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Charlotte L. Evarts
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The Charlotte L. Evarts Memorial Archives
Hammonasset State Park
The Clam Shed
By Al Miller
In 1922 the State of Connecticut built at building at the Hammonasset State Park. It was known as the Clam Shed Restaurant.
I started working there around the age of 151/2 years old, as one of the bus boys to clean up the tables.
The following year in 1936, in the summer, I was asked to wait also cook the hot dogs.
I would like t tell you we served to people. First, as you enter in front of the counter was a screened in room which had a lady in it to serve customers with pies, cake, etc.. Next on the counter was where the ice cream was served. Then came the grill where we cooked hotdogs only.
On the wall in back of he grill was a large opening for the fellows in the back room who were making sandwiches. Now one sandwich that they made was known as the Hammonasset Special.. How this sandwich was made: You take hard boiled eggs and Virginia baked ham chopped together, mixed with mayonnaise and served with lettuce and tomato on white bread. My what a wonderful sandwich.
Next to the grill was the place where a fellow served clam chowder. How clam chowder was made: Everyday a man would come and open up the clams. The he would soak the potatoes, salt pork , and seasonings in clam juice. Oh, that made the best clam chowder ever.
The next place was where the coffee, milk, and tea was served. Finally on your right out of the counter was a small booth where a lady sat and added up what you and then she would give you a ticket. You would take it to the next booth and you give the ticket and your money to the man who was in the booth.
You would either go to a large table or small table with benches to eat.
One other thing I remember about the large kitchen was a large room which was known as the ice box. Everyday the Ice Man would come and deliver so many 100 lb. blocks of ice to keep everything cool.
Now, I would like to tell a couple of stories that I remember that happened to me as I remember them. On this building they had a few signs and they read: "No tipping Allowed" and "No Bathing Suits Allowed". One day as I was working on the counter, a bus boy came to me and told me that a lady was sitting out front and she was doing a little sewing and she dropped her thimble on the floor and it went down between the cracks in the floor to the sand under the building. He asked me if I would get it for her. I said, " I will," and I did.
I took it to her and gave it to her and she wanted to give me some money for finding it for her. I said to her, "I am sorry but I am not allowed to receive tips."
She looked at me and said, "This is not a tip. This is for your service."
I still said, "I am sorry,"
Well, She said to me, "Who can I see in this place that might be higher than you."
I said, "My boss will be back in about 10 minutes." When he arrived I told him about the lady and he went to see her. After about 15 minutes he came to see me and told me all that was said he couldn't do anything for her so he sent her down to the main office to see the big boss.
Within about 20 minutes he came to the Clam shed to see us and told us that he gave her the address of the Main Office of all the state parks in Connecticut.
In about one month I received a nice letter from the Main Office in Hartford thanking me for all my good work and if I ever needed a job I would always have one.
I thought that was real nice.
One Sunday morning around 11:30 or so there was a double line of customers trying to get waited on. This one lady asked for a hot dog which I gave her and she left and went out and paid for it. She also put mustard and relish on it, but she came back through the line again and asked me to toast the bun. I said, I am sorry but we can not toast buns because the grill is all full of hot dogs and there is no place for the buns.
Well, she looked at me and said, "You know what you can do with this hot dog and she took it and threw it at me. It just missed me and hit the wall.
After a while the boss came out to see ma. He heard something happened to me and wanted to know about it. So I told him what happened. He asked me if I got her name and address. I told him no. Why? Because you could have sued her for everything, because nobody has the right to throw anything at anybody, especially food
I looked at him and said, "I didn't know that. Now you tell me!, Thanks!"
One more time the boss came out to the table to talk to me. I was just a bus boy and he said to me, "Do you see that lady down at the end of the building all by herself. Nobody around her?"
I said, "Yes. Why?"
She was breast feeding her baby.
Well, I want you to tell her to go down and tell her to go down to the Red Cross Station which was in the main office building to feed her baby there.
I looked at him and said, "I was only hired a bus boy just to clean the tables off and not to tell people where to go or what to do."
The lady stayed there and nobody bothered her.
Every day was different working there.
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