I've been reading _Marblehead's First Harbor_, by Hugh
Bishop and Brenda Bishop Booma. It is a
collection of short memoirs about growing up in and around Little Harbor and
Barnegat, and about some of the colorful people that once called it home.
The book relates the story of James "Al"
Graves, born in 1860, and coming of age at a time when dories were no longer
used by the offshore fishermen, but still used by the lobstermen and
increasingly rowed for racing and pleasure.
Al Graves was one of those that grew up with rowing in
his blood. "Having been a rower for
some time, the young Graves was not unaccustomed to making a day of rowing out
around the Boston Lightship and back, a twenty mile trip from Marblehead
Rock. Another favorite destination was
Manchester Harbor. He sometimes
continued past Gloucester, as far north as the coast of Maine. A night on the beach was possible, but it was
common practice to make a round-trip trek to Gloucester in the course of a day,
another twenty-mile trip. Like most athletes,
he wanted to go faster and felt that he had the competence to build a better
boat."
The book later describes the scene that took place not
far from where we now launch our boats:
"Al started construction on his dory in a small building [...] at
the end of Cradleskid Lane. His new
design proved faster in the local competitions, and soon he was building
similar models for the other racers".
The Bishops go on to describe how Graves impressed
Bowdoin Bradlee "B.B. Crowninshield" with his boatbuilding, and the
partnership led to dozens of Crowninshield designs being built by Graves in the
early decades of the 20th century.
When I was growing up here, the yards now known as
Marblehead Trading Company were still known as Graves Lower (Little Harbor) and
Upper (Front Street) Yards. The business
was handed down through following generations.
Graves yards went on to build sailboats ranging from the 210's that used
to dot the harbor, up to the 12-meter defender candidate Nefertiti.
For more on the history of Little Harbor: http://www.amazon.com/Marbleheads-First-Harbor-History-Fishing/dp/1609494970
For another perspective on the Graves Yards, see the
article that originally appeared in the short lived Marblehead Magazine: http://www.legendinc.com/Pages/MarbleheadNet/MM/Articles/GravesBoatyards.html
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