Lizzie Borden Society Fall River Weekend

Shelley · Post by **Shelley** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 8:37 am

Oh midnight in Oak Grove is part of the grisly initiation rites! I thought of the Whiffenpoo song too Harry! Well, England has its Beefeaters, Harry Potter has his Deatheaters, Las Vegas has its fireaters- and Fall River must have its Muttoneaters.

Yes, indeed we need a song to rally around. I'm open to suggestions here, other than You Can't Chop Yer Pappa Up in Massachusetts. We have a "secret handshake", a password, a mascot and a coat of arms, funny hats, a clubhouse, membership cards and pins and a decoder ring- what else do a bunch of kids need?

Ooo- Doug- nice hatchet over that sheep! I wonder if we need a hatchet- or a spoon on the shield? Not a deadly weapon of course, but helpful when slurping mutton broth. I can't recall anyone being spooned to death. But there's always a first time.

doug65oh · Post by **doug65oh** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 9:08 am

Something like a cartoonish bowl and soup spoon, perhaps - or just a spoon would do. (Agreed on the hatchet, too.)

Ditto on the Whiffenpoof - I never thought of that one!

All I can think of so far songwise is...hmmm...I dunno...."Ewe Send Me"?? Nahhh!!!

doug65oh · Post by **doug65oh** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 9:32 am

Okay, here's one with a spoon.

See what ya think.

Angel · Post by **Angel** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 9:32 am

doug65oh @ Fri Sep 14, 2007 10:08 am wrote:Something like a cartoonish bowl and soup spoon, perhaps - or just a spoon would do. (Agreed on the hatchet, too.)

Ditto on the Whiffenpoof - I never thought of that one!

All I can think of so far songwise is...hmmm...I dunno...."Ewe Send Me"?? Nahhh!!!

How about "Ewe-nited we stand, divided we fall------------"

doug65oh · Post by **doug65oh** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 9:44 am

Hmmm…something with...a light ragtime feel to it, like:

Oh baby – you love of my life,
Let me tell you one thing that be true:
If it’s cold or if it’s hot
(Don’t really matter what we got)
I can’t sheep at night without Ewweeee!

Yathink? Maybe?

Tina-Kate · Post by **Tina-Kate** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 9:52 am

A crossed spoon & hatchet might make a nice balance on the shield.

Shelley · Post by **Shelley** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 10:16 am

Yes! I love the crossed spoon and hatchet- just the thing! Behind the sheep? Kfactor can we make one of these? Oh my, Doug- if I didn't know better I would think you had been in the cooking sherry!

How about "I only have eyes for ewe"or
" Who put the chop in the chop-de-chop-de-chop, Who put the the ram in the ram-a-lama-ding-dong? (okay, so you have to be over 50 to get that one)

doug65oh · Post by **doug65oh** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 10:58 am

Shelley!! Yes, actually we could do a crossed spoon and hatchet I think. I'll see what I can work up.

You forgot a couple, too I think:

Ewe Send Me (by Sam Cooke) and...the other has just slipped my mind!

(You don't either have to be over 50 to get that song reference, hehe. Wasn't that the...the Dovells, same group that did "The Bristol Stomp"??)

Tina-Kate · Post by **Tina-Kate** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 11:27 am

"Mutton from Mutton Leaves Mutton"

(Nothing from Nothing lyrics---Billy Preston, 1970s)

or, my personal fav mentioned quite some time ago on the board---

"Pease mutton hot,
Pease mutton cold,
Pease mutton in the pot
9 days old..."

Shelley · Post by **Shelley** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 11:55 am

Oh boy- we're on a roll now. By the time I get back from FR tomorrow night, my mind boggles just thinking what's coming next!

doug65oh · Post by **doug65oh** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 11:56 am

Okay, here's the roughest idea of a "crossed implements" seal image. (It's more of a "V" actually but isn't bad, really.) The sheep is slightly smaller here, but not much.

JoAnne · Post by **JoAnne** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 7:16 pm

I like the sheep on the seal but I think an upside down bowl jauntily perched on it's head would make a cute hat.The spoon could be stuck in the hat like a feather and an axe around the neck on a ribbon as if it was a bell .
You can all see ,I am bound and determined to dress up this sheep. Oh, where are my paper dolls!

How about the Beatles song"Do You Want to Know A Secret"

"Listen do you want to know a secret.
Do you promise not to tell.woh woh woh
Closer, let me whisper in your ear
say the words you want to hear
I DID IT WITH THE HATCHET woh woh woh"

Susan · Post by **Susan** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 8:40 pm

Wow, what a great idea!

I love it. There is a group called the Mutton Birds that have a few interesting songs, I've heard their Don't Fear The Reaper before.

http://www.lyricsandsongs.com/lyrics/MUTTON_BIRDS.html

Then there is an old traditional song called Green Peas, Mutton Pies:

Green Peas, Mutton Pies

1.
Green peas, mutton pies, tell me where my Maggie lies,
I'll be there before she dies, green peas, mutton pies.
Three pairs of blankets and four pairs of sheets,
One yard of cotton to mend my Johnny's breeks.
Green peas, mutton pies, tell me where my Johnny lies,
I'll be there before he dies and cuddle in his bosom.
Baby in the cradle, playing with the keys,
Maggie in the pea park, picking up peas.

From this site:

http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/folk- ... n_Pies.htm

doug65oh · Post by **doug65oh** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 9:47 pm

Okay, now I'm scared - I could almost swear I've heard the tune that "Green Peas, Mutton Pies" is sung to!

Nadzieja · Post by **Nadzieja** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 10:05 am

Ok, I'll admit I'm not good at graphics on the computer but how about the crossed spoon & hatchet. Then in the middle on top of both of them, then the bowl? It might look cute obove the sheep. Like I said don't know what I'm asking because I don't know the work involved.

kfactor · Post by **kfactor** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 12:08 pm

Shelley @ Fri Sep 14, 2007 11:16 am wrote:Yes! I love the crossed spoon and hatchet- just the thing! Behind the sheep? Kfactor can we make one of these?

Whoa - I've been away from the forum for a couple of days because of pressing work stuff, and so much has happened! I will see about adding the hatchet and spoon to the coat of arms - there's got to be a way!!! What a bunch of creative, fun people there are here...

Michael · Post by **Michael** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 12:35 pm

Hello, Everyone,

I've been enjoying the discussion of our "Coat of Arms", but I really have nothing else to add to it.

Also, kfactor, by the photo on your post, you must b a really young-looking 40, kind of like Harry is a slightly older-looking 16. : )

Just joking, everyone.

Anyway, the reason I am writing in is to say that I think we all owe a debt of gratitude to Shelley for arranging the Fall River excursion in November. I know how much work goes into setting up things like this, and I want to publicly thank Shelley for taking this on. So: Thank you, Shelley.

I've tended to shy away from online forums in the past, because of the bickering that goes on and the type of people they tend to attract. But I really do enjoy most of the posts on this forum, and I enjoy being a part of it. I read the forum practically every day, but I only participate when I feel I have something concrete to add to the discussion. Anyway: Thank you, friends.

My wife and I are traveling to Fall River from Ohio, and we look forward to meeting everyone. We always have a good time when we visit, which is a good thing, because my wife is not much of a Bordenphile. She goes to meet, and speak with, the people we meet.

Just wanted to say my part.

Hope to see as many of you as possible in November.

Michael

Nadzieja · Post by **Nadzieja** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 8:57 pm

I totally agree, Shelley-thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Can't wait to see all of you on that Saturday. My hubby listens about Lizzie but isn't as into it as me. He just want to meet everybody & loves talking to people also.

Shelley · Post by **Shelley** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 9:43 pm

I have more fun than anyone- and love to plan things. I was so disappointed that the conference did not happen, and having this to look forward to really makes me smile! It was a great weekend in Fall River in spite of the rain, and I was able to get out and about with my new and improved digital camera, plotting and scheming for the November bunfight. Second Street is being "fluffed and folded" and polished with TLC for the grand arrival, and what will be, I hope the first of many forum gatherings at the house. I was happy to see one of the original six Second Street Irregulars Friday night, Deborah Shannon Valentine, -I had not seen her in years- and she and as many as can come from the original bunch will stop in to wish us well at the Muttoneaters bash on the 9th. Yes, it IS the people who make it all so much fun.

kfactor · Post by **kfactor** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 11:54 am

Michael @ Sun Sep 16, 2007 1:35 pm wrote:Hello, Everyone,

Also, kfactor, by the photo on your post, you must b a really young-looking 40, kind of like Harry is a slightly older-looking 16. : )

Michael

Well, Michael, as you can see by this picture of my cousin, that youthful appearance runs in my family:

Shelley · Post by **Shelley** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 9:37 am

This weekend the Mystery Gourmet and I had a sampling of the clam "chowdah" planned for our Fairhaven lunch stop on Saturday the 10th of November- and it got ***** FIVE stars. 25 days and counting!

Shelley · Post by **Shelley** » Wed Oct 24, 2007 10:10 am

As the weekend of Nov. 9th grows closer, a few emails have arrived about who the Second Street Irregulars are (Mutton Eaters) and who is coming to Fall River. This group is just an informal extension of people who have met here on the forum and like to get together to finally meet in person. Although the rooms at the house are filled, some local forum members are dropping by for the gathering at the house at 7:30 p.m. and a couple may be staying at a Westport hotel and joining us on day trips and other activities. If you are a forum member and wish to meet some of the posters here, please stop by and say hello Friday evening and share some pear crumble and mutton broth. With space limitations an issue, we can only accommodate a limited number of people at the house (fire codes) and so this is a gathering not open to the general public. A little blog (sometimes silly) devoted to the doings of this group is found at the second link below as well as photos of adventures. Warps and Wefts does not carry any info on these meetings. The May 23-24 get together is sold out at #92 but nearby lodging arrangements are being made to house the overflow. Kids aren't the only ones having fun.

Shelley · Post by **Shelley** » Wed Nov 07, 2007 10:59 pm

Some of the forum gang are heading out tomorrow to join up for our little Second Street Irregulars gathering this weekend. We will be thinking of everyone and taking many photos of the adventures afoot. Our next get together will be December 16th, Sunday for the FR Preservation Society's Victorian House Tour which was such a big hit last Christmas. Second Street will be on the house tour again and we all will be in our best 1890's attire.

Harry · Post by **Harry** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 12:15 am

I'll be looking forward to hearing your adventures and seeing your photos.

To all - Have a GREAT time and enjoy! Just don't dare solve the case.

Harry · Post by **Harry** » Mon Nov 12, 2007 11:10 pm

Hey, where's the photos and stories? Come on, give.

Richard · Post by **Richard** » Mon Nov 12, 2007 11:53 pm

Yeah, where are the photos and the stories? I'm at my parents house in New Hampshire and don't have a way of downloading photos so I'll have to post on Thursday at the earliest.

FairhavenGuy · Post by **FairhavenGuy** » Tue Nov 13, 2007 7:14 am

Where in New Hampshire, Richard? Every year we vacation in the Piermont/Warren/Orford area.

Harry, I think Shelley wore everybody out. . . They're still recovering.

Since we're not going in chronological order, I'll start with Saturday.

The gang showed up in Fairhaven right on time at 10:30. It was a cool, blustery morning, so we started by ducking inside the Fairhaven Town Hall. The Town Hall and the Millicent Library were under construction during the summer of 1892, just a block from where Emma was staying. Both buildings were donated to the town by Standard Oil Co. multi-millionaire Henry H. Rogers. Rogers' friend Mark Twain spoke at the Town Hall dedication.

We crossed the street to the Millicent Library for a short visit, then we walked to the house that was orginally numbered 66 Union Street, where the Brownells lived while Emma testified at the trial.

We then passed the spot on the lawn of the Unitarian Memorial Church where the house once stood where Helen Brownell spent the end of her life.

Next was the Capt. Warren Delano house, built by the great-grandfather of President FDR. We also looked at the original Unitarian Church, which is now a navigation school. (Emma would have gone either there or to the First Congregational, I think, during on Sunday.)

We got the the Moses Delano/Helen Brownell house before it completely fell apart. (The staus of the house is still undetermined.) Lots of photos were taken but nobody went inside. . . .

We had worked up quite an appetite for brunch at Pumpernickel's. It was omelets and pancakes and French toast all around.

Everyone stopped in at my office, the Visitor's Center, before heading off to Riverside Cemetery without me. (I still had to be in the office for the rest of the day.)

As I said on another thread, I didn't have a chance to take pictures.

Fun time!

Chris

Shelley · Post by **Shelley** » Tue Nov 13, 2007 8:11 am

Photos are coming- yes- we ARE all in recovery from our weekend. My camera battery expired with a gasp from all the clicking and snapping and my recharger was left at the office. I spent all of yesterday in a horizontal position reading the many hand-outs we got at every stop. I really enjoyed all of these. Chief Tavares at the Courthouse had the staff put together some great articles for us, and Jane, the law library librarian researched questions we had last week and was ready for us when we arrived. The law library was amazing, and we found the original back door opening where Lizzie exited. There is now an annex built onto the back of this so the archway does not show from the outside. Thanks to Harry for pointing all of this out to me- I had thought the SIDE door was the one in that famous cartoon of Lizzie leaving in the newspaper but that door went in about 1900.

Shirley, who lives at Maplecroft for the past 16 years also works at the New Bedford Courthouse and kindly brought in many vintage postcards of the courthouse for us to see. Sorry I do not know her last name.

Len Rebello took the gang for an extensive city site tour after lunch at White's. After hot cider we all got to collapse briefly before it was time to don our leg o' muttons and go off to the Abbey Grille in Lizzie's old church for our Mutton Eater's banquet. Donald Woods and LeeAnn joined us there along with Len, Barbara MacDonald, Debbie Valentine and her mom (both original Second Street Irregulars), and our forum members. We were 21 at dinner.

Dave Quigley received The Golden Spoon Award for 11 years of tireless jonnycake flipping at #92. We figured he must have flipped about 100,000 of these Yankee tidbits. Kfactor (Kristin) received the first ever Lens of Sherlock for Excellence in Detection, finding Emma's school this past summer (this was a golden magnifying Sherlock -type lens on a chain), Donald and LeeAnn received The Order of the Golden Fleece medallion recognizing their work in restoring the Borden barn and grounds and continuing preservation work on the house, and Len Rebello received his Golden Fleece in the literary field for Past and Present, but also in encouraging excellence in research, documeting of facts and finally in SHARING all the fruits of his labors with US for so many years. These may have been sort of funny tokens, but the sentiments expressed were genuine. We were also honored to include Bob Shaw from New York, a long-standing Lizzie scholar and visitor to the house- more times than anyone over the past 11 tears. It was Bob's birthday so it was extra-special.

We were also joined by the director Jack McCullough and the beautiful actress Jill Dalton of the recent summer production. Lizzie Borden Live. They were the life of the party and truly enjoyed being in Fall River and at the scene of the crime. They are working on some very special Lizzie projects coming up in the future. The Mutton Eaters have a real treat coming up in May!

After dinner we all went on a special tour of the church including the kitchens, Great Hall and former parlors and had the spot pointed out where the Borden pew once stood. Iy was fun to see it at leisure and we stayed quite some time for photos. Back at the house the evening continued until midnight with a roundtable forum in front of the fireplace with Len holding forth as we all discussed theories and enjoyed a wine and dessert party. The desserts were amazing. JoAnn made a pear crostada and Barnara made a cheesecake to die for. With hot cider and various wines, it was a sweet ending to the day. The costume photos will add more detail!

The weather was superb on Friday but a cold front came in on Friday night so Saturday was blustery and chilly. We soon warmed up on Chris' Fairhaven walk and I learned just how much history there IS in Fairhaven -amazing. We visited Alice Russell and Eli Bence before heading back to Fall River for a whirlwind cemetery tour and a visit to the site of the old Ferry St. house. I can't thank everyone enough for making the trip and adding so much to the gathering. And now- it's back to the office and the real world again.

Richard · Post by **Richard** » Tue Nov 13, 2007 8:20 am

My parents are in Keene, NH. I come here several times a year to go into retreat and clear my head from the grind of a gruelling 9 to 5 office job back in New Jersey. Fortunately, Keene is a 2 hour drive from Fall River so I usually combine two trips into one.

Chris, you were a fantastic tour guide. Despite the nippiness of the weather, you made the 70 minute walk absolutely fascinating. You raised our awareness of how much rich history is in Fairhaven. We went looking for Emma but also got thrown into the mix the Delano family, FDR, Mark Twain, Henry H. Rogers, Manjiro Nakahama and the origins of the 7 Day Adventist Church. Not to mention a supposedly haunted library.

And as amazing as the tour was, I'm sure there was LOTS more to see in Fairhaven.

I encouarge any and all Lizzie-philes to factor Fairhaven into their Fall River trips.

Chris, I took some pics of our tour and I'll post them within 24 hours. Thanks for all your efforts.

Barbara · Post by **Barbara** » Tue Nov 13, 2007 5:59 pm

The Lizzie Weekend was beyond belief. We had a very congenial growp,all Lizzie scholars to different degrees. I think the tour of Fairhaven,Chris was fantastic, was a real eye opener,and I grew up in Swansea. The downtown tour by Len was so informative,each time I take it I learn new facts. The growp discussion was so enjoyable,no mention of the paranormal,what a relief. Shelley had planned so many fun and interesting events,we never stopped. It is an understatement to say I am looking forward to the next meeting in May. Of course,if anyone lives close enough there is an event in Fall River on Dec.16TH,a Victorian Christmas. the LBH will be on the tour,as will many other homes on "The Hill". I look forward to meeting new Lizzie fans. A thankful MuttonEater!!

Richard · Post by **Richard** » Tue Nov 13, 2007 9:05 pm

Here's the first photo: A group shot at Alice Russell's grave. Can anyone identify everyone in the photo?

Click for larger image.

Richard · Post by **Richard** » Tue Nov 13, 2007 9:09 pm

Here's our very own FairHavenGuy giving us a tour of the Fair Haven Town Hall. At this particular moment, Chris is telling us the story of how Mark Twain came to town.

Click to enlarge.

Richard · Post by **Richard** » Tue Nov 13, 2007 9:13 pm

Here is Chris telling us about the Delano Home just a few short blocks from his tourism office.

You can read more about the house here. It's a B&B!

http://www.delanohomestead.com/index.html

FairhavenGuy · Post by **FairhavenGuy** » Tue Nov 13, 2007 11:17 pm

Richard, in the group photo, I think the second person from the left is you.

Hope that helps.

Speaking of help, I PMed you about how I helped myself to one of your photos for my avatar. Thanks in advance. . .

Chris

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 2:05 am

Great photos! Great Stories! Thanks you guys!
Shelley in her cool Deerstalker hat I recognize, as well as Richard, and Barbara. Is that Jeff there too, in his Red Sox jacket? YAY Red Sox!
I also recognize Alice Russell!

twinsrwe · Post by **twinsrwe** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 8:39 am

Chris, I like your new avatar!

Jeff · Post by **Jeff** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 11:05 am

Yes Kat, that is yours truly. My jacket makes me standout a bit. I had to share the Sox victory with Alice LOL