Julia Arthur Queen of Calf Island Boston Harbor

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© 2017 Laura Thibodeau Jones. All rights reserved.

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Published by AuthorHouse 03/02/2017

ISBN: 978-1-5246-5163-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5246-5164-0 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number 2016919755

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CONTENTS

Preface

Chapter 1 Childhood To Teen

Chapter 2 Teen To Young Adult

Chapter 3 London

Chapter 4 America

Chapter 5 Changing Moments ~ 1898-1900

Chapter 6 Boston Harbor ~ Middle Brewster Island Mrs. Benjamin Pierce Cheney

Chapter 7 Moorings ~ Calf Island

Chapter 8 Boston Massachusetts Fall ~ Winter ~ Spring

Chapter 9 Retirement Years ~ Silent Films ~ Taking Of The Moorings

Chapter 10 Return To The Stage

Chapter 11 Retirement Once Again ~ Golden Years

Chapter 12 The Ending Years

Sources

Dedication 

For Grandmother

Ida (Reekast) Knoll

And

Two very special sisters, my mom and aunt,

Rosemary Thibodeau

and

Chris Walsh

Special Thanks to my husband ~my heart ~ Charles N. Jones

Rosemary Thibodeau ~my mom for her love, support and editing

and my co-author, Buddy Jones who sits behind me watching every move I make, my little guy who never let me stop and has brought so much laughter to our home.

And Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Pierce Cheney Jr.

Buddy Jones

PREFACE

I first published a book in 2012, about my family and their relationship with the outer islands of Boston Harbor and the Cheneys.

Generations: 1891-1940 Living on the islands of Boston Harbor, is a nonfiction book written about a family, a fire, a famous stage actress, her millionaire husband and the outer islands of Boston Harbor.

***Note: Calf Island and Great Brewster island are located in the outer harbor of Boston, they are in good company with the oldest lighthouse on Little Brewster island, Boston Light***

It was written to document the foot prints of these incredible people from different worlds that came together as employers, employees, but ended up as friends, due to one horrible event that took place in the city of Chelsea Massachusetts, in 1908.

Until 2012, when Generations was published, the only documented history of families living on the Brewster islands or Calf Island other than their owners and in early days, pirates and ruffians, (later a millionaire and his wife) began in the 1930s. Most who learn of the history are shocked, stating we never knew anyone lived on these islands.

My family’s life began on the islands in 1883, when my great grandfather, August Reekast, came to America, from Courland, Prussia. He worked his trade as a lobsterman while living on Outer Brewster in a fisherman’s shack he rented monthly. Later in life, he became legendary among his peers.

August Reekast and Christina McKinnon worked for the same family, where they met and married in 1888. Christina McKinnon as a servant for the Cheney family, August Reekast caretaker and boat Captain for the Cheneys on Middle Brewster (Julia Arthur and Benjamin P. Cheney Jr). Julia Arthur also referred to him as Captain Johnson.

Julia Arthur Cheney was a famous stage actress from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, born, Ida Lewis, May 3, 1869, her stage career would span from the mid 1800s through the 1920s. The fifth born of sixteen children, by the age of eleven, she was away from home studying to become a shakespearian actress. Soon after her first performance, Ida Lewis became Julia Arthur, taking her mother’s maiden name.

Unknown to the world that would consider her one of, if not the most famous stage actresses of her time, did they realize her struggles of survival. Alone in New York City, penniless, nearly homeless, almost begging for parts, she would eventually leave (blackballed by the theater community) America to go to London to study and work along side of Sir Henry Irving and Ellen Terry. This too was not easy, as she was not welcomed with open arms. One English playwright told her, We don’t like Americans on the stage over here! Though her unwillingness to lie down, she eventually received word Henry Irving wanted to see her. She met with Mr. Irving at the Lyceum Theater and was offered the roll of Rosamond.

After years of being on the London stage, Julia received a letter from her brother Arthur Lewis who had a new associate, Benjamin P. Cheney Jr., they had plunged into the theatrical world. Arthur read a novel written by Frances Hodgson Burnett, called, Lady of Quality. They took their idea to the author, and a play was born. Arthur, then needed to convince his sister to take the journey with the two of them, which she eventually did. This is how she met her future husband.

Benjamin P. Cheney Jr. and Julia Arthur Cheney married in February, 1898. Miss Arthur retired from the stage due to health issues two years after and moved to Middle Brewster where they lived (seasonly) and planned to build or expand on their home, having plans of a boathouse. The owner of Middle Brewster, Augustus Russ would not allow them to. August Reekast ~ Captain Johnson, delivered Miss Arthur’s new yacht Jule to her June 12, 1899, which Benjamin had it built for her at the Fore River Ship & Engine Company. It was then that Benjamin decided to purchase the neighboring island (Calf Island), where they built their mansion in 1901, calling it, The Moorings. Living on the island from June to September, they had a staff of one servant, Christina (McKinnon) Reekast and one grounds keeper (caretaker) August Reekast who was also the captain of their yachts. Note: the Reekasts were previously employed by the Cheney / Arthur family.

In the off months, the Cheneys lived in Boston, Massachusetts, at the Parker House. They also traveled to California for months at a time in the winter.

***The Cheneys had a glamorous life style, entertaining guests, Julia greeted them in her flowing gown of white, showing off the brilliant mansion with the breath taking panoramic view of Boston Harbor. They had spectacular dinners with Mr. Cheney entertaining them playing the bones for their guest, on some occasions, Julia would have a balcony scene for fun with an amateur actor / guest.***

My grandmother was born in 1902, as the Reekasts and Cheneys became friends, they named their new born daughter, Ida after Julia Arthur…Ida Lewis. Grandmother’s full name was ~ Mary Ida Elizabeth Wilhelmina Reekast, although was only known as Ida.

The Reekast family of ten, lived inland in the city of Chelsea Massachusetts nine miles away by boat, but the parents (Christina and August) worked on the islands.

The year 1908, Chelsea Massachusetts, Palm Sunday, April 12, the fire bells rang…a split second in time was all it took for August and Christina Reekast and their eight children ~ August Jr., Nettie, Annie, John, Lillian, Lena, Ida and Teddie to lose everything. A massive fire ripped through the city, the flames so intense, reports of the fires glow was reported 120 miles away off the coast line of Maine. This monster was reported to have taken the lives of eighty-seven (although an accurate count was never determined) and with the population of thirty six thousand left approximately eighteen thousand left homeless.

The fire ripped through the streets one by one burning everything in it wake. Flames were leaping over buildings, and could not be controlled…concrete structures were crumbling in the intense heat.

Only moments before, streets full of rich vibrant homes and beautiful trees were nothing but burning ashes. Wind gusts of forty to fifty miles per hours sent sparks flying to the center of the city. The fire raged on for over 12 hours…Militia troops were called, by 10pm martial law was in effect.

After battling the fire, turning to the only life he knew, August Reekast rowed his family over nine miles to safety out of the flames and flying ashes of the Chelsea fire, to the Boston Harbor Islands, where they spent years rebuilding their lives living in shacks built out of old drift wood from shipwrecks.

Island life was a difficult one, there was nothing on the island, no running water, no lights, no heat, no facilities, most importantly no food and nine miles by boat to Boston to the nearest market. August Reekast would weekly row (yes row) his double ender boat, hauling his catch to trade or sell for supplies for his family. The children would run to the shore line when seeing a tanker pass by in hopes some fruit may float in.

Julia Arthur, having no children of her own, would set off a brilliant firework display on the 4th of July for the Reekast children living on the next island.

They lived on Middle Brewster for a brief time, long enough to build their home (cottages - shacks) on Great Brewster Island, in the same year. Having one shack to live in and one to cook in. They lived on the island year round, until the government took control of the islands in 1917 WWI. August Reekast moved his family to East Boston. They never left the islands, he and the Reekast boys, continued to work as lobster fishermen, and the family lived then seasonally on the islands after the war, purchasing a home in 1926 in North Weymouth Massachusetts.

The same fate fell on Julia and Benjamin, when the government seized their island. The Cheneys offered the use of their island, provided it would to be returned to them and restored after the war, but the government refused. All of their belongings from the mansion, had to be put into storage until later auctioned off due to creditors. The Cheneys fortune took its toll due do poor investments, which then led Julia back to the stage, her career continued well into the late 1920s. Julia also was in a list of silent films.

In 1924, Julia Arthur had the starring role as Joan in Saint Joan. Unable to afford to attend the performance, Julia invited August and Christina Reekast to the opening evening, placing seats down front for them when they arrived. After the play, Julia signed a large picture to them, To Capt. and Mrs. Johnson, With every good wish ~

Julia Arthur Cheney.

The Knoll (Reekast) family moved back to the island: In the early 1930s, during the depression, my grandparents, Ida and Edmund Knoll took their daughter Christine to live on Brewster Island for months at a time, spending at least one Christmas.

Grandmother’s oldest brother, Gus Reekast Jr.