Downriver - A Memoir of Choate Island

Call it history, call it nostalgia, this is the fascinating story of a small New England island's haunting past and absorbing beauty, by those who called it home for two centuries and a half, who knew it best, and loved it most.Here is a refreshing new approach to the story of Massachusetts' distinguished Choate family and the picturesque island in Essex River which was their 300-acre domain and ancestral home for almost 250 years.Here, through family journals, record books, diaries, reminiscences and photographs is a fascinating glimpse of the island's haunting past and rare natural beauty. Here is more than a gathering of historical facts and figures; here is a sensitive, intimate, sometimes humorous, insight into a period and place set apart.The reader will be caught up in the hypnotic spell of the island's charm, and feel an irresistible tug at the heart through the poetry of Agnes Choate Wonson. Last of the Choates to live on the island, Agnes remembered with joy, tenderness and a special enthusiasm, the magic of the summer playground of her youth, the home of seven generations of her forebears. Her vivid recollections constitute an important part of Choate Island's heritage.This book is a tribute to Agnes (1882-1981), a personal look at the time and way of rural life on the island she dearly loved.

MARY WONSON (1921-2022) was a native of Mississippi. Following graduation from college with a degree in Library Science, she worked as a librarian in Mississippi, Washington, D.C. and Massachusetts. In addition to hobbies of gardening, sewing, water color painting and music, she has pursued her interest in research by taking courses in non-fiction writing. ROGER WONSON, (1924- ) an avid free-lance photographer, has studied at the Montserrat School of Visual Art and has taught photography at Gordon College. He was a Senior Engineer in electronics at Raytheon Company.Combining their interest in music, art and photography, Mary and Roger have presented multi-media programs for historical, arts and craft societies. They have co-authored articles with photographs for the following publications: Musart, Modern Photography, Family Hanyman, Workbench, Electronics Progress, and the David C. Cook religious magazines. The Wonsons resided in Beverly, Mass., and are parents of three daughters. AGNES CHOATE WONSON (1882-1981) attended Salem Normal School and studied art at Eric Pape School in Boston. Until her death in July, 1981 (approaching her 99th birthday) she was actively involved in submitting poetry and art work for publication. One collection of her poems, Candles of Memory, has been published. Agnes had a gift of portraying what she saw and felt with charm and sincerity, inspiring those who knew her through her creative work.

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