Curious Traveler | C.J. Fitzwater Feb 1, 2024
Editor’s note: The following is the conclusion of “The Saga of Harold Congdon”.
Time is a musical composition, there is rhythm, melody, and tempo, and then da capo it repeats in a circular pattern, linking us to eternity. Dec. 7, 1941, a day that will live in infamy. The day the Japanese Imperial Navy attacked Pearl Harbor, a catalyst that plunged the United States into World War II. Harold E. Congdon enlisted in the Navy the following day. His dreams of serving his country were, however, abruptly halted when fainting spells, and severe headaches led to a grim discovery: a brain tumor. This diagnosis resulted in a medical discharge.
Back in his hometown, Harold found solace and new purpose in the arms of his high school sweetheart, Norma Caramango. Norma, a very intelligent, witty young woman, worked as a correspondent reporter for the Newburyport Daily News, reporting on Salisbury. Their love blossomed into marriage, and soon they were expecting a child. Harold, adapting to civilian life, rejoined the Salisbury police force as a motorcycle officer, and became commander of the American Legion Beevers Wilmot Post 309.
1945 proved challenging for his father Harold Sr. His demanding approach to law enforcement, including enforcing trivial laws, began to alienate the townspeople. His first election defeat for Selectman happened in March. The new board’s decision to demote him to captain and appoint a new police chief was a bitter pill to swallow, made all the more painful by the decline of his son’s health.
The cancer that had once halted Jr.’s military career now threatened his very existence. He passed away on the very day World War II ended, leaving behind a grieving family and a community that he loved.
Sarah, who had been everything for her son, was now engulfed in an ocean of grief. Harold was her pride and joy. Their bond had been a source of mutual comfort and support since she gave birth to him at 17.
From boasting about his boy’s athletic prowess to celebrating his successes as a police officer, Harold Sr. had been his son’s biggest supporter. The loss was a blow that shattered his spirit, leaving an eternal sadness.
Norma, who now faced the world as a young widow, pregnant with their second child and caring for their young daughter. Her world, once filled with laughter and love, was now clouded with sorrow. Yet, her strength and resilience comforted all those who struggled with this loss. The couple’s shared history, and intertwined families, had made them a power couple, both in love and in their community.
A solemn police procession, spanning three towns, marked his final journey. The procession began at East Parish and ended at Long Hill Cemetery, where Harold was laid to rest in the family plot.
The Ocean Echo, where Eugene Dean managed games of chance, including the immensely popular Beano, which marked the start of Ed McMahon’s showbiz career as a host. Facing significant financial difficulties, it changed ownership multiple times until finally, in 1937, a splendid new venue emerged on the pier-like structure, the Frolics, the largest Supper Club in New England that attracted national acts.
Approaching his 60th birthday with a sense of loss and longing. It was during this time that an unexpected relationship blossomed between Harold Sr. and his not yet 30 year old daughter in law Norma. This relationship, born out of shared grief and mutual support added to the complexity of the family.
Harold Sr.’s life was not without its share of troubles. On May 13, 1955, he and his boy Friday officer, Fred Dow, posed as state troopers and stopped a vehicle driven by Mrs. Doris Harkin, with Donald Barrios as a passenger. During the interrogation, Harold offered them a choice: either pay a $15 fine and have him represent them in court the next day or face jail time until the hearing. The couple chose to pay the fine and proceeded to Waltham to collect Mr. Harkin. On their return journey, they decided to seek confirmation from the Topsfield state police barracks. Their inquiry there quickly uncovered the truth. The troopers were already aware of such scams and had prior complaints pointing towards Harold.
This illicit activity eventually culminated in Harold Sr. and Dow’s arrest and trial in the summer of 1955. Despite efforts to create responsible doubt, Harold Sr. was found guilty of larceny and bribery. Judge Kirk handed down a sentence of two and a half years in prison and, more significantly, barred the ex-Selectman and former police chief from holding any public office in the future. In a definitive statement, the judge declared, “The Harold Congdon toll road is now closed.”
Throughout the trial, Norma stood by Harold, as he stood by her in her time of mourning of her husband. They shared a home and raised her children together. Sarah shared in the responsibility of the children also, though Sarah was mostly bitter towards other women as she aged.
Harold never received his pension due to his conviction. He found work with the Salisbury Department of Public Works and continued to run his shoe shop. Despite his storied method of leadership, Harold’s contributions to Salisbury were significant. He played a pivotal role in transforming Salisbury from a dirt path to the beach into a world renowned resort town, a legacy that is mostly overshadowed by his crimes. Harold was the most important figure for Salisbury in the 20th century.
Harold Sr. passed away in 1973 at the age of 79, Norma died young at 56 in 1980, and Sarah lived until almost 90 before her death in 1987, leaving behind a complex legacy that raises questions about how we remember characters with such varied histories. Was he the sheriff of Nottingham? Or was he Robin Hood who, despite his flaws, made Salisbury the beach town that generations will always hold dear with the memories created at the Ocean Echo, The Frolics, or even Shaheen’s Fun-O-Rama?
A visit to Long Hill Cemetery on Beach Road offers an interesting portrait. There, on the southeast side, one can find Norma’s gravestone, positioned between her two great loves, Harold F. and Harold E. Just behind, on a gentle slope, rests Sarah’s grave, overseeing her family, forever keeping a watchful eye over the trio.
(With help from Nina Fitzwater, Kristen Packer, Jim Pollard, Gene Dean, Ron Guilmette, Tina Condon Boucher, The Salisbury Public Library, and Newburyport Public Library)
Salisbury resident C.J. Fitzwater is a curious traveler, perpetually on the lookout for fresh frontiers. With each journey, he blends historical threads into his stories.
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