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Weekly News August 30, 2010Description
Anna Marshall Mancill (1883-1986): Anna Mancill, the only sister of Warren and Clarence Marshall, lived longer than anyone in the Marshall family. When she died at Linden Hall in Kennett Square in October 1986, she was two months past 103. Her grandmother, Mary Way Marshall (1821-1917) made it to 96. The males in the family did not last as long: my father, Clarence, was the oldest at 84, until my cousin Bob Mancill and I passed him two years ago.
Being the only daughter of Israel and Lizzie, Anna was in many ways their favorite. Apparently, she had a very special relationship with her father. She related to me how she used to ride with him in his buggy from Yorklyn to Wooddale and back, as he made the trip frequently to check on the Marshall Brothers & Mitchell paper mill there. The brothers had bought this mill, originally an iron mill owned by the Wood family, in 1894 and took into the partnership their brother-in-law, Dr. Taylor S. Mitchell, of Hockessin. J. Albert Marshall (1882-1961) was superintendent of the Wooddale mill until it burned on New Year’s Day 1918; it was never rebuilt. When 20-year-old Anna was vacationing at Ocean Grove, New Jersey, Israel wrote to tell her not to play so hard and to get more rest, and he threatened to come and check on her “if I can get away” (he never went).
About 1905, Anna began “going steady” with Norman B. Mancill, and subsequently they became engaged. Israel was in failing health, and Anna was torn between setting a date for their wedding and staying home with her parents. Her father, especially, appreciated having her at home. When Israel passed away in June 1911, Anna and Norman finally set the date. They were married in the front hall at Auburn Heights on January 18 (or 25?), 1912. At that time Norman was working for the American Roads Machinery Company of Kennett Square, and they sent him to western Canada to sell snow plows and heavy farm equipment. Norman and Anna lived in Calgary, Alberta, the first year of their marriage.
Returning to this area in 1913, her brother Clarence, then a dealer for Stanley steam cars, sold his sister a new 10-horsepower Model 65 and gave her a crash course in how to drive it. She related to me that he said, “We’ll take thy new Stanley, go pick up Bertha and the baby (the “baby” was Warren and Bertha’s daughter Lorraine, born in 1912), and take a drive.” He let her take the wheel, and they went to Hockessin. Spotting the northbound trolley about to stop at Hockessin, he announced, “I need to get back to work” and jumped out and ran for the trolley, leaving his passengers on their own with Anna’s new Stanley. She told me she doesn’t know how she did it, but she drove back to Yorklyn, dropped off Bertha and Lorraine at their home, and returned to Auburn Heights. She and Norman lived there with her mother and Clarence for several years, and Norman Clarence Mancill was born in the northeast bedroom on November 28, 1914, the only birth ever to occur in the big house.
Anna’s husband, Norman, was involved in one or more early automobile agencies in Wilmington during the World War I period, and eventually established a contracting business with heavy earth-moving equipment. They moved to Wilmington about 1917, and when Clarence and Esther Shallcross were married in 1921, Lizzie Marshall moved to an apartment in the city to be near her daughter. In 1923, however, the Mancills bought a property along Kennett Pike between Mendenhall and Hamorton, which they named “Linger Longer.” The following year, twin sons Alan Marshall Mancill (1924-1945) and Robert Fairlamb Mancill II (1924- ) were born. Anna’s husband, Norman, died in 1937, and soon she and her sons moved to Locust Lane, north of Kennett Square. Her son Norman was married in 1940, and Alan was killed in Germany early in 1945. After the war, Anna bought a home on Lincoln Street in Kennett Square from her first cousin, Elizabeth T. Mitchell. Her son Bob lived with her until his marriage in 1958. About 1970, she moved into the Friends Home in Kennett and lived there and in its nursing unit, Linden Hall, until her death. She was always a good driver and learned to shift gears perfectly on her several Packards (my mother never quite accomplished that).
It was a cooler week at Auburn Heights last week, a nice change from much of the summer so far. Work continued on the 607 as Jay Williams, Art Wallace and Chuck Erikson cleaned various brackets, including those for the Prestolite tank, spare tire and running boards; Mark Russell continued working on the front and rear floorboards; and Ted Kamen is making progress on the wheels, with help from Bill Schwoebel, finishing the sanding and filling all cracks/joints with an application of "Quik-Poly." Tim Ward, with assistance from Ted, continued cleaning and sanding the frame of the 607. The rear axle of the Rauch and Lang has been reassembled by Emil Christofano and Jeff Pollack and now rests under the rear springs ready to be bolted up in place. Dan Citron and Steve Bryce removed the burner from the 735 to investigate the cause of poor steaming on the trip to Kinzers and discovered a cracked superheater. Steve also repainted the frame of the "hands-on" display to make ready for the boiler, which has been painted and is standing by to return to the museum thanks to Bob Jordan. Jim Personti pinned the differential on the display, so the engine and rear wheel will always turn with the crank. Steve Jensen worked on the A.V.R.R. last week, replacing ties, leveling the track bed and fastening down the guard rail on the rear crossing. It's now ready for cold-mix to complete the job. Bill Schwoebel cleaned up the shop and basement, rodded out the locomotive boiler flues, and prepped the engines for the annual visit of the boiler inspector on 8/30. The Model K project moved ahead, with Tom taking the engine to Herb Kephart for rebuilding.
PLANNING FOR 2010 & 2011
Individuals and subcommittees of the Events Committees met in the last two weeks to establish the pricing for our Christmas "Auburn Heights by Lantern Light" events and plan the decorative touches that will set Auburn Heights apart this holiday season. Yet another Events sub-group also tackled setting next year's "Steamin' Days" calendar (stay tuned for a formal announcement of the dates and times).
Thanks to Larry Thurrell, Rich Green, Jerry Novak and Steve Bryce, the office and museum now boast donated shelving for the library and parts storage!
Countdown to a Steamin' Labor Day Weekend
Less than a week til the "end-of-summer" celebration known as Labor Day Weekend! If you want to join the fun at Auburn Heights and volunteer this Sunday, please e-mail Richard Bernard (rnbernardjr@hotmail.com)!
