A trip down "Memory Lane" - New England revisited

In September 1998, Rick & his Dad took a trip back to New England - New York, Connecticut, Maine, and New Hampshire, to revisit places and people not seen -by Rick- since 1960, or earlier.

An email from Rick to "eldad" after their trip includes our final route as well as video, and photo notes.

This page contains links to some 50's/'60's photos from Rick's cousin - Bobby Langdon, as well as links to photos from this 1998 trip, including some really good "New England Scenics". It also contains a bit more information about "The Farmhouse / The Langdon Homestead" on Haddam Neck.

"The Farmhouse" was built in 1848 and came into Langdon hands thru "Poppa Jim" - James Aloysious Langdon (1880 - 1939) in 1911 (Click to see an online copy of the 1911 deed). The farm property included 58 Acres +/- down toward the "tip" of Haddam Neck, starting about a half mile South of "Captain Jenks place" at the bottom of Jenks Hill (now Cove Rd.) - on the ridge above the Salmon River and the Connecticut River. It remained in Langdon hands with Uncle Art and Aunt Clara taking posession of the homestead in 1945. They lived there, raising their 5 kids, entertaining family and grandkids, until Uncle Art (1911-1972) and Aunt Clara (1909-1985) passed away.

Granny, Uncle Art and Aunt Clara are at rest in The Rock Landing Cemetary, Rock Landing Rd., Haddam Neck.

Sometime after 1945, when Uncle Art and Aunt Clara took over the "old homestead" Granny, Cathrine (Russell) Langdon (1880-1953), moved to the upper road in Haddam Neck - just down the road from Dad & Mom's "First very own home", between our place and the Ravachs' chicken farm. One of my (Rick's) earliest memories, probably around 1950 was some remodeling being done to Grannys place by joining a shed - or maybe a chicken house - to Granny's main house, rolling it from the back of her place to the main house on log rollers with block & tackle.

This selection of photo's extends the online collection of photo's from "The Neck" which are included in earlier memories. With these additions, photo's of 4 generations of the Langdon Family at, and around, "The Farmhouse" in Haddam Neck span from 1910 - thru the late 1960's.

I believe (but haven't yet confirmed) that The Haddam Neck Nuclear Power Station - aka "Connecticut Yankee" (commercial operation 1968 / retired in 1998) acquired most of the original farm property in the 1960's, along with most of the land on Haddam Neck - from River to River - South of the old homestead. I think this broke Uncle Art's - and the rest of the familys' heart and desire to remain on "The Neck". All of this land, from the homestead - East to the Salmon River, West to the Connecticut River, and South to the tip of The Neck - was "our" hunting grounds and many a Whitetail Deer had been harvested from this land by 4 generations of the Langdons... The plant site is on "Injun Hollow Road" - adjacent to The Connecticut River, about 1/2 mile behind the old homestead, on land which was rich with Indian relics and apparently a frequently used camp ground on the Connecticut River shore.

About a mile below THE LANGDON HOMESTEAD, near the tip of Haddam Neck, on a ridge rising from the Salmon River side - above the "Lower Swamp" and "Lower Meadow", are the remains of the cabin of Venture Smith - a legend among very early Haddam Neck residents.

To save "load time", rather than make up a "photo album" - photos from this trip are thumbnailed, captioned, and linked.

NOTE: If a "New Window" button is available, select it and this page will not have to reload.

Dad (NYMA - Class of '31) & Rick at New York Military Academy, Cornwall-On-Hudson NY, photo by Sue-Simone Hennen, Director of Alumni and Public Relations.

Despite "just showing up", Sue, Maj. Gen (R) James M. Lyle - Superintendant, and Col (R) Roy F. (Rick) Zinser - Asst. Supt. &Commandant of Cadets (a classmate of Ricks at The Citadel - Class of '68) greeted us. We could not have wished for better hosts or treatment. Thanks to all of you for your hospitality and time. Keep up the good works. Dad really noticed the changes in plant and attitude since attending a reunion only last year.

At "The Puffin": Dad with our hosts, friends & his neighbors, Maurice & Lee - Owner/Operators of "The Puffin Inn", Dad, Susan & Karen - Owners of the house next to dad's in Ft. Pierce, FL - where dad met Maurice & Lee when they "wintered" there last year ...

FALL SCENIC - Near Maine Hwy 27 between Eustis & Coburn Gore (The Canadian Border)