What do you suppose Willie and Harry Martin did for fun as kids in the old times in Milford? From a history of Milford written in 1955, we catch a glimpse of the mischief, mayhem, and good old times to be had by the youth in old Milford. Not surprisingly, Ellen took her turn at providing entertainment–how else to keep her boys out of trouble? George Hardy gets a mention–he married Ellen’s sister, Mary.
“The boys of Milford … liked to put things on the [railroad] tracks but usually they were nails or small pieces of metal to see what the wheels of the big locomotive would do to them. They enjoyed climbing the little hill on the west of town where they could watch the trains labor up the highline towards Frisco during the winter. When there was much snow and the train was late returning, it was a good guess that it was caught in one of the snowbound cuts in a blizzard. When this happened, the boys would climb the hill to the assay office and get inside the wood box at the back. Here they could just lift the lid enough to poke their binoculars through to watch the train crews trying to shovel the train out, which was under the necessity of backing down because there were no facilities to turn around at Frisco. And if it was not too windy the boys could take along a .22 rifle and bring back a rabbit or two for supper.
“Some of the more mischievous lads of the community turned their attention to pestering George Hardy the shoemaker. His shop was on the corner … and he would often be seen working late at night. There was a small hole in the wall just opposite his bench and the boys would sneak up and spit tobacco juice through it. This would make him angry but he would go right on singing his little English songs and work all the faster.
“The same boys were a little more refined where girls were involved and usually confined their activities to candy pulls, playing marbles, dancing, and other things common to the times. Often Mrs. Peter Martin used to invite them to her home for an evening of entertainment. Each one present would have to take his or her turn with a story or stunt or else pay a forfeit. When the old folks went to parties it was common to take the younger children with them.…
The older people of the community liked to gather at the end of a day’s work and spend the evening dancing. The Williams Hotel, Mowery Hotel. and the school house were common places where this activity was carried on. This was during the time when daylight must be seen between the partners and a floor manager kept an eye open for offenders who would be politely asked to leave. Different kinds of quadrilles, Chicago glide, and the mazurka were among the 57 popular dances of the period. The music was supplied by various means including accordions, violins, organs, and often orchestras would be hired from Minersville, Beaver, and occasionally Dan Olsen’s band came from Fillmore. In addition to the dances, there were occasional masquerade parties and a wedding reception or two” (An Early History of Milford up to its Incorporation as a Town, George A. Horton, Jr, 102-103).
