This photo shows the wife and daughter of Keeper Henry Drayton at Marblehead Light in Marblehead, Massachusetts, in 1917. They are raising an efficiency flag, awarded to Keeper Drayton for keeping an exemplary station. This photo was taken by Keeper Drayton, who was an accomplished photographer. (Courtesy of the Drayton family.) Henry T. Drayton was keeper at Marblehead for about 35 years, retiring in the late 1920s after 43 years of duty in the Lighthouse Service. He was credited with several rescues. Drayton and his wife raised eight children at Marblehead Light Station, and five of their children were born at the station. The Draytons’ son, Lawrence, grew up to be keeper at Plymouth Light, Massachusetts. The Draytons youngest daughter, Mary, later recalled many aspects of her early life at Marblehead Light Station. Marblehead Neck was a center of activity in summer, but it was lonely in winter, she remembered. It was a half-mile to our nearest neighbor in the winter and another half-mile to the next neighbor. There were just those two during the winters. During the summers, of course, there were lots of people. But during the winter there were no other children. I just played with my brothers, and we went sliding or skating on the pond. That was our only amusement. We had no electricity, just kerosene lights. When I was a junior in high school my brother built his first radio—about 1920. Mary recalled the keeper’s house as comfortable, with hot- water radiators in every room and running water from the town. Downstairs were a living room, dining room, kitchen, and pantry, and there were four bedrooms and a bath upstairs. The Draytons kept a cow for milk, and they also had chickens, pigs, and a large garden. Keeper Drayton went to Boston once a month to pick up supplies, including barrels of flour, sugar, and beans. Twice yearly, a government supply boat arrived with kerosene and other supplies for the light. Mary took a ferry to Marblehead to attend school. When the weather was bad, she’d hide under the captain’s slicker. In winter, the nearest ferry landing was pulled up and Mary had to walk a mile to catch the boat. For much of the Draytons’ tenure, the road to Marblehead Neck was passable only at low tide. When Mrs. Drayton felt the birth of a child was imminent, she’d tell the older children as they left for school that they’d better tell the doctor to come. When the tide was low, the doctor would make his way to the Neck with a horse and buggy. Everything worked out fine. “We never had much sickness or suffering,” said Mary. “I guess when you’re living in such a remote place the Lord takes care of you.”
Posted on: Sat, 27 Sep 2014 15:42:45 +0000
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