All Entries in the "Chester Chatter" Category
Chester Chatter: First day of school filled with anticipation
By Ruthie Douglas © 2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC Excitement was running high: Tomorrow would be the start of a new school year. We kids were anxious to get back to school and see our friends once again. That night, we had laid out our new school clothes so to have everything ready for morning. Opening […]
Chester Chatter: On the loving grandparents next door
By Ruthie Douglas © 2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC I had only one set of grandparents — my father’s parents died before I was born. My grandparents lived right next door. They were my biggest fans, they supported me always and stood by me. They nurtured and helped form my character. They did this by sharing […]
Chester Chatter: New mown hay on a hot summer day
By Ruthie Douglas © 2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC Oh the scent of new mown hay! Come summer and the hay was ready to cut and put in the barn for the winter months ahead. The entire family all helped with the job. Under the sun, it was a hot job, but once evening came around […]
Chester Chatter: The joys of an old hardware store
By Ruthie Douglas © 2017-Telegraph Publishing LLC I came to live in Chester in 1957 and I knew it was where I wanted to live and never move from. It was the simple things: Stepping into the hardware store. Opening the door, just the smell of the oil on the wide-plank floors, the floor made […]
Chester Chatter: Swimming in the music of summer
By Ruthie Douglas © 2017-Telegraph Publishing LLC Growing up, my family’s source of entertainment was simple and mostly inexpensive. Come summer, on warm evening, we went to the music concerts at Riverside, where the school in Springfield is now located. The band — the town band, played selections to suit everyone. Instead of clapping, you […]
Chester Chatter: Watching a grandchild grow up
By Ruthie Douglas © 2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC The call came. My new grandbaby had arrived. I rushed over to Springfield Hospital, hurried down the hall and turned into the room. It was a boy, in his father’s arms. Kissing him on the cheek I knew I would love this baby, named Ben, forever. Over […]
Chester Chatter: Lessons from one-room school houses
By Ruthie Douglas © 2017-Telegraph Publishing LLC Chester at one time operated more than 20 one-room school houses. Once those schools served an important part in our outlying areas in hamlets such as Gassetts, Popple Dungeon and Smokeshire. They offered education and a meeting place for social gatherings. The teachers of these schools opened the […]
Chester Chatter: A little saw kicks up a lot of trouble
By Ruthie Douglas ©2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC When my sister and I were teenagers with summer jobs as car hops at the local A&W, we no longer wanted to go up to camp every weekend with our parents. We were old enough to stay home and out of trouble — or so my mother thought. […]
Chester Chatter: Knee-deep in frogs
By Ruthie Douglas ©2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC Young’s furniture store was just down the street from where I grew up in Springfield. We neighborhood kids kept an eye out for when it received deliveries. New appliances and furniture came in slab wood crates with heavy card board. We looked over the rubbish area and selected […]
Chester Chatter: Lakeside retreats for family 4th of Julys
By Ruthie Douglas ©2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC My parents were married on the 4th of July. They took the Toonerville Trolley to Charlestown, N.H., and took the train up to Lake Winnipesaukee for a two-day honeymoon. As years went by, our family mostly celebrated their anniversary up at our camp on Cole Pond. We’d go […]
Chester Chatter: Town doctors a life-line in small communities
By Ruthie Douglas ©2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC The country doctor had an important role in small town America. Folks counted on him to fix their ailments. They counted on him for all sort of advice as well. In Springfield, where I grew up, we were lucky to have two such doctors — Dr. Griffith and […]
Chester Chatter: Memories of a devoted father
By Ruthie Douglas @2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC My father had a dream. His dream was that I would become the first woman governor of Vermont. Even though that dream did not come true, my father always believed in me and was there to support me in my often-times crazy ventures. Do you know what it […]
The Telegraph welcomes Ruthie Douglas and ‘Chester Chatter’
I am pleased to announce that Ruthie Douglas is bringing her Chester Chatter column to Chester Telegraph readers. Before the internet and bloggers, there were community columns such as Chester Chatter that gave readers a glimpse into life down the street or on the other side of town. Her column has been a fixture for […]
