There is a time each year that remains in my memory. It is that last day of elementary school when the old bell is rung one last time. My early years were spent in a four-room schoolhouse here in Concord, it was St. Peter’s School, located on Bradley Street in the north end of Concord. Each of the four rooms housed two grades and one Sister of Mercy to instruct the students in both grades. I look back upon those years recalling some fond memories and the thoughts I held in my youth. I asked my parents when I was young if I could attend public school like my friends. My father’s stern response was the final decision; he told me the discipline would be good for me and it would build character. On top of the education and discipline I received at St. Peter’s School my father was a combat veteran and a career New Hampshire State Trooper. So, my early years were certainly managed without concerns with both the law and the church. Now that many decades have passed and I view my early years maturely, I look towards heaven and say, “I finally understand, Dad.”
With my multitude of disciplines, the feeling I had on the last day of school was one that was simply exhilarating. I contentedly sat at my desk in my school uniform, top collar buttoned and school necktie embroidered with “SPS” tightly around my neck. The old wall clock turned slowly, but the bell would once again be rung by Sister Louise and I would be free to enjoy my summer.
When the bell sounded, we were called into our safety patrols in order. I was in Patrol One and lined up according to plan. Our Patrol Leader was Gary Mayo and he kept us organized and safe until we reached the end of Albin Street. Once released on this last day of school I would run quickly up Rumford Street hill towards home and towards a summer of leisure.
My first day of summer meant I didn’t have to wake up early, walk to school, wear a school uniform, or do homework. The typical attire for summer near White Park was cut-off jeans, a lightweight tee shirt, and no shoes. I would walk across the street to White Park and spend hours swimming in the chlorinated pool. Dan the Ice Cream Man would arrive with his truck and I would hand him my 10 cents for a snow cone. Concord Park and Recreation provided art and crafts, too.
The White Park Pond was a constant lure during the hot summer days. Catching turtles and frogs was most enjoyable. We would catch and release them quite often, something I have retained my entire life, this friendship with all animals. Summer meant we could visit the Concord Library, walk around downtown and ride our bicycles too. Many days were spent with many friends and we formed lifelong bonds that have lasted to this very day. As the sun would set each summer evening there was always a friendly game of “kick the can” or “flashlight tag” to join. We played marbles and touch football and board games too. Yes, summer was a very exciting time growing up in Concord.
But the years have a way of dictating our future and we must follow along. As my teen years progressed, I spent less days catching turtles and more days building models and swimming at the quarries. I started a paper route and earned some money. I remember delivering my neighborhood papers to one house in particular and there was a very nice young girl my age. We would talk and I always looked forward to seeing her with my newspaper in hand. The young girl became my wife and we have been happily married for many decades.
My summer routines continued to change with age and a favorite spot on a hot summer day tended to be swimming at the quarries on Rattlesnake Hill. During my grandfather’s early years, the preference for swimming was limited to Horseshoe Pond or the Merrimack River because the quarries were a dangerous place with a thousand men employed in the granite industry. As the quarries were excavated and granite extracted from the hill the depths continued to grow. A few hundred feet below the surface often resulted in natural springs flowing into the old quarries. Pumps were used but the years filled the old granite quarries with spring water in time, creating the best places to swim on a hot summer day. It is interesting to note the many quarry preferences the young people living in Concord offered decades ago. My favorite quarry for swimming was always Perry’s Quarry. Though others preferred New England Quarry or even Swenson Quarry. We certainly had our choice when it came to our quarries.
With swimming being a favorite summer pastime, we are fortunate today to have the many park pools available for summer use. White Park initially offered an upper and lower pond over a century ago. The upper pond became a natural wading pool with the lower pond primarily for swans, ducks and enjoyment. It was during the Great Depression when the WPA provided government work to sustain the unemployed people in our country. The WPA established many job opportunities here in Concord during the 1930s. One of those projects was the upper pond conversion at White Park. The upper wading pool was excavated and forms were placed with concrete poured. The result was the cement swimming pool that many of us enjoyed during our early years. There has been remarkable progress and development at White Park with the upper pond and WPA swimming pool now the new home of the splash pad.
With our Memorial Day concluded, our gardens planted and our summer vacations ready to begin I once again have that old feeling. It is that last day of elementary school when the old bell is rung one last time.
I hope each of you enjoy the summer season. Be safe and embrace all that is good.