Peter Todd, Poet

I am going to attempt to take you on a City Hall tour. Let us begin our journey from the top.

Of course we have the City Hall Bell. While its date I am not sure of, but I do know it was a gift of Samuel Sawyer. I had the honor during my time as Custodian of City Hall to ring the bell. I requested permission from Mayor Bruce Tobey to be able to ring the bell at noon every day. I even figured out a way of stringing a rope all the way to the landing next to the Mayors office. I had the sad honor of ringing the bell thirty three times as Freddy Kyrouz's funeral procession left the Saint Ann's Church and reached City Hall on the Dale Avenue side.

Traveling back to the tower and below the bell we have the four faces of the City Hall clock, which in these days is run by a small electric motor sitting on a large cast iron stand. One day I decided to see what was underneath this black stand, gifted again by Samuel Sawyer. I used three gallons of ammonia, along with degreaser and cold water. To my amazement this once black four-legged stand became a beautiful green painted stand with gold etchings. These etchings represented the four seasons of the year, one on each leg. It was also my distinct pleasure to climb up the tower several times.

One year when my granddaughter Ashley was small, she noticed that the Christmas lights were out in the round windows at the top. To make her happy we both ventured to climb to the top to fix the lights - mind you, the wind was blowing a gale and the tower was swaying - but this did not deter us from our mission.

Moving down the stairs we come into the inner or upper sanctum of the Fred Kyrouz Auditorium. I remember each time I had to change a bulb it took one hundred turns of the crank for the globe to touch the hall floor. It would take about one hour to clean and change and put back each fixture.

Speaking of fixtures, there was one time when a man came in to fix the clock above the rear of the Chamber. He told me not to worry, that it was run by a small motor just like the one in the Tower. We proceeded to climb to ladders, one on each side of the clock. Much to our surprise we found after unbolting the face, that it was made of solid marble, which accidentally dropped in our hands, just by our fingertips . Since this face weighed so much it was not long we were both in pain trying to hold it up from falling. The man and I began to holler for help, and eventually our hollering turned into screaming, but soon the DPW crew saved us. What a relief.

So now to end this I must bring up one point of my history in City Hall. A couple years back there was a picture of a Marble Directory in the Times which was found, however it was found only after I saw this black slab in back of the City Hall Boiler. Upon cleaning it with ammonia, degreaser and scolding hot water, the reality of this directory was in full view, upon which I was able to slide this slab from the back of the furnace, to the entrance of the boiler room door, thus the picture in the paper.

That's it for now, but I still have more to come.

Well here we are again tracing back on the imprints of my pages of time. With all the work going on and around the Gloucester Depot I have to add my thoughts.

First the new building does not look anything like the former Gloucester Depot. The original was set back further with the rear of the building abutting the paved walkway that is there now. The taxi cabs that you now see crowding out the cars that want to go into Shaw's parking lot ,which was once a railroad freight yard. Trains would almost be in the back yard of the people that lived on Maplewood Avenue. Taxi cabs back then parked backed in to abut the paved walkway of the depot. Passengers would park their cars up against the fenced in area behind the Depot Cafe as well as where the new Condo now stands.

Gloucester Auto bus would make their stop along the back of Babe Whalen's gas station.The Texaco Station is located there now. Where Sheep's Auto parts is once stood a Stud Dealership . I'm not sure but I believe Elliott Parsons and one of the Carr brothers ran it.

Of course we also had the infamous Station Lunch, greatest meals around at that time. Where all the tearing up is going on across the tracks was Neuse's Lumber Yard. The most memorable for me was working my Shoe Shine Stand at the Depot. I also remember my Dad as he would go to mug up at Station Lunch when he worked as a track man for the Boston & Maine Railroad.

Where Ryan's Car Wash stands once stood Welch's Jenny Station. Up the street was the Harbor Cafe, which is now the Rendezvous, and in my youth, next to that was The Clam Shell, which if I remember right was later Aleve Radio & Television Repair. Yankee Taxi was around the corner of Washington Street & Railroad Ave, and Dora Dickson had her one cab , which was always parked on the corner of Mrs. Sloan's house on the corner of Commonwealth Ave.

Back then there were very little traffic jams. Taxi cabs were parked in easy to access areas without impeding the public or drivers. Gives Gas Station was on the corner of Exchange Street and Nelson's Candy was on the opposite.

So I guess that's about it for now . A little bit of my past imprints in the book of time. In closing it is my feeling that the city should adopt some of the parking requirements that these Taxi companies adhered to .

At this time we see the corner of Main & Pleasant as a total emptying of store fronts. This corner in years past was one of the busiest in Gloucester. In my time it was Sterlings Drugstore. It was managed by Jerry & Gordon Wiener. To this day I can remember Mrs. Johnson cutting me a big piece of squash pie, with a heaping spoonful of Sealtest chocolate ice cream. I can recall how in my youth the counter was so large. The people who worked at the Drugstore were very kind to the children of the area.

In walking around the corner upward on Pleasant St. there was Gloucester Camera and Photo, which later became a part of my Masonic Journey in the pages of time. Where the Artist Galleries are now located was the Western Union, managed by Mr. & Mrs. Howard Costa. I can also envision where Browns Mall is. The William G.Brown Department Store. Who could ever imagine that there would be so many condominiums within that building.

I remember the most, the little restaurant in the department store. Contrary to popular belief it was located beneath the spot where the Savory Skillet is located now. I can even now hear in my mind the sounds of the sales papers being routed through the air tubes that were located all over the store. In going out of the building on the Pleasant Street side I can also remember Santa's Village, located between the Salvation Army and Browns Department Store.

In particular in recalling the Salvation Army, when we were small we would go there to be given shoes to wear, and clothing to keep us warm . I can also remember each Christmas party at the Elks on Pleasant Street when we were treated to a Christmas Party with all the fixings, including Winter and Rain coats and hats gifted from Mighty Mac.

Woolworth's was located on the corner of Pleasant & Mains Street heading down toward where Dunkin Donuts is. Where the Police Station now is located there used to be Gorin's, which later became Almys Department store. The Police Station was located on Duncan St., next to the Fishermen's Institute, which by the way I and my family had the honor of cleaning before they tore it down. You see the agreement was we were only to clean up to the second floor as they were going to tear out the third, however as we finished the second floor some of the fishermen proceeded to lug their things from the third floor down to the second. So it was decided the building had to go.

Well that's it for now , I will try to shake the brain for more interesting imprints of my youth and teenage years.

In this issue, rather than traveling from corner to corner, we will attempt to seek out the in-between taxis of today and of yesterday.

Well let us begin our journey by hailing a ride from the newest company of these days. A&K Lighthouse Taxi. Andy & Kathleen Pastagal�s clean and well-maintained cabs. The meter is on; the windshield is clean and clear, so let us begin. The year is 1953. Instead of coming home from the state in a state officer's car, we arrive in a Lighthouse Taxi. On crossing the railroad tracks we pass Gove�s Gulf Station, which was next to Reilly Pontiac & Cadillac. Our new home is going to be above the Stewart Family at 124 Washington St. The first taxi we come too belongs to Dora Nickerson. It is a 1947 Plymouth four door sedan. Dora waves to us as we continue our journey.

Across from the Harbor Caf� and in back of Dave Spittle�s Coffee Shop is the Gloucester Depot. Backed into the walkway are at least eight checker or Chevy cabs. Their trunks and doors open, awaiting the passengers that are about to embark off the train. Sadly I can also recall the other end of the Depot, where the steel wheeled wagons would also await the brave soldiers bodies killed in action, each casket covered with the flag of their country that they died for. I can also recall Mayor Beatrice Corliss meeting the family members.

Upon continuing our journey and with the meter clicking we go to the West end of Main Street. There is our next taxi company, owned and operated by the Morando Family. These two were Chevy and Checker cabs. Joe always demanded clean cabs and honest drivers. He also maintained each vehicle to the best degree of standards.

Traveling around to Rogers Street and at its end was Thurston�s Motors and Taxi, across from The Anchor Caf�. On the easterly part of Main Street there was Turk Souza�s Taxi, whose office sat in the basement next to Horatio's. On top of Union Hill was Brown�s Livery and Taxi. And at one time at the bottom of Mount Vernon St. was Central Taxi, and another was Hubby Mitchell�s Taxi. Our last one was Rosie�s Taxi, owned and operated by Clarence Rose, which later became Madruga�s Taxi and Livery and later Sunrise Transportation. I remember when it was Rosie�s mostly because you had to climb a number of steps to get into the office. In later years Clarence became more interested in junking. Across from Rosie�s Taxi was Captain Bills Seafood, which moved to the lower west end, a couple doors down from Fat Walla�s and just about where the Blackburn Tavern is located, and on that corner in a little shop was Randazza Brothers Shoe Shine Stand.

Well returning back to our taxi because the meter is clicking away we are at the end of our journey. However, I did forget to mention Yankee Taxi owned and operated by Matt Amaral. There are many more Taxiss of Cape Ann Past such as Horton�s Taxi of Rockport or Pete�s Taxi of Ipswich, most have one thing in common, or at least in the past, they were well maintained, clean, and the drivers were kind and receptive to their passengers. In closing I am not going to recommend on what Taxi to take, let your eye be the first judge, then let your mind be the second. Gloucester now has one new Taxi, and one not so new. One company I have to mention is Atlantic Taxi. Then it was owned by the Lane Family who tried to keep up with the traditions of a well grounded service , and they should be honored for doing so, just as Mr. Lagallo in true wisdom should follow that tradition. They are managed by hard working individuals. It is my belief that these taxis should be inspected at least quarterly and by the looks of some of our public transportation I begin to question on just who is responsible for seeing that the safety of each passenger is taken into full consideration.

That�s it for now; our journey is at its end. The driver was both kind and receptive. Our cab was clean and its yellow hue certainly captures a vision of our taxis and their historic past. These writings are in honor of Clarence Rose, Hubby Michell, Ralph Brown, Joe Morando, Dora Nickerson , Olie Anderson , The Hildonons, The Thurstons and all past owners and drivers.