TUESDAY 10.8.19 CONNECTICUT (Mystic Seaport) Part 3

Our next stop was check out the Thomas Oyster House.

Native Americans new it, New England farmers knew it, New Yorker's knew it, western pioneers knew it and even miners knew it! Oysters are cheap, nutritious and delicious in their shells...so they say, I've never had one. For those of you who will “get this” my mom didn't eat oysters! Oysters can survive a long time out of water so they made for easy shipping. They can be eaten raw out of the shell (ewwwwww!!!) roasted, baked, fried or served in stews. Sold on the street in many cities back in the day, oysters were actually the first FAST FOOD! Who woulda thought?!?

New Haven, CT had oyster friendly waters, steamboat and railroad connections to New York city and it became the booming center of the oyster business in the 19th century.
By the late 1800's oysters could be enjoyed coast to coast as well as overseas.

Around the turn of the century Connecticut reached its peak in the oyster production. Thereafter oyster beds were shut down due to industrial pollution, storms ruined some oyster beds and some polluted oysters discouraged consumers and public taste just changed. Oystering has increased of late but now oysters are a luxury item and not the cheap fast food that made them famous.

From oysters to lobsters. Ever hear of a lobster car? Neither had we. Lobster-men and dealers kept lobsters alive in floating wooden crates called “cars” to await shipment or even an increase in price! The car here in Mystic Seaport is a reproduction of the ones used by lobster dealers around 1890. Lobster cars used by lobster-men were very similar but somewhat smaller. As many as 1000 lobsters could be kept alive in the car this size.

Next in line was the Ames Fish House. Isaac Ames built this fish house when he established his farm on the shores of Penobscot Bay in Maine. From the late 1830's to 1947, three generations of the Ames family used this fish house to store their equipment for the seasonal salmon fishery.

 Built from recycled timbers the Ames fish house is a typical example of fish houses found along the coast anywhere fishing was good.

When it was acquired by Mystic Seaport in 1969, the fish house contained fishing nets, boat and other fishing gear used by Robie Ames, the regions last commercial salmon fisherman.

Lobsters traps on the dock.

WALT MAKES ROPE!

As in most, if not all, places like this they have employees/volunteers who demonstrate how things were done back in the day. We came across this fellow showing how rope was made. 

 He asked for volunteers and I had to nudge Walt to get involved but he did step forward and had several turns at the wheel. 

It was pretty interesting to watch.  I never gave much thought as to how rope was made.

 After the rope was finished he cut it into four equal parts and gave it to each of the participants.

We have decided that we'll pick one the pictures here and put it and the rope in a small shadowbox and hang it in our camper as a reminder of Mystic Seaport.