived in Princeton, NJ for 50 years, was evacuated from Nanking China in 1927 by the US Navy and tutored languages for many years at the Princeton Institute of Advanced Study. She summered in Northfield for many years
• Seasonal water rates increase to about $100 per year
• In 1994, the Taxpayers for a Safe and Prosperous Northfield (TSPN) is formed
• In 1995 Cable Television comes to the Ridge
• The flower gardens at the North Lane entrance to the Ridge are beautifully created and tended by George Thomas; the Powells and others keep the Anniversary Rock Garden at the south entrance of West Lane growing beautifully as well
• The famous mirror on North Lane is replaced with a “fortified” version by David Powell in 1995
• In October i996, the Greenfield Recorder reports “No Composting Plant for
• Northfield”
• In 1997 it is deemed that septic systems are not necessary on the Ridge as long as cesspools pass a “perc test” (percolation test).
• In 1997 the Discretionary fund (later the Reserve Fund) is initiated mostly for tree problems

There are countless delightful entries throughout the historical records that demonstrate the thoughtful, sentimental writing style of the times. Two examples are cited below.

The following is a tribute to Rustic Ridge residents, dearly loved by all, who died in 1925 and were honored during the annual meeting of that year. It is an example of the many poignant memorial tributes written during the early years of Ridge history found in the original records.

Just as softly as fades the light after the sun is gone

Just as sweetly as through the night the steady stars shine on

Just as gently as spring leaves come or snowflakes whiten the sod 

Passed they out from this earthly house, into the home of God,’ 

 

---

“Our hearts are grateful for the privilege of being back amidst surroundings which mean so much to us and for the opportunity of mingling with friends of former years and meeting new friends. We are sorry to note that the angel of death has again entered our family circle of Rustic Ridge and several of our members …are no longer with us. We are happy to welcome new members and we trust that they will immediately feel at home and that their experiences on the Ridge will be rich and rewarding.

We are all aware that summer residents, being in the community for a month or two, must expect improvements to come a bit more slowly than where we are permanent residents. Being here for vacation and relaxation, most of us shy away from the burden of details and routine which we are involved in during the year. We can, however, by Christian consideration and thoughtfulness help each other and thus make our summer sojourn here one of delight and joy.”

Rev. Mark Ray, August 14,1957
Report of the President
Rustic Ridge Association Annual Meeting