The Monahan Family at Willey House Station
Avalanche Flag Stop
later Willey House Flag Stop
Researched and written by Dave Eliason
Much has been written about the Evans Family who resided at the Mt Willard Section House yet we don't hear so much about others who raised their families next to the tracks. Joseph and Florence Monahan were one such couple who raised their six daughters at the Willie House Station Flagstop, a mile or so east of the Evans family.
The Monahan family - 1915
Back Row: Ethel, Agatha, Florence, Joe Front Row: Hazel, Alyce, Dot and Gertrude
Joseph Monahan became foreman of Section 129 in 1898 and took up residence at the Mt. Willard Section House upon James Mitchell's retirement. Joe was "filling in" for Loring Evans, who was away for a trackmen's strike.
In 1901, Joe married Florence Crawford Allen, the daughter of Alfred Mingay Allen, who was Section Foreman at Fabyan's (Fourth Division - Section 130). A.M. Allen later owned an Ice Cream Parlor and Gift Shop in Bretton Woods. The Monahans had one child while at Mt. Willard Section House: Gertrude born March 3, 1902. On the day Gertrude was born, it was too stormy to send the doctor to the house on the train, so they bundled Florence up and put her on the train to Fabyans, where Gert was delivered.
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In the summer of 1903, the Monahan family was moved to section 128 - Willey House Station, where the family was blessed with five more girls (Ethel, Hazel, Alyce, Doris and Agatha). Joe Monahan dubbed them his "super six"! The girls were very friendly with the Evans children, who now occupied the Mt. Willard Section House, about a mile west of the Monahan residence. Joe built them a playhouse in the backyard where the two Evans girls would visit and play with their dolls and toys in the little house.
The Monahans were of the Catholic faith. There was no church nearby, so the priest would come to their home to perform mass.
When the girls were old enough, they attended school at Bemis except during the winter months, when the teacher came to their residence twice a week. Eventually, all the children went to school in Fabyan, with the train serving as their school bus.
The Monahan "Super-six".
Gertrude, Ethel, Hazel, Alyce, Doris and Agatha
The Monahan residence was a busy place, housing the Post Office, Telegraph Office and 2 crewmen. Florence was appointed Postmaster in 1903. In addition to cooking and cleaning for the family and crew, she found time to serve on the Hart's Location Board of Education. Meanwhile, Joe served on the Town Board of Health, was a Road Agent, Supervisor of Checklist and was a Town Selectman for 22 years, beginning in 1905. In this remote building (which also served as a dwelling) the people of Hart's Location came here to vote. It was said that from mid-October to early April, the rays of the sun never touched this building.
Willey House Station also housed the post office and telegraph for Harts Location. Their first early morning Presidential election was held here at 7:a.m. November 2, 1948
The first early morning Presidential election vote for Hart's Location was held here at 7:a.m. November 2, 1948. Left to right, Mrs Macomber, Town Clerk, Douglas Macomber, Joseph Burke, Preston King, Alice Burke and son Merle, Mrs Morey and George Morey. .
Below are Dick and Brother Joe Monahan at the Willey Residence. Undated photo courtesy of Bill King.
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Doris (born 1/1/1910), better known as Dot, would be the only child to remain in Hart's Location during her adult years. After Dot completed the sixth grade, she attended school at St. Johnsbury Vermont as a boarder. She was a graduate of Whitefield High School, Class of 1927 and went on to Concord Business School. She worked in Boston until 1928, when health problems forced her to return home.
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Dot married Peter King, section foreman at the Carrigain Section House. They had two children (Shirley and William "Bill"). Dot and Pete purchased the Carrigan dwelling in 1941. Dot took after her parents, becoming Postmaster and Town Clerk from 1935 to the 1970's. Many First in the Nation Presidential Election votes were cast around her dining table.
Peter King died in 1956, and Dot moved to Bartlett. She married Robert "Bob" Jones (died 1975) and then married Ralph Clemons, who died in 1993. Dot continued to live in their Birch Street home until her death (7/21/2006).
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The Carrigain Dwelling remained in the family. Son Bill King purchased the residence from his mother in 1989, with plans to renovate. An inspection showed that the house had to be razed. A new log home was built on the site in 1990, where Bill and wife Carolyn lived comfortably.
Back Row: Eleanor Pinard, Hazel, Florence, Joe and unknown. Middle Row: Joanne Pinard, Gertrude Pinard, Ethel and Alyce. Front/crouching: Doris King, Shirley King and Agatha. Hazel has her arm around Eleanor (Florence's oldest granddaughter/Hazel's niece/Gert's oldest daughter) Gert is holding her daughter Joanne. Dot is holding her daughter Shirley.
The first four Monahan Grandchildren:
Left: Shirley and Bill King (Dot and Pete's children)
Right: Eleanor and Joanne Pinard (Gertrude and Horace's children)
Laurie Hammond Spackman - granddaughter of “Babe’s” eldest sister, Gertrude provided this story from 13 1/2 pages of memories hand -written by Agatha “Babe”
Monahan (then Wallace). I have stayed true to her spelling and grammar.
I cannot vouch for the accuracy of these memories; she lived them and this is a record of her memories and hers alone.
The Bartlett Historical Society featured an interview with Bill King in one of the Newsletters; hence, you may read the continuing story at this link: 2020 Newsletter, Go To Page 6.
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SOURCES:
"Hart's Location in Crawford Notch" -Marion L. Varney, 1997,
Laurie Spackman & Sylvia Pinard: personal recollections. (Laurie is Gertrude's granddaughter; Sylvia is Gerts daughter.) .
Monahan pictures are attributed to the Pinard family collection.
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Notes:
Only two of Joe and Florence's grandchildren survive today (2023) - Bill King and Laurie Spackman's mother, Sylvia Pinard of Lebanon, NH. They are first cousins.
No doubt, some may wonder how Mom, Dad, Six daughters and section crew boarders all fit inside this modestly sized dwelling? Imagine the housekeeping chore with coal burning monsters passing within a few feet, several times a day. This editor has no answer except that life and expectations are now vastly different than 100+ years ago.
Willey House Station and flag stop through the years in various states of condition
Willey House Station in its final years. By 1984, when these pictures were taken, it had declined to an irrecoverable condition. The railroad burned the building in 1988.
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A visitor today might still find the concrete foundation walls and bits of iron stuff laying about. The kitchen cook stove was "off in the woods" the last time I was there in 2004. But, since folks can rarely just leave stuff alone, it's probably gone by now. ("now" being 2019)