Saga of the Little Whitehouse Archive The Saga Of The Little Whitehouse ~ Archive
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The Saga Of The Little Whitehouse ~ Archive

This page is devoted to images and notes related to the "Saga of the Little Whitehouse".
Sundays, ballgames, summer family picnics, Grandpa's birthday, and other special family occasions invariably included music, especially group sings, with a heavy patriotic flair. Their Irish-American tastes meant George M. Cohan was a favorite...

My family "made ourselves useful" through good days and bad, for a century in Fairfield, CT ... We're hardy and we were proud to serve again, and grateful to be empowered for it. These pages have given me an opportunity to restore myself and refresh the concepts that motivated me to "all topstuff" to begin with. I know I have plenty of company in the need to refresh and restore the best inner drivers, and I hope you find my work here an easy and entertaining help....elle


Grandpa "Big Jim" Smith
was cast in the classic mold...by the time I knew him, he was the Norman Rockwell Grandpa...complete with snowy hair that "went shock-white" from a heartbreak when he was in early twenties...before he met and married Grandma...and sweeping handlbar mustache...
The funnycigar-box at the bottom of the bottom drawer, way in the back, contained the collection of scissors he used to groom those mustachios over the years, and was found by Grandma and self when clearing his belongings after his death at age 90.

Each year after reaching age 60, he would say at Birthday speechtime, "Drink up, boys! I won't be here to "tip a good glass of cheer" with you next year!"
For thirty years, he predicted his death and we loved him and we would lament, and when his time actually came, the funeral cortege stretched for a mile or more .

His annual death prediction would be followed, as a rule, by his big bass voice, lifted in song, like those listed below, and never a day without a song and a "sass" to share the gift of lively love.


Jim and Else's crew, late '60's, at a family event.

All those fine sons for my 4'10" Grandmother!
...she never stopped that wonderful roundish sort-of warm, quiet elderly lady giggle, to our delight!
And two are absent from the photo. Joe, one more of her sons, died of Lukemia at age thirty, a young husband and father. And there was one more son, still, in Tom, from Grandpa Smith's first marriage...his firstborn, if he is alive, he is over a hundred.
Visits to Uncle Tom's in the Hills were lovely...his wife and children loving, hospitable and great fun!....except for Cousin Tommy's violin.....eightyearold awful! :-)
Mysteries to have fun chasing down on an afternoon!


Happy postwar activity:
Six Smith Brothers
being sworn in as
new members of the
American Legion.
- 1953
l-r:Hank, Charlie,Jim,
Bob, Bill and Al.
per Commander A.Laska

"You're A Grand Old Flag"


You're A Grand Old Flag,
You're a high fly-ing flag,
And for-ev-er, in peace, may you wave.

You're the em-blem of the land I love,
The home of the free and the brave.

Ev-'ry heart beats true
'neath the Red, White and Blue,
Where ther's nev-er a boast or brag,

But, should auld ac-quaint-ance be for-got,
Keep your eye on the grand old flag.

Words and Music by George M. Cohan

Three generations of Smiths served proudly under this logo, as well. Grandpa James Smith helped build the DuPont Coated Fabrics Plant in Fairfield; one of his sons, Richard Charles,"Charlie", followed as Millwright, fashioning the gold foil for NASA's Lunar Landing Module with his hands; and his son, in turn, an administrator with the plant, till subsidization in the late 1980's.

One of many old
Irish Blessings & wishes,
"...and
may ye be in Heaven
half and hour before
the devil knows yer gone!"

Available as reprint, artistically,
with the shamrock, below alongside.



Richard Charles Smith shown in 1944
as Army Air Corps Flight Mechanic
b.October 9,1923 -
d.May 10, 1999
"Once again, His Spirit soars!"


"Army Air Corps Song"

Off we go
into the wild blue yonder ~
climbing high
into the sun!
Here they come,
zooming to meet our thunder ~
at 'em, boys!
giv 'er the gun!

Down we dive,
spouting our flame
from under ~
off with one
helluva roar!

We live
in fame!
or go down
in flame!
Nothing 'll stop the
Army Air Corps!


On the side of the plane was Betty Boop, and Hearst Publications Official Site might entertain her fans. An individual fan site,Katy's Obsession with Betty Boopmight be as much fun!
I felt so blessed to grow up as his daughter, though his crusty moments in old age made his last years difficult for all, sometimes, especially himself.
"But it's the laughter that we remember..." once the grieving's done. In his case, may none of us fail to do so.
In our formative years, he was at least good, And often great...science, education, laughter, beauty, music, and infinite warmth and hugs...as one who has travelled sociologically, I must praise him...his lights instilled in us the will to live in dark places later on...a gift not to be overlooked.
Some called him "Charlie", and my Mother said it like Katherine Hepburn's Rosie to Humphrey Bogart, as another special Charlie, in the film,"African Queen".
So, in turn, I would laugh, saying it like Charlie Chan's daughter ... "Hiya, Pop! number one daughter , here!...what's up?"..but not too often...his tastes in entertainment were alert.
In a world full of sophistications many of them great, but many so cold...I treasure the climate in which I was raised...and hope not to fail to express my love and gratitude. I wish I had been able to write this before he died...I did tell him, and show him ... he would have loved this page!

Scarlett and Rhett,
icons of their day,
however imperfect their
personalities and motives!
Only the Civil War
could have made them appear
"sweet-by-comparison"!



Uncle Jim
The Marines’ Hymn


From the Halls of Montezuma
To the shores of Tripoli
We fight our country’s battles
In the air, on land and sea.

First to fight for right and freedom
And to keep our honor clean;
We are proud to claim the title of
United States Marine.

Our flag's unfurled to every breeze
from dawn to setting sun.
We have fought in every clime and place,
where we could take a gun.

In the snow of far off northern lands
and in sunny tropic scenes,
You will find us always on the job,
The United States Marines.

Here's health to you and to our Corps
which we are proud to serve.
In many a strife we've fought for life
and never lost our nerve.

If the Army and the Navy ever look on heaven's scenes,
they will find the streets are guarded by
United States Marines.

Music by Jacques Offenback Mercurio's lovely market still graces the Center area of my hometown, still run by Mercurios, and they still deliver! I wish I could tell you how happy it made me to find anything the same in my home town, after a twenty year absence, and recently widowed. It was downright embarassing, by discrete Fairfield standards...wafting! Oh, dear! Still proud to have save my own 1990's store receipt.





On the event of the Centennial of Flight December 17, 2003, this one may not be omitted.

Whitehead's plane flew in Fairfield, CT, a year before the Wright Brothers' famous Kitty Hawk, NC flight.
An agreement with official records-keepers and the Smithsonian Institute made by heirs of the Wright Brothers, won the Kitty Hawk flight honors that some say rightfully belong to Whitehead's plane.

Happy to receive feedback on this one.
Nonsense & Lovesense songs ~
made people laugh and pick up on a lighthearted mood,
in the midst of wartime horrors in order to preserve the delight
in life and freedom worth fighting for. Enjoy an online party,
searching through the ocean of music online, from the
Little Whitehouse days. Many sites including Rienzihills.com little music files,
so you can actually hear the songs by the original artists.
Others feature, lyrics, or lyrics + musical score.
And some link to website fanclubs with photos,
biographies and links to related material.
Silly songs that work... Like this one:

Chickery Chick
Lyrics by Sylvia Dee,Music by Sidney Lippman
Sammy Kaye (#1 in 1945)

Once there lived a chicken who would say "chick-chick"
"Chick-chick" all day
Soon that chick got sick and tired of just "chick-chick"
So one morning he started to say:

"Chickery chick, cha-la, cha-la
Check-a-la romey in a bananika
Bollika, wollika, can't you see
Chickery chick is me?"

Every time you're sick an tired of just the same old thing
Sayin' just the same old words all day
Be just like the chicken who found something new to sing
Open up your mouth and start to say
Oh!

"Chickery chick, cha-la, cha-la
Check-a-la romey in a bananika
Bollika, wollika, can't you see
Chickery chick is me?"


Then see how many of these titles get you humming. :-)

  • A Bicycle Built for Two (Daisy Bell)
  • About a Quarter to Nine
  • A Bushel and A Peck
  • A Kiss to Build a Dream On
  • Accentuate the Positive
  • After The Ball
  • After You've Gone
  • Ain't Misbehavin'
  • Ain't She Sweet
  • Ain't we crazy
  • Ain't We Got Fun
  • Alabama Jubilee
  • Alexander's Ragtime Band
  • Alphabet Love Song
  • Always
  • Always in My Heart
  • A Nightingale Sang In Berkley Square
  • Anniversary Song
  • And The Band Played On
  • Anything Goes
  • Any Time
  • April Showers
  • Are you from Dixie?
  • Are you lonesome tonight
  • As Time Goes By
  • A Sleepy Lagoon
  • A Sunny Disposish
  • Aura Lee
  • Avalon
  • Baby Face
  • Ballin' The Jack
  • Barney Google
  • Basin Street Blues
  • Beale Street Blues
  • Beat Me Daddy , 8 To The Bar
  • Because of You
  • Beautiful Ohio
  • Beer Barrel Polka (Roll out the Barrel)
  • Beyond The Blue Horizon
  • Blueberry Hill
  • Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain
  • Blue Skies
  • Body and Soul
  • Bonaparte's Retreat
  • Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy
  • Breakman's Blues
  • Brother Can You Spare Me A Dime
  • Buffalo Gals
  • Buttons & Bows
  • By The Beautiful Sea
  • By the Light of the Silv'ry Moon
  • Bye Bye Blackbird
  • Bye Bye Blues
  • Cab Driver
  • Canadian Capers
  • Charlie on the MTA
  • Chattanooga Choo Choo
  • Chawing Chewing Gum
  • Chickery Chick
  • Clancy Lowered The Boom
  • Cruising Down The River
  • Cry Me A River
  • Cuddle up a little closer, lovey mine
  • Daddy
  • Dark Town Poker Club
  • Dark Town Strutters Ball
  • Dear Hearts and Gentle People
  • Deep Purple
  • Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend
  • Don't Bring Lulu
  • Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree
  • Down By The Old Mill Stream
  • Down By The River Side
  • Down Yonder
  • Dream a Little Dream of Me
  • Embraceable You
  • Enjoy Yourself
  • Every Time We Say Goodbye
  • Farewell Blues
  • For All We Know
  • For Me and My Gal
  • Frankie and Johnny
  • Friendship
  • Give My Regards To Broadway
  • Glow Worm
  • Good Night Irene
  • Good Night, Sweetheart
  • Goody, Goody
  • Ghost Riders In The Sky
  • Green Eyes

  • Harbor Lights
  • Hard Hearted Hannah
  • Harrigan
  • Has Anybody Seen My Gal
  • Have I Told You Lately
  • Have You Ever Been Lonely
  • Hello My Baby
  • Hot Time In The Ol'Town
  • Tonight
  • Huggin' and Chalkin'
  • Ida, Sweet as Apple Cider
  • I Didn't Know The Gun Was Loaded
  • I Don't Know Why
  • I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire
  • I Had A Hat When I Came In
  • If I Didn't Care
  • If I Knew You Were Coming I'd Baked A Cake
  • If You Knew Susie
  • If I Had My Way Dear
  • I Love You Truly
  • I'll Be Seeing You
  • I'll Be With You In Apple Blossom Time
  • I Can't Get Started With You
  • I Guess I'll Get The Papers and Go Home
  • I Kiss Your Hand, Madame
  • I'll Get By
  • I'll See You In My Dreams
  • I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen
  • I'm an Old Cowhand
  • I'm Always Chasing Rainbows
  • I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles
  • I'm in the Mood for Love
  • I'm Just Wild About Harry
  • I'm Looking Over A Four Leaf Clover
  • I Miss You Most Of All
  • I'm Nobody's Baby
  • Indian Love Call
  • In The Mood
  • In the Shade Of the Old Apple Tree
  • In My Merry Oldsmobile
  • I Only Have Eyes For You
  • It Had To Be You
  • Its A Sin To Tell A Lie
  • It's Been A Long, Long Time
  • It's Just a Little Street Where Old Friends Meet
  • It's Only A Paper Moon
  • It's Only A Shanty In Old Shanty Town
  • It's Too Soon To Know
  • I've Got You Under My Skin
  • I Want A Girl
  • I Wish I Could Shimmy Like..."
  • I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now
  • JaDa, JaDa
  • Jealous
  • Jeepers Creepers
  • Juanita
  • Just A-Wearyin' For You
  • K-K-K-Katy
  • Let Me Call You Sweetheart
  • Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries
  • Lily of Laguna
  • Little Brown Jug
  • LittlePal
  • Little Man You've Had a Busy Day
  • Little Old Lady
  • Look for the Silver Lining
  • Love for Sale
  • Love Letters (straight from my heart
  • Lovely Hula Hands
  • Love Me or Leave Me
  • Love's Old Sweet Song
  • Lovesick Blues
  • Lullaby of Broadway
  • Ma!
  • Make Love to Me
  • Makin' Whoopee
  • Mairzy Doats
  • Margie
  • Mary (is a Grand Old Name)
  • MacNamara's Band
  • Me and My Shadow
  • Melodie D'Amour
  • Memories Of You
  • Mexicali Rose
  • Missouri Waltz
  • Moonglow
  • Moonlight Bay
  • Moonlight Serenade
  • Muskrat Ramble
  • My Blue Heaven
  • My Foolish Heart
  • My Gal Sal
  • My Happiness
  • My Mammy
  • My Melancholy Baby
  • My Mother's Eyes
  • My Old Pal
  • My Sweetheart's the Man in the Moon
  • My Wild Irish Rose
  • Near You
  • Nobody Knows You When You're Down & Out
  • Nobody's sweetheart
  • Nola
  • Now is the hour
  • Oh Johnny
  • Oh, You Beautiful Doll
  • Old Shep
  • Ole Buttermilk Sky
  • On A Slow Boat To China
  • Once In A While
  • Once In Love With Amy
  • One For My Baby
  • On the road to Mandalay
  • On Top Of Old Smokey
  • Our Love Is Here To Stay
  • Paddlin' Madeline Home
  • Pal of my Cradle Days
  • Peg O' My Heart
  • Pistol Packin' Mama
  • Play a Simple Melody
  • Playmate
  • Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone
  • Pretty Baby of Mine
  • Prisoner of Love
  • PUT ANOTHER NICKEL IN...
  • Put On Your Old Gray Bonnet
  • Put Your Arms Around Me, Honey
  • Put Your Shoes On Lucy

  • Ragtime Cowboy Joe
  • Red River Valley
  • Red Roses For A Blue Lady
  • Red Sails In The Sunset
  • Red Wing
  • Room Full Of Roses
  • Rose O'Day
  • Row, Row, Row
  • Rum and Coca-Cola
  • San Antonio Rose
  • School Days
  • Second Hand Rose
  • Sentimental Journey
  • Shine On, Harvest Moon
  • Side by Side
  • Sidewalks of New York
  • Silver Threads Among The Gold
  • Singin' In the Rain
  • Sing, Sing, Sing
  • Sioux City Sue
  • Sleepy Time Gal
  • Smile
  • Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
  • Somebody's Taking My Place
  • Somebody Stole My Gal
  • Somewhere over the rainbow
  • Sonny Boy
  • South Of The Border
  • Stardust
  • Stars Fell On Alabama (
  • Strike Up the Band
  • Summer Time
  • Sunrise Serenade
  • Swanee
  • Sweet Adeline
  • Sweet Rosie O'Grady
  • Swinging On A Star
  • 'S Wonderful
  • T' 'ain't No Sin to Take Off Your Skin
  • Take Me Out To The Ballgame
  • Tea for Two, Two For Tea
  • Tell Me Why
  • Tennessee Waltz
  • Thanks for the Buggy Ride
  • Thanks For The Memories
  • That Gang that sang Heart of My Heart
  • That Old Feeling
  • That Old Gang Of Mine
  • That's My Desire
  • That's My Weakness Now
  • That Silver-Haired Daddy of Mine
  • That's Peggy O'Neil
  • That Wonderful Mother Of Mine
  • The Ballad of Rodger Young
  • The Clapping Song
  • The Donkey Serenade
  • The Glory of Love
  • The Gypsy
  • The Hut-Sut Song
  • The Little Man Who Wasn't There
  • The Old Folks At Home
  • The Old Lamp-Lighter
  • The Night Paddy Murphy Died
  • The Sunshine of Your Smile
  • The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi
  • The Thing
  • The Umbrella Man
  • The White Cliffs of Dover
  • The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise
  • There'll always be an England
  • There! I've Said It Again
  • There's A Long, Long Trail A-Winding
  • There Is A Tavern In The Town
  • There's an Old Spinning Wheel
  • This is the Army, Mister Jones
  • Those Wedding Bells Are Breaking Up
  • There'll Be Some Changes Made
  • Three Little Fishies
  • Three Little Words
  • Tico Tico Til We Meet Again
  • Tie Me To Your Apron Strings Again
  • Tiger Rag
  • To Each His Own
  • Too Fat Polka
  • Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ra
  • Toot, Toot, Tootsie, Goo'bye
  • Twilight Time
  • Two Little Girls In Blue
  • Ukulele Lady
  • Up A Lazy River
  • Wait "Till the Sun Shines, Nellie
  • Waiting for the Robert E. Lee (1912)
  • Walking My Baby Back Home
  • Wearin' o' The Green
  • We'll Meet Again
  • What'll I Do
  • When I Grow Too Old To Dream
  • When I Lost You
  • When I Take My Sugar To Tea
  • When Irish Eyes Are Smiling
  • When You and I Were Young,Maggie
  • When Your Hair Has Turned To Silver
  • When Your Old Wedding Ring Was New
  • When You Were Sweet Sixteen
  • We're going to hang out the washing on the Siegfried Line
  • Whispering
  • Whistle While You Work
  • Who Threw The Overalls In Mrs. Murphy's Chowder
  • Will You Love Me In December as You Do In May?
  • Wing and a Prayer
  • With A Song In My Heart
  • Won't You Ride In My Little Wagon
  • Yearning
  • Yellow Rose of Texas
  • Yes Sir, That's My Baby
  • Yes, We Have No Bananas
  • You Always Hurt the One You Love
  • You are My Sunshine
  • You Belong to Me
  • You Belong to My Heart
  • You Do Something to Me
  • You Gotta See Mamma Every Night
  • You Made Me Love You
  • You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby
  • You'll Never Know
  • You're Daddy's Little Girl
  • You're The Cream In My Coffee
  • You Tell Me Your Dream
  • Young at Heart

  • On theeee Ray-dee-Oh! Difficult to believe that the odd-looking object, an old-time radio, could have been the center of family entertainment, but it was. Amazing things portrayed "on the air" - like the songs and stories noted here - kept families riveted in a circle around it. the concepts and characters and stories and historical events are still talked about today.


    Silver threads among the Gold

    Darling, I am growing ooooo-ld!
    Silver threads among the gold!
    Smile upon my brow todaaaaay!
    Life is fading fast away!

    Oh, my Darling, you will be.....will be,
    Always young and fair to me!

    Smile upon my brow todaaaaay!
    Life is fading fast away!

    Music in the home was normal and brought spirit to droopy days...they do occur! Some of the favorites:
    There's a tree in the meadow
    Margaret Whiting (?)

    There's a tree in the meadow,
    with a stream drifting by,
    And carved upon that tree
    I see, "I love you 'til I die."
    I shall always remember
    the love in your eye
    The day you carved upon that tree
    "I love you 'til I die."
    But further on down lovers' lane
    a silhouette I see.
    I know you're kissing someone else,
    I wish that it were me.
    By that tree in the meadow,
    my thoughts will always lie.
    where e'r you go you'll always know,
    I love you 'til I die.

    --repeat from
    "... further on down lovers'....." to end.

    "Always"

    I'll be loving you, always
    With a love that's true, always
    When your every plan
    Needs a helping hand
    I will understand, always

    Loved you from the start, always
    Bless your little heart, always
    Not for just an hour,
    Not for just a day,
    Not for just a year,
    ...But ALWAYS!




    Unca' Bill
    since this project began, photos, geneology, stories and other data have come to the author!
    the material archieved here represents just a start....
    so, visit again, when you can!

    Eldest Son of Jim and Else, my Baptismal Godfathere, and living, is William "Bill" Smith, second from left in the Army Corps of Engineers photo, below, with friends!
    "Sarge" fought in the Battle of the Bulge: the casualties were very high, and his toughness with his men won threats of all kinds from his beleagered company, but he got them through it , serving proud, and surviving ! When the battle was over and the men learned of the historic losses suffered by other units, they had hugs for him, instead! "He brought 'em home alive !"







    "Casablanca Hat" is me...I married the "Son-of-a-priest-turned-Fed", who made medicine after his military service.

    A Chemist, dead set against Chem warfare, he opted for Corps of Engineers, to "do something constructive :-)" if he had to go to war. His USACE in VietNam found him,postwwar, superintendent of Chem.Mfg., and one of the consultants for the Greenville, NC plant construction. The building was sold to Processors of Holland Bulbs, when Wellcome reorganized to get the money that paid the cost of the Human Genome Project, some years after his death. He died in '81, and, though we missed him bitterly, I am happily healed, and warm still from memories from the wonderful years, full of wonderful experiences, with my own Handsome Prince, with the "hands of the healer".There were extra exciting "Accidental Fed" times to my credit through his family, and thus, the hat.
    But, unlike the heroine in the famous film, "Casablanca", as long as he lived, there was no romantic confict.
    Lucky Lady, me!






    Proud of Uncle Henry Smith, USACE Motorcycle MP in WWII, then FPD blue, motorcycle, then detective for the force, and lots of related and community honors, including the Irish Feis, for many years and the Lions Club, event photo, above. He also helped with P.A.L.






    Three generations of Smiths worked for DuPont Coated Fabrics in Fairfield and became famous for the NASA gold foil , including that which wrapped the famous Lunar Landing Module.






    Patriot
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