Arthur Julia - Julia Arthur, Queen of Calf Island Boston Harbor

Julia Arthur
Queen of Calf Island
Boston Harbor

Laura Thibodeau Jones

AuthorHouse

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2017 Laura Thibodeau Jones. All rights reserved.

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or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 03/02/2017

ISBN: 978-1-5246-5163-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5246-5164-0 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number 2016919755

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CONTENTS

Dedication

For Grandmother

Ida (Reekast) Knoll

And

Two very special sisters, my mom and aunt,

Rosemary Thibodeau

and

Chris Walsh

Special Thanks to my husband ~my heart ~ Charles N. Jones

Rosemary Thibodeau ~my mom for her love, support and editing

and my co-author, Buddy Jones who sits behind me watching every move I make, my little guy who never let me stop and has brought so much laughter to our home.

And Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Pierce Cheney Jr.

Buddy Jones

I first published a book in 2012, about my family and their relationship with the outer islands of Boston Harbor and the Cheneys.

Generations: 1891-1940 Living on the islands of Boston Harbor, is a nonfiction book written about a family, a fire, a famous stage actress, her millionaire husband and the outer islands of Boston Harbor.

***Note: Calf Island and Great Brewster island are located in the outer harbor of Boston, they are in good company with the oldest lighthouse on Little Brewster island, Boston Light***

It was written to document the foot prints of these incredible people from different worlds that came together as employers, employees, but ended up as friends, due to one horrible event that took place in the city of Chelsea Massachusetts, in 1908.

Until 2012, when Generations was published, the only documented history of families living on the Brewster islands or Calf Island other than their owners and in early days, pirates and ruffians, (later a millionaire and his wife) began in the 1930s. Most who learn of the history are shocked, stating we never knew anyone lived on these islands.

My familys life began on the islands in 1883, when my great grandfather, August Reekast, came to America, from Courland, Prussia. He worked his trade as a lobsterman while living on Outer Brewster in a fishermans shack he rented monthly. Later in life, he became legendary among his peers.

August Reekast and Christina McKinnon worked for the same family, where they met and married in 1888. Christina McKinnon as a servant for the Cheney family, August Reekast caretaker and boat Captain for the Cheneys on Middle Brewster (Julia Arthur and Benjamin P. Cheney Jr). Julia Arthur also referred to him as Captain Johnson.

Julia Arthur Cheney was a famous stage actress from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, born, Ida Lewis, May 3, 1869, her stage career would span from the mid 1800s through the 1920s. The fifth born of sixteen children, by the age of eleven, she was away from home studying to become a shakespearian actress. Soon after her first performance, Ida Lewis became Julia Arthur, taking her mothers maiden name.

Unknown to the world that would consider her one of, if not the most famous stage actresses of her time, did they realize her struggles of survival. Alone in New York City, penniless, nearly homeless, almost begging for parts, she would eventually leave (blackballed by the theater community) America to go to London to study and work along side of Sir Henry Irving and Ellen Terry. This too was not easy, as she was not welcomed with open arms. One English playwright told her, We dont like Americans on the stage over here! Though her unwillingness to lie down, she eventually received word Henry Irving wanted to see her. She met with Mr. Irving at the Lyceum Theater and was offered the roll of Rosamond.

After years of being on the London stage, Julia received a letter from her brother Arthur Lewis who had a new associate, Benjamin P. Cheney Jr., they had plunged into the theatrical world. Arthur read a novel written by Frances Hodgson Burnett, called, Lady of Quality. They took their idea to the author, and a play was born. Arthur, then needed to convince his sister to take the journey with the two of them, which she eventually did. This is how she met her future husband.

Benjamin P. Cheney Jr. and Julia Arthur Cheney married in February, 1898. Miss Arthur retired from the stage due to health issues two years after and moved to Middle Brewster where they lived (seasonly) and planned to build or expand on their home, having plans of a boathouse. The owner of Middle Brewster, Augustus Russ would not allow them to. August Reekast ~ Captain Johnson, delivered Miss Arthurs new yacht Jule to her June 12, 1899, which Benjamin had it built for her at the Fore River Ship & Engine Company. It was then that Benjamin decided to purchase the neighboring island (Calf Island), where they built their mansion in 1901, calling it, The Moorings. Living on the island from June to September, they had a staff of one servant, Christina (McKinnon) Reekast and one grounds keeper (caretaker) August Reekast who was also the captain of their yachts. Note: the Reekasts were previously employed by the Cheney / Arthur family.

In the off months, the Cheneys lived in Boston, Massachusetts, at the Parker House. They also traveled to California for months at a time in the winter.

***The Cheneys had a glamorous life style, entertaining guests, Julia greeted them in her flowing gown of white, showing off the brilliant mansion with the breath taking panoramic view of Boston Harbor. They had spectacular dinners with Mr. Cheney entertaining them playing the bones for their guest, on some occasions, Julia would have a balcony scene for fun with an amateur actor / guest.***

My grandmother was born in 1902, as the Reekasts and Cheneys became friends, they named their new born daughter, Ida after Julia ArthurIda Lewis. Grandmothers full name was ~ Mary Ida Elizabeth Wilhelmina Reekast, although was only known as Ida.

The Reekast family of ten, lived inland in the city of Chelsea Massachusetts nine miles away by boat, but the parents (Christina and August) worked on the islands.

The year 1908, Chelsea Massachusetts, Palm Sunday, April 12, the fire bells ranga split second in time was all it took for August and Christina Reekast and their eight children ~ August Jr., Nettie, Annie, John, Lillian, Lena, Ida and Teddie to lose everything. A massive fire ripped through the city, the flames so intense, reports of the fires glow was reported 120 miles away off the coast line of Maine. This monster was reported to have taken the lives of eighty-seven (although an accurate count was never determined) and with the population of thirty six thousand left approximately eighteen thousand left homeless.

The fire ripped through the streets one by one burning everything in it wake. Flames were leaping over buildings, and could not be controlledconcrete structures were crumbling in the intense heat.