Belle Franks Guided Walking Tour 

Home (12 School Street)

We moved into 12 School Street last year in 1860. The house is only four years old, as it was built in 1857. It is just down the street from the Academy, which is nice because on my lunch break I have time to come home to check on my father. It is a small, quaint, four-bedroom house with a small parlor, kitchen, and dining area. We have two extra bedrooms because we often have family here in the summer, as Sandwich is lovely in the warm weather. Sandwich does not have indoor plumbing yet, as it is a new and expensive luxury, so we have an outdoor privy in the backyard for bathroom usage. It is very inconvenient at night and when it is cold out, but hopefully someday we will get a bathroom inside. The house is white with black shutters, and has a small sitting area out front. I spend a lot of time here, and it is my favorite place to be.

Shawme Lake (2 Water Street)

On my lunch break from the Academy, which is from 12:00-1:00, I go down the street to Shawme Lake to feed the ducks, after checking on my father and preparing him a quick meal. There is a mother duck and five babies, but I have never seen the father. Sometimes I joke to myself that he has gone to fight in the Civil War too. I have given them all names. The mother is Emma, after my own mother. All of the little babies play rather aggressively with each other, so I have assumed they are all boys. I have named them William, Thomas, Charles, Daniel, and George. Those are their proper names for when they are being good ducks. When they play with each other, I call them Will, Tom, Charlie, Dan, and Georgie. I think their nicknames are much more fitting for their spirited personalities. I get a small piece of bread from home and rip off crumbs to feed to the family. I come every day on my lunch break and try to come on the weekends if I can. This is the most relaxing part of my day. I love to just watch the ducks swim in the lake and eat bread crumbs. I wish my life was as simple as a ducks.

Town Hall (130 Main Street)

After the school day ends at 3 P.M., I go home to spend some time with my father, usually for about an hour. I then walk to Town Hall, where my women’s group meets to sew socks and blankets for the local regiments in the Civil War. We meet every week on Tuesdays. We meet for thirty minutes, and I usually make good progress on my socks. I have sewn four pairs so far, and one blanket. My friend and fellow Sandwich Academy teacher, James Atherton, is going to be the recipient of the pair of socks I am currently about to start. He is currently away fighting in the war. His wife Charlotte just had their daughter, Jane, and I made her and her mother matching socks, with a maroon “A” stitched in by the heel. I have had to wait to get wool, because the pair I am sewing James needs to be extra thick and warm. I really enjoy my time here, because I get to help with the war, even if it is in a small way. I also have gotten to connect with so many women in town who I never knew, and that has been something good to come out of this situation. 

The Wing's (174 Main Street)

At 4:30, I go back home to my father and prepare him a meal. I make beans and bread, which is partially stale but all that we can afford. Since the war began, the prices have gone up significantly. Which is why I go to my second job, working as a maid for the wealthy Wing family. Stephen Rogers Wing, a prominent merchant and businessman in Sandwich, has known my father for quite some time and offered me the job when the war began. His wife, Elizabeth, is like an older sister and motherly figure of sorts to me, and she is very kind and lets me choose whatever tasks I prefer and gives everything else to the other maid. They have four children, Alice, Anna, Asa, and Stephen Rogers Jr. They also had David, another Asa, and Joseph, but they all unfortunately passed away. Many children die at young ages due to infectious diseases and illnesses that have no treatment. At the Wings, I sweep the floors, wash the dishes, prepare meals, take out the trash, change the linens, dust, and clean the house. It takes me many hours, and I make 2 cents an hour. Today, I am working for only two hours because I have my church service tonight, along with the women’s prayer group. I typically spend at least four hours cleaning, as they have a very large home. By this time of day, I am very tired, but I don’t mind this job. It is nice to have extra money during a time like this, and cleaning takes my mind off of everything that is going on. 

Catholic Chapel (23-25 Jarves Street)

I finish up with sweeping at 6:30, then head over to the Catholic Chapel for the nightly service. It used to be only on Sundays, but since the war started, everyone figured that we could use the community time and help each other. I sing hymns during the service. My father always told me I have a good voice, but I presumed he was just saying that because he was my father. Then Pastor Roberts asked me if I would join the choir, because my voice stood out during the service. I never thought I would enjoy being a part of the choir, because I don’t like having any attention on me. But I have grown to appreciate it as an outlet for all the stress I feel, between caring for my father and working at the school and at the Wing’s. The service is an hour, but I stay for the women’s prayer group. This has also just formed, as a lot of women in the church have husbands who have gone to fight in the war. I do not, but I try to provide support in any way that I can. Most women have children, so I offer to watch them when they need to do the shopping or cook them a meal when maybe they can’t afford one. The women get monthly stipends from the town, but it is not that much. Almost none of them have jobs, because they maintain the household and take care of the children. We all pray for the men at war, for the children, for ourselves, for good health and safe returns. Even though I do not have a husband at war, praying with the other women always brightens my week.