By Bill Quain
Welcome to the third and final week of my discussion of South Jersey vacation cottages. If you haven’t had the opportunity to read my previous columns, “Building families – It’s a cottage industry,” and “Five lessons I learned at cottage,” check out the archives at shorelocalnews.com. This week’s six-word story, “Welcome to Mrs. Haggerty’s finishing school,” provides a rare peek into a historic time in Ocean City – summer life during World War II.
The Dirty Corners’ guest book was re-discovered.
In the mid-1940s my maternal grandparents owned a cottage at 732 Central Avenue. They kept a guest book, with wooden covers bound with leather cord, from June 1944 – August 1947. That guest book sat undiscovered for many years. When my wife and I purchased our Victorian home in Ocean City, my sister Dee presented us with the original guestbook. As I unveiled my plans for the “Cottage” series, my wife Jeanne dug out the book. Wow, it shook my world! One of the first entries was from June 20, 1944 – two weeks after the D-Day Invasion that led to the eventual victory in Europe (VE Day) on May 8, 1945. Imagine, while the world was at war, life went on at the Jersey Shore. The comments of the guests reflected the dichotomy. One uncle signed his name with “USA” (United States Army) after his signature, noting “I hope I’m back in the States this time next year…” Another man wrote, “I hope this time next summer all the boys will be back in their own homes.”
Why was it called Dirty Corners
Mrs. Haggerty (my grandmother) was a real stickler for cleanliness. I suspect that the cottage name “Dirty Corners” came from my grandparent’s initial purchase of the home. My grandmother must have been dismayed at the sight of residual dirt in the corners of some closet. Knowing my grandfather, he probably had something to do with the long-term usage of the name. However, as the comments in the guest book will attest, nobody ever saw a speck of dirt at Dirty Corners.
But there was a finishing school
My grandparents had five children – a boy who died at birth, and four daughters, who were teenagers during World War II. Dirty Corners was a magnet for friends and relatives. Imagine the chance to escape Philadelphia for a few days, take a train to the shore, and stay in one of the many rooms at Dirty Corners. What a relief that must have been for civilians and servicemen alike. However, the majority of the people who registered in the guest book were women. It was one of them, June Coleman, who first came up with the name “Mrs. Haggerty’s Finishing School,” on June 26, 1944.
My grandparents were restaurant owners/operators in Philadelphia, most notably the Chelten House and The Shack restaurants. Their lifetime of being hosts to both paying and non-paying guests had a huge impact on my lifetime in the hospitality industry. I can just imagine how the young women who visited Dirty Corners received daily lessons on the right way to do things. Even as a young man, I can remember the art of table setting at both of my grandmothers’ homes. Forks on the left and knives/spoons on the right were just the beginning of the ritual. Napkins, salt & pepper, sugar – it all had to be done just right.
Once the meal was completed and the plates were cleared, that’s when the real “finishing work” began, as dishes were immediately scraped, washed and hand-dried.
At Mrs. Haggerty’s, meatballs were everything.
One of the most surprising things I learned from the guest book was just how often spaghetti and meatballs were served. This was doubtless due to the ration-coupon system that was in place during the war. I never remembered that meal at either of my grandmothers’ homes. However, many guests talked about the meatballs, and other memorable war-time meals served at Dirty Corners.
The men who married the Haggertys
One of the most poignant entries was from a young man named Bill Quain, my dad. Bill was a serviceman in 1944 when he wrote “This is really a swell place here! I’ve really had a grand time while I was down here. The people sure treat you swell.” There also was an entry from a Navy man named Tom Harrington in June 1944, who noted “Spent a wonderful time visiting the Haggerty’s.” Tom would later marry my mother’s sister, Peggy Haggerty.
From the cottages to The Sandcastle
I’m writing this column in our home, which we call “The Sandcastle.” We are expecting a big influx of family this Labor Day Weekend. Both of our daughters will be here. My sister Dee is renting a house at 1753 West Ave., the location of my paternal grandparents’ original summer cottage. My sister Cindy is renting a beachfront, where her daughter Hillary will arrive with her brand-new baby girl, joined by her husband Jordan, and her two brothers. My brother Jack, as well as my sisters Jeannine and Maliz, all own shore homes. They’ll be here with their kids, in-laws and grandchildren. Our homes are far from the small cottages we grew up in, but each of them is still crammed full of family, great memories, the not-quite-as-firm but still very important table manners, and all of the things that make the shore, the shore!
From “greatest generation,” to “greatest vacation”
And so it continues, generation to generation – each with our own challenges and triumphs. The cottage industry is still producing strong families. Now, I hope to hear about your families. Just drop an email to bill@quain.com, or shoot on over to shorelocalnews.com and leave us a comment. As I say each week, I’ll see ya in the papers!
Bill is a Professor in Stockton University’s Hospitality Management Program. He is the author of 27 books, and a highly-respected speaker. Even though he is almost totally blind, Bill is a long-distance runner and runs the Ocean City Half Marathon each year. He lives in Ocean City with his wife Jeanne, and his Guide Dog Trudy. Visit www.billquain.com or email him at bill@quain.com.
