Cooking With Curtis Grace

Rosa Belle Buck Morton: THE FIVE YEAR DIARY OF ROSA BELLE BUCK MORTON OF SOUTH ASHFIELD MASSACHUSETTS 1946 - 1950, South Ashfield, MASSACHUSETTS 1946
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This is a charming Five Year diary written by Rosa Belle Buck Morton of So. Ashfield, MA. Her name and address are written in the beginning pages. The diary begins January 1, 1946 and ends December 31, 1950. There are only a few days that lack entries. Rosa was born April 23, 1888 and was 58 years old when she began writing this diary. According to her description of herself she was 58 years old, 5' 5 1/2" tall, weighed 150 pounds, had gray hair and blue eyes. We can't be positive, but think she was widowed and that Buck was her married name. In mid-1946 she married George W. Morton (b. January 27, 1874) who was 72 years old at the time of their marriage. In the beginning of 1946 Rosa lives in So. Ashfield, MA and lives with a younger woman named 'Marnie' (suggested as her daughter). She seems to have had an important job at the Conway National Bank, where she worked daily for a 'Mr. Squires' (who was later elected as Town Clerk) and where she attended stock holder meetings and also met regularly with bank examiners. After her marriage to George Morton in 1946 she and Marnie moved with him to Conway where the three of them apparently lived together through 1950. Rosa wrote quite consistently about her elderly, Aunt Belle (in So. Ashfield) who she seems to have visited regularly, as well as to have spent each Thanksgiving and Christmas with. I'm not certain what George did for work, but toward the end of 1950 he was given a farewell party. Rosa's diary doesn't contain much historical information. Occasionally she wrote about a current event or Presidential election. She kept a very accurate record of the weather conditions for each day. But, most of her entries pertain to her work, hobbies, family, and domestic life. Both, she and George had many friends and lead very active social lives. She was a member of the O.E.S. and the Grange and also played the organ and sang in the choir at several Churches. She also taught piano lessons at home. George was a member of the Masonic Temple. Both of them regularly attended various meetings and supper socials. They also enjoyed going to see movies, which Rosa often mentioned the names of. She also wrote about the births, marriages, and deaths of her local friends and acquaintances. As well as about local events and tragedies. She also wrote about the frequent trips she and George made to neighboring towns in Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York and New Hampshire. But, she more often wrote about their trips and vacations to Vermont, where they both seemed to have been especially fond to visit. But, more consistently she wrote about her life at home. She enjoyed sewing, knitting, baking, cooking, gardening (both flowers and vegetables), berrying, canning, pickling, and generally making her home pretty and comfortable. She also seems to have spent a great deal of time wallpapering and painting woodwork and furniture. Remarkable to consider how a woman her age had enough energy to: 1. hold down a fulltime job 2. be so socially active 3. do so much work at home (!) George was also fond of gardening, but he seems to have especially enjoyed 'fixing things up' and going squirrel and deer hunting. And, Rosa occasionally went with him. Rosa kept a pretty accurate account of expenses and what she paid for items, as well as noting the sums of money she received (tax refunds, etc.) and her frequent pay raises and bonuses. Not rich, but they seemed to have been 'comfortable.' Rosa's diary also contains some of her favorite poems by Robert Frost and Hood. And, some of her favorite spiritual quotes. All in all...her diary reveals a wonderful story of a happy, middle-aged, couple, living in domestic bliss during the late 1940's. I must conclude those were 'the good ol' days.' Some of the names Rosa mentioned are: Jane Loder, The Hitchcock's, Cliff & Louise Lilly, Mrs. Weston, Mr. & Mrs. Squires, Marion Anderson, Katherine Boitel, Ed & Peggy Mowry, Grace Williams, Mr. Low, Dr. Fielding, Mrs. Perkins, Hortense Howe, Charlie Burton, Ida White, The Fithc's, Mr. Carey, Mrs. Laidley, Betty Owens, Mary Benjamin, Merville & Viola Thurville, Mrs. Cook, Mrs. Bird, Mrs. Rix, Marion Hall, Helen Ward, Fred Bardwell, Douglas Raymond Howe, Minnie Fields, The Fisk's, Robert Lesure, Walter Benjamin, Mr. Snyder, The Sturtevouts, Isabel Howe, The MacDonald's, Addison Curtis Hall, Clinton Fitch, Lucille Currie, Esther Benjamin, Walter & Alice Benjamin, Rob Nye, May Warren, Madeline Bouchard, Ruth Richards, Elizabeth Zimmerstein, Mr. Comstock, Fred Burnett, Dr. Parker, Sylvia & Ruth Sauders, Dr. Bryant, Col. Martin, Merton Batchelder, Mrs. Belair, Nellie Rix, Myron Hayden, Will Fitch, Frederic Snyder, Aurora Hopkins, Gerresa White, and many, many, others. More closely associated to her were: Aunt Belle, Marnie, and David. Some of the towns she visited in Massachusetts were: So. Ashfield, Conway, Greenfield, Amherst, Sunderland, Orange, Deerfield, So. Deerfield, Northampton, Turners Falls, Springfield, Athol, Holyoke, Boston, Hingham, Somerville, Whately, Worcester, Shelburne Falls, Gardner, Hadley, Montaque, Attleboro, Littleton, and many, many, others. She regularly visited George's sister in Hartford, Ct. She also took trips to Manchester and Winchester, New Hampshire and to Warwick, Rhode Island and Schenectady and White Plains, New York. She more often visited towns in Vermont; No. Pownal, Bennington, Woodford, Manchester, Brattleboro, Newfane, Grafton, Whitingham, Bellows Falls, and Wilmington. But, many, many, others. The diary is approximately 4" x 5 1/2" and has a black leather cover. A few (very few) of its pages are brittle and cracked and one or two have their edges torn-away but is in otherwise good condition. Rosa's entries are written in ink and her handwriting is quite legible and easy to read. Full-Leather 32mo - over 4" - 5" tall Manuscript

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Cooking with Curtis Grace. A Collection of Favorite Recipes from Curtis Grace and His Ninth Street House Restaurant. McClanahan Publishing House, Kuttawa, Kentucky, 1985 ISBN: 913383058
182 pages plus index. A very clean, attractive copy. No previous owner markings. Illustrated.

BOOK NEAR FINE, 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall, Soft Cover,

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