This is the tenth in a twelve-part series about Wenham photographer Benjamin Conant. It is also part of a larger series of Hamilton and Wenham, Massachusetts, oral histories of the towns, produced by William Heitz and Edmund Josephs from 1986 through 1995. It was originally taped on December 7, 1992 and was uploaded to the Internet Archive by Sarah Lauderdale, Head of Reference at Hamilton-Wenham Public Library, on Friday, September 11, 2015. Our thanks to William Heitz for permission to upload this content to the Internet Archive. Our thanks also to volunteer John Brucker for his description of the interview, included below.
Summary:
Following a brief discussion of Harold Boothroyd’s photograph project, Harold Boothroyd presents photographs of Hamilton and Wenham from the 1890s and early 1900s that were taken by Benjamin Conant. Photos presented in this interview include those of dwellings on Linden Street, Depot Square, and Depot Village. It’s interesting to note that the train station’s name evolved over time name changing from Wenham Depot to Wenham and Hamilton depot, and then later to Hamilton and Wenham depot. Also discussed is the importance of making notations on the back of photographs to help identify people and places.
Keywords:
The following names and terms were used in this interview: Lydia M. Kimball, Caroline E. Conant, W. Page Conant, Naumkeag Street Railway Company, John Caves, Robert Robertson the plumber, Lynn and Boston street railroad, Livery stable.
Photographs:
The following Conant photographs were presented in this interview: Pingree house looking west on Main Street, Main street looking southwest towards Pingree house [1892], Main street view of Depot Square from Linden Street, Captain William P. Kimball [1890], Norris house South Hamilton [1896], Portrait of Lydia M. Kimball and Mrs. William P. Kimball [1892], Myopia polo grounds [1892], Looking up Linden Street from Main Street [1895] & [1894], Jones house [1901], Conrad/Dodge house [1905], Appleton block [1900], Horse drawn street car Depot Square [1890], No. 59 street car [mid 1880s], No. 80 street car [mid 1880s], Corner drug store and trolley [1891], Corner drug store [1900], [1907], and [1908], Talbot building and post office [1900], Boston and Maine railroad depot [1891], Eastern railroad depot mid [1880s], Wenham and Hamilton depot canopy [1891], Hamilton and Wenham depot canopy, Corner of Bay Road and Railroad Avenue [1907], Eli Rankin house [1891], Smith block [1892] and [1908], Railroad Ave house [1892], Methodist church and school house [1895] and [1900], South School [1900], Expanded South School [1907], Joseph Killam house depot village [1892], Holms houses depot village [1893], Barker houses depot village, Close up of one of the Barker homes.
