Dunstable Village: Admiral Byrd and the Idlewild Hotel
February 21, 2006 - 12:41am
History
by A. Donald Kennedy
I remember Frances Clark asking me if knew in which field at the Idlewild, Commander Byrd landed his airplane. I told her that I never knew that Commander Byrd landed an airplane anywhere in Dunstable. This question was not as far-fetched as you might at first think.
Admiral Byrd made his summer home for two seasons at the Idlewild Hotel on Forest Street. This was about a half mile distant from our farm. Horace Clark was good friends with Bert Spaulding, owner of the Idlewild, and Bert Spaulding told Horace Clark that Admiral Byrd had landed an airplane near the hotel. So that evening Frances' father took the family for a ride to see the airplane. Frances told me it was in the same field where George McGovern is now building a house.
Thinking about what Frances told me got my memory to working. I do remember being out in our field picking up some hay scatterings with my father, and a silver colored Navy bi-plane came down from the North, flying really low, and disappeared in the direction of the Idlewild.
It is entirely possible that Admiral Bird already knew the fields around the hotel, and because his skill as a pilot was legendary, he would have had no difficulty slipping a two-place bi-plane into one of those fields and again flying it out. A Naval Aviation Base at Squantum would have been an easy place for Byrd to procure a plane.
Guests at the Idlewild who inquired as to where they might ride horseback were referred to our farm. The Luiscott family of Swampscott were frequent guests at the ldlewild. Andy Luiscott and his sister Anne spent many hours riding at our farm. Andrew Luiscott became a prominent judge in the Massachusetts Court System.
My father had several nice saddle horses, so it was no surprise to have the Byrd youngsters, accompanied by the maid, show up at our farm to ride.
I recall leading Silver Heels, with young Dicky Byrd astride, many hours, until he became proficient enough to ride on h1s own. Silver Heels was a gentle little Morgan, a natural single footer. My father used to say "you don't appreciate Silver Heels," and thinking back, he was right.
Editors note "Don" Kennedy was born in Dunstable in 1912, and lived here until his death in 1988. For many years, Don raised dairy cattle on his farm at the top of High Street, where he lived with his wife, Lucy. He was the state’s youngest selectman in 1934 at the age of 22, and remained active in town politics throughout most of his life. He was dedicated to protecting Dunstable farmlands from development.In this installment, Don describes how Dunstable and the Idlewild Hotel played host to the famous explorer Admiral Richard Byrd. --di
Admiral Byrd made his summer home for two seasons at the Idlewild Hotel on Forest Street. This was about a half mile distant from our farm. Horace Clark was good friends with Bert Spaulding, owner of the Idlewild, and Bert Spaulding told Horace Clark that Admiral Byrd had landed an airplane near the hotel. So that evening Frances' father took the family for a ride to see the airplane. Frances told me it was in the same field where George McGovern is now building a house.
Thinking about what Frances told me got my memory to working. I do remember being out in our field picking up some hay scatterings with my father, and a silver colored Navy bi-plane came down from the North, flying really low, and disappeared in the direction of the Idlewild.It is entirely possible that Admiral Bird already knew the fields around the hotel, and because his skill as a pilot was legendary, he would have had no difficulty slipping a two-place bi-plane into one of those fields and again flying it out. A Naval Aviation Base at Squantum would have been an easy place for Byrd to procure a plane.
Guests at the Idlewild who inquired as to where they might ride horseback were referred to our farm. The Luiscott family of Swampscott were frequent guests at the ldlewild. Andy Luiscott and his sister Anne spent many hours riding at our farm. Andrew Luiscott became a prominent judge in the Massachusetts Court System.My father had several nice saddle horses, so it was no surprise to have the Byrd youngsters, accompanied by the maid, show up at our farm to ride.
I recall leading Silver Heels, with young Dicky Byrd astride, many hours, until he became proficient enough to ride on h1s own. Silver Heels was a gentle little Morgan, a natural single footer. My father used to say "you don't appreciate Silver Heels," and thinking back, he was right.
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