Initial Impressions 2.0 Blog: #43 - Early Birthday Gift, Owl Chats, Free Food, etc.

 

1. One of my oldest friends Hasan came down to Cape Cod from up near Boston with his son for a visit. I’ve known him since 1989, so yeah a long time. What was really neat is that he wanted to see my mother in addition to wanting to see me. It was a great reflection on what he thought of her and what our family meant to him growing up. We got to sit and talk for a good 90 minutes in my mom’s living room and it felt like it was back in the 90s again. It was a perfect early birthday present for my mother who hadn’t seen Hasan since we graduated high school in 1996.

2. Piggybacking on that last one. I took a quick detour into the basement storage area at my mom’s and found an audio cassette Hasan and I recorded probably back in late 1990, or early 1991. My plan is to try to get myself a cassette-to-computer USB adapter to try to get that audio saved. I feel like a 34-year-old cassette might only have 1 play left in it so I have to make it count.

It likely has 1 play left in it.

3. What’s with people who wear sunglasses indoors? Is it supposed to be a fashion statement? It’s one thing if it’s those transition lenses that change from inside to outside. But really, it doesn’t make you look cool with your shades on looking at cereals in a supermarket. Although I will admit that I felt kind of cool during Covid when masks were mandatory and I’d go into a supermarket with a mask, sunglasses, and a hoodie. At any other point in time, I’d have been the sketchiest guy ever, but in 2020 I was being safe.

4. Living across the street from a small plot of conservation land I am used to brushes with nature. From coyotes to turkeys and loads of rabbits, I see animals all the time. One night this week while getting ready to brush my teeth I could hear loudly outside a pair of owls engrossed in conversation. They were so loud I could hear them through closed windows. I quietly opened a window and recorded them chatting. In the end, they must have been hooting loudly outside for at least 20 minutes. At one point I wanted to tell them that was enough I got the point, but I don’t speak owl.

5. “Beards are like sweatpants for your face. It doesn’t matter how chubby you’re getting when wearing one.” – Chad Daniels

I love that quote from comedian Chad Daniels. It does hit a bit close to home though this week. I’ve been growing a pretty impressive long mostly white goatee for about 7 months. At this point though I am torn. I like it, but it is also kind of emblematic of not caring or taking care of myself. Not shaving leads to not doing other things at least for me. Slacking on the gym, slacking on eating right, or taking my daily vitamins. There are times when I am deep into beard life that I think I need to get rid of it to spark a wave of energy. So maybe that’s coming, but it’s also getting colder…

6. Maybe a little TMI but it’s funny. At work in our public bathroom, we have a thing called Air Scense. If you don’t know it’s a deodorizing spray for when someone drops a bomb in the bathroom. There’s the TMI. The funny part is the fact that the citrus-scented spray bottle we have has basically been empty for close to a year. Yet every time we think it’s done it has more sprays left. It reminds me of the Seinfeld episode when Kramer test drives the car and wants to see how far past ‘E’ the needle can go before running out of gas. It’s like we can buy more stinky bathroom spray but we’re finding it more fun to see how long it can last us.

Nothing lasts forever, except maybe one of these.

7. My new obsession is chili mango chicken drumsticks. They sell them, fully cooked, at the Shaw’s near me. Not only are they good, but they’re cheap. This is naturally a bad combo for me since it makes it easy for me to buy way too much for not a lot of money. At first, I thought there must be a catch as to why they’re cheap, so far I haven’t gotten sick, or grown an extra limb. Granted there is still time for that, or to just gain loads of weight. We’ll see.

8. A recurring statement I have made on social media is a U2 lyric. ‘I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.’ That pops up in my Facebook memories every now and then with the oldest one I’ve seen being 2008. I still stand by the statement that I haven’t found what I am looking for in life. On one hand, it’s hilarious that I still haven’t found whatever it is for going on 17 years. On the other hand, it’s pretty depressing that I’m wandering down this road searching for something that I can’t quite put my finger on. Is it success? Is it happiness? Is it stability? Is it love? I still don’t know.

9. I ordered food through the McDonald’s app this week. Yes, don’t judge, stress eating is an issue I am trying to deal with. Also, have you seen the deals you can get on that app? It’s dangerous. Anyway, I placed my order and got the receipt via email on my phone. I went inside and waited for close to 25 minutes before asking if they’d received my order. I showed them the receipt and they made my food. The woman said the app was having issues and that I wasn’t the only one. Flash forward a few hours later and I got a follow-up email from McDonald’s telling me that due to the problem with the app, my payment was being refunded. So not only did get some good (but bad for me) food, I also ended up getting it for free. Double win, and maybe soon a double chin.

10. There are few things more demoralizing than going out for your longest walk in over a month and ending up injured. It is my right plantar fascia (arch) and I honestly have no idea how it happened. My days of running are likely done to a degree, but walking? I’m just trying to get back close to the shape I was in before Covid and it’s like roadblocks just keep landing in my way. I feel like saying ‘ok universe, I give up’ and getting one of those motorized scooters. 

Maybe I should give up and just become this guy.

In Their Footsteps: Cape Cod History - Pop's Pie Plant, Dennis Port

    There are some people who find success early and easily in life. There are some people who find it later. There are some people who do both. There are some people that are considered 'jacks of all trades.' There are some people who simply want to experience as much of life as they can in as many ways as they can. Then there are the exceedingly few who do all of the above. Such was the case of Edmund Augustus O'Brien, lovingly known as 'Pop.' A mainstay of Dennis Port by way of Canada Pop carved out a legacy on Cape Cod through his Pop's Pie Plant eatery. However that only scratches the surface of what he was all about. This is the story of a Renaissance man.

    The man to be known as 'Pop' was born on May 20, 1861 in the little town of Stouffville, Ontario, Canada. It was a small town about thirty-miles north of Toronto. Young Edmund's life was normal and uneventful until the age of fourteen when he became a painting and paper hanging apprentice. After three years as an apprentice O'Brien left home and moved to the United States. He got a job as a carriage painter in Chicago at the age of seventeen. Only a year into his life in America painting buggies Edmund transitioned into working for a wholesale shoe store. A chance offer brought O'Brien to Massachusetts.

    Edmund was offered a job as a cutter in an overall, shirt, and pants company in Brockton. Though that endeavor ended sourly his new skills led him to a connection that brought a chance to help run an overall factory in South Dennis. His stay there was brief and in 1897 O'Brien built his own factory. The factory near Heir's Landing on Old Main Street in South Dennis gained a bit of notoriety in 1898 when it won bidding for a chance to supply clothing to soldiers going to fight in the Spanish-American War. 1,200 dozen flannel shirts were produced by O'Brien's factory for the war effort. Around this time O'Brien was married to Charlotte Ellis in 1902.

Edmund O'Brien and his Pie Plant in the 1930's. (Sturgis Library)

    A success in the clothing creation business Edmund's course was shifted by tragedy in 1904. Fire destroyed his factory leaving him broke and wondering what to do next. O'Brien chose to go back down a path he had dipped his toes in a few years earlier. In 1900 he had begun working in the poultry raising business with a man named Mr. Warren from Rhode Island. He had already proven himself handy in that area by building hen houses for some local residents in the years leading up to the turn of the 20th century. Though the first poultry experiment lasted barely a year Edmund took a chance on trying again. Now in his mid-40's it was time for a second brush with success.

    Edmund O'Brien dove headlong into the Cape Cod Poultry Association which had been formed in 1897. It led meetings in the fields of raising poultry and the superiority of the Cape's birds. His chickens and pigeons were routinely entered in local agricultural events in the years during and following his overall factory time. O'Brien also frequented poultry shows in Boston during this time garnering him respect locally in the industry.

Old Fashioned chicken pot pies (Avlxys/Wikimedia)

    The years of experience in the poultry industry crystallized in O'Brien's second brush with success. In 1931 at the age of seventy he took his love of the business along with his skill at cooking to establish his most well known creation Pop's Pie Plant. It began on Route 28 in Dennis Port but would later move to in front of his home at the corner of Upper County Road and Division Street on the Dennis-Harwich town line.

    The summer eatery took place inside a small wooden open-air building covered by a canvas tent. 'Pop' O'Brien concocted his own recipe of chicken pot pie along with chicken sandwiches and homemade gravy for hungry patrons. His enthusiasm and quick wit coupled with delicious food made Pop's Pie Plant a destination. Regular customers had standing orders with O'Brien for certain days of the week to ensure they got their fix of his cuisine.

    Pop's Pie Plant was a one-man operation. O'Brien, armed with his drive and a pair of three-burner kerosene stoves, pumped out chicken pies on a scale that no one man should have been able to. For example, Pop told a group of enthralled listeners at a poultry meeting in Hyannis that during the 1937 season he sold 5,500 chicken pot pies, and by that point had estimated he had sold 30,000 since opening in 1931. He became a sought out spokesman for the local poultry industry with his advice inspiring others to start making their own fresh chicken pot pies. O'Brien did not fear creating his own competition though, he knew his establishment was one-of-a-kind.

    Throughout the 1940's Pop continued his tireless work at his Pie Plant while also keeping his fingers on the pulse of the local poultry and agricultural communities. It was said that the aroma of his food was akin to a 'pied piper' leading locals and visitors to his canvas-covered wonderland in search of sandwiches and pies. Now in his late-80's it seemed as though it might be time for a well-deserved retirement for Edmund, however he had one last chapter to write.

    O'Brien decided in his twilight years to try his hand at oil painting and hand-painted neckties. His oil painting in particular garnered him a modicum of success. In the spring of 1952 he began showcasing his artwork, described as the 'primitive style,' at local events like the West Dennis Garden Club County Fair. The height of Pop's painting prowess came when a piece of his artwork was featured at Jordan Marsh in Boston May 1952. This piece was eventually sold.

Part of a mural along Rt. 28 in Dennis Port.

    Upon his death on April 16, 1953 a few weeks shy of his 92nd birthday Edmund O'Brien was remembered as a man who found success in nearly everything he attempted. He sold clothing to the Army, sold paintings, and he sold tens of thousands of chicken pot pies to his loyal customers. Any one of those achievements would mark the peak of a person's life, Pop had all three. More than half a century after his last pot pie was sold Dennis Port looks very different. Gone are the meandering country roads beside which Pop plied his trade. However those who do remain that remember his talents see him as a Renaissance man. They also long for one more chicken pie from Pop's Pie Plant.

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View my previous blog posts: 

In Their Footsteps: Cape Cod History - The Pilgrim Landing 400th Anniversary

In Their Footsteps: New England History - Wonderland Amusement Park, Revere, Ma.

Be sure to check out my website: Christopher Setterlund.com

In My Footsteps: Trip 78: Peabody, Massachusetts

In My Footsteps

Christopher Setterlund

Trip 78:  Peabody, Massachusetts

September 8, 2010

            Peabody is one North Shore town that I had ulterior motives for visiting besides my normal traveling.  I will admit that the lure of a Chick-fil-A fast food restaurant made this an easy trip to book.  Obviously that was only the tip of the iceberg as far as things to see, but for me it was like visiting an old friend when I used to dine at Chick-fil-A many a time while living in Southeastern Florida a few years back.

            Peabody is not only an amazing town to visit but according to Forbes Magazine in 2009 it ranked 14^th as far as America’s Most Livable Cities, meaning Peabody is also a great place to build a life.  On this day I was just up for a visit and was very happy with all that I saw.

Peabody Historical Fire Museum

            The best place to start in Peabody is an area filled with historical sites.  The Felton-Smith Historic Site is simply amazing.  It began in the dirt parking area which was in between rows of apple trees.  The bright green apples under the warm sun gave me the feeling that this spot was going to be impressive.

            On the left, standing alone against the wide open land behind it, was the Peabody Historical Fire Museum.  This building looks more like an old church than a fire house built in 1875.  The building was known as the home of Peabody Engine Company No. 3 when it resided on Endicott Street.  It was moved to the Felton-Smith Historic Site in 1990 and contains some rare firefighting artifacts from Peabody and the North Shore. 

            The Smith Barn, part of the name of the Felton-Smith Historic Site, is located at the forefront of the property on Felton Street.  Built in 1903 by Joseph Smith for storing apples, grain, and farming machinery it sits overlooking 250 acres of orchards and conservation land.  It is frequently used for weddings and the Historical Society’s annual Craft Fair.  It can comfortably hold up to 240 people.     

Smith Barn

            The privately owned Orchard House is to the right of the Smith Barn and is not open to the public.  Across the street is a pair of historic homes owned by Nathanel Felton Sr. and Jr.  The home of Nathanel Felton Sr. is the oldest home in Peabody, built in 1644.  The Nathanel Felton Jr. house was built in 1683.  The Feltons were famous for defending their neighbor, John Proctor, during the Salem Witch Trials.  To clarify, I have used the spelling of the name ‘Nathanel’ which is as it appears on both of the signs in front of the historic homes.  It does seem a bit odd, but I do not believe that the historical society would have spelled it this way unless it was correct.  I thoroughly enjoyed being able to park and walk a short distance to all of these places.  If only all of my trips were so convenient.

            A short drive down the road is another amazing treat, Brooksby Farm.  Weighing in at 232 acres, 65 of them being orchards, this working farm is a great destination for adults and children alike.  Visitors can pick their own apples, strawberries, and raspberries, or buy fresh fruits and vegetables at the farm stand. 

Brooksby Farm leading to Fire Museum

There is also a nice collection of barnyard animals which I enjoyed.  There were sleeping pigs, snoring at that I might add, there was also a solitary chicken that had escaped its pen and was trying to get back in while the other chickens all clucked at it.  When I informed the nice people inside the farm stand they told me that chicken is a master escape artist.  The animals also included a llama and what I think was an emu, it would not come over to me.  The sheer size of the farmland was incredible, it extended all out as far as I could see.  The Fire Museum sat majestically on the other side of the hill with nothing in the way to obstruct my view. 

After enjoying the quiet of Brooksby Farm I ventured into the center of Peabody and its City Hall.  I liked their City Hall because the walkway leading up to the front doors was lined with many flags of foreign countries.  After snapping some nice shots of the various flags blowing in the wind it was time for my lunch at Chick-fil-A.  The one thing I did not realize was that the restaurant itself was located inside the Northshore Mall.

This was the first time during any of my trips that I actually had a mall as a destination.  I parked on the wrong side and had to walk the entire length of the mall which was packed on this day.  It was very much worth it though when I caught sight of the Chick-fil-A logo and got my order. 

George Peabody House and Museum

After enjoying my lunch by the Waters River Marina I was off to my final destination.  The George Peabody House and Museum is the birthplace of the man for whom the town is named.  Born in 1795, in what was then known as South Danvers, Peabody was a well known international merchant and philanthropist during the 19^th century.  Before it became the current museum the yellow home was actually used by the American Glue Company.

There are many other historic homes in Peabody, many located on Washington Street, and they all house their own story.  I will take from my time in Peabody the memories at the Felton-Smith Historic Site, the Fire Museum, and Felton homes.  Everyone who visits Peabody needs to spend some time at Brooksby Farm either picking their own fruit or taking in the barnyard animals.  Peabody is yet another amazing town in a string of them on the North Shore.  Have fun and happy traveling!

Directions:  Felton-Smith Historic Site/Brooksby Farm:  From I-95 north take Exit 44B for Rt. 1.  Keep right at fork in road, continue 2 miles and keep right at another fork in road.  Take Lowell St. exit and keep right, turn left at Baldwin St., turn left to stay on Baldwin St.  Turn left at Felton St.  Historic Site is on left, Brooksby Farm is all the way at end of street.

            George Peabody House & Museum:  From I-95 north head toward Exit 44A, slight left at Rt. 128.  Take Exit 26 to merge onto Lowell St.  Turn right at Foster St., right at Washington St.  Peabody House is #205.

References:  Peabody Historical Society

            Brooksby Farm.org