Picnic IslandA fixture in Salisbury for 80 years has been Picnic Island. It came about when the dam broke holding back the water in Humphreys Lake in 1909. The exposed land was first used for development in the downtown area and rightly so. When that was completed, attention was focused on the east end of the land. The land was neglected for 25 years until President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal was enacted. The money and manpower to build not only the entire City Park, but the bridges and facilities on Picnic Island were all provided under a WPA project. The original project was to provide water pumping stations to provide for the future needs of the city. These facilities can still be seen across Main St. from Wicomico Middle School. My grandfather built one of these. The men that did the work made $10-15 a week for four 8 hour days. In the 1930’s, during the Depression, any job was welcome. Their efforts have benefited Salisbury to this day.
I remember back in the 1950’s, it seemed everybody had a picnic basket. Most of them were wicker and held all the plates, cups, utensils napkins, tablecloth and food you would need for a picnic. We used ours a lot, especially on trips. There were no fast food places then and it was costly and time-consuming to eat in a diner or restaurant, although the thrill of eating in either was a real treat. To me, opening the picnic basket was something of a marvel. It was a more relaxed atmosphere than eating at home at the table. Mom would pass out the sandwiches and drinks – usually from a thermos separate from the picnic basket, and napkins. God forbid if I ever spilt anything on Pop’s car.
You still see picnic baskets on some of the shows featuring vintage items and it is nostalgic to see one. There are still a lot of picnics on Picnic Island, but they are usually family affairs where everybody brings large quantities of just one thing. It is still a picnic and the hot dogs can still be burnt on an open flame. Hamburgers, baked beans, potato salad, and cole slaw, and bags of potato chips seem to round out the standard fare.
Not many families just go on their own anymore. Everyone seems to have to have a crowd around them. I guess that is advantageous to parents with children. They have added playground equipment to amuse the little ones while the grown-ups can engage in more mature conversation. People seem to be busy all the time now, especially with everything being open seven days a week. Back then, Sunday was an off day for everyone. So, that is when you went to Picnic Island and had a good time and plenty of good food.
Love the picture! Thanks, George.
ReplyDeleteYou always manage to take us back in time George.I came to Salisbury in 1956 at the ripe old age of 3.My mother immediately signed me up for swimming lessons in the SBY park.When I tell my grandchildren how nice the swimming area in the park was then they look at me like I'm kidding.It is a stretch, I must admit,but we had it all.Lifeguards,crowds,you name it.Not enough photo's were taken.
ReplyDeleteGeorge quote: The men that did the work made $10-15 a week. Jesse Jackson Jr. now wants the minimun wage raised to $10 an hour.
ReplyDeleteGeorge quote: You still see picnic baskets on some of the shows featuring vintage items. Now all baskets come from China, Americans make very few of the items that we use.
Until this changes drastily America will continue to decline. Foreign countries and the imported goods that they produce has to stop or slowed to a crawl before any positive changes can come for America.
If all of this is progress as media tells us, then I'm for the regress.
3:55-I will pay a little more to get products made in the US,but they are becoming increasingly more difficult to find.
ReplyDeleteWhen Henry Ford paid factory workers $5 a day they came from everywhere.
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